End-effector vibrations reduction in trajectory tracking for mobile manipulator

A method of motion planning for a mobile manipulator taking into account damping the end-effector vibrations is presented. The primary task of the robot is to trace a given end-effector trajectory. The redundant degrees of freedom are used to fulfil secondary objectives such as minimisation of platform kinetic energy and maximisation of holonomic manipulability measure, which leads to reduction of the end-effector vibrations. The method is based on Jacobian pseudo inverse at the acceleration level. Nonholonomic constraints in a Pfaffian form are explicitly incorporated to the control algorithm. A computer example involving a mobile manipulator consisting of a nonholonomic platform (2, 0) class and SCARA-type holonomic manipulator operating in two-dimensional task space is also presented

Effect of polar intermolecular interactions on the elastic constants of bent-core nematics and the origin of the twist-bend phase

Abstract.: A molecular theory of both elastic constants and the flexoelectric coefficients of bent-core nematic liquid crystals has been developed taking into account dipole-dipole interactions as well as polar interactions determined by the bent molecular shape. It has been shown that if polar interactions are neglected, the elastic constants are increasing monotonically with the decreasing temperature. On the other hand, dipolar interactions between bent-core molecules may result in a dramatic increase of the bend flexocoefficient. As a result, the flexoelectric contribution to the bend elastic constant increases significantly, and the bend elastic constant appears to be very small throughout the nematic range and may vanish at a certain temperature. This temperature may then be identified as a temperature of the elastic instability of the bent-core nematic phase which induces a transition into the modulated phases with bend deformations like recently reported twist-bend phase. The temperature variation of the elastic constants is qualitatively similar to the typical experimental data for bent-core nematics. Graphical abstract: [Figure not available: see fulltext.

SCORE performance in Central and Eastern Europe and former Soviet Union: MONICA and HAPIEE results

Aims: The Systematic COronary Risk Evaluation (SCORE) scale assesses 10 year risk of fatal atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (CVD), based on conventional risk factors. The high-risk SCORE version is recommended for Central and Eastern Europe and former Soviet Union (CEE/FSU), but its performance has never been systematically assessed in the region. We evaluated SCORE performance in two sets of population-based CEE/FSU cohorts. Methods and results: The cohorts based on the World Health Organization MONitoring of trends and determinants in CArdiovascular disease (MONICA) surveys in the Czech Republic, Poland (Warsaw and Tarnobrzeg), Lithuania (Kaunas), and Russia (Novosibirsk) were followed from the mid-1980s. The Health, Alcohol, and Psychosocial factors in Eastern Europe (HAPIEE) study follows Czech, Polish (Krakow), and Russian (Novosibirsk) cohorts from 2002–05. In Cox regression analyses, the high-risk SCORE ≥5% at baseline significantly predicted CVD mortality in both MONICA [n = 15 027; hazard ratios (HR), 1.7–6.3] and HAPIEE (n = 20 517; HR, 2.6–10.5) samples. While SCORE calibration was good in most MONICA samples (predicted and observed mortality were close), the risk was underestimated in Russia. In HAPIEE, the high-risk SCORE overpredicted the estimated 10 year mortality for Czech and Polish samples and adequately predicted it for Russia. SCORE discrimination was satisfactory in both MONICA and HAPIEE. Conclusion: The high-risk SCORE underestimated the fatal CVD risk in Russian MONICA but performed well in most MONICA samples and Russian HAPIEE. This SCORE version might overestimate the risk in contemporary Czech and Polish populations

Coffee consumption and mortality in three Eastern European countries: results from the HAPIEE (Health, Alcohol and Psychosocial factors In Eastern Europe) study

OBJECTIVE: To test the association between coffee consumption and risk of all-cause, CVD and cancer death in a European cohort. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. Cox proportional hazards models with adjustment for potential confounders to estimate multivariable hazard ratios (HR) and 95 % CI were used. SETTING: Czech Republic, Russia and Poland. SUBJECTS: A total of 28561 individuals followed for 6·1 years. RESULTS: A total of 2121 deaths (43·1 % CVD and 35·7 % cancer mortality) occurred during the follow-up. Consumption of 3-4 cups coffee/d was associated with lower mortality risk in men (HR=0·83; 95 % CI 0·71, 0·99) and women (HR=0·63; 95 % CI 0·47, 0·84), while further intake showed non-significant reduced risk estimates (HR=0·71; 95 % CI 0·49, 1·04 and HR=0·51; 95 % CI 0·24, 1·10 in men and women, respectively). Decreased risk of CVD mortality was also found in men (HR=0·71; 95 % CI 0·54, 0·93) for consumption of 3-4 cups coffee/d. Stratified analysis revealed that consumption of a similar amount of coffee was associated with decreased risk of all-cause (HR=0·61; 95 % CI 0·43, 0·87) and cancer mortality (HR=0·59; 95 % CI 0·35, 0·99) in non-smoking women and decreased risk of all-cause mortality for >4 cups coffee/d in men with no/moderate alcohol intake. CONCLUSIONS: Coffee consumption was associated with decreased risk of mortality. The protective effect was even stronger when stratification by smoking status and alcohol intake was performed

