Towards Efficient Full Pose Omnidirectionality with Overactuated MAVs

Omnidirectional MAVs are a growing field, with demonstrated advantages for aerial interaction and uninhibited observation. While systems with complete pose omnidirectionality and high hover efficiency have been developed independently, a robust system that combines the two has not been demonstrated to date. This paper presents VoliroX: a novel omnidirectional vehicle that can exert a wrench in any orientation while maintaining efficient flight configurations. The system design is presented, and a 6 DOF geometric control that is robust to singularities. Flight experiments further demonstrate and verify its capabilities.Comment: 10 pages, 6 figures, ISER 2018 conference submissio

Produktion af biogas fra husdyrgødning og afgrøder i økologisk landbrug

Formålet med undersøgelsen har været at samle erfaringer med biogasproduktion, næringstofflow og energiproduktion af økologisk græs, triticale, vikke, lupin, kvæggylle og dybstrøelse fra kvægstalde

Critical behaviour of SU(2) lattice gauge theory. A complete analysis with the χ2\chi^2-method

We determine the critical point and the ratios $\beta/\nu$ and $\gamma/\nu$ of critical exponents of the deconfinement transition in $SU(2)$ gauge theory by applying the $\chi^2$-method to Monte Carlo data of the modulus and the square of the Polyakov loop. With the same technique we find from the Binder cumulant $g_r$ its universal value at the critical point in the thermodynamical limit to $-1.403(16)$ and for the next-to-leading exponent $\omega=1\pm0.1$. From the derivatives of the Polyakov loop dependent quantities we estimate then $1/\nu$. The result from the derivative of $g_r$ is $1/\nu=0.63\pm0.01$, in complete agreement with that of the $3d$ Ising model.Comment: 11 pages, 3 Postscript figures, uses Plain Te

Zinc ion coordination as a modulating factor of the ZnuA histidine-rich loop flexibility: a molecular modeling and fluorescence spectroscopy study

ZnuA is the soluble component of the high-affinity ZnuABC zinc transporter belonging to the ATP-binding cassette-type periplasmic Zn-binding proteins. The zinc transporter ZnuABC is composed by three proteins: ZnuB, the membrane permease, ZnuC, the ATPase component and ZnuA, the soluble periplasmic metal-binding protein which captures Zn and delivers it to ZnuB. The ZnuA protein contains a charged flexible loop, rich in histidines and acidic residues, showing significant species-specific differences. Various studies have established that this loop contributes to the formation of a secondary zinc binding site, which has been proposed to be important in the acquisition of periplasmic Zn for its delivery to ZnuB or for regulation of zinc uptake. Due to its high mobility the structure of the histidine-rich loop has never been solved by X-ray diffraction studies. In this paper, through a combined use of molecular modeling, mutagenesis and fluorescence spectroscopy, we confirm the presence of two zinc binding sites characterized by different affinities for the metal ion and show that the flexibility of the loop is modulated by the binding of the zinc ions to the protein. The data obtained by fluorescence spectroscopy have then be used to validate a 3D model including the unsolved histidine-rich loop

Cisticercose Bovina no Estado do Espírito Santo no Período de 2009 a 2012: Análise de Registros de Matadouros Frigoríficos

A cisticercose bovina é uma das zoonoses mais encontradas na inspeção post mortem dos bovinos abatidos no Brasil, transmitida ao homem pela ingestão de carne crua ou mal cozida contendo cistos viáveis. O objetivo do presente trabalho foi realizar análise de registros de cisticercose bovina nos matadouros frigoríficos do Estado do Espírito Santo no período de 2009 a 2012. Os dados referentes às condenações de carcaça e órgãos foram obtidos a partir dos registros do órgão de serviço de inspeção federal (SIF) e estadual (SIE) do estado do ES. Foram abatidos um total de 1.340.751 bovinos no período estudado e uma prevalência média de 0,84%. Nos dados registrados no SIF a prevalência média foi de 0,87% e as regiões anatômicas acometidas foram coração, língua, cabeça e fígado, respectivamente. Nos dados do SIE, a prevalência foi de 0,83% e os órgãos mais acometidos foram coração, cabeça, fígado e língua, respectivamente. Em todos os anos o número total de cistos vivos foi maior do que o número de cistos calcificados. As perdas por cisticercose no período foram de R$ 9.092.834,97, para 1.518.256,8 Kg de carne condenada. Os casos de cisticercose aumentaram entre os anos de 2010, 2011 e 2012 (p<0,001), mostrando uma tendência crescente da enfermidade e houve diferença significativa entre as estações do ano (p=0,01), com a estação chuvosa apresentando um número maior de casos de cisticercose. Um questionário sobre diagnóstico para cisticercose foi oferecido aos executores de inspeção, em um dos matadouros no sul do estado, e constatou incapacidade de diferenciar cisticercose da hidatidose

