Evaluating immersive teleoperation interfaces: coordinating robot radiation monitoring tasks in nuclear facilities

We present a virtual reality (VR) teleoperation interface for a ground-based robot, featuring dense 3D environment reconstruction and a low latency video stream, with which operators can immersively explore remote environments. At the UK Atomic Energy Authority's (UKAEA) Remote Applications in Challenging Environments (RACE) facility, we applied the interface in a user study where trained robotics operators completed simulated nuclear monitoring and decommissioning style tasks to compare VR and traditional teleoperation interface designs. We found that operators in the VR condition took longer to complete the experiment, had reduced collisions, and rated the generated 3D map with higher importance when compared to non-VR operators. Additional physiological data suggested that VR operators had a lower objective cognitive workload during the experiment but also experienced increased physical demand. Overall the presented results show that VR interfaces may benefit work patterns in teleoperation tasks within the nuclear industry, but further work is needed to investigate how such interfaces can be integrated into real world decommissioning workflows

An aerial parallel manipulator with shared compliance

Accessing and interacting with difficult to reach surfaces at various orientations is of interest within a variety of industrial contexts. Thus far, the predominant robotic solution to such a problem has been to leverage the maneuverability of a fully actuated, omnidirectional aerial manipulator. Such an approach, however, requires a specialised system with a high relative degree of complexity, thus reducing platform endurance and real-world applicability. The work here presents a new aerial system composed of a parallel manipulator and conventional, underactuated multirotor flying base to demonstrate interaction with vertical and non-vertical surfaces. Our solution enables compliance to external disturbance on both subsystems, the manipulator and flying base, independently with a goal of improved overall system performance when interacting with surfaces. To achieve this behaviour, an admittance control strategy is implemented on various layers of the flying base's dynamics together with torque limits imposed on the manipulator actuators. Experimental evaluations show that the proposed system is compliant to external perturbations while allowing for differing interaction behaviours as compliance parameters of each subsystem are altered. Such capabilities enable an adjustable form of dexterity in completing sensor installation, inspection and aerial physical interaction tasks. A video of our system interacting with various surfaces can be found here: https://youtu.be/38neGb8-lXg

Learning tethered perching for aerial robots

Aerial robots have a wide range of applications, such as collecting data in hard-to-reach areas. This requires the longest possible operation time. However, because currently available commercial batteries have limited specific energy of roughly 300 W h kg -1 , a drone's flight time is a bottleneck for sustainable long-term data collection. Inspired by birds in nature, a possible approach to tackle this challenge is to perch drones on trees, and environmental or man-made structures, to save energy whilst in operation. In this paper, we propose an algorithm to automatically generate trajectories for a drone to perch on a tree branch, using the proposed tethered perching mechanism with a pendulum-like structure. This enables a drone to perform an energy-optimised, controlled 180° flip to safely disarm upside down. To fine-tune a set of reachable trajectories, a soft actor critic-based reinforcement algorithm is used. Our experimental results show the feasibility of the set of trajectories with successful perching. Our findings demonstrate that the proposed approach enables energy-efficient landing for long-term data collection tasks

Antioksidansi i spojevi selenija inhibiraju toksično djelovanje 3,5-dimetilaminofenola na epitelne bubrežne stanice u ljudi