Dietary polyphenol intake and risk of hypertension in the Polish arm of the HAPIEE study

PURPOSE: Dietary polyphenols have been studied for their potential effects on metabolic disorders, but studies on risk of hypertension are scarce. This study aimed to test the association between total and individual classes of dietary polyphenols and incidence of hypertension in the Polish arm of the Health, Alcohol and Psychosocial factors In Eastern Europe (HAPIEE) study. METHODS: A total of 2725 participants free of hypertension at baseline were tested for blood pressure or taking hypertensive medication within the last 2 weeks at 2-4-year follow-up visit. A 148-item food frequency questionnaire and the Phenol-Explorer database were used to estimate dietary polyphenol intake. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of hypertension comparing the various categories of exposure (total and individual classes of polyphenol intake) with the lowest one (reference category) were calculated by performing age- and energy-adjusted and multivariate-adjusted logistic regression models. RESULTS: During follow-up, 1735 incident cases of hypertension occurred. The highest quartile of total polyphenol intake was associated with 31% decreased risk of hypertension compared with the lowest intake (OR 0.69, 95% CI 0.48, 0.98) in women. There was no significant association in men. Among main classes of polyphenols, flavonoids and phenolic acids were independent contributors to this association. The analysis of individual subclasses of polyphenol revealed that, among phenolic acids, hydroxycynnamic acids were independently associated to lower odds of hypertension (OR 0.66, 95% CI 0.47, 0.93), while among flavonoids, most of the association was driven by flavanols (OR 0.56, 95% CI 0.36, 0.87). CONCLUSION: Certain classes of dietary polyphenols were associated with lower risk of hypertension, but potential differences between men and women should be further investigated

Dietary polyphenol intake and risk of type 2 diabetes in the Polish arm of the Health, Alcohol and Psychosocial factors in Eastern Europe (HAPIEE) study

This study aimed to test the association between dietary content of total and individual classes of polyphenols and incident cases of type 2 diabetes in Polish adults participating to the Health, Alcohol and Psychosocial factors In Eastern Europe study. At baseline, diet by 148-item FFQ and health information were collected from 5806 participants free of diabetes. Self-reported incident type 2 diabetes was ascertained at 2-4-year follow-up visit. OR and 95 % CI of type 2 diabetes comparing the various categories of polyphenol intake to the lowest one (reference category) and as 1 sd increase modelled as continuous variable were calculated by performing age-, energy-, and multivariate-adjusted logistic regression models. During the follow-up, 456 incident cases of type 2 diabetes occurred. When comparing extreme quartiles, intake of total polyphenol was inversely associated with the risk of type 2 diabetes (OR 0·43; 95 % CI 0·30, 0·61); 1 sd increase was associated with a reduced risk of diabetes (OR 0·68; 95 % CI 0·59, 0·79). Among the main classes of polyphenols, flavonoids, phenolic acids, and stilbenes were independent contributors to this association. Both subclasses of phenolic acids were associated with decreased risk of type 2 diabetes, whereas among subclasses of flavonoids, high intake of flavanols, flavanones, flavones and anthocyanins was significantly associated with decreased risk of type 2 diabetes. Total dietary polyphenols and some classes of dietary polyphenols were associated with lower risk of type 2 diabetes

Development and validation of two SCORE-based cardiovascular risk prediction models for Eastern Europe: a multicohort study.

