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This article presents the determination of dynamic equation to manipulators like antropomorphic arm with n-DOF. It was built in MATHEMATICA environment, according the method of Euler-Lagrange and is concerned with the actuator fusion in the links structure in DC motor selection process that modifies the dynamic geometric parameters, due of typical operations defined in the manipulators design phase. This work concentrate on the analytic DC motor and reducer specification for each joint too, according drive type, and load that drops previously on its during the accomplishment of a task, that is specified for the wanted manipulator or antropomorphic prostheses.

AbstractWe report the process of adaptation into Sinhala of a questionnaire given to mothers of twins to determine zygosity. Adaptation and validation was carried out in three stages. Firstly, we used a nominal group to translate the English version and to assess the extent of agreement (consensus measurement) on the appropriateness of the translation and resolve disagreement (consensus development). Secondly we used a qualitative interview with 25 mothers of twins. The three main stems of the translated questionnaire were used as a semi-structured interview, and the responses noted verbatim. These were categorised and analysed, and the translated full questionnaire was then presented as closed questions with fixed choice responses. The categorised responses generated during the qualitative interview were compared with the responses to the fixed choices in the full questionnaire. The third stage was the appraisal of the questionnaire by 17 bilingual parents of twins. The source and translated version of the questionnaire were given to them at least 3 days apart. The responses were rated and the total scores were computed to determine the zygosity. This step was carried out to measure the validity and reliability of the Sinhala version. A perfect correlation between the original and adapted version was obtained, with a kappa of 1. The results suggest that the Sinhala version of the questionnaire is conceptually equivalent to the original questionnaire. Comparison of the zygosity determination by using this adapted questionnaire with results from analysis of genetic markers on Sri Lankan twins is needed for final validation of the translated questionnaire. Twin Research (2000) 3, 205?212.

ABSTRACTFormalin and mercuric chloride-based low-viscosity polyvinyl alcohol (LV-PVA) are widely used by most diagnostic parasitology laboratories for preservation of helminth eggs and protozoan cysts and trophozoites in fecal specimens. Concerns about the toxicity of formalin and the difficulty of disposal of LV-PVA are powerful incentives to use alternate preservatives. Such alternatives have been marketed by several companies and are often presented as one-vial, non-mercuric chloride fixatives that aim at performing the same role as formalin and PVA combined. We compared five, one-vial commercial preservatives, two from Meridian Diagnostics, Inc. (Ecofix and sodium acetate-acetic acid-formalin), and one each from Scientific Device Laboratories, Inc. (Parasafe), Alpha Tec Systems, Inc. (Proto-fix), and Streck Laboratories, Inc. (STF), with 10% formalin and LV-PVA. Fecal specimens obtained from patients in a Brazilian hospital were aliquoted within 12 h of collection into the seven preservatives mentioned above and were processed after 1 month at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Direct and concentrated permanent smears as well as concentrates for 20 positive specimens (a total of 259 processed samples) were prepared, stained according to the manufacturers' instructions, examined, and graded. Positive specimens contained one or more parasites with stages consisting of eggs, larvae, cysts, and a few trophozoites of Giardia intestinalis. Criteria for assessment of the preservatives included the quality of the diagnostic characteristics of helminth eggs, protozoan cysts, and trophozoites, ease of use, and cost. Acceptable alternatives to formalin for wet preparations were found. Ecofix was found to be comparable to the traditional “gold standard” LV-PVA for the visualization of protozoa in permanent stained smears. This study suggests that more acceptable alternatives to the traditional formalin and LV-PVA exist.

The miscibility of two macroscopic phase separated polymers, a propylene−ethylene−diene terpolymer and an atactic polypropylene, has been investigated by a combination of several solid-state NMR techniques. Carbon-detected proton T1ρ and carbon-detected proton T1 in systems conditioned by two-dimensional heteronuclear wide-line separation (WISE) were used. Both techniques are sensitive to spin diffusion between phases, with WISE being suited to making it stand apart from the basic relaxation process. These two techniques yield similar but different assessments of the presence and amount of phase separation present. This is not surprising considering that they involve different relaxation time scales, from milliseconds to seconds. An additional comparison is made with differential scanning calorimetry and xenon NMR results, which also address this problem. In addition, the WISE data permit an estimate of the aPP domain size.

Adaptar y validar la versión en español del cuestionario 24-item Family Satisfaction in the Intensive Care Unit(FS ICU-24) en familiares de pacientes críticos en un hospital universitario en Chile.

