Association of Factor V Secretion with Protein Kinase B Signaling in Platelets from Horses with Atypical Equine Thrombasthenia.

BackgroundTwo congenital bleeding diatheses have been identified in Thoroughbred horses: Glanzmann thrombasthenia (GT) and a second, novel diathesis associated with abnormal platelet function in response to collagen and thrombin stimulation.Hypothesis/objectivesPlatelet dysfunction in horses with this second thrombasthenia results from a secretory defect.AnimalsTwo affected and 6 clinically normal horses.MethodsEx vivo study. Washed platelets were examined for (1) expression of the αIIb-β3 integrin; (2) fibrinogen binding capacity in response to ADP and thrombin; (3) secretion of dense and α-granules; (4) activation of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR)-protein kinase B (AKT) signaling pathway; and (5) cellular distribution of phosphatidylinositol-4-phosphate-3-kinase, class 2B (PIK3C2B) and SH2 containing inositol-5'-phosphatase 1 (SHIP1).ResultsPlatelets from affected horses expressed normal amounts of αIIb-β3 integrin and bound fibrinogen normally in response to ADP, but bound 80% less fibrinogen in response to thrombin. α-granules only released 50% as much Factor V as control platelets, but dense granules released their contents normally. Protein kinase B (AKT) phosphorylation was reduced after thrombin activation, but mTOR Complex 2 (mTORC2) and phosphoinositide-dependent kinase 1 (PDK1) signaling were normal. SH2-containing inositol-5'-phosphatase 1 (SHIP1) did not localize to the cytoskeleton of affected platelets and was decreased overall consistent with reduced AKT phosphorylation.Conclusions and clinical significanceDefects in fibrinogen binding, granule secretion, and signal transduction are unique to this thrombasthenia, which we designate as atypical equine thrombasthenia

HeteroGenius: A Framework for Hybrid Analysis of Heterogeneous Software Specifications

Nowadays, software artifacts are ubiquitous in our lives being an essential part of home appliances, cars, cell phones, and even in more critical activities like aeronautics and health sciences. In this context software failures may produce enormous losses, either economical or, in the worst case, in human lives. Software analysis is an area in software engineering concerned with the application of diverse techniques in order to prove the absence of errors in software pieces. In many cases different analysis techniques are applied by following specific methodological combinations that ensure better results. These interactions between tools are usually carried out at the user level and it is not supported by the tools. In this work we present HeteroGenius, a framework conceived to develop tools that allow users to perform hybrid analysis of heterogeneous software specifications. HeteroGenius was designed prioritising the possibility of adding new specification languages and analysis tools and enabling a synergic relation of the techniques under a graphical interface satisfying several well-known usability enhancement criteria. As a case-study we implemented the functionality of Dynamite on top of HeteroGenius.Comment: In Proceedings LAFM 2013, arXiv:1401.056

First report of Scaphoideus titanus for Madeira Island

This is the first report of Scaphoideus titanus, the main vector of flavescence dor ee, for Madeira (Portugal) and also for Macaronesia. This new record currently represents its southernmost occurrence in Europe. This leafhopper is present in most of the primary wine production regions in the north of Madeira island. There were no symptoms of flavescence dor ee disease during the monitoring period from 2010 to 2017. The ability of S. titanus to survive in regions with a subtropical climate suggests that it may also live in the most meridional areas of the Mediterranean region where, until now, it has been absent.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Identification, rearing, and distribution of stick insects of Madeira Island: an example of raising biodiversity awareness

Two species of stick insects are currently known to be present in the Macaronesian archipelagos: Clonopsis gallica (Charpentier) (Phasmatodea: Bacillidae) on the Canary Islands and in the Azores and Carausius morosus (Sinéty) (Phasmatidae) in the Azores. Here, we provide the first reliable records of the presence and distribution of C. gallica and C. morosus on Madeira Island. Egg and adult stages are briefly described along with some notes on the life history of these species in captivity. Data on island-wide distribution are based on specimens donated by the public in response to an article published in a daily newspaper. This method of data collection raised great popular interest in stick insects. The role of newspapers as a means of communicating awareness in biodiversity issues is discussed.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

On the construction of explosive relation algebras

Fork algebras are an extension of relation algebras obtained by extending the set of logical symbols with a binary operator called fork. This class of algebras was introduced by Haeberer and Veloso in the early 90's aiming at enriching relation algebra, an already successful language for program specification, with the capability of expressing some form of parallel computation. The further study of this class of algebras led to many meaningful results linked to interesting properties of relation algebras such as representability and finite axiomatizability, among others. Also in the 90's, Veloso introduced a subclass of relation algebras that are expansible to fork algebras, admitting a large number of non-isomorphic expansions, referred to as explosive relation algebras. In this work we discuss some general techniques for constructing algebras of this type

A study on wear evaluation of railway wheels based on multibody dynamics and wear computation

The wear evolution of railway wheels is a very important issue in railway engineering. In the past, the reprofiling intervals of railway vehicle steel wheels have been scheduled according to designers' experience. Today, more reliable and accurate tools in predicting wheel wear evolution and wheelset lifetime can be used in order to achieve economical and safety benefits. In this work, a computational tool that is able to predict the evolution of the wheel profiles for a given railway system, as a function of the distance run, is presented. The strategy adopted consists of using a commercial multibody software to study the railway dynamic problem and a purpose-built code for managing its pre- and post-processing data in order to compute the wear. The tool is applied here to realistic operation scenarios in order to assess the effect of some service conditions on the wheel wear progression

Implementation of a multivibrational medical device to assist the removal of teeth and roots

The current practice of tooth extraction is performed using rigid instruments in a process involving high mechanical strength and thus a painful postoperative for patients. In this sense, this work presents the stages of design and development of an instrument capable of acting in the most critical stage of tooth extraction process, the luxation phase, with the induction of vibration at high frequencies, so it is expected to decrease the force required to perform the extraction as well as the damage caused by the currently used procedure. The instrument used by the professional dentist in luxation phase is the dental elevator. So, it was selected and purchased a standard straight elevator to perform the operations necessary for the development of the vibrating elevator. Vibration induction was performed by a system with a piezoelectric actuator. The placement of the whole vibration system was designed to reduce the number of operations to perform to the original instrument as well as maintain the most of his ergonomic shape. Thus, the system was placed inside of the instrument handle to fulfill the aims above. The vibration system behavior was also study through simulation in COMSOL Multiphysics and a theoretical simulation. Through tests it was intended to provide an environment similar to a tooth extraction procedure, using a pig's head as model to which was perform the process of luxation and extraction of teeth of his jaw with the device developed and with or without its vibration system. During the tests, it was difficult to understand the influence of the vibration system in the process. However, tests had great difficulty once the model has significant anatomical differences comparing to Human teeth and roots. However, it is estimated that this vibration can assist the depth penetration of the device between the tooth and the alveolar bone allowing the easier placement of the instrument and an easier lifting of the tooth. The oscillation in this region may also lead to its elevation. These facts indicate that the process is being facilitated, reducing the force applied and the duration of the process when using vibration.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Implementação de um dispositivo multivibracional para auxiliar à remoção de dentes e raízes

A corrente prática de extração dentária é realizada recorrendo a instrumentos rígidos num processo que implica elevadas forças mecânicas e, consequentemente, um pósoperatório doloroso para os pacientes. O presente trabalho apresenta as fases de conceção e desenvolvimento de um instrumento capaz de atuar na fase mais crítica do processo, com a indução de vibração a altas frequências, prevendo-se a diminuição da força necessária para efetuar a extração, bem como os danos provocados pelo procedimento atualmente realizado.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio