Morphometric Analysis of the Retrolabyrinthine Approach to the Posterior Fossa.

Introduction: The retrolabyrinthine approach provides shorter working distance and less cerebellar retraction compared with the retrosigmoid approach to the internal acoustic canal (IAC) and cerebellopontine angle cistern. However, exposure of the ventral surface of the brainstem and petroclival region may be restricted. Trautmann's triangle (TT), an area intimately related to this region, demonstrates significant anatomical variability, which may adversely affect the ease of the approach.

Anthropomorphic framing and failure comprehensibility influence different facets of trust towards industrial robots.

Utilizing anthropomorphic features in industrial robots is a prevalent strategy aimed at enhancing their perception as collaborative team partners and promoting increased tolerance for failures. Nevertheless, recent research highlights the presence of potential drawbacks associated with this approach. It is still widely unknown, how anthropomorphic framing influences the dynamics of trust especially, in context of different failure experiences.

The (Im)perfect Automation Schema: Who Is Trusted More, Automated or Human Decision Support?

Objective: This study's purpose was to better understand the dynamics of trust attitude and behavior in human-agent interaction.

Background: Whereas past research provided evidence for a perfect automation schema, more recent research has provided contradictory evidence.

Method: To disentangle these conflicting findings, we conducted an online experiment using a simulated medical X-ray task.

Broadband radiometric measurements from GPS satellites reveal summertime Arctic Ocean Albedo decreases more rapidly than sea ice recedes.

New measurements from the Arctic ± 40 days around the summer solstice show reflected sunlight from north of 80°N decreases 20-35%. Arctic sea ice coverage decreases 7-9% over this same time period (as reported by the NSIDC) implying Arctic sea ice albedo decreases in addition to the sea ice receding. Similar Antarctic measurements provide a baseline to which Arctic measurements are compared.

(Hu)man-Like Robots: The Impact of Anthropomorphism and Language on Perceived Robot Gender.

Implementing anthropomorphic features to robots is a frequently used approach to create positive perceptions in human-robot interaction. However, anthropomorphism does not always lead to positive consequences and might trigger a more gendered perception of robots. More precisely, anthropomorphic features of robots seem to evoke a male-robot bias.

Feeling with a robot-the role of anthropomorphism by design and the tendency to anthropomorphize in human-robot interaction.

The implementation of anthropomorphic features in regard to appearance and framing is widely supposed to increase empathy towards robots. However, recent research used mainly tasks that are rather atypical for daily human-robot interactions like sacrificing or destroying robots. The scope of the current study was to investigate the influence of anthropomorphism by design on empathy and empathic behavior in a more realistic, collaborative scenario.

Determinants of Laypersons' Trust in Medical Decision Aids: Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Symptom checker apps are patient-facing decision support systems aimed at providing advice to laypersons on whether, where, and how to seek health care (disposition advice). Such advice can improve laypersons' self-assessment and ultimately improve medical outcomes. Past research has mainly focused on the accuracy of symptom checker apps' suggestions.

Challenging presumed technological superiority when working with (artificial) colleagues.

Technological advancements are ubiquitously supporting or even replacing humans in all areas of life, bringing the potential for human-technology symbiosis but also novel challenges. To address these challenges, we conducted three experiments in different task contexts ranging from loan assignment over X-Ray evaluation to process industry. Specifically, we investigated the impact of support agent (artificial intelligence, decision support system, or human) and failure experience (one vs.

Tensor fascia latae and gluteal muscles myoelectric responses to increasing levels of hip medial rotation torque.

Medial hip rotation is typically attributed to the tensor fascia latae (TFL) and lateral rotation, to the gluteus maximus. However, experimental studies in cadavers suggest that the TFL lacks a moment arm for medial rotation and that the gluteus maximus may act as hip medial rotator depending on the hip flexion angle. In order to address this contradictory thinking, we measured the myoelectric activity of TFL, gluteus medius and gluteus maximus (superior portion, GMaxS, and inferior portion, GMaxI) for increasing levels of medial rotation torque applied to the hip.

A meta-analysis on the effectiveness of anthropomorphism in human-robot interaction.

The application of anthropomorphic design features is widely assumed to facilitate human-robot interaction (HRI). However, a considerable number of study results point in the opposite direction. There is currently no comprehensive common ground on the circumstances under which anthropomorphism promotes interaction with robots.

The Influence of Distance and Lateral Offset of Follow Me Robots on User Perception.

