Systematic literature review of realistic simulators applied in educational robotics context

This paper presents a systematic literature review (SLR) about realistic simulators that can be applied in an educational robotics context. These simulators must include the simulation of actuators and sensors, the ability to simulate robots and their environment. During this systematic review of the literature, 559 articles were extracted from six different databases using the Population, Intervention, Comparison, Outcomes, Context (PICOC) method. After the selection process, 50 selected articles were included in this review. Several simulators were found and their features were also analyzed. As a result of this process, four realistic simulators were applied in the review’s referred context for two main reasons. The first reason is that these simulators have high fidelity in the robots’ visual modeling due to the 3D rendering engines and the second reason is because they apply physics engines, allowing the robot’s interaction with the environment.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Análise cladística da subfamília Arsenurinae Jordan, 1922 (Saturniidae, Lepidoptera) e morfologia de Almeidaia aidae Mielke & Casagrande, 1981 (Almeidaiini)

A família Saturniidae está distribuída em todos os continentes, exceto nas regiões polares, com cerca de 1526 espécies descritas em 165 gêneros, sendo o grupo que apresenta a maior diversidade dentre os Bombycoidea. Na região Neotropical são conhecidas aproximadamente 964 espécies, e no Brasil, apesar de muitas áreas terem sido pouco estudadas, os levantamentos bibliográficos e consultas às coleções indicam a ocorrência de 380 espécies. Arsenurinae, objeto desse estudo, apresenta 61 espécies distribuídas em 10 gêneros exclusivamente Neotropicais. As relações filogenéticas entre os Arsenurinae permanecem pouco conhecidas, havendo apenas um estudo que apresenta hipóteses sobre o parentesco entre os gêneros. Os objetivos desse trabalho foram: testar a monofilia da subfamília, das tribos e dos gêneros; estabelecer a relação de parentesco entre as espécies da tribo Almeidaiini. As análises filogenéticas foram realizadas com base em caracteres morfológicos. As matrizes foram construídas em NDE versão 0.50, analisadas no programa NONA e as topologias visualizadas em Winclada 1.00.08, procura heurística com 100 replicações e otimizações ACCTRAN (Acecelerated transformation). Os resultados indicaram que a subfamília, as tribos e os gêneros formam grupos monofiléticos. A análise resultou na seguinte hipótese de parentesco entre os gêneros: (Almeidaia ((Loxolomia, Copiopteryx) (Rhescyntis ((Grammopelta, Arsenura) (Caio ((Paradaemonia (Dysdaemonia, Titaea))))))). A relação de parentesco entre as espécies de cada um dos gêneros é a seguinte: Copiopteryx (C. derceto (C.virgo ((C. semiramis) (C. jehovah, C. sonthonnaxi)))); Rhescyntis (R.pseudomartii ((R. hippodamia, R. reducta) (R. descimoni, R. hermes))); Arsenura com quatro hipóteses, sendo uma delas (((A.meander,A.pandora) (A.polyodonta (A.orbinyana, A.xanthopus))) (((A.rebeli (A.mossi (A.beebei,ciocolatina))) (A.armida, A.archianassa (A.albapicta, A.delormei))) (((A.aspasia, A.biundulata) ((A.sylla,A.thomsoni) ( A.cymonia (A.ponderosa (A.batesii, A.drucei))))))); Caio (C. romulus (C. harrietae (C. championi, C. richardsoni))); Dysdaemonia (D. brasiliensis (D. fosteri (D. boreas, D. concisa))) e ((T. orsinome, T.timur) (T.lemoulti, T.tamerlan)); Paradaemonia consenso de três cladogramas ((P. samba (P.andensis, P. orsilochus)) ((P. ruschii (P.nycteris, P. thelia)) ((P. terrena (((P.sp. n.,P.platydesmia) ((P.berlai, P.mayi) (P. gravis, P.pluto)))))).O estudo morfológico de A. aidae (Almeidaiini) indica que essa espécie compartilha vários caracteres com os Arsenurini. No entanto, apresenta também diferenças significativas, entre as quais a ausência de pilíferos e a presença de uma projeção em forma de espinho nas tíbias protorácica

Two-component system vicrk regulates functions associated with establishment of streptococcus sanguinis in biofilms

