Distributed/virtual manufacturing system cell: an experimental installation

The main objectives of the “Distributed/Virtual Manufacturing System (D/V MS) Cell” project are: (1) The development of Tele-services technologies and organisation for the production planning and control functions; (2) The development of permanent high performance laboratory facilities that enable development and demonstration of D/V MS design and control, i.e., global distribution of production planning and control functions; (3) The development of an abstract environment, i.e., a virtual environment for design and real time control of manufacturing systems, or one of its elements, independent of the physical implementations. The D/V MS Cell satisfies the defined hierarchical distributed control model The Hardware System of the D/V MS Cell is composed by: (1) Machine tool cell: CNC milling machine, external sensors and actuators, interface computer with communications links, (2) Machine cell: Two machine simulators, PLC, sensors and actuators, computer based local controller, (3) Robot cell: Robot SCORBOT ER-VII, artificial vision system, conveyor system, computer based local controller, (4) Control centre: Video projector, computer based remote controller, computer based real time video and audio system. The Software System of the D/V MS Cell is composed by: (1) Applications for Human-Computer Interface (HMI): Interfaces for machine tool and robot programming and control, interface for production planning and control, (2) Computer-Machine Interface, via RS-232C, (3) Computer-Computer Interface, for communications via Internet. The hardware structure of the (D/V MS) Cell is already implemented and interfaces for machine tool programming and control are developed (software system). The operation of the complete system is planned for the year 1999

Analiza ukupnog brojnog stanja goveda u Republici Srbiji

This paperpresents an analysis ofthe totalof number ofcattle inthe Republic of Serbiashowing of indexnumerical stateover the past yearswith the current state(on 22December2015). Fora comparison ofpastandcurrentnumerical statewere useddata are availableon the website ofthe statistical databaseon Food and Agriculture Organization (FAOSTAT), Serbian Chamber of Commerce(PKS), the Republic Statistical Office(RZS) andthe Central Database(AIR). Comparing the review of index number of cattle in the Republic of Serbia from 2006 to 2014 with the current state of 956.268 cattle we may notice a slight increase in numerical strength that is decreased markedly in the period from 2010 to 2014.U radu je predstavljena analiza ukupnog brojnog stanja goveda u Republici Srbiji indeksnim prikazom brojnog stanja proteklih godina sa trenutnim stanjem (dana 22. decembra 2015. godine).Za komparaciju proteklog i trenutnog brojnog stanja goveda korišćeni su podaci dostupni na sajtu statističke baze podataka FAOSTAT,Privredne komore Srbije (PKS), Republičkog zavoda za statistiku (RZS) i Centralne baze podataka (AIR).Komparacijom indeksnog prikaza ukupnog brojnog stanja goveda u Republici Srbiji od 2006. do 2014. godine sa trenutnim stanjem od 956.268 grla može se uočiti blagporast ukupnog brojnog stanja, koji je primetno opao u periodu od 2010. do 2014. godine

Study of the growth traits relationship of lambs in the postnatal development

Data from the Pirot improved sheep were use to estimate postnatal development and growth traits relationship of lambs from birth to weaning. The experiment included 360 lambs, divided into three groups (I, II, III). Lamb traits included BW at birth and approximately 30d, 60d and 90d (weaning). Lambs managed under conditions typical of the area. Male lambs in-group I had a total gain of 22.97 kg (0.255 kg/d), in group II 25.97 kg (0.286 kg/d) (P (lt) 0.01). Lambs in-group III the total gain was 24.64 kg (0.274 kg/d), which was lower than lambs of group II (P>0.05). On the other side, III group of lambs had a higher gain than the I group (P (lt) 0.01). Development of female lambs in the postnatal period was slightly weaker. Lambs of I group, from birth to weaning had a total gain of 21.27 kg, (0.236 kg/d), II group was 23.32 kg (0.259 kg/d). The difference was statistically very significant (P (lt) 0.01). Lambs of group III had a total gain of 23.54 kg (0.261kg/d) and higher growth rate then lambs of group II, but not significant (P>0.05). From the other side, the difference in comparison with the groups III and I was very significant (P (lt) 0.01). Correlations between BWB and BW30, 60, 90 are ranged from low to moderate among the respective traits and ranged between positive from 0.001 to 0.365 and negative from -0.005 to -0.279. Can conclude that the selection should direct towards producing lambs with intermediate birth weight

Uticaj letnjeg i zimskog perioda ishrane na telesnu razvijenost krava simentalske rase

