$25 million for new Quantum Horizons Alberta research network

Business Announcement

UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA

Calgary/Edmonton, Alberta, June 15, 2023: 

QHA will bring together world-class scientists to deepen our understanding and unlock the mysteries of quantum mechanics, where the rules of classical physics do not apply. Quantum science studies the properties and behaviours of the very small or very cold building blocks of the universe, exploring the world beyond what we perceive around us. From creating Bose-Einstein condensates at the lowest temperatures in the universe, to understanding the mysteries of spooky action at a distance with entangled particles, quantum is the field of novel discovery.

While there are practical applications today, such as medical imaging, lasers, electron microscopes, and new approaches to computing power and cybersecurity, dedicated foundational science is required to extend the horizons of knowledge in the quantum realm and open untold and unpredictable possibilities. 

Speaking on behalf of the group of donors, Richard Bird said “we are very excited to be partnering with Alberta’s major research universities to bring this new pan-Alberta initiative into existence and continue on the path of having a globally recognized hub of excellence for foundational quantum research based here in Alberta. Quantum science is an increasingly critical area of study around the world and we have the opportunity to establish our province as a key source of research and discoveries in a field which promises to be transformational to the human condition.” Initially joining Mr. Bird as QHA donors are Patrick Daniel, Joanne Cuthbertson and Guy Turcotte, with the expectation that the group will continue to expand as supporters from across Canada join the initiative. 

The initial annual operating budget for QHA will be $5 million spread across the three nodes, committed for a minimum of five years and supported by the donors, the universities and other partners.

"These community leaders have stepped forward to invest in foundational quantum discovery because they understand how critical new knowledge is to Alberta’s future. Quantum Horizons Alberta activates our provincial research ecosystem, leveraging the talent across our universities, and enabling us to elevate and expand our capabilities,” said Dr. Ed McCauley, president and vice-chancellor, University of Calgary. “Creating new knowledge to move society forward is fundamental to the purpose of great research universities.” 

“Quantum Horizons Alberta’s research funding will enable us to recruit more high-calibre research scientists and graduate students in this field,” said Bill Flanagan, president and vice-chancellor, University of Alberta. “We have a strong history of discovery and research excellence in Alberta. We can build on this history thanks to the visionary philanthropists involved in QHA. Advancing a collaborative quantum research network increases the potential for more made-in-Alberta discoveries that will benefit people worldwide.”

“Quantum research is transforming our world by offering solutions to difficult problems much faster and better, opening up new opportunities in areas like security, finance, drug development, and studying climate change,” said Mike Mahon, president and vice-chancellor, University of Lethbridge.  Supporting fundamental research today is absolutely vital to achieve major scientific breakthroughs tomorrow.”

Alberta is already home to quantum research and innovation excellence, and, in partnership with industry, a quantum innovation hub dedicated to growing the quantum tech sector in the province. Funding through Quantum Horizons Alberta is intended to build quantum science capacity in Alberta, by supporting existing expertise and attracting new talent with the goal to recruit a minimum of eight new quantum research professors to Alberta over the next two years along with funding for many postdoctoral scholars and graduate students. 

QHA enables a long-term and sustainable path for Alberta’s leadership in quantum research and innovation, creating impact that will reach far beyond Alberta. 

Website: quantumhorizonsab.ca 

A ‘pinch’ of mineral salts helps the noncaloric sweeteners go down

Peer-Reviewed Publication

AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY

Perfect noncaloric replacements for sugar and high fructose corn syrup just don’t exist yet. For example, some alternatives have a lingering sweet aftertaste and lack a sugar-like mouthfeel, leaving consumers unsatisfied. Now, researchers in ACS’ Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry propose adding blends of nutritionally important mineral salts to make noncaloric sweeteners seem more like the real thing. Taste-testers indicated that these blends gave zero- and low-calorie drinks a better flavor.

