This paper proposes a novel systematic technique to estimate entire kinematic parameter errors of robot manipulator. Small errors always exist in link length and link twist for physical manipulators, ...which affect the precision in kinematic equations leading to calculate wrong joint angle values in inverse kinematic equations. In order to solve these problems, the proposed technique employs a structured laser module (SLM), a stationary camera, the Jacobian matrices, and an extended Kalman filter (EKF). The SLM is attached to the end-effector of the manipulator arm and the stationary camera is used to determine an accurate position where the laser comes out. Variances between actual and measured positions of laser beams are represented by the Jacobian matrices formulated from differential kinematics. Then, the EKF is used to estimate kinematic parameters. Effectiveness of the proposed technique is verified with 7 DOF humanoid manipulator arm by computer simulation and 4 DOF manipulator by actual experiment.
Aim: Deep pontine lacunar infarction (DPLI) not involving the basal pial surface of the medial part of the pons, is known to be a small vessel disease in the territory of the basilar artery (BA). In ...the present study, we examined whether morphological features of the BA differ in individuals with an advanced age and may be associated with DPLI. Methods: This study included 338 healthy subjects and 78 patients with DPLI treated at the stroke centers of three university hospitals in Korea. Time-Of-Flight magnetic resonance angiographic images were transported to a central lab and analyzed blind to obtain the clinical data. For the quantitative analysis, the BA was projected two-dimensionally in the anteroposterior and lateral views and perceived as triangles of the vertebrobasilar junction, angulation point and BA division. The angles and triangular areas were summated into angulation indexes and used to quantify the degree of BA tortuosity. Results: The BA showed a more acute angle at the angulation point in the elderly patients than in the healthy subjects. Compared to the healthy subjects, the DPLI patients exhibited significantly larger angles at the vertebrobasilar junction, in addition to the acute angles noted at the angulation point. A unit increase in the BA angle indexes at the vertebrobasilar junction and angulation points for DPLI was found to have an odds ratio of 1.15 (95% confidence interval, 1.05-1.26) and 0.95 (95% CI, 0.91-0.99), respectively, even after adjusting for potential confounders. Conclusions: The angulation point of the BA becomes more acute in elderly individuals. In this study, the vertebrobasilar junction showed a larger angle in the patients with DPLI than in the healthy controls.
The aim of the study was to calculate the arterial wall signal intensity gradient (SIG) from time-of-flight MR angiography (TOF-MRA) and represent arterial wall shear stress. We developed a new ...algorithm that uses signal intensity (SI) of a TOF-MRA to directly calculate the signal intensity gradient (SIG). The results from our phantom study showed that the TOF-MRA SIG could be used to distinguish the magnitude of blood flow rate as high (mean SIG ± SD, 2.2 ± 0.4 SI/mm for 12.5 ± 2.3 L/min) and low (0.9 ± 0.3 SI/mm for 8.5 ± 2.6 L/min) in vessels (p<0.001). Additionally, we found that the TOF-MRA SIG values were highly correlated with various flow rates (β=0.96, p<0.001). Remarkably, the correlation coefficient between the WSS obtained from the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis and the TOF-MRA SIG was greater than 0.8 in each section at the carotid artery (p<0.001 for all β values). This new technique using TOF-MRA could enable the rapid calculation of the TOF-MRA SIG and thereby the WSS. Thus, the TOF-MRA SIG can provide clinicians with an accurate and efficient screening method for making rapid decisions on the risk of vascular disease for a patient in clinical practice.
Surface functionalization of multiwalled carbon nanotubes is carried out by acid treatment followed by reaction with multifunctional silane, 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane. The chemical interaction of ...silane with the oxidized nanotube surface is confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). Energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX) studies also indicate the presence of silane on the surface of the carbon nanotubes. X-ray diffraction reveals the change in the crystalline phases due to surface functionalization. Raman spectroscopy of the acid treated CNT further corroborates the formation of surface defects due to the introduction of carboxyl groups. Thermogravimetric analysis of the functionalized CNT exhibits a multiple peaks in the temperature range of 200–650
°C that corresponds to the degradation of chemically grafted aminosilane on the CNT surface. The influence of silane functionalized carbon nanotubes on the rheometric and mechanical properties of natural rubber vulcanizates is investigated. Rheometric properties like scorch time and optimum cure time increases. Modulus and tensile strength increase due to higher polymer-filler interaction between the carbon nanotube and NR vulcanizates.
Aim : Deep pontine lacunar infarction (DPLI) not involving the basal pial surface of the medial part of the pons, is known to be a small vessel disease in the territory of the basilar artery (BA) . ...In the present study, we examined whether morphological features of the BA differ in individuals with an advanced age and may be associated with DPLI. Methods : This study included 338 healthy subjects and 78 patients with DPLI treated at the stroke centers of three university hospitals in Korea. Time-Of-Flight magnetic resonance angiographic images were transported to a central lab and analyzed blind to obtain the clinical data. For the quantitative analysis, the BA was projected two-dimensionally in the anteroposterior and lateral views and perceived as triangles of the vertebrobasilar junction, angulation point and BA division. The angles and triangular areas were summated into angulation indexes and used to quantify the degree of BA tortuosity. Results : The BA showed a more acute angle at the angulation point in the elderly patients than in the healthy subjects. Compared to the healthy subjects, the DPLI patients exhibited significantly larger angles at the vertebrobasilar junction, in addition to the acute angles noted at the angulation point. A unit increase in the BA angle indexes at the vertebrobasilar junction and angulation points for DPLI was found to have an odds ratio of 1.15 (95% confidence interval, 1.05-1.26) and 0.95 (95% CI, 0.91-0.99) , respectively, even after adjusting for potential confounders. Conclusions : The angulation point of the BA becomes more acute in elderly individuals. In this study, the vertebrobasilar junction showed a larger angle in the patients with DPLI than in the healthy controls.