Robots that are designed to work in close proximity to humans are required to move and act in a way that ensures social acceptance by their users. Hence, a robot's proximal behavior toward a human is a main concern, especially in human-robot interaction that relies on relatively close proximity. This study investigated how the distance and lateral offset of "Follow Me" robots influences how they are perceived by humans.

Metformin Improves Learning and Memory in the SAMP8 Mouse Model of Alzheimer's Disease.

Metformin is used for the treatment of insulin resistant diabetes. Diabetics are at an increased risk of developing dementia. Recent epidemiological studies suggest that metformin treatment prevents cognitive decline in diabetics.

Prophylactic mRNA Vaccination against Allergy Confers Long-Term Memory Responses and Persistent Protection in Mice.

Recently, mRNA vaccines have been introduced as a safety-optimized alternative to plasmid DNA-based vaccines for protection against allergy. However, it remained unclear whether the short persistence of this vaccine type would limit memory responses and whether the protective immune response type would be maintained during recurrent exposure to allergen. We tested the duration of protective memory responses in mice vaccinated with mRNA encoding the grass pollen allergen Phl p 5 by challenging them with recombinant allergen, 3.

Acetosyringone, pH and temperature effects on transient genetic transformation of immature embryos of Brazilian wheat genotypes by Agrobacterium tumefaciens.

Low transformation efficiency is one of the main limiting factors in the establishment of genetic transformation of wheat via Agrobacterium tumefaciens. To determine more favorable conditions for T-DNA delivery and explant regeneration after infection, this study investigated combinations of acetosyringone concentration and pH variation in the inoculation and co-cultivation media and co-culture temperatures using immature embryos from two Brazilian genotypes (BR 18 Terena and PF 020037). Based on transient expression of uidA, the most favorable conditions for T-DNA delivery were culture media with pH 5.

T cell epitopes of the timothy grass pollen allergen Phl p 5 of mice and men and the detection of allergen-specific T cells using Class II Ultimers.

Background: Knowledge of allergen-specific T cell epitopes is a prerequisite not only for therapeutic approaches but also for elucidating immunological mechanisms of type I allergy. Ex vivo detection of allergen-specific T cells using class II tetramer technology has become an important tool for investigating immune responses in atopic and healthy individuals.

Methods: Using (3)H-thymidine incorporation assays, T cell epitopes specific for the major timothy grass pollen allergen Phl p 5.

mRNA vaccination as a safe approach for specific protection from type I allergy.

Allergic diseases are on the increase and current therapies are lacking in efficacy and patient compliance. In recent years, the idea of prophylactic measures, especially for children at high risk for allergy, has become increasingly popular. This review summarizes the available preclinical data for protective allergy vaccines, with a focus on one of the most promising vaccine candidates; mRNA vaccines.

Nav2 hypomorphic mutant mice are ataxic and exhibit abnormalities in cerebellar development.

Development of the cerebellum involves a coordinated program of neuronal process outgrowth and migration resulting in a foliated structure that plays a key role in motor function. Neuron navigator 2 (Nav2) is a cytoskeletal-interacting protein that functions in neurite outgrowth and axonal elongation. Herein we show that hypomorphic mutant mice lacking the full-length Nav2 transcript exhibit ataxia and defects in cerebellar development.

Prophylactic mRNA vaccination against allergy.

Purpose Of Review: mRNA vaccines have recently been re-discovered as an attractive alternative to the more prominent DNA vaccines, as they harbor many advantages with respect to safety and regulatory issues. Whereas most mRNA vaccines are focused on tumor therapy, this type of vaccine has now also been successfully employed for prophylactic immunization against type I allergy in a mouse model. This concept differs from conventional immunotherapy in that it relies on immune deviation toward a TH1 phenotype, rather than induction of regulatory T cells or tolerance.

Anemia versus disease activity as cause of fatigue in rheumatoid arthritis.

Background: Fatigue is a common complaint in rheumatoid arthritis patients and contributes to loss of quality of life.

Objective: To study the influence of hemoglobin levels and disease activity index upon fatigue in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Methods: We studied 130 RA patients for DAS 28, hemoglobin levels and fatigue as measured by FACIT F.

Immunize and disappear-safety-optimized mRNA vaccination with a panel of 29 allergens.

Background: The spread of type I allergic diseases has reached epidemic dimensions. The success of therapeutic intervention is limited, and hence prophylactic vaccination is now seriously considered. However, immunization of healthy individuals requires safety standards far beyond those applicable for therapeutic approaches.