Sim2Real View Invariant Visual Servoing by Recurrent Control

Humans are remarkably proficient at controlling their limbs and tools from a wide range of viewpoints and angles, even in the presence of optical distortions. In robotics, this ability is referred to as visual servoing: moving a tool or end-point to a desired location using primarily visual feedback. In this paper, we study how viewpoint-invariant visual servoing skills can be learned automatically in a robotic manipulation scenario. To this end, we train a deep recurrent controller that can automatically determine which actions move the end-point of a robotic arm to a desired object. The problem that must be solved by this controller is fundamentally ambiguous: under severe variation in viewpoint, it may be impossible to determine the actions in a single feedforward operation. Instead, our visual servoing system must use its memory of past movements to understand how the actions affect the robot motion from the current viewpoint, correcting mistakes and gradually moving closer to the target. This ability is in stark contrast to most visual servoing methods, which either assume known dynamics or require a calibration phase. We show how we can learn this recurrent controller using simulated data and a reinforcement learning objective. We then describe how the resulting model can be transferred to a real-world robot by disentangling perception from control and only adapting the visual layers. The adapted model can servo to previously unseen objects from novel viewpoints on a real-world Kuka IIWA robotic arm. For supplementary videos, see: https://fsadeghi.github.io/Sim2RealViewInvariantServoComment: Supplementary video: https://fsadeghi.github.io/Sim2RealViewInvariantServ

Effect of Cement Dust on Pulmonary Functions of Cement Workers

Background: Among cement dust, quartz particles are the most harmful and cause pulmonary fibrosis, which is pathologically among the severe and malignant pneumoconioses. Therefore, by measuring the dust and examining the status of lung functions among workers, we can assess the effects of inhaling cement dust. We aimed to assess the effect of cement dust on pulmonary functions among cement workers during 1999-2000 in Khash, Sistan and Baluchestan Province, Iran. Material and Methods: The total and inhalation dust of the working environment of different units in this industry was measured by individual sampling pump and silicon by weight method and after correcting the volumes, mg/m3 of dust was calculated.  Results: The total dust in different environments was 6.8-95 mg/m3 and the inhaled dust was 2.5-23 mg/m3. Due to the percentage of free silica associated with dust, these values are several times the standard values in the workplace.  The mean values of respiratory functions (FEV1, FVC, VC) in all cases were lower (P-value<0.005) than the mean values in the control group. The difference in the mean FEF25-75 values between the two groups was not significant (P-value>0.5). Although in the case group (all types of workers) the percentage of people with cough was more than the control group, the difference was not statistically significant (P<0.05). With respect to having sputum in the morning and during the day and night and the type of sputum (green and thick, thin, and no sputum), the case group experienced higher rates of sputum and respiratory symptoms. Conclusion: The working environments of cement factories, contrary to what is stated in the toxicology textbooks, requires more attention of health experts and industry managers. Examinations and periodic dust control measures and hiring an occupational health expert is necessary to maintain the health of workers in these environments

Evaluation of the Effect of Empowerment Model on Self-Efficacy and Self-Esteem among Diabetic Patients: A Randomized Control Trial Study

Background: Improvement and enhancement level of psychological aspects of patients is important in the control of chronic diseases, especially in diabetes. This study aimed to determine the influence of empowerment model on self-efficacy and self-esteem in patients with diabetes.Methods: This study was a clinical trial comprising 103 patients with diabetes, which were randomly divided into experimental and control groups. Empowerment model was considered for the experimental group and routine education was considered for the control group. Applied research tools consisted of demographic data, standardized questionnaire of self-efficacy, and Coppersmith’s self- esteem questionnaire. Results: Before intervention,the two groups were not significantly different in the demographic variables, self-efficacy, and self-esteem scores. There was a significant difference between self-efficacy and self-esteem mean scores of patients, after intervention of the experimental group. Moreover, by using the paired t-test, before and after the intervention, the difference in mean scores of the experimental group was significant.Conclusions: Based on the obtained results, empowerment model has been effective on self-efficacy and self-esteem of diabetes patients. Therefore, empowerment based education planning for diabetic patients is recommended

