Compliance Strategies For Robotic Ground Servicing Of The Shuttle

In contrast to manufacturing robotic applications, many Kennedy Space Center robotic applications require a combination of heavy lift capacity, real-time vision for course positioning of the robot arm and real-time compliance for the final precise positioning of the robot end-effector. Moreover, for some applications, this must be accomplished in a dynamic environment. The design requirements for launch pad robotic applications are more stringent than the requirements for robots operating in a microgravity environment because the lack of gravity relaxes the heavy load and dynamic constraints to a large degree. The compliance of a robotic system is the ability of the robot to adjust the position when external forces are applied to the robot end effector. That is, the robot arm alters its motion in response to the external forces such that the insertion forces are minimized and the probability of the robot harming itself or mating components is minimized. This paper reviews the various compliance strategies that are available to KSC engineers with an emphasis on those techniques currently under evaluation at the KSC/RADL. The compliant strategies are divided into passive and active approaches. Passive compliance is purely a mechanical technique, whereas active requires the interpretation of the output of transducers and interaction with the robot controller

Study of the effectiveness of concentrated audio-visual instruction to improve auditory and visual memory skills

This research paper discusses using multifaceted teaching methods including audio-visual, to improve the learning skills of mentally handicapped children

Can Short Tau Inversion Recovery (STIR) Imaging Be Used as a Stand-Alone Sequence To Assess a Perianal Fistulous Tract on MRI?:A Retrospective Cohort Study Comparing STIR and T1-Post Contrast Imaging

Introduction: Perianal fistulas demand precise preoperative assessment for optimal surgical outcomes. MRI, using Short Tau Inversion Recovery (STIR) and T1-post contrast sequences, plays a crucial role in this evaluation.This retrospective cohort study compared STIR imaging's diagnostic efficacy with T1-post contrast sequences in identifying perianal fistulous tracts. The study investigated whether STIR imaging could serve as the sole diagnostic sequence, simplifying clinical practice.Methods: In a tertiary care hospital, 100 patients underwent pelvic MRI for suspected perianal fistulas. Radiologists independently evaluated STIR and T1-post contrast sequences for internal openings, tract extent, distinction, abscess presence, and tract type. Sensitivity, specificity, area under the curve (AUC), and Cohen's kappa analysis were used for diagnostic assessment.Results: STIR imaging showed notable sensitivity (79.8-97.9%) and specificity (100%) for identifying internal openings and tracts. Combined with T1-post contrast, diagnostic accuracy improved significantly, with near-perfect AUC values. Kappa values indicated moderate to substantial agreement between radiological assessments and clinical diagnosis. The combined sequences achieved 100% sensitivity and specificity for tract visualization.Conclusion: STIR imaging presents promise as a singular diagnostic tool for perianal fistulas, especially when combined with T1-post contrast sequences. While offering potential clinical diagnosis simplifications, further studies are warranted to validate its utility and ensure comprehensive diagnostic accuracy.</p

Can Short Tau Inversion Recovery (STIR) Imaging Be Used as a Stand-Alone Sequence To Assess a Perianal Fistulous Tract on MRI?:A Retrospective Cohort Study Comparing STIR and T1-Post Contrast Imaging

Introduction: Perianal fistulas demand precise preoperative assessment for optimal surgical outcomes. MRI, using Short Tau Inversion Recovery (STIR) and T1-post contrast sequences, plays a crucial role in this evaluation.This retrospective cohort study compared STIR imaging's diagnostic efficacy with T1-post contrast sequences in identifying perianal fistulous tracts. The study investigated whether STIR imaging could serve as the sole diagnostic sequence, simplifying clinical practice.Methods: In a tertiary care hospital, 100 patients underwent pelvic MRI for suspected perianal fistulas. Radiologists independently evaluated STIR and T1-post contrast sequences for internal openings, tract extent, distinction, abscess presence, and tract type. Sensitivity, specificity, area under the curve (AUC), and Cohen's kappa analysis were used for diagnostic assessment.Results: STIR imaging showed notable sensitivity (79.8-97.9%) and specificity (100%) for identifying internal openings and tracts. Combined with T1-post contrast, diagnostic accuracy improved significantly, with near-perfect AUC values. Kappa values indicated moderate to substantial agreement between radiological assessments and clinical diagnosis. The combined sequences achieved 100% sensitivity and specificity for tract visualization.Conclusion: STIR imaging presents promise as a singular diagnostic tool for perianal fistulas, especially when combined with T1-post contrast sequences. While offering potential clinical diagnosis simplifications, further studies are warranted to validate its utility and ensure comprehensive diagnostic accuracy.</p

HELENA KOLODY: IMIGRAÇÃO UCRANIANA, MAGISTÉRIO E POESIA

Helena Kolody, poetisa paranaense, era descendente de imigrantes ucranianos. Em sua trajetória, percorreu o caminho do magistério, construindo uma sólida carreira como professora do Ensino Básico, além de se afirmar como expoente da poesia no Paraná. Desde a infância, Helena contou com o apoio e incentivo dos pais para conhecer o mundo da Literatura e das Artes, o que lhe rendeu uma boa formação escolar, e vivências junto ao ambiente cultural e artístico paranaense, apesar das condições econômicas de sua família nem sempre serem as mais favoráveis. No presente artigo, analisamos alguns aspectos desta história, propondo uma reflexão sobre os capitais herdados, acumulados e reconvertidos por Helena Kolody, enquanto agente oriunda do processo imigratório que caracterizou o estado do Paraná durante o final do século XIX e início do século XX. Analisamos os impactos que estes recursos podem ter surtido em sua inserção no círculo intelectual paranaense e na afirmação de Kolody como nome de expressão no cenário artístico e cultural do estado. Para tanto, utilizamos os referenciais teóricos de Pierre Bourdieu (2007) e de Ricardo Costa Oliveira (2001) nas análises de acumulação e reconversão de capitais, e de inserção da agente nos círculos da classe dominante tradicional. O estudo das fontes englobou a análise de registros da imprensa local e de fontes bibliográficas secundárias

HOXB13 is co-localized with androgen receptor to suppress androgen-stimulated prostate-specific antigen expression

During the prostate cancer (PCa) development and its progression into hormone independency, androgen receptor (AR) signals play a central role by triggering the regulation of target genes, including prostate-specific antigen. However, the regulation of these AR-mediated target genes is not fully understood. We have previously demonstrated a unique role of HOXB13 homeodomain protein as an AR repressor. Expression of HOXB13 was highly restricted to the prostate and its suppression dramatically increased hormone-activated AR transactivation, suggesting that prostate-specific HOXB13 was a highly potent transcriptional regulator. In this report, we demonstrated the action mechanism of HOXB13 as an AR repressor. HOXB13 suppressed androgen-stimulated AR activity by interacting with AR. HOXB13 did neither bind to AR responsive elements nor disturb nuclear translocation of AR in response to androgen. In PCa specimen, we also observed mutual expression pattern of HOXB13 and AR. These results suggest that HOXB13 not only serve as a DNA-bound transcription factor but play an important role as an AR-interacting repressor to modulate hormone-activated androgen receptor signals. Further extensive studies will uncover a novel mechanism for regulating AR-signaling pathway to lead to expose new role of HOXB13 as a non-DNA-binding transcriptional repressor