Stable Placement Research Articles

A modified tweezer for stable open coil spring placement

A modified tweezer for stable open coil spring placement

Morpho-molecular characterization of phoma-like fungi from Morus alba in northern Thailand; a novel species (Boeremia albae) and a new host record (B. maritima)

Boeremia was established to accommodate phoma-resembling fungi. Its species occur in terrestrial ecosystems as endophytes, saprobes and pathogens, except one species reported from a marine ecosystem. Boeremia species are characterized by hyaline, thin-walled, and aseptate (occasionally 1(–2)-septate) conidia that are variable in shape, and hyaline, straight or slightly curved, thick-walled, and 1-septate ascospores that are usually constricted at the septum. In the past, host associations were used to delimit Boeremia species. However, since Boeremia taxa have overlapping morphological characters and are cryptic, it renders taxonomic identification arduous. Therefore, the use of other approaches including multi-gene phylogenetic analyses are imperative. Recommended DNA markers for species delineation are the internal transcribed spacer (ITS, nuclear rDNA consisting of ITS1-5.8S-ITS2) and large subunit (28S, D1–D2 domains of nuclear 28S rDNA) loci, and the genes for actin (ACT1), beta-tubulin (TBB1), RNA polymerase 2 (RPB2) and translation elongation factor 1α (TEF1). Here, we applied morphological and molecular phylogenetic analyses to establish a new taxon (B. albae), and a new host and geographical record for B. maritima associated with leaf spots of Morus alba (Moraceae) in northern Thailand. By providing sequence data for three additional gene regions, our phylogenetic analyses impart a stable phylogenetic placement of the ex-type strain of B. maritima, as illustrated. This is the first study that reports Boeremia species from M. alba, and B. maritima from a terrestrial habitat.

Utilizing a Guiding Catheter to Improve Endovascular Therapy Outcomes for Acute Vertebrobasilar Artery Occlusion in Patients with Tortuous Vessels.

Objective Stable and swift placement of a guiding catheter in endovascular therapies for acute vertebrobasilar artery occlusion is often difficult because of the tortuous bends of the vertebral or subclavian artery especially in older people. The use of a delivery assist guiding catheter (DAGC) shortens the time with stable support to deliver a therapeutic treatment catheter to the target lesions. Herein, we reported the clinical and radiographic outcomes in endovascular therapies utilizing the DAGC for acute vertebrobasilar artery occlusions in actual clinical settings. Materials and Methods Between January 2018 and December 2021, 33 consecutive patients (males, 20[60.6%]; median age, 78 years) using a DAGC for acute vertebrobasilar artery occlusion were analyzed retrospectively. Reperfusion was graded using postinterventional angiograms based on the "thrombolysis in cerebral infarction" (TICI) classification. Furthermore, the time from puncture to recanalization and the rate of effective recanalization achievement were investigated. Results Effective recanalization with TICI 2b or 3 was achieved in 28 (84.8%) patients, and the median time from puncture to recanalization was only 44 minutes, despite the high rate of older patients in our cohort. In contrast, asymptomatic intracranial hemorrhage as a complication was observed in only 3 (9.1%) patients. Conclusion The DAGC contributes to the shortening of recanalization time and improves the outcomes of endovascular therapies for acute vertebrobasilar artery occlusion.

Surgical correction of sunken upper eyelid with upper arcus marginalis release and precision fat distribution technique.

