Programmed cell death and apoptosis — where it came from and where it is going: From Elie Metchnikoff to the control of caspases

The story of cell death began with the origins of cell biology, including important observations by Elie (Ilya) Metchnikoff, who realized that phagocytes engulfed dying cells. Most of the early studies were observational. By the middle of the 20th C, researchers were beginning to explore how cells died, had recognized that cell death was a physiologically controlled process, that the most common mode of death (“shrinkage necrosis”, later apoptosis) was tightly controlled, and were speculating whether lysosomes were “suicide bags”. Just prior to 1990 several discoveries led to rapid expansion of interest in the field and elucidation of the mechanisms of apoptosis. Closer to the beginning of the 21st C comprehensive analysis of the molecules that controlled and effected apoptosis led to the conclusion that autophagic processes were linked to apoptosis and could serve to limit or increase cell death. Today, realizing that knowledge of the components of cell death has not yet produced pharmaceuticals of therapeutic value, research is turning to questions of what metabolic or other mechanisms indirectly control the activation or suppression of the cell death positive feedback loop. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled “Apoptosis: Four Decades Later”

Control of a gantry crane using input shaping schemes with distributed delay

This paper presents simulation and real-time implementation of input-shaping schemes with a distributed delay for control of a gantry crane. Both open-loop and closed-loop input-shaping schemes are considered. Zero vibration and zero vibration derivative input shapers are designed for performance comparison in terms of trolley position response and level of sway reduction. Simulation and experimental results have shown that all the shapers are able to reduce payload sway significantly while maintaining satisfactory position response. Investigations with different cable lengths that correspond to 620% changes in the sway frequency have shown the distributed delay-based shaper has asymmetric robustness behaviour. The shaper provides highest robustness for the case of 20% increase in the sway frequency but lower robustness for the case of 20% decrease. However, other schemes give symmetric robustness behaviour for both cases

Milk and dairy products: good or bad for human health? An assessment of the totality of scientific evidence

Background: There is scepticism about health effects of dairy products in the public, which is reflected in an increasing intake of plant-based drinks, for example, from soy, rice, almond, or oat. Objective: This review aimed to assess the scientific evidence mainly from meta-analyses of observational studies and randomised controlled trials, on dairy intake and risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, cancer, and all-cause mortality. Results: The most recent evidence suggested that intake of milk and dairy products was associated with reduced risk of childhood obesity. In adults, intake of dairy products was shown to improve body composition and facilitate weight loss during energy restriction. In addition, intake of milk and dairy products was associated with a neutral or reduced risk of type 2 diabetes and a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, particularly stroke. Furthermore, the evidence suggested a beneficial effect of milk and dairy intake on bone mineral density but no association with risk of bone fracture. Among cancers, milk and dairy intake was inversely associated with colorectal cancer, bladder cancer, gastric cancer, and breast cancer, and not associated with risk of pancreatic cancer, ovarian cancer, or lung cancer,while the evidence for prostate cancer risk was inconsistent.Finally,consumption of milk and dairy products was not associated with all-cause mortality. Calcium-fortified plant-based drinks have been included as an alternative to dairy products in the nutrition recommendations in several countries. However, nutritionally, cow’s milk and plant-based drinks are completely different foods,and an evidence-based conclusion on the health value of the plant-based drinks requires more studies in humans. Conclusion: The totality of available scientific evidence supports that intake of milk and dairy products contribute to meet nutrient recommendations, and may protect against the most prevalent chronic diseases, whereas very few adverse effects have been reported

A922 Sequential measurement of 1 hour creatinine clearance (1-CRCL) in critically ill patients at risk of acute kidney injury (AKI)

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Upstream Supply Chain Visibility and Complexity Effect on Focal Company’s Sustainable Performance: Indian Manufacturers’ Perspective

Understanding supply chain sustainability performance is increasingly important for supply chain researchers and managers. Literature has considered supply chain sustainability and the antecedents of performance from a triple bottom line (economic, social, and environmental) perspective. However, the role of supply chain visibility and product complexity contingency in achieving sustainable supply chain performance has not been explored in depth. To address this gap, this study utilizes a contingent resource-based view theory perspective to understand the role of product complexity in shaping the relationship between upstream supply chain visibility (resources and capabilities) and the social, environmental, and economic performance dimensions. We develop and test a theoretical model using survey data gathered from 312 Indian manufacturing organizations. Our findings indicate that supply chain visibility (SCV) has significant influence on social and environmental performance under the moderation effect of product complexity. Hence, the study makes significant contribution to the extant literature by examining the impact of SCV under moderating effect of product complexity on social performance and environmental performance

Association of migraine and obesity: A review of literature

Background: Migraine is one of the main reasons for primary and secondary headaches worldwide and has significant effects on patients’ life. Based on recent studies, obesity may affect the severity, frequency and duration of migraine attacks. Objective: This aim of this study was to review the literature on the association of migraine and obesity. Methods: In this review, databases of PubMed, Scopus, Science Direct and Web of Science were searched using “migraine”, “headache”, “obesity” and “overweight” as keywords. Studies published between 2005 and 2014 were reviewed. Human studies in which migraine was diagnosed based on the International Headache Society (IHS) criteria were included. Articles with non-English languages and studies on headache as the main purpose were excluded. 10 articles met the inclusion criteria. Findings: In most evaluated studies, the association of obesity (BMI≥30) and morbid obesity (BMI≥35) with high frequency of migraine attacks and frequent migraine headaches was significant. This association was more significant in younger subjects and subjects under 55 years old. There was no association between obesity and migraine symptoms (severity, frequency and duration of headache) in only one study. Another study indicated that BMI≤18.5 was associated with migraine. Conclusion: With regards to the results, general and abdominal obesity can increase the frequency of migraine attacks; however, more studies are recommended. Keywords: Migraine Disorders, Headache, Obesity, Overweigh

A novel approach in S-shaped input design for higher vibration reduction

This paper presents development and implementation of a novel approach to produce an s-shaped command with higher residual vibration. In this work, a three dimensional gantry crane is considered where a complete nonlinear mathematical model of a laboratory crane with variable cable length is simulated. A distributed delay zero vibration shaper based approach is proposed to produce an s-curved command. The effectiveness of the shaped command is examined through simulations using the nonlinear model and experiments on the laboratory crane. Simulation and experimental results show that the proposed scheme resulted in lower overall sways for rail and trolley of the crane when compared to a conventional s-shaped signal

An optimal performance control scheme for a 3D crane

This paper presents an optimal performance control scheme for control of a three dimensional (3D) crane system including a Zero Vibration shaper which considers two control objectives concurrently. The control objectives are fast and accurate positioning of a trolley and minimum sway of a payload. A complete mathematical model of a lab-scaled 3D crane is simulated in Simulink. With a specific cost function the proposed controller is designed to cater both control objectives similar to a skilled operator. Simulation and experimental studies on a 3D crane show that the proposed controller has better performance as compared to a sequentially tuned PID-PID anti swing controller. The controller provides better position response with satisfactory payload sway in both rail and trolley responses. Experiments with different payloads and cable lengths show that the proposed controller is robust to changes in payload with satisfactory responses