ReciprocalShell: A hybrid timber system for robotically-fabricated lightweight shell structures

Reciprocal timber systems have been widely studied, however they have never been directly applied to the segmented timber shell structures as cross bracing of the polygonal topologies. For the first time, this paper presents an innovative hybrid timber system developed for design and construction of the robotically-fabricated lightweight timber shell structures. The paper integrates two configurations of wood beams: polygonal framing and reciprocal bracing. While, the polygonal topology of facets enables a constant distance offset for the thickness of the shell, the reciprocal configuration allows for cross bracing of polygonal frames where diagonals within the polygons cannot directly connect corners due to geometric constraints resulted by the free-form surface structure of shell shapes. Joining the cross-bracing elements in the center of the polygons with a reciprocal node reduces the complexity of the connection system at nodes while demonstrating the high load-bearing capacity of joints to withstand structural loads throughout the structure, compared to connecting 5, 6 or 7 beams in a single point. The article discusses the application and limitations of the timber system while presenting the design-to-assembly process of a case study of the small-scale shell demonstrator with the maximum span of 7.5 meters made of 144 wood elements for each polygonal and reciprocal configurations. The results show that the timber system has a great capacity for the rapid and precise assembly and disassembly of prefabricated timber structures. Generation of similar but different solid elements, allowed for the development of a custom CAD data interface for the automated production of numerous pieces, where simple joint details are applied for both alignment and attachment of beams, reducing the design complexity and facilitate the construction phase. As the result, the fabrication process was completely carried out with only a saw blade in a multi-axis robotic fabrication set up that enables the rapid, precise, and accurate cuts and grooves. Both timber configurations generate a uniform distribution of beam size, meaning that the production process created only a minimal amount of offcuts that allows for the use of simple and cost-efficient, short solid wood pieces

Structural Efficiency of a Hybrid Construction System for a Lightweight Timber Shell Demonstrator ReciprocalShell case study

This paper evaluates the structural performance of an innovative hybrid timber system for design and construction of the robotically-fabricated shell structures. The timber system combines two configurations: hexagonal and reciprocal. While the first timber configuration generates the main skeleton of the shell based on the discretization of the input surface, the second configuration enables the cross-bracing within each hexagonal cassette. Joining the cross-bracing elements in the center of the cassettes with a reciprocal node not only resists the deformation of hexagonal cassettes and displacement of elements, but also allows for a more uniform distribution of loads that increases the structural capacity of the timber system, enabling the shell to withstand higher compression and tension forces. The joint system uses the wooden splines and screws to align and reinforce the edge connections, as well as the bolts to fasten the neighboring hexagonal cassettes. The construction system is applied to a case study of a medium-scale shell demonstrator with a maximum span of 7.5 meters that is structurally optimized by form-finding methods. The paper presents a detailed structural analysis including the Finite Element Method (FEM) results, as well as the experimental load test that is carried out to verify the validity and accuracy of the structural calculations

Anticancer and Antitumor Potential of Fucoidan and Fucoxanthin, Two Main Metabolites Isolated from Brown Algae

Seaweed is one of the largest producers of biomass in marine environment and is a rich arsenal of active metabolites and functional ingredients with valuable beneficial health effects. Being a staple part of Asian cuisine, investigations on the crude extracts of Phaeophyceae or brown algae revealed marked antitumor activity, eliciting a variety of research to determine the active ingredients involved in this potential. The sulfated polysaccharide of fucoidan and carotenoid of fucoxanthin were found to be the most important active metabolites of brown algae as potential chemotherapeutic or chemopreventive agents. This review strives to provide detailed account of all current knowledge on the anticancer and antitumor activity of fucoidan and fucoxanthin as the two major metabolites isolated from brown algae

Glutamine treatment attenuates hyperglycemia-induced mitochondrial stress and apoptosis in umbilical vein endothelial cells

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine the in vitro effect of glutamine and insulin on apoptosis, mitochondrial membrane potential, cell permeability, and inflammatory cytokines in hyperglycemic umbilical vein endothelial cells. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Human umbilical vein endothelial cells were grown and subjected to glutamine and insulin to examine the effects of these agents on the hyperglycemic state. Mitochondrial function and the production of inflammatory cytokines were assessed using fluorescence analysis and multiple cytotoxicity assays. Apoptosis was analyzed by the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end-labeling assay. RESULTS: Glutamine maintains the integrity of the mitochondria by reducing the cell permeability and cytochrome c levels and increasing the mitochondrial membrane potential. The cytochrome c level was significantly (