Sunken upper eyelids, characterized by hollowing in the upper orbital region, can contribute to an aged or fatigued appearance. We aim to report on the surgical technique and its effects, involving the release of the arcus marginalis of the upper eyelid and the precise distribution of orbital fat. From December 2021 to March 2023, a total of 84 eyelids from 42 patients who underwent surgical correction for sunken upper eyelids, utilizing the upper arcus marginalis release and precision fat distribution technique, were included in this study. Preoperative and postoperative sunken depths were measured and statistically analyzed. Aesthetic satisfaction was assessed through patient questionnaires. Preoperative and postoperative sunken depths measured 9.2 ± 2.2 mm and 5.9 ± 2.3 mm, respectively. The mean improvement was 3.3 mm, a change of statistical significance. Aesthetic outcomes and patient satisfaction yielded favorable results. No major complications were observed during the follow-up period. The upper arcus marginalis release and orbital fat distribution technique demonstrated favorable outcomes in correcting sunken upper eyelids. This procedure ensures stable placement of orbital fat at the deepest sunken point, resulting in aesthetically pleasing and enduring results. This technique serves as a valuable alternative for patients with moderate to severe sunken eyelids.

Reducing Uncertainty Using Placement and Regrasp Planning on a Triangular Corner Fixture

This paper presented a regrasp planning method to eliminate grasp uncertainty while considering the geometric constraints of a fixture. The method automatically finds the Stable Placement Poses (SPPs) of an object on a Triangular Corner Fixture (TCF), elevates the object from its SPPs to dropping poses and finds the Deterministic Dropping Poses (DDPs), builds regrasp graphs by using the SPP-DDP pairs and their associated grasp configurations, and searches the graph to find regrasp motion sequences for precise assembly. Since the SPPs and their associated regrasps are constrained by the TCF’s geometry and have high precision, the final object poses regrasped via it has low uncertainty and can be directly used for assembly by position control. In the experimental section, we study the performance of analytical and learning-based methods for estimating the DDPs of different objects and quantitatively examine the proposed method’s ability to suppress uncertainty using assembly tasks like peg-in-hole insertion and sheathing tubes, aligning holes, mounting bearing housings, etc. The results demonstrate the method’s robustness and efficacy. <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">Note to Practitioners</i> —In production lines, robots interact with peripheral devices to improve efficiency and reduce uncertainty. In this work, we focus on a particular peripheral device – a Triangular Corner Fixture (TCF) made by three inclined and mutually perpendicular plates. We study using the TCF to improve manipulation precision. The inclined plates of the TCF form a gravity bucket that holds dropped objects in stable states under gravity. In a real scenario, a robot picks up an object and releases it above the TCF. The released object will reach a stable state on the TCF. Then, the robot regrasps and moves the stabilized object to the target pose with reduced uncertainty. Using the method proposed in this paper, a robot can automatically finish the above procedure by finding all the object’s stable states in the TCF, planning grasp configurations, invalidating infeasible states and grasps, building regrasp graphs and searching the graph to find a regrasp motion sequence that moves the object to a goal pose with high precision for assembly. In industrial applications, the proposed method has the potential to improve the flexibility of robotic systems for high-precision tasks. In the research fields, it may promote the research on sensorless manipulation and extrinsic manipulation, and push forward the studies in robotic regrasp.

Stability in statutory kinship care: A grounded theory study of placement stability in Australia

This constructivist grounded theory study explored the concept of placement stability from the perspective of statutory kinship carers who self-identified as providing a stable kinship placement in Queensland, Australia. Twenty statutory kinship carers participated in semi-structured qualitative interviews. The study developed a substantive grounded theory of how Kinship Carers perceive a stable statutory kinship care placement and found six social processes that underpinned how the kinship carer felt, thought and acted. The core category was feeling connected. The five non-core categories were seeing the need, being constant, empathising with, championing for, and being aware and accepting of the kinship context. The study found no differences between familial and non-familial kinship carers perception of stability. It found that some of the categories were influenced when the kinship carer family identified as Australian Aboriginal or a preplacement relationship existed between the kinship carer and the child. The substantive theory developed by this study was applied to social worker practice in out-of-home care.

Award Lecture: 2022 Tillyer Award Lecture: Visual Control of Locomotion in Natural Environments.

