A combined navigation strategy by a steering wheel and a mouse for a tank rescue robot

This paper applies our developed novice users oriented force feedback steering wheel interface and mouse interface to navigating a tank type rescue robot. By analyzing merits and limitation of operating each interface, we propose a combined navigation strategy by the two interfaces. The steering wheel interface consists of a force feedback steering control and a six monitors’ wall. Through this interface, users can navigate the tank robot like driving cars, while watching incoming videos. It provides a daily life operation method for novice users to navigate the tank rescue robot. The steering wheel interface is efficient in exploring open areas. For complex disaster fields, this interface requires users have skillful operation experiences, which take them more attention. The mouse-screen interface consists of a mouse and a camera’s view displayed in a computer screen. Through this interface, users can navigate the tank robot just by mouse clicking. Path planning and low-level controlling are realized by system automatically. The mouse-screen interface can realize exact navigation, especially needed in complex structures, without taking much attention. It gives users more time to care incoming information. The two interfaces can shift into each other at any time. The combined navigation strategy adopts merits of the two interfaces and compensates limitation of each of them. It provides an efficient operation method for novice users to navigate rescue robots.</p

A mechanical intelligence in assisting the navigation by a force feedback steering wheel for a snake rescue robot

We developed a snake rescue robot basing on the proposed mechanical intelligence. The mechanical intelligence is designed to avoid obstacles and to realize desired motions when the robot is navigated by a remote force feedback steering wheel interface. We use free joints to connect modules of the snake robot. Modules can freely turn according to their neighbors. An obstacle-avoiding wheel is mounted on the head of the snake robot. When the head encounters an obstacle, the wheel touches it first to transfer the sliding friction between the wheel and the obstacle into rolling friction, so that the head avoid the obstacle easily. A metal wire is used to link gears mounted on both sides of each module. When any part of the snake robot's body encounters an obstacle, the wire length of each side varies automatically to change the robot's body shape, so that the snake robot avoids the obstacle. The wire length of each side can also be adjusted by a motor. By adjusting the wire length of each side, the snake robot can move in the desired direction. The mechanical intelligence based snake rescue robot has light body, low cost and low computation cost. Experiment results show that the designed mechanical intelligence is effective in realizing desired robot motions together with the force feedback steering wheel interface.</p

A combined navigation strategy by a steering

This paper applies our developed novice users oriented force feedback steering wheel interface and mouse interface to navigating a tank type rescue robot. By analyzing merits and limitation of operating each interface, we propose a combined navigation strategy by the two interfaces. The steering wheel interface consists of a force feedback steering control and a six monitors’ wall. Through this interface, users can navigate the tank robot like driving cars, while watching incoming videos. It provides a daily life operation method for novice users to navigate the tank rescue robot. The steering wheel interface is efficient in exploring open areas. For complex disaster fields, this interface requires users have skillful operation experiences, which take them more attention. The mouse-screen interface consists of a mouse and a camera’s view displayed in a computer screen. Through this interface, users can navigate the tank robot just by mouse clicking. Path planning and low-level controlling are realized by system automatically. The mouse-screen interface can realize exact navigation, especially needed in complex structures, without taking much attention. It gives users more time to care incoming information. The two interfaces can shift into each other at any time. The combined navigation strategy adopts merits of the two interfaces and compensates limitation of each of them. It provides an efficient operation method for novice users to navigate rescue robots. </p

Induction of apoptosis during the early phase of reperfusion after rat liver ischemia

This study was designed to investigate the induction of apoptosis during the reperfusion phase following warm liver ischemia in vivo. We evaluated apoptotic bodies (ABs) in sections stained with hematoxylin and eosin (H. E.) and positive hepatocytes in sections stained by the in situ nick end labeling method (TUNEL method) during the reperfusion phase up to 48 h after a 70% liver ischemia for 30 or 60min in duration (30 or 60 min group). The peak number of ABs in H. E.-stained sections was observed at 1 to 3 h in the 30 min group and 3 to 6 h in the 60 min group. The number of ABs gradually fell as the length of the perfusion period increased, and few ABs were observed at 24 and 48 h after reperfusion. A peak number of TUNEL-positive hepatocytes was recognized at 3 h after reperfusion in both groups, after which the numbers decreased gradually. DNA extracted from both groups was electrophoresed on a 1.5% agarose gel. In both groups, a ladder-like pattern over smear pattern was recognized at 3 h after reperfusion. These results show that hepatocyte apoptosis was induced during the early phase of reperfusion after rat liver ischemia morphologically and biochemically, which suggests that hepatocyte apoptosis may be associated with ischemia and reperfusion injury.</p

Analysis of the immune status in the recipients with long-term well-functioning kidneys allografts.

