Genome-wide DNA hypomethylation and RNA:DNA hybrid accumulation in Aicardi-Goutières syndrome.

Aicardi-Goutières syndrome (AGS) is a severe childhood inflammatory disorder that shows clinical and genetic overlap with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). AGS is thought to arise from the accumulation of incompletely metabolized endogenous nucleic acid species owing to mutations in nucleic acid-degrading enzymes TREX1 (AGS1), RNase H2 (AGS2, 3 and 4), and SAMHD1 (AGS5). However, the identity and source of such immunogenic nucleic acid species remain undefined. Using genome-wide approaches, we show that fibroblasts from AGS patients with AGS1-5 mutations are burdened by excessive loads of RNA:DNA hybrids. Using MethylC-seq, we show that AGS fibroblasts display pronounced and global loss of DNA methylation and demonstrate that AGS-specific RNA:DNA hybrids often occur within DNA hypomethylated regions. Altogether, our data suggest that RNA:DNA hybrids may represent a common immunogenic form of nucleic acids in AGS and provide the first evidence of epigenetic perturbations in AGS, furthering the links between AGS and SLE

Asking For Help: Survey and Experimental Evidence on Financial Advice and Behavior Change

When do individuals actually improve their financial behavior in response to advice? Using survey data from current defined contribution (DC) plan holders in the RAND American Life Panel (ALP), we find little correlation between normatively-desirable behaviors and advice. Results from a hypothetical portfolio-allocation choice experiment using the ALP show that unsolicited advice has no causal effect on investment behavior, yet individuals who actively solicit advice ultimately improve performance, despite negative selection on financial ability. While expanding access to advice can have positive effects (particularly for the less financially literate), more extensive compulsory programs of financial counseling may be less effective

Classification Of Losses In Overall Equipment Effectiveness Calculation

The intention of elimination of losses is to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the production and reduce the unnecessary expenses. OEE is a performance metric of the machine or process and it provides information to the user to monitor and understand the actual situation of the machine compared to the ideal situation of the machine. Although six big losses are defined in the OEE, but it is still not clearly shows the scope of improvements in availability. Most of the time, users are more focus on the breakdown rather than setup process due to breakdown losses have greater impact on the OEE percentage. Therefore, excessive setup time or changeover time is hidden in the OEE. Furthermore, the frequency of the setup process and ideal setup time is not clearly stated in the OEE. The objective of this study is to visualize the availability losses by improve the classification of availability losses. The new classification of losses is examined by real data and it showed better visualization than traditional classification of losses. It is necessary to quantify these losses with modified OEE to visualize the losses in a better way

Structural Characteristics of Carbon Nanofibers for On-chip Interconnect Applications

In this letter, we compare the structures of plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition of Ni-catalyzed and Pd-catalyzed carbon nanofibers (CNFs) synthesized for on-chip interconnect applications with scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM). The Ni-catalyzed CNF has a conventional fiberlike structure and many graphitic layers that are almost parallel to the substrate at the CNF base. In contrast, the Pd-catalyzed CNF has a multiwall nanotubelike structure on the sidewall spanning the entire CNF. The microstructure observed in the Pd-catalyzed fibers at the CNF-metal interface has the potential to lower contact resistance significantly, as our electrical measurements using current-sensing atomic force microscopy indicate. A structural model is presented based on STEM image analysis

Prevalence and determinants of anxiety and depression in end stage renal disease (ESRD). A comparison between ESRD patients with and without coexisting diabetes mellitus

Objective: To compare anxiety and/or depressive symptoms between patients with end-stage renal disease with and without comorbid diabetes and identify factors associated with symptoms of distress in this population. Methods: Data from two studies (conducted between 2010 and 2014) were pooled. A total of 526 patients on hemodialysis (68.8% with diabetes) completed the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Elevated symptoms were defined as HADS-Anxiety or HADS-Depression ≥ 8. Univariate and multivariate logistic regressions were used to estimate associations between diabetic status, and other socio-demographic and clinical factors with baseline clinical anxiety and depression. Results: A total of 233 (45.4%) reported elevated anxiety symptoms and 256 (49.9%) reported elevated depressive symptoms sufficient for caseness. Rates were not different between patients with and without diabetes. Risk for clinical depression was higher in patients who were single/unpartnered (OR = 1.828), Chinese vs. Malay (OR = 2.05), or had lower albumin levels (OR = 0.932). None of the parameters were associated with anxiety caseness. Conclusion: Sociocultural factors rather than comorbid burden may help identify patients at risk for depression. The high rates of anxiety and depression underlie the importance for monitoring and intervention in dialysis care

Apoptosis of αβ T lymphocytes in the nervous system in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis: Its possible implications for recovery and acquired tolerance