Streptococcus sanguinis is a commensal pioneer colonizer of teeth and an opportunistic pathogen of infectious endocarditis. The establishment of S. sanguinis in host sites likely requires dynamic fitting of the cell wall in response to local stimuli. In this study, we investigated the two-component system (TCS) VicRK in S. sanguinis (VicRKSs), which regulates genes of cell wall biogenesis, biofilm formation, and virulence in opportunistic pathogens. A vicK knockout mutant obtained from strain SK36 (SKvic) showed slight reductions in aerobic growth and resistance to oxidative stress but an impaired ability to form biofilms, a phenotype restored in the complemented mutant. The biofilm-defective phenotype was associated with reduced amounts of extracellular DNA during aerobic growth, with reduced production of H2O2, a metabolic product associated with DNA release, and with inhibitory capacity of S. sanguinis competitor species. No changes in autolysis or cell surface hydrophobicity were detected in SKvic. Reverse transcription-quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR), electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSA), and promoter sequence analyses revealed that VicR directly regulates genes encoding murein hydrolases (SSA_0094, cwdP, and gbpB) and spxB, which encodes pyruvate oxidase for H2O2 production. Genes previously associated with spxB expression (spxR, ccpA, ackA, and tpK) were not transcriptionally affected in SKvic. RT-qPCR analyses of S. sanguinis biofilm cells further showed upregulation of VicRK targets (spxB, gbpB, and SSA_0094) and other genes for biofilm formation (gtfP and comE) compared to expression in planktonic cells. This study provides evidence that VicRKSs regulates functions crucial for S. sanguinis establishment in biofilms and identifies novel VicRK targets potentially involved in hydrolytic activities of the cell wall required for these functions.Streptococcus sanguinis is a commensal pioneer colonizer of teeth and an opportunistic pathogen of infectious endocarditis. The establishment of S. sanguinis in host sites likely requires dynamic fitting of the cell wall in response to local stimuli. In t821249414951FAPESP - FUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULOCAPES - COORDENAÇÃO DE APERFEIÇOAMENTO DE PESSOAL E NÍVEL SUPERIOR2009/54182-7; 2008/58333-7; 2009/50547-0sem informaçã

Importancia del hematoma en las fracturas de los hueso s largos: estudio experimental en ratas

Los autores han estudiado la importancia del hematoma en la consolidación de las fracturas de los hueso s largos. Para ello, han realizado un estudio experimental en 50 ratas Wistar, en las cuales se producía una fractura a nivel de sus tibias, siendo estabilizadas posteriormente, mediante agujas intramedulares. El hematoma era aspirado del foco de fractura en el miembro derecho, mientras que el miembro izquierdo servía como control. Los animale s fueron sacrificados tras diferente s periodos de tiempo, y el callo formado en las diferente s muestras ha sido analizado en relación a los aspectos radiológico y microscópico. Se pudo observar un predominio del tejido fibroso en el miembro control, y en aquellas muestras donde el hematoma había sido aspirado, predominaba tejido óseo y cartilaginoso.The authors studied the importance of the haematoma in the consolidation of fractures of long bones. It was performed an experiment in 50 Wistar rats that had their tibiae fractures and stabilized with intramedullary wires. The haetoma wa s aspired from the fracture site in the right limb whereas the left limbed served as control. The animals wer e sacrified in different periods of time , and the calli formed in the sample s wer e analysed in reltion to the radiological and microscopical aspects. It w a s observed a predominancy of fibrous tissue in the control limb and in the sample s wher e the haematoma was aspirated it was obtained a predominancy of cartilaginous and osseous tissue

PTX3-based genetic testing for risk of aspergillosis after lung transplant

[Excerpt] We read with interest the article by Wójtowicz et al [1], and would like to comment on it and to share findings from our complementary study. We have recently established genetic variation in the long pentraxin 3 (PTX3) as a major determinant of susceptibility to invasive aspergillosis (IA) after hematopoietic stem cell transplant [2]. Wójtowicz et al are the first to uncover similar findings in solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients, highlighting a potential applicability of these markers in predicting infection across patients with intrinsically different predisposing conditions (...).ESCMID -European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases(undefined

Preoperative evaluation of cytologically indeterminate thyroid nodules with 18F-FDG PET

