Application of the novel Droplet digital PCR technology for identification of meat species

The authenticity and traceability of meat products are issues of primary importance to ensure food safety. Unfortunately, food adulteration (e.g. the addition of inexpensive cuts to minced meat products) and mislabelling (e.g. the inclusion of meat from species other than those declared) happens frequently worldwide. The aim of this study was to apply a droplet digital PCR assay for the detection and quantification (copies μL⁻¹) of the beef, pork, horse, sheep, chicken and turkey in meat products. The analysis conducted on commercial meat showed the presence of traces of DNA from other animal species than those declared. We show that the method is highly sensitive, specific and accurate (accuracy = 100%). This method could be adopted by competent food safety authorities to verify compliance with the labelling of meat products and to ensure quality and safety throughout the meat supply chain, from primary production to consumption.     

Symbolic and numeric knowledge integration in multiple fault troubleshooting

Many expert system researchers have reported in recent years that situation-action symbolic production rules frequently fail to provide adequate knowledge representation schemes without resorting to numeric computation. However, despite the need to integrate symbolic and quantitative computation into one coherent framework of knowledge, surprisingly few architectures have been proposed for achieving this goal. This paper explores the integration of qualitative and numeric processing in expert systems. We address the topic with respect to the construction of expert systems that perform the tasks of design and multiple fault troubleshooting. This paper shows that these tasks can be handled effectively when an appropriate interface is established between the heuristic and the numeric knowledge-based components. Specifically, we demonstrate how to interface heuristic knowledge with non-linear optimization models in order to allow an expert system greater expressiveness. An actual example is presented from the machining domain.     

Effect of Bonder at Skin/Core Interface on the Mechanical Performances of Sandwich Structures Used in Marine Industry

The present work is aimed to extend the knowledge of mechanical properties of sandwich structures used for marine applications focusing on the possibility to increase the performances of such structures by adding a bonder at the skin/core interface. Therefore, three sandwich structures that are utilised in different structural components of a yacht were realised by manual lay-up. The mechanical characterisation was performed by flatwise compressive, edgewise compressive and three point flexural tests. The tests execution has allowed both to determine the mechanical performances and to understand the fracture mechanisms that take place when the bonder is added in the stacking sequence of the samples.     

Intrathecal fentanyl with small-dose dilute bupivacaine: better anesthesia without prolonging recovery

Recent concern regarding lidocaine neurotoxicity has prompted efforts to find alternatives to lidocaine spinal anesthesia. Small-dose dilute bupivacaine spinal anesthesia yields a comparably rapid recovery profile but may provide insufficient anesthesia. By exploiting the synergism between intrathecal opioids and local anesthetics, it may be possible to augment the spinal anesthesia without prolonging recovery. Fifty patients undergoing ambulatory surgical arthroscopy were randomized into two groups receiving spinal anesthesia with 3 ml 0.17% bupivacaine in 2.66% dextrose without (Group I) or with (Group II) the addition of 10 microg fentanyl. Median block levels reached T7 and T8, respectively (P = not significant [NS]). Mean times to two-segment regression, S2 regression, time out of bed, time to urination, and time to discharge were 53 vs 67 min (P < 0.01), 120 vs 146 min (P < 0.05), 146 vs 163 min (P = NS), 169 vs 177 min (P = NS), and 187 vs 195 min (P = NS) respectively. Motor blockade was similar between groups, but sensory blockade was significantly more intense in Group II (P < 0.01). Six of 25 blocks failed in Group I, whereas none failed in Group II. The addition of 10 microg fentanyl to spinal anesthesia with dilute small-dose bupivacaine intensifies and increases the duration of sensory blockade without increasing the intensity of motor blockade or prolonging recovery to micturition or street fitness. IMPLICATIONS: Concerns about the neurotoxicity of lidocaine have prompted efforts to find alternatives to lidocaine spinal anesthesia. We studied 50 patients undergoing ambulatory surgical arthroscopy and found that although small-dose bupivacaine alone is inadequate for this procedure, the addition of fentanyl makes it reliable.     

Temporal order and functional analysis of mutations within the Fli-1 and p53 genes during the erythroleukemias induced by F-MuLV

The erythroleukemias induced by Friend murine leukemia virus (F-MuLV) result from the accumulation of a number of genetic changes, including activation of the Fli-1 proto-oncogene and inactivation of the p53 tumor suppressor gene. We have determined the temporal order of mutation of the genes involved in this multistage malignancy, by serial in vivo transplantation of F-MuLV induced primary erythroleukemias into syngenic Balb/c mice. These primary tumors are capable of growing when transplanted into syngenic mice, but die after several days of in vitro culture. From the transplanted tumors grown in syngenic mice, erythropoietin-dependent cell lines were established in culture that are clonally related to cells in the primary tumors. We show that retroviral insertional activation of the Fli-1 ets family member is the first detectable genetic event in F-MuLV induced primary erythroleukemias. Mutations in the p53 gene were observed in the Epo-dependent cell lines but not in the transplanted erythroleukemias used to establish these cell lines in culture. These data suggest that activation of Fli-1 plays an important role in the early stages of F-MuLV-induced leukemia, perhaps by altering the self-renewal probabilities of erythroid progenitor cells and that p53 mutations immortalize these cells, enabling them to grow in vitro in the presence of Epo.     