Control of locomotion is clearly an important role for vision, but one that we know little about. Considerable attention has been devoted to the potential role of retinal motion patterns, generated by self-motion, in steering towards a goal. These motion patterns are determined by an interconnected set of factors, including gaze location, gaze stabilization, the structure of the environment, and the walker's behavioral goals. We have collected measurements of the eyes, the body, and the 3D environment during locomotion in natural terrains. This has allowed us to explore the resulting retinal motion patterns, and how they might be used to guide behavior. Large variations in head direction during the gait cycle make it problematic for use in steering towards a goal, but gaze stabilization leads to regularities in the retinal motion patterns that could provide a postural control signal during locomotion. Another aspect of the visual control of locomotion is the choice of foot placement in rugged terrain. We examined the role of local height changes in the terrain, and showed that visual selection of footholds reflects a complex interplay between energetic costs and the need for stable foot placement. Thus visual signals about motion and depth act as time-varying local control signals for the momentary disposition of the body rather than steering toward more distant goals.

Family, mental health, and placement outcomes of a low-cost preventive intervention for youth in foster care

This study assessed secondary outcomes of Connecting, a low-cost, self-directed, family-based prevention program for families with youth placed in their care by state child welfare agencies. Families caring for youth aged 11 to 15 years within Washington State were recruited and randomly assigned into either the Connecting program (n = 110) or a treatment-as-usual control condition (n = 110). The program included a 10-week sequence of self-directed family activities and DVDs with video clips. Survey data were collected from caregivers and youth at baseline, immediately post-intervention, and at 12 and 24 months post-intervention; placement data was collected from the child welfare department as well. Intention-to-treat analyses focused on 5 classes of secondary outcomes at 24 months post-intervention: caregiver-youth bonding, family climate, youth risk behavior attitudes, youth mental health, and placement stability. There were no intervention effects in the full sample. In subgroup analyses, among older youth (ages 16–17) but not younger youth (ages 13–15), the Connecting condition (vs. controls) yielded more frequent caregiver-reported bonding communication, bonding activities, warmth, and positive interactions, as well as less favorable youth attitudes towards early initiation of sexual behavior and substance use, and fewer youth self-injurious thoughts. Consistent with the social development model, the divergent outcomes between younger and older youth suggests Connecting’s driving mechanisms involve social processes that undergo critical shifts between early and mid-adolescence. Overall, the Connecting program showed promise in older youth for long-term promotion of caregiver-youth bonding, healthy behaviors, and mental health, but did not demonstrate long-term efficacy in facilitating stable or permanent placement of youth in care.

Frequency and predictors of placement moves for children and youth without parental care

Providing stable placement is a priority task in the care of children and youth who are separated from their families. Numerous studies document that housing instability is one of the most difficult challenges faced by social protection systems in other countries, but there is a lack of information about the situation in Serbia. The aim of this research was to determine the frequency and predictors of placement moves of children and youth out of home care. Using a retrospective research design, the authors examined the history of placement of users in residential care institutions for children and youth without parental care, from the moment of removal from the family. The sample consisted of 133 users from seven institutions in Serbia, who were of both sexes (female 57,1% and male 42,9%) and aged from 14 to 20 years (AS=16,68, SD=1,82). Data on the placement history prior to admission to the residential care, as well as the characteristics of the users, their biological family and current placement, were obtained from the official documentation. The results show that 72,2% of children and youth from the sample had at least one placement change, and 6,8% experienced four or more moves. In most cases (53,4%) the changes are non-progressive in terms of moving to placement that is equally or more restrictive. This research confirmed the findings of previous studies that placement instability is associated with mental disorders of users, older age at admission and biological family structure. The paper discusses the implications of these findings for future research and points out that focusing attention on known predictors of placement moves can contribute to stability in the care of children and youth separated from their families.

Preoperative Prediction of Optimal Method and Site of Left Ventricular Electrode Implantation

We present a clinical case of cardiac resynchronization device implantation in a patient with a zone of late left ventricular activation in the area of the anterior coronary sinus vein, which, however, was unsuitable for endovascular implantation and stable electrode placement in it. This anatomical feature was diagnosed at the outpatient stage using a noninvasive mapping technique. Using this approach, we were able to understand that an epicardial electrode implantation, instead of traditional endovascular implantation of the left ventricular electrode through the coronary sinus vein, is indicated for the patient. Targeted implantation of an epicardial electrode in the area of interest on the epicardial surface of the left ventricle in the basal part of the anterolateral wall allowed achieving a complete clinical response to resynchronization therapy.

