Push Recovery of a Position-Controlled Humanoid Robot Based on Capture Point Feedback Control

In this paper, a combination of ankle and hip strategy is used for push recovery of a position-controlled humanoid robot. Ankle strategy and hip strategy are equivalent to Center of Pressure (CoP) and Centroidal Moment Pivot (CMP) regulation respectively. For controlling the CMP and CoP we need a torque-controlled robot, however most of the conventional humanoid robots are position controlled. In this regard, we present an efficient way for implementation of the hip and ankle strategies on a position controlled humanoid robot. We employ a feedback controller to compensate the capture point error. Using our scheme, a simple and practical push recovery controller is designed which can be implemented on the most of the conventional humanoid robots without the need for torque sensors. The effectiveness of the proposed approach is verified through push recovery experiments on SURENA-Mini humanoid robot under severe pushes

A Survey of Pediatrics Resident Knowledge of Growth and Development

ObjectiveThe primary objective of this study was to evaluate pediatric residents'knowledge about the milestones of growth and development in chlidren.Materials and MethodsSeventy-one pediatric residents from 3 main Children's Centers in Tehran weresurveyed to evaluate their knowledge on growth and development of children.Included in the survey was based upon filling up a questionnaire containingquestions about four different categories of development (motor, cognitive,speech and social interactions). The scores that the residents got from the testwere summed up and were compared together.Results71 resident participants completed the questionnaire. The distribution ofresidents by year was 26 post graduate year 1 (PGY1), 26 PGY2, and 23 PGY3.The knowledge of 14 (19.7%) of the participants about child's development wasranked as "Less than expected", 47 (66.2%) as "Unacceptable", 10 (14.1%) as"Acceptable" and none (0%) as "Ideal", according to the total score they gotfrom their correct answers to the questions.ConclusionThis study describes that most pediatric residents lack the acceptable knowledgeon children's growth and development. It seems that their knowledge did notimprove through their years of residency

Developmental Coordination Disorder in Children

ObjectiveIn this article, a motor skill disorder called developmental coordination disorder (DCD), that is usually first diagnosed during childhood, is explained and discussed. In the year 1987, DCD was formally recognized as a distinct disorder in children by the American Psychiatric Association  (APA). DCD is a generalized term for the children who have some degrees of impairment in the development of motor coordination and therefore have difficulties with physical skills which significantly interfere with their academic achievements and /or performing everyday activities. As they develop, other age-related tasks are also below average. Because these impairment & conditions are often associated with emotional distress, they can seriously interfere with the person's everyday life and social relationships. Reviews indicate that most of the training rocedures have only a limited effect on the development of general coordination, and that they have no effect at all on academic progress.This includes approaches based on assumed underlying deficiencies such as sensory integration deficits and kinesthetic functioning deficits, as well as the more traditional perceptual - motor training. One new approach is Cognitive Orientation to daily Occupational Performance (CO-OP), based on problem - solving strategies and guided discovery of the child and task specific strategies. The aim of this article was to inform, promote and disseminate more information about some difficulties in applying the diagnostic criteria for DCD. Also, a brief review of the researches on the intervention methods is presented.

Development of Probiotic Apple Juice using Encapsulated Probiotics in Xanthan-Chitosan Based Hydrogels

Background and Objective: Non-dairy probiotic beverages such as fruit juices have gained attention for consumption due to the presence of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and bioactive components that are pleasant for all age groups and do not contain allergens such as milk proteins and lactose. To exert their health benefits, probiotics should survive during food processing and storage as well as gastrointestinal tract. Incorporation of probiotics into fruit juices is more complex than dairy products because of their low pH. In this regard, encapsulation of probiotics using various hydrocolloids and suitable methods can protect probiotics from detrimental factors and improve their viability. Material and Methods: In the present study, Lactobacillus plantarum and Bifidobacterium bifidum were incorporated into apple juice and the physicochemical properties of fruit juice (pH, acidity, °Brix and color), the viability of probiotics and sensory characteristics of apple juices were investigated during 60 days storage at 4°C. Results and Conclusion: The results showed that both bacteria survived in encapsulated form until the end of storage. Apple juices with free probiotics had lower pH, °Brix and higher acidity compared to encapsulated bacteria. Sensory evaluation of samples revealed that apple juices with encapsulated probiotics received higher scores than free bacteria. It can be concluded that using xanthan-chitosan hydrogels can be used for an efficient encapsulation of probiotics and improve their survival during storage without adverse effects on sensory propertie

