Adaptive load feedback robustly signals force dynamics in robotic model of Carausius morosus stepping

Animals utilize a number of neuronal systems to produce locomotion. One type of sensory organ that contributes in insects is the campaniform sensillum (CS) that measures the load on their legs. Groups of the receptors are found on high stress regions of the leg exoskeleton and they have significant effects in adapting walking behavior. Recording from these sensors in freely moving animals is limited by technical constraints. To better understand the load feedback signaled by CS to the nervous system, we have constructed a dynamically scaled robotic model of the Carausius morosus stick insect middle leg. The leg steps on a treadmill and supports weight during stance to simulate body weight. Strain gauges were mounted in the same positions and orientations as four key CS groups (Groups 3, 4, 6B, and 6A). Continuous data from the strain gauges were processed through a previously published dynamic computational model of CS discharge. Our experiments suggest that under different stepping conditions (e.g., changing “body” weight, phasic load stimuli, slipping foot), the CS sensory discharge robustly signals increases in force, such as at the beginning of stance, and decreases in force, such as at the end of stance or when the foot slips. Such signals would be crucial for an insect or robot to maintain intra- and inter-leg coordination while walking over extreme terrain

Arbeiten mit Endometriose

Der folgende Bericht fasst die Ergebnisse einer querschnittlichen Online-Fragebogenstudie unter 467 deutschen Arbeitnehmer*innen mit chronischen Erkrankungen aus dem Jahr 2023 zusammen. Der Fokus lag auf der Analyse der Unterschiede zwischen Arbeitnehmer*innen mit einer Endometriose-Diagnose (N = 190) und Arbeitnehmer*innen mit anderen (physischen und psychischen) chronischen Erkrankungen (N = 277). Wir fanden keine statistisch signifikanten Unterschiede bezüglich der wahrgenommenen Arbeitsanforderungen, der persönlichen Ressourcen, (arbeitsbezogene Selbstwirksamkeit), der wahrgenommenen Führungsqualität der/des Vorgesetzten oder der erlebten Stigmatisierung am Arbeitsplatz. Arbeitnehmer*innen mit Endometriose nahmen geringere arbeitsbezogene Ressourcen (organisationale Unterstützung, Entscheidungsspielraum bzgl. Pausen), geringere Erkrankungsorientierung ihrer Führungskraft, geringere Vereinbarkeit von Arbeit und Privatleben bzw. Erkrankungsmanagement war. Teilnehmende mit Endometriose berichteten von signifikant höherer antizipierten Stigmatisierung, gaben signifikant mehr Präsentismus an, und zeigten mehr Burnout, Probleme bei der Erholung von der Arbeit, und geringere Arbeitszufriedenheit. Zusätzlich fanden wir Unterschiede in der Wahrnehmung spezifischer organisationaler Unterstützung für Mitarbeitende mit chronischen Erkrankungen. Teilnehmende mit Endometriose berichteten von signifikant weniger Angeboten, Rücksichtnahme auf die Bedürfnisse von Mitarbeitenden mit chronischen Erkrankungen und spezifischen Fortbildungen für Führungskräfte

Working with Type 1 Diabetes: Investigating the Associations between Diabetes-related Distress, Burnout, and Job Satisfaction

Objective The present study aims to investigate the association between diabetes-related distress and work outcomes (burnout & job satisfaction) among employed people with type 1 diabetes Research design and methods Employed adults with type 1 diabetes (N = 297) completed an online survey. Measures assessed emotional, social, food- and treatment-related diabetes-related distress, burnout, and job satisfaction, as well as the type of insulin treatment. We conducted multiple regression analyses to test our hypotheses. Results Emotional diabetes-related distress was significantly and positively associated with burnout. Social diabetes-related distress was significantly and negatively associated with job satisfaction. The type of treatment (insulin pen versus insulin pump) had no significant effect on the outcomes. Conclusions This study sets the stage for research on the interactions between working conditions, work outcomes and illness symptoms, and problems of people with type 1 diabetes, and, generally, employees with chronic illnesses. The findings have implications for individual health and illness management, burnout prevention, and occupational health measures

Individual health status as a resource: Analyzing associations between perceived illness symptom severity, burnout, and work engagement amongst employees with autoimmune diseases

Epidemiological data suggest that the prevalence of autoimmune diseases is increasing. Although evidence implies that people with chronic illnesses experience higher levels of burnout, there are few available insights for developing preventative interventions. This paper builds on the Conservation of Resources (COR) and the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) framework to investigate the association between impaired health, burnout, and work engagement. In two studies, we research the role of health status as a resource, respectively, autoimmune illness symptom severity as a diminished resource, and investigate its variance explanation in burnout and work engagement above and beyond the effects of job demands and resources. Study 1 investigated the hypotheses among 87 employees with inflammatory bowel diseases. Controlling for job demands and resources, symptom severity was positively associated with (exhaustion) burnout and negatively associated with work engagement. In Study 2, we applied mixed model analyses using a sample of 129 employees with multiple sclerosis. We found significant associations of symptom severity on burnout and vigor work engagement above and beyond the effects of job demands and social support. Our studies provide important insights for employees with chronic illnesses and the organizations in which they work and give indications for theory development, future research, and the development of interventions

Neurobiology: Reconstructing the Neural Control of Leg Coordination

SummaryWalking is adaptable because the timing of movements of individual legs can be varied while maintaining leg coordination. Recent work in stick insects shows that leg coordination set by interactions of pattern generating circuits can be overridden by sensory feedback

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Biological systems can provide useful insights into principles of design and control of locomotion that can be applied to legged robots. In this paper we review our work on cockroaches using finite element analysis to model how loads are sensed and regulated in walking and climbing. A number of biological studies have shown that sensors that detect forces in the legs of insects are of particular importance in controlling walking and adapting locomotion to non-horizontal terrains. Our analysis strongly suggests that (i) the system can detect specific force vectors (body load versus propulsion) via sensors located in the leg in positions close to the body and (ii) the system uses this information in positive load feedback to regulate walking movements. These principles and design elements provide examples that can be applied in legged locomotion in walking machines. KEY WORDS—strain sensors, control, cockroaches, campaniform sensilla, finite element analysi

Encoding of force increases and decreases by tibial campaniform sensilla in the stick insect, Carausius morosus

Zill SN, Büschges A, Schmitz J. Encoding of force increases and decreases by tibial campaniform sensilla in the stick insect, Carausius morosus. Journal of Comparative Physiology A: Neuroethology, Sensory, Neural, and Behavioral Physiology. 2011;197(8):851-867

Incorporating sensory signals of substrate grip/adherence in force control

Zill S, Chaudry S, Büschges A, Schmitz J. Incorporating sensory signals of substrate grip/adherence in force control. In: Proceedings of the 43th annual meeting Society for Neuroscience. 2013

Detecting forces in a reference frame: responses of stick insect campaniform sensilla to muscle forces and loads

Zill S, Büschges A, Chaudhry S, Schmitz J. Detecting forces in a reference frame: responses of stick insect campaniform sensilla to muscle forces and loads. In: Proceedings of the 42nd annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience. Society for Neuroscience; 2012