Human Grasp Mechanism Understanding, Human-Inspired Grasp Control and Robotic Grasping Planning for Agricultural Robots.

As the end execution tool of agricultural robots, the manipulator directly determines whether the grasping task can be successfully completed. The human hand can adapt to various objects and achieve stable grasping, which is the highest goal for manipulator design and development. Thus, this study combines a multi-sensor fusion tactile glove to simulate manual grasping, explores the mechanism and characteristics of the human hand, and formulates rational grasping plans. According to the shape and size of fruits and vegetables, the grasping gesture library is summarized to facilitate the matching of optimal grasping gestures. By analyzing inter-finger curvature correlations and inter-joint pressure correlations, we investigated the synergistic motion characteristics of the human hand. In addition, the force data were processed by the wavelet transform algorithms and then the thresholds for sliding detection were set to ensure robust grasping. The acceleration law under the interaction with the external environment during grasping was also discussed, including stable movement, accidental collision, and placement of the target position. Finally, according to the analysis and summary of the manual gripping mechanism, the corresponding pre-gripping planning was designed to provide theoretical guidance and ideas for the gripping of robots.

Clinical Experience of Using an 8 French Newton Shaped Catheter (Neuro-EBU) During Endovascular Treatment: A Case Series of 21 Patients.

The first step in endovascular treatment is the stable placement of a guide catheter (GC) into the target parent vessel. However, sufficient GC stabilization is sometimes difficult to obtain when the approach route has severe tortuosity. Here, we report our experience with and the usefulness of the 8 French (Fr) Newton-shaped Neuro-EBU vascular catheter (SILUX Co., Ltd., Kawaguchi City, Saitama Prefecture, Japan), which is rigid over its entire length except near the tip, in a case series of 21 patients. Of the 21 cases, 19 cases were successfully treated using the Neuro-EBU.The 8 Fr Newton-shaped Neuro-EBU might be useful both as a special GC and as a wire exchange catheter when placement of the conventional GC is difficult due to severe tortuosity of the access route. Although rarely used, the Neuro-EBU catheter can serve as a practical alternative when the access route is challenging. To the best of our knowledge, there are no detailed reports on the technical use of the Newton-shaped vascular catheter in the field of neurointervention. We present the usefulness of the specially shaped 8 Fr guide catheter.

Sustaining Post-16 destinations from Alternative Provision: a review of the data and the perspectives of heads from low, mid and high performing schools

ABSTRACT This study set out to explore which practices in alternative provision (AP) settings in England made a difference to post-16 transition success into further education, training or employment. APs provide education for pupils who have been permanently excluded from mainstream schools and those directed there to improve their behaviour. In 2016, 56% of young people transitioning from AP maintained a stable placement in the following year. This study took an approach which combined the analysis of official statistics, freedom of information requests and targeted semi-structured interviews. Findings suggest that practices which increased sustained transitions included; effective and ongoing tracking of ex-students; a high-quality, core academic offer; and opportunities for students to increase their independence by taking well-measured steps outside of their main placement. Additionally, the views of staff and their involvement in, or awareness of, the broader context within which they worked were found to be important. This study evidences the value of comparing outcomes across similar types of setting to improve our understanding of effective practice.

