Self-repair ability of evolved self-assembling systems in cellular automata

Self-repairing systems are those that are able to reconfigure themselves following disruptions to bring them back into a defined normal state. In this paper we explore the self-repair ability of some cellular automata-like systems, which differ from classical cellular automata by the introduction of a local diffusion process inspired by chemical signalling processes in biological development. The update rules in these systems are evolved using genetic programming to self-assemble towards a target pattern. In particular, we demonstrate that once the update rules have been evolved for self-assembly, many of those update rules also provide a self-repair ability without any additional evolutionary process aimed specifically at self-repair

Brensocatib in non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis: ASPEN protocol and baseline characteristics

\ua9 The authors 2024.Introduction Brensocatib is an investigational, oral, reversible inhibitor of dipeptidyl peptidase-1 shown to prolong time to first exacerbation in adults with bronchiectasis. Outlined here are the clinical trial design, and baseline characteristics and treatment patterns of adult patients enrolled in the phase 3 ASPEN trial (NCT04594369). Methods The ASPEN trial is a global study enrolling patients with a clinical history consistent with bronchiectasis (cough, chronic sputum production and/or recurrent respiratory infections), diagnosis confirmed radiologically and ⩾2 exacerbations in the prior 12 months. It was designed to evaluate the impact of two brensocatib doses (10 mg and 25 mg) on exacerbation rate over a 52-week treatment period versus placebo. Comprehensive clinical data, including demographics, disease severity, lung function, Pseudomonas aeruginosa status and quality of life, were collected at baseline. Results 1682 adults from 35 countries were randomised from December 2020 to March 2023. Mean age was 61.3 years and 64.7% were female. ∼70% had moderate-to-severe Bronchiectasis Severity Index (BSI) scores, 29.3% had ⩾3 exacerbations in the prior 12 months and 35.7% were positive for P. aeruginosa. Mean BSI scores were highest in Australia/New Zealand (8.3) and lowest in Latin America (5.9). Overall, the most common aetiology was idiopathic (58.4%). In P. aeruginosa-positive versus P. aeruginosa-negative patients, lung function was lower, with greater long-term macrolide (21.5% versus 14.0%) and inhaled corticosteroid use (63.5% versus 53.9%). There was wide regional variation in long-term antibiotic use in patients with bronchiectasis and P. aeruginosa. Discussion ASPEN baseline characteristics and treatment profiles were representative of a global bronchiectasis population

Pathological Features of Breast Cancer seen in Northwestern Tanzania: A Nine Years Retrospective Study.

Breast cancer is more common in Western Countries compared to African populations. However in African population, it appears that the disease tends to be more aggressive and occurring at a relatively young age at the time of presentation. The aim of this study was to describe the trend of Breast Cancer in Northwestern Tanzania. This was a retrospective study which involved all cases of breast cancer diagnosed histologically at Bugando Medical Center from 2002 to 2010. Histological results and slides were retrieved from the records in the Pathology department, clinical information and demographic data for patients were retrieved from surgical wards and department of medical records. Histology slides were re-evaluated for the histological type, grade (By modified Bloom-Richardson score), and presence of necrosis and skin involvement. Data was entered and analyzed by SPSS computer software version 15. There were 328 patients histologically confirmed to have breast cancer, the mean age at diagnosis was 48.7 years (+/- 13.1). About half of the patients (52.4%) were below 46 years of age, and this group of patients had significantly higher tendency for lymph node metastasis (p = 0.012). The tumor size ranged from 1 cm to 18 cm in diameter with average (mean) of 5.5 cm (+/- 2.5), and median size of 6 cm. Size of the tumor (above 6 cm in diameter) and presence of necrosis within the tumor was significantly associated with high rate of lymph node metastasis (p = 0.000). Of all patients, 64% were at clinical stage III (specifically IIIB) and 70.4% had lymph node metastasis at the time of diagnosis. Only 4.3% of the patients were in clinical stage I at the time of diagnosis. Majority of the patients had invasive ductal carcinoma (91.5%) followed by mucinous carcinoma (5.2%), Invasive lobular carcinoma (3%) and in situ ductal carcinoma (0.3%). In all patients, 185 (56.4%) had tumor with histological grade 3. Breast cancer in this region show a trend towards relative young age at diagnosis with advanced stage at diagnosis and high rate of lymph node metastasis. Poor Referral system, lack of screening programs and natural aggressive biological behavior of tumor may contribute to advanced disease at the time of diagnosis

Solid-phase phosphorus speciation in Saharan Bodélé depression dusts and source sediments

Phosphorus (P) is one of the most important limiting nutrients for the growth of oceanic phytoplankton and terrestrial ecosystems, which in turn contributes to CO2 sequestration. The solid-phase speciation of P will influence its solubility and hence its availability to such ecosystems. This study reports on the results of X-ray diffraction, electron microprobe chemical analysis and X-ray mapping, chemical extractions and X-ray absorption near-edge spectroscopy analysis carried out to determine the solid-phase speciation of P in dusts and their source sediments from the Saharan Bodélé Depression, the world’s largest single source of dust. Chemical extraction data suggest that the Bodélé dusts contain 28 to 60% (mean 49%) P sorbed to, or co-precipitated with Fe (hydr)oxides, < 10% organic P, 21-50% (mean 32%) detrital apatite P, and 10-22% (mean 15%) authigenic-biogenic apatite P. This is confirmed by the other analyses, which also suggest that the authigenic-biogenic apatite P is likely fish bone and scale, and that this might form a larger proportion of the apatite pool (33 +/− 22%) than given by the extraction data. This is the first-ever report of fish material in aeolian dust, and it is significant because P derived from fish bone and scale is relatively soluble and is often used as a soil fertilizer. Therefore, the fish-P will likely be the most readily form of Bodélé P consumed during soil weathering and atmospheric processing, but given time and acid dissolution, the detrital apatite, Fe-P and organic-P will also be made available. The Bodélé dust input of P to global ecosystems will only have a limited life, however, because its major source materials, diatomite in the Bodélé Depression, undergo persistent deflation and have a finite thickness

Preferences and priorities for relapsed multiple myeloma treatments among patients and caregivers in the United States

Introduction/Background: This study aimed to describe patient and caregiver preferences for treatments of relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma (MM). Materials and Methods: A survey including discrete-choice experiment (DCE) and best-worst scaling (BWS) exercises was conducted among US patients with relapsed or refractory MM and their caregivers. The DCE included six attributes with varying levels including progression-free survival (PFS), toxicity, and mode and frequency of administration. In addition, the impact of treatment cost was assessed using a fixed-choice question. The BWS exercise included 18 items (modes and frequency of administration, additional treatment convenience, and toxicity items). The survey was administered online to patients recruited from the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation CoMMpass study (NCT01454297). Results: The final samples consisted of 94 patients and 32 caregivers. Avoiding severe nerve damage was most important to patients, followed by longer PFS. Caregivers considered PFS to be the most important attribute. We estimate that a third or more of patients were cost-sensitive, meaning their treatment preference was altered based on cost implications. Caregivers were not cost-sensitive. The three most bothersome treatment features in the BWS exercise were risk of kidney failure, lowering white blood cell counts, and weakening the immune system. Conclusion: Patients with relapsed or refractory MM and their caregivers consider many factors including efficacy, toxicity, mode/frequency of administration, and cost in their decisions regarding treatment options. The study provides a basis for future Research on patient and caregiver treatment preferences, which could be incorporated into shared decision-making with physicians

POEtic Tissue: An Integrated Architecture for Bio-inspired Hardware

It is clear to all, after a moments thought, that nature has much wemight be inspired by when designing our systems, for example: robustness, adaptability and complexity, to name a few. The implementation of bio-inspired systems in hardware has however been limited, and more often than not been more a matter of artistry than engineering. The reasons for this are many, but one of the main problems has always been the lack of a universal platform, and of a proper methodology for the implementation of such systems. The ideas presented in this paper are early results of a new research project, "Reconfigurable POEtic Tissue". The goal of the project is the development of a hardware platform capable of implementing systems inspired by all three major axes (phylogenesis, ontogenesis, and epigenesis) of bio-inspiration, in digital hardware

Fishing for Prion Protein Function

The prion protein is infamous for its role in devastating neurological diseases, but its normal, physiological function has remained mysterious. A new study uses the experimentally tractable zebrafish model to obtain fresh clues to this puzzle