ECCE1: the first of a series of anthropomimetic musculoskeletal upper torsos.

The human body was not designed by engineers and the way in which it is built poses enormous control problems. Its complexity challenges the ability of classical control theory to explain human movement as well as the development of human motor skills. It is our working hypothesis that the engineering paradigm for building robots places severe limitations on the kinds of interactions such robots can engage in, on the knowledge they can acquire of their environment, and therefore on the nature of their cognitive engagement with the environment. This paper describes the design of an anthropomimetic humanoid upper torso, ECCE1, built in the context of the ECCEROBOT project. The goal of the project is to use this platform to test hypotheses about human motion as well as to compare its performance with that of humans, whether at the mechanical, behavioural or cognitive level

Health Promoting Schools (HPS) and the impact of inclusion: The StiEL-project

Bittlingmayer UH, Gerdes J, Pinheiro P, et al. Health Promoting Schools (HPS) and the impact of inclusion: The StiEL-project. In: EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH. Vol 28. OXFORD UNIV PRESS; 2018: 287-288

Creep of the austenitic steel AISI 316 L(N) Experiments and models

This report provides a general review on deformation mechanisms relevant for metallic materials. Different mechanisms are described by rate equations which are derived and discussed in detail. For the example of an austenitic 17Cr12Ni2Mo steel (AISI 316 L(N) or DIN 1.4909) these equations are applied to experimental creep data from own investigations at IMF-I (especially long-term creep tests with creep times of up to 10 years) and from NRIM, Japan. Step-by-step a steady-state creep model is set up that is able to predict creep behaviour in a wide temperature and stress range. Due to the small number of adjustable parameters it may also be easily adapted to other materials. Since austenitic stainless steels are well known for their problematic aging behaviour at elevated temperatures, microstructure and precipitation formation as well as their impact on creep are outlined above all.Der vorliegende Bericht beinhaltet eine allgemeine Uebersicht ueber Verformungsmechanismen, die bei metallischen Werkstoffen auftreten koennen. Dabei werden Gleichungen fuer die unterschiedlichen Mechanismen hergeleitet und ausfuehrlich diskutiert. Am Beispiel eines austenitischen 17Cr12Ni2Mo-Stahls (AISI 316 L(N) oder DIN 1.4909) findet dann die Anwendung dieser Gleichungen auf experimentelle Kriechdaten aus eigenen Untersuchungen im IMF-I (insbesondere Langzeitkriechuntersuchungen mit Versuchszeiten von bis zu 10 Jahren) und von NRIM, Japan statt. Dadurch wird schrittweise ein Modell fuer das stationaere Kriechen aufgestellt, das das Kriechverhalten in einem weiten Temperatur- und Spannungsbereich vorhersagen kann. Auf Grund der wenigen anzupassenden Parameter kann es auch leicht auf andere Werkstoffe angewandt werden. Da austenitische rostfreie Edelstaehle fuer ihr problematisches Alterungsverhalten bei hoeheren Temperaturen bekannt sind, wird vor allem auch die Mikrostruktur, die Bildung von Ausscheidungen und deren Einfluss auf das Kriechen dargestellt.SIGLEAvailable from TIB Hannover: ZA5141 (7065) / FIZ - Fachinformationszzentrum Karlsruhe / TIB - Technische InformationsbibliothekDEGerman

(2-Aminopropyl)benzo[β]thiophenes (APBTs) are novel monoamine transporter ligands that lack stimulant effects but display psychedelic-like activity in mice

Derivatives of (2-aminopropyl)indole (API) and (2-aminopropyl)benzofuran (APB) are new psychoactive substances which produce stimulant effects in vivo. (2-Aminopropyl)benzo[β]thiophene (APBT) is a novel sulfur-based analog of API and APB that has not been pharmacologically characterized. In the current study, we assessed the pharmacological effects of six APBT positional isomers in vitro, and three of these isomers (3-APBT, 5-APBT, and 6-APBT) were subjected to further investigations in vivo. Uptake inhibition and efflux assays in human transporter-transfected HEK293 cells and in rat brain synaptosomes revealed that APBTs inhibit monoamine reuptake and induce transporter-mediated substrate release. Despite being non-selective transporter releasers like MDMA, the APBT compounds failed to produce locomotor stimulation in C57BL/6J mice. Interestingly, 3-APBT, 5-APBT, and 6-APBT were full agonists at 5-HT2 receptor subtypes as determined by calcium mobilization assays and induced the head-twitch response in C57BL/6J mice, suggesting psychedelic-like activity. Compared to their APB counterparts, ABPT compounds demonstrated that replacing the oxygen atom with sulfur results in enhanced releasing potency at the serotonin transporter and more potent and efficacious activity at 5-HT2 receptors, which fundamentally changed the in vitro and in vivo profile of APBT isomers in the present studies. Overall, our data suggest that APBT isomers may exhibit psychedelic and/or entactogenic effects in humans, with minimal psychomotor stimulation. Whether this unique pharmacological profile of APBT isomers translates into potential therapeutic potential, for instance as candidates for drug-assisted psychotherapy, warrants further investigation