Filtyp
Antibodies are central to acquired immunity against malaria. Plasmodium falciparum elicits antibody responses against many of its protein components, but there is also formation of antibodies against different parts of the red blood cells, in which the parasites spend most of their time. In the absence of a decisive intervention such as a vaccine, people living in malaria endemic regions largely d
The White House Budget proposal for 2018, if approved, could lead to a drastic cut in US funding of UN activities in the coming years. Since the US is the largest contributor to the regular budget, peacekeeping operations, agencies and programmes, its decision could have major implications on the organisation’s workings. Besides well-founded queries about what the US actually stands to gain by suc
There is an urgent need to address in a comprehensive manner the problem of systematic and flagrant violations of international humanitarian and human-rights law in ongoing conflicts, including its sources and implications. More specifically, possible lines of action to counter the growing importance of non-state armed actors and the use of explosives in populated areas must be discussed. A Global
This paper addresses the effects of the deterioration on the value of damage detection information. The quantification of the value of damage detection information for deteriorated structures is based on Bayesian pre-posterior decision analysis, comprising structural system performance models, consequence, benefit and costs models and damage detection information models throughout the service life
This chapter examines ethical guidelines as a tool for the governance of artificial intelligence (AI). Analysing the European development towards a trustworthy AI, with a focus on the High-Level Expert Group on AI appointed by the European Commission, the chapter highlights the interaction between guidelines and law in light of technological advancements. It discusses why contemporary AI has led t
BACKGROUND: There is a growing interest to increase dietary fiber (DF) consumption due to the health benefits associated with this nutrient. Pulses are considered a good source of non-digestible carbohydrates. The aim of this study was to investigate the possibility of substituting semolina with chickpea flour to increase the indigestible carbohydrate content without altering the texture of the pa
In the present review, we highlight the possible “extra-immunological” effects of maternal immunoglobulins (Ig) transferred to the blood circulation of offspring, either via the placenta before birth or via the colostrum/milk across the gut after birth in different mammalian species. Using the newborn pig as a model, since they are naturally born agammaglobulinemic, intravenously (i.v.) infused pu
A full-duplex relay enhances the end-to-end spectral efficiency compared to a half-duplex relay, provided that the loop-back interference at relays is managed well. In order to study the feasibility of the full-duplex relay, it is crucial to measure and model the loop-back interference channels. This paper presents a measurement campaign of these channels for outdoor-to-indoor communications. A co
In this paper, the vascular sounds of the arteriovenous fistula at the anastomosis and five centimeters downstream the anastomosis were analyzed. The analysis of the sounds was based on features extracted from the power spectral density (PSD) and wavelet decomposition. The database consists of 15 recordings at the anastomosis and 15 reference recordings obtained from 15 patients. The results showe
Bats navigate the dark using echolocation. Echolocation is enhanced by external ears, but external ears increase the projected frontal area and reduce the streamlining of the animal. External ears are thus expected to compromise flight efficiency, but research suggests that very large ears may mitigate the cost by producing aerodynamic lift. Here we compare quantitative aerodynamic measures of fli
This paper studies the importance of the interdependences within platform-based markets. Specifically, the work examines the influence of complementary product portfolios on the adoption of platforms by individuals. The study analyzes data from a panel of 17 video game platforms in three regions (the US, Japan and Europe) for the period between 1989 and 2011. The results suggest that platform adop
This chapter discusses the increasing tendency to remove street art from its original site for personal gain. It further explores whether/how copyright claims can be an effective means of preventing such extractions.
Two basic routes for planetesimal formation have been proposed over the last decades. One is a classical 'slow-growth' scenario. Another one is particle concentration models, in which small pebbles are concentrated locally and then collapse gravitationally to form planetesimals. Both types of models make certain predictions for the size spectrum and internal structure of newly born planetesimals.
The HIV-1 envelope mutates rapidly to evade recognition and killing, and is a major target of humoral immune responses and vaccine development. Identification of common epitopes for vaccine development have been complicated by genetic variation on both virus and host levels. We studied HIV-1 envelope gp120 evolution in 12 Chinese former plasma donors infected with a purportedly single founder viru
In-situ soot characterization has been successfully performed in a 100 kWth down-fired oxy-fuel test furnace using laser-induced incandescence (LII) and extinction measurements. Primarily non-premixed propane flames were investigated in oxy-fuel mode with various concentrations of oxygen in the oxidant. The turbulent flame character was manifested through two-dimensional single-shot LII signals fr
We investigate the hypothesis that ingestion of a terrestrial or super-Earth planet could cause the anomalously high metal abundances seen in a turn-off star in the open cluster M67, when compared to other turn-off stars in the same cluster. We show that the mass of the convective envelope of the star is likely only 3.45 × 10-3 M⊙, and hence 5.2 M⊙ of rock is required to obtain the observed 0.128
Adaptive as well as innate immune responses contribute to the development of atherosclerosis. Studies performed in experimental animals have revealed that some of these immune responses are protective while others contribute to the progression of disease. These observations suggest that it may be possible to develop novel therapies for cardiovascular disease by selectively modulating such atheropr