Design of a Multi-Wavelength Fiber Laser Based on Tm:Er:Yb:Ho Co-Doped Germanate Glass

In this article, for the first time, an efficient multi-wavelength fiber laser based on a Tm:Er:Yb:Ho co-doped germanate glass, optically pumped at 980 nm wavelength and simultaneously emitting at 1550 nm, 1800 nm and 2050 nm wavelengths, is designed and optimized. An exhaustive model, taking into account the energy transfer phenomena between different rare earths, is developed. The device behavior is investigated by means of several parametric sweeps with respect to the input pump power, the fiber length, the dopant concentrations and the output mirrors reflectivities. Four optimal concentrations have been found by means of a home-made computer code based on particle swarm optimization (PSO) approach, allowing a global solution search. These concentrations allow levels of output powers very close to each other, equal to 20 mW $pm$ 0.1$$ at 1550 nm, 1800 nm and 2050 nm, respectively. These results predict the possibility of tailoring the dopant concentrations in order to construct broadband optical sources with similar emission powers at multiple wavelengths and broadband amplifiers

Gelatin crosslinked with dehydroascorbic acid as a novel scaffold for tissue regeneration with simultaneous antitumor activity

A porous scaffold was developed to support normal tissue regeneration in the presence of residual tumor disease. It was prepared by gelatin crosslinked with dehydroascorbic acid (DHA). A physicochemical characterization of the scaffold was carried out. SEM and mercury porosimetry revealed a high porosity and interconnection of pores in the scaffold. Enzymatic degradation provided 56% weight loss in ten days. The scaffold was also evaluated in vitro for its ability to support the growth of normal cells while hindering tumor cell development. For this purpose, primary human fibroblasts and osteosarcoma tumor cells (MG-63) were seeded on the scaffold. Fibroblasts attached the scaffold and proliferated, while the tumor cells, after an initial attachment and growth, failed to proliferate and progressively underwent cell death. This was attributed to the progressive release of DHA during the scaffold degradation and its cytotoxic activity towards tumor cells

Design of a novel LOX-1 receptor antagonist mimicking the natural substrate

The lectin-like oxidized low-density lipoprotein receptor-1 (LOX-1), the major receptor for oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL) in endothelial cells, is overexpressed in atherosclerotic lesions. LOX-1 specific inhibitors, urgently necessary to reduce the rate of atherosclerotic and inflammation processes, are not yet available. We have designed and synthesized a new modified oxidized phospholipid, named PLAzPC, which plays to small scale the ligand-receptor recognition scheme. Molecular docking simulations confirm that PLAzPC disables the hydrophobic component of the ox-LDL recognition domain and allows the interaction of the l-lysine backbone charged groups with the solvent and with the charged/polar residues located around the edges of the LOX-1 hydrophobic tunnel. Binding assays, in a cell model system expressing human LOX-1 receptors, confirm that PLAzPC markedly inhibits ox-LDL binding to LOX-1 with higher efficacy compared to previously identified inhibitors

Human exonuclease 1 role in response to UV irradiation

DNA damage checkpoints are surveillance mechanisms that monitor the integrity of the genome. Nucleotide excision repair (NER) is a DNA repair mechanism that cells use to remove UV-induced DNA lesions. Previous publication from our laboratory demonstrated that recognition and processing of UV-induced damage by NER is required for proper activation of checkpoint through interactions between NER proteins and checkpoint factors in yeast and human primary fibroblasts. From a two hybrid screening in yeast exonuclease 1 (Exo1) was identified as a 9-1-1 complex interactor. Exo1 is a 5\u2019-3\u2019 exonuclease and 5'-flap-endonuclease with many different roles in DNA metabolism such as meiotic and mitotic recombination, mismatch repair and telomere processing. Characterization of an exo1 yeast deleted strain has shown that this protein is involved in the early steps of UV-induced DNA damage checkpoint. In human cells EXO1 is present as two isoforms named hEXO1a and hEXO1b genetarated by alternative splicing. We are analyzing the role of EXO1 in checkpoint activation in response to UV-C damage in human cells: using siRNA against both a and b isoform of hEXO1 in G1 cells we were able to observe a defect in Chk1 and p53 phosphorylation induced by UV-C irradiation