The main goal of this paper is modelling attention while using it in efficient path planning of mobile robots. The key challenge in concurrently aiming these two goals is how to make an optimal, or near-optimal, decision in spite of time and processing power limitations, which inherently exist in a typical multi-sensor real-world robotic application. To efficiently recognise the environment under

If an accident or attack involving radiological or nuclear material were to happen, people from the general public would be at risk of exposure to ionising radiation. Unlike people working with ionising radiation, for whom level of exposure to radiation is constantly monitored with dosemeters, people from the general population do not wear dosemeters; thus, the dose estimations for these individua

The most abundant plasma protein, human serum albumin (HSA), plays a key part in the body's antioxidant defense against reactive species. This study was aimed at correlating oxidant-induced chemical and structural effects on HSA. Despite the chemical modification induced by the oxidant hypochlorite, the native shape is preserved up to oxidant/HSA molar ratio

In addition to the nucleus, mitochondria and chloroplasts in plant cells also contain genomes. Efficient DNA repair pathways are crucial in these organelles to fix damage resulting from endogenous and exogenous factors. Plant organellar genomes are complex compared to their animal counterparts and although several plant-specific mediators of organelle DNA repair have been reported, many regulators

In Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), small gene families encode multiple isoforms for many of the components of the mitochondrial protein import apparatus. There are three isoforms of the TRANSLOCASE OF THE INNER MEMBRANE17 (Tim17). Transcriptome analysis indicates that AtTim17-1 is only detectable in dry seed. In this study, two independent transfer DNA insertional mutant lines of tim17-1 exhib

One of the most stress-responsive genes encoding a mitochondrial protein in Arabidopsis (At3g50930) has been annotated as AtBCS1 (cytochrome bc1 synthase 1), but was previously functionally uncharacterised. Here, we show that the protein encoded by At3g50930 is present as a homo-multimeric protein complex on the outer mitochondrial membrane and lacks the BCS1 domain present in yeast and mammalian

The perception and integration of stress stimuli with that of mitochondrion function are important during periods of perturbed cellular homeostasis. In a continuous effort to delineate these mitochondrial/stress-interacting networks, forward genetic screens using the mitochondrial stress response marker alternative oxidase 1a (AOX1a) provide a useful molecular tool to identify and characterize reg

Many firms have carried out organisational change, such as mergers and acquisitions, to adapt to the rapidly changing business environment. During such changes, it is crucial for firms to provide an environment that will enhance employees’ psychological stability and commitment to change. Therefore, this study explores factors that increase employee commitment to change during mergers and acquisit

Objective: Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is one of the most efficient treatments for major depression. Electroconvulsive seizures (ECS), the animal model of ECT, is widely used to study both mechanisms of action and adverse effects of ECT. As the treatment itself serves as an instant anaesthetic and anaesthetic agents may affect memory functions and behaviour, ECS is traditionally administered w

Infectious diseases remain a major health problem, and sepsis and other severe infectious diseases are common causes of morbidity and mortality. There is a need for clinical and laboratory tools to identify patients with severe infections early and to distinguish between bacterial and nonbacterial conditions. Heparin-binding protein (HBP), also known as azurocidin or cationic antimicrobial protein

Introduction and hypothesis: Irregular or infrequent voiding due to avoiding school toilets can contribute to a number of urinary problems among school children. There is, however, a lack of studies on younger women. The aim of this study was to investigate toileting behavior and the correlation to lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) among young women (age 18–25 years). A further aim was to valida

Gender inequality in human capital has been shown to be an important indicator of economic development, but has remained unexplored in a European history perspective. Using a new and large historical database on male and female literacy rates, new evidence is presented on the distribution of gender inequality in human capital in European regions in 1900 and 1960. An analysis is made of the distrib

Successful fracture repair is a complex series of coordinated processes leading to regeneration of new bone to bridge the fracture site, remodelling of the newly formed bone and restoration of skeletal function. Disruption of these processes occurs in approximately 10% of all fractures and leads to delayed or failed healing requiring surgical interventions, increased complication rates, prolonged

Mitochondria are known for their role in ATP production and generation of reactive oxygen species, but little is known about the mechanism of their early involvement in plant stress signaling. The role of mitochondrial succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) in salicylic acid (SA) signaling was analyzed using two mutants: disrupted in stress response1 (dsr1), which is a point mutation in SDH1 identified in

Large Eddy Simulation (LES) and experiment were employed to investigate the transient ignition and flame propagation process in a rearwall-expansion cavity scramjet combustor using combined fuel injection schemes. The compressible supersonic solver and three ethylene combustion mechanisms were first validated against experimental data and results show in reasonably good agreement. Fuel injection s