Feasibility study of a gripper with thermally controlled stiffness of compliant jaws

This paper proposes a simple and compact compliant gripper, whose gripping stiffness can be thermally controlled to accommodate the actuation inaccuracy to avoid or reduce the risk of breaking objects. The principle of reducing jaw stiffness is that thermal change can cause an initial internal compressive force along each compliant beam. A prototype is fabricated with physical testing to verify the feasibility. It has been shown that when a voltage is applied, the gripping stiffness effectively reduces to accommodate more inaccuracy of actuation, which allows delicate or small-scale objects to be gripped.

A pilot study assessing the feasibility of a home-based progressive resistance exercise program and trend toward healing rates for patients with venous leg ulcers

Venous leg ulceration is a serious condition affecting 1 – 3% of the population. Decline in the function of the calf muscle pump is correlated with venous ulceration. Many previous studies have reported an improvement in the function of the calf muscle pump, endurance of the calf muscle and increased range of ankle motion after structured exercise programs. However, there is a paucity of published research that assesses if these improvements result in an improvement in the healing rates of venous ulcers. The primary purpose of this pilot study was to establish the feasibility of a homebased progressive resistance exercise program and examine if there was any clinical significance or trend toward healing. The secondary aims were to examine the benefit of a home-based progressive resistance exercise program on calf muscle pump function and physical parameters. The methodology used was a randomised controlled trial where eleven participants were randomised into an intervention (n = 6) or control group (n = 5). Participants who were randomised to receive a 12-week home-based progressive resistance exercise program were instructed through weekly face-to-face consultations during their wound clinic appointment by the author. Control group participants received standard wound care and compression therapy. Changes in ulcer parameters were measured fortnightly at the clinic (number healed at 12 weeks, percentage change in area and pressure ulcer score healing score). An air plethysmography test was performed at baseline and following the 12 weeks of training to determine changes in calf muscle pump function. Functional measures included maximum number of heel raises (endurance), maximal isometric plantar flexion (strength) and range of ankle motion (ROAM); these tests were conducted at baseline, week 6 and week 12. The sample for the study was drawn from the Princess Alexandra Hospital in Brisbane, Australia. Participants with venous leg ulceration who met the inclusion criteria were recruited. The participants were screened via duplex scanning and ankle brachial pressure index (ABPI) to ensure they did not have any arterial complications. Participants were excluded if there was evidence of cellulitis. Demographic data were obtained from each participant and details regarding medical history, quality of life and geriatric depression scores were collected at baseline. Both the intervention and control group were required to complete a weekly exercise diary to monitor activity levels between groups. To test for the effect of the intervention over time, a repeated measures analysis of variance was conducted on the major outcome variables. Group (intervention versus control) was the between subject factor and time (baseline, week 6, week 12) was the within subject or repeated measures factor. Due to the small sample size, further tests were conducted to check the assumptions of the statistical test to be used. The results showed that Mauchly.s Test, the Sphericity assumptions of repeated measures for ANOVA were met. Further tests of homogeneity of variance assumptions also confirmed that this assumption was met. Data analysis was conducted using the software package SPSS for Windows Release 17.0. The pilot study proved feasible with all of the intervention (n=6) participants continuing with the resistance program for the 12 week duration and no deleterious effects noted. Clinical significance was observed in the intervention group with a 32% greater change in ulcer size (p= 0.26) than the control group, and a 10% (p = 0.74) greater difference between the numbers healed compared to the control group. Statistical significance was observed for the ejection fraction (p = 0.05), residual volume fraction (p = 0.04) and ROAM (p = 0.01), which all improved significantly in the intervention group over time. These results are encouraging, nevertheless, further investigations seem warranted to examine the effect exercise has on the healing rates of venous leg ulcers, with a multistudy site, larger sample size and longer follow up period.

