Object grasping and manipulation in capuchin monkeys (genera Cebus and Sapajus)

The abilities to perform skilled hand movements and to manipulate objects dexterously are landmarks in the evolution of primates. The study of how primates use their hands to grasp and manipulate objects in accordance with their needs sheds light on how these species are physically and mentally equipped to deal with the problems they encounter in their daily life. We report data on capuchin monkeys, highly manipulative platyrrhine species that usually spend a great deal of time in active manipulation to search for food and to prepare it for ingestion. Our aim is to provide an overview of current knowledge on the ability of capuchins to grasp and manipulate objects, with a special focus on how these species express their cognitive potential through manual behaviour. Data on the ability of capuchins to move their hands and on the neural correlates sustaining their actions are reported, as are findings on the manipulative ability of capuchins to anticipate future actions and to relate objects to other objects and substrates. The manual behaviour of capuchins is considered in different domains, such as motor planning, extractive foraging and tool use, in both captive and natural settings. Anatomofunctional and behavioural similarities to and differences from other haplorrhine species regarding manual dexterity are also discussed

On Properties of Update Sequences Based on Causal Rejection

We consider an approach to update nonmonotonic knowledge bases represented as extended logic programs under answer set semantics. New information is incorporated into the current knowledge base subject to a causal rejection principle enforcing that, in case of conflicts, more recent rules are preferred and older rules are overridden. Such a rejection principle is also exploited in other approaches to update logic programs, e.g., in dynamic logic programming by Alferes et al. We give a thorough analysis of properties of our approach, to get a better understanding of the causal rejection principle. We review postulates for update and revision operators from the area of theory change and nonmonotonic reasoning, and some new properties are considered as well. We then consider refinements of our semantics which incorporate a notion of minimality of change. As well, we investigate the relationship to other approaches, showing that our approach is semantically equivalent to inheritance programs by Buccafurri et al. and that it coincides with certain classes of dynamic logic programs, for which we provide characterizations in terms of graph conditions. Therefore, most of our results about properties of causal rejection principle apply to these approaches as well. Finally, we deal with computational complexity of our approach, and outline how the update semantics and its refinements can be implemented on top of existing logic programming engines.Comment: 59 pages, 2 figures, 3 tables, to be published in "Theory and Practice of Logic Programming

Rat liver nuclear envelope insulin binding and its effects on endogenous protein kinases

The postulated model for the insulin - stimulated induction of mRNA efflux (Purrello et al., 1983) is based on the demonstrated binding of insulin to intracellular membrane structures (see chapter 2, section 2.2.1), and the in vitro effect of insulin on nuclear envelope phosphorylation, NTPase activity, and mRNA efflux (see chapter 5, section 5.1). These independent observations have led to the development of a model for the direct induction by insulin, at the level of the nucleus, of mRNA efflux (figure 1.1). However, the specific intracellular insulin binding has been inf erred from kinetic or morphological studies which have not identified a discrete membrane - bound polypeptide(s) as an insulin docking molecule in situ (Goldfine, 1981). Also, the stimulation of NTPase activity has only been established by monitoring the level of general ATP hydrolysis of nuclear envelope fractions in the presence and absence of insulin (Purrello et al., 1983). The scope of this thesis has been to further the understanding of this mechanism by attempting to a) unequivocally identify a specific nuclear envelope - associated insulin docking polypeptide in situ and b) to demonstrate that insulin directly affects the ATP - binding of nuclear envelope ATP - binding proteins. The latter would demonstrate a primary effect of insulin i.e. the modulation of the ATP - binding capacity of identified NTPases / protein kinases (or their release from some inactive storage form), and not a general phenomenon such as elevated ATP