Sugar substitutes are often used in sodas, baked goods and frozen desserts, to appeal to people who want lower-calorie or low-sugar treats. But many natural or synthetic noncaloric sweeteners, such as stevia and aspartame, have a delayed sweetness, which lasts long after a food or drink is consumed. These substances also don’t usually have the same mouthfeel as real sugar. Previously, Grant DuBois and colleagues observed that sodium chloride and potassium chloride could accelerate the onset of sweetness and eliminate its persistence for one stevia compound, rebaudioside A. They hypothesized that the salts compress the mucus hydrogel covering taste buds to allow rebaudioside A molecules to get through and then leave more quickly. But high concentrations were needed to achieve the desired effects, which led to off-tastes. So, the researchers wanted to test other mineral salts on commercially available noncaloric sweeteners to see if the products that they are used in could be improved.

In initial tests with a trained sensory panel, the researchers observed that calcium chloride, magnesium chloride and potassium chloride each separately reduced the perceived intensity of rebaudioside A after two minutes. However, again, high amounts of the mineral salt were needed to lower the intensity by more than 30%, which caused unpleasant saltiness or bitterness sensations. Next, mixing the three taste-modifying salts had synergistic effects, allowing the team to use lower amounts of each for the same effect. A blend of the potassium, magnesium and calcium salts reduced the lingering sweetness up to 79% and markedly increased the sugar-like mouthfeel of 10 noncaloric alternatives.

Some panelists still reported a slight saltiness in a few sugar substitute formulations with the all-chloride mineral salt blends. So, the team tested reduced-chloride versions in two commercial zero-calorie colas, resolving the faint salty off-taste issue and greatly improving the taste of the beverages. Additionally, they added salt blends to a reduced-calorie orange juice and a commercial citrus-flavored soft drink made with high fructose corn syrup, which made both beverages taste more like they contained sugar. The researchers say that they have a promising solution for replicating the taste of real sugar in low- and zero-calorie beverages.

The authors are employees of Almendra Americas, LLC and Almendra Thailand, Ltd.; and acknowledge funding from Almendra Thailand, Ltd.

The authors have a U.S. patent on this technology.

The American Chemical Society (ACS) is a nonprofit organization chartered by the U.S. Congress. ACS’ mission is to advance the broader chemistry enterprise and its practitioners for the benefit of Earth and all its people. The Society is a global leader in promoting excellence in science education and providing access to chemistry-related information and research through its multiple research solutions, peer-reviewed journals, scientific conferences, eBooks and weekly news periodical Chemical & Engineering News. ACS journals are among the most cited, most trusted and most read within the scientific literature; however, ACS itself does not conduct chemical research. As a leader in scientific information solutions, its CAS division partners with global innovators to accelerate breakthroughs by curating, connecting and analyzing the world’s scientific knowledge. ACS’ main offices are in Washington, D.C., and Columbus, Ohio.

To automatically receive news releases from the American Chemical Society, contact newsroom@acs.org.

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JOURNAL

Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry

DOI

10.1021/acs.jafc.3c01144 

ARTICLE TITLE

“Replication of the Taste of Sugar by Formulation of Noncaloric Sweeteners with Mineral Salt Taste Modulator Compositions”

Vaginal microbiota seeding improves the neurodevelopment of babies born via C-section

Peer-Reviewed Publication

CELL PRESS

 

IMAGE: TRIPLE-BLIND RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL SHOWS THAT MATERNAL VAGINAL MICROBIOTA SEEDING HAS POSITIVE EFFECTS view more 

CREDIT: CELL HOST & MICROBE/HE ET AL.

Transferring the mother’s vaginal bacteria onto newborns delivered via cesarean section appears to be beneficial to infants’ early development, researchers reported June 15 in the journal Cell Host & Microbe. The study, the first triple-blind experiment of its kind, suggests a potential approach to improve the early gut microbiota of babies born through C-section.

Infants born by C-sections tend to have very different gut bacteria composition compared with those born vaginally, according to previous research. Vaginally born babies receive their early gut bacteria from the mother’s birth canal, while C-section babies’ microbiota are dominated by bacteria found on the mothers’ skin, in breastmilk, and in the environment. While the difference tends to disappear as they age, researchers suggest early gut microbiota is associated with the development of an infant’s immune system and could affect their disease risk, including for diabetes, later in life.