Uncertainty and feasibility studies: an Italian case study

Uncertainty affects all aspects of the property market but one area where the impact of uncertainty is particularly significant is within feasibility analyses. Any development is impacted by differences between market conditions at the conception of the project and the market realities at the time of completion. The feasibility study needs to address the possible outcomes based on an understanding of the current market. This requires the appraiser to forecast the most likely outcome relating to the sale price of the completed development, the construction costs and the timing of both. It also requires the appraiser to understand the impact of finance on the project. All these issues are time sensitive and analysis needs to be undertaken to show the impact of time to the viability of the project. The future is uncertain and a full feasibility analysis should be able to model the upside and downside risk pertaining to a range of possible outcomes. Feasibility studies are extensively used in Italy to determine land value but they tend to be single point analysis based upon a single set of “likely” inputs. In this paper we look at the practical impact of uncertainty in variables using a simulation model (Crystal Ball ©) with an actual case study of an urban redevelopment plan for an Italian Municipality. This allows the appraiser to address the issues of uncertainty involved and thus provide the decision maker with a better understanding of the risk of development. This technique is then refined using a “two-dimensional technique” to distinguish between “uncertainty” and “variability” and thus create a more robust model.

Assessing feasibility and acceptability of study procedures : getting ready for implementation of national stroke guidelines in out-patient health care

BACKGROUND: Even though Swedish national guidelines for stroke care (SNGSC) have been accessible for nearly a decade access to stroke rehabilitation in out-patient health care vary considerably. In order to aid future interventions studies for implementation of SNGSC, this study assessed the feasibility and acceptability of study procedures including analysis of the context in out-patient health care settings. METHODS: The feasibility and acceptability of recruitment, observations and interviews with managers, staff and patients were assessed, as well as the feasibility of surveying health care records. RESULTS: To identify patients from the the hospitals was feasible but not from out-patient care where a need to relieve clinical staff of the recruitment process was identified. Assessing adherence to guidelines and standardized evaluations of patient outcomes through health care records was found to be feasible and suitable assessment tools to evaluate patient outcome were identified. Interviews were found to be a feasible and acceptable tool to survey the context of the health care setting. CONCLUSION: In this feasibility study a variety of qualitative and quantitative data collection procedures and measures were tested. The results indicate what can be used as a set of feasible and acceptable data collection procedures and suitable measures for studying implementation of stroke guidelines in an out-patient health care context.

Feasibility of the Reintroduction of Wolves in Maine: a GIS Study

The eastern timber wolf (Canis lupus lycaon) once inhabited Maine, as well as the rest of the eastern United States and southern Canada. As a result of human land use and widespread extermination campaigns, wolf numbers dramatically decreased, and by the early twentieth century, no wolves remained in Maine. As large carnivorous and territorial mammals, wolves require contiguous undeveloped areas with abundant prey. This project is a feasibility study that identifies the areas in Maine that are suitable for the reintroduction of wolves. We used GIS modeling to identify contiguous forested areas over 1,000 km2, calculate road and population density, and map the presence or absence of prey throughout the state. These variables were combined in a habitat suitability model to determine the location and amount of suitable wolf habitat in Maine. The northwestern part of the state appears most suitable for wolf reintroduction as it is relatively undeveloped with low road and population densities. There is also a smaller isolated area in Washington County that might be suitable, but further investigation is required.

Competing in the new economy through large scale collaborative ventures (LSCV): a strategic marketing approach based on a study of the multifunction polis.

This paper draws on a study of government initiat ives aimed at facilitating economic development, specifically the Multifunction Polis Feasibility Study involving the governments and business enterprises of Australia and Japan (1987-1991). Large scale projects that involve collaboration between gove rnment and business (termed: large scale collaborative venture LSCV)are identified as one aspect of competing in the new economy . The study pursued the research propos ition that a LSCV can be effectively facilitated by following a theory based process similar to those in corporate practice. An approach to managing such ventures is outlined, based on strategic marketing theory that may enhance their success and thereby help countries part icipate more successfully in global competition through such ventures.

Can a community pharmacy sleep assessment tool aid the identification of patients at risk of sleep disorders in the community : a pilot study

