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This paper presents a real time hybrid 2D position and orientation tracking system developed for an upper limb rehabilitation robot. Designed to work on a table-top, the robot is to enable home-based upper-limb rehabilitative exercise for stroke patients. Estimates of the robot's position are computed by fusing data from two tracking systems, each utilizing a different sensor type: laser optical sensors and a webcam. Two laser optical sensors are mounted on the underside of the robot and track the relative motion of the robot with respect to the surface on which it is placed. The webcam is positioned directly above the workspace, mounted on a fixed stand, and tracks the robot's position with respect to a fixed coordinate system. The optical sensors sample the position data at a higher frequency than the webcam, and a position and orientation fusion scheme is proposed to fuse the data from the two tracking systems. The proposed fusion scheme is validated through an experimental set-up whereby the rehabilitation robot is moved by a humanoid robotic arm replicating previously recorded movements of a stroke patient. The results prove that the presented hybrid position tracking system can track the position and orientation with greater accuracy than the webcam or optical sensors alone. The results also confirm that the developed system is capable of tracking recovery trends during rehabilitation therapy.

The title compounds, 1-ferrocenylmethyl-2-(4-methoxyphenyl)-1H-benzimidazole, [Fe(C5H5)(C20H17N2O)], (I), and 2-(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)-1-ferrocenylmethyl-1H-benzimidazole, [Fe(C5H5)(C21H19N2O2)], (II), are model electroactive compounds for anion sensor and antimalarial applications. Distortions from the ideal 120 degrees angle about the MeO-C-C groups are evident, with angles of 115.1 (2) and 125.0 (2) degrees in (I), and 115.9 (2) and 124.6 (2) degrees, and 115.7 (2) and 125.1 (2) degrees in (II). The main intermolecular hydrogen bonds in (I) comprise C-H.N and C-H.pi(C5H5) interactions, while in (II), only weak C-H.pi(imidazole) and C-H.pi(arene) interactions are present.

The title compound, [Fe(C5H5)(C10H7O2S)], an important precursor en route to organometallic donor-pi-acceptor systems, forms dimers in the solid state through cyclic intermolecular carboxylic acid O-H...O hydrogen bonds, graph set R2(2)(8) [O...O 2.661 (2) A and O-H...O 175 degrees ]. Intermolecular C(Cp)-H...pi(Cp) interactions between the unsubstituted cyclopentadienyl (Cp) rings and C(thiazole)-H...pi(Cp) interactions link neighbouring molecules into a three-dimensional network [C...Cg 3.753 (7) A and C-H...Cg 156 degrees, and C...Cg 3.687 (3) A and C-H...Cg 129 degrees; Cg is the ring centroid]. Intramolecular C-H...O interactions are present, graph set S(7) [C...O 2.925 (3) A and C-H...O 120 degrees, and the closest C-H...S(thienyl) contact has a C...S distance of 3.058 (2) A].

The title compound, C(17)H(15)NO(4), derived from L-tyrosine, crystallizes with three independent molecules which differ in the conformation of the asymmetric unit: the N-C-C-C(ipso) torsion angles are -71.7 (5), -63.6 (6) and -52.5 (5) degrees, respectively. Deformations in the phenol ring hydroxy O-C-C angles of 116.5 (4)/123.9 (4), 121.7 (5)/118.1 (4) and 122.4 (5)/118.6 (5) degrees, respectively, result from their respective intermolecular hydrogen-bonding environments. Intermolecular O(acid)-H.O=C(indole), O(phenol)-H.O-H(phenol) and O(phenol)-H.O=C(indole) hydrogen bonds, with O.O distances in the range 2.607 (4)-2.809 (4) A, are present in combination with C-H.O and C-H.pi(arene) interactions. The primary hydrogen-bonding systems assemble with graph sets R(3)(3)(8) and R(3)(2)(22).

The title compound, C(13)H(15)N(3)O(7), crystallizes as two independent molecules which differ in their conformation. Intermolecular hydrogen bonding between the amide and carboxylic acid groups as N-H.O=C interactions results in the formation of one-dimensional chains with N.O distances of 2.967 (6) and 3.019 (6) A. Neighbouring chains are linked by C=O.H-O interactions to form a two-dimensional network, with O.O distances of 2.675 (6) and 2.778 (6) A.

s.c. and abdominal tumors from interspecific hybrid, transgenic mice containing the SV40 early region linked to a renin enhancer/promoter were analyzed for loss of heterozygosity to identify chromosomal regions involved in tumorigenesis. A very high frequency of loss of heterozygosity/partial loss of heterozygosity or allelic imbalance involving the distal regions of chromosome 8 was observed in the s.c. tumors (76%) with frequent amplification (3-6 times) of the corresponding proximal regions including Junb, suggesting that chromosome 8 breakage and amplification promotes tumorigenesis in these mice.

