Actuators and Sensors Based on Tensegrity D-bar Structures

Tensegrity offers lightweight deployable structures for use in many engineering disciplines. Among all of the available tensegrity forms, D-Bar has a potential for combined applications of sensing, actuation, and structural support. In this paper, we enhance the minimal mass formulation of the D-Bar by including yielding of the compressive members as a design constraint in contrast to the previous assumption which considers buckling as the sole failure mechanism. In addition, we analyze the length and force gains of a D-bar system analytically by considering the minimal mass D-bar as the design constraint. Furthermore, we calculate the stiffness of the D-Bar and when appropriate use as design constraints as well. To enhance the minimal mass properties of the D-Bar, we combine T-bar and D-bar systems. The analysis shows that these structures are the basis for effective force transducers, force-controlled actuators, and efficient deployable compressive structures

Emotion Extraction from Facial Expressions by Using Artificial Intelligence Techniques

WOS: 000426964000001Nowadays, there is no application area in which Artificial Intelligence oriented solutions are not employed. It is possible to see its use in even daily life and the solution scope of this scientific field of the future is growing day by day. Because of its great advantages in analyzing the physical world and solving real world problems, Artificial Intelligence techniques are often employed in different research problems that cannot be solved with traditional computational approaches. In this context, using intelligent systems to understand human features is one of the most popular research interest for recent years. In the sense of the explanations so far, objective of this study is to introduce a research in which a system that is able to extract emotions from individuals' facial expressions was designed and developed. In detail, the system considered here a Cascade Feed-forward Artificial Neural Network model trained by a recent optimization algorithm called as Vortex Optimization Algorithm. The developed system has been applied to different sets of photos from the literature and positive results were obtained at the final for each different set considered.Usak University Scientific Research and Projects Unit [2017/HD-SOSB004]This study has been supported by Usak University Scientific Research and Projects Unit with the project number 2017/HD-SOSB004

Traumatic masturbation syndrome may be an important cause of erectile dysfunction in pre-mature ejaculation patients

We aimed to investigate of whether atypical masturbation behaviour is a pre-disposing factor in ED aetiology in pre-mature ejaculation (PE) patients. In addition to demographic data, self-estimated intravaginal ejaculatory latency time (IELT) was prospectively questioned in 2,572 patients between the ages of 18 and 60 who applied with the complaint of pre-mature ejaculation between March 2018 and May 2020. The masturbation habits of the patients were questioned with open-ended questions. After the exclusion criteria, 1,819 patients were evaluated. One thousand one hundred-fifty (63.2%) of patients were classified as lifelong PE, 369 (20.3%) were acquired PE, while 300 (16.5%) were natural-variable PE. According to the IIEF score, 714 patients (39.3%) had ED associated with PE. Eighty-eight per cent of men declared that they had masturbated in the last 4 weeks. Atypical masturbatory behaviours such as 'through clothes' and 'rubbing in prone position' were significantly higher in patients with ED (13% vs. 9%, p = .04 and 11% vs. 7%, p = .02 respectively). Atypical masturbatory behaviours are also seen in a significant part of the pre-mature ejaculation population and increase the rate of erectile dysfunction accompanying PE. This situation draws attention to the necessity of questioning masturbation habits, especially in the combination of PE and ED

Revisiting the complex architecture of ALS in Turkey: Expanding genotypes, shared phenotypes, molecular networks, and a public variant database

The last decade has proven that amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is clinically and genetically heterogeneous, and that the genetic component in sporadic cases might be stronger than expected. This study investigates 1,200 patients to revisit ALS in the ethnically heterogeneous yet inbred Turkish population. Familial ALS (fALS) accounts for 20% of our cases. The rates of consanguinity are 30% in fALS and 23% in sporadic ALS (sALS). Major ALS genes explained the disease cause in only 35% of fALS, as compared with similar to 70% in Europe and North America. Whole exome sequencing resulted in a discovery rate of 42% (53/127). Whole genome analyses in 623 sALS cases and 142 population controls, sequenced within Project MinE, revealed well-established fALS gene variants, solidifying the concept of incomplete penetrance in ALS. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) with whole genome sequencing data did not indicate a new risk locus. Coupling GWAS with a coexpression network of disease-associated candidates, points to a significant enrichment for cell cycle- and division-related genes. Within this network, literature text-mining highlightsDECR1, ATL1, HDAC2, GEMIN4, andHNRNPA3as important genes. Finally, information on ALS-related gene variants in the Turkish cohort sequenced within Project MinE was compiled in the GeNDAL variant browser (www.gendal.org).Bogazici University; Suna and Inan Kirac Foundatio