Esse artigo tem o objetivo de discutir o papel da tomografia por emissão de pósitrons (PET) com 18F-FDG na avaliação pré-operatória de pacientes com nódulos de tireóide com citologia indeterminada. Para o cálculo da sensibilidade, foram selecionados todos os estudos com pacientes com carcinoma de tireóide. Para o cálculo da especificidade, foram selecionados apenas estudos desenhados para avaliação dos pacientes com nódulos com citologia indeterminada. O achado de captação focal na PET-18F-FDG relacionou-se com a presença de carcinoma de tireóide na maioria dos estudos. A sensibilidade do exame foi bastante alta na detecção de malignidade tireoidiana, porém sua especificidade variou de 0% a 66%, sendo de 39% em estudo brasileiro. Concluindo, os estudos indicam que a PET-18F-FDG pode reduzir o número de tireoidectomias desnecessárias em pacientes com nódulos de tireóide com citologia indeterminada. Entretanto, o percentual relativamente elevado de resultados falso-positivos, o alto custo, a baixa disponibilidade do exame em países em desenvolvimento e a pouca experiência clínica ainda limitam o uso da PET-18F-FDG com essa finalidade.The aim of this article is to discuss the role of 18F-FDG Positron Emission Tomography (PET) in the preoperative evaluation of patients with cytologically indeterminate thyroid nodules. All studies with patients with thyroid cancer were selected to the calculation of sensitivity. Only studies aiming to evaluate patients with thyroid nodules whose cytological result was indeterminate were selected to establish the specificity. The finding of focal 18F-FDG uptake at PET was associated with the presence of thyroid malignancy in most of the studies. The sensitivity of the exam to the detection of thyroid malignancy was extremely high, but the specificity varied from 0 to 66%. In our experience, the specificity was 39%. In conclusion, the studies suggest that 18F-FDG PET can reduce the number of unnecessary thyroidectomies performed in patients with cytologically indeterminate thyroid nodules. However, the relatively high percentage of false positive results, the high costs, the low availability of this exam in developing countries and the low clinical experience still restrict the use of 18F-FDG PET when recommended with this aim

Hepatic insulin resistance both in prediabetic and diabetic patients determines postprandial lipoprotein metabolism: from the CORDIOPREV study

Background/aims: Previous evidences have shown the presence of a prolonged and exaggerated postprandial response in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and its relation with an increase of cardiovascular risk. However, the response in prediabetes population has not been established. The objective was to analyze the degree of postprandial lipemia response in the CORDIOPREV clinical trial (NCT00924937) according to the diabetic status. Methods: 1002 patients were submitted to an oral fat load test meal (OFTT) with 0.7 g fat/kg body weight [12 % saturated fatty acids (SFA), 10 % polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), 43 % monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA), 10 % protein and 25 % carbohydrates]. Serial blood test analyzing lipid fractions were drawn at 0, 1, 2, 3 and 4 h during postprandial state. Postprandial triglycerides (TG) concentration at any point >2.5 mmol/L (220 mg/dL) has been established as undesirable response. We explored the dynamic response in 57 non-diabetic, 364 prediabetic and 581 type 2 diabetic patients. Additionally, the postprandial response was evaluated according to basal insulin resistance subgroups in patients non-diabetic and diabetic without pharmacological treatment (N = 642). Results: Prevalence of undesirable postprandial TG was 35 % in non-diabetic, 48 % in prediabetic and 59 % in diabetic subgroup, respectively (p < 0.001). Interestingly, prediabetic patients displayed higher plasma TG and large triacylglycerol- rich lipoproteins (TRLs-TG) postprandial response compared with those non-diabetic patients (p < 0.001 and p = 0.003 respectively). Moreover, the area under the curve (AUC) of TG and AUC of TRLs-TG was greater in the prediabetic group compared with non-diabetic patients (p < 0.001 and p < 0.005 respectively). Patients with liver insulin resistance (liver-IR) showed higher postprandial response of TG compared with those patients with muscle-IR or without any insulin-resistance respectively (p < 0.001). Conclusions: Our findings demonstrate that prediabetic patients show a lower phenotypic flexibility after external aggression, such as OFTT compared with nondiabetic patients. The postprandial response increases progressively according to non-diabetic, prediabetic and type 2 diabetic state and it is higher in patients with liver insulin-resistance. To identify this subgroup of patients is important to treat more intensively in order to avoid future cardiometabolic complications

Anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibodies in rheumatoid arthritis: relation with clinical features, cytokines and HLA-DRB1

