Haptic Bimanual System for Teleoperation of Time-Delayed Tasks

This paper presents a novel teleoperation system, which has been designed to address challenges in the remote control of spaceborne bimanual robotic tasks. The primary interest for designing this system is to assess and increase the efficacy of users performing bimanual tasks, while ensuring the safety of the system and minimising the user's mental load. This system consists of two seven-axis robots that are remotely controlled through two haptic control interfaces. The mental load of the user is monitored using a head-mounted interface, which collects eye gaze data and provides components for the holographic user interface. The development of this system enables the safe execution of tasks remotely, which is a critical building block for developing and deploying future space missions as well as other high-risk tasks

One-dimensional structures behind twisted and untwisted superYang-Mills theory

We give a one-dimensional interpretation of the four-dimensional twisted N=1 superYang-Mills theory on a Kaehler manifold by performing an appropriate dimensional reduction. We prove the existence of a 6-generator superalgebra, which does not possess any invariant Lagrangian but contains two different subalgebras that determine the twisted and untwisted formulations of the N=1 superYang-Mills theory.Comment: 12 pages. Final version to appear in Lett. Math. Phys. with improved notation and misprints correcte

The comparison of complexities of the Chinese and Russian languages on the example of terminology of chemistry

© 2018 The Authors, published by EDP Sciences. The article presents the examples of comparing chemical terms in the Chinese and Russian languages and the results of two experiments conducted with Chinese and Russian students. The first part of the work deals with a comparison of the one-component chemical element names from the periodic table. Then, it continues with dividing different chemical terms in Chinese into several groups: Two-component, three-component, four-component, multicomponent group and comparing them with its analogical terms in Russian to analyze the main difficulties in understanding these terms in both languages. The second part of the work presents the main difficulties, revealed during two experiments, conducted with Chinese and Russian students. The students were given texts in their mother tongues with a chemical context, which they wrote and read noting the time. At the end of the work, all the advantages and complexities revealed in the results of the first and second parts of the work were calculated. Similar language comparisons are becoming more relevant in the last few years, for they contribute to development of methods of analyzing languages and discovering new and improved approaches to the study and use of languages

COMT gene polymorphism and antipsychotic-induced hyperprolactinemia in schizophrenia patients

Hyperprolactinemia (HPRL) is considered to be a frequent and typical adverse drug reaction caused by antipsychotic medications first and foremost due to excessive dopamine D2 receptors blockade. The aim is to study the set of polymorphisms of genes encoding neurotransmitter synthesis and metabolism enzymes COMT, TPH1 and TPH2 in schizophrenia inpatients. A comprehensive examination of 446 schizophrenia inpatients, aged 18-75 years, was conducted. Genotyping of DNA samples in patients with or without HPRL was carried out for 14 polymorphisms of COMT, TPH1, and TPH2 genes. We revealed an association between carriership of the COMT rs165774* G allele and HPRL. As a result of the study, a regression model was designed to predict the risk of developing HPRL in schizophrenia inpatients, taking into account age, gender, and treatment duration, the dosage of drugs in chlorpromazine equivalents as independent covariates and genotypes of the studied polymorphisms

Environmental and Technological Problems of Rational Use of Secondary Resources for Processing Grapes

Rational use of grapes processing resources is among environmental problems of AIC of Republics of the North Caucasus and Krasnodar Territory. Currently, waste from grapes processing is not practically used and worsen the ecological state of environment. The research subject is a technology based on the production of cryo-powder from pulp, squeeze, seeds and grapes skin grown in the foothill and mountainous regions. The prerequisites for research were previously performed author works on related topics. The data on vacuum SHF-drying of grape raw materials and subsequent grinding in a cryomiller are given. Modes of preparation of grape raw materials and its subsequent dehydration and cryo-grinding, which provide the possibility of successful use in the dried state in the production technology of wine beverages, are proposed. The principal feature is the use of whole grapes as a raw material, with skin and seeds. Physico-chemical parameters, the content of phenolic substances and organoleptic characteristics of wine beverages made according to the traditional technology and the beverage made from grape cryo-powders are studied. A comparative assessment is made. It is established that vacuum SHF-drying contributes to better preservation of the properties of raw materials and finished products. The organoleptic assessment has shown that wine beverages developed according to the proposed technology had a more intense color and a more pronounced taste of sweetness and acid than traditional wine beverages. The advantage of this technology is the ability to transport grape cryo-powders in unregulated temperature conditions to any point close to the consumer and carry out the production of nutritional food there

