An Experimental Framework for 5G Wireless System Integration into Industry 4.0 Applications

The fourth industrial revolution, or Industry 4.0 (I4.0), makes use of wireless technologies together with other industrial Internet-of-Things (IIoT) technologies, cyber–physical systems (CPS), and edge computing to enable the optimization and the faster re-configuration of industrial production processes. As I4.0 deployments are ramping up, the practical integration of 5G wireless systems with existing industrial applications is being explored in both Industry and Academia, in order to find optimized strategies and to develop guidelines oriented towards ensuring the success of the industrial wireless digitalization process. This paper explores the challenges arisen from such integration between industrial systems and 5G wireless, and presents a framework applicable to achieve a structured and successful integration. The paper aims at describing the different aspects of the framework such as the application operational flow and its associated tools, developed based on analytical and experimental applied research methodologies. The applicability of the framework is illustrated by addressing the integration of 5G technology into a specific industrial use case: the control of autonomous mobile robots. The results indicate that 5G technology can be used for reliable fleet management control of autonomous mobile robots in industrial scenarios, and that 5G can support the migration of the on-board path planning intelligence to the edge-cloud

Variation in amount of wild-type transthyretin in different fibril and tissue types in ATTR amyloidosis

Familial transthyretin (TTR) amyloidosis is caused by a mutation in the TTR gene, although wild-type (wt) TTR is also incorporated into the amyloid fibrils. Liver transplantation (LT) is the prevailing treatment of the disease and is performed in order to eliminate the mutant TTR from plasma. The outcome of the procedure is varied; especially problematic is a progressive cardiomyopathy seen in some patients, presumably caused by continued incorporation of wtTTR. What determines the discrepancy in outcome is not clear. We have previously shown that two structurally distinct amyloid fibrils (with or without fragmented ATTR) are found among ATTRV30M patients. In this study, we investigated the proportion of wtATTR in cardiac and adipose amyloid from patients having either fibril type. It was found that cardiac amyloid more easily incorporates wtTTR than adipose amyloid, offering a potential explanation for the vulnerability of cardiac tissue for continued amyloidosis after LT. In cardiac tissue, fibrils with fragmented ATTR contained a higher wt proportion than fibrils without, suggesting that continued incorporation of wtTTR after LT, perhaps, can take place more easily in these patients. In adipose tissue, a rapid increase in wt proportion after LT indicates that a rather fast turnover of the deposits must occur. A difference in wt proportion between the fibril types was seen post-LT but not pre-LT, possibly caused by differences in turnover rate. Conclusively, this study further establishes the basic dissimilarities between the two fibril types and demonstrates that their role in LT outcome needs to be further investigated

Chronic migraine plus medication overuse headache: two entities or not?

Chronic migraine (CM) represents migraine natural evolution from its episodic form. It is realized through a chronicization phase that may require months or years and varies from patient to patient. The transition to more frequent attacks pattern is influenced by lifestyle, life events, comorbid conditions and personal genetic terrain, and it often leads to acute drugs overuse. Medication overuse headache (MOH) may complicate every type of headache and all the drugs employed for headache treatment can cause MOH. The first step in the management of CM complicated by medication overuse must be the withdrawal of the overused drugs and a detoxification treatment. The goal is not only to detoxify the patient and stop the chronic headache but also to improve responsiveness to acute or prophylactic drugs. Different methods have been suggested: gradual or abrupt withdrawal; home treatment, hospitalization, or a day-hospital setting; re-prophylaxes performed immediately or at the end of the wash-out period. Up to now, only topiramate and local injection of onabotulinumtoxinA have shown efficacy as therapeutic agents for re-prophylaxis after detoxification in patients with CM with and without medication overuse. Although the two treatments showed similar efficacy, onabotulinumtoxinA is associated with a better adverse events profile. Recently, the Phase III Research Evaluating Migraine Prophylaxis Therapy (PREEMPT) clinical program proved that patients with CM, even those with MOH, are the ones most likely to benefit from onabotulinumtoxinA treatment. Furthermore, it provided an injection paradigm that can be used as a guide for a correct administration of onabotulinumtoxinA