Recent Advances in Bipedal Walking Robots: Review of Gait, Drive, Sensors and Control Systems.

Currently, there is an intensive development of bipedal walking robots. The most known solutions are based on the use of the principles of human gait created in nature during evolution. Modernbipedal robots are also based on the locomotion manners of birds.

The Ry immune receptor recognises a broadly conserved feature of potyviral coat proteins.

Knowledge of the immune mechanisms responsible for viral recognition is critical for understanding durable disease resistance and successful crop protection. We determined how potato virus Y (PVY) coat protein (CP) is recognised by Ry , a TNL immune receptor. We applied structural modelling, site-directed mutagenesis, transient overexpression, co-immunoprecipitation, infection assays and physiological cell death marker measurements to investigate the mechanism of Ry -CP interaction.

Long-Term Efficacy and Safety of RNAi-Mediated Virus Resistance in 'HoneySweet' Plum.

Interfering RNA technology has been established as an effective strategy to protect plants against viral infection. Despite this success, interfering RNA (RNAi) has rarely been applied due to the regulatory barriers that confront genetically engineered plants and concerns over possible environmental and health risks posed by non-endogenous small RNAs. 'HoneySweet' was developed as a virus-resistant plum variety that is protected by an RNAi-mediated process against Sharka disease caused by the plum pox virus.

A Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing Two Lung Expansion Therapies After Upper Abdominal Surgery.

Background: Lung expansion therapy is often ordered after surgery to improve alveolar ventilation and reduce risks of postoperative pulmonary complications. The impact of lung expansion therapy at altering ventilation in patients who are not intubated has not been described. The primary purpose of this study was to determine if there is a difference in dorsal redistribution of ventilation and incidences of postoperative pulmonary complications when comparing incentive spirometry (IS) with EzPAP lung expansion therapy after upper abdominal surgery.

Impact of a Respiratory Therapy Assess-and-Treat Protocol on Adult Cardiothoracic ICU Readmissions.

Background: The purpose of this retrospective medical record review was to report on recidivism to the ICU among adult postoperative cardiac and thoracic patients managed with a respiratory therapy assess-and-treat (RTAT) protocol. Our primary null hypothesis was that there would be no difference in all-cause unexpected readmissions and escalations between the RTAT group and the physician-ordered respiratory care group. Our secondary null hypothesis was that there would be no difference in primary respiratory-related readmissions, ICU length of stay, or hospital length of stay.

Sequence variability, recombination analysis, and specific detection of the W strain of Plum pox virus.

Plum pox virus (PPV), a member of the genus Potyvirus, is the causal agent of Sharka, the most detrimental disease of stone-fruit trees worldwide. PPV isolates are grouped into seven distinct strains. The minor PPV-W strain was established recently for the divergent W3174 isolate found in Canada.

Sequence diversity and potential recombination events in the coat protein gene of Apple stem pitting virus.

The variability of the Apple stem pitting virus (ASPV) coat protein (CP) gene was investigated. The CP gene of ten virus isolates from apple and pear trees was sequenced. Comparison of all sequenced virus isolates revealed high diversity of the CP gene (70.

Evaluation of several RT-PCR primer pairs for the detection of Apple stem pitting virus.

Detection of Apple stem pitting virus (ASPV) using RT-PCR based methods was studied in infected apple and pear trees. Three virus-specific primers (ASPF1CP, ASPF2CP, ASPR3CP) were designed to target the most conservative regions of the coat protein gene of 10 virus isolates in Poland and 7 other ASPV sequences available in GenBank. The suitability of the primer pairs ASPF1CP-ASPR3CP and ASPF2CP-ASPR3CP for detection of 19 virus isolates was checked.

Use of Luminex xMAP-derived Bio-Plex bead-based suspension array for specific detection of PPV W and characterization of epitopes on the coat protein of the virus.

A panel of monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) directed against the N-terminus region of the coat protein (CP) of strain PPV W (isolate 3174) was generated by immunizing mice with recombinant peptides. The best performing MAbs were identified as 2C3 and 10G7. MAb 2C3 was selected for comparison of a standard TAS-ELISA protocol with a Luminex xMAP technology-derived bead-based suspension array system described as a triple antibody sandwich-microsphere immunoassay (TAS-MIA).

Field Trials of Plum Clones Transformed with the Plum pox virus Coat Protein (PPV-CP) Gene.

Transgenic clones C2, C3, C4, C5, C6, and PT-6, of plum (Prunus domestica L.) transformed with the coat protein (CP) gene of Plum pox virus (PPV), PT-23 transformed with marker genes only, and nontransgenic B70146 were evaluated for sharka resistance under high infection pressure in field trials in Poland and Spain. These sites differed in climatic conditions and virus isolates.