The paper analyzed linear type traits and influence of summer and winter nutrition on body development of Simmental cattle. Test cows (paternal a half-sisters) were located in identical breedingconditions on the eastern slopes of Mount Kopaonik.Considering that expression of the genetic potential depends on the environment in which the organisms exist, the differences between summer and winter period feeding of Simmental cattle were not statistically significant (Tukey's test, p> 0.05) for the investigated properties of linear type traits and body development.U radu su analizirane linearne ocene tipa i uticaj letnjeg i zimskog perioda ishrane na telesnu razvijenost krava simentalske rase. Ispitivane krave (polusestre po ocu) nalazile su se u identičnim uslovima gajenja na istočnim padinama planine Kopaonik. S obzirom da ispoljavanje genetskog potencijala zavisi i od uslova sredine u kojoj egzistiraju organizmi, razlike između letnjeg i zimskog perioda ishrane krava simentalske rase su statistički nesignifikantne (Tukey test,p> 0.05) za ispitivana svojstva linearne ocene tipa i telesne razvijenosti

Koncentracija Сa,P i Mg u krvnom serumu jagnjadi hranjenih smešama sa različitim dodatkom preparata na bazi prirodnog zeolita

This work has an aim to explore the effects of the product based on the natural zeolit during the fattening of the lambs and also the effects on contents of calcium, phosphorus and magnesium in blood serum. The experiment lasted 15 days in the closed area of the Agricultural school in Kraljevo, and the lambs were divided into three groups of 15 lambs ( Control group –C, Experimental group E1 and E2). They were fed with sheep’s milk, concentrate for lambs’ fattening and meadow hay. The lambs in the experimental groups, in contrast to Control group, were fed with the different concentration of the preparation based on the natural zeolit (O1=1%, O2=1.5%), so that the manifested differences would be treated as the resault of the different concentration of the zeolit that was added to the lambs’ food.At the end of the experiment the differences in the parameters of the lambs’ blood serum were distinguished and especially in the concentration of calcium, phosphorus and magnesium.Istraživanja u ovom radu postavljena su sa ciljem da se ispitaju efekti korišćenja preparata na bazi prirodnog zeolita u ishrani jagnjadi u tovu kao i utvrđivanje efekata na sadržaj kalcijuma, fosfora i magnezijuma u krvnom serumu. Ogled je izveden u trajanju od 90 dana, u zatvorenom objektu Poljoprivredne škole u Kraljevu, a eksperimentalne životinje su podeljene u tri grupe po 15. jagnjadi (Kontrolna-K i Ogledne-O1 i O2). Obrok se sastojao od ovčjeg mleka, koncentrata za tov jagnjadi i livadskog sena. Jagnjad oglednih grupa, za razliku od kontrolne, dobijala su različite koncentracije preparata na bazi prorodnog zeolita (O1=1%, O2=1.5%), kako bi se na taj način ispoljene razlike tretirale kao posledica sadržaja različite količine dodatog zeolita u hrani. Na kraju ogleda su utvrđene razlike u ispitivanim parametrima iz krvnog seruma jagnjadi i to u koncentraciji kalcijuma , fosfora i magnezijuma

Automated systems to identify relevant documents in product risk management

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Product risk management involves critical assessment of the risks and benefits of health products circulating in the market. One of the important sources of safety information is the primary literature, especially for newer products which regulatory authorities have relatively little experience with. Although the primary literature provides vast and diverse information, only a small proportion of which is useful for product risk assessment work. Hence, the aim of this study is to explore the possibility of using text mining to automate the identification of useful articles, which will reduce the time taken for literature search and hence improving work efficiency. In this study, term-frequency inverse document-frequency values were computed for predictors extracted from the titles and abstracts of articles related to three tumour necrosis factors-alpha blockers. A general automated system was developed using only general predictors and was tested for its generalizability using articles related to four other drug classes. Several specific automated systems were developed using both general and specific predictors and training sets of different sizes in order to determine the minimum number of articles required for developing such systems.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The general automated system had an area under the curve value of 0.731 and was able to rank 34.6% and 46.2% of the total number of 'useful' articles among the first 10% and 20% of the articles presented to the evaluators when tested on the generalizability set. However, its use may be limited by the subjective definition of useful articles. For the specific automated system, it was found that only 20 articles were required to develop a specific automated system with a prediction performance (AUC 0.748) that was better than that of general automated system.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Specific automated systems can be developed rapidly and avoid problems caused by subjective definition of useful articles. Thus the efficiency of product risk management can be improved with the use of specific automated systems.</p

100,000 Genomes Pilot on Rare-Disease Diagnosis in Health Care — Preliminary Report

