Purpose - The purpose of this paper is the increase the flexibility of robots used for handling of 3D (food) objects handling by the development and evaluation of a novel 3D Bernoulli gripper.Design/methodology/approach - A new gripper technology have been designed and evaluated. A deformable surface have been used to enable individual product handling. The lift force generated and the force exerted on the product during gripping is measured using a material tester instrument. Various products are tested with the gripper. A experimental/theoretical approach is used to explain the results.Findings - A deformable surface can be used to generate a lift force using the Bernoulli principle on 3D objects. Using a small forming a significant increase in the lift force generated is recorded. Increasing the forming further was shown to have little or even negative effects. The forces exerted on the product during forming was measured to be sufficiently low to avoid product damage.Research limitations/implications - To be able to improve the grippers lift strength a better model and understanding of the flow is needed.Originality/value - A novel Bernoulli gripper for 3D Bernoulli gripping have been designed and evaluated. The gripper enables flexible and delicate handling of various product shapes, 3D as well as 2D. Increased utilization of robots in the food industry can be gained.

Objective: To investigate the potential of specific angiotensin II subtype 1 (AT1) receptor blockade to modify the mesenteric hemodynamic response to acute hypovolemia and retransfusion. Design: Prospective, randomized, controlled experimental study. Setting: University‐affiliated animal research laboratory. Subjects: Fasted, anesthetized, ventilated, juvenile domestic pigs of both sexes. Interventions: Acute, graded hypovolemia by 20% and 40% of the total estimated blood volume followed by retransfusion in control animals (CTRL; n = 10) and animals pretreated with the AT1 receptor blocker candesartan (CAND; n = 10). Measurements and Main Results: Invasive monitoring of arterial and central venous blood pressures, cardiac output, portal venous blood flow, and jejunal mucosal blood flow. Blood gases were repeatedly analyzed to calculate oxygen delivery and consumption. Thirty minutes after each level of hypovolemia at 20% and 40%, cardiac output was decreased in CTRL animals from a baseline of 2.9 ± 0.1 to 1.8 ± 0.2 and 1.1 ± 0.2 L/min, with no differences compared with CAND animals. Cardiac output was restored to 3.0 ± 0.3 L/min 30 mins after retransfusion in CTRL animals, with no significant intergroup differences. Baseline portal venous blood flow (QMES) and jejunal mucosal perfusion (PUJEJ) were greater in CAND animals compared with CTRL animals. During graded hypovolemia, CAND animals maintained QMES and PUJEJ at significantly higher levels compared with CTRL animals, particularly after 40% hemorrhage (+221% and +244%, respectively, relative to the mean values in CTRL animals). The same pattern was observed after retransfusion. Moreover, the calculated mesenteric critical oxygen delivery was significantly greater in CTRL animals (74 mL/min) compared with CAND animals (34 mL/min). No animals died in the CAND group, whereas four animals died during 40% hypovolemia or retransfusion in the CTRL group. Conclusions: Specific AT1 blockade before acute hypovolemia significantly ameliorated mesenteric and, in particular, jejunal mucosal hypoperfusion. In addition, cardiovascular stability was improved, and mortality in conjunction with acute hypovolemia and retransfusion could be completely avoided. These findings support a fundamental role of the renin‐angiotensin system in the mesenteric response to acute hypovolemia and indicate a substantial interventional potential for candesartan in conjunction with circulatory stress.

In a prospective, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of iv immunoglobulin (IVIG) and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMS), 130 children less than 8 years of age were referred for recurrent bacterial respiratory tract infections, as judged by the referring physician. Of the 130 children referred, only 24 continued to have bacterial respiratory infections over a 4-month observation period. They were randomized and 23/24 treated for 4 months during the winter-spring season. The 7 children given placebo for both IVG adn TMS continued to have bacterial respiratory infections, while 14 of 16 children given active therapy with either IVIG or TMS became infection-free (p=0.002). No relation to IgG subclass level or between the two modalities of treatment was found. We concluded that most infection-prone children suffer from viral infections and are given antibiotics unnecessarily. Of the small group of children that have documented, repeated bacterial infections, prophylactic therapy with either IVIG or TMS can substantially diminish the number of infections.

The serotonin (S2) antagonist, ketanserin was given to 16 patients with essential hypertension on a single-blind basis. Ten patients were treated for 3 years with ketanserin 40-80 mg daily on a once or twice daily regimen. In this group supine blood pressure fell from 164 +/- 4/101 +/- 2 mmHg on placebo to 152 +/- 5/91 +/- 3 mmHg (NS/P less than 0.01) after 3 years of therapy. During treatment, total serum cholesterol remained essentially unchanged while serum triglycerides were significantly reduced. No side-effects were seen except for dry mouth or slight nasal congestion reported by two patients. In six patients regional haemodynamics were assessed by forearm plethysmography. After 3 months of ketanserin, resting vascular resistance was significantly reduced from 58.3 +/- 12 units on single-blind placebo to 47.0 +/- 12 units (P less than 0.005) on single-blind ketanserin, 40 mg twice daily. We conclude that ketanserin is an effective antihypertensive agent during long-term therapy with some beneficial effects on serum lipids. The antihypertensive effect seems to be mediated chiefly by a decrease in vascular resistance.