Stochastic Game Based Cooperative Alternating Q-Learning Caching in Dynamic D2D Networks

Edge caching has become an effective solution to cope with the challenges brought by the massive content delivery in cellular networks. In device-to-device (D2D) enabled caching cellular networks with time-varying content popularity distribution and user terminal (UT) location, we model these dynamic networks as a stochastic game to design a cooperative cache placement policy. The cache placement reward of each UT is defined as the caching incentive minus the transmission power cost for content caching and sharing. We consider the long-term cache placement reward of all UTs in this stochastic game. In an effort to solve the stochastic game problem, we propose a multi-agent cooperative alternating Q-learning (CAQL) based cache placement algorithm. The caching control unit is defined to execute the proposed CAQL, in which, the cache placement policy of each UT is alternatively updated according to the stable policy of other UTs during the learning process, until the stable cache placement policy of all the UTs in the cell is obtained. We discuss the convergence and complexity of CAQL, which obtains the stable cache placement policy with low space complexity. Simulation results show that the proposed algorithm can effectively reduce the backhaul load and the average content access delay in dynamic networks.

Novel modified patient immobilisation device with an integrated coil support system for MR-guided online adaptive radiotherapy in the management of brain and head-and-neck tumours.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MR)-guided online adaptive radiotherapy is a promising technique in the field of radiation oncology providing excellent visualisation of soft-tissues, and allowing for online plan adaptation and tumour tracking. In order to facilitate the accurate dose delivery to the target volume while sparing healthy surrounding normal tissue in the brain or head-and-neck (H&N) region, precise patient immobilisation with good image quality is pertinent. Herein, we present a customised thermoplastic mask holder with an integrated anterior MR receiver coil support system for MR-guided online adaptive radiotherapy in the brain and head-and-neck region. The approved medical product was developed by Innovative Technologie Voelp (IT-V), Innsbruck, Austria. MR image uniformity measurements demonstrated improved image uniformity at the expense of decreased signal-to-noise ratio due to a more defined and larger distance between the anterior receiver coil and the phantom or patient. This integrated coil support system represents a practical solution facilitating stable and reproducible anterior coil placement while maintaining the thermoplastic mask holder functionality, a widely established immobilisation technique.

Single indium atoms and few-atom indium clusters anchored onto graphene via silicon heteroatoms

Single atoms and few-atom nanoclusters are of high interest in catalysis and plasmonics, but pathways for their fabrication and stable placement remain scarce. We report here the self-assembly of room-temperature-stable single indium (In) atoms and few-atom In clusters (2-6 atoms) that are anchored to substitutional silicon (Si) impurity atoms in suspended monolayer graphene membranes. Using atomically resolved scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM), we find that the exact atomic arrangements of the In atoms depend strongly on the original coordination of the Si anchors in the graphene lattice: Single In atoms and In clusters with 3-fold symmetry readily form on 3-fold coordinated Si atoms, whereas 4-fold symmetric clusters are found attached to 4-fold coordinated Si atoms. All structures are produced by our fabrication route without the requirement for electron-beam induced materials modification. In turn, when activated by electron beam irradiation in the STEM, we observe in situ the formation, restructuring and translation dynamics of the Si-anchored In structures: Hexagon-centered 4-fold symmetric In clusters can (reversibly) transform into In chains or In dimers, whereas C-centered 3-fold symmetric In clusters can move along the zig-zag direction of the graphene lattice due to the migration of Si atoms during electron-beam irradiation, or transform to Si-anchored single In atoms. Our results provide a novel framework for the controlled self-assembly and heteroatomic anchoring of single atoms and few-atom clusters on graphene.

Optimal Water Quality Sensor Placement by Accounting for Possible Contamination Events in Water Distribution Networks

Contamination in water distribution networks (WDNs) can occur at any time and location. One protection measure in WDNs is the placement of water quality sensors (WQSs) to detect contamination and provide information for locating the potential contamination source. The placement of WQSs in WDNs must be optimally planned. Therefore, a robust sensor-placement strategy (SPS) is vital. The SPS should have clear objectives regarding what needs to be achieved by the sensor configuration. Here, the objectives of the SPS were set to cover the contamination event stages of detection, consumption, and source localization. As contamination events occur in any form of intrusion, at any location and time, the objectives had to be tested against many possible scenarios, and they needed to reach a fair value considering all scenarios. In this study, the particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm was selected as the optimizer. The SPS was further reinforced using a databasing method to improve its computational efficiency. The performance of the proposed method was examined by comparing it with a benchmark SPS example and applying it to DMA-sized, real WDNs. The proposed optimization approach improved the overall fitness of the configuration by 23.1% and showed a stable placement behavior with the increase in sensors.