TGF-beta mediated G1 arrest in a human melanoma cell line lacking p15INK4B: evidence for cooperation between p21Cip1/WAF1 and p27Kip1

We have studied TGF-beta mediated G1 arrest in WM35, an early stage human melanoma cell line. These cells have lost p15INK4B expression through loss of one chromosome 9 and rearrangement of the other. In asynchronously growing WM35, TGF-beta caused reductions in cyclin D1, cyclin A and cdk4 proteins and their associated kinase activities and an increase in both p21Cip1/WAF1 and p27Kip1. These findings were confirmed in cells released from quiescence in the presence of TGF-beta, in which TGF-beta inhibited or delayed the reduction in the cdk inhibitors that normally occurs in late G1. In contrast to observations in other cell types, there was an increased association of both p21Cip1/WAF1 and p27Kip1 with cyclin D1/cdk4 and with cyclin E/cdk2 during TGF-beta mediated arrest of asynchronously growing cells. Upregulation of p21Cip1/WAF1 preceded that of p27Kip1. Furthermore, p21Cip1/WAF1 and p27Kip1 were not present in the same cdk complexes but bound distinct populations of target cdk molecules. Both p21Cip1/WAF1 and p27Kip1 immunoprecipitates from asynchronously growing cells contained active kinase complexes. These KIP-associated kinase activities were reduced in TGF-beta arrested cells. It has been proposed that in TGF-beta arrested epithelial cells, up-regulation of p15INK4B and of p15INK4B binding to cdk4 serves to destabilize the association of p27Kip1 with cyclin D1/cdk4, promoting p27Kip1 binding and inhibition of cyclin E/cdk2. Our findings demonstrate that this is not a universal mechanism of G1 arrest by TGF-beta. In TGF-beta arrested WM35, which lack p15INK4B, the increased p21Cip1/WAF1 may serve a similar function to that of p15INK4B: initiating kinase inhibition and providing an additional mechanism to supplement the effect of p27Kip1 on G1 cyclin/cdks.     

Individual differences in vulnerability to inescapable shock in rats.

The present study determined whether individual differences in neophobia during an open-field pretest predict vulnerability to inescapable electric shock, as measured by 2 tests of learned helplessness in rats. Shuttle-escape latencies and saccharin finickiness increased across groups that had received increasing numbers of inescapable shocks 24 hr earlier. Dispersion in the test measure as well as the percentage of variance explained by pretest neophobia were greater when no or few shocks were delivered in the interpolated stress phase. Pretest neophobia was positively related to stress vulnerability in both tests under these conditions. Further increments in stressor severity overwhelmed even the most stress-resistant rats, thereby decreasing dispersion in the test measure and eliminating the predictive value of pretest neophobia. This pattern of outcomes was more robust for the shuttle-escape measure of helplessness. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Nonparametric change detection and estimation in large-scale sensor networks

The problem of detecting changes in the distribution of alarmed sensors is considered. Under a nonparametric change detection framework, several detection and estimation algorithms are presented based on the Vapnik-Chervonenkis (VC) theory. Theoretical performance guarantees are obtained by providing error exponents for false-alarm and miss detection probabilities. Recursive algorithms for the efficient computation of test statistics are derived. The estimation problem is also considered in which, after detection is made, the location with maximum distribution change is estimated.     

Computations with quasiseparable polynomials and matrices

In this paper, we survey several recent results that highlight an interplay between a relatively new class of quasiseparable matrices and univariate polynomials. Quasiseparable matrices generalize two classical matrix classes, Jacobi (tridiagonal) matrices and unitary Hessenberg matrices that are known to correspond to real orthogonal polynomials and Szegö polynomials, respectively. The latter two polynomial families arise in a wide variety of applications, and their short recurrence relations are the basis for a number of efficient algorithms. For historical reasons, algorithm development is more advanced for real orthogonal polynomials. Recent variations of these algorithms tend to be valid only for the Szegö polynomials; they are analogues and not generalizations of the original algorithms.     

On the power of randomization in on-line algorithms

Against in adaptive adversary, we show that the power of randomization in on-line algorithms is severely limited! We prove the existence of an efficient simulation of randomized on-line algorithms by deterministic ones, which is best possible in general. The proof of the upper bound is existential. We deal with the issue of computing the efficient deterministic algorithm, and show that this is possible in very general cases.A previous version of this paper appeared in the22nd ACM STOC Conference Proceedings. Part of this research was performed while A. Borodin and A. Wigderson were visitors at the International Computer Science Institute, and while G. Tardos was a visitor at the Hebrew University.