4,844 research outputs found
Genetic study in patients operated dentally and anesthetized with articaine-epinephrine
Aims: In this study we wanted to figure out if there was a correlation between OPRM1 N40D, TRPV1 I316M, TRPV1 I585V, NOS3 −786T>C and IL6 −174C>G polymorphisms and the response to locally applied articaine-epinephrine anesthetic.
Methods: In this observational study, 114 oral cell samples of patients anesthetized with articaine-epinephrine (54 from men 60 from women), were collected from dental centers in Madrid (Spain). High molecular weight DNA was obtained from oral mucosa cells. The analysis of OPRM1 N40D (rs1799971), TRPV1 I316M (rs222747), TRPV1 I585V (rs8065080) and IL6 −174C>G polymorphism was performed through real-time PCR allelic discrimination using TaqMan probes. Polymorphism NOS3 −786T> C (rs2070744) was analyzed using RFLP-PCR.
Results: The studied polymorphisms are involved neither in the response to the anesthetic, nor in the intensity of perceived dental pain. However, in a subset of female patients we found that TRPV1 I316M was associated with a delayed onset of anesthesia.
Conclusions: There is no association among these polymorphisms and the time elapsed between the application of the anesthetic and the onset of its effect
Building Ontologies at the Knowledge Level using the Ontology Design Environment
This paper discusses how ontologies can be specified at the knowledge level using the set of intermediate representations (Gómez-Pérez, Fernández & de Vicente 1996) proposed by METHONTOLOGY (Fernández, Gómez-Pérez & Juristo 1997; and Gómez-Pérez 1998). These intermediate representations bridge the gap between how people think about a domain and the languages in which ontologies are formalized. Thus, METHONTOLOGY enables experts and ontology makers unfamiliar with implementation environments to build ontologies from scratch. In this paper, we also present the ODE (Ontology Design Environment) as a software tool to specify ontologies at the knowledge level. ODE allows developers to specify their ontology by filling in tables and drawing graphs. Its multilingual generator module automatically translates the specification of the ontology into target languages
Open-loop position control in collaborative, modular Variable-Stiffness-Link (VSL) robots
— Collaborative robots (cobots) open up new avenues
in the fields of industrial robotics and physical Human-Robot
Interaction (pHRI) as they are suitable to work in close approximation and in collaboration with humans. The integration
and control of variable stiffness elements allow inherently safe
interaction. Apart from notable work on Variable Stiffness
Actuators, the concept of Variable-Stiffness-Link (VSL) manipulators promises safety improvements in cases of unintentional
physical collisions. However, position control of these type of
robotic manipulators is challenging for critical task-oriented
motions (e.g., pick and place). Hence, the study of open-loop
position control for VSL robots is crucial to achieve high
levels of safety, accuracy and hardware cost-efficiency in pHRI
applications. In this paper, we propose a hybrid, learning based
kinematic modelling approach to improve the performance
of traditional open-loop position controllers for a modular,
collaborative VSL robot. We show that our approach improves
the performance of traditional open-loop position controllers
for robots with VSL and compensates for position errors, in
particular, for lower stiffness values inside the links: Using
our upgraded and modular robot, two experiments have been
carried out to evaluate the behaviour of the robot during taskoriented motions. Results show that traditional model-based
kinematics are not able to accurately control the position
of the end-effector: the position error increases with higher
loads and lower pressures inside the VSLs. On the other
hand, we demonstrate that, using our approach, the VSL robot
can outperform the position control compared to a robotic
manipulator with 3D printed rigid links
An Incremental Learning Method to Support the Annotation of Workflows with Data-to-Data Relations
Workflow formalisations are often focused on the representation of a process with the primary objective to support execution. However, there are scenarios where what needs to be represented is the effect of the process on the data artefacts involved, for example when reasoning over the corresponding data policies. This can be achieved by annotating the workflow with the semantic relations that occur between these data artefacts. However, manually producing such annotations is difficult and time consuming. In this paper we introduce a method based on recommendations to support users in this task. Our approach is centred on an incremental rule association mining technique that allows to compensate the cold start problem due to the lack of a training set of annotated workflows. We discuss the implementation of a tool relying on this approach and how its application on an existing repository of workflows effectively enable the generation of such annotations
Truncated conjugation in fused heterocycle-based conducting polymers: when greater planarity does not enhance conjugation
One of the main assumptions in the design of new conjugated polymer materials for their use in organic electronics is that higher coplanarity leads to greater conjugation along the polymer backbone. Conventionally, a more planar monomer structure induces a larger backbone coplanarity, thus leading to a greater overlap of the carbon π-orbitals and therefore a higher degree of π-electron delocalisation. However, here we present a case that counters the validity of this assumption. Different diselenophene-based polymers were studied where one polymer possesses two selenophene rings fused together to create a more rigid, planar structure. The effects of this greater polymer coplanarity were examined using Raman spectroscopy and theoretical calculations. Raman spectra showed a large difference between the vibrational modes of the fused and unfused polymers, indicating very different electronic structures. Resonance Raman spectroscopy confirmed the rigidity of the fused selenophene polymer and also revealed, by studying the excitation profiles of the different bands, the presence of two shorter, uncoupled conjugation pathways. Supported by Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations, we have demonstrated that the reason for this lack of conjugation is a distortion of the selenophene rings due to the induced planarity, forming a new truncated conjugation pathway through the selenophene β-position and bypassing the beneficial α-position. This effect was studied using DFT in an ample range of derivatives, where substitution of the selenium atom with other heteroatoms still maintained the same unconventional conjugation-planarity relationship, confirming the generality of this phenomenon. This work establishes an important structure-property relationship for conjugated polymers that will help rational design of more efficient organic electronics materials
