Robot to Human Object Handover using Vision and Joint Torque Sensor Modalities

We present a robot-to-human object handover algorithm and implement it on a 7-DOF arm equipped with a 3-finger mechanical hand. The system performs a fully autonomous and robust object handover to a human receiver in real-time. Our algorithm relies on two complementary sensor modalities: joint torque sensors on the arm and an eye-in-hand RGB-D camera for sensor feedback. Our approach is entirely implicit, i.e., there is no explicit communication between the robot and the human receiver. Information obtained via the aforementioned sensor modalities is used as inputs to their related deep neural networks. While the torque sensor network detects the human receiver's "intention" such as: pull, hold, or bump, the vision sensor network detects if the receiver's fingers have wrapped around the object. Networks' outputs are then fused, based on which a decision is made to either release the object or not. Despite substantive challenges in sensor feedback synchronization, object, and human hand detection, our system achieves robust robot-to-human handover with 98\% accuracy in our preliminary real experiments using human receivers.Comment: Note: This paper is submitted to RITA 2022 conference and waiting for result

Measurement of outdoor and indoor natural gamma background radiation and risk of cancer in residents of Kashan during 2016-2017

Background: Natural gamma background radiation can cause ionization in vital molecules such as DNA and can have destructive effects on human health. Measurement of these radiations is very important because they increase incidence of cancers and genetic damages. The aim of this study was to measure the dose rate, annual effective dose and incidence of cancer risk in Kashan city, north of Isfahan Province. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, measurements were performed using the dosimeter of the Radiation Alert Monitor 5 Model during daylight in outdoor and indoor in five geographical regions of Kashan city (north, south, east, west and center) and in four different seasons of the year. In each geographic region, measurements were carried out at three consecutive days in the middle of each season in ten random points. Then, the annual effective dose and excess lifetime cancer risk were calculated. Results: The mean dose rates were 155±34 nSv/h and 186±34 nSv/h in outdoor and indoor, respectively. There was no significant difference between the mean dose rate in different seasons and different geographical regions. Furthermore, the annual effective dose was found to be 1.10 mSv while the estimated excess lifetime cancer risk was 4.16×10-3. Conclusion: The annual effective dose arising from natural gamma background radiation (1.10 mSv) in Kashan city is much higher than the worlds' average (0.48 mSv) and the values obtained in most cities in Iran

Effects of Postbiotics from Food Probiotic and Protective Cultures on Proliferation and Apoptosis in HCT-116 Colorectal Cancer Cells

Background and Objective: Postbiotics are microbial-derived soluble products, which are released during the growth and fermentation process of beneficial microorganisms in gastrointestinal tract, food and complex microbiological culture systems (cell-free supernatant or extracellular extract) or after cell lysis (intracellular extract). Colorectal cancer is one of the most common cancers within the leading causes of cancer mortality worldwide, which can be associated with a defeated gastrointestinal barrier. In this study, potential functionality of the extracellular and intracellular extracts of probiotics (Latilactobacillus sakei, LS) and protective culture (FreshQ®, FQ) on proliferation and cell survival of HCT-116 colon cancer epithelial cells was investigated. Material and Methods: Probiotic bacteria were cultivated in de Man, Rogosa and Sharpe broth and then postbiotics was isolated by centrifugation and sonication. The achieved solutions were lyophilized and stored until use. Moreover, HCT-116 cells were exposed to various concentrations of Latilactobacillus sakei and FreshQ® extracts (1.25-40 mg ml-1) for 24 h and then effects of these products on cell cytotoxicity, proliferation and apoptosis were investigated using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide, wound healing and AO/EB assays. Results and Conclusion: Extracellular and intracellular extracts of Latilactobacillus sakei and FreshQ the decreased in cell viability based on the postbiotic concentrations (p≤0.05), while cell proliferation was inhibited by extracellular and intracellular extracts of Latilactobacillus sakei and FreshQ® in wound healing assay. Results showed that postbiotics could induce apoptosis evidenced by acridine orange/ethidium bromide staining. In summary, Latilactobacillus sakei and FreshQ® postbiotics are able to decrease cell viability and proliferation and enhance apoptosis in HCT-116 colorectal cancer cells. In addition, FreshQ® postbiotics seemed more potent than that Latilactobacillus sakei postbiotics did. Conflict of interest: The authors declare no conflict of interest

