HEXA: Hazardous Environment eXpedition Apparatus : Design av en flerterränggående hexapodal robot som använder sig av sensor återkoppling

Many hexapods and other robots struggle with walking in uneven terrain, this is due to their lack of sensory feedback. This is the problem aimed to be solved by introducing a sensory feedback loop that measures the current over the servos. By doing this one could know whether or not the leg is in contact with the ground. If a successful sensor can be made, this method could be implemented on any hexapod that uses servos and inverse kinematics for their locomotion to enable them to walk in uneven terrain. With the complete system in place most of what was expected from the system was achieved. HEXA can indeed walk in uneven terrain where the terrain had the maximum height difference of ±2.3 cm, as seen in the video linked in appendix B. It also can detect when a leg has contact with the ground but due to low servo quality the walking could not be tested to its full extent.Många hexapoder och andra robotar har svårigheter att gå i ojämn terräng, detta är på grund av hur de inte har någon form av senosoråterkoppling. Detta är problemet som siktas på att lösas genom att introducera en sensor återkopplings slinga som mäter stömmen över de olika servon. Genom att implementera detta kan en få reda på om benet har kontakt med marken eller ej. Om en lyckas senor kan skapas, skulle denna metod kunna implementeras till vilken annan hexapodal robot som använder sig av servos och inverse kinematik för sin framdriving. Med det kompletta systemet integrerat uppfylls nästan allt som var förväntad. HEXA kan gå i en ojämn terräng med den maximala höjdsillnaden av ±2.3 cm, som sett i videon i appendix B. Samt kan den märka av när ett av benen är i marken, men på grund av den låga servokvaliteten kunde inte gången testas till sin fulla förmåga

HEXA: Hazardous Environment eXpedition Apparatus : Design av en flerterränggående hexapodal robot som använder sig av sensor återkoppling

Many hexapods and other robots struggle with walking in uneven terrain, this is due to their lack of sensory feedback. This is the problem aimed to be solved by introducing a sensory feedback loop that measures the current over the servos. By doing this one could know whether or not the leg is in contact with the ground. If a successful sensor can be made, this method could be implemented on any hexapod that uses servos and inverse kinematics for their locomotion to enable them to walk in uneven terrain. With the complete system in place most of what was expected from the system was achieved. HEXA can indeed walk in uneven terrain where the terrain had the maximum height difference of ±2.3 cm, as seen in the video linked in appendix B. It also can detect when a leg has contact with the ground but due to low servo quality the walking could not be tested to its full extent.Många hexapoder och andra robotar har svårigheter att gå i ojämn terräng, detta är på grund av hur de inte har någon form av senosoråterkoppling. Detta är problemet som siktas på att lösas genom att introducera en sensor återkopplings slinga som mäter stömmen över de olika servon. Genom att implementera detta kan en få reda på om benet har kontakt med marken eller ej. Om en lyckas senor kan skapas, skulle denna metod kunna implementeras till vilken annan hexapodal robot som använder sig av servos och inverse kinematik för sin framdriving. Med det kompletta systemet integrerat uppfylls nästan allt som var förväntad. HEXA kan gå i en ojämn terräng med den maximala höjdsillnaden av ±2.3 cm, som sett i videon i appendix B. Samt kan den märka av när ett av benen är i marken, men på grund av den låga servokvaliteten kunde inte gången testas till sin fulla förmåga

Treatment with mycophenolate mofetil is associated with improved nailfold vasculature in systemic sclerosis

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the evolution of nailfold capillary density in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) in relation to immunosupressive treatment and autoantibodies.METHODS: Prospective study cohort. Consecutive newly diagnosed SSc patients were included into this study who, in a retrospective review, had at least 2 nailfold capillary microscopy (NCM) measurements performed during the first 48 months of follow-up. Capillary density per 3 mm was measured with widefield NCM. Improvement of capillary density per finger and mean capillary density were analysed. Longitudinal measurements of mean capillary density were analysed by generalized estimating equation (GEE).RESULTS: Eighty patients (68 women, 12 men) met the inclusion criteria. The median follow-up time was 27 months. Twenty-eight patients had an improved capillary density in per finger analysis. Mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) was associated with less numbers of fingers that had worsened in capillary density. Anti-topoisomerase antibodies were associated with low mean capillary density. Anti-RNA polymerase III antibodies were associated with improvement and anti-centromere antibodies with worsening of capillary density in per finger analysis. MMF treatment was associated with less steep capillary density decline in a moderated GEE model including presence of anti-topoisomerase antibodies and the interaction of MMF with follow-up time.CONCLUSION: Nailfold capillary density improved over time in a substantial proportion of SSc patients. MMF treatment had a positive impact on the evolution of capillary density in these patients. SSc autoantibody phenotype may affect the capillary density development. The data support previous hypotheses that early immunosuppression may favourably affect vascular regeneration in SSc

Elevated fecal levels of the inflammatory biomarker calprotectin in early systemic sclerosis

Knowledge on gastrointestinal manifestations in early systemic sclerosis (SSc) is limited. We have investigated gastrointestinal inflammation in SSc at the time of diagnosis using the inflammatory biomarker Fecal calprotectin (F-cal). Consecutive patients with suspected SSc were characterized in relation to the 2013 classification criteria for SSc and classified as SSc or SSc-like disease. F-cal levels were measured with a polyclonal ELISA (Calpro A/S, Lysaker, Norway) and levels above 50 µg/g were considered elevated. F-cal levels were compared to those of control subjects without rheumatic disease. Of 137 patients with suspected SSc, 92 were classified as SSc and 45 as SSc-like disease. Median (interquartile range) disease duration among the SSc participants was 2.5 (1.2, 4.6) years. A substantial proportion of participants classified as SSc (35/92, 38%) and SSc-like disease (14/45, 31%) exhibited elevated F-cal compared to the control group (3/41, 7.3%; p < 0.001 and p = 0.007, respectively). Elevated F-cal was associated with proton pump inhibitor usage (OR 7.14; 95% CI 2.56–29.93; p < 0.001). We conclude that elevated F-cal is present in a subgroup of patients with SSc at the time of diagnosis, suggesting that that GI inflammation may be present in this patient group early in the disease course. F-cal did not exhibit potential to differentiate SSc from SSc-like disease

Anti-Ro52 positivity is associated with progressive interstitial lung disease in systemic sclerosis-an exploratory study.

