A substantial interest in aerial robots has grown in recent years. However, the energetic cost of flying is one of the key challenges nowadays. Rotorcrafts are heavier-than-air flying machines that ...use lift generated by one or several rotors (vertically oriented propellers), and because of this, they spend a large proportion of their available energy to maintain their own weight in the air. In this brief, this concept is used to evaluate the relationship between navigation speed and energy consumption in a miniature quadrotor helicopter, which travels over a desired path. A novel path-following controller is proposed in which the speed of the rotorcraft is a dynamic profile that varies with the geometric requirements of the desired path. The stability of the control law is proved using the Lyapunov theory. The experimental results using a real quadrotor show the good performance of the proposed controller, and the percentages of involved energy are quantified using a model of a lithium polymer battery that was previously identified.
The photovoltaic (PV) industry is seeing a significant shift toward large-scale solar plants, where traditional inspection methods have proven to be time-consuming and costly. Currently, the ...predominant approach to PV inspection using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) is based on the capture and detailed analysis of aerial images (photogrammetry). However, the photogrammetry approach presents limitations, such as an increased amount of useless data and potential issues related to image resolution that negatively impact the detection process during high-altitude flights. In this work, we develop a visual servoing control system with dynamic compensation using nonlinear model predictive control (NMPC) applied to a UAV. This system is capable of accurately tracking the middle of the underlying PV array at various frontal velocities and height constraints, ensuring the acquisition of detailed images during low-altitude flights. The visual servoing controller is based on extracting features using RGB-D images and employing a Kalman filter to estimate the edges of the PV arrays. Furthermore, this work demonstrates the proposal in both simulated and real-world environments using the commercial aerial vehicle (DJI Matrice 100), with the purpose of showcasing the results of the architecture.
Tissue-resident memory T (T
) cells are non-recirculating cells that exist throughout the body. Although T
cells in various organs rely on common transcriptional networks to establish tissue ...residency, location-specific factors adapt these cells to their tissue of lodgment. Here we analyze T
cell heterogeneity between organs and find that the different environments in which these cells differentiate dictate T
cell function, durability and malleability. We find that unequal responsiveness to TGFβ is a major driver of this diversity. Notably, dampened TGFβ signaling results in CD103
T
cells with increased proliferative potential, enhanced function and reduced longevity compared with their TGFβ-responsive CD103
T
counterparts. Furthermore, whereas CD103
T
cells readily modified their phenotype upon relocation, CD103
T
cells were comparatively resistant to transdifferentiation. Thus, despite common requirements for T
cell development, tissue adaptation of these cells confers discrete functional properties such that T
cells exist along a spectrum of differentiation potential that is governed by their local tissue microenvironment.
Venetoclax, a potent and selective BCL2 inhibitor, synergizes with endocrine therapy in preclinical models of ER-positive breast cancer. Using a phase Ib 3 + 3 dose-escalation and expansion study ...design, 33 patients with ER and BCL2-positive metastatic disease (mean prior regimens, 2; range, 0-8) were treated with daily tamoxifen (20 mg) and venetoclax (200-800 mg). Apart from uncomplicated "on-target" lymphopenia, no dose-limiting toxicities or high-grade adverse events were observed in the escalation phase (15 patients), and 800 mg was selected as the recommended phase II dose (RP2D). In the expansion phase (18 patients), few high-grade treatment-related adverse events were observed. For 24 patients treated at the RP2D, the confirmed radiologic response rate was 54% and the clinical benefit rate was 75%. Treatment responses were preempted by metabolic responses (FDG-PET) at 4 weeks and correlated with serial changes in circulating tumor DNA. Radiologic responses (40%) and clinical benefit (70%) were observed in 10 patients with plasma-detected
mutations. SIGNIFICANCE: In the first clinical study to evaluate venetoclax in a solid tumor, we demonstrate that combining venetoclax with endocrine therapy has a tolerable safety profile and elicits notable activity in ER and BCL2-positive metastatic breast cancer. These findings support further investigation of combination therapy for patients with BCL2-positive tumors.
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T-cell differentiation is governed by interactions with thymic epithelial cells (TECs) and defects in this process undermine immune function and tolerance. To uncover new strategies to restore thymic ...function and adaptive immunity in immunodeficiency, we sought to determine the molecular mechanisms that control life and death decisions in TECs. Guided by gene expression profiling, we created mouse models that specifically deleted prosurvival genes in TECs. We found that although BCL-2 and BCL-XL were dispensable for TEC homeostasis, MCL-1 deficiency impacted on TECs as early as embryonic day 15.5, resulting in early thymic atrophy and T-cell lymphopenia, with near complete loss of thymic tissue by 2 months of age. MCL-1 was not necessary for TEC differentiation but was continually required for the survival of mature cortical and medullary TECs and the maintenance of thymic architecture. A screen of TEC trophic factors in organ cultures showed that epidermal growth factor upregulated MCL-1 via MAPK/ERK kinase activity, providing a molecular mechanism for the support of TEC survival. This signaling axis governing TEC survival and thymic function represents a new target for strategies for thymic protection and regeneration.