1. We have investigated the electrical properties of neurons acutely dissociated from the substantia nigra zona compacta (SNZC) of the postnatal rat with whole cell patch-clamp recordings. Retrogradely labeled nigrostriatal neurons were identified with the use of rhodamine-labeled fluorescent latex microspheres. Over 90% of the rhodamine-labeled neurons in the SNZC demonstrated formaldehyde/glutaraldehyde-induced catecholamine fluorescence, indicating that they were dopaminergic (DA) neurons. 2. DA neurons had 15-20 microns ovoid or fusiform-shaped cell bodies with 2-3 thick proximal processes. Labeled neurons generated spontaneous action-potential activity in both regular and irregular patterns. These cells exhibited input resistances of 300-600 M omega and action-potential amplitudes of 60-80 mV. Locally applied dopamine inhibited the spontaneous activity of these neurons by hyperpolarizing the cells. 3. Outward currents were examined with voltage-clamp recordings using a tetrodotoxin (TTX)-containing medium. In all DA cells, depolarizing voltage commands activated several components of outward current depending on the holding potential of the cell. When cells were held at -40 mV (or more positive), voltage steps activated a sustained outward current. If the membrane potential was held more negative than -50 mV, a rapidly activating and inactivating component of outward current response could also be detected. 4. From a hyperpolarized holding potential (-90 mV) the transient outward current activated with depolarizing commands to -55 mV, peaking within 5 ms. The current inactivated with a monoexponential time constant of 53 +/- 4 (SE) ms. At more positive holding potentials (-40 mV) the steady-state inactivation of the current could be removed by applying a conditioning hyperpolarizing prepulse. In response to a fixed depolarizing voltage step, half-maximal inactivation occurred at about -65 mV. The transient current was blocked by 4-aminopyridine (4-AP). 5. The sustained outward currents were isolated by holding the cells at -40 mV. Two components of sustained outward current were distinguished by their sensitivity to the calcium channel blockers Co2+ (5 mM) and/or Cd2+ (200 microM). The current remaining in the presence of Co2+/Cd2+ was activated by depolarizing voltage commands more positive than -40 mV.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

A low-velocity beam of rubidium atoms is produced from a two-dimensional magneto-optic trap or atomic funnel. Atoms from a thermal beam are slowed by chirped laser cooling and then loaded into the funnel. The cold atoms are ejected by moving molasses formed with frequency-shifted laser beams. The resultant atomic beam has a controllable velocity in the range of 3 to 10 m/s, a temperature of 500 µK, and a flux of 10^10 atoms/s.

We discuss the problem of neutrino burst identification in underground ν-telescopes. First the usual statistical analysis based on the time structure of the events is reviewed, with special attention to the statistical significance of burst candidates. Next, we propose a second level analysis that can provide independent confirmation of burst detection. This exploits the spatial distribution of the single events of a burst candidate, and uses the formalism of the entropy of information. Examples of both techniques are shown, based on the LVD experiment at Gran Sasso.

Endogenous activities of phospholipases A and C in Ureaplasma urealyticum were assayed in cellular fractions of exponential-phase cells. Enzymatic studies indicated that ATPase activity was localized in the plasma membrane fraction and NADH and NADPH dehydrogenase activities were localized in the cytosol fraction. Studies with purified ureaplasma membranes demonstrated that, of three serovars tested, endogenous phospholipase A1, A2, and C activities were localized in the plasma membrane. Very low levels of activity were observed in the cytosol fractions. Phospholipase A2 activity in the plasma membrane was 3- to 5-fold higher than the activity in the lysates and 60- to 300-fold higher than the activity of phospholipase A1. Phospholipase C was localized mainly in the plasma membrane, with 20% found in the cytosol fraction. The levels of activity were comparable among the three serovars. There was a significantly lower level of activity in cells from the stationary growth phase than in the exponential phase. Significant differences were observed in the phospholipase A activities among the U. urealyticum serovars 3, 4, and 8. Phospholipase A2 activity was twofold higher in serovar 8 membranes, and phospholipase A1 activity was twofold higher in serovar 3 membranes. These results demonstrate that endogenous activities of phospholipase A and C are localized primarily in the plasma membrane fraction of U. urealyticum. The specific activities in the membranes of the phospholipases varied among the three serovars. Phospholipase enzymes may function as virulence factors in U. urealyticum and may vary among the serovars.

A deconvolution method similar to that used by Shimokoshi, Kanzaki, and Jones [Applied Spectroscopy 39, 1014 (1985)] has been used to study 57Fe Mossbauer spectra containing various mixtures of iron compounds. In all cases the spectra studied contained one or more sets of overlapping spectral lines. The resolution of these overlapping lines can often be improved by deconvolution to the point at which the integrated intensities of the deconvoluted peaks provide reliable information about sample concentrations. A comparison of the results which can be obtained for different deconvolution parameters and different degrees of overlapping is presented.

