Empathische Reaktionen gegenüber einem Roboter

Es ist bereits bekannt, dass Menschen soziale Reaktionen auf Computer und artifizielle Wesen wie virtuelle Agenten zeigen. Auch für die Mensch-Roboter-Interaktion konnten erste Studien zeigen, dass Menschen Verhalten zeigen, das man lediglich in der Mensch-Mensch-Kommunikation erwarten würde. Ob auch empathische Reaktionen gegenüber Robotern gezeigt werden, wurde bislang nicht untersucht. In einem 2x2 laborexperimentellen Design betrachteten die Probanden (N=40) zwei Filme, in denen ein Spielzeugroboter in Dinosaurierform entweder gequält oder gestreichelt wird (Treatmentfaktor 1, within subjects). Der einen Hälfte der Probanden wurde der Roboter vorab vorgestellt und 10 Minuten zum Kennenlernen überlassen, während der anderen Hälfte der Probanden der Roboter vollkommen fremd war (Treatment Faktor 2, between subjects). Nach jedem Video wurde das emotionale Befinden mit Hilfe der PANAS erhoben und die Probanden füllten am Ende einen Fragebogen zur Bewertung des Roboters aus. Nach der Rezeption des Videos, in dem der Roboter gequält wird, fühlten die Probanden sich signifikant schlechter (F(1/39)=26,946; p=.000). Die Bedingungsvariation der vorherigen Interaktion zeigte jedoch keinen Einfluss auf das emotionale Befinden nach der Rezeption des Videos oder die empfundene Empathie. Somit konnte gezeigt werden, dass eine negative Behandlung eines Roboters das eigene Empfinden beeinflusst, dass eine kurzzeitige Interaktion mit dem Roboter das Mitleiden aber nicht verstärkt

Computational Polyethylene-Ceramic Composite Plate Design and Optimization

A composite designed Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene (UHMWPE) reinforced by a material with a failure mode that will strengthen the system may significantly improve on modern armor designs. UHMWPE is considerably less dense than steel or high density ceramics. It is reasonable to consider making improvements to the weight-performance of armor by using the lower density UHMWPE and combining it with inserts of a high-density ceramic. A cellular ceramic encapsulated by rubber may significantly increase the amount of kinetic energy a composite will absorb through a phase transition. It is theorized that a series of ceramic inserts distributed in a polymer matrix will result in an increased impact resistance. Shock propagation in the ceramic will be minimal, and the elastomeric properties of the polymer will provide maximum tensile support. The ceramic inserts will act as a stress concentrator and physical resistor to the impacting object. When the ceramic inserts are shattered by the impactor they will impart a resistive force by forcing additional deformation in the polymer matrix. Study of design variations by examination of multiple geometries for the ceramic inserts will maximize the impact resistance of the structure. The resistance of the structure is enhanced by providing a multi-dimensional failure mode. The ceramic, once shattered, will still occupy space, forcing additional plastic deformation, and additional deformation in the impactor

Smart Tungsten-based Alloys for a First Wall of DEMO

During an accident with loss-of-coolant and air ingress in DEMO, the temperature of tungsten first wall cladding may exceed 1000 °C and remain for months leading to tungsten oxidation. The radioactive tungsten oxide can be mobilized to the environment at rates of 10–150 kg per hour. Smart tungsten-based alloys are under development to address this issue. Alloys are aimed to function as pure tungsten during regular plasma operation of DEMO. During an accident, alloying elements will create a protective layer, suppressing release of W oxide. Bulk smart alloys were developed by using mechanical alloying and field-assisted sintering technology. The mechanical alloying process was optimized leading to an increased powder production by at least 40 %. Smart alloys and tungsten were tested under a variety of DEMO-relevant plasma conditions. Both materials demonstrated similar sputtering resistance to deuterium plasma. Under accident conditions, alloys feature a 40-fold reduction of W release compared to that of pure tungsten.</p

Improved Biodistribution and Extended Serum Half-Life of a Bacteriophage Endolysin by Albumin Binding Domain Fusion

The increasing number of multidrug-resistant bacteria intensifies the need to develop new antimicrobial agents. Endolysins are bacteriophage-derived enzymes that degrade the bacterial cell wall and hold promise as a new class of highly specific and versatile antimicrobials. One major limitation to the therapeutic use of endolysins is their often short serum circulation half-life, mostly due to kidney excretion and lysosomal degradation. One strategy to increase the half-life of protein drugs is fusion to the albumin-binding domain (ABD). By high-affinity binding to serum albumin, ABD creates a complex with large hydrodynamic volume, reducing kidney excretion and lysosomal degradation. The aim of this study was to investigate the in vitro antibacterial activity and in vivo biodistribution and half-life of an engineered variant of the Staphylococcus aureus phage endolysin LysK. The ABD sequence was introduced at different positions within the enzyme, and lytic activity of each variant was determined in vitro and ex vivo in human serum. Half-life and biodistribution were assessed in vivo by intravenous injection of europium-labeled proteins into C57BL/6 wild-type mice. Our data demonstrates that fusion of the endolysin to ABD improves its serum circulation half-life and reduces its deposition in the kidneys in vivo. The most active construct reduced S. aureus counts in human serum ex vivo by 3 logs within 60 min. We conclude that ABD fusions provide an effective strategy to extend the half-life of antibacterial enzymes, supporting their therapeutic potential for treatment of systemic bacterial infections

Systemic application of bone-targeting peptidoglycan hydrolases as a novel treatment approach for staphylococcal bone infection

The rising prevalence of antimicrobial resistance in S. aureus has rendered treatment of staphylococcal infections increasingly difficult, making the discovery of alternative treatment options a high priority. Peptidoglycan hydrolases, a diverse group of bacteriolytic enzymes, show high promise as such alternatives due to their rapid and specific lysis of bacterial cells, independent of antibiotic resistance profiles. However, using these enzymes for the systemic treatment of local infections, such as osteomyelitis foci, needs improvement, as the therapeutic distributes throughout the whole host, resulting in low concentrations at the actual infection site. In addition, the occurrence of intracellularly persisting bacteria can lead to relapsing infections. Here, we describe an approach using tissue-targeting to increase the local concentration of therapeutic enzymes in the infected bone. The enzymes were modified with a short targeting moiety that mediated accumulation of the therapeutic in osteoblasts and additionally enables targeting of intracellularly surviving bacteria

The MAGNOLIA Trial: Zanubrutinib, a Next-Generation Bruton Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor, Demonstrates Safety and Efficacy in Relapsed/Refractory Marginal Zone Lymphoma

Purpose: Marginal zone lymphoma (MZL) is an uncommon non-Hodgkin lymphoma with malignant cells that exhibit a consistent dependency on B-cell receptor signaling. We evaluated the efficacy and safety of zanubrutinib, a next-generation selective Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitor, in patients with relapsed/ refractory (R/R) MZL. Patients and Methods: Patients with R/R MZL were enrolled in the phase II MAGNOLIA (BGB-3111-214) study. The primary endpoint was overall response rate (ORR) as determined by an independent review committee (IRC) based on the Lugano 2014 classification. Results: Sixty-eight patients were enrolled. After a median follow-up of 15.7 months (range, 1.6 to 21.9 months), the IRCassessed ORR was 68.2% and complete response (CR) was 25.8%. The ORR by investigator assessment was 74.2%, and the CR rate was 25.8%. The median duration of response (DOR) and median progression-free survival (PFS) by independent review was not reached. The IRC-assessed DOR rate at 12 months was 93.0%, and IRC-assessed PFS rate was 82.5% at both 12 and 15 months. Treatment was well tolerated with the majority of adverse events (AE) being grade 1 or 2. The most common AEs were diarrhea (22.1%), contusion (20.6%), and constipation (14.7%). Atrial fibrillation/flutter was reported in 2 patients; 1 patient had grade 3 hypertension. No patient experienced major hemorrhage. In total, 4 patients discontinued treatment due to AEs, none of which were considered treatment-related by the investigators. Conclusions: Zanubrutinib demonstrated highORRand CR rate with durable disease control and a favorable safety profile in patients with R/R MZL. _2021 The Authors; Published by the American Association for Cancer Research

Asian-Specific total knee system: 5-14 year follow-up study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Knee size and body size differ in Asians compared with Caucasians. Nevertheless, many total knee arthroplasty (TKA) prostheses used worldwide are made for Western Caucasian subjects. As a result, an Asian's knee might not fit these prostheses. We studied the Flexible Nichidai Knee (FNK) system, a new model of TKA for Asian patients. The purpose of this report is to investigate the outcomes of this prosthesis retrospectively.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We investigated 1055 primary TKAs in 595 patients who underwent FNK for osteoarthritis (OA) in Japan and were followed for > 5 years. The knee score and function score were used for clinical evaluation. We examined the range of motion (ROM) preoperatively and at final follow-up and radiographic assessments. In addition, postoperative complications were investigated. A survivorship analysis was also conducted using two endpoints: revision for any reason and aseptic failure.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>890 knees in 502 patients were available for study (follow-up rate of 96.0%). The mean follow-up term was 8.3 years (range, 5.0-14.1 years). The knee and function score significantly improved from 41.3 to 90.3 and from 39.1 to 76.2 points, respectively (p < 0.001). The mean ROM in FNK posterior cruciate retaining (CR) type and FNK posterior-stabilized (PS) type ameliorated significantly from 107.8° and 95.6° to 110.7° and 110.4°, respectively (p < 0.01). Ten knees underwent revision surgery (infection in 3 cases, instability in 2, loosening in 2, and non-union of femoral supracondylar fracture, severe pain, and recurrent hemarthrosis in 1 each). The survivorship rate was 99.4% (95% CI, 99.0-99.8) at 5 years (n = 952 patients at risk) and 96.2% (95% CI, 91.9-100) at 12.5 years (n = 49 patients at risk).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The FNK prosthesis for Asians achieved excellent mid- to long-term survivorship and clinical results.</p