Search

In the future, robots will interact with humans in highly variable and unpredictable settings, such as healthcare and home assistance. Frameworks are, therefore, fundamental to analyze and develop interactive robotic applications that can deal by design with the uncertainty of human behavioral and physiological features. Our framework is built upon formal modeling, verification, and learning techniques providing sound mathematical guarantees of human wellbeing preservation throughout the interaction and timely mission completion despite the uncertainties at play. The framework’s workflow makes it accessible to professional figures without expertise in formal methods, and the high degree of automation minimizes the manual effort required throughout the toolchain. The development of toolchain has been tested on use cases from the healthcare setting, in which human behavior is unconstrained, and subjects are often in critical mental or physical conditions.

This study evaluated the effects of dietary butyric acid (BA) on the Japanese quail' performance, immunology, lipid profile, cecal microbiota, and antioxidant levels. 250 unsexed, one-week-old quail chicks were divided into 5 groups, each with fifty chicks (5 replicates of 10 chicks). The first group was given the basal diet (BD), while the 2nd to 5th groups were fed BD with 50, 100, 150, and 200 mg BA/kg, respectively. The results indicated that BA improved weight gain and FCR (p< 0.05) and decreased total FI. The 200 mg BA/kg of diet showed the lowest FI (p< 0.05) and the best FCR (p> 0.05). BA boosted immunity through increasing IgA, IgM, IgG, and Complement 3. Significantly lower alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) were observed at 150 and 200 mg BA/kg (P< 0.05) than the control group. The BA-supplemented quail showed lower total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) than the control one. This effect was more pronounced for 100 and 200 mg of BA/kg. However, high low-density lipoprotein (HDL) did not differ from the control group (p> 0.05). BA at ≥100 mg/kg diet reduced malondialdehyde (MDA) and induced greater levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), glutathione peroxidase (GPX), globulin, total protein, digestive enzymes than the control group (P< 0.05). BA decreased cecal E. coli, Salmonella, Enterococcus, and Coliformsand increased Lactic acid bacteria (p< 0.05) compared to non-supplemented group. Collectively, the inclusion of 100 mg BA/kg diet is ideal for Japanese quail production and health.

The goals of the current research are to ascertain the impacts of Dunaliella salina(DS) on quail growth, carcass criteria, liver and kidney functions, lipid profile, and immune response. Two hundred and forty 7-day-old quail chicks were divided equally into 4 separate groups with 6 replicates with 10 birds each. The groups were as follows: 1) control diet (the basal feed without DS), 2) control diet enriched with 0.25 g DS/kg, 3) control diet enriched with 0.50 g DS/kg, and 4) control diet enriched with 1.00 g DS/kg. Results elucidated that the birds which consumed 0.5 and 1 g DS/kg diet performed better than other birds in terms of live body weight (LBW), body weight gain (BWG), and feed conversion ratio (FCR). There were no significant changes in feed intake (FI) and carcass characteristics due to different dietary DS levels. Compared to the control group, DS-treated groups had better lipid profile (low total cholesterol and LDL values and high HDL values) and immune response (complement 3 values). The quails consumed feeds with different levels of DS had greater (P< 0.038) C3 compared to control. Adding 0.5 and 1 g DS/kg lowered blood concentrations of triglycerides and total protein (TP) values. The high level of DS (1 g/kg) had higher albumin values and lower AST values than other groups (P< 0.05). The creatinine values were at the lowest levels in the group consumed 0.50 g DS/kg feed. No changes (P> 0.05) were demonstrated among experimental groups in the ALT, urea, and lysozyme values. In conclusion, adding D. salinato growing quail diets enhanced growth, immune system, blood lipid profile, and kidney and liver function.

A osteomielite crônica pós‐operatória é um problema de saúde importante devido à sua morbidade significativa e baixa taxa de mortalidade. Essa patologia se apresenta como um desafio do ponto de vista de compreensão da patogenia e também de escolha da estratégia de tratamento. O objetivo deste artigo foi revisar o tema proposto quanto à sua definição, patogenia, seus aspectos clínicos, seu diagnóstico e tratamento, reunir todas essas informações em uma única publicação brasileira de caráter de atualização.

Patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) universally progress during chemotherapy treatment regardless of their initial response. This study demonstrated that sorafenib, a multi-kinase inhibitor administered orally, can safely be combined with chemotherapy and in some instances could overcome chemotherapy resistance, showing biochemical responses, and radiographically stable disease (SD).

In chemotherapy-naive, castration-resistant prostate cancer patients, this phase II, single-institution study demonstrates that lenalidomide monotherapy has modest single-agent activity. A decline in prostate-specific antigen level was noted in 48% of evaluable patients. This observed activity suggests that further investigation of lenalidomide in combination with novel antiandrogens is warranted.

The article offers step-by-step instructions for using hanger bolt and French cleat in installing fascia signs.

This study was conducted to compare the effects of mannanoligosaccharides (MOS) and antibiotics as a dietary supplement on ADG, ADFI, G:F, and feed nutrient digestibility of rabbits during the fattening period, as well as on carcass traits and meat quality. A total of 512, sixty-day-old hybrid Hyla rabbits were randomly divided into 4 treatment groups based on BW and sex. The 4 treatment groups consisted of a control group and 3 MOS groups. The control group was fed a diet that contained apramycin (50 mg/kg), but diets for the 3 MOS groups contained 0.5, 1.0, or 1.5 g/kg of MOS instead of apramycin. The rabbits were fed experimental diets for 22 d and all rabbits were slaughtered at the end of the experiment when they were 82 d old. Individual BW and feed intake per cage were recorded weekly for 32 cages randomly chosen per group (64 rabbits) to calculate ADG, ADFI, and G:F. The apparent digestibility values of OM, CP, ether extract, crude fiber, NDF, ADF, cellulose, and hemicellulose were measured using AIA as an inert marker. Carcass data were collected from 16 randomly chosen rabbits (8 males and 8 females) per group. The control group had less G:F (P< 0.001) than the MOS groups and a linear increase (P< 0.001) in G:F was observed as the concentration of MOS increased from 0.5 to 1.0 and 1.5 g/kg. The apparent digestibility of DM, OM, crude fiber, NDF, ADF, cellulose, and hemicellulose increased (quadratic, P< 0.05) as the concentration of MOS in the diets increased. The apparent digestibility of DM, OM, CP, crude fiber, NDF, ADF, cellulose, and hemicellulose was also greater (P< 0.05) in the diets containing MOS than in the control diet and the digestibility of these nutrients was greater (P< 0.05) in the diet containing 1.5 g/kg of MOS compared with the control diet. The concentration of palmitic acid, stearic acid, and SFA was greater (P< 0.05) in the meat from rabbits fed the control diet than rabbits fed the MOS diets. The concentration of stearic acid decreased (quadratic, P< 0.05) in the meat of rabbits as the concentration of MOS in the diet increased. Meat from rabbits fed diets containing MOS also had greater contents of oleic acid (P< 0.05) and MUFA (P< 0.001) than those rabbits fed the diet containing apramycin. The thrombogenic index was greater (P< 0.05) in the meat from the control group rabbits than the MOS group rabbits. In conclusion, the inclusion of MOS in diets fed to rabbits during the fattening period may improve G:F and modify the fatty acid profile of meat.

Prostate cancer continues as the most common malignancy in men in the United States, with a large number of patients presenting with advanced disease. The current treatment for metastatic prostate cancer, permanent androgen withdrawal, is palliative. Patients treated with permanent androgen withdrawal usually relapse and die secondary to prostate cancer's ability to progress to an androgen‐independent state of growth. Based on preclinical studies and phase II trials, intermittent androgen suppression (IAS) appears to be a potential alternative to permanent androgen withdrawal. IAS may be a feasible alternative for the treatment of metastatic prostate cancer. In this paper, preclinical studies that form the basis of IAS and the clinical studies to date concerning IAS are reviewed. Through the cycling of reversible androgen suppression, there appears to be recovery of apoptosis and subsequent slower progression to an androgen‐independent state. The small clinical studies conducted to date show the feasibility of IAS, and, in a few studies, there appears to be a survival advantage over historic controls. A prospective randomized trial which is currently under way will test IAS as a treatment alternative in stage D2prostate cancer.