This has led to practices like vaginal seeding where mothers would rub C-section newborns with their vaginal fluids. But there is limited clinical evidence that vaginal seeding is safe and effective, says Yan He, the paper’s corresponding author at Southern Medical University in Guangzhou, China. “When we talk about effectiveness, we not only mean whether this intervention might affect the infants’ microbiota but are also interested to see if this intervention could actually improve the infants’ phenotypes, like their neurodevelopment.”

To investigate whether vaginal microbiota seeding works, He and his team rubbed the lips, skin, and hands of 32 newborns delivered via C-section with a gauze soaked with their mothers’ vaginal fluids and another 36 newborns with a gauze soaked with saline as blind controls. The mothers were tested in advance to make sure they were free of infections such as sexually transmitted diseases and group B streptococcus.

The team found that newborns who received the microbiota had more gut bacteria found in maternal vaginal fluid 6 weeks after birth, suggesting that maternal vaginal bacteria successfully reached and colonized babies’ guts. Compared with C-section newborns who received saline gauze, babies with microbial transfer had more mature bacteria in their guts at 6 weeks old, similar to babies born vaginally. No infants experienced severe adverse events during the experiment.

The team also evaluated the babies’ neurodevelopment at 3 months and 6 months after birth using a questionnaire. For example, the researchers would ask the mothers if their babies were able to make simple sounds or perform movements like crawling on their hands and knees. The team found infants who received the seeding scored significantly higher in neurodevelopment at both 3 months and 6 months, and their scores were comparable to those of vaginally born babies.

“We don’t know exactly how early gut bacteria affect their neurodevelopment, but there is some indirect evidence that shows some microbial metabolites are related to conditions,” He says. For example, the team found that babies who received vaginal microbiota seeding had more indolelactic acid, a type of metabolite of several Clostridium bacteria species, in their feces. Previous research has discovered that indolelactic acid levels are low in people with Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease.

“We’re hoping this study can provide some leads to future research in this field. We want to know if vaginal microbiota seeding has the potential to reduce the risk of neurodevelopmental disorders in children, such as ADHD, ASD, and intellectual disabilities,” he says, adding that he and his team plan to carry out long-term clinical trials with larger sample sizes.

“It is somewhat like fecal microbiota transplantation. We need more data to understand this intervention and make it more precise. We may eventually uncover what exactly is beneficial in maternal vaginal microbiota, which could enable us to design therapeutics for all infants born via C-section in the future,” He says.

###

This work was supported by the National Key R&D Program of China, Canadian Institute of Health Research, National Natural Science Foundation of China, Clinical Research Startup Program of Southern Medical University, and the Top Talent Program of Affiliated Foshan Maternity & Child Healthcare Hospital.

Cell Host & Microbe, Zhou et al. “Effects of vaginal microbiota transfer on the neurodevelopment and microbiome of cesarean-born infants: A triple-blind randomized controlled trial” https://www.cell.com/cell-host-microbe/fulltext/S1931-3128(23)00215-9

Cell Host & Microbe (@cellhostmicrobe), published by Cell Press, is a monthly journal that publishes novel findings and translational studies related to microbes (which include bacteria, fungi, parasites, and viruses). The unifying theme is the integrated study of microbes in conjunction and communication with each other, their host, and the cellular environment they inhabit. Visit http://www.cell.com/cell-host-microbe. To receive Cell Press media alerts, contact press@cell.com.

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JOURNAL

Cell Host & Microbe

DOI

10.1016/j.chom.2023.05.022 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Randomized controlled/clinical trial

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

People

ARTICLE TITLE

Effects of vaginal microbiota transfer on the neurodevelopment and microbiome of cesarean-born infants: a triple-blind randomized controlled trial

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

15-Jun-2023

Healthy sex life during pandemic tied to an array of sexual coping strategies

Some people's sex lives sizzled, while others' fizzled. New research may tell why.

Peer-Reviewed Publication

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGN, NEWS BUREAU

 

IMAGE: PEOPLE WHO FOUND WAYS TO EXPLORE THEIR SEXUALITY AND USE IT AS A COPING MECHANISM DURING THE FIRST YEAR OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC HAD MORE ACTIVE AND FULFILLING SEX LIVES, ACCORDING TO STUDIES CONDUCTED BY LIZA BERDYCHEVSKY, A PROFESSOR OF RECREATION, SPORT AND TOURISM AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS URBANA-CHAMPAIGN. view more 

CREDIT: PHOTO BY L. BRIAN STAUFFER

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — New research suggests that people who maintained healthy sexual and intimate lives early in the pandemic used sex as a coping mechanism to enhance their relationship with their partners, explore new sexual activities and in an array of other ways to adapt to the restrictions, stress and the changes in their daily lives.