We present a technique of myocardial protection using retrograde cold blood cardioplegia. This safe and simple method allows excellent continuous and homogeneous cooling of the heart during the ischemic period in all types of open heart operations.

Symptomatic carotid atherosclerotic disease occurring as a result of cervical irradiation often requires surgical intervention. Airway obstruction is an uncommon problem after most carotid surgery and has not been described for patients with cervical irradiation. Airway obstruction developed after two of five carotid endarterectomy procedures in previously irradiated necks requiring emergency tracheostomy or reintubation. Mechanisms of obstruction included endotracheal tube trauma to the fixed irradiated vocal cords and laryngeal edema caused by surgical dissection in an irradiated field. In addition, one patient in our series demonstrated hypercarbia as a result of bilateral carotid body ablation, a process known to impair the ventilatory response to hypoxia. An increased risk of airway obstruction after carotid surgery exists in patients with prior cervical irradiation. Preventive methods include the use of perioperative steroids and either carotid surgery with local anesthesia or bronchoscopic vocal cord visualization and intubation.

Rat alpha 2u-globulin and the mouse major urinary proteins (MUP) are encoded by homologous multigene families whose members exhibit diverse tissue-specific, developmental, and hormonal controls of expression. Although their patterns of expression and hormonal control appear to be very similar in many respects, we have found high levels of alpha 2u-globulin mRNA in rat preputial glands, whereas MUP mRNA could not be detected in the male mouse preputial gland. Male and female rat preputial have similar concentrations of alpha 2u-globulin mRNA, suggesting an absence of endocrine regulation as occurs in the liver and lachrymal glands. Two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of proteins encoded by hybrid-selected alpha 2u-globulin mRNA indicates that the liver and lachrymal translation products have different mobilities. However, many of the preputial gland products comigrate with most or all of the liver and lachrymal products. Among the possibilities suggested by these results is that alpha 2u-globulin genes expressed in liver and lachrymal glands under endocrine control are also expressed constitutively in the preputial gland.

Carotid atherosclerosis occurring secondary to cervical irradiation is known to produce stroke. Transient neurologic symptoms have necessitated surgical intervention to prevent stroke despite concern over technical problems, wound healing, operative risks, and uncertain therapeutic outcome. With this report, 26 surgical procedures in 20 patients are now documented in the literature (12 men--60%; eight women--40%). Mean age of these patients (56 years) was 10 years younger than carotid surgery patients with no prior radiation history. No relationship was noted between elevated serum cholesterol and the subsequent development of radiation-induced carotid atherosclerosis. Surgical procedures performed included carotid endarterectomy in 17 cases (65%) and arterial bypass in nine (35%). The combination of radiation therapy and previous neck surgery, including prior radical neck dissection, did not adversely influence operability. Surgical outcome was uniformly good with only one stroke (4%) documented in the perioperative period. Longer follow-up on our six cases (mean two years) disclosed neither new clinical symptoms nor the development of hemodynamically significant restenosis.

Reovirus and globin mRNAs which lack a 5'-terminal 7-methylguanosine are translated in a fractionated cell-free protein-synthesizing system. Efficient translation occurs only at optimal concentrations of reticulocyte initiation factor preparations and does not occur at optimal concentrations of ascites initiation factor preparations or at suboptimal concentrations of reticulocyte initiation factor preparations. The translation of "uncapped" mRNA in vitro, therefore, appears to be related to the efficiency of initiation of protein synthesis. At optimal concentrations of reticulocyte initiation factors, mRNA containing a 5'-terminal 7-methylguanosine is preferentially translated in the presence of mRNA which lacks a "cap." These results indicate that the 5'-terminal 7-methylguanosine on mRNA has a facilitatory rather than obligatory role in translation.

Yaba tumor poxvirus deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) has a density of 1.6905 in CsCl and its T(m) value in 0.015 m citrate in saline is 82.3. The guanine plus cytosine content estimated from these properties was taken to be 32.5 +/- 0.5%, a value 2 to 3% less than for DNA from other poxviruses reported to date.