Analysis of wave scattering from 2D curved metasurfaces using Floquet and Fourier series expansions

An efficient technique for calculating the scattering from curved metasurfaces using the extinction theorem in conjunction with the Floquet and Fourier series expansions is presented. Here, we treat the two-dimensional metasurfaces that have transversal polarizabilities with no variation along the y-axis. The boundary conditions at the metasurface are given by the generalized sheet transition conditions (GSTCs) whose susceptibilities are given in an arbitrary local coordinate system. First, we use the extinction theorem to provide integral equations of the scattering problem. The integral equations involve the Green's functions, tangential electric and magnetic fields and their normal derivatives in regions above and below the metasurface. Then, we employ the Floquet theorem that gives us the analytical periodic Green's functions of each region. Next, we employ the Fourier theorem to expand the tangential fields in terms of unknown Fourier coefficients. The GSTCs and the integral equations provide equations to be solved for the unknowns. The method can calculate scattering from both periodic and non-periodic metasurfaces. The technique is used to analyse different applied problems such as carpet cloaking, illusion, and radar echo width reduction. The method is fast and accurate and can efficiently treat metasurfaces with electrically large curved geometries with dimensions as large as 120 times the wavelength

Nanoparticle or conventional adjuvants: which one improves immune response against Brucellosis?

Objective(s): Brucellosis is a common infectious disease among animals and humans. While subunit vaccines could be used as an efficient strategy against pathogens, they usually seem to be less immunogenic than live or killed vaccines. However, the use of a suitable adjuvant accompanied by subunit vaccines can be a good alternative to enhance the immune response.Materials and Methods: To find a proper adjuvant against Brucellosis, the immune response of induced mice by Aluminum Hydroxide (AH), Incomplete Freund (IFA), and Chitosan Nanoparticle (CS) adjuvants in individuals and in combination with CS were assessed.Results: Immunization with CS stimulated higher interferon gamma (IFN-γ) immunity, while there were no significant differences between rOMP25 (IFA), rOMP25 (AH), rOMP25 (AH-CS) and rOMP25 (IFA-CS) recombinant proteins. Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) analysis revealed there were no significant differences between immunized groups and the positive control group, except for the treatment formulated in single IFA. Furthermore, unlike IFN-γ, there was a reverse interleukin-4 (IL-4) immune response trend for treatments, as rOMP25 (CS) displayed the lowest response. rOMP25 (CS) induced higher titer of total antibody than the other ones. Although the recombinant proteins emulsified in different adjuvants induced similar titer of IgG1 antibody, the ones that were formulated in CS, IFA and IFA-CS showed a higher titer of IgG2a. The cell proliferation assay demonstrating the antigen-specific cell proliferative response could be promoted after immunization with CS. Conclusion: CS whether single or in combination with IF adjuvants has potential to improve Th1-Th2 responses

Combined chemo-magnetic field-photothermal breast cancer therapy based on porous magnetite nanospheres

The efficacy of different modalities of treating breast cancer is inhibited by several limitations such as off-targeted drug distribution, rapid drug clearance, and drug resistance. To overcome these limitations, we developed Lf-Doxo-PMNSs for combined chemo-MF-PTT. The PMNSs were synthesized by hydrothermal method and their physicochemical properties were examined by FE-SEM, TEM, DLS, TGA, XRD investigations. The cytotoxicity of as-synthesized NPs against 4T1 cells was carried out by MTT and flow cytometry assays. Afterwards, the anti-cancer activities of as-synthesized Lf-Doxo-PMNSs on the tumor status, drug distribution and apoptosis mechanism were evaluated. The anti-cancer assays showed that Lf-Doxo-PMNSs significantly suppressed the cancer cell proliferation and tumor weight by prolonging drug availability and potential drug loading in tumor cells; whereas they showed a minimum cytotoxicity against non-cancerous cells. Likewise, combined chemo-MF-PTT using Lf-Doxo-PMNSs displayed the highest anti-cancer activity followed by combined chemo-PTT and combined chemo-MF therapy based on altering the apoptosis mechanism. Therefore, these results showed that combined chemo-MF-PTT based on Lf-Doxo-PMNSs can be used as a promising therapeutic platform with potential targeted drug delivery and high loading capacity features as well as reducing cancer drug resistance