Background: When experiencing sleep problems for the first time, consumers may often approach community pharmacists for advice as they are easily accessible health care professionals in the community. In Australian community pharmacies there are no specific tools available for use by pharmacists to assist with the assessment and handling of consumers with sleep enquiries. Objective: To assess the feasibility of improving the detection of sleep disorders within the community through the pilot of a newly developed Community Pharmacy Sleep Assessment Tool (COP-SAT). Method: The COP-SAT was designed to incorporate elements from a number of existing, standardized, and validated clinical screening measures. The COP-SAT was trialed in four Australian community pharmacies over a 4-week period. Key findings: A total of 241 community pharmacy consumers were assessed using the COP-SAT. A total of 74 (30.7%) were assessed as being at risk of insomnia, 26 (10.7%) were at risk of daytime sleepiness, 19 (7.9%) were at risk of obstructive sleep apnea, and 121 (50.2%) were regular snorers. A total of 116 (48.1%) participants indicated that they consume caffeine before bedtime, of which 55 (47%) had associated symptoms of sleep onset insomnia. Moreover, 85 (35%) consumed alcohol before bedtime, of which 50 (58%) experienced fragmented sleep, 50 (58%) were regular snorers, and nine (10.6%) had apnea symptoms. The COP-SAT was feasible in the community pharmacy setting. The prevalence of sleep disorders in the sampled population was high, but generally consistent with previous studies on the general population. Conclusion: A large proportion of participants reported sleep disorder symptoms, and a link was found between the consumption of alcohol and caffeine substances at bedtime and associated symptoms. While larger studies are needed to assess the clinical properties of the tool, the results of this feasibility study have demonstrated that the COP-SAT may be a practical tool for the identification of patients at risk of developing sleep disorders in the community.

Rail power conditioner technology in Australian Heavy Haul Railway: A case study

Aurizon, Australia's largest freight railway operator, is investigating the use of Rail Power Conditioner (RPC) technology for load balancing, reactive power compensation and harmonic filtering. The new technology has the capability of replacing Static VAr Compensators (SVC) and Harmonic Filters, and is expected to have a significant impact on the overall costs of railway electrification. This paper presents the theoretical analysis of the real and reactive power flows in an RPC used to balance active powers in an existing V/V feeder station. This informed an RPC feasibility study undertaken at four existing Aurizon's feeder stations with V/V connected transformers.

A study on the economic efficiency of hydrogen production from biomass residues in China

As part of Pilot Project of KIP of CAS, a feasibility study of hydrogen production system using biomass residues is conducted. This study is based on a process of oxygen-rich air gasification of biomass in a downdraft gasifier plus CO-shift. The capacity of this system is 6.4 t biomass/d. Applying this system, it is expected that an annual production of 480 billion N m(3) H-2 will be generated for domestic supply in China. The capital cost of the plant used in this study is 1328$/(N m(3)/h) H-2 out, and product supply cost is 0.15$/N m(3) H-2. The cost sensitivity analysis on this system tells that electricity and catalyst cost are the two most important factors to influence hydrogen production cost.

Conformal irradiation to moving targets in heavy ion radiotherapy with raster-scanning beam delivery system: (II) feasibility experiments

Within the framework of the pilot heavy-ion therapy facility at GSI equipped with an active beam delivery system of advanced raster scanning technique, a feasibility study on actively conformal heavy-ion irradiation to moving tumors has been experimentally conducted. Laterally, real-time corrections to the beam scanning parameters by the raster scanner, leading to an active beam tracing, compensate for the lateral motion of a target volume. Longitudinally, a mechanically driven wedge energy degrader (called depth scanner) is applied to adjust the beam energy so as to locate the high-dose Bragg peak of heavy ion beam to the slice under treatment for the moving target volume. It has been experimentally shown that compensations for lateral target motion by the raster scanner and longitudinal target shift by the depth scanner are feasible.

Feasibility of online collaborative voltage stability control of power systems

This paper presents the results of feasibility study of a novel concept of power system on-line collaborative voltage stability control. The proposal of the on-line collaboration between power system controllers is to enhance their overall performance and efficiency to cope with the increasing operational uncertainty of modern power systems. In the paper, the framework of proposed on-line collaborative voltage stability control is firstly presented, which is based on the deployment of multi-agent systems and real-time communication for on-line collaborative control. Then two of the most important issues in implementing the proposed on-line collaborative voltage stability control are addressed: (1) Error-tolerant communication protocol for fast information exchange among multiple intelligent agents; (2) Deployment of multi-agent systems by using graph theory to implement power system post-emergency control. In the paper, the proposed on-line collaborative voltage stability control is tested in the example 10-machine 39-node New England power system. Results of feasibility study from simulation are given considering the low-probability power system cascading faults.

