Ctrl-MORE: A Framework to Integrate Controllers of Multi-DoF Robot for Developers and Users

In recent years, many different feedback controllers for robotic applications have been proposed and implemented. However, the high coupling between the different software modules made their integration into one common architecture difficult. Consequently, this has hindered the ability of a user to employ the different controllers into a single, general and modular framework. To address this problem, we present Ctrl-MORE, a software architecture developed to fill the gap between control developers and other users in robotic applications. On one hand, Ctrl-MORE aims to provide developers with an opportunity to integrate easily and share their controllers with other roboticists working in different areas. For example, manipulation, locomotion, vision and so on. On the other hand, it provides to end-users a tool to apply the additional control strategies that guarantee the execution of desired behaviors in a transparent, yet efficient way. The proposed control architecture allows an easier integration of general purpose feedback controllers, such as stabilizers, with higher control layers such as trajectory planners, increasing the robustness of the overall system

A 2-step synthesis of Combretastatin A-4 and derivatives as potent tubulin assembly inhibitors

A series of combretastatin derivatives were designed and synthesised by a two-step stereoselective synthesis by use of Wittig olefination followed by Suzuki cross-coupling. Interestingly, all new compounds (2a-2i) showed potent cell-based antiproliferative activities in nanomolar concentrations. Among the compounds, 2a, 2b and 2e were the most active across three cancer cell lines. In addition, these compounds inhibited the polymerisation of tubulin in vitro more efficiently than CA-4. They caused cell cycle arrest in G2/M phase further confirming their ability to inhibit tubulin polymerisation

Six degrees-of-freedom prostate and lung tumor motion measurements using Kilovoltage intrafraction monitoring.

PURPOSE: Tumor positional uncertainty has been identified as a major issue that deteriorates the efficacy of radiation therapy. Tumor rotational movement, which is not well understood, can result in significant geometric and dosimetric inaccuracies. The objective of this study was to measure 6 degrees-of-freedom (6 DoF) prostate and lung tumor motion, focusing on the more novel rotation, using kilovoltage intrafraction monitoring (KIM). METHODS AND MATERIALS: Continuous kilovoltage (kV) projections of tumors with gold fiducial markers were acquired during radiation therapy for 267 fractions from 10 prostate cancer patients and immediately before or after radiation therapy for 50 fractions from 3 lung cancer patients. The 6 DoF motion measurements were determined from the individual 3-dimensional (3D) marker positions, after using methods to reject spurious and smooth noisy data, using an iterative closest point algorithm. RESULTS: There were large variations in the magnitude of the tumor rotation among different fractions and patients. Various rotational patterns were observed. The average prostate rotation angles around the left-right (LR), superior-inferior (SI), and anterior-posterior (AP) axes were 1.0 ± 5.0°, 0.6 ± 3.3°, and 0.3 ± 2.0°, respectively. For 35% of the time, the prostate rotated more than 5° about the LR axis, indicating the need for intrafractional adaptation during radiation delivery. For lung patients, the average LR, SI, and AP rotation angles were 0.8 ± 4.2°, -0.8 ± 4.5°, and 1.7 ± 3.1°, respectively. For about 30% of the time, the lung tumors rotated more than 5° around the SI axis. Respiration-induced rotation was detected in 2 of the 3 lung patients. CONCLUSIONS: The prostate and lung tumors were found to undergo rotations of more than 5° for about a third of the time. The lung tumor data represent the first 6 DoF tumor motion measured by kV images. The 6 DoF KIM method can enable rotational and translational adaptive radiation therapy and potentially reduce treatment margins

The Dilemmas of Adopting Performance Related Pay as a Reward Strategy for Academic Staff in Nigerian Public Higher Institutions of Learning

In today organizations, many employers of labour in private driven and public driven organizations seems to be attracted to performance related pay (PRP) as a means of reward and compensation. Even though PRP strategy is claimed to have distinct advantages over automatic pay increase (formal and transparent reward systems linked to tenure and promotion), they are still not without problems. Among these problems envisage in Nigerian higher institutions of learning are the issue of acceptability of performance related pay as a means of reward and compensation, and low level of motivation and performance. These aforementioned problems were raised in the study research questions and also answered. This was achieved by assessing the extent to which academic staff through administered questionnaire in Nigerian higher institutions of learning believe that the introduction of performance related pay will indeed bring about the claimed motivational and performance enhancement benefits

Joint Blind Motion Deblurring and Depth Estimation of Light Field

Removing camera motion blur from a single light field is a challenging task since it is highly ill-posed inverse problem. The problem becomes even worse when blur kernel varies spatially due to scene depth variation and high-order camera motion. In this paper, we propose a novel algorithm to estimate all blur model variables jointly, including latent sub-aperture image, camera motion, and scene depth from the blurred 4D light field. Exploiting multi-view nature of a light field relieves the inverse property of the optimization by utilizing strong depth cues and multi-view blur observation. The proposed joint estimation achieves high quality light field deblurring and depth estimation simultaneously under arbitrary 6-DOF camera motion and unconstrained scene depth. Intensive experiment on real and synthetic blurred light field confirms that the proposed algorithm outperforms the state-of-the-art light field deblurring and depth estimation methods

Association of proinflammatory cytokines and chemotherapy-associated cognitive impairment in breast cancer patients: a multi-centered, prospective, cohort study.

BackgroundExisting evidence suggests that proinflammatory cytokines play an intermediary role in postchemotherapy cognitive impairment. This is one of the largest multicentered, cohort studies conducted in Singapore to evaluate the prevalence and proinflammatory biomarkers associated with cognitive impairment in breast cancer patients.Patients and methodsChemotherapy-receiving breast cancer patients (stages I-III) were recruited. Proinflammatory plasma cytokines concentrations [interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor, interferon-γ and tumor necrosis factor-α] were evaluated at 3 time points (before chemotherapy, 6 and 12 weeks after chemotherapy initiation). The FACT-Cog (version 3) was utilized to evaluate patients' self-perceived cognitive disturbances and a computerized neuropsychological assessment (Headminder) was administered to evaluate patients' memory, attention, response speed and processing speed. Changes of cognition throughout chemotherapy treatment were compared against the baseline. Linear mixed-effects models were applied to test the relationships of clinical variables and cytokine concentrations on self-perceived cognitive disturbances and each objective cognitive domain.ResultsNinety-nine patients were included (age 50.5 ± 8.4 years; 81.8% Chinese; mean duration of education = 10.8 ± 3.3 years). Higher plasma IL-1β was associated with poorer response speed performance (estimate: -0.78; 95% confidence interval (CI) -1.34 to -0.03; P = 0.023), and a higher concentration of IL-4 was associated with better response speed performance (P = 0.022). Higher concentrations of IL-1β and IL-6 were associated with more severe self-perceived cognitive disturbances (P = 0.018 and 0.001, respectively). Patients with higher concentrations of IL-4 also reported less severe cognitive disturbances (P = 0.022).ConclusionsWhile elevated concentrations of IL-6 and IL-1β were observed in patients with poorer response speed performance and perceived cognitive disturbances, IL-4 may be protective against chemotherapy-associated cognitive impairment. This study is important because cytokines would potentially be mechanistic mediators of chemotherapy-associated cognitive changes