Stellar Collisions and Ultracompact X-ray Binary Formation

(abridged) We report the results of SPH calculations of parabolic collisions between a subgiant or slightly evolved red-giant star and a neutron star (NS). Such collisions are likely to form ultracompact X-ray binaries (UCXBs) observed today in old globular clusters. In particular, we compute collisions of a 1.4 Msun NS with realistically modelled parent stars of initial masses 0.8 and 0.9 Msun, each at three different evolutionary stages (corresponding to three different radii R). The distance of closest approach for the initial orbit varies from 0.04 R (nearly head-on) to 1.3 R (grazing). These collisions lead to the formation of a tight binary, composed of the NS and the subgiant or red-giant core, embedded in an extremely diffuse common envelope (CE) typically of mass ~0.1 to 0.3 Msun. Our calculations follow the binary for many hundreds of orbits, ensuring that the orbital parameters we determine at the end of the calculations are close to final. Some of the fluid initially in the envelope of the (sub)giant, from 0.003 to 0.023 Msun in the cases we considered, is left bound to the NS. The eccentricities of the resulting binaries range from about 0.2 for our most grazing collision to about 0.9 for the nearly head-on cases. In almost all the cases we consider, gravitational radiation alone will cause sufficiently fast orbital decay to form a UCXB within a Hubble time, and often on a much shorter timescale. Our hydrodynamics code implements the recent SPH equations of motion derived with a variational approach by Springel & Hernquist and by Monaghan. Numerical noise is reduced by enforcing an analytic constraint equation that relates the smoothing lengths and densities of SPH particles. We present tests of these new methods to help demonstrate their improved accuracy.Comment: 41 pages, 17 figures, accepted by Ap

Correlation studies of open and closed states fluctuations in an ion channel: Analysis of ion current through a large conductance locust potassium channel

Ion current fluctuations occurring within open and closed states of large conductance locust potassium channel (BK channel) were investigated for the existence of correlation. Both time series, extracted from the ion current signal, were studied by the autocorrelation function (AFA) and the detrended fluctuation analysis (DFA) methods. The persistent character of the short- and middle-range correlations of time series is shown by the slow decay of the autocorrelation function. The DFA exponent $\alpha$ is significantly larger than 0.5. The existence of strongly-persistent long-range correlations was detected only for closed-states fluctuations, with $\alpha=0.98\pm0.02$. The long-range correlation of the BK channel action is therefore determined by the character of closed states. The main outcome of this study is that the memory effect is present not only between successive conducting states of the channel but also independently within the open and closed states themselves. As the ion current fluctuations give information about the dynamics of the channel protein, our results point to the correlated character of the protein movement regardless whether the channel is in its open or closed state.Comment: 12 pages, 5 figures; to be published in Phys. Rev.

