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A Basic Architecture of an Autonomous Adaptive System With Conscious-Like Function for a Humanoid Robot.

2018

In developing a humanoid robot, there are two major objectives. One is developing a physical robot having body, hands, and feet resembling those of human beings and being able to similarly control them. The other is to develop a control system that works similarly to our brain, to feel, think, act, and learn like ours. In this article, an architecture of a control system with a brain-oriented logical structure for the second objective is proposed. The proposed system autonomously adapts to the environment and implements a clearly defined “consciousness” function, through which both habitual behavior and goal-directed behavior are realized. Consciousness is regarded as a function for effecti…

Are glutamate and asparagine necessary for tyrosinase activity of type-3 copper proteins?

2018

Abstract Type-3 copper proteins (T3CPs) are complex proteins which share similar active sites. Two copper atoms (CuA and CuB) bind dioxygen as a peroxide in a side on coordination. This protein family comprises the enzymes tyrosinase and catechol oxidase as well as the oxygen transporter hemocyanin. T3CPs occur in almost all organisms and exhibit a number of essential functions. In particular, they are involved in all kinds of enzymatic browning reactions and immune defense. The chemical basis of the two catalytic processes, i.e., the o-hydroxylation of monophenols and the two-electron oxidation to o-quinones, is still discussed. Investigations on natural enzymes with known crystal structur…

Structural and mechanistic insights into the interaction of the circadian transcription factor BMAL1 with the KIX domain of the CREB-binding protein

2019

JBC papers in press xx, 16604-16619 (2019). doi:10.1074/jbc.RA119.009845

Real life experiences in HCV management in 2018

2019

Introduction: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a major cause of chronic liver disease, with approximately 71 million chronically infected individuals worldwide. Treatment of chronic hepatitis C has considerably improved in the last few years thanks to the introduction of direct-acting antivirals able to achieve sustained virological response in more than 95% of patients. Successful anti-HCV treatment can halt liver disease progression and solve the HCV-related extra-hepatic manifestations, eventually reducing liver-related and overall mortality. Areas covered: With the aim to respond to unmet needs in patient’s identification, universal access to antiviral therapy and treatment optimiza…

Harnessing Unconventional T Cells for Immunotherapy of Tuberculosis

2020

Even if the incidence of tuberculosis (TB) has been decreasing over the last years, the number of patients with TB is increasing worldwide. The emergence of multidrug-resistant and extensively drug-resistant TB is making control of TB more difficult. Mycobacterium bovis bacillus Calmette–Guérin vaccine fails to prevent pulmonary TB in adults, and there is an urgent need for a vaccine that is also effective in patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) coinfection. Therefore, TB control may benefit on novel therapeutic options beyond antimicrobial treatment. Host-directed immunotherapies could offer therapeutic strategies for patients with drug-resistant TB or with HIV and TB coinfecti…

Manganese Ions Individually Alter the Reverse Transcription Signature of Modified Ribonucleosides

2020

Reverse transcription of RNA templates containing modified ribonucleosides transfers modification-related information as misincorporations, arrest or nucleotide skipping events to the newly synthesized cDNA strand. The frequency and proportion of these events, merged from all sequenced cDNAs, yield a so-called RT signature, characteristic for the respective RNA modification and reverse transcriptase (RT). While known for DNA polymerases in so-called error-prone PCR, testing of four different RTs by replacing Mg2+ with Mn2+ in reaction buffer revealed the immense influence of manganese chloride on derived RT signatures, with arrest rates on m1A positions dropping from 82% down to 24%. Additi…

Hepatocellular carcinoma and direct-acting antivirals: A never ending story?

2017

Transcranial random noise stimulation over the primary motor cortex in PD-MCI patients: a crossover, randomized, sham-controlled study

2020

AbstractMild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a very common non-motor feature of Parkinson’s disease (PD) and the non-amnestic single-domain is the most frequent subtype. Transcranial random noise stimulation (tRNS) is a non-invasive technique, which is capable of enhancing cortical excitability. As the main contributor to voluntary movement control, the primary motor cortex (M1) has been recently reported to be involved in higher cognitive functioning. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of tRNS applied over M1 in PD-MCI patients in cognitive and motor tasks. Ten PD-MCI patients, diagnosed according to the Movement Disorder Society, Level II criteria for MCI, underwent active (re…

Neither Cathodal nor Anodal Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation on the Left Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex alone or Applied During Moderate Aerob…

2020

There is converging evidence that both aerobic exercise (AE) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) can acutely modulate executive functions (EF). In addition, recent studies have proposed the beneficial effects of applying tDCS during AE on physical performance. This study aimed to investigate whether tDCS applied during an AE session additionally or differently effects EF. Therefore, five experiments were conducted in a counterbalanced pre-post-retention crossover design to explore the acute effects of tDCS and AE on EF (inhibition and updating) once in isolation (i.e., either cathodal, anodal tDCS or AE alone as controls) and once in a combined application (i.e., anodal and c…

Atherothrombosis and Thromboembolism: Position Paper from the Second Maastricht Consensus Conference on Thrombosis

2018

AbstractAtherothrombosis is a leading cause of cardiovascular mortality and long-term morbidity. Platelets and coagulation proteases, interacting with circulating cells and in different vascular beds, modify several complex pathologies including atherosclerosis. In the second Maastricht Consensus Conference on Thrombosis, this theme was addressed by diverse scientists from bench to bedside. All presentations were discussed with audience members and the results of these discussions were incorporated in the final document that presents a state-of-the-art reflection of expert opinions and consensus recommendations regarding the following five topics: 1. Risk factors, biomarkers and plaque inst…