En el presente estudio se examinó la especificidad y la sensibilidad de los anticuerpos antipéptidos citrulinados cíclicos (CCP) en pacientes latinoamericanas con artritis reumatoidea (AR), así como su relación con la actividad de la enfermedad, manifestaciones extraarticulares (MEA), síntesis de citocinas (IL-4, IL-10, IL-12, TNF-? e IFN-?) y factor reumatoideo (FR) IgM e IgA, y con el polimorfismo del HLA-DRB1. Se examinaron 79 pacientes con AR (69 con AR establecida y 10 con AR temprana sin previo tratamiento), 56 pacientes con espondilitis anquilosante (EA), 25 con lupus eritematoso sistémico (LES), 50 con síndrome de Sjögren primario (SSp) y diez individuos sanos. De las 69 pacientes con AR establecida, 36 fueron reevaluadas 2 años después. La actividad de la AR se examinó según los criterios del Colegio Americano de Reumatología. Los anticuerpos anti-CCP2, el FR y los niveles de citocinas se determinaron mediante inmunoensayo, y la genotipificación del HLA se llevó a cabo por reacción en cadena de la polimerasa utilizando mezclas de iniciadores específicos. Los anticuerpos anti-CCP se observaron en 96% de los pacientes con AR en la primera evaluación y en 86% en la segunda (p=0,12), sin modificación significativa en los valores (131±58,7 vs. 130,6±67,1 UI). Su sensibilidad y especificidad global fue de 94% y 92%, respectivamente, pero cuando sólo se consideraron los niveles altos (>60 UI) fueron de 84% y 95%, respectivamente. La razón de probabilidades (RP) positiva fue de 12 y la RP negativa de 0,06. El valor predictivo (VP) positivo fue de 87% y el VP negativo de 96%. Los anticuerpos anti-CCP se observaron en 12% de los pacientes con LES y con SSp, en 2% de los de EA y en 10% de los controles sanos. En los pacientes con AR no se asociaron con la actividad de la enfermedad, MEA y alelos del HLA-DRB1. Tampoco se observaron correlaciones significativas entre sus valores y los niveles de citocinas. En conclusión, los anticuerpos anti-CCP tienen un interés diagnóstico para la AR en nuestra población, pero su utilidad en el seguimiento clínico es limitada y su síntesis es independiente del HLA-DRB1 y no se correlacionan con niveles de citocinas Th1/Th2.The specificity and sensitivity of anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibodies (anti-CCP) was examined in Latin-American patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The variables considered included: 1) relation with the activity of disease, 2) extra-articular manifestations (EAM), 3) synthesis of cytokines (IL-4, IL-10, IL-12, TNF-alpha, and IFN-gamma) and IgM and IgA rheumatoid factor (RF), and 4) the association with HLA-DRB1 polymorphism. Seventy-nine RA patients were assessed (69 with established RA, and 10 with recent-onset RA not receiving any treatment), 56 with ankylosing spondylitis (AS), 25 with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), 50 with primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS), and 10 healthy individuals. Of the 69 patients with established RA, 36 were reexamined 2 years later. The activity of the RA was measured by criteria adopted by the American College of Rheumatology. Anti-CCP2, RF and cytokines levels were determined by ELISA. HLA genotypes were established by first, PCR sequence amplification using sequence-specific primers and then, complete sequencing of the product. Anti-CCP antibodies were observed in 96% of patients with RA during the first evaluation and in 86% at the second evaluation (p = 0.12). No significant change in antibody titre was observed between the two evaluations (131 +/- 58.7 and 130.6 +/- 67.1 IU, respectively). The overall sensitivity and specificity was 94% and 92%, respectively; however, at titres > 60 IU, the values were 84% and 95%, respectively. The anti-CCP likelihood ratio positive test was 12 and the likelihood ratio negative test was 0.06. The positive predictive value was 87%, and the negative predictive value was 96%. Anti-CCP antibodies were observed in 12% of SLE and pSS patients, in 2% of AS patients, and in 10% of healthy controls. In RA patients, these antibodies were not associated with the activity of disease, EAM or HLA-DRB1 alleles; no significant correlation was observed between antibody titre and cytokines level. Although anti-CCP antibodies have potential as a diagnostic tool for RA, they are not useful for monitoring clinical activity or predicting the clinical course of disease. Antibody synthesis is HLA-DRB1 independent and not correlated with Th1/Th2 cytokines

Mamíferos del departamento del Atlántico, Colombia

We presents the first taxonomic list of wild mammals for the Atlántico department, in the Caribbean coast of Colombia. We recorded 92 species distributed in 11 orders, 37 families, and 74 genera, which represents 16.5 % of the mammal fauna recorded in Colombia. We found three species endemic to Colombia, Cebus versicolor, Saguinus oedipus, and Pattonomys semivillosus, 10 species in some national category of threat, 13 in any global category, and four Data Defficient. The representativeness of mammals is low, compared to other departments in the country, but it might be underestimated, due to low sampling effort and lack of exploration in various areas of the department.Presentamos el primer listado taxonómico de los mamíferos silvestres del departamento del Atlántico, en la costa Caribe de Colombia. Registramos 92 especies, distribuidas en 11 órdenes, 37 familias y 74 géneros, lo cual representa el 16.5 % de la mastofauna documentada para Colombia. Encontramos tres especies endémicas de Colombia, Cebus versicolor, Saguinus oedipus y Pattonomys semivillosus, 10 especies en alguna categoría nacional de amenaza, 13 especies en alguna categoría global y cuatro categorizadas como Datos Insuficientes. La riqueza de mamíferos es baja, comparada con la de otros departamentos del país, pero podría estar subestimada, debido al bajo esfuerzo de muestreo y la falta de exploración en diversas áreas del departamento