Mobility Strategy of Multi-Limbed Climbing Robots for Asteroid Exploration

Mobility on asteroids by multi-limbed climbing robots is expected to achieve our exploration goals in such challenging environments. We propose a mobility strategy to improve the locomotion safety of climbing robots in such harsh environments that picture extremely low gravity and highly uneven terrain. Our method plans the gait by decoupling the base and limbs' movements and adjusting the main body pose to avoid ground collisions. The proposed approach includes a motion planning that reduces the reactions generated by the robot's movement by optimizing the swinging trajectory and distributing the momentum. Lower motion reactions decrease the pulling forces on the grippers, avoiding the slippage and flotation of the robot. Dynamic simulations and experiments demonstrate that the proposed method could improve the robot's mobility on the surface of asteroids.Comment: Submitted version of paper accepted for presentation at the CLAWAR 2023 (26th International Conference on Climbing and Walking Robots and the Support Technologies for Mobile Machines

Dynamic Trend of Myocardial Edema in Takotsubo Syndrome: A Serial Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Study

BACKGROUND The wall motion abnormalities of the left ventricle (LV) in takotsubo syndrome (TTS) are known to be transient and completely recover within a few weeks. However, there is little information about the relationship between functional recovery and tissue characteristics. The aim of this study was to investigate the recovery process of TTS using cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR). METHODS Consecutive patients with TTS were prospectively enrolled. We performed serial CMR in the acute phase (<72 h after admission), the subacute phase (7-10 days after admission) and the chronic phase (3 months later). To assess the degree of myocardial edema quantitatively, we evaluated the signal intensity of myocardium on T2-weighted images and calculated the signal intensity ratio compared with the skeletal muscle. RESULTS Fifteen patients with TTS were enrolled. CMR demonstrated reduced LV ejection fraction in the acute phase, and it recovered almost completely by the subacute phase. On the other hand, severe myocardial edema was still observed in the subacute phase, associated with increased LV mass. The highest signal intensity ratio in the subacute phase was correlated with the maximum voltage of negative T wave on electrocardiogram (r = 0.57, p = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS In patients with TTS, myocardial edema associated with increased LV mass still remained in the subacute phase despite functional recovery of the LV. Electrocardiogram may be useful to assess the degree of myocardial edema in the subacute phase. Our study suggests that myocardial ischemia might have a central role in developing TTS

Feasibility of Intraspecific Mix Cropping in Japan-Trials with Soybean Lines in Kawatabi Field Center

Young Researchers Sessio

Mobility Strategy of Multi-Limbed Climbing Robots for Asteroid Exploration

Mobility on asteroids by multi-limbed climbing robots is expected to achieve our exploration goals in such challenging environments. We propose a mobility strategy to improve the locomotion safety of climbing robots in such harsh environments that picture extremely low gravity and highly uneven terrain. Our method plans the gait by decoupling the base and limbs’ movements and adjusting the main body pose to avoid ground collisions. The proposed approach includes a motion planning that reduces the reactions generated by the robot’s movement by optimizing the swinging trajectory and distributing the momentum. Lower motion reactions decrease the pulling forces on the grippers, avoiding the slippage and flotation of the robot. Dynamic simulations and experiments demonstrate that the proposed method could improve the robot’s mobility on the surface of asteroids

A Functional SNP in BNC2 Is Associated with Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis

Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) is the most common spinal deformity. We previously conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) and detected two loci associated with AIS. To identify additional loci, we extended our GWAS by increasing the number of cohorts (2,109 affected subjects and 11,140 control subjects in total) and conducting a whole-genome imputation. Through the extended GWAS and replication studies using independent Japanese and Chinese populations, we identified a susceptibility locus on chromosome 9p22.2 (p = 2.46 × 10−13; odds ratio = 1.21). The most significantly associated SNPs were in intron 3 of BNC2, which encodes a zinc finger transcription factor, basonuclin-2. Expression quantitative trait loci data suggested that the associated SNPs have the potential to regulate the BNC2 transcriptional activity and that the susceptibility alleles increase BNC2 expression. We identified a functional SNP, rs10738445 in BNC2, whose susceptibility allele showed both higher binding to a transcription factor, YY1 (yin and yang 1), and higher BNC2 enhancer activity than the non-susceptibility allele. BNC2 overexpression produced body curvature in developing zebrafish in a gene-dosage-dependent manner. Our results suggest that increased BNC2 expression is implicated in the etiology of AIS

