77 research outputs found
A teleoperation system to control the humanoid robot using an RGB-D sensor
This paper presents a concept design of the work algorithm for a teleoperation control system of a humanoid robot. The humanoid robot control system needs to stabilize the robot in a vertical position in order to prevent the robot from falling. The process of design of the control system includes the design of position filter to detect the unstable positions. The application of such a control system enables to control the humanoid robot using motion capture technology
Novel Hybrid Hydroxyapatite Spacers Ensure Sufficient Bone Bonding in Cervical Laminoplasty
Study Design Prospective observational study. Purpose This prospective analysis aimed to evaluate the efficacy and bone-bonding rate of hybrid hydroxyapatite (HA) spacers in expansive laminoplasty. Overview of Literature Various types of spacers or plates have been developed for expansive laminoplasty. Methods Expansive open-door laminoplasty was performed in 146 patients with cervical myelopathy; 450 hybrid HA spacers and 41 autogenous bone spacers harvested from the spinous processes were grafted into the opened side of each lamina. The patients were followed up using computed tomography (CT), and their bone-bonding rates for hybrid HA and autogenous spacers, bone-fusion rates of the hinges of the laminae, and complications associated with the implants were then examined. Results Clinical symptoms significantly improved in all patients, and no major complications related to the procedure were noted. The hybrid HA spacers exhibited sufficient bone bonding on postoperative CT. The hinges completely fused in over 95% patients within 1 year of the procedure. Only 4 spacers (0.9%) developed lamina sinking, and most expanded laminae maintained their positions without sinking or floating throughout the follow-up period. Conclusions Hybrid HA spacers contributed to high bone-fusion rates of the spacers and hinges of the laminae, and no complications were associated with their use. Cervical laminoplasty with these spacers is safe and simple, and it yields sufficient fixation strength while ensuring sufficient bone bonding during the immediate postoperative period
The Iron Discrepancy in Elliptical Galaxies after ASCA
We present estimates for the iron content of the stellar and diffused
components of elliptical galaxies, as derived respectively from integrated
optical spectra and from ASCA X-ray observations. A macroscopic discrepancy
emerges between the expected iron abundances in the hot interstellar medium
(ISM) and what is indicated by the X-ray observations, especially when
allowance is made for the current iron enrichment by Type Ia supernovae. This
strong discrepancy, that in some extreme instances may be as large as a factor
of , calls into question our current understanding of supernova
enrichment and chemical evolution of galaxies. We discuss several astrophysical
implications of the inferred low iron abundances in the ISM, including the
chemical evolution of galaxies and cluster of galaxies, the evolution of gas
flows in ellipticals, and the heating of the intracluster medium. Some of the
consequences appear hard to accept, and in the attempt to avoid some of these
difficulties we explore ways of hiding or diluting iron in the ISM of
ellipticals. None of these possibilities appears astrophysically plausible, and
we alternatively rise the question of the reliability of iron-L line
diagonostic tools. Various thin plasma emission models are shown to give iron
abundances that may differ significantly, especially at low temperatures (kT
\lsim 1 keV). From a collection of ASCA and other X-ray observatory data, it
is shown that current thin plasma codes tend to give very low iron abundances
when the temperature of the objects is below keV. We conclude that --
besides rethinking the chemical evolution of galaxies -- one should also
consider the possibility that existing thin plasma models may incorporate
inaccurate atomic physics for the ions responsible for the iron-L complex.Comment: 39 pages, TeX file, 5 figures, Accepted for publication in the Ap
First Data Release of the Hyper Suprime-Cam Subaru Strategic Program
The Hyper Suprime-Cam Subaru Strategic Program (HSC-SSP) is a three-layered
imaging survey aimed at addressing some of the most outstanding questions in
astronomy today, including the nature of dark matter and dark energy. The
survey has been awarded 300 nights of observing time at the Subaru Telescope
and it started in March 2014. This paper presents the first public data release
of HSC-SSP. This release includes data taken in the first 1.7 years of
