A smoothed particle hydrodynamics algorithm for haptic rendering of dental filling materials

Using haptic interfaces to assist the training of skills within the curriculum of undergraduate dentists provides a unique opportunity to advance rendering algorithms and engineering of haptic devices. In this paper we use the dental context to explore a rendering technique called smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) as a potential method to train students on appropriate techniques for insertion of filling material into a previously prepared (virtual) dental cavity. The paper also considers how problems of haptic rendering might be implemented on a Graphical Processing Unit (GPU) that operates in the haptics control loop. The filling simulation used 3000 particles to represent the cavity boundary (approx. 1400 particles), tool (approx. 42 particles) and filling material (approx. 1600 particles), running at an average of 447Hz. Novel smoothing function in SPH was developed and its flexibility is presented

Spread of activation and deactivation in the brain: Does age matter?

Cross-sectional aging fMRI results are sometimes difficult to interpret, as standard measures of activation and deactivation may confound variations in signal amplitude and spread, which however may be differentially affected by age-related changes in various anatomical and physiological factors. To disentangle these two types of measures, here we propose a novel method to obtain independent estimates of the peak amplitude and spread of the BOLD signal in areas activated (task-positive) and deactivated (task-negative) by a Sternberg task, in 14 younger and 28 older adults. The peak measures indicated that, compared to younger adults, older adults had increased activation of the task-positive network, but similar levels of deactivation in the task-negative network. Measures of signal spread revealed that older adults had an increased spread of activation in task-positive areas, but a starkly reduced spread of deactivation in task-negative areas. These effects were consistent across regions within each network. Further, there was greater variability in the anatomical localization of peak points in older adults, leading to reduced cross-subject overlap. These results reveal factors that may confound the interpretation of studies of aging. Additionally, spread measures may be linked to local connectivity phenomena and could be particularly useful to analyze age-related deactivation patterns, complementing the results obtained with standard peak and ROI analyses

Magnetic resonance conditional microinjector

Glaucoma, one of the leading causes of blindness, has been linked to increases in intraocular pressure. In order to observe and study this effect, proposed is a specialized microinjector and driver that can be used to inject small amounts of liquid into a target volume. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) guided remotely activated devices require specialized equipment that is compatible with the MR environment. This paper presents an MR Conditional microinjector system with a pressure sensor for investigating the effects of intraocular pressure (IOP) in near-real-time. The system uses pressurized air and a linear actuation device to push a syringe in a controlled, stepwise manner. The feasibility and utility of the proposed investigative medical research tool were tested and validated by measuring the pressure inside an intact animal donor eyeball while precise, small volumes of water were injected into the specimen. Observable increases in the volume of the specimen at measured, specific target pressure increases show that the system is technically feasible for studying IOP effects, while the changes in shape were depicted in MRI scan images themselves. In addition, it was verified that the presence and operation of the system did not interfere with the MRI machine, confirming its conditional compatibility with the 3T MRI

How Good Is NLP? A Sober Look at NLP Tasks through the Lens of Social Impact

Recent years have seen many breakthroughs in natural language processing (NLP), transitioning it from a mostly theoretical field to one with many real-world applications. Noting the rising number of applications of other machine learning and AI techniques with pervasive societal impact, we anticipate the rising importance of developing NLP technologies for social good. Inspired by theories in moral philosophy and global priorities research, we aim to promote a guideline for social good in the context of NLP. We lay the foundations via the moral philosophy definition of social good, propose a framework to evaluate the direct and indirect real-world impact of NLP tasks, and adopt the methodology of global priorities research to identify priority causes for NLP research. Finally, we use our theoretical framework to provide some practical guidelines for future NLP research for social good. Our data and code are available at http://github.com/zhijing-jin/nlp4sg_acl2021. In addition, we curate a list of papers and resources on NLP for social good at https://github.com/zhijing-jin/NLP4SocialGood_Papers.Comment: Findings of ACL 2021; also accepted at the NLP for Positive Impact workshop@ACL 202

Dental training system using haptic technology

In the U.K., dental students require to perform training and practice on real human tissues at the very early stage of their courses. Currently, the human tissues, such as decayed teeth, are mounted in a human head like physical model. The problems with these models in teaching are; (1) every student operates on tooth, which are always unique; (2) the process cannot be recorded for examination purposes and (3) same training are not repeatable. The aim of the PHATOM Project is to develop a dental training system using Haptic technology. This paper documents the project background, specification, research and development of the first prototype system. It also discusses the research in the visual display, haptic devices and haptic rendering. This includes stereo vision, motion parallax, volumetric modelling, surface remapping algorithms as well as analysis design of the system. A new volumetric to surface model transformation algorithm is also introduced. This paper includes the future work on the system development and research

Activated Sludge and Other Aerobic Suspended Culture Processes

© 2011 by the authors. A review of the literature published in 2008, 2009 and 2010 relating to activated sludge treatment of wastewater is presented. The review considers information on the topics of modeling and kinetics; process microbiology; nitrogen and phosphorus removal; treatment and effects of xenobiotics; oxygen transfer; and solids separation

Contextual Despair

This document provides a summary of contextual variables at the tract, county, and state level that may be relevant to operationalizing different dimensions of “despair” in Add Health respondents’ environment, per the “deaths of despair” hypothesis advanced by Case and Deaton (2015; 2020)

Precision medicine in catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia: Recent advances toward personalized care

Catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (CPVT) is a rare inherited cardiac ion channelopathy where the initial disease presentation is during childhood or adolescent stages, leading to increased risks of sudden cardiac death. Despite advances in medical science and technology, several gaps remain in the understanding of the molecular mechanisms, risk prediction, and therapeutic management of patients with CPVT. Recent studies have identified and validated seven sets of genes responsible for various CPVT phenotypes, including RyR2, CASQ-2, TRDN, CALM1, 2, and 3, and TECRL, providing novel insights into the molecular mechanisms. However, more data on atypical CPVT genotypes are required to investigate the underlying mechanisms further. The complexities of the underlying genetics contribute to challenges in risk stratification as well as the uncertainty surrounding nongenetic modifiers. Therapeutically, although medical management involving beta-blockers and flecainide, or insertion of an implantable cardioverter defibrillator remains the mainstay of treatment, animal and stem cell studies on gene therapy for CPVT have shown promising results. However, its clinical applicability remains unclear. Current gene therapy studies have primarily focused on the RyR2 and CASQ-2 variants, which constitute 75% of all CPVT cases. Alternative approaches that target a broader population, such as CaMKII inhibition, could be more feasible for clinical implementation. Together, this review provides an update on recent research on CPVT, highlighting the need for further investigation of the molecular mechanisms, risk stratification, and therapeutic management of this potentially lethal condition

Paradoxical Roles of Tumour Necrosis Factor-Alpha in Prostate Cancer Biology

Tumour necrosis factor (TNF) is a pleiotropic cytokine with dual roles in cancer biology including prostate cancer (PCa). On the one hand, there is evidence that it stimulates tumour angiogenesis, is involved in the initiation of PCa from an androgen-dependent to a castrate resistant state, plays a role in epithelial to mesenchymal plasticity, and may contribute to the aberrant regulation of eicosanoid pathways. On the other hand, TNF has also been reported to inhibit neovascularisation, induce apoptosis of PCa cells, and stimulate antitumour immunity. Much of the confusion surrounding its seemingly paradoxical roles in cancer biology stems from the dependence of its effects on the biological model within which TNF is investigated. This paper will address some of these issues and also discuss the therapeutic implications