Exposure to alkyl anilines may lead to bladder cancer, which is the second most frequent cancer of the urogenital tract. 3,5-dimethylaniline is highly used in industry. Studies on its primary metabolite 3,5-dimethylaminophenol (3,5-DMAP) showed that this compound causes oxidative stress, changes antioxidant enzyme activities, and leads to death of different mammalian cells. However, there is no in vitro study to show the direct effects of 3,5-DMAP on human bladder and urothelial cells. Selenocompounds are suggested to decrease oxidative stress caused by some chemicals, and selenium supplementation was shown to reduce the risk of bladder cancer. The main aim of this study was to investigate whether selenocompounds organic selenomethionine (SM, 10 μmol/L) or inorganic sodium selenite (SS, 30 nmol/L) could reduce oxidative stress, DNA damage, and apoptosis in UROtsa cells exposed to 3,5-DMAP. 3,5-DMAP caused a dose-dependent increase in intracellular generation of reactive oxygen species, and its dose of 50 μmol/L caused lipid peroxidation, protein oxidation, and changes in antioxidant enzyme activities in different cellular fractions. The comet assay also showed single-strand DNA breaks induced by the 3,5-DMAP dose of 50 μmol/L, but no changes in double-strand DNA breaks. Apoptosis was also triggered. Both selenocompounds provided partial protection against the cellular toxicity of 3,5-DMAP. Low selenium status along with exposure to alkyl anilines can be a major factor in the development of bladder cancer. More mechanistic studies are needed to specify the role of selenium in bladder cancer.Izloženost alkilnim anilinima može uzrokovati rak mokraćnoga mjehura, koji je drugi po redu po učestalosti raka mokraćnospolnog sustava. 3,5-dimetilanilin često se rabi u industrijskoj proizvodnji, a istraživanja njegova primarnog metabolita, 3,5-dimetilaminofenola (3,5-DMAP), pokazuju da on uzrokuje oksidacijski stres i promjene u aktivnosti antioksidacijskih enzima te u konačnici dovodi do smrti raznih stanica u sisavaca. Dosad, međutim, nije provedeno nijedno istraživanje njegovih izravnih učinaka na epitelne stanice mokraćnoga mjehura i bubrega u ljudi. Za spojeve selenija smatra se da smanjuju oksidacijski stres različitih kemikalija te da dopuna prehrane selenijem smanjuje rizik od raka mokraćnoga mjehura. Primarni je cilj ovoga istraživanja bio utvrditi može li organski spoj selenija selenometionin (SM, 10 μmol/L), odnosno anorganski spoj natrijev selenit (SS, 30 nmol/L], smanjiti oksidacijski stres, oštećenje DNA i apoptozu u UROtsa stanicama izloženima 3,5-dimetilaminofenolu. Jednosatna izloženost stanica 3,5-DMAP-u dovela je do povećanja razina reaktivnih kisikovih spojeva (ROS), lipidne peroksidacije, oksidacije bjelančevina te do promjena u aktivnosti antioksidacijskih enzima u staničnoj citoplazmi i jezgri, ovisno o primijenjenoj dozi. Osim toga, komet-testom su utvrđeni jednolančani, ali ne i dvolančani lomovi DNA. Također, 3,5-DMAP uzrokovao je apoptozu stanica. Oba su spoja selenija pružila djelomičnu zaštitu od njegova toksičnoga djelovanja. Nedostatak selenija pri izloženosti alkilnim anilinskim spojevima stoga može odigrati značajnu ulogu u nastanku raka mokraćnog mjehura. Potrebna su daljnja istraživanja mehanizama djelovanja selenija u njegovu sprječavanju

Standards for European training requirements in interventional neuroradiology: Guidelines by the Division of Neuroradiology/Section of Radiology European Union of Medical Specialists (UEMS), in cooperation with the Division of Interventional Radiology/UEMS, the European Society of Neuroradiology (ESNR), and the European Society of Minimally Invasive Neurological Therapy (ESMINT)

This document sets out standards for training in Interventional Neuroradiology (INR) in Europe. These standards have been developed by a working group of the European Society of Neuroradiology (ESNR) and the European Society of Minimally Invasive Neurological Therapy (ESMINT) on the initiative and under the umbrella of the Division of Neuroradiology/Section of Radiology of the European Union of Medical Specialists (UEMS)

Blood viscosity in patients with diffuse large B cell non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma

The aim of the study was to evaluate blood viscosity as possible marker of disease progression in patients with newly diagnosed non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL). Methods: The viscosity of blood samples from 20 patients with newly diagnosed aggressive NHL (stage I, n = 7; stage II, n = 4; stage III, n = 7; stage IV, n = 2) was analyzed using Brookfield DV-II + (USA) machine. Results: Blood viscosity in NHL patients (median: 5.5 ± 1.46 miliPascal) inversely correlated with lactatdehydrogenase (LDH) level, international prognostic index (IPI) score, and stage (p = 0.02, r= –0.51; p = 0.03, r= –0.63; and p = 0.04, r= –0.45, respectively) and positively correlated with hemoglobin level (p = 0.02, r = 0.65)). Conclusion: According to our data, blood viscosity may be considered as a follow up marker in NHL patients along with LDH level or sedimentation rate.Цель: анализ вязкости крови в качестве маркера возможного маркера прогрессии заболевания у больных неходжкинской лимфомой (НХЛ). Методы: вязкость крови 20 пациентов НХЛ (стадия I, = 7; стадия II, = 4; стадия III, = 7; стадия  IV, n = 4) измеряли на приборе Brookfield DV-II + (США). Результаты: вязкость крови больных НХЛ (средняя величина: 5.5 ± 1.46 миллиПаскаль) находилась в обратной корреляции с уровнем лактатдегидрогеназы (ЛДГ), величиной международного прогностического индекса (IPI) и стадией заболевания (p = 0,02, r = –0,51; p = 0,03, r = –0,63; p = 0,04, r = –0,45 соответственно) и в прямой зависимости от уровня гемоглобина (p = 0,02, = 0,65)). Выводы: согласно полученным данным, вязкость крови можно рассматривать в качестве маркера течения заболевания у больных НХЛ наряду с уровнем ЛДГ и показателем скорости оседания эритроцитов

