Can Large Language Models design a Robot?

Large Language Models can lead researchers in the design of robots.Comment: Under revie

An evaluation of patients’ adherence with hypoglycemic medications among Papua New Guineans with Type 2 Diabetes: Influencing factors

Purpose: The aims of this study were to evaluate the extent of adherence to hypoglycemic medications, assess the relationship between adherence and glycemic control, and evaluate factors affecting adherence. Research design and methods: This was a cross-sectional study of patients with established type 2 diabetes attending the Port Moresby General Hospital Diabetes Clinic. Face-to-face interviews were conducted using a questionnaire designed for the study and data were collected concerning the 3 months prior to interview. The questionnaire covered demographic details, lifestyle, biochemical and physical measurements, and medication management. Glycemic control was investigated among patients adhering to their medications (not missing doses) to different degrees (100%, 95%, 90%, and 80%).Results: Of a total of 356 participants who were prescribed hypoglycemic medications, 59.6% omitted some of their doses. Age appeared to have a significant impact on adherence at some levels of adherence, with those aged >60 years being more likely to be adherent (logistic regression). Those who were 95%–99% and those who were 10% (85.5 mmol/mol). Multiple factors were identified as contributors to nonadherence, with patient-based issues (86.0%) and the health care system (21.7%) being the most common. Conclusion: This study showed a significant level of nonadherence among patients with type 2 diabetes in Papua New Guinea. Nonadherence to medication appeared to be associated with poor glycemic control and was due to a variety of reasons. Future interventions aimed at improving adherence will need to take these into account

Relationship of Background Characteristics to Level of Moral Reasoning

This study is concerned with measuring the level of moral reasoning in a prison and a nonprison population, The purpose of the study is to examine some of the characteristics or background factors present in those convicted of criminal acts in order to determine if a pattern of relationships exists with respect to the level of moral reasoning used by those indviiduals and to evaluate this information in terms of its usefulness to those working with delinquent members of society.Correction

The science of soft robot design: A review of motivations, methods and enabling technologies

Novel technologies, fabrication methods, controllers and computational methods are rapidly advancing the capabilities of soft robotics. This is creating the need for design techniques and methodologies that are suited for the multi-disciplinary nature of soft robotics. These are needed to provide a formalized and scientific approach to design. In this paper, we formalize the scientific questions driving soft robotic design; what motivates the design of soft robots, and what are the fundamental challenges when designing soft robots? We review current methods and approaches to soft robot design including bio-inspired design, computational design and human-driven design, and highlight the implications that each design methods has on the resulting soft robotic systems. To conclude, we provide an analysis of emerging methods which could assist robot design, and we present a review some of the necessary technologies that may enable these approaches

Teaching lactose metabolism: A complex challenge faced with a simple kit

We developed an experimental didactic proposal to teach both carbohydrate metabolism and lactose intolerance as the disease related to that metabolism. Therefore, we implemented an empirical strategy consisting of inexpensive and non-toxic components for which students do not need to know any laboratory techniques. The fact that students were able to discuss their own results obtained from the experiments performed in their classroom gave them additional motivation to learn the subject.Fil: Monti Hughes, Andrea. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Ciclo Basico Comun. Departamento de Cs Biologicas; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Alonso, Manuel. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Ciclo Basico Comun. Departamento de Cs Biologicas; ArgentinaFil: Garófalo, Judith. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Ciclo Basico Comun. Departamento de Cs Biologicas; ArgentinaFil: Burgos, Hilda Isabel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas; ArgentinaFil: Stella, Carlos Alberto. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas; Argentin

Proprioceptive Sensing of Soft Tentacles with Model Based Reconstruction for Controller Optimization

The success of soft robots in displaying emergent behaviors is tightly linked to the compliant interaction with the environment. However, to exploit such phenomena, proprioceptive sensing methods which do not hinder their softness are needed. In this work we propose a new sensing approach for soft underwater slender structures based on embedded pressure sensors and use a learning-based pipeline to link the sensor readings to the shape of the soft structure. Using two different modeling techniques, we compare the pose reconstruction accuracy and identify the optimal approach. Using the proprioceptive sensing capabilities we show how this information can be used to assess the swimming performance over a number of metrics, namely swimming thrust, tip deflection, and the traveling wave index. We conclude by demonstrating the robustness of the embedded sensor on a free swimming soft robotic squid swimming at a maximum velocity of 9.5 cm/s, with the absolute tip deflection being predicted within an error less than 9% without the aid of external sensors

Supernova remnants with magnetars: clues to magnetar formation

I discuss the lack of observational evidence that magnetars are formed as rapidly rotating neutron stars. Supernova remnants containing magnetars do not show the excess of kinetic energy expected for such a formation scenario, nor is there any evidence for a relic pulsar wind nebula. However, it could be that magnetars are formed with somewhat slower rotation periods, or that not all excess rotational energy was used to boost the explosion energy, for example as a result of gravitational radiation. Another observational tests for the rapid initial period hypothesis is to look for statistical evidence that about 1% of the observed supernovae have an additional 1E40-1E44 erg/s excess energy during the first year, caused by the spin down luminosity of a magnetar. An alternative scenario for the high magnetic fields of magnetars is the fossil field hypothesis, in which the magnetic field is inherited from the progenitor star. Direct observational tests for this hypothesis are harder to formulate, unless the neutron star formed in the SN1987A explosion emerges as a slowly rotating magnetar. Finally, I point out the possible connection between the jets in Cas A and its X-ray point source: the jets in Cas A may indicate that the explosion was accompanied by an X-ray flash, probably powered by a rapidly rotating compact object. However, the point source in Cas A does not seem to be a rapidly rotating neutron star, suggesting that the neutron star has slowed down considerably in 330 yr, requiring a magnetar-like field.Comment: Accepted by Advances in Space Research (Cospar 2006, Beijing, Session E1.4