An overview of natural polymers as reinforcing agents for 3D printing

Three-dimensional (3D) printing, or additive manufacturing, is a group of innovative technologies that are increasingly employed for the production of 3D objects in different fields, including pharmaceutics, engineering, agri-food and medicines. The most processed materials by 3D printing techniques (e.g., fused deposition modelling, FDM; selective laser sintering, SLS; stereolithography, SLA) are polymeric materials since they offer chemical resistance, are low cost and have easy processability. However, one main drawback of using these materials alone (e.g., polylactic acid, PLA) in the manufacturing process is related to the poor mechanical and tensile properties of the final product. To overcome these limitations, fillers can be added to the polymeric matrix during the manufacturing to act as reinforcing agents. These include inorganic or organic materials such as glass, carbon fibers, silicon, ceramic or metals. One emerging approach is the employment of natural polymers (polysaccharides and proteins) as reinforcing agents, which are extracted from plants or obtained from biomasses or agricultural/industrial wastes. The advantages of using these natural materials as fillers for 3D printing are related to their availability together with the possibility of producing printed specimens with a smaller environmental impact and higher biodegradability. Therefore, they represent a “green option” for 3D printing processing, and many studies have been published in the last year to evaluate their ability to improve the mechanical properties of 3D printed objects. The present review provides an overview of the recent literature regarding natural polymers as reinforcing agents for 3D printing

Eddy Covariance flux errors due to random and systematic timing errors during data acquisition

Modern eddy covariance (EC) systems collect high-frequency data (10–20 Hz) via digital outputs of instru ments. This is an important evolution with respect to the tra ditional and widely used mixed analog/digital systems, as fully digital systems help overcome the traditional limita tions of transmission reliability, data quality, and complete ness of the datasets

A first assessment of genetic variability in the longhorn beetle Rosalia alpina (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) from the Italian Apennines

The Rosalia longicorn (Rosalia alpina) is a strictly protected saproxylic beetle, widely distributed in Central and Southern Europe and mainly associated with ancient beech forests. To improve knowledge about the conservation status of R. alpina in Italy, available molecular markers (microsatellites and mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase I(COI)) were tested for the first time on Italian populations. The study was performed in four sampling sites distributed in two areas placed in Northern (“Foreste Casentinesi” National Park) and Central Apennines (“Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise” National Park) where populational data about Rosalia longicorn were collected in the framework of the European LIFE MIPP Project. The genetic relationship among Apennine and Central/South-eastern European populations was explored by a comparison with mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) data from literature. Microsatellite markers were only partially informative when applied to R. alpina Italian individuals, although providing some preliminary indication on an extensive gene flow among populations from the Apennines and local ongoing processes of genetic erosion. Genetic data are consistent with previous ecological data suggesting that the maintenance of variability in this species could be related to both habitat continuity and preservation of large senescent or standing dead trees in forests. Finally, a peculiar origin of the Apennine populations of R. alpina from a putative “Glacial Refugium” in Italy was inferred through COI data. The high genetic distance scored among the analysed populations and those from Central and South-eastern Europe indicates that the R. alpina deme from Apennine Mountains might represent a relevant conservation unit in Europe. Further genetic analyses will allow assessing other possible conservation units of R. alpina and, thus, defining large-scale conservation strategies to protect this endangered longhorn beetle in Europe

A robust data cleaning procedure for eddy covariance flux measurements

Abstract. The sources of systematic error responsible for introducing significant biases in the eddy covariance (EC) flux computation are manifold, and their correct identification is made difficult by the lack of reference values, by the complex stochastic dynamics, and by the high level of noise characterizing raw data. This work contributes to overcoming such challenges by introducing an innovative strategy for EC data cleaning. The proposed strategy includes a set of tests aimed at detecting the presence of specific sources of systematic error, as well as an outlier detection procedure aimed at identifying aberrant flux values. Results from tests and outlier detection are integrated in such a way as to leave a large degree of flexibility in the choice of tests and of test threshold values, ensuring scalability of the whole process. The selection of best performing tests was carried out by means of Monte Carlo experiments, whereas the impact on real data was evaluated on data distributed by the Integrated Carbon Observation System (ICOS) research infrastructure. Results evidenced that the proposed procedure leads to an effective cleaning of EC flux data, avoiding the use of subjective criteria in the decision rule that specifies whether to retain or reject flux data of dubious quality. We expect that the proposed data cleaning procedure can serve as a basis towards a unified quality control strategy for EC datasets, in particular in centralized data processing pipelines where the use of robust and automated routines ensuring results reproducibility constitutes an essential prerequisite

