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C1q is the central pattern-recognition molecule in the classical pathway of the complement system and is known to have a key role in the crossroads between adaptive and innate immunity. Hereditary C1q deficiency is a rare genetic condition strongly associated with systemic lupus erythematosus and increased susceptibility to bacterial infections. However, the clinical symptoms may vary. For long, t

The scientific objectives of the Cain mission cover areas of galactic structure and evolution, stellar astrophysics, exoplanets, solar system physics, and fundamental physics. Astrometrically, its main contribution will be the determination of millions of absolute stellar parallaxes and the establishment of a very accurate, dense and faint non-rotating optical reference frame. With a planned launc

We report a new set oftheoretical transition probabilities in Y II, obtained using a multiconfiguration relativistic Hartree-Fock method including core polarization. The overall quality of the calculations is assessed by comparisons with new and previous lifetime measurements. In this paper, we report new measurements of five lifetimes in the 4d5p and 5s5p configurations, in the energy range of 32

BACKGROUND: The objective of lung transplantation (LTx) is to prolong life, but the survival benefit for patients with severe α(1)-anti-trypsin deficiency (PiZZ) and emphysema is still unclear. The aim of this study was to assess whether PiZZ patients who have undergone lung transplantation (the lung transplant group, TxG) do better than patients who have continued on the usual medical therapy (th

BackgroundIncidence of condyloma, or genital warts (GW), is the earliest possible disease outcome to measure when assessing the effectiveness of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination strategies. Efficacy trials that follow prespecified inclusion and exclusion criteria may not be fully generalizable to real-life HPV vaccination programs, which target a broader segment of the population. We assesse

The ESA space astrometry mission Gala, due for launch in early 2012, will in addition to its huge output of fundamental astrometric and astrophysical data also provide stringent tests of general relativity. In this paper we present an updated analysis of Gaia's capacity to measure the PPN parameter gamma as part of its core astrometric solution. The analysis is based on small-scale astrometric sol

The early science results from the new generation of high-resolution stellar spectroscopic surveys, such as Galactic Archaeology with HERMES (GALAH) and the Gaia European Southern Observatory survey (Gaia-ESO), will represent major milestones in the quest to chemically tag the Galaxy. Yet this technique to reconstruct dispersed coeval stellar groups has remained largely untested until recently. We

In this work we investigate nascent soot particles by analyzing laser-induced incandescence (LII) signals obtained in low-sooting premixed flames. The analysis covers two data sets obtained in separate experimental campaigns. The first data set was obtained in a previous work (Mouton et al., 2013) in methane/oxygen/nitrogen flames (equivalence ratio range 1.95 < Phi < 2.32) at 26.7 kPa, whereas th

The article examines the ways in which the slowly evolving and invisible processes of the ongoing ecological crisis can be represented in the format of a contemporary serial television drama. The author argues that despite heavy reliance on spectacular and captivating character-born plots, the long-form storytelling of new television narratives can be well suited to representing the complex and un

BACKGROUND: Berry pomace is a valuable but little used by-product of juice manufacturing. When processed to a stable fruit powder, the composition differs from that of the whole fruit. To facilitate application in foods, a detailed knowledge of its composition and physicochemical properties is essential. RESULTS: Blackcurrant, redcurrant, chokeberry, rowanberry and gooseberry were selected for ana

Noise is a common exposure in the occupational work environment. Earlier studies of occupational noise and pregnancy outcome are few and show mixed results. To investigate if objectively assessed exposure to occupational noise during pregnancy is associated with reduced intrauterine growth and/or preterm birth a nationwide cohort study of 857,010 single births was initiated. Individual information

Image segmentation among overlapping land cover areas in satellite images is a very crucial task. Detection of belongingness is the important problem for classifying mixed pixels. This paper proposes an approach for pixel classification using a hybrid approach of Fuzzy C-Means and Cellular automata methods. This new unsupervised method is able to detect clusters using 2-Dimensional Cellular Automa

Inhomogeneous magnetic transfer (ihMT) is more sensitive to myelin macromolecules than standard MT proxies. Measuring ihMT in the multi-parameter mapping protocol allows calculating ihMT from MT saturation (MTsat) maps and thus inherently correct for the undesired dependencies on flip angle and the longitudinal relaxation rate. Further validation of this new ihMT metric requires measurement of MPM

Diabetes is a complex and multifactorial disease that affects millions of people worldwide, reducing the quality of life significantly, and results in grave consequences for our health care system. In type 2 diabetes (T2D), the lack of β-cell compensatory mechanisms overcoming peripherally developed insulin resistance is a paramount factor leading to disturbed blood glucose levels and lipid metabo

Background: The dysregulation of B cell activation is prevalent during naturally acquired immunity against malaria. Osteopontin (OPN), a protein produced by various cells including B cells, is a phosphorylated glycoprotein that participates in immune regulation and has been suggested to be involved in the immune response against malaria. Here we studied the longitudinal concentrations of OPN in in

This paper is about the socio-technical findings of a project that was carried out for an organisation in the educational sector. The main aim of the project was to explore the possibilities of developing a mobile Augmented Reality authoring tool that educators would use to create AR experiences in attempt to improve their teaching methods. A novel ‘solution’ was designed and prototyped, which ini

Sustainability is rarely implemented in employee work practices in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The authors note that SMEs should implement sustainability practices as integrated part of work activities to ensure long term success. This paper describes an empirical study of SMEs sustainability on employee real work practices. A relevant perspective is offered by the triple bottom lin

We present an analysis of some known cartesian authentication codes and their modification into authentication codes with secrecy, with transmission rate R = r/n, where n = 2, 3, …, and 1 ≤ r ≤ n - 1 using (n - r)(r + 1) q-ary key digits. For this purpose we use a grouping technique. Essentially the same key grouping technique is used for the construction of codes that withstand spoofing attacks o

Purpose: The purpose of this document is threefold: (a) review the uses of the terms “vocal fatigue,” “vocal effort,” “vocal load,” and “vocal loading” (as found in the literature) in order to track the occurrence and the related evolution of research; (b) present a “linguistically modeled” definition of the same from the review of literature on the terms; and (c) propose conceptualized definition

OBJECTIVE: To develop a new chronic RA model which is driven by the innate immune system.METHOD: The injection of a cocktail of four monoclonal antibodies against collagen type II followed by intra-peritoneal injections of mannan (from Saccharomyces cerevisiae) on days 5 and 60 led to the development of chronic arthritis in B10.Q mice. The role of the innate versus the adaptive immune system in th