Antinociceptive effect of terminalia bellirica in diabetic peripheral neuropathy: a comparison with fluoxetin, imipramine and quercetin

The present study was undertaken to evaluate the possible antinociceptive effect of Terminalia bellirica fruit aqueous extract in animal models of diabetic neuropathic pain. Diabetes was induced by streptozotocin (50 mg/kg i.p.). T. bellirica (70 mg/kg), fluoxetine (14.5 mg/kg), imipramine (10.5 mg/kg) and quercetin (10 mg/kg) were administered orally for 21 consecutive days, starting after 4th week in streptozotocin induced diabetic rats. Hot plate test, tail immersion test and formalin test were used to assess the antinociceptive activity. For assessment of the role of opioid receptors in antinociception of T. bellirica, naloxone (2 mg/kg, i.p.) as opioid receptor antagonist was injected prior to its administration. Thiobarbituric acid reactive species (TBARS), catalase and superoxide dismutase were also estimated to evaluate oxidative stress. Diabetes induced axonal degeneration was assessed histopathologically. T. bellirica attenuated hyperalgesia in streptozotocin induced diabetic rats. Furthermore, T. bellirica significantly decreased TBARS and restored the activity of SOD and catalase towards normal. Histopathological examination of sciatic nerve also confirms the protective nature of T. bellirica. Antinociceptive activity of T. bellirica was reversed by prior administration of naloxone, and. was comparable with standard treatments like fluoxetine, imipramine and quercetin. The antidepressant and anti-oxidant activity of T. bellirica may be responsible for its antinociceptive action in diabetic neuropathy.Colegio de Farmacéuticos de la Provincia de Buenos Aire

継承語年少学習者と第二言語学習者 : ロシア語教育の方法

<p>(G1) (Normal control group); (G2) (Ulcer control group); (G3) (Omeprazole); (G4) (62.5 mg/kg), (G5) (125 mg/kg), (G6) (250 mg/kg) and (G7) (500 mg/kg) of <i>V</i>. <i>pubescens</i> extract. HSP70 protein was over-expressed in rats pre-treated with omeprazole or <i>V</i>. <i>pubescens</i> extract (brown color shows over-expression of HSP70 protein) (magnification 20×). There were 6 rats in each group of experiment. The Image J program was used to evaluate protein expression. All values are expressed as the means ± the standard error of mean. The mean difference was significant at the <i>p < 0</i>.<i>05</i> level compared to the cancer control group.</p

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家族看護学が看護の専門領域として確立され発展していくため,今後の研究の方向性を明らかにしたいと,国内外の家族および家族看護学に関する文献の数量的動向と研究領域別文献概観を行った結果,国内外ともに家族,家族の健康,家族援助に関する研究報告は増加傾向にあり,家族への関心の高まりと実践上の必要性が反映されていた。また,わが国では高齢化社会における家族援助の要求が家族看護学の確立を促していること,今後は家族を対象とした評価方法の開発や援助に関する予防的・実践的研究が求められていることが示唆された。The review of the literature on family nursing through numerical trend and research fields was done to know how to establish and develop nursing specialty in this area. The followings were suggested. 1) The researches concerning family, family health, and family practice were increasing in both inside and outside of Japan. 2) ln U. S. A., family nursing was developed in the field of maternal-child and psychiatric nursing, introducing family system theory. In Japan family nursing is rather essential in the field of home care for the aeed, due to aging population. 3) Further researches on development of assessment tool, intervention and social support are necessary, especially by preventive and practical points of view

Global, regional, and national cancer incidence, mortality, years of life lost, years lived with disability, and disability-Adjusted life-years for 29 cancer groups, 1990 to 2017 : A systematic analysis for the global burden of disease study