AIMS: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk prediction models are used in Western European countries, but less so in Eastern European countries where rates of CVD can be two to four times higher. We recalibrated the SCORE prediction model for three Eastern European countries and evaluated the impact of adding seven behavioural and psychosocial risk factors to the model. METHODS AND RESULTS: We developed and validated models using data from the prospective HAPIEE cohort study with 14 598 participants from Russia, Poland, and the Czech Republic (derivation cohort, median follow-up 7.2 years, 338 fatal CVD cases) and Estonian Biobank data with 4632 participants (validation cohort, median follow-up 8.3 years, 91 fatal CVD cases). The first model (recalibrated SCORE) used the same risk factors as in the SCORE model. The second model (HAPIEE SCORE) added education, employment, marital status, depression, body mass index, physical inactivity, and antihypertensive use. Discrimination of the original SCORE model (C-statistic 0.78 in the derivation and 0.83 in the validation cohorts) was improved in recalibrated SCORE (0.82 and 0.85) and HAPIEE SCORE (0.84 and 0.87) models. After dichotomizing risk at the clinically meaningful threshold of 5%, and when comparing the final HAPIEE SCORE model against the original SCORE model, the net reclassification improvement was 0.07 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.02-0.11] in the derivation cohort and 0.14 (95% CI 0.04-0.25) in the validation cohort. CONCLUSION: Our recalibrated SCORE may be more appropriate than the conventional SCORE for some Eastern European populations. The addition of seven quick, non-invasive, and cheap predictors further improved prediction accuracy

Traditional Eastern European diet and mortality: prospective evidence from the HAPIEE study

PURPOSE: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) and cancer mortality rates in Eastern Europe are among the highest in the world. Although diet is an important risk factor, traditional eating habits in this region have not yet been explored. This analysis assessed the relationship between traditional dietary pattern and mortality from all-causes, CVD and cancer in Eastern European cohorts. METHODS: Data from the Health, Alcohol and Psychosocial factors in Eastern Europe prospective cohort were used, including participants from Russia, Poland and the Czech Republic. Based on food frequency questionnaire data, we constructed an Eastern European diet score (EEDS) from nine food groups which can be considered as traditional in this region. The relationship between categorical (low, moderate, high) and continuous (range 0-18) EEDS and mortality was estimated with Cox-regression. RESULTS: From 18,852 eligible participants, 2234 died during follow-up. In multivariable adjusted models, participants with high adherence to the traditional Eastern European diet had significantly higher risk of all-cause (HR 1.23; 95% CI 1.08-1.42) and CVD (1.34; 1.08-1.66) deaths compared to those with low adherence. The association with cancer mortality was only significant in Poland (high vs. low EEDS: 1.41; 1.00-1.98). From the specific EEDS components, high consumption of lard was significantly positively related to all three mortality outcomes, while preserved fruit and vegetable consumption showed consistent inverse associations. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that traditional eating habits may contribute to the poor health status, particularly the high CVD mortality rates, of populations in Eastern Europe. Adequate public health nutritional interventions in this region are essential

Time trends in lifestyle, risk factor control, and use of evidence-based medications in patients With coronary heart disease in Europe: results from 3 EUROASPIRE surveys, 1999-2013

Background: The EUROASPIRE (European Action on Secondary and Primary Prevention by Intervention to Reduce Events) cross-sectional surveys describe time trends in lifestyle and risk factor control among coronary patients between 1999 and 2013 in Belgium, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Ireland, the Netherlands, Poland, Slovenia, and the United Kingdom as part of the EuroObservational Research Programme under the auspices of European Society of Cardiology. Objectives: This study sought to describe time trends in lifestyle, risk factor control, and the use of evidence-based medication in coronary patients across Europe. Methods: The EUROASPIRE II (1999 to 2000), III (2006 to 2007), and IV (2012 to 13) surveys were conducted in the same geographical areas and selected hospitals in each country. Consecutive patients (≤70 years) after coronary artery bypass graft, percutaneous coronary intervention, or an acute coronary syndrome identified from hospital records were interviewed and examined ≥6 months later with standardized methods. Results: Of 12,775 identified coronary patients, 8,456 (66.2%) were interviewed. Proportion of current smokers was similar across the 3 surveys. Prevalence of obesity increased by 7%. The prevalence of raised blood pressure (≥140/90 mm Hg or ≥140/80 mm Hg with diabetes) dropped by 8% from EUROASPIRE III to IV, and therapeutic control of blood pressure improved with 55% of patients below target in IV. The prevalence of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol ≥2.5 mmol/l decreased by 44%. In EUROASPIRE IV, 75% were above the target low-density lipoprotein cholesterol <1.8 mmol/l. The prevalence of self-reported diabetes increased by 9%. The use of evidence-based medications increased between the EUROASPIRE II and III surveys, but did not change between the III and IV surveys. Conclusions: Lifestyle habits have deteriorated over time with increases in obesity, central obesity, and diabetes and stagnating rates of persistent smoking. Although blood pressure and lipid management improved, they are still not optimally controlled and the use of evidence-based medications appears to have stalled apart from the increased use of high-intensity statins. These results underline the importance of offering coronary patients access to modern preventive cardiology programs