Motion Planning for Close and Stable Object Placement

Motion Planning for Close and Stable Object Placement

Secondary Knee Osteoarthritis with Medial Instability and Tibial Defect due to Chronic Abscess Treated by Total Knee Arthroplasty with Metal Augmentation - Case Report

Background:Knee osteoarthritis (OA), known as degenerative joint disease, is typically the result of wear and tear and progressive loss of articular cartilage, most common in elderly women and men. Knee OA is a leading cause of disability and increase with an aging and overweight population. Total Knee Arthroplasty (TKA) is a common surgical treatment of OA knee that highly cost-effective procedure. Stable placement of components is difficult and thus it presents technical challenges for the surgeon but various options are available for managing these defects. Case Report: A 58 years-old housewife came to our clinic due to chronic left knee pain with associated instability since two years ago and getting worse in last three months. She already had knee joint supplementation injections and physical therapy but no improvements. Based on our clinical and radiological findings, our assessment was secondary left knee osteo-arthritis with medial instability and tibial defect due to chronic abscess. Patient underwent TKA to correct this condition. A revised implant was used to close the defect in the medial part of the tibia and soft tissue reconstruction procedure was used to correct the instability. Result: On the first postoperative month, the patient underwent rehabilitation and physical therapy to strengthen her lower limb muscles. On the second month, she started to walk using walking assisted device. On the ninth months follow-up, the patient was able to walk normally without assisted device, the pain disappeared and the symptoms of knee instability were reduced. Conclusion:Bone defects are commonly encountered during TKA, which still has no standard treatment to cure. In this case, the use of metal augmentation with revision implant give satisfactory results with good clinical outcome. Keywords: Osteoarthritis, Total Knee Arthro¬plasty, knee instability, tibial defect, metal augmentation Correspondence: Bintang Soetjahjo. Dr. Moewardi Hospital. Jl. Kolonel Sutarto 132, Jebres, Surakarta, Central Java 57126, Indonesia. Mobile: +628122987359. Email: bjortho@yahoo.com Indonesian Journal of Medicine (2021), 06(02): 168-176 https://doi.org/10.26911/theijmed.2021.06.02.06

Three-Dimensional Determination of the Fusion Zone between the Distal Maxilla and the Pterygoid Plate of the Sphenoid Bone and Considerations for Implant Treatment Procedure

During pre-operation planning, an implantologist has to decide about the location of a dental implant based on the available bone, anatomical structures and future prosthetics. The aim of this study was to provide an overview of the configurations of the junction zone of the pterygoid process, maxillary tuberosity and pyramidal process among the population and to determine the usefulness of 3D model visualization in regard to precision of anatomical structure projections for clinical planning. A total of 72 cases were analyzed for seven measurements (lateral, medial, rostral, caudal, area, line-1 longitudinal, line-2 transverse) on both body sides—right (R) and left (L). In 57 cases, age and sex of the patient were given. In 15 cases this information was missing. Among the group of 57 cases with complete data, there were 30 females (F) and 27 males (M). A total of 57 models of upper jaws including the adjacent pterygoid process of the sphenoid bone were taken for investigation. The results of the comparison between the right and left side showed no differences (p &gt; 0.05) in values of the measured parameters. The results of the comparison between males and females showed a statistically significant difference when assessing the line-2 transverse (p &lt; 0.05)—in the male group the average was 8.22 mm, in the female group the average was lower (7.83 mm). No statistically significant differences in values of the measured parameters for females and males were found for the left side nor for the right side. In all examined specimens there was enough bone surface in the fusion zone to allow for the stable placement of one tuberopterygoid implant.