BACKGROUND: The U.K. 100,000 Genomes Project is in the process of investigating the role of genome sequencing in patients with undiagnosed rare diseases after usual care and the alignment of this research with health care implementation in the U.K. National Health Service. Other parts of this project focus on patients with cancer and infection. METHODS: We conducted a pilot study involving 4660 participants from 2183 families, among whom 161 disorders covering a broad spectrum of rare diseases were present. We collected data on clinical features with the use of Human Phenotype Ontology terms, undertook genome sequencing, applied automated variant prioritization on the basis of applied virtual gene panels and phenotypes, and identified novel pathogenic variants through research analysis. RESULTS: Diagnostic yields varied among family structures and were highest in family trios (both parents and a proband) and families with larger pedigrees. Diagnostic yields were much higher for disorders likely to have a monogenic cause (35%) than for disorders likely to have a complex cause (11%). Diagnostic yields for intellectual disability, hearing disorders, and vision disorders ranged from 40 to 55%. We made genetic diagnoses in 25% of the probands. A total of 14% of the diagnoses were made by means of the combination of research and automated approaches, which was critical for cases in which we found etiologic noncoding, structural, and mitochondrial genome variants and coding variants poorly covered by exome sequencing. Cohortwide burden testing across 57,000 genomes enabled the discovery of three new disease genes and 19 new associations. Of the genetic diagnoses that we made, 25% had immediate ramifications for clinical decision making for the patients or their relatives. CONCLUSIONS: Our pilot study of genome sequencing in a national health care system showed an increase in diagnostic yield across a range of rare diseases. (Funded by the National Institute for Health Research and others.)

Targeted Next-Generation Sequencing Analysis of 1,000 Individuals with Intellectual Disability.

To identify genetic causes of intellectual disability (ID), we screened a cohort of 986 individuals with moderate to severe ID for variants in 565 known or candidate ID-associated genes using targeted next-generation sequencing. Likely pathogenic rare variants were found in ∼11% of the cases (113 variants in 107/986 individuals: ∼8% of the individuals had a likely pathogenic loss-of-function [LoF] variant, whereas ∼3% had a known pathogenic missense variant). Variants in SETD5, ATRX, CUL4B, MECP2, and ARID1B were the most common causes of ID. This study assessed the value of sequencing a cohort of probands to provide a molecular diagnosis of ID, without the availability of DNA from both parents for de novo sequence analysis. This modeling is clinically relevant as 28% of all UK families with dependent children are single parent households. In conclusion, to diagnose patients with ID in the absence of parental DNA, we recommend investigation of all LoF variants in known genes that cause ID and assessment of a limited list of proven pathogenic missense variants in these genes. This will provide 11% additional diagnostic yield beyond the 10%-15% yield from array CGH alone.Action Medical Research (SP4640); the Birth Defect Foundation (RG45448); the Cambridge National Institute for Health Research Biomedical Research Centre (RG64219); the NIHR Rare Diseases BioResource (RBAG163); Wellcome Trust award WT091310; The Cell lines and DNA bank of Rett Syndrome, X-linked mental retardation and other genetic diseases (member of the Telethon Network of Genetic Biobanks (project no. GTB12001); the Genetic Origins of Congenital Heart Disease Study (GO-CHD)- funded by British Heart Foundation (BHF)This is the final version of the article. It first appeared from Wiley via http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/humu.2290

The structure and function of Alzheimer's gamma secretase enzyme complex

The production and accumulation of the beta amyloid protein (Aβ) is a key event in the cascade of oxidative and inflammatory processes that characterizes Alzheimer’s disease (AD). A multi-subunit enzyme complex, referred to as gamma (γ) secretase, plays a pivotal role in the generation of Aβ from its parent molecule, the amyloid precursor protein (APP). Four core components (presenilin, nicastrin, aph-1, and pen-2) interact in a high-molecular-weight complex to perform intramembrane proteolysis on a number of membrane-bound proteins, including APP and Notch. Inhibitors and modulators of this enzyme have been assessed for their therapeutic benefit in AD. However, although these agents reduce Aβ levels, the majority have been shown to have severe side effects in pre-clinical animal studies, most likely due to the enzymes role in processing other proteins involved in normal cellular function. Current research is directed at understanding this enzyme and, in particular, at elucidating the roles that each of the core proteins plays in its function. In addition, a number of interacting proteins that are not components of γ-secretase also appear to play important roles in modulating enzyme activity. This review will discuss the structural and functional complexity of the γ-secretase enzyme and the effects of inhibiting its activity