A randomized controlled trial of a self-management psychosocial intervention for men with prostate cancer and their partners: a study protocol.

Background
Little is known about interventions to help men and their partners cope with the after effects of prostate cancer treatment. The lack of in-depth descriptions of the intervention content is hindering the identification of which intervention (or component of an intervention) works.

Aim
To describe the development and evaluation of the content of a self-management psychosocial intervention for men with prostate cancer and their partners.

Design
A feasibility randomized controlled trial including structure, process, and outcome analysis.

Methods
This 9-week intervention commences on completion of treatment and consists of three group and two telephone sessions. The intervention focuses on symptom management, sexual dysfunction, uncertainty management, positive thinking and couple communication. Forty-eight couples will be assigned to either the intervention or a control group receiving usual care. Participants will be assessed at baseline, immediately postintervention and at 1 and 6 months postintervention. Outcome measures for patients and caregivers include self-efficacy, quality of life, symptom distress, uncertainty, benefits of illness, health behaviour, and measures of couple communication and support. An additional caregiver assessment will be completed by the partner.

Discussion
The main purpose of this feasibility study is to investigate the acceptability of the CONNECT programme to men with prostate cancer and their partners and to gain feedback from the participants and facilitators to make changes to and enhance the programme. Reasons why men do not want to participate will be collated to enhance recruitment in the future. We will also test recruitment strategies, randomization procedures, and the acceptability of the questionnaires. Ethical approval granted December 2010.

Learning from the QUEST multicentre feasibility randomization trials in breast reconstruction after mastectomy

BACKGROUND: Breast reconstruction aims to improve health-related quality of life after mastectomy. However, evidence guiding patients and surgeons in shared decision-making concerning the optimal type or timing of surgery is lacking.

METHODS: QUEST comprised two parallel feasibility phase III randomized multicentre trials to assess the impact of the type and timing of latissimus dorsi breast reconstruction on health-related quality of life when postmastectomy radiotherapy is unlikely (QUEST A) or highly probable (QUEST B). The primary endpoint for the feasibility phase was the proportion of women who accepted randomization, and it would be considered feasible if patient acceptability rates exceeded 25 per cent of women approached. A companion QUEST Perspectives Study (QPS) of patients (both accepting and declining trial participation) and healthcare professionals assessed trial acceptability.

RESULTS: The QUEST trials opened in 15 UK centres. After 18 months of recruitment, 17 patients were randomized to QUEST A and eight to QUEST B, with overall acceptance rates of 19 per cent (17 of 88) and 22 per cent (8 of 36) respectively. The QPS recruited 56 patients and 51 healthcare professionals. Patient preference was the predominant reason for declining trial entry, given by 47 (53 per cent) of the 88 patients approached for QUEST A and 22 (61 per cent) of the 36 approached for QUEST B. Both trials closed to recruitment in December 2012, acknowledging the challenges of achieving satisfactory patient accrual.

CONCLUSION: Despite extensive efforts to overcome recruitment barriers, it was not feasible to reach timely recruitment targets within a feasibility study. Patient preferences for breast reconstruction types and timings were common, rendering patients unwilling to enter the trial.

A feasible study of EEG-driven assistive robotic system for stroke rehabilitation

Stroke is a medical emergency and can cause a neurological damage, affecting the motor and sensory systems. Harnessing brain plasticity should make it possible to reconstruct the closed loop between the brain and the body, i.e., association of the generation of the motor command with the somatic sensory feedback might enhance motor recovery. In order to aid reconstruction of this loop with a robotic device it is necessary to assist the paretic side of the body at the right moment to achieve simultaneity between motor command and feedback signal to somatic sensory area in brain. To this end, we propose an integrated EEG-driven assistive robotic system for stroke rehabilitation. Depending on the level of motor recovery, it is important to provide adequate stimulation for upper limb motion. Thus, we propose an assist arm incorporating a Magnetic Levitation Joint that can generate a compliant motion due to its levitation and mechanical redundancy. This paper reports on a feasibility study carried out to verify the validity of the robot sensing and on EEG measurements conducted with healthy volunteers while performing a spontaneous arm flexion/extension movement. A characteristic feature was found in the temporal evolution of EEG signal in the single motion prior to executed motion which can aid in coordinating timing of the robotic arm assistance onset.