•MCL-1 is essential, but BCL-2 and BCL-XL are dispensable, for TEC survival and thymic function.•Epidermal growth factor upregulates MCL-1 in TECs.
The photovoltaic (PV) industry is seeing a significant shift toward large-scale solar plants, where traditional inspection methods have proven to be time-consuming and costly. Currently, the ...predominant approach to PV inspection using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) is based on photogrammetry. However, the photogrammetry approach presents limitations, such as an increased amount of useless data during flights, potential issues related to image resolution, and the detection process during high-altitude flights. In this work, we develop a visual servoing control system applied to a UAV with dynamic compensation using a nonlinear model predictive control (NMPC) capable of accurately tracking the middle of the underlying PV array at different frontal velocities and height constraints, ensuring the acquisition of detailed images during low-altitude flights. The visual servoing controller is based on the extraction of features using RGB-D images and the Kalman filter to estimate the edges of the PV arrays. Furthermore, this work demonstrates the proposal in both simulated and real-world environments using the commercial aerial vehicle (DJI Matrice 100), with the purpose of showcasing the results of the architecture. Our approach is available for the scientific community in: https://github.com/EPVelasco/VisualServoing_NMPC
To assess whether smoking cessation after an ischemic stroke or TIA improves outcomes compared to continued smoking.
We conducted a prospective observational cohort study of 3,876 nondiabetic men and ...women enrolled in the Insulin Resistance Intervention After Stroke (IRIS) trial who were randomized to pioglitazone or placebo within 180 days of a qualifying stroke or TIA and followed up for a median of 4.8 years. A tobacco use history was obtained at baseline and updated during annual interviews. The primary outcome, which was not prespecified in the IRIS protocol, was recurrent stroke, myocardial infarction (MI), or death. Cox regression models were used to assess the differences in stroke, MI, and death after 4.8 years, with correction for adjustment variables prespecified in the IRIS trial: age, sex, stroke (vs TIA) as index event, history of stroke, history of hypertension, history of coronary artery disease, and systolic and diastolic blood pressures.
At the time of their index event, 1,072 (28%) patients were current smokers. By the time of randomization, 450 (42%) patients had quit smoking. Among quitters, the 5-year risk of stroke, MI, or death was 15.7% compared to 22.6% for patients who continued to smoke (adjusted hazard ratio 0.66, 95% confidence interval 0.48-0.90).
Cessation of cigarette smoking after an ischemic stroke or TIA was associated with significant health benefits over 4.8 years in the IRIS trial cohort.
Background Despite the widespread use of transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI), the role of sex on outcome after TAVI or surgical aortic valve replacement (AVR) has been poorly investigated. ...We investigated the impact of sex on outcome after TAVI or AVR. Methods There were 2108 patients undergoing TAVI or AVR who were enrolled in the Italian Observational Multicenter Registry (OBSERVANT). Thirty-day mortality, major periprocedural morbidity, and transprosthetic gradients were stratified by sex according to interventions. Results Female AVR patients showed a worse risk profile compared with male AVR patients, given the higher mean age, prevalence of frailty score of 2 or higher, New York Heart Association class of 3 or higher, lower body weight, and preoperative hemoglobin level ( P ≤ .02). Similarly, female TAVI patients had a different risk profile than male TAVI patients, given a higher age and a lower body weight and preoperative hemoglobin level ( P ≤ .005), but with a similar New York Heart Association class, frailty score, EuroSCORE ( P = NS), a better left ventricular ejection fraction and a lower prevalence of left ventricular ejection fraction less than 30%, porcelain aorta, renal dysfunction, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, arteriopathy, and previous cardiovascular surgery or percutaneous coronary intervention ( P ≤ .01). Women showed a smaller aortic annulus than men in both populations ( P < .001). Female sex was an independent predictor in the AVR population for risk-adjusted 30-day mortality (odds ratio OR, 2.34; P = .043) and transfusions (OR, 1.47; P = .003), but not for risk-adjusted acute myocardial infarction, stroke, vascular complications, permanent atrioventricular block ( P = NS). Female sex was an independent predictor in the TAVI population for risk-adjusted major vascular complications (OR, 2.92; P = .018) and transfusions (OR, 1.93; P = .003), but proved protective against moderate to severe postprocedural aortic insufficiency ( P = .018). Conclusions Female sex is a risk factor for mortality after aortic valve replacement, for major vascular complications after TAVI, and for transfusions after both approaches.
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