Humoral immune response to MUC5AC in patients with colorectal polyps and colorectal carcinoma

BACKGROUND: MUC5AC is a secreted mucin aberrantly expressed by colorectal polyps and carcinoma. It has been hypothesized that aberrant expression of MUC5AC in colorectal carcinoma tissues increased the overall survival of patients with colorectal carcinoma. The present study investigates the incidence of naturally occurring MUC5AC antibodies in the sera of normal individuals, patients with colonic polyps and patients with advanced colorectal carcinoma. A second aim was to determine the relationship of MUC5AC antibody with the prognosis of colorectal carcinoma. METHODS: Free circulating MUC5AC antibodies were measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay with a synthetic peptide corresponding to an 8 aa. segment of MUC5AC tandem repeat region. Immunohistochemical analysis was completed to demonstrate MUC5AC expression in the polyp specimens. RESULTS: MUC5AC antibodies were detected in 6 of 22 (27.3%) healthy subjects, 9 of 20 (45%) polyp patients, 18 of 30 (60%) patients with colorectal cancer. The presence of circulating free MUC5AC antibody levels was significantly correlated with expression of MUC5AC in polyp sections. Serum MUC5AC antibody positivity was higher in patients with colon located tumors, advanced stage and poorly differentiated tumors were found negatively affecting patient survival in our study. MUC5AC antibody positivity was higher in patients with poor prognostic parameters. Disease free survival and overall survival were shorter in this group of patients. In the multivariate analysis MUC5AC antibody positivity didn't find an independent prognostic factor on prognosis. CONCLUSION: Decreased survival in colorectal carcinoma patients with MUC5AC antibody positivity may be due to a decrease in the MUC5AC expression in tumor tissues of surviving carcinoma patients

European Multicenter Study for the Evaluation of a Dual-Layer Flow-Diverting Stent for Treatment of Wide-Neck Intracranial Aneurysms: The European Flow-Redirection Intraluminal Device Study

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Endoluminal reconstruction with flow-diverting stents represents a widely accepted technique for the treatment of complex intracranial aneurysms. This European registry study analyzed the initial experience of 15 neurovascular centers with the Flow-Redirection Intraluminal Device (FRED) system. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Consecutive patients with intracranial aneurysms treated with the FRED between February 2012 and March 2015 were retrospectively reviewed. Complications and adverse events, transient and permanent morbidity, mortality, and occlusion rates were evaluated. RESULTS: During the defined study period, 579 aneurysms in 531 patients (median age, 54 years;range, 13-86 years) were treated with the FRED. Seven percent of patients were treated in the acute phase (3 days) of aneurysm rupture. The median aneurysm size was 7.6 mm (range, 1-36.6 mm), and the median neck size 4.5 mm (range, 1-30 mm). Angiographic follow-up of >3 months was available for 516 (89.1%) aneurysms. There was progressive occlusion witnessed with time, with complete occlusion in 18 (20%) aneurysms followed for up to 90 14 days, 141 (82.5%) for 180 +/- 20 days, 116 (91.3%) for 1 year +/- 24 days, and 122 (95.3%) aneurysms followed for >1 year. Transient and permanent morbidity occurred in 3.2% and 0.8% of procedures, respectively. The overall mortality rate was 1.5%. CONCLUSIONS: This retrospective study in real-world patients demonstrated the safety and efficacy of the FRED for the treatment of intracranial aneurysms. In most cases, treatment with a single FRED resulted in complete angiographic occlusion at 1 year

Glycosylation of mucins present in gastric juice: the effect of helicobacter pylori eradication treatment

It is suggested that gastric mucins, and in particular some specific glycan structures that can act as carbohydrate receptors, are involved in the interactions with Helicobacter pylori adhesins. The main aim of our study was to evaluate glycosylation pattern of glycoproteins of gastric juice before and at the end of eradication therapy. Gastric juices were taken from 13 clinical patients and subjected to analysis. Pooled fractions of the void volume obtained after gel filtration were subjected to ELISA tests. To assess the relative amounts of carbohydrate structures, lectins and monoclonal antibodies were used. Changes in the level of MUC 1 and MUC 5AC mucins and of carbohydrate structures, which are suggested to be receptors for Helicobacter pylori adhesins, were observed by the end of the eradication treatment. Our results support the idea about the involvement of MUC 5AC and MUC 1 with some specific sugar structures in the mechanism of Helicobacter pylori infection