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IDEFIX, a rover to be delivered to the martian moon Phobos, is part of the Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) mission by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, JAXA. MMX will explore both moons of Mars remotely but will also land on Phobos and collect samples from its surface and return them back to Earth. The IDEFIX rover will be released from the main spacecraft during its landing rehearsal at an altitude of about 40 m. It will fall to the surface, probably bounce several times and upright itself after having come to rest by applying an autonomous sequence of the deployment of its locomotion system. This sequence is followed by deployment of the solar generator and recharging of the batteries. After commissioning, on-Phobos operations are planned for at least 100 (Earth-) days. Sequences of science operations (instrument measurements), driving, battery charging and communications with Earth (via the main spacecraft) will alternate in a way to maximize scientific return and fulfill technical demonstration goals. IDEFIX accommodates a payload of four scientific instruments: a Raman spectrometer (RAX), a stereo pair of cameras looking forwards (NavCams; also used for navigation), a radiometer (miniRAD), and two cameras looking at the wheel-surface interface (WheelCams). MMX will be launched in autumn 2026, the Rover delivery to Phobos is currently planned for late 2028, before the first touch down of the spacecraft and sample collection. The Rover is a contribution by the Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales (CNES) and the German Aerospace Center (DLR) with additional contributions from INTA (Spain) and JAXA (Japan).

Purpose - Surgical robotics can be divided into two groups: specialized and versatile systems. Versatile systems can be used in different surgical applications, control architectures and operating room set-ups, but often still based on the adaptation of industrial robots. Space consumption, safety and adequacy of industrial robots in the unstructured and crowded environment of an operating room and in close human robot interaction are at least questionable. The purpose of this paper is to describe the DLR MIRO, a new versatile lightweight robot for surgical applications.Design methodology approach - The design approach of the DLR MIRO robot focuses on compact, slim and lightweight design to assist the surgeon directly at the operating table without interference. Significantly reduced accelerated masses (total weight 10 kg) enhance the safety of the system during close interaction with patient and user. Additionally, MIRO integrates torque-sensing capabilities to enable close interaction with human beings in unstructured environments.Findings - A payload of 30 N, optimized kinematics and workspace for surgery enable a broad range of possible applications. Offering position, torque and impedance control on Cartesian and joint level, the robot can be integrated easily into telepresence (e.g. endoscopic surgery), autonomous or soft robotics applications, with one or multiple arms.Originality value - This paper considers lightweight and compact design as important design issues in robotic assistance systems for surgery.

PurposeResearch on surgical robotics demands systems for evaluating scientific approaches. Such systems can be divided into dedicated and versatile systems. Dedicated systems are designed for a single surgical task or technique, whereas versatile systems are designed to be expandable and useful in multiple surgical applications. Versatile systems are often based on industrial robots, though, and because of this, are hardly suitable for close contact with humans.MethodTo achieve a high degree of versatility the Miro robotic surgery platform (MRSP) consists of versatile components, dedicated front–ends towards surgery and configurable interfaces for the surgeon.ResultsThis paper presents MiroSurge, a configuration of the MRSP that allows for bimanual endoscopic telesurgery with force feedback.ConclusionsWhile the components of the MiroSurge system are shown to fulfil the rigid design requirements for robotic telesurgery with force feedback, the system remains versatile, which is supposed to be a key issue for the further development and optimisation.

Obesity is a leading cause of preventable death in the United States. Currently approved pharmacotherapies for the treatment of obesity are associated with rebound weight gain, negative side effects, and the potential for abuse. There is a need for new treatments with fewer side effects. Minor tobacco alkaloids (MTAs) are potential candidates for novel obesity pharmacotherapies. These alkaloids are structurally related to nicotine, which can help reduce body weight, but without the same addictive potential. The purpose of the current study was to examine the effects of three MTAs (nornicotine, anatabine, and anabasine) and nicotine on weight gain, body composition, chow intake, and physical activity. We hypothesized that the MTAs and nicotine would reduce weight gain through reductions in chow intake and increases in physical activity. To test this, male Sprague Dawley rats were housed in metabolic phenotyping chambers. Following acclimation to these chambers and to (subcutaneous (sc)) injections of saline, animals received daily injections (sc) of nornicotine, anabasine, anatabine, or nicotine for one week. Compared to saline-injected animals that gained body weight and body fat during the treatment phase, injections of nornicotine and anatabine prevented additional weight gain, alongside reductions in body fat. Rats receiving anabasine and nicotine gained body weight at a slower rate relative to rats receiving saline injections, and body fat remained unchanged. All compounds reduced the intake of chow pellets. Nornicotine and nicotine produced consistent increases in physical activity 6 h post-injection, whereas anabasine’s and anatabine’s effects on physical activity were more transient. These results show that short-term, daily administration of nornicotine, anabasine, and anatabine has positive effects on weight loss, through reductions in body fat and food intake and increases in physical activity. Together, these findings suggest that MTAs are worthy of further investigations as anti-obesity pharmacotherapies.

A phylogenetic analysis was conducted on sequences of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of nuclear ribosomal DNA in 23 species of Aveneae (Poaceae subfam. Pooideaae). These sequences of Helictotrichon spp., Arrhenatherum elatius, Avena spp., Trisetum spp., Koeleria spp., Holcus lanatus, Alopecurus vaginatus together with published ITS sequences of further Aveneae, Poeae, Triticeae, and Bromeae were analysed by the neighbor-joining distance method to assess the molecular phylogenetic relationship in perennial and annual Aveneae. The results suggest unexpectedly close affinities of the agronomically important genus Avena to comparatively small-flowered taxa of Aveneae. Genus Arrhenatherum and small-flowered subgenera of Helictotrichon are close extant relatives. The large genus Helictotrichon is para- if not polyphyletic, only its subgenera are monophyletic. Trisetum is clearly separated from Helictotrichon and forms together with Koeleria and perhaps others a monophyletic lineage which is characterised by a conspicuous 9-bp deletion in ITS1. The impact of the ITS data on the delineation of some genera and subtribes of Aveneae and on the recognition of their biogeographical and ecological patterns is outlined.

A phylogenetic analysis was conducted on sequences of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of nuclear ribosomal DNA in 23 species ofAveneae (Poaceae subfam.Pooideaae). These sequences ofHelictotrichon spp.,Arrhenatherum elatius, Avena spp.,Trisetum spp.,Koeleria spp.,Holcus lanatus, Alopecurus vaginatus together with published ITS sequences of furtherAveneae, Poeae, Triticeae, andBromeae were analysed by the neighbor-joining distance method to assess the molecular phylogenetic relationship in perennial and annualAveneae. The results suggest unexpectedly close affinities of the agronomically important genusAvena to comparatively small-flowered taxa ofAveneae. GenusArrhenatherum and small-flowered subgenera ofHelictotrichon are close extant relatives. The large genusHelictotrichon is para- if not polyphyletic, only its subgenera are monophyletic.Trisetum is clearly separated fromHelictotrichon and forms together withKoeleria and perhaps others a monophyletic lineage which is characterised by a conspicuous 9-bp deletion in ITS1. The impact of the ITS data on the delineation of some genera and subtribes ofAveneae and on the recognition of their biogeographical and ecological patterns is outlined.