We have recently shown that apoptosis, an active process of cellular self-destruction, occurs in the central nervous system in Lewis rats with acute experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) induced by inoculation with myelin basic protein (MBP) and adjuvants. Conventional light and electron microscopic studies suggested that some of the apoptotic cells were oligodendrocytes and that others were hematogenous mononuclear cells. To determine whether any of the apoptotic cells were T lymphocytes, we used the technique of pre-embedding immunolabelling which allows sufficient preservation of the ultrastructure to permit recognition of apoptotic changes while at the same time preserving surface antigens so that the identity of the apoptotic cells can be determined by immunocytochemistry. Light microscopic immunocytochemistry using the mono-clonal antibodies OX-34 (CD2) and R73 (alpha beta T-cell receptor) revealed that 10% of the CD2+ cells and 5% of the alpha beta T lymphocytes in the parenchyma of the spinal cord were dying by apoptosis. The presence of apoptotic alpha beta T cells was confirmed by electron microscopy. About half of all the apoptotic cells within the spinal cord were labelled by these antibodies. It is possible that some of the unlabelled apoptotic cells were also T lymphocytes but that others were glial cells such as oligodendrocytes. One possible interpretation of this T-cell apoptosis is that it represents activation-induced cell death, which has recently been shown to provide a mechanism of clonal elimination of mature as well as immature autoreactive T cells. Another possible interpretation is that it is a result of corticosterone released during the course of EAE. The apoptotic elimination of target-antigen-specific lymphocytes within the target organ in this autoimmune disease may contribute to the subsidence of inflammation and, if ongoing, to the development of tolerance

Examination of Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) in Term of Maynard's Operation Sequence Technique (MOST)

It is a common practice to quantify any process or entire production line in manufacturing industry especially to measure three main losses named time losses, performance losses and quality defect exist in production. Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) fulfils the requirement by providing the measure of equipment via single measure which is monitored from time to time by responsible personnel so that corresponding optimization or Kaizen could be done. However, there are many lean wastes which could be 'invisible' or tolerated under the conventional definition of OEE. The hidden waste includes unnecessary production which was classified as operating time and the underestimated effect of excessive transportation or setup time. These could be minimized and sometimes avoidable via work measurement, method study and study of the work, which are under the study of Maynard's Operation Sequence Technique (MOST). This paper intends to examine and quantify the hidden lean waste in OEE from the perspective of method and work of an operation with the integration of MOST study. Operations are analyzed in every single step and broken down into details of activities, which are then re-designed for minimal non-value added activity in operation based on the standard allowable. The OEE data after the study of work is computed and compared with the OEE before the MOST study. The comparison shows the improvement in term of OEE after the MOST study and this implies that the hidden waste inside OEE definition could be tracked out for a better effectiveness. Any reduction in the non-value added activities or downtime ensure larger room for more value added activities or uptime and therefore the availability of production. It is expected to provide a new insight in implementing OEE at a different way and stay beware of the assumptions in OEE to avoid any hidden waste

Modeling and Dynamic performance of Energy Storage -Rotary Series Elastic Actuator for Lumbar Support Exoskeleton

The assistive exoskeletons are rapidly being developed to collaborate with humans, and the demand for the safety of human-robot interaction has become more crucial. Series elastic actuators (SEAs) have recently been developed in various fields for a variety of possible advantages, such as providing a safe human-robot interaction, reducing the impacts’ effects, and increasing energy efficiency. However, achieving the good dynamic performances of SEAs is still challenging, especially fulfilling the high bandwidth with good compliance. In this rapidly growing research field, the actuation system involving the storage device combined with the rotary series elastic actuator (ES-RSEA) is being investigated to exploit the biomechanical energy while maintaining compliance features. In this article, the modeling and control design of the energy storage rotary series elastic actuator (ES-RSEA) for the lumbar support exoskeleton is proposed, and its dynamic performances are analyzed. The ES-RSEA was designed based on storing the kinetic energy during the lifting tasks and generating assistive torque while maintaining excellent compliant characteristics. The dynamic performances and characteristics of ES-RSEA are presented in terms of force sensitivity, level of compliance, transmission ratio, and bandwidth. Simulation studies indicate that the actuator can provide excellent dynamic performance through its high bandwidth (12.44 Hz) and high force sensitivity. At the same time, it shows excellent compliance and good torque transmissibility in the low-frequency range. A PID controller can achieve high torque tracking performance and good dynamic response with a root-mean-square (RMS) error of 0.1 N.m. This article demonstrates the excellent performance and characteristics of ES-RSEA to guarantee compliance and high response to prevent injury of undesired human movements

Performance Measure Of Industrial Robotics In Lean Enterprise: A Case Study In Semiconductor Industry

Industrial robotics replaced human workers in almost all fields due to their abilities to multitask, flexibility and configurability in any position they involved in. However, implementing industrial robotics is challenging due to their high cost, expert handling, and complexity. The object of this study is to determine the performance measurement using the QCDAC method or (quality, cost, delivery, accountability and continual improvement) then categorized according to lean principles and then identifying seven main areas that the industrial robotics contributes in the semi-conductor company. The performance identification and ranking is done by using Interpretive Structural Modelling (ISM) methodology to identify the most affected performance of the model and to clarify the industrial robotics performance in these areas in which the industrial robotics fit and compatible with the lean enterprise. Human- robot interaction considered to guarantee the workers' safety working alongside industrial robotics. The result of the ISM method shows the performance measure that affects the industrial robotics to support lean enterprise in terms of quality improvement, cost reduction and efficiency