While programmes such as the Rockefeller campaign were specifically targeted at a particular parasite species, the current trend is towards the simultaneous control of all the major geohelminth species. New, broad-spectrum, low-cost anthelmintics and new understanding of epidemiology have led to more cost-effective and sustainable strategies. The WHO, UNICEF and the World Bank all now support global and regional efforts to achieve control of morbidity from intestinal worms. In this paper, we aim to show what's new in clinical helminthology and what has brought about the great improvement in the success of the new approaches to control.

The influence of potassium on ethanol production bySaccharomyces cerevisiaewild type and AR5 cells carrying the plasmid pCYG4 was investigated. This plasmid carries the glutamate dehydrogenase gene conferring an 11-fold higher level of expressed enzyme activity over the wild type cells. All experiments were carried out in batch culture with medium supplemented to different potassium concentrations up to 180 mM. Maximum ethanol production rate was observed in the AR5 cells grown in medium supplemented with 3.5 mM of potassium ions. Glucose uptake rate increased with increasing potassium up to 60 mM, but higher concentrations depressed glucose uptake rate in both strains. Furthermore, the wild type cells showed higher growth rate, ethanol production, and glucose consumption rate than the AR5 cells. These lower rates in the AR5 cells could be explained by repression of potassium uptake by an enhancement of ammonium feeding, and greater energy requirements by these cells due the presence of the plasmid.

Stage conversion between bradyzoites and tachyzoites was investigated in C57BL/6 mice chronically infected with the ME-49 strain of Toxoplasma gondii. In order to promote bradyzoite-tachyzoite conversion, mice were treated in vivo with neutralizing doses of anti-gamma interferon (IFN-gamma) or anti-tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) antibodies. Expression of parasite-specific antigens SAG-1, SAG-2, and heat shock protein 70 (Hsp-70) was visualized in the central nervous system by immunocytochemistry and measured by photometric assay. The immunosuppressive effect of anti-IFN-gamma or anti-TNF-alpha treatment was immediate, leading to parasite stage conversion as indicated by the increased expression of tachyzoite-specific antigens (SAG-1 and SAG-2) and by rapid parasite replication. We also observed expression of high levels of Hsp-70 during a short period of conversion of bradyzoites to tachyzoites. Our data suggest that Hsp-70 may have an important role in the process of bradyzoite-tachyzoite conversion during the reactivation of chronic toxoplasmosis.

We have isolated and characterized regions important for expression of the mouse Na+/H+ exchanger gene. A 1.1-kilobase fragment upstream of the 5'-untranslated region contains specific DNA motifs characteristic of promoter and enhancer elements including a TATA box, two CAAT boxes, an SP-1 site, a cyclic AMP response element-binding site, and an AP-2-like site. This 1.1-kilobase fragment directs transcription of a luciferase reporter gene in mouse fibroblasts (NIH 3T3) and human Hep G2 cells. Deletion or mutation of an AP-2-like site 100 base pairs from the start site of transcription resulted in loss of most of the reporter plasmid activity. In addition, cotransfection of an AP-2 expression plasmid and the mouse promoter/luciferase plasmid increased the amount of Na+/H+ exchanger-directed transcription in AP-2-deficient Hep G2 cells. Moreover, mobility shift analysis indicated that a putative AP-2-binding site is capable of binding purified AP-2 protein and a specific protein from nuclear extracts of NIH 3T3 cells. The results show that the transcription factor AP-2 may play an important role in regulation of transcription of the mouse Na+/H+ exchanger gene.

The autofluorescent serotonin analogue 5,7-dihydroxytryptamine (5,7-DHT) was used to identify living catecholaminergic neurons in monolayer cultures derived from the embryonic rat mesencephalon. A high correlation between 5,7-DHT accumulation and aldehyde-induced catecholamine fluorescence as well as tyrosine hydroxylase but not dopamine-beta-hydroxylase or phenylethanolamine-N-methyltransferase immunoreactivity was found. This indicates that these cells were dopamine-containing neurons. Whole-cell patch recordings showed that all mesencephalic neurons had resting membrane potentials of -50 mV or greater and input resistances ranging between 200 and 700 M omega and exhibited spontaneous action potentials and postsynaptic potentials. The duration of the action potential of the dopamine-containing neurons was characteristically longer than that of the non-dopamine-containing mesencephalic cells. In some dopamine-containing neurons, repolarization of the action potential was clearly biphasic, and the slow phase of repolarization was reversibly blocked by local application of Cd2+ or Co2+. This "shoulder" in the action potential was never observed in non-dopamine-containing neurons, where Cd2+ or Co2+ application was always without effect. It is concluded that 5,7-DHT can be used to identify living dopamine-containing neurons in dissociated mesencephalic cultures and these neurons express distinct electrical properties.

