Robotic Test Tube Rearrangement Using Combined Reinforcement Learning and Motion Planning

A combined task-level reinforcement learning and motion planning framework is proposed in this paper to address a multi-class in-rack test tube rearrangement problem. At the task level, the framework uses reinforcement learning to infer a sequence of swap actions while ignoring robotic motion details. At the motion level, the framework accepts the swapping action sequences inferred by task-level agents and plans the detailed robotic pick-and-place motion. The task and motion-level planning form a closed loop with the help of a condition set maintained for each rack slot, which allows the framework to perform replanning and effectively find solutions in the presence of low-level failures. Particularly for reinforcement learning, the framework leverages a distributed deep Q-learning structure with the Dueling Double Deep Q Network (D3QN) to acquire near-optimal policies and uses an A${}^\star$-based post-processing technique to amplify the collected training data. The D3QN and distributed learning help increase training efficiency. The post-processing helps complete unfinished action sequences and remove redundancy, thus making the training data more effective. We carry out both simulations and real-world studies to understand the performance of the proposed framework. The results verify the performance of the RL and post-processing and show that the closed-loop combination improves robustness. The framework is ready to incorporate various sensory feedback. The real-world studies also demonstrated the incorporation

In-Rack Test Tube Pose Estimation Using RGB-D Data

Accurate robotic manipulation of test tubes in biology and medical industries is becoming increasingly important to address workforce shortages and improve worker safety. The detection and localization of test tubes are essential for the robots to successfully manipulate test tubes. In this paper, we present a framework to detect and estimate poses for the in-rack test tubes using color and depth data. The methodology involves the utilization of a YOLO object detector to effectively classify and localize both the test tubes and the tube racks within the provided image data. Subsequently, the pose of the tube rack is estimated through point cloud registration techniques. During the process of estimating the poses of the test tubes, we capitalize on constraints derived from the arrangement of rack slots. By employing an optimization-based algorithm, we effectively evaluate and refine the pose of the test tubes. This strategic approach ensures the robustness of pose estimation, even when confronted with noisy and incomplete point cloud data.Comment: Submit to IEEE ROBIO 202

Impact of gender on left atrial low-voltage zones in patients with persistent atrial fibrillation: results of a voltage-guided ablation

BackgroundGender-related differences have been reported in atrial fibrotic remodeling and prognosis of atrial fibrillation (AF) patients after ablation. We assessed in persistent AF the regional distribution of left atrial (LA) bipolar voltage and the extent of low-voltage zones (LVZ) according to gender as well as the results of a voltage-guided substrate ablation.MethodsConsecutive patients who underwent a voltage-guided AF ablation were enrolled. LA endocardial voltage maps were obtained using a 3D electro-anatomical mapping system in sinus rhythm. LVZ was defined as <0.5 mV.ResultsA total of 115 patients were enrolled (74 men, 41 women). The LA bipolar voltage amplitude was twice lower in the whole LA (p < 0.01) and in each atrial region in women compared with men, whereas the LA indexed volume was similar. LVZ were found in 56.1% of women and 16.2% of men (p < 0.01). LVZ were also more extensive in women (p = 0.01), especially in the anterior LA. Atrial voltage alteration occurred earlier in women than in men. In a multivariate analysis, the female sex (OR 12.99; 95% CI, 3.23–51.63, p = 0.0001) and LA indexed volume (OR 1.09; 95% CI, 1.04–1.16, p = 0.001) were predictive of LVZ. Atrial arrhythmia-free survival was similar in men and women 36 months after a single ablation procedure.ConclusionThe study reports a strong relationship between the female gender and atrial substrate remodeling. The female gender was significantly associated with higher incidence, earlier occurrence, and greater extent of LVZ compared with men. Despite the female-specific characteristics in atrial remodeling, LVZ-guided ablation may improve the AF ablation outcome in women

Identification of 45 New Neutron-Rich Isotopes Produced by In-Flight Fission of a 238U Beam at 345 MeV/nucleon

A search for new isotopes using in-flight fission of a 345 MeV/nucleon 238U beam has been carried out at the RI Beam Factory at the RIKEN Nishina Center. Fission fragments were analyzed and identified by using the superconducting in-flight separator BigRIPS. We observed 45 new neutron-rich isotopes: 71Mn, 73,74Fe, 76Co, 79Ni, 81,82Cu, 84,85Zn, 87Ga, 90Ge, 95Se, 98Br, 101Kr, 103Rb, 106,107Sr, 108,109Y, 111,112Zr, 114,115Nb, 115,116,117Mo, 119,120Tc, 121,122,123,124Ru, 123,124,125,126Rh, 127,128Pd, 133Cd, 138Sn, 140Sb, 143Te, 145I, 148Xe, and 152Ba

The whole blood transcriptional regulation landscape in 465 COVID-19 infected samples from Japan COVID-19 Task Force