Importance: Cancer and other noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) are now widely recognized as a threat to global development. The latest United Nations high-level meeting on NCDs reaffirmed this observation and also highlighted the slow progress in meeting the 2011 Political Declaration on the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases and the third Sustainable Development Goal. Lack of situational analyses, priority setting, and budgeting have been identified as major obstacles in achieving these goals. All of these have in common that they require information on the local cancer epidemiology. The Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study is uniquely poised to provide these crucial data. Objective: To describe cancer burden for 29 cancer groups in 195 countries from 1990 through 2017 to provide data needed for cancer control planning. Evidence Review: We used the GBD study estimation methods to describe cancer incidence, mortality, years lived with disability, years of life lost, and disability-Adjusted life-years (DALYs). Results are presented at the national level as well as by Socio-demographic Index (SDI), a composite indicator of income, educational attainment, and total fertility rate. We also analyzed the influence of the epidemiological vs the demographic transition on cancer incidence. Findings: In 2017, there were 24.5 million incident cancer cases worldwide (16.8 million without nonmelanoma skin cancer [NMSC]) and 9.6 million cancer deaths. The majority of cancer DALYs came from years of life lost (97%), and only 3% came from years lived with disability. The odds of developing cancer were the lowest in the low SDI quintile (1 in 7) and the highest in the high SDI quintile (1 in 2) for both sexes. In 2017, the most common incident cancers in men were NMSC (4.3 million incident cases); tracheal, bronchus, and lung (TBL) cancer (1.5 million incident cases); and prostate cancer (1.3 million incident cases). The most common causes of cancer deaths and DALYs for men were TBL cancer (1.3 million deaths and 28.4 million DALYs), liver cancer (572000 deaths and 15.2 million DALYs), and stomach cancer (542000 deaths and 12.2 million DALYs). For women in 2017, the most common incident cancers were NMSC (3.3 million incident cases), breast cancer (1.9 million incident cases), and colorectal cancer (819000 incident cases). The leading causes of cancer deaths and DALYs for women were breast cancer (601000 deaths and 17.4 million DALYs), TBL cancer (596000 deaths and 12.6 million DALYs), and colorectal cancer (414000 deaths and 8.3 million DALYs). Conclusions and Relevance: The national epidemiological profiles of cancer burden in the GBD study show large heterogeneities, which are a reflection of different exposures to risk factors, economic settings, lifestyles, and access to care and screening. The GBD study can be used by policy makers and other stakeholders to develop and improve national and local cancer control in order to achieve the global targets and improve equity in cancer care. © 2019 American Medical Association. All rights reserved.Peer reviewe

Apoptotic and breast tumor inhibition effects of Ferulago angulata and Tanacetum polycephalum (L.) Schultz-bip / Hamed Karimian

In the present study, fifteen plants were screened for their anticancer activity against ten different cancer cell lines. Amongst these, in vitro and in vivo study of Ferulago angulata and Tanacetum polycephalum (L.) Schultz-Bip showed significant activity against MCF-7 breast cancer cells. Both, F. angulata and T. polycephalum leaves were extracted using organic solvents in the order of increasing polarity. The result of MTT assay indicated significant cytotoxic activity of hexane extract of F. angulata (FALHE) and T. polycephalum (TPHE) leaves against MCF-7 cells. FALHE and TPHE inhibit cell proliferation and promote intrinsic pathway of apoptosis in MCF-7 cells, followed by arrest in G1 cell cycle proliferation. The in vivo chemopreventive effect of FALHE and TPHE treatments in mammary gland tumor model in the rats (LA7) was seen through the inhibition of tumor markers PCNA and Ki67 and encourage apoptotic processes in tumor cells by increasing in expression of Bax, p53 and caspase-3. Phytochemical isolation of the secondary metabolites of the plants, revealed the polycerasoidin and 8β- hydroxyl- 4β, 15- dihydrozaluzanin C (HDZC) as a bioactive constituent of FALHE and TPHE, respectively. Early and late apoptosis’s markers were detected in MCF-7 cells upon treatment with polycerasoidin and HDZC; these were attributed to the intrinsic mitochondrial pathway based on the up-regulation of Bax and the down-regulation of Bcl-2 proteins. Cell cycle arrest occurred upon the treatment of MCF-7 cells with polycerasoidin and HDZC, which resulted in up-regulation of p21 and p27 at the mRNA and protein levels. Taken together, the results presented in this study demonstrated that, the T. Polycephalum and Ferulago angulata inhibit the proliferation of breast cancer cells, apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in vitro and in vivo