Bacteriophage-T4 and human type I DNA ligases were found capable of self-adenylating upon exposure to both ribo- and deoxyribo-[alpha-35S]thio-ATP. However, the joining reaction does not take place in the presence of the deoxyribotriphosphates. Enzyme adenylation is reversed in all cases by an excess of PPi, but the rate of reversion is lower with thio derivatives. Therefore thio derivatives can be used to study the adenylation of DNA ligases and to search for specific inhibitors of the first step of the ligation reaction. In addition we show that thio derivatives can be used to detect DNA ligase adenylation activity covalently bound to a solid matrix.

The minimal muscle-specific dystrophin promoter contains the consensus sequence CC(A/T)6GG, or the CArG element, which can be found in serum-inducible or muscle-specific promoters. The serum response factor (SRF), which mediates the transcriptional activation of the c-fosgene in response to serum stimulation, can bind to different CArG box elements, suggesting that it could be involved in muscle-constitutive transcription. Here we show that SRF binds to the dystrophin promoter and regulates its muscle-specific transcription. In transient transfections, an altered-binding-specificity SRF mutant restores the muscle-constitutive transcription of a dystrophin promoter with a mutation in its CArG box element. The muscle-constitutive transcription of the dystrophin promoter also requires the sequence GAAACC immediately downstream of the CArG box. This sequence is recognized by a novel DNA bending factor which was named dystrophin promoter-bending factor (DPBF). Mutations of the CArG flanking sequence abolish both DPBF binding and the promoter activity in muscle cells. Its replacement with a p62/ternary complex factor binding site changes the promoter specificity from muscle constitutive to serum responsive. These results show that, on the dystrophin promoter, the transcriptional activation induced by SRF requires the DNA bending induced by DPBF. The bending, next to the CArG box, could promote interactions between SRF and other proteins in the transcriptional complex.

A double-blind crossover trial was carried out on the sleep-inducing activity of a new preparation (oral drops) of lormetazepam versus placebo. Twenty patients were included and requested to subjectively evaluate their sleep, both by analogue scales and semiquantitative ratings, during 2-night administration of the two products.Also, the usual parameters, sleep duration, sleep latency and number of awakenings were evaluated.Lormetazepam drops appeared to exert the same actions as the capsules' preparation, being significantly different from those of the placebo.

A total of 19 anthracycline derivatives were tested for their ability to interfere in vitro with the action of the human replicative DNA ligase. Only those with the sugar devoid of unmodified amino groups or with large configurational modifications were found to be inactive. Maximal inhibition of DNA-joining activity was found to require a 4′-deoxy-3′-amino sugar. Self-adenylation of DNA ligase was largely insensitive to these drugs. An important general finding is that slight modifications of the anthracycline structure have pronounced effects on DNA-ligase-inhibitory activity and might be related to the specificity of anthracycline anti-tumour activity.

A number of DNA intercalating and externally binding drugs have been found to inhibit nick sealing, cohesive and blunt end ligation, AMP-dependent DNA topoisomerization and EDTA-induced DNA nicking mediated by bacteriophage T4 DNA ligase. The inhibition seems to arise from drug-substrate interaction so that formation of active DNA-Mg2(+)-AMP-enzyme complex is impaired while assembled and active complexes are not disturbed by drug binding to the substrate.

The quasistatic thertnoelastic equations for radially monoclinic cylindrical shells are solved in closed form for arbitrary temperature distributions and boundary conditions. In addition to both mechanical and thermal material anisotropy, the effects of shear deformation are admitted in the governing shell field equations. The solution to the governing thermomechanical noncanonical field equations is obtained through the use of integral transformations employed in conjunction with the application of adjoint differential operators. To illustrate the substantial effects of mechanical and thermal material anisotropy, the results of several numerical experiments are studied in detail.