「コロナ制圧タスクフォース」COVID-19患者由来の血液細胞における遺伝子発現の網羅的解析 --重症度に応じた遺伝子発現の変化には、ヒトゲノム配列の個人差が影響する--. 京都大学プレスリリース. 2022-08-23.Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a recently-emerged infectious disease that has caused millions of deaths, where comprehensive understanding of disease mechanisms is still unestablished. In particular, studies of gene expression dynamics and regulation landscape in COVID-19 infected individuals are limited. Here, we report on a thorough analysis of whole blood RNA-seq data from 465 genotyped samples from the Japan COVID-19 Task Force, including 359 severe and 106 non-severe COVID-19 cases. We discover 1169 putative causal expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs) including 34 possible colocalizations with biobank fine-mapping results of hematopoietic traits in a Japanese population, 1549 putative causal splice QTLs (sQTLs; e.g. two independent sQTLs at TOR1AIP1), as well as biologically interpretable trans-eQTL examples (e.g., REST and STING1), all fine-mapped at single variant resolution. We perform differential gene expression analysis to elucidate 198 genes with increased expression in severe COVID-19 cases and enriched for innate immune-related functions. Finally, we evaluate the limited but non-zero effect of COVID-19 phenotype on eQTL discovery, and highlight the presence of COVID-19 severity-interaction eQTLs (ieQTLs; e.g., CLEC4C and MYBL2). Our study provides a comprehensive catalog of whole blood regulatory variants in Japanese, as well as a reference for transcriptional landscapes in response to COVID-19 infection

DOCK2 is involved in the host genetics and biology of severe COVID-19

「コロナ制圧タスクフォース」COVID-19疾患感受性遺伝子DOCK2の重症化機序を解明 --アジア最大のバイオレポジトリーでCOVID-19の治療標的を発見--. 京都大学プレスリリース. 2022-08-10.Identifying the host genetic factors underlying severe COVID-19 is an emerging challenge. Here we conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) involving 2, 393 cases of COVID-19 in a cohort of Japanese individuals collected during the initial waves of the pandemic, with 3, 289 unaffected controls. We identified a variant on chromosome 5 at 5q35 (rs60200309-A), close to the dedicator of cytokinesis 2 gene (DOCK2), which was associated with severe COVID-19 in patients less than 65 years of age. This risk allele was prevalent in East Asian individuals but rare in Europeans, highlighting the value of genome-wide association studies in non-European populations. RNA-sequencing analysis of 473 bulk peripheral blood samples identified decreased expression of DOCK2 associated with the risk allele in these younger patients. DOCK2 expression was suppressed in patients with severe cases of COVID-19. Single-cell RNA-sequencing analysis (n = 61 individuals) identified cell-type-specific downregulation of DOCK2 and a COVID-19-specific decreasing effect of the risk allele on DOCK2 expression in non-classical monocytes. Immunohistochemistry of lung specimens from patients with severe COVID-19 pneumonia showed suppressed DOCK2 expression. Moreover, inhibition of DOCK2 function with CPYPP increased the severity of pneumonia in a Syrian hamster model of SARS-CoV-2 infection, characterized by weight loss, lung oedema, enhanced viral loads, impaired macrophage recruitment and dysregulated type I interferon responses. We conclude that DOCK2 has an important role in the host immune response to SARS-CoV-2 infection and the development of severe COVID-19, and could be further explored as a potential biomarker and/or therapeutic target

Effet protecteur des inhibiteurs du SGLT2 sur le remodelage cardiovasculaire

Les inhibiteurs SGLT2 améliorent la dysfonction diastolique ventriculaire gauche et le remodelage cardiovasculaire dans un modèle d’hypertension artérielle induite par l’Ang-II chez le rat et préviennent la formation d’une neo intima carotidienne après induction d’une lésion vasculaire chez le rat non diabétique. Dans le premier modèle, l’empaglifozine prévient le développement d’une hypertrophie ventriculaire gauche et la fibrose associée, la dysfonction endothéliale, l’acquisition d’un phénotype pro-atherosclerotique, pro fibrotique et pro remodelage, à l’étage micro et macrovasculaire, en dépit d’une hypertension artérielle persistante. Le bénéfice cardiovasculaire de l’empaglifozine résulte d’une inhibition de l’activation délétère du système pro oxydant médié par l’Ang-II/NADPH oxydase/SGLT1/2. Dans le second modèle, la dapagliflozine prévient la formation d’une hyperplasie neo intimale en modulant la signalisation médiée par l’angiotensine et/ou les nucléotides extracellulaires. Au total, ces données mettent en exergue l’importance de l’inhibition de la voie des SGLT2 pour préserver l’intégrité structurelle et fonctionnelle de l’appareil cardiovasculaire sous l’effet de stimuli nocifs variés. Au niveau physiopathologique, cet effet protecteur implique la modulation locale du système de l’angiotensine prévenant ainsi ces effets délétères sur le remodelage cardiovasculaire.SGLT2 inhibitors ameliorated LV diastolic dysfunction and cardiovascular remodeling in Ang II-induced hypertensive rats and prevented neointima formation following balloon injury in non-diabetic rats. The first experiment clarified that empagliflozin prevented LV hypertrophy and fibrosis, endothelial dysfunction, pro-atherosclerotic, pro-fibrotic, and pro-remodeling responses in macro and microvessels despite persistent hypertension. The cardiovascular benefit resulted from the prevention of deleterious Ang-II/NADPH oxidase/SGLT1/2 pro-oxidant pathway. In the second experiment, dapagliflozin effectively reduced neointimal thickening through interfering with angiotensin and/or extracellular nucleotides signaling. In sum, these findings support the concept that SGLT2 inhibition appears as a promising approach to preserve structural and functional properties of cardiovascular system under various stimuli. The beneficial effects are likely to be the modulation of local angiotensin system, thereby limiting adverse cardiovascular remodeling