One year into the pandemic, Liza Berdychevsky, a professor of recreation, sport and tourism at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, conducted an online survey of 675 people to explore the differences between people whose sex lives had fizzled and those whose sex lives had flourished. The sample was more than 65% female, and a similar proportion of the participants were in the U.S.

In one of three papers derived from the study, published in the Archives of Sexual Behavior, participants were asked if they ever engaged in 59 sexual coping strategies to enhance their sex lives during the first year of the pandemic. Participants were asked to rate the coping strategies’ usefulness, regardless of whether they had tried them.

The resilience of individuals’ love lives – including the frequency of their sexual activity, desire and satisfaction – was significantly predicted by their engagement in the sexual coping mechanisms studied, Berdychevsky found.

“These results emphasize the crucial role of experience with coping mechanisms and show that amidst COVID-related adversity and challenges, many people found ways to adapt their sex lives and enjoy silver-lining opportunities,” said Berdychevsky, whose affiliations include the U. of I.’s Family Resiliency Center; the Center on Health, Aging and Disability; and the Discovery Partners Institute.

The analyses showed nine of the coping mechanisms had significant impact on people’s sex lives. These included goal-setting strategies, such as using sex to feel more desirable; expanding one’s sexual repertoire through experimentation and risk tactics, such as trying new sexual activities or medicines; fostering intimacy through sex and other relational strategies; caution and logistical strategies, which included being more selective about one’s partners or attentive to safe sex practices; and creativity and innovation strategies, such as becoming more playful and spontaneous.

The remaining mechanisms included online and technology strategies such as watching porn and using phone sex; combining sex with substances like drugs and alcohol; context-related strategies such as having sex in public places; using sex to relax and other diversion strategies; and educational strategies such as seeking professional help or attending classes.

Consistently, across all the strategies and coping mechanisms, people who had tried them rated them significantly more useful than those who had not, Berdychevsky said.

In another paper, published in the Journal of Sexuality Research and Social Policy, she further investigated these coping mechanisms, clarifying their determinants of use and usefulness, and examining their impacts on the quantity and quality of sex.

“All of the coping mechanisms were rated significantly useful, albeit to different degrees,” she said. “Furthermore, gender, age, the availability of a sex partner and the existence of children served as determinants of different coping mechanisms’ scope of use and degree of usefulness.”

Among those who participated in the survey, 69% reported using sex as a source of pleasure, while 62% indicated it was a means of increasing intimacy or bonding with their partner. Slightly fewer, 55%, said it was a source of relaxation or stress relief, and about 53% indicated they treated sex as a leisure activity, according to the study.

Respondents viewed educational strategies, innovation and experimentation, and diversion strategies as the most useful. However, participants who used relational coping mechanisms reported greater satisfaction with their sex life, Berdychevsky said.

Although online tools and resources were used fairly frequently, participants rated these among their least useful options, according to the study.

Women were significantly more likely to engage in sexual activity to pursue goals, to benefit their relationships and to utilize caution and logistical strategies compared with men. Women rated coping strategies such as using sex as a source of creativity, pleasure or as a diversion, and educational strategies as more useful than did the men in the study. Sexual desire was driven by gender and was greater for men than for women.

“This study’s results can help scholars and practitioners prevent or mitigate the deterioration of people’s sex lives, as well as other crises and stressors,” Berdychevsky said. “It is essential to train people on sexual coping resources and strategies to protect their sexual well-being and quality of life.”

In another paper from this study, Berdychevsky and co-authors Jacinda K. Dariotis, a professor  of human development and family studies, and doctoral student Damien Cavanaugh examined how people’s sex lives had changed about a year into the pandemic for partnered and non-partnered individuals and identified the determinants of these changes.

The findings, published in the International Journal of Sexual Health, revealed significant declines in the frequency, quality and diversity of sexual behaviors, desire and satisfaction. According to the study, these trends were tied to socio-demographic characteristics, psychological factors and the logistical impacts of the pandemic.