Evaluation of the Effect of Empowerment Model on Self-Efficacy and Self-Esteem among Diabetic Patients: A Randomized Control Trial Study

Background: Improvement and enhancement level of psychological aspects of patients is important in the control of chronic diseases, especially in diabetes. This study aimed to determine the influence of empowerment model on self-efficacy and self-esteem in patients with diabetes.Methods: This study was a clinical trial comprising 103 patients with diabetes, which were randomly divided into experimental and control groups. Empowerment model was considered for the experimental group and routine education was considered for the control group. Applied research tools consisted of demographic data, standardized questionnaire of self-efficacy, and Coppersmith’s self- esteem questionnaire. Results: Before intervention,the two groups were not significantly different in the demographic variables, self-efficacy, and self-esteem scores. There was a significant difference between self-efficacy and self-esteem mean scores of patients, after intervention of the experimental group. Moreover, by using the paired t-test, before and after the intervention, the difference in mean scores of the experimental group was significant.Conclusions: Based on the obtained results, empowerment model has been effective on self-efficacy and self-esteem of diabetes patients. Therefore, empowerment based education planning for diabetic patients is recommended

High-Pressure Carbon Dioxide Use to Control Dried Apricot Pests, Tribolium castaneum and Rhyzopertha dominica, and Assessing the Qualitative Traits of Dried Pieces of Treated Apricot

One of the new ways of warehouse pest control is the carbon dioxide treatment, which had no residues on the target products. In the present research, at first, CO2 gas was applied to control two important pest species infesting dried apricots. Dry apricots infested with adults of Tribolium castaneum (Herbst) or Rhyzopertha dominica (F.) were exposed to CO2 gas pressures correspond to 9.1,16.7, 23.1, 28.6, and 33.4 mol% for 24 h. The results showed higher mortality rates with increasing the gas pressures in all the experiments. The minimum and maximum losses of the pests were determined at concentrations of 9.1 and 33.4 mol%, respectively. Evaluation of CO2 gas effects on the quality characteristics of dried apricots showed no impacts on the color, brittleness, hardness, sweetness, sourness, and general acceptance of products. CO2 gas treatments at the concentration of 33.4 mol% showed no significant influences on the chemical features of dried apricots, including pH, acidity, Brix, humidity percentage, reducing sugar, and total sugar. It was concluded that CO2 gas had the potential to control T. castaneum and R. dominica in warehouses of dried apricots, without any significant impacts on product qualities

The effects of traffic noise on memory and auditory-verbal learning in Persian language children

Background: Acoustic noise is one of the universal pollutants of modern society. Although the high level of noise adverse effects on human hearing has been known for many years, non-auditory effects of noise such as effects on cognition, learning, memory and reading, especially on children, have been less considered. Factors which have negative impact on these features can also have a negative effect on learning and education development. In the present study, the effects of traffic noise were studied as pollutant on memory and auditory verbal learning of elementary school children. Methods: The present cross-sectional study was conducted on 166 normal children aged 9-11 years. Eighty children were selected from noisy areas (Leq> 50 dBA) and compared with 86 children from low noise areas (Leq <50 dBA). Using Persian version of the Rey Auditory-Verbal Learning Test, various aspects of memory were studied in low noise and noisy environments. Results: A significant difference was observed between two groups in all steps of the Rey test (p=0.00). There was a significant difference between two genders in various steps of Rey test (p=0.00). The average score of recognition was higher in the low noise group than the noisy one (p=0.00).\ud Conclusions: Traffic noise had an adverse effect on the auditory verbal learning and memory of the studied students. Its effect is more on boys than girls. Since learning is very important in the development of students’ education and social skills, therefore, it is necessary to reduce the noise exposure of students in schools