Comparison of new Biomarkers in the Diagnosis of Perinatal Asphyxia

  Objectives Precise and early diagnosis of neonatal asphyxia may improve its outcomes. New studies aim to identify diagnostic biomarkers in neonates at risk for brain damage. The current study was designed to evaluate the diagnostic value of new biomarkers neonatal asphyxia. Materials & Methods This prospective study was conducted with an available sampling of infants upper 35 weeks of gestational age, including neonates with asphyxia (case group) and healthy controls, 2014-2022, in Ghaem Hospital, Mashhad, Iran. Data collection was performed utilizing a researcher-made questionnaire, including maternal and neonatalcharacteristics, as well as clinical and laboratory evaluation. Serum umbilical cord levels of interleukin-6 (IL6), interleukin-1-beta (IL- 1β), pro-oxidant-antioxidant balance (PAB), and heat shock protein-70 (HSP70), as well as nucleated red blood cells count (NRBC), were determined. Data were analyzed by t-test, Chi-square, receiver operating characteristic (ROC), and regression models. Results Variables interleukin-6(IL6) (P<0.0001), IL1β (P<0.0001), PAB (P<0.0001), NRBC/100WBC (P<0.0001) and HSP70 (P<0.0001) in the two groups, the difference was statistically significant. In the diagnosis of asphyxia, the most sensitive marker (89%) was IL1β more than 2.39 pg/ml and HSP 70 upper than 0.23 ng/ml while IL6 higher than 9pg/ml determined as the most specific marker (85%). For the diagnosis of asphyxia, combination of HSP + PAB and IL6 + lL1b + PAB + NRBC/100WBC possesses the prediction power of 93.2% and 87.3% respectively. Conclusion According to data analysis, the combination of new biochemical markers (NRBC count, IL6, IL1β, PAB, HSP 70) could be a reliable marker for the diagnosis of infants with asphyxia. The composition of the HSP + PAB indicators is more valid predictions 93.2% compared to the other combined indicators for the diagnosis of asphyxiated neonates. PAB values correlate with the severity of asphyxia. &nbsp

Validity and Cross-Cultural Adaptation of the Persian Version of the Oxford Elbow Score

Oxford Elbow Score (OES) is a patient-reported questionnaire used to assess outcomes after elbow surgery. The aim of this study was to validate and adapt the OES into Persian language. After forward-backward translation of the OES into Persian, a total number of 92 patients after elbow surgeries completed the Persian OES along with the Persian DASH and SF-36. To assess test-retest reliability, 31 randomly selected patients (34%) completed the Persian OES again after three days while abstaining from all forms of therapeutic regimens. Reliability of the Persian OES was assessed by measuring intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) for test-retest reliability and Cronbach's alpha for internal consistency. Spearman's correlation coefficient was used to test the construct validity. Cronbach's alpha coefficient was 0.92 showing excellent reliability. Cronbach's alpha for function, pain, and social-psychological subscales was 0.95, 0.86, and 0.85, respectively. Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was 0.85 for the overall questionnaire and 0.90, 0.76, and 0.75 for function, pain, and social-psychological subscales, respectively. Construct validity was confirmed as the Spearman correlation between OES and DASH was 0.80. Persian OES is a valid and reliable patient-reported outcome measure to assess postsurgical elbow status in Persian speaking population

A swarm intelligence-based ensemble learning model for optimizing customer churn prediction in the telecommunications sector

