Development of a folding arm on an articulated mobile robot for plant disaster prevention

In this work, we develop a folding arm on an articulated mobile robot to inspect an industrial plant. The design targets of the arm, its operations, measurement ability, and mobility, were set for the task of inspecting an industrial plant. To accomplish the targets, we designed the folding arm considering both accessibility to high locations and the mobility of the articulated mobile robot to which it is attached. The arm has links, joints, dummy wheels, and sensors and enables the robot to which it is attached to manipulate objects, e.g. rotating valves, opening a door, or inspecting by accessing high locations. In addition, changing the posture of the arm and touching the dummy wheel in the arm to the surrounding terrain can reduce any negative effect of the arm on the robot\u27s mobility when it encounters narrow spaces, stairs, steps, and trenches. The arm is controlled as a six degrees-of-freedom manipulator without redundancy by an operator who directly sets two joint angles. The effectiveness of the developed arm was demonstrated not only through experiments in a laboratory but also in a field test at the Plant Disaster Prevention Challenge of the World Robot Summit 2018

Inclusion body myositis with granuloma formation in muscle tissue

Inclusion body myositis is a form of inflammatory myopathy. We identified 4 cases of inclusion body myositis showing granuloma formation in muscle tissue and aimed to assess the features of this atypical form of inclusion body myositis. We retrospectively reviewed consecutive patients who satisfied European Neuromuscular Centre IBM Research Diagnostic Criteria 2011. Then, we assessed clinical profiles and pathological findings in patients with inclusion body myositis with granuloma and compared these findings with those of typical inclusion body myositis without granuloma. We identified 15 patients with inclusion body myositis. Four patients showed granuloma formation in muscle tissue in addition to typical pathological features of inclusion body myositis. Granulomas comprised a mixture of inflammatory cells, such as macrophages, epithelioid histiocytic cells, and lymphocytes. One patient was found to have mediastinal granulomatous lymphadenopathy; however, the evidence in other patients was insufficient for a diagnosis of systemic sarcoidosis. There were no significant differences between groups with and without granuloma regarding clinical manifestations, laboratory findings, response to immunomodulating therapies, or myopathological profiles. We established a new form of inclusion body myositis showing granuloma formation in muscle tissue. Inclusion body myositis and granuloma formation could have identical pathomechanisms concerning dysregulation of autophagy. © 2015 Elsevier B.V.Embargo Period (12 months

Bone fragility via degradation of bone quality featured by collagen/apatite micro-arrangement in human rheumatic arthritis

Although increased bone fragility is a well-recognized consequence in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), the essential cause of degenerate bone strength remains unknown. This study aimed to determine factors contributing to bone dysfunction in RA by focusing on the bone matrix micro-arrangement, based on the preferential orientation of collagen and the related apatite c-axis as a bone quality index. The classical understanding of RA is limited to its severe pathological conditions associated with inflammation-induced bone loss. This study examined periarticular proximal tibiae from RA patients as compared with osteoarthritis (OA) patients as controls. Bone tissue material strength was disrupted in the RA group compared with the control. Collagen/apatite micro-arrangement and vBMD were significantly lower in the RA group, and the rate of decrease in apatite c-axis orientation (−45%) was larger than that in vBMD (−22%). Multiple regression analysis showed that the degree of apatite c-axis orientation (β = 0.52, p = 1.9 × 10−2) significantly contributed to RA-induced bone material impairment as well as vBMD (β = 0.46, p = 3.8 × 10−2). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report to demonstrate that RA reduces bone material strength by deteriorating the micro-arrangement of collagen/apatite bone matrix, leading to decreased fracture resistance. Our findings represent the significance of bone quality-based analysis for precise evaluation and subsequent therapy of the integrity and soundness of the bone in patients with RA.Ozasa R., Matsugaki A., Ishimoto T., et al. Bone fragility via degradation of bone quality featured by collagen/apatite micro-arrangement in human rheumatic arthritis. Bone, 155, 116261. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bone.2021.116261

Case Report Effects of Adenotonsillectomy on Neurocognitive Function in Pediatric Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome

Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) in children does not only present with symptoms of sleep disturbances but also with associated symptoms such as growth failure, enuresis, academic learning difficulties, and behavioral problems, including attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder-(ADHD-) like symptoms. We evaluated neurocognitive functions before and after adenotonsillectomy in a patient with OSAS. An 11-year-old boy suspected of having ADHD with nocturnal enuresis was referred for evaluation. He was found to have adenotonsillar hypertrophy. Presence of snoring was evident only after detailed medical interview. Polysomnography confirmed the diagnosis of OSAS, which was subsequently treated by adenotonsillectomy. The apnea/hypopnea index decreased from 21.9 at baseline to 1.8 after surgery, and the frequency of enuresis fell from almost nightly to 2-3 times per month. Neurocognitive and behavioral assessment after the treatment of OSAS showed significant improvement in cognitive functions, especially attention capacity and considerable amelioration of behavioral problems including ADHD-like symptoms. As the most common cause of pediatric OSAS is adenotonsillar hypertrophy, medical interview and oropharyngeal examination should always be performed in children suspected of having ADHD. The necessity of sleep evaluation for children with ADHD-like symptoms was also emphasized