BACKGROUND: Interstitial lung disease (ILD) is the most common cause of death in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc). Prognostic biomarkers are needed to identify SSc-ILD patients at risk for progressive pulmonary fibrosis. This study investigates autoantibodies measured in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid and in serum in reference to the clinical disease course of SSc-ILD. METHODS: Fifteen patients with new onset SSc-ILD underwent bronchoscopy. Autoantibody levels were analyzed using addressable laser bead immunoassay from BAL fluid and the serum. In a separate longitudinal cohort of 43 patients with early SSc-ILD, autoantibodies in serum were measured at baseline and pulmonary function tests were performed at least 2 times over the course of at least 2 or more years. Linear mixed effect models were created to investigate the relationship between specific autoantibodies and progression of SSc-ILD. Finally, lung tissue from healthy controls and from subjects with SSc was analyzed for the presence of the Ro52 antigen using immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: Among SSc-ILD patients who were positive for anti-Ro52 (N = 5), 3 (60%) had enrichment of anti-Ro52 in BAL fluid at a ratio exceeding 50x. In the longitudinal cohort, 10/43 patients (23%) were anti-Ro52 positive and 16/43 (37%) were anti-scl-70 positive. Presence of anti-Scl-70 was associated with a lower vital capacity (VC) at baseline (-12.6% predicted VC [%pVC]; 95%CI: -25.0,&nbsp;-0.29; p = 0.045), but was not significantly associated with loss of lung function over time (-1.07%pVC/year; 95%CI: -2.86, 0.71; p = 0.230). The presence of anti-Ro52 was significantly associated with the loss of lung function over time (-2.41%pVC/year; 95% CI: -4.28,&nbsp;-0.54; p = 0.013). Rate of loss of lung function increased linearly with increasing anti-Ro52 antibody levels (-0.03%pVC per arbitrary units/mL and year; 95%CI: -0.05,&nbsp;-0.02; p &lt; 0.001). Immunohistochemical staining localized the Ro52 antigen to alveolar M2 macrophages in peripheral lung tissue both in subjects with and without SSc. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that antibodies targeting Ro52 are enriched in the lungs of patients with new-onset SSc-ILD, linking Ro52 autoimmunity to the pulmonary pathology of SSc. Clinical and immunohistochemical data corroborates these findings and suggest that anti-Ro52 may serve as a potential biomarker of progressive SSc-ILD

Anti-Ro52 positivity is associated with progressive interstitial lung disease in systemic sclerosis—an exploratory study

Abstract Background Interstitial lung disease (ILD) is the most common cause of death in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc). Prognostic biomarkers are needed to identify SSc-ILD patients at risk for progressive pulmonary fibrosis. This study investigates autoantibodies measured in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid and in serum in reference to the clinical disease course of SSc-ILD. Methods Fifteen patients with new onset SSc-ILD underwent bronchoscopy. Autoantibody levels were analyzed using addressable laser bead immunoassay from BAL fluid and the serum. In a separate longitudinal cohort of 43 patients with early SSc-ILD, autoantibodies in serum were measured at baseline and pulmonary function tests were performed at least 2 times over the course of at least 2 or more years. Linear mixed effect models were created to investigate the relationship between specific autoantibodies and progression of SSc-ILD. Finally, lung tissue from healthy controls and from subjects with SSc was analyzed for the presence of the Ro52 antigen using immunohistochemistry. Results Among SSc-ILD patients who were positive for anti-Ro52 (N = 5), 3 (60%) had enrichment of anti-Ro52 in BAL fluid at a ratio exceeding 50x. In the longitudinal cohort, 10/43 patients (23%) were anti-Ro52 positive and 16/43 (37%) were anti-scl-70 positive. Presence of anti-Scl-70 was associated with a lower vital capacity (VC) at baseline (-12.6% predicted VC [%pVC]; 95%CI: -25.0, -0.29; p = 0.045), but was not significantly associated with loss of lung function over time (-1.07%pVC/year; 95%CI: -2.86, 0.71; p = 0.230). The presence of anti-Ro52 was significantly associated with the loss of lung function over time (-2.41%pVC/year; 95% CI: -4.28, -0.54; p = 0.013). Rate of loss of lung function increased linearly with increasing anti-Ro52 antibody levels (-0.03%pVC per arbitrary units/mL and year; 95%CI: -0.05, -0.02; p < 0.001). Immunohistochemical staining localized the Ro52 antigen to alveolar M2 macrophages in peripheral lung tissue both in subjects with and without SSc. Conclusions This study suggests that antibodies targeting Ro52 are enriched in the lungs of patients with new-onset SSc-ILD, linking Ro52 autoimmunity to the pulmonary pathology of SSc. Clinical and immunohistochemical data corroborates these findings and suggest that anti-Ro52 may serve as a potential biomarker of progressive SSc-ILD