“The psychological effects of the pandemic will last for a while, even with the ‘new normal,’ and this will be felt in sexual expression and relationships,” Berdychevsky said. “Effective interventions are critically needed to address sexual health and build resilience among people to help them cope with the prolonged stressful conditions of the pandemic and their aftermath.”

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JOURNAL

Sexuality Research and Social Policy

DOI

10.1007/s13178-023-00811-5 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Survey

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

People

ARTICLE TITLE

Sexual Coping Mechanisms During the COVID-19 Pandemic and Their Determinants of Use, Usefulness, and Effects on Sex Life

Limiting opioids during surgery may lead to more postoperative pain and opioid use for patients

Peer-Reviewed Publication

MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL

BOSTON – Because of the opioid crisis, physicians are less likely to administer opioids to help manage patients’ pain, even in the operating room.

A recent analysis in JAMA Surgery that was conducted by investigators at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), a founding member of Mass General Brigham, indicates that overly restricting use of opioids during surgery may be doing more harm than good.

For the study, researchers analyzed information on 61,249 adults who had surgery at MGH from 2016–2020. Patients administered more of the opioids fentanyl and hydromorphone during surgery were less likely to experience pain and used less opioids in the hospital after waking up from anesthesia.

Also, patients exposed to higher amounts of fentanyl were less likely to experience uncontrolled pain or to experience new chronic pain diagnosed within 3 months of surgery, were less likely to be prescribed opioids at 30, 90, and 180 days after surgery, and less likely to develop new persistent opioid use, all without an increase in adverse effects.

“Our analysis adjusts for many factors that might influence the decision to give opioids intraoperatively, and accounts for the known properties of the drugs. Because of this we feel confident that the opioid exposure during surgery is driving this result,” says co–first author Ran Liu, PhD, a research fellow in the Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care, and Pain Medicine at MGH.

The findings point to the importance of ensuring that patients don’t emerge from general anesthesia in pain, not only for their short-term wellbeing but also to safeguard against persistent pain and the need for prolonged opioid use.

“The opioid crisis is a major motivator for mitigating the risks of opioid usage,” says co–first author Laura A. Santa Cruz Mercado, MD, anesthesiology resident in the Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care, and Pain Medicine at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and former research fellow in the Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care, and Pain Medicine at MGH. “But appropriate opioid administration in the operating room may reduce total opioid usage after surgery.”

Co–senior author Patrick L. Purdon, PhD, the Nathaniel M. Sims Endowed Chair in Anesthesia Innovation and Bioengineering at MGH and an associate professor of Anaesthesia at Harvard Medical School, notes that additional research is needed to provide more clear guidance to surgical teams.

“We need to develop new technologies to help anesthesiologists titrate and optimize opioid administration in the operating room in a personalized way,” he says.  “But this data gives us evidence that such efforts could have significant long-term benefits.

Laura A. Santa Cruz Mercado and Ran Liu were co–first authors on this paper. Edward A. Bittner and Patrick L. Purdon were co–senior authors. Additional co-authors include Kishore M. Bharadwaj, Jasmine J. Johnson, Rodrigo Gutierrez, Proloy Das, Gustavo Balanza, Hao Deng, Akriti Pandit, Tom A.D. Stone, Teresa Macdonald, Caroline Horgan, Si Long (Jenny Tou), and Timothy T. Houle.

This work was funded in part by the National Institutes of Health.

About the Massachusetts General Hospital

Massachusetts General Hospital, founded in 1811, is the original and largest teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School. The Mass General Research Institute conducts the largest hospital-based research program in the nation, with annual research operations of more than $1 billion and comprises more than 9,500 researchers working across more than 30 institutes, centers and departments. In July 2022, Mass General was named #8 in the U.S. News & World Report list of "America’s Best Hospitals." MGH is a founding member of the Mass General Brigham healthcare system.