Effet protecteur des inhibiteurs du SGLT2 sur le remodelage cardiovasculaire

Les inhibiteurs SGLT2 améliorent la dysfonction diastolique ventriculaire gauche et le remodelage cardiovasculaire dans un modèle d’hypertension artérielle induite par l’Ang-II chez le rat et préviennent la formation d’une neo intima carotidienne après induction d’une lésion vasculaire chez le rat non diabétique. Dans le premier modèle, l’empaglifozine prévient le développement d’une hypertrophie ventriculaire gauche et la fibrose associée, la dysfonction endothéliale, l’acquisition d’un phénotype pro-atherosclerotique, pro fibrotique et pro remodelage, à l’étage micro et macrovasculaire, en dépit d’une hypertension artérielle persistante. Le bénéfice cardiovasculaire de l’empaglifozine résulte d’une inhibition de l’activation délétère du système pro oxydant médié par l’Ang-II/NADPH oxydase/SGLT1/2. Dans le second modèle, la dapagliflozine prévient la formation d’une hyperplasie neo intimale en modulant la signalisation médiée par l’angiotensine et/ou les nucléotides extracellulaires. Au total, ces données mettent en exergue l’importance de l’inhibition de la voie des SGLT2 pour préserver l’intégrité structurelle et fonctionnelle de l’appareil cardiovasculaire sous l’effet de stimuli nocifs variés. Au niveau physiopathologique, cet effet protecteur implique la modulation locale du système de l’angiotensine prévenant ainsi ces effets délétères sur le remodelage cardiovasculaire.SGLT2 inhibitors ameliorated LV diastolic dysfunction and cardiovascular remodeling in Ang II-induced hypertensive rats and prevented neointima formation following balloon injury in non-diabetic rats. The first experiment clarified that empagliflozin prevented LV hypertrophy and fibrosis, endothelial dysfunction, pro-atherosclerotic, pro-fibrotic, and pro-remodeling responses in macro and microvessels despite persistent hypertension. The cardiovascular benefit resulted from the prevention of deleterious Ang-II/NADPH oxidase/SGLT1/2 pro-oxidant pathway. In the second experiment, dapagliflozin effectively reduced neointimal thickening through interfering with angiotensin and/or extracellular nucleotides signaling. In sum, these findings support the concept that SGLT2 inhibition appears as a promising approach to preserve structural and functional properties of cardiovascular system under various stimuli. The beneficial effects are likely to be the modulation of local angiotensin system, thereby limiting adverse cardiovascular remodeling

Selecting analytical target pesticides in monitoring: Sensitivity analysis and scoring

Measuring river water concentrations of all pesticides applied in a catchment area is a daunting task. In this study, we conducted sensitivity analyses using a diffuse pollution hydrologic model to quantitatively evaluate the influence of pesticide properties (e.g., log K_[OC], degradability [half-life]) on concentrations of rice-farming pesticides in river water. Using the results of the analyses, score tables were systematically designed for the pesticide properties such that the sum of the scores for a particular pesticide, designated as the contamination index, was proportional to the expected/predicted concentration of that pesticide in river water. The contamination indexes for pesticides applied in three river basins were calculated and compared with the corresponding observed pesticide concentrations. Correlations between contamination indexes and observed concentrations were fairly good. Pesticides were ranked according to the quotients obtained by dividing the pesticide concentrations predicted from the contamination indexes by the corresponding drinking-water quality guideline values, and pesticide candidates to be monitored were successfully selected on the basis of a threshold quotient

Selecting pesticides for inclusion in drinking water quality guidelines on the basis of detection probability and ranking

Pesticides released into the environment may pose both ecological and human health risks. Governments set the regulations and guidelines for the allowable levels of active components of pesticides in various exposure sources, including drinking water. Several pesticide risk indicators have been developed using various methodologies, but such indicators are seldom used for the selection of pesticides to be included in national regulations and guidelines. The aim of the current study was to use risk indicators for the selection of pesticides to be included in regulations and guidelines. Twenty-four risk indicators were created, and a detection rate was defined to judge which indicators were the best for selection. The combination of two indicators (local sales of a pesticide for the purposes of either rice farming or other farming, divided by the guideline value and annual precipitation, and amended with the scores from the physical and chemical properties of the pesticide) gave the highest detection rates. In this case study, this procedure was used to evaluate 134 pesticides that are currently unregulated in the Japanese Drinking Water Quality Guidelines, from which 44 were selected as pesticides to be added to the primary group in the guidelines. The detection probability of the 44 pesticides was more than 72%. Among the 102 pesticides currently in the primary group, 17 were selected for withdrawal from the group. (C) 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved