Effects of linear versus sigmoid coding of visual or audio biofeedback for the control of upright stance.

Although both visual and audio biofeedback (BF) systems for postural control can reduce sway during stance, a direct comparison between the two systems has never been done. Further, comparing different coding designs of audio and visual BF may help in elucidating how BF information is integrated in the control of posture, and may improve knowledge for the design of innovative BF systems for postural control. The purpose of this paper is to compare the effects of linear versus sigmoid coding of trunk acceleration for audio and visual BF on postural sway in a group of eight, healthy subjects while standing on a foam surface. Results showed that sigmoid-coded audio BF reduced sway acceleration more than did a linear-coded audio BF, whereas a linear-coded visual BF reduced sway acceleration more than a sigmoid-coded visual BF. In addition, audio BF had larger effects on reducing center of pressure (COP) displacement whereas visual BF had larger effects on reducing trunk sway. These results suggest that audio and visual BF for postural control benefit from different types of sensory coding and each type of BF may encourage a different type of postural sway strategy.     

Timber steel-fibre-reinforced concrete floor slabs subjected to fire

This paper presents a finite element model (FE model) for a numerical analysis of a composite steel-fibre-reinforced concrete (SFRC) slab with unprotected secondary timber beams subjected to fire, taking tensile membrane action into account. The material models were calibrated by material tests and push-out tests in a preliminary study, and then the FE model was validated against the results of a full-scale furnace test. The validated FE model takes into account geometric and material nonlinearity, mechanical damage due to thermal loading, and the nonlinear connection between the SFRC slab and the timber beams. A new material model was created to improve the simulated behaviour of the SFRC, especially in tension. The validated FE model was supplemented by a semi-probabilistic safety concept based on the Eurocode standards, and was applied to define the fire resistance of different variants of timber SFRC flooring subjected to fire with various slab dimensions and design loads. This approach will be used to create a catalogue in which the fire resistance will be defined for specific parameters of the structure, for example dimensions, loads and materials. The research presented in this paper follows up on a previous study, which was presented in 2014.     

Laser Clad and HVOF-Sprayed Stellite 6 Coating in Chlorine-Rich Environment with KCl at 700 °C

Laser clads and HVOF coatings from a stellite 6 alloy (Co–Cr–W–C alloy) on 304 stainless steel substrates were exposed both bare and with KCl deposits in 500 ppm HCl with 5% O₂ for 250 h at 700 °C. SEM/EDX and PXRD analyses with Rietveld refinement were used for assessment of the attack and for analysis of the scales. The bare samples suffered from scale spallation and the scale was mostly composed of Cr₂O₃, CoCr₂O₄ and CoO, although due to dilution haematite (Fe₂O₃) was detected in the scale formed on the laser clad sample. A small amount of hydrated HCl was detected in bare samples. While the corrosion of the bare surfaces was limited to comparatively shallow depths and manifested by η and M₇C₃ carbide formation, the presence of KCl on the surface led to severe Cr depletion from the HVOF coating (to 1 wt%). Both inward and outward diffusion of elements occurred in the HVOF coating resulting in Kirdendall voids at the coating–steel interface. The laser clad sample performed significantly better in conditions of the KCl-deposit-induced corrosion. In addition to the oxides, CoCl₂ was detected in the HVOF sample and K₃CrO₄ was detected in the laser clad sample. Thermodynamic calculations and kinetic simulations were carried out to interpret the oxidation and diffusion behaviours of coatings.     

Monitoring the mycotoxins in food and their biomarkers in the Czech Republic

Testing of the presence of toxigenic microfungi and mycotoxins in foodstuffs in the food chain is an important part of the food safety strategy in The Czech Republic. At the national level, control of their presence in the entire food chain is assured by Public Health Protection Agencies, by the Veterinary Administration and by the Czech Agriculture and Food Inspection Authority. This article summarizes surveillance activities of Public Health Protection Agencies and mycotoxins findings in dietary raw materials and foodstuffs from the 1990s to 2004 in the Czech Republic. At present, the health risk from the mycotoxins exposure from foodstuffs is assessed to be relatively low in the Czech Republic, especially as far as the foodstuffs of the Czech origin are concerned. It may result in late toxic effects (e. g., carcinogenic risk) following a single or repeated ingestion of low mycotoxins doses from foodstuffs. Nevertheless, the overall situation may change due to the globalization of the food market. In order to minimize the risk associated with mycotoxins and eliminate their impact on Czech public health, continuous monitoring of the presence of toxigenic moulds, mycotoxins, and their biomarkers is necessary, in conjunction with strict respect to European Union legislation.     