Stability of gene silencing-based resistance to Plum pox virus in transgenic plum (Prunus domestica L.) under field conditions.

Plum pox virus (PPV) is one of the most devastating diseases of Prunus species. Since few sources of resistance to PPV have been identified, transgene-based resistance offers a complementary approach to developing PPV-resistant stone fruit cultivars. C5, a transgenic clone of Prunus domestica L.

A dual closed-loop control system for mechanical ventilation.

Objective: Closed-loop mechanical ventilation has the potential to provide more effective ventilatory support to patients with less complexity than conventional ventilation. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of an automatic technique for mechanical ventilation.

Methods: Two closed-loop control systems for mechanical ventilation are combined in this study.

Balanced scorecard for methodology for total performance improvement.

Health care organizations are complex adaptive systems, a set of connected or interdependent parts or agents that include caregivers, patients, and processes. Consequently, health care organizations are prone to problems and are not always predictable environments. Fundamental changes are needed in the organization and in the delivery of health care in the United States.

Quality and performance improvement in respiratory care.

An essential responsibility of the modern respiratory care manager is to establish and monitor a particular level of quality and service being provided by a department. Focusing on quality and performance improvement fosters an environment that empowers and encourages all employees to be innovative and resolve roadblocks that limit organizational performance. This article discusses the issues regarding quality and performance improvement that arise in the daily operations of a respiratory care department.

Closed-loop control if the inspired fraction of oxygen in mechanical ventilation.

Objective: Supplemental oxygen treatment of patients on mechanical ventilation is crucial in maintaining the patients' oxygen levels in the normal range. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a closed-loop controller for automatic adjustment of the fraction of inspired oxygen, FIO2. More specifically, the aim of the study was to assess the robustness of the controller in correcting hypoxemia as well as its effectiveness in prevention of hyperoxemia and oxygen toxicity.

Preliminary report on the apparent breaking of resistance of a transgenic plum by chip bud inoculation of plum pox virus PPV-S.

Five transgenic clones of Prunus domestica L. containing plum pox virus (PPV) coat protein (CP) gene and one non-transformed control clone were challenged with PPV-S in the field. Symptoms developed on C2, C3, C4, C6 and B70146 but not C5 trees inoculated by chip budding (CBI) (2/2, 2/2, 1/1, 2/2 and 2/2, positive/inoculated) in the first summer after inoculation.

Serum creatine kinase kinetics after endomyocardial biopsy in cardiac transplant patients.

The objective of this study was to define the changes in serum creatine kinase (CK) and creatine kinase-MB isoenzyme (CK-MB) activities following endomyocardial biopsy. Ten cardiac transplant recipients underwent routine surveillance endomyocardial biopsy via the right internal jugular vein with single-use disposable bioptomes. Serum CK and CK-MB levels were measured at baseline and post-biopsy at 15, 30, and 45 minutes, 1, 1.

Expression of the plum pox coat protein gene in transgenic Nicotiana tabacum plants.

Plant expression vector pBI 121 containing the gene encoding coat protein of Plum Pox Virus of the Skierniewice isolate (CP PPV-S) was prepared (clone pCM1). The construct was used for transformation of Nicotiana tabacum plants using an Agrobacterium tumefaciens based system. About 82% of kanamycin resistant plant lines contained a transgene (the sequence of CP PPV-S) but only 81% of them actively expressed the PPV-S coat protein gene as measured by RT-PCR.

Nucleotide sequence of the coat protein gene of the Skierniewice isolate of plum pox virus (PPV).

The coat protein (CP) gene of the Skierniewice isolate of plum pox virus (PPV-S) has been amplified using the reverse transcription--polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), cloned and sequenced. The nucleotide sequence of the gene and the deduced amino-acid sequence of PPV-S CP were compared with those of other PPV strains. The nucleotide sequence showed very high homology to most of the published sequences.

[Histamine inhalation test in patients with specific bronchial hyperreactivity].

In 46 patients with a clinical suspicion of bronchial hyperreactivity tests of non-and specific bronchial hyperreactivity with the sensitizing allergen were carried out. The results were compared with the results of other allergological tests (skin prick tests, IgE and allergen specific IgE serum levels). The results of this study demonstrate the importance of duration, character and concentration of allergen exposition on formation of specific bronchial hyperreactivity.

[Occupational allergy in miners].

The authors allergologically analysed 141 coal miners afflicted with upper respiratory tract inflammations. In 7% of cases the disease was found to be induced by coal dust. All the subjects exhibited positive dermal tests with common allergens (plants pollens, household dust, saprophytes, moulds).