General relativistic null-cone evolutions with a high-order scheme
We present a high-order scheme for solving the full non-linear Einstein
equations on characteristic null hypersurfaces using the framework established
by Bondi and Sachs. This formalism allows asymptotically flat spaces to be
represented on a finite, compactified grid, and is thus ideal for far-field
studies of gravitational radiation. We have designed an algorithm based on
4th-order radial integration and finite differencing, and a spectral
representation of angular components. The scheme can offer significantly more
accuracy with relatively low computational cost compared to previous methods as
a result of the higher-order discretization. Based on a newly implemented code,
we show that the new numerical scheme remains stable and is convergent at the
expected order of accuracy.Comment: 24 pages, 3 figure
Acquisition of functions on the outer capsid surface during evolution of double-stranded RNA fungal viruses
Unlike their counterparts in bacterial and higher eukaryotic hosts, most fungal viruses are transmitted intracellularly and lack an extracellular phase. Here we determined the cryo-EM structure at 3.7 Å resolution of Rosellinia necatrix quadrivirus 1 (RnQV1), a fungal double-stranded (ds)RNA virus. RnQV1, the type species of the family Quadriviridae, has a multipartite genome consisting of four monocistronic segments. Whereas most dsRNA virus capsids are based on dimers of a single protein, the ~450-Å-diameter, T = 1 RnQV1 capsid is built of P2 and P4 protein heterodimers, each with more than 1000 residues. Despite a lack of sequence similarity between the two proteins, they have a similar α-helical domain, the structural signature shared with the lineage of the dsRNA bluetongue virus-like viruses. Domain insertions in P2 and P4 preferential sites provide additional functions at the capsid outer surface, probably related to enzyme activity. The P2 insertion has a fold similar to that of gelsolin and profilin, two actin-binding proteins with a function in cytoskeleton metabolism, whereas the P4 insertion suggests protease activity involved in cleavage of the P2 383-residue C-terminal region, absent in the mature viral particle. Our results indicate that the intimate virus-fungus partnership has altered the capsid genome-protective and/or receptor-binding functions. Fungal virus evolution has tended to allocate enzyme activities to the virus capsid outer surface
Stress-testing centralised model stores
One of the current challenges in model-driven engineering is enabling effective collaborative modelling. Two common approaches are either storing the models in a central repository, or keeping them under a traditional file-based version control system and build a centralized index for model-wide queries. Either way, special attention must be paid to the nature of these repositories and indexes as networked services: they should remain responsive even with an increasing number of concurrent clients. This paper presents an empirical study on the impact of certain key decisions on the scalability of concurrent model queries, using an Eclipse Connected Data Objects model repository and a Hawk model index. The study evaluates the impact of the network protocol, the API design and the internal caching mechanisms and analyzes the reasons for their varying performance
Influencia de las actividades en la calidad de vida de los ancianos: revisión sistemática
Objetivo. Identificar quais as atividades ou intervenções que causan alterações na qualidade de vida dos idosos.
Método. Revisão sistemática da literatura nas bases de dados: Scopus, ISI Web of Science, Scielo, Lilacs, BDENF e PubMed. O descritor principal do Medical Subject Heading (MeSH) utilizado foi “quality of life”, combinado com os termos de maior interesse "aged, motor activity, educatuion". A pesquisa foi realizada entre julho e agosto de 2015, e incluídos artigos originais publicados entre 2010 e 2015 em inglês, português e espanhol. Além disso foi seguida a estratégia da Cochrane para elaboração do revisão.
Resultados. Foram estudados 27 artigos comparando a qualidade de vida dos idosos antes e após uma intervenção de tipo física, educacional ou mista. O principal resultado obtido são que os dominios estado geral de saúde, capacidade funcional, aspectos sociais, aspecto físico e satisfação com a vida apresentaram-se mais alterados, sendo as atividades físicas em grupo aquelas executadas en maior número.
Conclusões. Concluiu-se que as atividades de qualquer espécie, de preferência adaptadas, causam mudanças na qualidade de vida dos idosos em termos gerais, com destaque para a melhora nos aspectos funcionais, mentais e sociais
Canopy fruit location can affect olive oil quality in Arbequina hedgerow orchards
The effect of location of fruit in canopies of hedgerow olive trees (Olea europaea L., cv. ‘Arbequina’) on quality of virgin oil was tested by analyzing oils extracted from different height layers and faces of 9 olive hedgerows (6 North-South oriented and 3 East-West). Although sensory attributes were not different other oil quality parameters may be significantly modified by fruit position. In some hedgerows, oils extracted from fruits harvested from higher layers exhibited significantly higher stability against oxidation, along with higher palmitic acid, linoleic acid and phenol contents, but lower oleic acid content. Oils extracted from fruits harvested from East and North facing hedgerows oriented North-South and East-West, respectively, exhibited higher oleic contents and lower saturated and polyunsaturated fatty acid contents. The mean phenol content of oils extracted from fruits from a North-South oriented hedgerow was significantly greater from one of the East-West oriented hedgerows. These findings may be relevant for the design of future olive hedgerows destined for olive oil production
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