Оценка экономического ущерба от рассеянного склероза в городе Уфе

Multiple sclerosis (MS) remains one of the most expensive diseases in the Russian healthcare system due to its early onset, increasing life expectancy of the patients, and the use of costly diagnostic methods and medical treatment. According to experts, even a slight reduction in direct (medical) expenses leads to a sharp increase in indirect costs; this situation necessitates an updated assessment of the number of MS patients, the degree of their disability, and the epidemiological dynamics of the disease. The aim of the study was to assess the economic damage associated with MS using the clinical, epidemiological, medical, and social data available for the city of Ufa. Materials and Methods. Direct medical expenses (outpatient care, visits to specialists, inpatient care, medications for outpatients), direct non-medical costs (temporary disability benefits, disability pensions, social services) were analyzed as well as the losses in the regional gross domestic product (GDP) due to temporary or permanent disability and premature mortality (indirect costs). Results. Because of MS only in the city Ufa, the Russian economy loses 428,222,026.35 rubles per year, mostly due to direct medical costs; of those, almost 50% is spent for immunomodulatory therapy (202,787,862.81 rubles). Annually, 4 596 245.76 rubles are spent for the hospital 24-hour treatment of MS patients, 916,154.28 rubles – for the daycare treatment, and 505,914.56 rubles – for outpatient care. Economic losses from premature death of MS patients in Ufa amounted to 21,570,999.52 rubles per year, and the lost GDP profit was estimated at 328,783,783 rubles. Conclusion. MS remains the leader of high-cost diseases and requires significant expenses from the state-run healthcare system in the Russian Federation. Epidemiological and pharmacoeconomic studies can help planning and modernizing the medical care for patients with multiple sclerosis. .Рассеянный склероз (РС) остается одним из самых дорогих заболеваний по стоимости лечения для государства, а в зарубежных странах – и для частных страховых компаний в расчете на одного больного в течение всей жизни благодаря раннему началу, увеличивающейся продолжительности жизни больных, внедрению современных дорогостоящих методов диагностики и лечения. Согласно исследованиям специалистов по медико-социальным проблемам, даже незначительное сокращение прямых (медицинских) расходов на лечение больных приводит к резкому росту косвенных затрат, что требует четкого представления о количестве больных РС, степени их инвалидизации, а также о динамике основных эпидемиологических показателей заболевания. Цель исследования – на основании проведенного клинико-эпидемиологического и медико-социального исследования в г. Уфе оценить экономический ущерб, обусловленный рассеянным склерозом. Материалы и методы. Рассчитывалась сумма прямых медицинских затрат (амбулаторная помощь/посещение специалистов, стационарная помощь, лекарственная терапия на этапе амбулаторного лечения); прямых немедицинских затрат (выплаты пособий в связи с временной утратой трудоспособности и выплаты пенсий по инвалидности, обслуживание социальным работником), а также потерь регионального валового внутреннего продукта (ВВП) в связи с временной и стойкой утратой трудоспособности и преждевременной смертности (непрямые затраты). Результаты. Впервые в г. Уфе проведена оценка экономического ущерба от рассеянного склероза. Вследствие рассеянного склероза в г. Уфе экономика России только за год теряет 428 222 026,35 руб., при этом основную долю составляют прямые медицинские затраты, из которых почти 50% – это траты на иммуномодулирующую терапию (202 787 862,81 руб.). За год на лечение больных РС в условиях круглосуточного стационара расходуется 4 596 245,76 руб., в условиях дневного стационара – 916 154,28 руб., на амбулаторно-поликлиническую помощь – 505 914,56 руб. Экономический ущерб от временной нетрудоспособности работающих больных РС составляет 3 051 765,12 руб. в год, вследствие инвалидности – 194 688 324,3 руб. в год. Упущенная выгода за годы потерянной потенциальной жизни от рассеянного склероза составила 194 688 324,3 руб. Экономические убытки от преждевременной смертности больных РС в г. Уфе за год составили 21 570 999,52 руб., а неполученная прибыль в производстве ВВП (объем недопроизведенного ВВП) – 328 783 783 руб. Выводы. Рассеянный склероз остается в лидерах высокозатратных для государства заболеваний. Проведение эпидемиологических и фармакоэкономических исследований может помочь при планировании и модернизации медицинской помощи больным рассеянным склерозом.

The empirical definition of total emissivity of modern super-thin liquid composite thermal insulators

Modern world trends in the field of energy and mineral resources preservation policy involves the need for a more cost-efficient use of the Earth's natural resources, including in the field of construction industry. Using insulation modern materials would largely solve this problem. The acceptability appraisal of various advanced heat-insulating blankets is a crucial task, which requires experimental verification of total emissivity empirical definition of modern super-thin liquid composite thermal insulators and their real value definition. Method of investigation is as follows: an empirical definition of blankets emissivity using the proposed laboratory equipment, which comprises a system of "gray" bodies, thermocouple probe and a source of continuous heat flux. Total emissivity of modern super-thin liquid composite thermal insulators is experimentally determined. It amounted e = 0.89 for sample # 1, and e = 0.87 for sample # 2 at a temperature of 35-65 °C. It was found that the actual emissivity of the samples was higher than it had been declared