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JOURNAL

JAMA Surgery

DOI

10.1001/jamasurg.2023.2009 

ARTICLE TITLE

Association of Intraoperative Opioid Administration With Postoperative Pain and Opioid Use

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

14-Jun-2023

Amsterdam UMC to lead global hunt for new interventions in the battle against unhealthy behavior

Thanks to a Horizon Grant worth three million euros, Amsterdam UMC wil work with partners in France, Belgium, the United Kingdom, Kenya and Ghana

Grant and Award Announcement

AMSTERDAM UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTERS

Chronic diseases (NCDs) are a global health epidemic and almost 80% of them occur in low- and middle-income countries. While the WHO have developed policies to combat chronic diseases, research shows that, in certain regions, they are not having the desired effect, leaving fragile health systems increasingly overwhelmed. In order to combat this, thanks to a Horizon Europe grant, Amsterdam UMC is set to lead a global consortium with the aim of developing interventions that work in practice. 

Consortium leader and Professor of Global Migration, Ethnicity and Health at Amsterdam UMC, Charles Agyemang notes that, "We see particularly in sub-Saharan Africa that the rates of chronic diseases are rapidly rising that, crucially, the WHO measures are not working as well as they need to. Partly because most of the data for these interventions were gathered in high-income countries. This means that the development of a new arsenal of interventions is essential.” 

With an eye on developing targeted interventions that will make the most difference, the consortium will aim their sights on those aged between 10 and 24. Partly due to the fact that this group receives less attention in the current WHO policies and, crucially, also because of the role that this period of live plays in behavioural development. "Chronic diseases are often caused by behaviours that begin early in life including eating unhealthily, not exercising enough, so for that reason we're going to target precisely this group," adds Agyemang  

Multi-faceted approach 

The consortium consists of partners in France, Belgium and the United Kingdom as well as African partner universities and research institutions in both Kenya and Ghana. The goal is to develop interventions that work in three settings: secondary schools, family/faith-based settings and on social media.  

Professor of Public Health Nutrition at the University of Ghana, Amos Laar, who is a co-investigator notes that “combating a very complex epidemic such as NCDs will require multi-component intervention concurrently targeting its multiple risk factors, involving multiple live stages, delivered via multiple platforms, and meaningfully and sufficiently engaging with multiple stakeholders. That is exactly what project seeks to do”.  

Across sub-Saharan Africa it is estimated, by the World Bank, that almost 50% of children are not in school and therefore it is necessary for interventions to look beyond the classroom or the dining hall. Agyemang believes that this multi-faceted approach "will increase the motivation of young people to eat healthier and be more physically active" and crucially "will increase the chance of lasting changes'' 

Something which, Dr Gershim Asiki, a co-investigator and Head of NCDs Unit in the African Population Health Research Centre in Kenya also emphasises: ‘’the project embraces principles of co-design throughout the proposal development and implementation and a highly consultative process that will promote uptake and sustainability of the program.” 

Advanced universal control system may revolutionize lower limb exoskeleton control and optimize user experience

Researchers harness deep reinforcement learning to enable natural and intuitive walking in exoskeletons

Peer-Reviewed Publication

KESSLER FOUNDATION

 

IMAGE: : (LEFT) THE DEVELOPED PROTOTYPE OF THE LOWER EXTREMITY ROBOTIC EXOSKELETON (LE-RE). (RIGHT) THE INTEGRATED MUSCULOSKELETAL AND EXOSKELETON MODEL. THE YELLOW COORDINATION FRAMES SHOW THE BUSHING FRAMES COINCIDENTALLY FIXED ON THE LE-RE AND THE HUMAN MODEL. view more 

CREDIT: SOURCE: LUO S, ET AL. JOURNAL OF NEUROENGINEERING AND REHABILITATION 20, NO. 1 (2023): 1-19, FIG. 1. REPRODUCED WITH PERMISSION UNDER CREATIVE COMMONS ATTRIBUTION 4.0 INTERNATIONAL LICENSE.

East Hanover, NJ. June 15, 2023. A team of researchers has developed a new method for controlling lower limb exoskeletons using deep reinforcement learning. The method, described in a study published in the Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation on March 19, 2023, enables more robust and natural walking control for users of lower limb exoskeletons. “Robust walking control of a lower limb rehabilitation exoskeleton coupled with a musculoskeletal model via deep reinforcement learning” is available open access (doi.org/10.1186/s12984-023-01147-2).

