Development of n-DoF Preloaded structures for impact mitigation in cobots

A core issue in collaborative robotics is that of impact mitigation, especially when collisions happen with operators. Passively compliant structures can be used as the frame of the cobot, although, usually, they are implemented by means of a single-degree-offreedom (DoF). However, n-DoF preloaded structures offer a number of advantages in terms of flexibility in designing their behavior. In this work, we propose a comprehensive framework for classifying n-DoF preloaded structures, including one-, two-, and threedimensional arrays. Furthermore, we investigate the implications of the peculiar behavior of these structures-which present sharp stiff-to-compliant transitions at designdetermined load thresholds-on impact mitigation. To this regard, an analytical n-DoF dynamic model was developed and numerically implemented. A prototype of a 10DoF structure was tested under static and impact loads, showing a very good agreement with the model. Future developments will see the application of n-DoF preloaded structures to impact-mitigation on cobots and in the field of mobile robots, as well as to the field of novel architected materials

Oxidative stress neuroinflammation and cellular stress response in sensorineural hearing loss: novel nutritional therapeutical approaches

This study is intended to validate the hypothesis that changes in the redox state of glutathione, the major endogenous antioxidant, associated with the abnormal expression and activity of cytoprotective vitagenes, which in normal conditions are expressed only at low level may represent a critical factor, involved in the physiopathological changes associated to degenerative damage occurring in cochlear diseases. Moreover modulation of stress responsive vitagenes by nutritional antioxidants can be an effective therapeutic strategy to minimize consequences of oxidative stress associated to the pathogenesis and course of sensorineural hearing loss. One therapeutic approach can be antioxidant substances, as cisteina and superoxide dismutase supplementation to burst vitagenes and confer neuroprotection. The damage caused in the inner ear by oxidative stress can induce apoptosis and necrosis of both the hair cells as neurons of the spiral ganglion. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) and free radicals are formed not only as by-products of various metabolic pathways but also for exposure to ototoxic substances such as aminoglycosides and cisplatin, for hypoxia/ischemia and to exposure to noise. Although the mechanism of production of ROS within the cochlea has not yet been precisely identified, it is conceivable that mitochondrial dysfunction and consequent burst in oxidative stress are major causative factors. Consistent with this notion, it is known that the base of the cochlea is more vulnerable to oxidative damage resulted from exposure to ototoxic substances than the apical portions. The difference in survival between the basal outer hair cells and the apical ones appear to be due to a significantly lower level of glutathione in the basal outer hair cells than the apical, a phenomenon that makes it easier basal cells vulnerable to damage from free radicals. © Mattioli 188

Application of a low-cost camera on a UAV to estimate maize nitrogen-related variables

The development of small unmanned aerial vehicles and advances in sensor technology have made consumer digital cameras suitable for the remote sensing of vegetation. In this context, monitoring the in-field variability of maize (Zea mays L.), characterized by high nitrogen fertilization rates, with a low-cost color-infrared airborne system could be the basis for a site-specific nitrogen (N) fertilization support system. An experimental field with different N treatments applied to silage maize was monitored during the years 2014 and 2015. Images of the field and reference destructive measurements of above ground biomass, its N concentration and N uptake were taken at V6 and V9 development stages. Classical normalized difference vegetation indices (NDVI) and the indices adjusted by crop ground cover were calculated and regressed against the measured variables. Finally, image colorgrams were used to explore the potential of band-related information in variable estimation. A colorgram is a linear signal that summarizes the color content of each digital image. It is composed of a sequence of the frequency distribution curves of the camera bands, of their related parameters and of results of the principal components analysis applied to each image. The best predictors were found to be the ground cover and the adjusted green-based NDVI: regression equation at V9 resulted in R2 of 0.7 and RRMSE < 25% in external validation. Colorgrams did not improve prediction performance due to the spectral limitations of the camera. Therefore, the feasibility of the method should be tested in future research. In spite of limitations of sensor setup, the modified camera was able to estimate maize biomass due to the very high spatial resolution. Since the above ground biomass is a robust proxy of N status, the modified camera could be a promising tool for a low-cost N fertilization support system

Unraveling the effect of proliferative stress in vivo in hematopoietic stem cell gene therapy mouse study