The results of recent studies support the concept that Ureaplasma urealyticum may be a major cause of perinatal infection in both term and preterm infants. It has been postulated that phospholipase degradation of placental phospholipids by microorganisms triggers the onset of premature labor. Since the presence of ureaplasmas in placentas is associated with pregnancy loss, prematurity, and neonatal morbidity, we assayed U. urealyticum for the presence of phospholipase A1, A2, and C activities. Phospholipase A1 activity was low in lysates of exponential-phase cells of U. urealyticum. Phospholipase A2 activity was present and was 100-fold higher than the activity of phospholipase A1 in serotypes 3,4, and 8. The total activity and specific activity of phospholipase A2 in serotype 8 were nearly threefold higher than the activities in serotypes 3 and 4. Cell lysates of all three serotypes showed the presence of phospholipase C activity during the exponential phase of growth, and no significant difference in activity was observed among the three serotypes. In stationary-phase cells the phospholipase C activity was 10-fold lower than the activity in exponential-phase cells. Our results demonstrate that phospholipase activities are present in U. urealyticum cells and that the specific activities of phospholipase A2 differed among the three serotypes tested, while the activities of phospholipases A1 and C were similar.

This paper presents estimates of the global numbers of people at risk from morbidity related to infection with Ascaris lumbricoidesand the numbers of deaths from this infection. Morbidity is classified into 4 types: deficits in growth and fitness which are contemporaneous with infection, or permanent, overt acute illness of mild to moderate severity, and complications involving hospitalization. The estimation of morbidity is based on theoretical models of parasite distributions developed in previous papers. A sensitivity analysis is carried out in which parameters of the model are varied using a Latin hypercube sampling technique. The results estimate ≈1300 million infections globally with 59 million at risk of some morbidity. The estimate for acute illness is 12 million cases per year with ≈10 000 deaths. Most morbidity is in children. Sensitivity analysis suggests that infection estimates will not vary greatly with changes in parameter values but that morbidity estimates may be highly variable.

A novel δ-integration vector was developed to allow the sequential insertion of multiple cloned genes in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. To allow repetitive integrations, the reusable URA3 Blaster selection cassette was employed; the insertions (of CUP1p-lacZ in this study) were selected using the URA3 marker which was subsequently “popped” out by recombination between flanking direct repeats. Transformants contained only one new integrated copy after the loss of the URA3 marker, and subsequent transformations were effective for the sequential insertion of a series of genes (one at a time) into dispersed chromosomal δ sequences. The structural stability of the integrations was location-dependent (ranging from 75% to 100% after 50 generations in complex medium with or without gene expression), and the integrations (at least up to five) had no significant effects on the growth of the cells. In addition, β-galactosidase specific activity levels varied linearly with integrated copy number. The repetitive, regulated nature of integration with this vector is not possible with traditional δ-integration or other homologous recombination methods, and is promising for fine-tuning cloned gene copy number and for the insertion of metabolic pathway genes.

A theoretical method has been developed to estimate retrotransposition (integration) rates of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae Ty3 and Ty1 retrotransposons bearing heterologous and homologous genes (neo^r, HIS3). The method is based on population growth modeling and Lea and Coulson's maximal likelihood method for mutation rate estimation (Lea and Coulson, 1949). This method has allowed us to examine directly retrotransposition rates of GAL-regulated marked Ty3 and Ty1 elements into the whole yeast genome, not just a particular DNA sequence, for the purpose of cloned gene integration. The integration rates of a Ty3-neo^r system (ca. 1 × 10^-3 cell^-1 generation^-1) and a Ty1-neo^r system (ca. (2−3) × 10^-3 cell^-1 generation^-1) were not significantly affected by temperature (18 and 30 °C). However, the retrotransposition rate of the Ty3-neo^r-HIS3 system increased from ca. 2 × 10^-5 to 2 × 10^-4 cell^-1 generation^-1 when the temperature was decreased from 30 to 18 °C. The retrotransposition rate of Ty3-neo^r was significantly higher than that of Ty3-neo^r-HIS3 and slightly lower than that of Ty1-neo^r. This method can be used to estimate integration rates of other Ty3 and Ty1 elements and to evaluate the efficiency of Ty-mediated cloned gene integration.

