A Dexterous, Glove-Based Teleoperable Low-Power Soft Robotic Arm for Delicate Deep-Sea Biological Exploration

Modern marine biologists seeking to study or interact with deep-sea organisms are confronted with few options beyond industrial robotic arms, claws, and suction samplers. This limits biological interactions to a subset of "rugged" and mostly immotile fauna. As the deep sea is one of the most biologically diverse and least studied ecosystems on the planet, there is much room for innovation in facilitating delicate interactions with a multitude of organisms. The biodiversity and physiology of shallow marine systems, such as coral reefs, are common study targets due to the easier nature of access; SCUBA diving allows for in situ delicate human interactions. Beyond the range of technical SCUBA (~150 m), the ability to achieve the same level of human dexterity using robotic systems becomes critically important. The deep ocean is navigated primarily by manned submersibles or remotely operated vehicles, which currently offer few options for delicate manipulation. Here we present results in developing a soft robotic manipulator for deep-sea biological sampling. This low-power glove-controlled soft robot was designed with the future marine biologist in mind, where science can be conducted at a comparable or better means than via a human diver and at depths well beyond the limits of SCUBA. The technology relies on compliant materials that are matched with the soft and fragile nature of marine organisms, and uses seawater as the working fluid. Actuators are driven by a custom proportional-control hydraulic engine that requires less than 50 W of electrical power, making it suitable for battery-powered operation. A wearable glove master allows for intuitive control of the arm. The manipulator system has been successfully operated in depths exceeding 2300 m (3500 psi) and has been field-tested onboard a manned submersible and unmanned remotely operated vehicles. The design, development, testing, and field trials of the soft manipulator is placed in context with existing systems and we offer suggestions for future work based on these findings.

Bilateral Krukenberg tumors due to appendiceal mucinous carcinoid

A case of mucinous carcinoid of the appendix presenting as bilateral Krukenberg tumors is reported. The patient, a 66-year-old woman, presented with vaginal spotting and lower abdominal pain of 2 months' duration. Sonography revealed a 5-cm ovarian mass. At operation a frozen section revealed metastatic mucinous carcinoid of the left ovary. Twenty months after radical surgery the patient died from abdominal carcinomatosis despite 4,500 cGy of abdominal radiation and multiagent chemotherapy. Primary ovarian carcinoid is invariably unilateral, whereas metastatic carcinoid to the ovary is almost always bilateral. The mucinous subtype appears to be more aggressive whether primary or metastatic.

An acute form of T gamma lymphoproliferative disease presenting with massive splenomegaly--importance of immunophenotyping for diagnosis

We describe a case of T gamma lymphoproliferative disease (T gamma LPD) which presented in an uncustomary acute onset in an adult with massive splenomegaly. Morphologically the cells represented monocytic leukemia. Karyotyping and equivocol special stain results suggested hairy cell leukemia. Gene rearrangement indicated a T lymphocytic malignancy. Immunocytochemistry stains were not definitive. Immunophenotyping by flow cytometry defined the cells as consistent with T gamma LPD (CD45+, CD56+, CD2+, CD3+, CD11b+, and CD38+; some cells CD8+; and CD57-). Although the cells did not have spontaneous activity, which is often the situation for most cases of T gamma LPD, the cells could be partially induced with exogenous interleukin 2 to exhibit in vitro cytotoxicity against a natural killer lymphocyte-susceptible target cell line (K562) but not a lymphocyte-activated killer target cell line (HEPG2). This report hopefully continues to increase the awareness of T gamma LPD as well as demonstrates an unusual acute form which could have been misdiagnosed unless a multidisciplinary approach, especially including flow cytometric immunophenotyping, was used to evaluate the patient.

MY4 expression on B-lymphocyte malignancies may be associated with a more adverse prognosis

We have noted what other preliminary reports have also described as a new specificity of the MY4 monoclonal antibody from Coulter Immunology which previously was designated to only have myelogenous CD14 specificity. The MY4 marker appears to characterize a subpopulation of some B-lymphocytic malignancies that are CD19, CD20, surface immunoglobulin as well as MY4 positive. The results occurred when other myelogenous markers such as CD11b, CD13 and CD33 were unreactive. Another monoclonal antibody marker of CD14 specificity, MO2, did not demonstrate a similar reactivity. Various other monoclonal antibodies of the same IgGI subclass as MY4 were also not reactive and thereby excludes non-specific adsorption as an explanation of the results. The six patients described in this report represented five non-Hodgkin's lymphoma cases and one chronic lymphocytic leukemia case. Fifteen B-lymphocytic leukemias and 30 other B-lymphocytic non-Hodgkin's lymphomas analysed during the same period were not MY4 positive. In reviewing the clinical course of the six patients compared to the general behavior of these types of malignancies and making a speculative generalization from the small group of cases, the MY4 antigen appeared to be expressed by low to intermediate grade B-lymphocytic malignancies of a type that were more rapidly progressive and/or had a greater tendency to undergo a transformation of their malignancy. Two of the three transformed cases were proceeded by chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

A technique for assaying the activities of alpha-GPD, LDH, and MDH in the teleost, the goldfish, Carassius auratus

1. A spectrophotometric assay using rho-iodo-nitro-triphenyl tetrazolium chloride as the indicator was developed for splenic tissue in the goldfish Carassius auratus. 2. This technique permits a rapid test for the activities of the enzymes lactic dehydrogenase, malic dehydrogenase, and alpha-glycerophosphate dehydrogenase which are indicative of the relative activities of various metabolic pathways.

The relationship between the activity of splenic enzymes and the immune response in the goldfish, Carassius auratus. I. Preliminary experiments with human A1 secretor's saliva and A1 RBC. II. Preliminary enzyme experiments using alpha-GPD and LDH

1. Goldfish, Carassius auratus, were injected with two antigenic substances A1 secretor's saliva or A1 RBC. 2. The goldfish produced significant antibody titers which continued for 10-12 weeks when maintained at 28 degrees C. 3. Analysis of enzymatic activities of soluble and particulate alpha-GPD and LDH from skeletal muscle and spleen showed significant differences between and within tissues.

Contraceptive agents from cycloaddition reactions of diarylcyclopropenones and diarylthiirene 1, 1-dioxides

The potential for compounds with antifertility activity from the reactions of diphenylcyclopropernone (1) and 2, 3-diphenylthiirene 1, 1-dioxide (2) with enamines is described. In certain instances, a marked dissociation of antifertility from estrogenic activity was possible. Two series were studied extensively, one was stilbene amides (7) and the other stilbene amino ketones (8). The latter series (8) afforded several materials from which, on further biological work-up, was singled out compound 21 as a potent antifertility agent in rats and hamsters.