The hematopoietic system of patients enrolled in hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) gene therapy (GT) treatments is fully reconstituted upon autologous transplantation of engineered stem cells. HSCs highly proliferate up to full restoration of homeostasis and compete for niche homing and engraftment. The impact of the proliferation stress in HSC on genetic instability remains an open question that cured patients advocate for characterizing long-term safety and efficacy. The accumulation of somatic mutations has been widely used as a sensor of proliferative stress. Vector integration site (IS) can be used as a molecular tool for clonal identity, inherited by all HSC progeny, to uncover lineage dynamics in vivo at single-cell level. Here we characterized at single-clone granularity the proliferative stress of HSCs and their progeny over time by measuring the accumulation of mutations from the DNA of each IS. To test the feasibility of the approach, we set-up an experimental framework that combines tumor-prone Cdkn2a-/- and wild type (WT) mouse models of HSC-GT and molecular analyses on different hematopoietic cell lineages after transplantation of HSCs transduced with genotoxic LV (LV.SF.LTR) or GT-like non-genotoxic LV (SIN.LV.PGK). The Cdkn2a-/- mouse model provided the experimental conditions to detect the accumulation of somatic mutations, since the absence of p16INK4A and p19ARF enhances the proliferative potential of cells that have acquired oncogenic mutations. As expected, mice transplanted with Cdkn2a-/- Lin- cells marked with LV.SF.LTR (N=24) developed tumors significantly earlier compared to mock (N=20, p<0.0001), while mice treated with SIN. LV.PGK (N=23) did not. On the other side, mice that received WT Lin- cells treated with LV.SF.LTR (N=25) or SIN.LV.PGK (N=24) vector have not developed tumors. Given this scenario, we expect that Cdkn2a-/- Lin- cells transduced with LV.SF.LTR are associated with higher mutation rates compared to the SIN.LV.PGK group and wild type control mice. The composition of peripheral blood, lymphoid (B and T) and myeloid compartments was assessed by FACS on samples collected every 4 weeks and IS identification. More than 200,000 IS have been recovered. To identify the presence of somatic mutations, the genomic portions of sequencing reads flanking each different IS were analyzed with VarScan2. The accumulation rates of mutations have been evaluated by our new Mutation Index (MI) which normalizes the number of mutations by clones and coverage. Considering that a large portion of IS has been discarded since not covered by a minimum number of 5 unique reads (genomes), the remaining number of IS contained >90% of reads in each group. The MI increased over time in both LV.SF.LTR groups, with higher values for the Cdkn2a-/-. On the other hand, treatment with SIN.LV.PGK resulted in lower MI in both groups compared to LV.SF.LTR groups, reflecting the higher clonal composition of the cells treated with the SIN.LV.PGK and the phenomenon of insertional mutagenesis in the LV.SF.LTR. Moreover, the higher MI values of the SIN.LV.PGK Cdkn2a-/- group compared with the WT group proved the induction of DNA fragility. Our results showed that the analysis of the accumulation of somatic mutations at single clone unraveled HSC proliferation stress in vivo, combining for the first time the analysis of acquired mutations with IS. We are now applying our model to different clinical trials, and studying HSCs sub- clonal trees by symmetric divisions, previously indistinguishable by IS only. Our study will open the doors to in vivo long-term non-invasive studies of HSC stability in patients

Agronomic and Environmental Benefits of Cover Crops in Northern Italy

Cover crops have a number of benefits (reduction of nitrate leaching and of soil erosion, control of weed seed bank, increase of soil organic matter and increase of cash crop yield), but these were seldom quantified in cropping systems of Northern Italy. This experiment aimed to quantify some of these effects, by comparing cover crop species and their management techniques

HIV-1 mediated insertional activation of STAT5B promotes the formation of a viral reservoir in T regulatory cells

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Identificação de genes diferencialmente expressos durante a interação incompatível cafeeiro-Hemileia vastatrix.

O trabalho teve como objetivo identificar genes envolvidos na resistência do cafeeiro contra Hemileia vastatrix, por meio da técnica de Hibridização Subtrativa par Supressão. Para isso, folhas do genótipo Híbrido de Timor CIFC 832/2 foram inoculadas com a raça II do fungo. Esse cafeeiro foi escolhido por ser resistente a todas as raças do patógeno identificadas ate 0 momento. Nos períodos de 12 e 24 horas após a inoculação, os RNAs de folhas inoculadas e não inoculadas foram coletados e os cDNAs sintetizados. A subtração dos cDNAs resultou em quatro bibliotecas contendo 528 clones. Esses clones correspondem a potenciais genes diferencialmente expressos em respostas a infecção do cafeeiro a H. vastatrix. As subtrações foram realizadas em ambas as direções, de forma a possibilitar a identificação de genes induzidos e reprimidos na interação incompatível. A análise da seqüência de 31 clones diferencialmente expressos indicou que muitos destes codificam proteínas envolvidas com a resposta de defesa de hospedeiro a fitopatógenos, como por exemplo, quitinases, proteases serina e endoxyloglucano transferase. A caracterização futura de outros clones das bibliotecas, bem como a comprovação do envolvimento dos genes por outras técnicas de genômica funcional contribuirão para 0 esclarecimento do mecanismo molecular envolvidos na defesa do cafeeiro a H. vastatrix, visando dar subsídios a obtenção de variedades com resistência duradoura