National morbidity surveys provide valuable data for monitoring the health needs of populations, health policy planning and design of medical curricula. In order to meet a long-standing need for such information in Sri Lanka, a nationwide general practice morbidity survey was conducted for the first time in 1996.

Identificar el nivel de disposición (readiness)del equipo de salud frente a la participación familiar en el cuidado del paciente crítico adulto y su relación con las características individuales de los participantes, en una unidad de paciente crítico (UCI) médico-quirúrgica de Santiago de Chile.

The “3rd International Symposium on BA/BE of Oral Drug Products – Biopharmaceutics meets Galenics (BA/BE 2018)” was held during 11–12th of October 2018 at INFARMED, the Portuguese regulatory medicines agency, in Lisbon, Portugal. Summary of this meeting and perspective/directions of biopharmaceutical researches are discussed in this opinion paper.

AbstractNearly all twin registers are based in developed countries and there is no twin register in the developing world. Our objectives were to initiate the process of establishing a nationwide twin register in Sri Lanka by starting a volunteer register first and working towards a population-based register. Regular newspaper advertisements, feature articles, radio talks, and television programmes were used to publicise a competition for twins, their parents/relatives and friends requesting them to participate by sending in details of twins. The competition ran from 28 March 1997 for a period of 3 months. It offered prizes for three winners selected by drawing lots. Advertisements highlighted the objective of the competition as establishing a twin register for future research and emphasised that informed consent would be obtained for individual research projects. Those who registered comprise 4602 twin pairs (same sex: male ? 1564, female ? 1885; different sex ? 1153), 80 sets of triplets (same sex: male ? 17, female ? 31; different sex ? 42) and two sets of quadruplets (different sex). The oldest twins, triplets, quadruplets are 85, 46, and 5 years old, respectively; 88.0% of twins are less than 30 years old. Although others have previously used media publicity to enrol twins in twin registers, we believe this to be the first time that twins have been enrolled through competition. We have more young twins, and our gender and zygosity proportions after applying Weinburg's rule do not match the proportions expected from a volunteer twin sample. Establishing a twin register for research purposes has proved possible in a developing country. Twin Research (2000) 3, 202?204.

This experiment compared physiological and innate immunity responses in healthy beef heifers receiving a lipopolysaccharide (LPS) challenge and supplemented (OMN) or not (CON) with an immunomodulatory feed ingredient (Omnigen-AF; Phibro Animal Health, Teaneck, NJ). Eight Angus × Hereford non-pregnant, non-lactating, 2-yr old heifers were ranked by BW (473 ± 8 kg; recorded for 3 consecutive days prior to experiment) and assigned to a 2 × 2 Latin square design containing 2 period of 35 d each (d 0 to 34). Heifers were housed in individual pens and had free-choice access to meadow foxtail (Alopecurus pratensisL.) hay (59% TDN, 10.9% CP; DM basis), water and a commercial vitamin + mineral mix. Within each period, heifers received (as-fed basis) 227 g/d of dried distiller’s grains (as-fed basis) including (OMN) or not (CON) 56 g of Omnigen-AF. On d 28 of each period (0800 h), heifers received an i.v. bolus dose (0.5 μg/kg of BW, diluted in 5 mL of 0.9% sterile saline) of bacterial LPS (Escherichia coli0111:B4). Heifer DMI was recorded daily from d 0 to 34. Heifer intravaginal temperature was recorded every 10 min from d 28 to 34. Blood was collected every 30 min from -1 to 4 h, and at 5, 6, 24, 48, 72, 96, 120 and 144 h relative to LPS administration. No treatment effects were detected (P≥ 0.29) for hay and total DMI. No treatment effects were detected (P≥ 0.35) for vaginal temperature and plasma concentrations of cortisol, insulin, haptoglobin, and tumor necrosis-α, as well as mRNA expression of chemokine ligand 5, cyclooxygenase 2, interleukin 8, and tumor necrosis-α. All these variables increased (time effect, P< 0.01) for OMN and CON heifers and peaked at 4.5, 4, 2.5, 48, 2.5, 0.5, 2, 2.5, and 1.5 h, respectively, after LPS administration. Yet, peak plasma haptoglobin was greater (P< 0.01) in CON vs. OMN heifers (1.14 vs. 0.80 mg/mL, SEM = 0.07; respectively). Plasma glucose concentrations and mRNA expression of interleukin 8 receptorand L-selectinwere also similar (P≥ 0.61) between OMN and CON heifers, and decreased (time effect, P< 0.01) for both treatments reaching nadir levels at 3.5, 1, and 2.5 h after LPS administration. Collectively, OMN supplementation did not have a substantial impact on physiological and innate immunity responses in healthy beef heifers receiving a LPS challenge.