Hyperbilirubinemia Maintained by Chronic Supplementation of Unconjugated Bilirubin Improves the Clinical Course of Experimental Autoimmune Arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic multisystem disease, therapy of which remains a challenge for basic research. The present work examined the effect of unconjugated bilirubin (UCB) administration in adjuvant-induced arthritis (AIA)—an experimental model, in which oxidative stress (OS), inflammation and inadequate immune response are often similar to RA. Male Lewis rats were randomized into groups: CO—control, AIA—untreated adjuvant-induced arthritis, AIA-BIL—adjuvant-induced arthritis administrated UCB, CO-BIL—control with administrated UCB. UCB was administered intraperitoneally 200 mg/kg of body weight daily from 14th day of the experiment, when clinical signs of the disease are fully manifested, to 28th day, the end of the experiment. AIA was induced by a single intradermal immunization at the base of the tail with suspension of Mycobacterium butyricum in incomplete Freund’s adjuvant. Clinical, hematologic, biochemical and histologic examinations were performed. UCB administration to animals with AIA lead to a significant decrease in hind paws volume, plasma levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) and ceruloplasmin, drop of leukocytes, lymphocytes, erythrocytes, hemoglobin and an increase in platelet count. UCB administration caused significantly lowered oxidative damage to DNA in arthritic animals, whereas in healthy controls it induced considerable oxidative damage to DNA. UCB administration also induced atrophy of the spleen and thymus in AIA and CO animals comparing to untreated animals. Histological signs of joint damage assessed by neutrophils infiltration and deposition of fibrin were significantly reduced by UCB administration. The effects of exogenously administered UCB to the animals with adjuvant-induced arthritis might be identified as therapeutic, in contrast to the effects of UCB administration in healthy animals rather classified as toxic.     

Interoperable domain‐specific languages families for code generation

This paper has been motivated by experience gained with specification and code generation of control elements for a software component platform and general‐purpose programming language like Java and C. The problem to be addressed is two‐fold: first, several domain‐specific languages (DSL) are to be employed to express different element concerns (architecture, deployment context, code pattern) and second, porting to another general‐purpose language should avoid modification of the specification and related code generation process as much as possible. In both respects, the classical template‐based code generation technique proved to be inflexible, requiring the code generator to be blurred with ad hoc encoded DSL facets. The paper addresses the problem by introducing the concept of interoperable DSL family. Each member of the family is built around its core language, which can be further specialized by embedding into a target programming language. Interoperability of these DSLs is achieved at the level of abstract syntax trees (ASTs) with help of queries. As a proof of the concept, we have implemented the queries via the AST transformation rules of the Stratego/XT framework. In the evaluation, we provide a comparison with the original template‐based implementation, which clearly indicates the DSL family and AST transformation benefits. We also provide examples of application areas where the concept of interoperable DSL family can be employed (and also indicate how this can be accomplished). Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Natural isolates of simian virus 40 from immunocompromised monkeys display extensive genetic heterogeneity: new implications for polyomavirus disease

Simian virus 40 (SV40) DNAs in brain tissue and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of eight simian immunodeficiency virus-infected rhesus monkeys with SV40 brain disease were analyzed. We report the detection, cloning, and identification of five new SV40 strains following a quadruple testing-verification strategy. SV40 genomes with archetypal regulatory regions (containing a duplication within the G/C-rich regulatory region segment and a single 72-bp enhancer element) were recovered from seven animal brains, two tissues of which also contained viral genomes with nonarchetypal regulatory regions (containing a duplication within the G/C-rich regulatory region segment as well as a variable duplication within the enhancer region). In contrast, PBMC DNAs from five of six animals had viral genomes with both regulatory region types. It appeared, based on T-antigen variable-region sequences, that nonarchetypal virus variants arose de novo within each animal. The eighth animal exclusively yielded a new type of SV40 strain (SV40-K661), containing a protoarchetypal regulatory region (lacking a duplication within the G/C-rich segment of the regulatory region and containing one 72-bp element in the enhancer region), from both brain tissue and PBMCs. The presence of SV40 in PBMCs suggests that hematogenous spread of viral infection may occur. An archetypal version of a virus similar to SV40 reference strain 776 (a kidney isolate) was recovered from one brain, substantiating the idea that SV40 is neurotropic as well as kidney-tropic. Indirect evidence suggests that maternal-infant transmission of SV40 may have occurred in one animal. These findings provide new insights for human polyomavirus disease.