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Moraxella IgD-binding protein (MID) is a well characterized trimeric autotransporter that specifically targets the IgD of B cells. We fused the membrane anchor of the meningococcal autotransporter NhhA with the IgD-binding region of MID (aa 962-1200) to create a chimeric protein designated as NID. The aim was to use this specific targeting to provide a better vaccine candidate against meningococci
Since a tightly regulated complement system is needed for a successful pregnancy, we hypothesized that alterations in complement inhibitors may be associated with idiopathic, recurrent miscarriage. We sequenced all exons coding for three complement inhibitors: C4b-binding protein (C4BP), CD46 and CD55 in 384 childless women with at least two miscarriages that could not be explained by known risk f
Compression anastomotic ring-locking procedure (CARP) is a novel procedure for creating colonic anastomoses. The surgical procedure allows perioperative quantification of the compression pressure between the intestinal ends within the anastomosis and postoperative monitoring of the anastomotic integrity. We have recently shown that CARP is a safe and effective method for colonic anastomoses in pig
We have investigated methods of starch dissolution with the aim of finding an optimum method to completely dissolve starch granules to form a molecularly dissolved starch solution without degradation of the polymers. Glycogen was used as a model molecule for amylopectin, to identify the dissolution conditions under which the degradation of the polymers was limited or not present. Dissolution was p
A search for direct production of supersymmetric gauginos and sleptons in final states with two and three leptons is presented. The two lepton analysis uses 4.7 fb(-1) of proton-proton collision data at root s = 7 TeV, while the three lepton analysis uses 13 fb(-1) at root s = 8 TeV. All data were recorded by the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. The results are interpreted in the pheno
Macro and micronutrient deficiencies are a significant problem among people in rural areas in developing countries. Deficiencies may lead to an impaired immune system making the organism vulnerable to infections and diseases. In this paper, the dietary intake, anthropometric measurements, zinc and copper levels in serum, of patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) are compared with a group of he
This paper presents a 1MHz bandwidth, ΔƩ fractional-N PLL as the frequency synthesizer for LTE. A noise cancellation path composed of a novel hybrid ΔƩ DAC with 9 output bits is incorporated into the PLL in order to cancel the out-of-band phase noise caused by the quantization error. Further, a re-timing circuit is proposed to reduce the nonlinearity in the Charge Pump and provide pulse shaping si
Most wastewater treatment plants contain an activated sludge process, which consists of a biological reactor and a sedimentation tank. The purpose is to reduce the incoming organic material and dissolved nutrients (the substrate). This is done in the biological reactor where micro-organisms (the biomass) decompose the substrate. The biomass is then separated from the water in the sedimentation tan
Although Global Digital Elevation Models (GDEMs) are widely used, their spatial error distributions over extensive regions remain insufficiently understood. Using ICESat-2 Reference Control Points (RCPs) (~ 30 points/km²), this paper not only evaluates GDEMs with point-based metrics such as Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) and Mean Error (ME), but also proposes a novel raster-independent Spatial Erro
INTRODUCTION: Genetic deficiency of factor XI is associated with a reduced risk of ischemic stroke. Asundexian is a direct inhibitor of activated factor XIa (FXIa) with a low risk of bleeding in early trials. We seek to determine its efficacy and safety combined with antiplatelet therapy for prevention of ischemic stroke. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Oral faCtor Eleven A iNhibitor asundexian as novel ant
In this work we introduce the concept of natural ageing via precipitation arising from eutectic cell structure (PEC-ageing). Natural age-strengthening in grey cast iron at room temperature is long recognised yet still poorly understood, despite its beneficial effect on tensile strength and machinability. We investigate its underlying mechanisms by comparing fresh and naturally aged industrial grey
Democracies face a crisis of public reason grounded in a disintegration of shared epistemic ground and amplified by digital polarisation and AI-mediated disinformation. Current pedagogy, focused on deconstructive critique or fact-checking skills, fails to address how algorithmic systems engineer plausibility at scale. Higher education must cultivate discerning judgement alongside critique. Drawing
To persuade creditors to lend, cities in the Low Countries relied on a community responsibility system that made all citizens personally liable for public debt. This exposed itinerant citizens to significant risks: their merchandise could be confiscated by creditors, and they could even be imprisoned for debt. Although it is usually difficult to assess how such sanctions were enforced in practice,
BACKGROUND: Recent studies have found that particulate matter (PM) attached radioactivity was associated with certain adverse health effects including increased blood pressure and lung dysfunction. However, there has been no investigation on the direct effect of PM radioactivity on mortality.METHODS: Exposures to ambient PM gamma activities were determined using U.S. EPA RadNet data. Data on daily
Background: Influenza-like illness (ILI) and Acute Respiratory Infections (ARI) are a considerable health problem in Europe. Most diagnoses are made by family physicians (FPs) and based on symptoms and clinical signs rather than on diagnostic testing. The International Classification of Primary Care (ICPC) advocates that FPs record patients’ ‘Reasons for Encounters’ (RfEs) as they are presented to
In this work, we propose a modified phase-field model for simulating the evolution of mixed mode fractures and compressive driven fractures in porous artificial rocks. For the purpose of validation, the behaviour of artificial rock samples, with either a single or double saw cuts, under uniaxial plane strain compression has been numerically simulated. The simulated results are compared to experime