Real-world efficacy and safety of nivolumab in previously-treated metastatic renal cell carcinoma, and association between immune-related adverse events and survival: the Italian expanded access program

Background: The Italian Renal Cell Cancer Early Access Program was an expanded access program that allowed access to nivolumab, for patients (pts) with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) prior to regulatory approval. Methods: Pts with previously treated advanced or mRCC were eligible to receive nivolumab 3 mg/kg every 2 weeks. Pts included in the analysis had received ≥1 dose of nivolumab and were monitored for drug-related adverse events (drAEs) using CTCAE v.4.0. Immune-related (ir) AEs were defined as AEs displaying a certain, likely or possible correlation with immunotherapy (cutaneous, endocrine, hepatic, gastro-intestinal and pulmonary). The association between overall survival (OS) and irAEs was assessed, and associations between variables were evaluated with a logistic regression model. Results: A total of 389 pts were enrolled between July 2015 and April 2016. Overall, the objective response rate was 23.1%. At a median follow-up of 12 months, the median progression-free survival was 4.5 months (95% CI 3.7-6.2) and the 12-month overall survival rate was 63%. Any grade and grade 3-4 drAEs were reported in 124 (32%) and 27 (7%) of pts, respectively, and there were no treatment-related deaths. Any grade irAEs occurred in 76 (20%) of patients, 8% cutaneous, 4% endocrine, 2% hepatic, 5% gastro-intestinal and 1% pulmonary. Of the 22 drAEs inducing treatment discontinuation, 10 (45%) were irAEs. Pts with drAEs had a significantly longer survival than those without drAEs (median OS 22.5 versus 16.4 months, p = 0.01). Pts with irAEs versus without irAEs had a more significant survival benefit (median OS not reached versus 16.8 months, p = 0.002), confirmed at the landmark analysis at 6 weeks. The occurrence of irAEs displayed a strong association with OS in univariable (HR 0.48, p = 0.003) and multivariable (HR 0.57, p = 0.02) analysis. Conclusions: The appearance of irAEs strongly correlates with survival benefit in a real-life population of mRCC pts treated with nivolumab

Oxidative Stress Markers to Investigate the Effects of Hyperoxia in Anesthesia

Oxygen (O-2) is commonly used in clinical practice to prevent or treat hypoxia, but if used in excess (hyperoxia), it may act as toxic. O-2 toxicity arises from the enhanced formation of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) that exceed the antioxidant defenses and generate oxidative stress. In this study, we aimed at assessing whether an elevated fraction of inspired oxygen (FiO(2)) during and after general anesthesia may contribute to the unbalancing of the pro-oxidant/antioxidant equilibrium. We measured five oxidative stress biomarkers in blood samples from patients undergoing elective abdominal surgery, randomly assigned to FiO(2) = 0.40 vs. 0.80: hydroperoxides, antioxidants, nitrates and nitrites (NOx), malondialdehyde (MDA), and glutathionyl hemoglobin (HbSSG). The MDA concentration was significantly higher 24 h after surgery, and the body antioxidant defense lower, in the FiO(2) = 0.80 group with respect to both the FiO(2) = 0.40 group and the baseline values (p <= 0.05, Student's t-test). HbSSG in red blood cells was also higher in the FiO(2) = 0.80 group at the end of the surgery. NOx was higher in the FiO(2) = 0.80 group than the FiO(2) = 0.40 group at t = 2 h after surgery. MDA, the main end product of the peroxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acids directly influenced by FiO(2), may represent the best marker to assess the pro-oxidant/antioxidant equilibrium after surgery