While advances in wearable robotics have helped restore mobility for people with lower limb impairments, current control methods for exoskeletons are limited in their ability to provide natural and intuitive movements for users. This can compromise balance and contribute to user fatigue and discomfort. Few studies have focused on the development of robust controllers that can optimize the user’s experience in terms of safety and independence.

Existing exoskeletons for lower limb rehabilitation employ a variety of technologies to help the user maintain balance, including special crutches and sensors, according to co-author Ghaith Androwis, PhD, senior research scientist in the Center for Mobility and Rehabilitation Engineering Research at Kessler Foundation and director of the Center’s Rehabilitation Robotics and Research Laboratory. Exoskeletons that operate without such helpers allow more independent walking, but at the cost of added weight and slow walking speed.

“Advanced control systems are essential to developing a lower limb exoskeleton that enables autonomous, independent walking under a range of conditions,” said Dr. Androwis. The novel method developed by the research team uses deep reinforcement learning to improve exoskeleton control. Reinforcement learning is a type of artificial intelligence that enables machines to learn from their own experiences through trial and error.

“Using a musculoskeletal model coupled with an exoskeleton, we simulated the movements of the lower limb and trained the exoskeleton control system to achieve natural walking patterns using reinforcement learning,” explained corresponding author Xianlian Zhou, PhD, associate professor and director of the BioDynamics Lab in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT). “We are testing the system in real-world conditions with a lower limb exoskeleton being developed by our team and the results show the potential for improved walking stability and reduced user fatigue.”

The team determined that their proposed model generated a universal robust walking controller capable of handling various levels of human-exoskeleton interactions without the need for tuning parameters. The new system has the potential to benefit a wide range of users, including those with spinal cord injuries, multiple sclerosis, stroke, and other neurological conditions. The researchers plan to continue testing the system with users and further refine the control algorithms to improve walking performance.

"We are excited about the potential of this new system to improve the quality of life for people with lower limb impairments," said Dr. Androwis. "By enabling more natural and intuitive walking patterns, we hope to help users of exoskeletons to move with greater ease and confidence."

Citation: Luo, Shuzhen, Ghaith Androwis, Sergei Adamovich, Erick Nunez, Hao Su, and Xianlian Zhou. "Robust walking control of a lower limb rehabilitation exoskeleton coupled with a musculoskeletal model via deep reinforcement learning." Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation 20, no. 1 (2023): 1-19. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12984-023-01147-2

Funding: National Institute on Disability Independent Living and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR) (90RE5021-01-0, SFGE22000372); National Science Foundation (1625644, 19444655, 2026622); National Institutes of Health (1RO1EB029765-01).

About New Jersey Institute of Technology
One of only 35 polytechnic universities in the United States, New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) is an R1 (most elite) Carnegie Classification research university that offers more than 125 undergraduate and graduate degree programs and spurs economic growth while preparing students to become leaders in the technology-dependent economy of the 21st century. NJIT is a catalyst for applied research and innovation that improves lives and fosters economic growth. Ranked No. 14 in the nation on Money’s Best Colleges list, NJIT also stands among the top 100 colleges and universities nationally for the mid-career earnings of its graduates, according to PayScale.com. NJIT is ranked No. 35 nationally by The Princeton Review as a Best Value College and is rated among the top 50 public national universities and top 100 overall by U.S. News & World Report.

About Kessler Foundation
Kessler Foundation, a major nonprofit organization in the field of disability, is a global leader in rehabilitation research. Our scientists seek to improve cognition, mobility, and long-term outcomes, including employment, for adults and children with neurological and developmental disabilities of the brain and spinal cord including traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, stroke, multiple sclerosis, and autism. Kessler Foundation also leads the nation in funding innovative programs that expand opportunities for employment for people with disabilities. For more information, visit KesslerFoundation.org.