In today's competitive market, predicting clients' behavior is crucial for businesses to meet their needs and prevent them from being attracted by competitors. This is especially important in industries like telecommunications, where the cost of acquiring new customers exceeds retaining existing ones. To achieve this, companies employ Customer Churn Prediction approaches to identify potential customer attrition and develop retention plans. Machine learning models are highly effective in identifying such customers; however, there is a need for more effective techniques to handle class imbalance in churn datasets and enhance prediction accuracy in complex churn prediction datasets. To address these challenges, we propose a novel two-level stacking-mode ensemble learning model that utilizes the Whale Optimization Algorithm for feature selection and hyper-parameter optimization. We also introduce a method combining K-member clustering and Whale Optimization to effectively handle class imbalance in churn datasets. Extensive experiments conducted on well-known datasets, along with comparisons to other machine learning models and existing churn prediction methods, demonstrate the superiority of the proposed approach

Willingness to Receive Treatment for Hepatitis C among Injecting Drug ‎Users on Methadone Program: Implications for Education and Treatment

Background: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is common among people who inject drugs (PWID) on methadone program in Iran (Persia). However, a few PWID on methadone program report willingness to receive HCV treatment. This study aimed to assess the factors which were associated with willingness to receive HCV treatment in a group of PWID on methadone program in Iran.Methods: We surveyed 187 PWID at seven drops in centers in Tehran, Iran. Details of demographic characteristics, drug use, injection, HCV, and drug treatment history were collected a using 25-item questionnaire. Participants were serologically tested for the current status of HCV.Findings: The study found that 28.3% of the participants were HCV seropositive. In total, 49.1% of the participants reported unwillingness to receive HCV treatment. Awareness of current HCV status [odds ratio (OR) = 3.43; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.33-7.26; P < 0.050]; adequate knowledge of HCV treatment centers in the community (OR = 3.9; 95% CI: 1.24-5.38; P < 0.050); participation in an educational program on HCV (OR = 2.9; 95% CI: 2.33-8.56; P < 0.001) and recent participation in the meetings of self-help groups (OR = 4.6; 95% CI: 3.43-9.33; P < 0.001) were significantly associated with current willingness to receive HCV treatment. Conclusion:The study results indicate that awareness of HCV status and the provision of adequate HCV education via different information centers can be associated with an increased willingness for HCV treatment among PWID on methadone program. Conducting more research is suggested to assess the efficacy of educational programs and self-help groups in facilitating HCV treatment among PWID on methadone program

The emerging role of regulatory cell-based therapy in autoimmune disease

Autoimmune disease, caused by unwanted immune responses to self-antigens, affects millions of people each year and poses a great social and economic burden to individuals and communities. In the course of autoimmune disorders, including rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, type 1 diabetes mellitus, and multiple sclerosis, disturbances in the balance between the immune response against harmful agents and tolerance towards self-antigens lead to an immune response against self-tissues. In recent years, various regulatory immune cells have been identified. Disruptions in the quality, quantity, and function of these cells have been implicated in autoimmune disease development. Therefore, targeting or engineering these cells is a promising therapeutic for different autoimmune diseases. Regulatory T cells, regulatory B cells, regulatory dendritic cells, myeloid suppressor cells, and some subsets of innate lymphoid cells are arising as important players among this class of cells. Here, we review the roles of each suppressive cell type in the immune system during homeostasis and in the development of autoimmunity. Moreover, we discuss the current and future therapeutic potential of each one of these cell types for autoimmune diseases

Mapping 123 million neonatal, infant and child deaths between 2000 and 2017

Since 2000, many countries have achieved considerable success in improving child survival, but localized progress remains unclear. To inform efforts towards United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 3.2—to end preventable child deaths by 2030—we need consistently estimated data at the subnational level regarding child mortality rates and trends. Here we quantified, for the period 2000–2017, the subnational variation in mortality rates and number of deaths of neonates, infants and children under 5 years of age within 99 low- and middle-income countries using a geostatistical survival model. We estimated that 32% of children under 5 in these countries lived in districts that had attained rates of 25 or fewer child deaths per 1,000 live births by 2017, and that 58% of child deaths between 2000 and 2017 in these countries could have been averted in the absence of geographical inequality. This study enables the identification of high-mortality clusters, patterns of progress and geographical inequalities to inform appropriate investments and implementations that will help to improve the health of all populations