The immune status of thirteen living and related kidney transplant recipients with stable allografts were examined. The immunological assays consisted of a mixed lymphocyte reaction (MLR), cell-mediated lympholysis (CML) assay, interleukin-2 (IL-2) production in mixed lymphocytes culture (MLC) and IL-2 receptor (IL-2 R) expression on MLC cells. The suppression rates of the monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against IL-2 R were tested on MLRs. The stimulation indices (SI) of the MLR against both donor and third-party cells increased compared with those of pretransplantation. The MLC responder cells stimulated by donor cells produced detectable amounts of IL-2, these amounts were lower than those by third-party cells. The MLC cells against donor cells expressed IL-2 R alpha and beta chains to the same degree as those against third-party cells. Anti-IL-2 R mAbs equally inhibited the MLRs between recipient and donor or third-party cells. Cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) against donor cells were not generated, even with the addition of recombinant IL-2 in any of recipients except one, while anti-donor CTL had been detected prior to transplantation and the CTL against third-party cells were induced in posttranspalnt CML assays. These results indicate that the clonal anergy phenomenon might mediate the specific CTL unresponsiveness observed in kidney transplant recipients and the anergy phenomenon might serve in the long-term acceptance of allograft.</p

Three minute, but not one minute, ischemia and nicorandil have a preconditioning effect in patients with coronary artery disease

AbstractOBJECTIVESThis study focused on 1) the determination of the optimal preconditioning (PC) duration, and 2) the protective effect of nicorandil (NC), a hybrid nitrate with a Katpchannel opening effect, during a percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) model in humans.BACKGROUNDThe ischemic PC effect is induced in 180 s ischemia, but not in 120 s ischemia in rabbit hearts. However, the duration of ischemia that induces PC effect and the role of the Katpchannel in the PC effect in humans are still unclear.METHODSForty-six patients with stable angina were randomly allocated to four groups: the duration of the first inflation as PC ischemia was 60 s in the PC60 group (n = 12), and 180 s in the PC180 group (n = 12). In the other groups, NC (80 μg/kg) was intravenously given for 1 min in the NC group (n = 12), and isosorbide dinitrate (ISDN) (40 μg/kg) was given in the ISDN group (n = 10). Five minutes after first inflation or drug administration, a second inflation was conducted for 120 s in each group. In the ECG, the lead with the largest shift in ST segment (deltaST max), and the sum of elevated ST levels in all leads (sigmaST) were determined.RESULTSIn the PC60 group, no significant difference was observed in either deltaST max or sigmaST between the first and second inflation. However, the second inflation in the PC180 group showed significantly lower levels of deltaST max and sigmaST compared with those of the first inflation. In the NC group, both deltaST max and sigmaST measured at 30 s and 60 s after balloon inflation were significantly lower than those of the first inflation in the PC60 and PC180 control groups. In the ISDN group, no significant difference was observed in deltaST max or sigmaST.CONCLUSIONIn human PTCA models, a PC effect is observed in 180 s ischemia, but not in 60 s ischemia. A pharmacological PC effect is induced by NC, a Katpchannel opener with a nitrate-like effect but not ISDN. This suggests that the opening of Katpchannels plays an important role in the protecting effect of NC

CrkL directs ASAP1 to peripheral focal adhesions

Searching for proteins in platelets that can interact with the N-terminal SH3 domain of CrkL (using a combination of a pull-down assay followed by mass spectrometry), we have found that human platelets express an ADP-ribosylation factor (Arf)-specific GTPase-activating protein (GAP), ASAP1, as a CrkL-binding protein. In spreading platelets, most endogenous ASAP1 is localized at peripheral focal adhesions. To determine the physiologic significance of the CrkL-ASAP1 association, we overexpressed CrkL, ASAP1, or both in combination in COS7 cells. Unlike endogenous ASAP1 in platelets, overexpressed ASAP1 showed diffuse cytoplasmic distribution. However, when co-expressed with wild-type CrkL, both endogenous and expressed ASAP1 accumulated at CrkL-induced focal adhesions. An SH2-mutated CrkL, which cannot localize at focal adhesions, failed to recruit ASAP1 into focal adhesions. Thus, CrkL appears to be a lynchpin between ASAP1 and peripheral focal adhesions

Clinical Characteristics of Acute Exacerbations of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis and Involvement of Viral, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, and Chlamydophila pneumoniae Infections

Background and Objective:To clarify the clinical characteristics of acute exacerbation of idiopathic pulmonaryfibrosis (IPF) and the involvement of infections with pathogenic microorganisms and viruses inacute exacerbation.Methods:During the 12 years from 2000 through 2011, we studied 50 patients who were admitted andreceived treatment for acute exacerbation of IPF in our department. Demographic characteristics, imagingfindings, laboratory findings, changes in antibody titers against bacteria, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, Chlamydophilapneumoniae, and known viruses, and outcomes were studied.Results:Among the 50 patients with acute exacerbation of IPF( 41 men and 9 women) 29 patients died(mortality rate, 58.0%). Computed tomography showed subpleural peripheral ground-glass opacities( GGO)in 5 patients, multiple patchy GGO in 19, and diffuse GGO in 26. Only the PaO2/FiO2 ratio was significantlylower in the non-survivors compared with survivors. Three patients had high titers of IgM antibodiesagainst C. pneumoniae, but acute infection was ruled out by the changes in IgA and IgG antibodies in pairedserum samples. Antibody titers against known viruses significantly increased in 2 patients( respiratory syncytialvirus in 1 and adenovirus 11 in 1). In acute-phase serum samples, 7 patients had increased antibodytiters against parainfluenza virus 3, resulted in no significant change in paired serum samples.Conclusions:Our results suggest that known pathogens do not play a role in acute exacerbation of IPF.The outcomes of IPF remain poor, and the elucidation of the causes and pathological features of acute exacerbationof IPF, including the identification of unknown pathogens, is awaited