Stay Connected with Kessler Foundation
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JOURNAL

Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation

DOI

10.1186/s12984-023-01147-2 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Computational simulation/modeling

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

People

ARTICLE TITLE

Robust walking control of a lower limb rehabilitation exoskeleton coupled with a musculoskeletal model via deep reinforcement learning

Tempest in a teacup: UChicago physicists make breakthrough in creating turbulence

Scientists create contained ball of turbulence in a tank that could help answer longstanding questions

Peer-Reviewed Publication

UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO

 

IMAGE: UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO SCIENTISTS PIONEERED A WAY TO CREATE A CONTAINED “BALL” OF TURBULENCE IN A TANK OF WATER, WHICH HAS NEVER BEEN DONE BEFORE. ABOVE, A VISUALIZATION SHOWS THE AVERAGE ENERGY DENSITY OF THE BALL OVER TIME. view more 

CREDIT: TAKUMI MATSUZAWA

Turbulence is all around us. It’s in the swirl of coffee and milk in a latte, unfurling along the wings of airplanes and the sides of cars, churning the blood in your heart after the valve snaps closed. Yet we still don’t fully grasp all of its rules.

Part of the challenge is that physicists typically start by isolating the phenomenon from its environment to study it – but stirring a cup means the spoon is always still inside it, affecting the movement of the liquid. There hasn’t been a way to separate the turbulence out by itself. 

A group of University of Chicago scientists, however, have pioneered a way to create contained turbulence in a tank of water. They use a ring of jets to blow loops until an isolated “ball” of turbulence forms and lingers. 

“It was a surprise to us,” said physicist Takumi Matsuzawa, the first author on a study describing the findings, published in Nature Physics. “It’d be like calmly sitting in a field with a picnic and watching a storm raging 50 feet away,” said Prof. William Irvine, the corresponding author on the study. 

They hope the breakthrough opens a new avenue of study to better understand turbulence.

"No one knew this was even possible“  
Turbulence—the chaotic flow in an unevenly mixed substance—is an old problem. “It’s often quoted as one of the big open questions in physics,” said Irvine.  

In the past decades, scientists have made progress in describing the behavior of an “idealized” state of turbulence. That is, turbulence without confounding variables like boundaries, or variations in strength and time.  But when it comes to understanding real-world turbulence, there is much left to understand.  

“Turbulence appears everywhere around us, but it keeps eluding what physicists consider a satisfying description,” said Irvine. “For example, if you ask, can I predict what happens next when I poke this region of turbulence? The answer is no. Not even really with a supercomputer.”  

One of the big problems was the presence of confounding variables in experiments. You can make turbulence by shooting a fast jet of water through a pipe or by stirring a paddle in a tank of water, but the turbulence is always brushing up against the container walls and the stirrer, which affects the results. 

Matsuzawa, Irvine, and their collaborators had been running experiments with tanks of water to make “vortex rings” – like smoke rings, but in water. When they tried to combine them to make turbulence, the energy usually bounced right back at them before dissipating.  

But once they hit upon a particular configuration – a box with eight corners, each containing a vortex ring generator – something odd happened.  

When they repeatedly fired rings that met in the center, they saw a ball of turbulence form that was self-contained, away from the walls of the tank.  

This itself was a breakthrough: “No one knew this was even possible,” said Matsuzawa, who is a graduate student in physics. “Turbulence is very good at mixing things; if you mix your milk into your coffee, you can only get one or two swirls in before it becomes completely mixed. The fact we can contain it in place is very surprising.”  

Matsuzawa explained that a freestanding ball of turbulence allows scientists, using lasers and multiple fast cameras, to track its parameters much more precisely. This includes its energy and its helicity (a measure of how tangled or “knotty” the loops are) as well as the impulse and angular impulse (the fluid equivalent of momentum and angular momentum). 

What’s more, they could play with it by varying the parameters. They could change whether the loops they sent in were helices spinning clockwise or counterclockwise. They could change the amount of energy going in, or stop adding rings and watch the turbulence dissipate, or vary the helicity of the rings and see how the turbulence evolved over time.  

“How does turbulence dissipate? How does it expand? What does it “remember”? How does the energy spread across scales? Are there different types of turbulence? There are all kinds of questions we could ask, and this is a unique setting with which to ask them,” Irvine said. “I really hope this can help open up a new playground in the field.”

Experimental chamber laser cameras 

The researchers track the turbulence with lasers and high-speed cameras.

CREDIT

Takumi Matsuzawa

JOURNAL

Nature Physics

ARTICLE TITLE

Creation of an isolated turbulent blob fed by vortex rings