Purpose: To construct an efficient pilot study design to determine whether interferon alfa-2b modifies the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of continuous-infusion etoposide.Patients and methods: A two-stage randomized 2 × 2 factorial design was used to evaluate interferon alfa-2b at two doses (2 or 10 MU/m2/day SQ for 3 days) and two schedules (interferon alfa-2b administered before or concurrent with 72-hour continuous-infusion etoposide). Etoposide was administered at 75, 100, or 125 mg/m2/day. In lieu of comparing the experimental arms to an etoposide-alone control arm to determine effect of interferon alfa-2b dose and schedule, a novel analytic approach was used. The effect of interferon alfa-2b on etoposide-induced leukopenia was assessed indirectly by comparison of the observed white blood cell (WBC) nadir to the nadir predicted from an established pharmacodynamic model for single agent etoposide.Results: Based on 29 patients, dose-normalized 24-hour total and estimated free etoposide concentrations did not differ with interferon alfa-2b dose or schedule. Patients treated with interferon alfa-2b before etoposide had, on average a WBC nadir 545 ± 225 cells/μl lower than that predicted by a pharmacodynamic model for etoposide alone. An optimal nonlinear model for leukopenia was defined by interferon alfa-2b schedule in addition to 24-hour etoposide concentration.Conclusion: A novel study design and statistical analysis provided an efficient preliminary evaluation of the combination of interferon alfa-2b with etoposide in a modest number of patients. Exploitation of a previously validated pharmacodynamic model allowed evaluation of interferon alfa-2b effect and eliminated the need for an etoposide-alone control arm. The pharmacokinetics of continuous-infusion etoposide at doses from 75 to 125 mg/m2/day appear to be unchanged by interferon alfa-2b at the doses and schedules tested and the combination appears to be feasible. We hypothesize that leukopenia may be enhanced when interferon alfa-2b is administered before etoposide, especially at a higher dose of interferon alfa-2b.

We report the identification, structural characterization, and mapping of the humanFIGFgene.FIGFis the human homologue of mousefigf(c-fos-induced growth factor), a new member of the platelet-derived growth factor/vascular endothelial growth factor (PDGF/VEGF) family. It codes for a secreted factor with mitogenic and morphogenic activity on fibroblast cells. The predicted amino acid sequence ofFIGFis 84% identical to that of the mouse protein, and it is highly conserved (up to 40%) in the dimerization domain with respect to the VEGF members of the family. The 2.5-kb mRNA ofFIGFwas detected in adult lung and heart tissues. The gene spans about 50 kb and is organized into seven exons and six introns. TheFIGFpromoter contains an optimal AP-1-binding site and lacks a canonical TATA box. Fluorescencein situhybridization mappedFIGFto chromosomal region Xp22.1. The subsequent identification of YAC positive clones from this region allowed us to refine the map and localizeFIGFcentromeric to the phosphatidylinositol glycan complementation class A (PIGA) gene and telomeric to the gastrin-releasing peptide receptor (GRPR) gene.FIGFandPIGAgenes lie next to each other in a head-to-tail orientation, with theFIGFpolyadenylation signal about 12 kb from thePIGAtranscriptional start site.

A multisegment method is developed for the solution of two-point boundary-value problems governed by a system of first-order ordinary nonlinear differential equations. By means of this method, rotationally symmetric shells of arbitrary shape under axisymmetric loads can be analyzed with any available nonlinear bending theory of shells. The basic equations required by the method are given for one particular theory of shells, and numerical examples of a shallow spherical cap and a complete torus subjected to external pressure are presented in detail. The main advantage of this method over the finite-difference approach is that the solution is obtained everywhere with uniform accuracy, and the iteration process with respect to the mesh size, which is required with the finite-difference method, is eliminated.

AbstractGilthead sea bream (Sparus aurataL.) is one of the most intensively farmed fish species in the Mediterranean, greatly studied for the relevant economic value, although its sensitivity to Aflatoxin B1(AFB1) has to be investigated, yet. The aim of this study was to perform an in vitroevaluation of cytotoxic potential of AFB1on S. auratahepatocytes in order to grade the range of AFB1toxicity, and the boundary between acute and long-term toxicity. Primary monolayer cultures of hepatocytes from S. auratajuveniles were treated with a wide range of concentrations from 5x103ng/ml to 2x10-5ng/ml of AFB1for a different period of exposure (24, 48, 72 hours). The cytotoxic activity was characterized by MTT reduction assay. After each exposition hepatocytes were examined for morphologic alterations and apoptosis induction. AFB1exposure significantly reduced cell viability in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Dose-response curves obtained after 24, 48 and 72 hrs revealed that prolonged exposure times lead to a significant increase of the toxic potency of AFB1. Our results demonstrate that S. auratahepatocytes are highly sensitive to AFB1exposure. Such scientific findings could provide new insights to investigate the real impact of aflatoxin on marine farmed fish.

