Reachability Improvement of a Climbing Robot Based on Large Deformations Induced by Tri-Tube Soft Actuators.

Locomotion of soft-bodied organisms, such as amoeba, worms, and octopuses, is safe, robust, and adaptable and has great promise for applications in complex environments. While such organisms fully exploit the potential provided by their soft structures, engineering solutions commonly constrain soft deformation in favor of controllability. In this study, we study how soft deformations can enhance the climbing capabilities of a robot.

A novel subpopulation of Salmonella enterica serovar Infantis strains isolated from broiler chicken organs other than the gastrointestinal tract.

Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Infantis strains were isolated from broiler chickens from six farms in Japan and the pathogenicity associated with the recently reported 280kbp mega plasmid was examined by possession of the plasmid and histopathology of tissues from these chickens. S.

The nutrient stress-induced small GTPase Rab5 contributes to the activation of vesicle trafficking and vacuolar activity.

Rab family small GTPases regulate membrane trafficking by spatiotemporal recruitment of various effectors. However, it remains largely unclear how the expression and functions of Rab proteins are regulated in response to extracellular or intracellular stimuli. Here we show that Ypt53, one isoform of Rab5 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, is up-regulated significantly under nutrient stress.

Non-SCF-type F-box protein Roy1/Ymr258c interacts with a Rab5-like GTPase Ypt52 and inhibits Ypt52 function.

Skp1/Cul1/F-box (SCF)-type F-box proteins are a component of the Cullin-RING SCF ubiquitin E3 ligase, which is involved in numerous cellular processes. However, the function of non-SCF-type F-box proteins remains largely unknown. The Rab5-like small guanosine 5'-triphosphatase Vps21/Ypt51 is a key regulator of intracellular transportation; however, deletion of its isoforms, Ypt52 and Ypt53, results in only a modest inhibition of intracellular trafficking.

Mutations associated with the therapeutic efficacy of adefovir dipivoxil added to lamivudine in patients resistant to lamivudine with type B chronic hepatitis.

Factors influencing the therapeutic efficacy of adefovir dipivoxil added to continuing lamivudine have not been elucidated in lamivudine-resistant patients with type B chronic hepatitis. The viral mutations influencing the efficacy of treatment with adefovir dipivoxil were investigated by sequencing analysis of the whole virus genome. Thirty patients resistant to lamivudine receiving adefovir dipivoxil therapy added to lamivudine were studied.