observations (61.5 nights) and each of the Wide, Deep, and UltraDeep layers
covers about 108, 26, and 4 square degrees down to depths of i~26.4, ~26.5, and
~27.0 mag, respectively (5sigma for point sources). All the layers are observed
in five broad bands (grizy), and the Deep and UltraDeep layers are observed in
narrow bands as well. We achieve an impressive image quality of 0.6 arcsec in
the i-band in the Wide layer. We show that we achieve 1-2 per cent PSF
photometry (rms) both internally and externally (against Pan-STARRS1), and ~10
mas and 40 mas internal and external astrometric accuracy, respectively. Both
the calibrated images and catalogs are made available to the community through
dedicated user interfaces and database servers. In addition to the pipeline
products, we also provide value-added products such as photometric redshifts
and a collection of public spectroscopic redshifts. Detailed descriptions of
all the data can be found online. The data release website is
https://hsc-release.mtk.nao.ac.jp/.Comment: 34 pages, 20 figures, 7 tables, moderate revision, accepted for
publication in PAS
Impact of COVID-19 on cardiovascular testing in the United States versus the rest of the world
Objectives: This study sought to quantify and compare the decline in volumes of cardiovascular procedures between the United States and non-US institutions during the early phase of the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the care of many non-COVID-19 illnesses. Reductions in diagnostic cardiovascular testing around the world have led to concerns over the implications of reduced testing for cardiovascular disease (CVD) morbidity and mortality.
Methods: Data were submitted to the INCAPS-COVID (International Atomic Energy Agency Non-Invasive Cardiology Protocols Study of COVID-19), a multinational registry comprising 909 institutions in 108 countries (including 155 facilities in 40 U.S. states), assessing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on volumes of diagnostic cardiovascular procedures. Data were obtained for April 2020 and compared with volumes of baseline procedures from March 2019. We compared laboratory characteristics, practices, and procedure volumes between U.S. and non-U.S. facilities and between U.S. geographic regions and identified factors associated with volume reduction in the United States.
Results: Reductions in the volumes of procedures in the United States were similar to those in non-U.S. facilities (68% vs. 63%, respectively; p = 0.237), although U.S. facilities reported greater reductions in invasive coronary angiography (69% vs. 53%, respectively; p < 0.001). Significantly more U.S. facilities reported increased use of telehealth and patient screening measures than non-U.S. facilities, such as temperature checks, symptom screenings, and COVID-19 testing. Reductions in volumes of procedures differed between U.S. regions, with larger declines observed in the Northeast (76%) and Midwest (74%) than in the South (62%) and West (44%). Prevalence of COVID-19, staff redeployments, outpatient centers, and urban centers were associated with greater reductions in volume in U.S. facilities in a multivariable analysis.
Conclusions: We observed marked reductions in U.S. cardiovascular testing in the early phase of the pandemic and significant variability between U.S. regions. The association between reductions of volumes and COVID-19 prevalence in the United States highlighted the need for proactive efforts to maintain access to cardiovascular testing in areas most affected by outbreaks of COVID-19 infection
The Hyper Suprime-Cam SSP survey: Overview and survey design
Hyper Suprime-Cam (HSC) is a wide-field imaging camera on the prime focus of the 8.2-m Subaru telescope on the summit of Mauna Kea in Hawaii. A team of scientists from Japan, Taiwan, and Princeton University is using HSC to carry out a 300-night multi-band imaging survey of the high-latitude sky. The survey includes three layers: the Wide layer will cover 1400 deg2 in five broad bands (grizy), with a 5 σ point-source depth of r ≈ 26. The Deep layer covers a total of 26 deg2 in four fields, going roughly a magnitude fainter, while the UltraDeep layer goes almost a magnitude fainter still in two pointings of HSC (a total of 3.5 deg2). Here we describe the instrument, the science goals of the survey, and the survey strategy and data processing. This paper serves as an introduction to a special issue of the Publications of the Astronomical Society of Japan, which includes a large number of technical and scientific papers describing results from the early phases of this survey
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