This paper presents a model of fault-tolerant Holonic Manufacturing Systems (HMS), where each holon is a knowledge-based agent capable of solving distributed problems by applying production/assembly and information management services. Our multi-agent architecture provides robustness and distribution transparency within a shop-floor environment where unpredictable failures occur with machines, ...

BACKGROUND Distinction of hydatidiform moles (HMs) from non-molar abortions and sub-classification of HMs are important for clinical practice; yet, diagnosis based solely on morphology is affected by interobserver variability. The objective of this study was to determine the role of DNA flow cytometry in distinguishing molar from non-molar pregnancies. MATERIALS AND METHODS This retrospective...

Previous studies have demonstrated multiple components of whole-cell calcium currents in hypoglossal motoneurons (HMs); HMs possess a low-voltage-activated (LVA) current and three types of high-voltage-activated (HVA) calcium currents based on sensitivity to omega-Aga IVA, omega-Conotoxin GVIA (omega-CgTx) and dihydropyridine analogs (DHPs). In the present study, we recorded single-calcium chan...

Phagocytosis of particles by polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) 1 is accompanied by a burst of oxidative metabolic changes. These include increased oxygen consumption (1), hexose monophosphate shunt (HMS) activity (1), and hydrogen peroxide (H202) (2) and superoxide (02-) (3) production. Despite intensive investigation the mechanism by which this oxidative metabolism is stimulated during phagoc...

Composition of processes for virtual enterprises is a significant issue. Although the flexible architecture provided by holonic manufacturing system (HMS) paves the way for adaptive composition of virtual enterprise processes, it also poses challenges in planning processes for virtual enterprises. The challenges are due, in part, to the loosely coupled structure of holons and also to the comple...

AIMS GATA3 is a zinc-finger transcription factor that is important for trophoblast differentiation. GATA3 is sensitive for urothelial and breast carcinomas, but the specificity is low. The aim of this study was to investigate the expression of GATA3 in trophoblast-related tissues and neoplasia. METHODS AND RESULTS GATA3 immunohistochemistry was performed on 33 placentas, one atypical placenta...

Using whole cell patch-clamp recording in a rat brain stem slice preparation, we found that gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and glycine act as cotransmitters to hypoglossal motoneurons (HMs). Focal application of GABA and glycine onto a single HM revealed that GABAA and glycine receptors are present on the same neuron. To demonstrate that HMs receive both GABAergic and glycinergic synaptic input...

We have developed a single-compartment, electrophysiological, hypoglossal motoneuron (HM) model based primarily on experimental data from neonatal rat HMs. The model is able to reproduce the fine features of the HM action potential: the fast afterhyperpolarization, the afterdepolarization, and the medium-duration afterhyperpolarization (mAHP). The model also reproduces the repetitive firing pro...

The introduction of CIM (Computer Integrated Manufacturing) systems in the 1980s, aiming at integrating automatic workstations into fully automated factories, was not successful. The root causes of this failure were that the subsystems to be integrated were not suitably designed for easy integration into a larger system. This situation stimulated the authors to embark on a research programme on...

Molecular targeted therapies are based upon drugs acting on tumors by interfering with specific targets involved in growth and spread of cancer. Many targeted therapies were approved by Food and Drug Administration as standard treatment, others were introduced into preclinical or clinical studies on hematological malignancies (HMs). The development of drug-resistance in some HMs and the lack of...