AbstractAim of the study was the evaluation of a innovative I.H.D.H. carcass production system in order to improve the conditions for mare’s milk production. In the trial were used 18 foals, subdivided in three randomized groups of 6 animals each. Every group was slaughtered at a different age: 6 months (artificially suckled), 11 months and 18 months (naturally suckled, following traditional rearing systems). Six months old foals carcasses were characterized by 75.59 % of lean, 12.79 % of fat and 11.64 % of bone. Six months foals carcasses showed the lean end the fact respectively higher (P<0.001) end lower (P<0.001) than 18 months ones (P<0.001), and the bone higher than 11 months foals (P<0.001). Six months hind quarter incidence was 65.00 %, more than found for 18 months carcasses (P<0.001). Moreover, 6 months carcasses showed an first quality cuts incidence higher than 11 months foals (P<0.01).

The article focuses on the ways to avoid the same mistakes as old-school baseball made by political campaigns. It relates the book "Moneyball," by Michael Lewis which explores the tactic on how a small market team can compete with rich franchises. It adds that the increase of the cost per voter on television during midterm election must also be considered in campaigns.

The antiviral distamycin A and its phenyl mustard derivative FCE24517 possessing antitumor activity were tested for their ability to Inhibit macromolecular synthesis in three human and one murine cell line. While distamycin A was poorly active in these systems, FCE24517 inhibited DNA synthesis efficiently, RNA synthesis to a lower extent and had little effect on protein synthesis. These findings suggest that the in vlvo activity of FCE24517 derives from the specific inhibition of DNA synthesis. When the two drugs were tested on several enzymes involved in human DNA metabolism a strikingly similar pattern of inhibition appeared, with dlstamycln A being the more potent. Both drugs showed: A), no inhibitory activity against thymidine kinase and DNA primase; B), low activity against DNA topoisomerases I and II and the 3'-5' exonuclease associated wfth the DNA polymerase ɛ), high activity against DNA polymerases α and ɛ, uracil DNA glycosylase and the Joining activity of the replicative DNA ligase; D), the highest Inhibitory activity against the AMP-dependent DNA relaxing activity of DNA ligase. The strong in vitro inhibition of several DNA enzymic activities, Including DNA ligase, do not match with the in vivo activities of the two drugs. However a unique difference was observed: only FCE24517 inhibited the DNA-independent reaction of adenylation of human DNA ligase while the adenylation reaction of T4 and E. coil DNA ligase was unaffected by either drug. It Is still unclear whether these properties are relevant for modulating the killing activity of FCE24517 against proliferating cells both In culture and in vivo. Nevertheless FCE24517 lathe first known molecule capable of interacting directly and specifically with human DNA ligase.

in the presence of a mixture of ATP, AMP and PPi altered the topological properties of a supercoiled substrate by a step-wise reaction eventually leading to a population of fully relaxed, covalently closed products. In the presence of only AMP and PPi DNA products containing nicks with 3'0H/5'P termini accumulated in the presence of bacteriophage T4 DNA ligase, suggesting reversal of the entire joining reaction, but not in the presence of human DNA ligase I. Both DNA ligases became deoxyadenylylated in the presence of dATP, but the joining reaction did not proceed to completion. However, with both enzymes the full relaxing reaction took place in the presence of dAMP alone and in the presence of a mixture of dATP, dAMP and PPi. In no case could the joining reaction be reversed by dAMP and PPi. Related experiments with modified derivatives of deoxyribonucleoside 5'-triphosphates and PPi gave results in accord with these observations. The AMP dependent DNA relaxation catalysed by DNA ligases was insensitive to the presence of exonuclease III. These results indicate that controlled relaxation of the substrate by both DNA ligases occurs as a separate reaction rather than by simple reversal of the joining reaction. These findings support the hypothesis that in vivo the DNA topoisomerising ligases relax their substrate at the replication fork both during and separately from ligation of a pre-existing nick.