Mechanical and dynamic mechanical properties of various montmorillonite (MMT)/epoxy nanocomposites were investigated. 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane functionalized MMT was compared with commercial ...pristine MMT and ammonium salt substituted MMT. Qualitative evidence of silane functionalization was confirmed by FT-IR. XRD and TEM were used to characterize the degree of intercalation of MMT in epoxy nanocomposite. Tensile stress and elongation of MMT/epoxy nanocomposite were improved significantly by the silane functionalization of MMT. Dynamic mechanical analysis showed that silane functionalization of MMT resulted in active interactions between MMT and epoxy.
Mucolipidosis II (ML II) or inclusion cell disease (I-cell disease) is a rarely occurring autosomal recessive lysosomal enzyme-targeting disease. This disease is usually found to occur in individuals ...aged between 6 and 12 months, with a clinical phenotype resembling that of Hurler syndrome and radiological findings resembling those of dysostosis multiplex. However, we encountered a rare case of an infant with ML II who presented with prenatal skeletal dysplasia and typical clinical features of severe secondary hyperparathyroidism at birth. A female infant was born at 37(+1) weeks of gestation with a birth weight of 1,690 g (<3rd percentile). Prenatal ultrasonographic findings revealed intrauterine growth retardation and skeletal dysplasia. At birth, the patient had characteristic features of ML II, and skeletal radiographs revealed dysostosis multiplex, similar to rickets. In addition, the patient had high levels of alkaline phosphatase and parathyroid hormone, consistent with severe secondary neonatal hyperparathyroidism. The activities of β-D-hexosaminidase and α-N-acetylglucosaminidase were moderately decreased in the leukocytes but were 5- to 10-fold higher in the plasma. Examination of a placental biopsy specimen showed foamy vacuolar changes in trophoblasts and syncytiotrophoblasts. The diagnosis of ML II was confirmed via GNPTAB genetic testing, which revealed compound heterozygosity of c.3091C>T (p.Arg1031X) and c.3456_3459dupCAAC (p.Ile1154GlnfsX3), the latter being a novel mutation. The infant was treated with vitamin D supplements but expired because of asphyxia at the age of 2 months.
Despite the considerable advances in the treatment of colorectal cancer, substantial changes in treatment strategies are required to overcome the problems of drug resistance and toxicity.
...Combinations of Pan-deacetylase inhibitor LBH589 and tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) were studied in three colon cancer cell lines, HCT116, colo205, and HT29 (HCT116 and colo205 are TRAIL sensitive, whereas HT29 is TRAIL resistant).
It was found that TRAIL-induced cytotoxicity was enhanced by LBH589 cotreatment in the TRAIL-sensitive cell lines, and in the TRAIL-resistant HT29 cell line. The cytotoxicity of low-dose TRAIL plus LBH589 was found to be comparable to that of high-dose TRAIL plus LBH589. Additionally, TRAIL and LBH589 were significantly less toxic to normal UCB mononuclear cells than to the three colon cancer cell lines examined.
LBH589 enhances TRAIL-induced apoptosis in human colon cancer cell lines, especially those resistant to TRAIL-induced apoptosis.
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Background
Since the first bariatric surgery was performed in 2003, the number of bariatric surgeries performed in Korea has exponentially escalated along with the trend in Asia and recently ...surpassed 1,000 cases annually. Sleeve gastrectomy (SG) and Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) are the most common types of bariatric surgery currently performed. Various types of anemia, commonly secondary to iron, folic acid, and vitamin B12 deficiencies, may complicate bariatric surgery in the long term. Thus, we evaluated the clinical course of iron deficiency anemia (IDA) in patients who underwent bariatric surgery.
Methods
A retrospective review of the prospectively established database identified all patients who underwent with RYGB for bariatric surgery between January 2008 and Feb 2014. Bariatric surgery candidates were selected according to international federation for surgery of obesity Asia Pacific Chapter Consensus statements in 2011; patients with a body mass index (BMI) ≥ 30kg/m2 with inadequately controlled obesity-related comorbidities (eg. Diabetes, obstructive sleep apnea, hypertension, or obesity related arthropathy) or with a BMI ≥ 35kg/m2. Anemia was defined as a hemoglobin level <13g/dL in men and <12 g/dL in women. Our institutional guideline of bariatric surgery is
Results
The records of 523 consecutive patients (total 796 bariatric surgeries) who underwent RYGB between January 2011 and 2015 were retrospectively reviewed. The mean preoperative body mass index was 38.0 ± 5.8kg/m2. Female was 419 (80.1%) patients and median age was 38 (range 16-67) years. Of all patients, 17.4 % patients had IDA postoperatively. Median duration from bariatric surgery to time of anemia onset was 13 (3.5-17) months. Oral iron induced 81 % overall response and 13.5% patients were required intravenous iron due to intolerance.
Conclusion
Anemia after bariatric surgery is mainly IDA, iron supplements should be administered to patients in early postoperative periods. Oral iron supplements were effective than expected.
No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
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