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This article examines continuity, change and adaptation of blat, a Soviet-time informal economic transaction network, in today’s Ukraine and Belarus. The analysis is based on 33 in-depth interviews, and the main focus is the descriptions, justifications and explanations of on-going informal participation in contemporary forms of blat. Theories on informal institutions, path dependence and the rela
The aim of this work was to determine how a latent optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) signal in irradiated household salt is preserved under various ambient conditions, from the time of exposure to the time of signal readout. The following parameters were examined: optical fading in fluorescent light and under darkroom conditions (red light), thermal stability of the OSL signal during storage
Optical spectroscopy has been used as a supplement to conventional techniques for analyzing and diagnosing cancer in many human organs. Because ocular tumors may be characterized by their different melanin content, we investigated the feasibility of using transscleral visible/near-infrared spectroscopy (Vis/NIRS) to estimate the quantity of melanin in a novel uveal melanoma phantom of ex vivo porc
A highly sensitive and stable solid state electrochemiluminescence (ECL) sensor for tri-n-propylamine (TPrA, as coreactant) detection was developed using Ru(bpy)(3)(2+) ion-exchanged into the composite film of ZnO nanoparticles decorated multi-walled carbon nanotubes (nanoZnO-MWCNTs) and Nafion. The electrocatalytic activity of nano-ZnO active sites towards Ru(bpy)(3)(2+) redox reaction and also t
Streptococcus pyogenes AP1, a strain of the highly virulent M1 serotype, uses exclusively protein H to bind the complement inhibitor C4b-binding protein (C4BP). We found a strong correlation between the ability of AP1 and its isogenic mutants lacking protein H to inhibit opsonisation with complement C3b and binding of C4BP. C4BP bound to immobilized protein H or AP1 bacteria retained its cofactor
Abstract Azoospermia is observed in 10-15% of infertile men and 60% of these cases are classified as having non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA). NOA results from testicular failure, and one of the causes of this is the presence of varicocele. Varicocele is found in 5-10% of men with NOA and its repair is associated with the appearance of spermatozoa in the ejaculate in 21-55% of cases. This review d
Pseudomyogenic haemangioendothelioma (PHE) is an intermediate malignant vascular soft tissue tumour primarily affecting children and young adults. The molecular basis of this neoplasm is unknown. We here used chromosome banding analysis, fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), mRNA sequencing, RT-PCR and quantitative real-time PCR on a series of morphologically well-characterized PHEs to show t
In birds, fatty acids (FA) have three main functions; they are structural components of cell membranes, metabolic fuel, and inflammatory molecules. Environmental factors, such as diet and ambient temperature, affect FA composition, thereby function and ultimately fitness. Thus, variation in FA compositions can be the underlying mechanism for varying performance of birds in different habitats. Here
To compare repair of acute lacerations of mixed sensory-motor nerves in humans using a collagen tube versus conventional repair.
For highly oriented fibrillar molecules, three-dimensional structures can often be determined from X-ray fiber diffraction data. However, because of limited information content, structure determination and validation can be challenging. We demonstrate that automated structure determination of protein fibers can be achieved by guiding the building of macromolecular models with fiber diffraction dat
PURPOSEThe aim of the International Myeloma Working Group was to develop practice recommendations for the management of multiple myeloma (MM) -related bone disease.MethodologyAn interdisciplinary panel of clinical experts on MM and myeloma bone disease developed recommendations based on published data through August 2012. Expert consensus was used to propose additional recommendations in situation
Primary objective: The present study was undertaken to evaluate whether enoant, which is rich in polyphenols, has any effect on electroencephalogram (EEG), oxidative stress and inflammation in ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury. Methods: Ischemia was induced by 2-hour occlusion of bilateral common carotid artery. Animals orally received enoant. Group 1 was the ischemic control group. Group 2 was tr
The results of a search for direct pair production of heavy top-quark partners in 4.7 fb(-1) of integrated luminosity from p p collisions at root s = 7 TeV collected by the ATLAS detector at the LHC are reported. Heavy top-quark partners decaying into a top quark and a neutral non-interacting particle are searched for in events with two leptons in the final state. No excess above the Standard Mode
A genome-wide study performed in a Japanese population identified a strong association between SNP rs2294008 (Met1Thr) in the Prostate Stem Cell Antigen gene (PSCA) and diffuse-type gastric cancer (GC). This association was validated in different Asian populations, and, very recently, a study has been published in Caucasians. In this study, we analyzed the association between PSCA variation and GC
We study the non-equilibrium dynamics of a one-dimensional interacting particle system that is a mixture of the voter model and the exclusion process. With the process started from a finite perturbation of the ground state Heaviside configuration consisting of 1’s to the left of the origin and 0’s elsewhere, we study the relaxation time τ, that is, the first hitting time of the ground state config
Not only the fat content but also the composition of fatty acids (FAs) in stored triglycerides might be of interest in the research on nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis. In this study, a novel reconstruction approach is proposed that uses theoretical knowledge of the chemical structure of FAs to simultaneously quantify the fat fraction (FF) and the FAs composition (
This paper addresses Test Application Time (TAT) reduction under power constraints for core- based 3D Stacked ICs (SICs) connected by Through Silicon Vias (TSVs). Unlike non-stacked chips, where the test flow is well defined by applying the same test schedule both at wafer sort and at package test, the test flow for 3D TSV-SICs is yet undefined. In this paper we present a cost model to find the op
Life cycle assessment (LCA) is increasingly used in waste management to identify strategies that prevent or minimise negative impacts on ecosystems, human health or natural resources. However, the quality of the provided support to decision- and policy-makers is strongly dependent on a proper conduct of the LCA. How has LCA been applied until now? Are there any inconsistencies in the past practice