Evidence of causality of low body mass index on risk of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis: a Mendelian randomization study

IntroductionAdolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) is a disorder with a three-dimensional spinal deformity and is a common disease affecting 1-5% of adolescents. AIS is also known as a complex disease involved in environmental and genetic factors. A relation between AIS and body mass index (BMI) has been epidemiologically and genetically suggested. However, the causal relationship between AIS and BMI remains to be elucidated.Material and methodsMendelian randomization (MR) analysis was performed using summary statistics from genome-wide association studies (GWASs) of AIS (Japanese cohort, 5,327 cases, 73,884 controls; US cohort: 1,468 cases, 20,158 controls) and BMI (Biobank Japan: 173430 individual; meta-analysis of genetic investigation of anthropometric traits and UK Biobank: 806334 individuals; European Children cohort: 39620 individuals; Population Architecture using Genomics and Epidemiology: 49335 individuals). In MR analyses evaluating the effect of BMI on AIS, the association between BMI and AIS summary statistics was evaluated using the inverse-variance weighted (IVW) method, weighted median method, and Egger regression (MR-Egger) methods in Japanese.ResultsSignificant causality of genetically decreased BMI on risk of AIS was estimated: IVW method (Estimate (beta) [SE] = -0.56 [0.16], p = 1.8 × 10-3), weighted median method (beta = -0.56 [0.18], p = 8.5 × 10-3) and MR-Egger method (beta = -1.50 [0.43], p = 4.7 × 10-3), respectively. Consistent results were also observed when using the US AIS summary statistic in three MR methods; however, no significant causality was observed when evaluating the effect of AIS on BMI.ConclusionsOur Mendelian randomization analysis using large studies of AIS and GWAS for BMI summary statistics revealed that genetic variants contributing to low BMI have a causal effect on the onset of AIS. This result was consistent with those of epidemiological studies and would contribute to the early detection of AIS

A Comparison of the Inflammatory Host Response to Particulate Debris Adjacent to Unlocked and Locked Screws of a Growth Guidance System for Early Onset Scoliosis

Purpose The SHILLA™ Growth Guidance system is a stainless-steel rod and screw system used for Early Onset Scoliosis which incorporates a unique flanged set screw designed to capture the rod, while allowing it to slide as the patient grows. Concomitant with this design is the potential for generation of wear debris and for an inflammatory host response. We hypothesized that the magnitude of the host response adjacent to the unlocked screws and rods would be greater than the host response to the locked rod/screws. Methods Seven tissue samples adjacent to locked (3) and unlocked screws (4) from three SHILLA patients (mean implantation time of 19 post-operative months) with infantile idiopathic scoliosis were obtained as part of an explant analysis protocol during a PMDA-approved clinical trial in Japan. Gross appearance, high-resolution radiographs, and histology were assessed. ISO Standard 10993 Part 6 was used to assess the host response. Results All three locked screw had no metallosis. In contrast, metallosis for unlocked screw tissue samples were rated as “ubiquitous” (2/4), “focal” (1/4), or “absent” (1/4). Microscopic metallic debris was found intracellularly and within interstices of fibrous connective tissues more frequently adjacent to unlocked screws compared to locked screws. Cell type and population scoring consistently showed a modestly larger inflammatory response (macrophages) in the unlocked tissue samples. Conclusions The peri-prosthetic tissue response to the unlocked rods/screws had a higher reactivity grade (slight reaction, Δ = 4.0) per ISO 10993 Part 6 compared to the locked screws in three patients with the SHILLA™ Growth Guidance scoliosis system