Unrelated bone marrow transplantation in a Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome patient sharing two HLA-extended haplotypes with the donor

OBJECTIVE: To determine the distribution and amount of elastic fibers in the dermis of clinically normal dogs and dogs with dermatoses, particularly solar dermatitis. DESIGN: Skin specimens from 7 anatomic sites were obtained from 19 clinically normal dogs after euthanasia to evaluate the normal distribution of elastic fibers. Biopsy specimens also were obtained from 34 dogs with dermatoses, including 16 with solar dermatitis. Tissue sections were stained with H&E, Verhoeff-van Gieson, and periodic acid-Schiff. ANIMALS: 19 clinically normal dogs and 34 dogs with dermatoses. PROCEDURE: Numbers of elastic fibers were graded subjectively. Comparisons between clinically normal dogs and dogs with dermatoses were made. RESULTS: Normal elastic fibers were present in low numbers in the dermis of adult dogs, regardless of anatomic site or presence or severity of dermatitis. Condensed elastotic material was visualized in only 2 dogs with solar dermatitis. In both dogs, the elastotic material was Verhoeff-van Gieson and periodic acid-Schiff stain positive but was not visible with H&E stain. The most frequent histopathologic finding in the dermis of dogs with solar dermatitis was superficial dermal fibrosis. CONCLUSIONS: The dermis of clinically normal dogs does not contain abundant elastic fibers. Alterations of elastic fibers in dogs with solar dermatitis are rare. Superficial dermal fibrosis may be a better indicator of solar damage.     

Switching Device Based on a Thin Film of an Azo-Containing Polymer for Application in Memory Cells

Results obtained on a conductive multilevel device realized with a 100 nm azo-polymer film are reported. The capability to switch between three different conductance states makes the device versatile both for Write Once Read Many and Write Many Read Many memory cell application. The analysis of the - curves indicates that the hysteretic conductance change with the external voltage can be explained in terms of different hopping distances existing between the nearest neighbors intervening in the two conformational states of the molecular structure.     

Experimental Investigation of the Recovery of Soaked Paper Using Evaporative Freeze Drying

The aim of this article is to develop an experiment and a procedure to investigate the restoration of water-damaged paper and archival materials using freeze drying in order to allow a reproducible test and comparison of the influence of different operating conditions on drying time and restored paper quality. Firstly, a reproducible method for the preparation of soaked samples simulating water-damaged paper has been developed. Then, the samples have been freeze-dried in a laboratory-scale apparatus that allowed monitoring the temperature as well as the weight of the samples. The technique of evaporative freezing, which reduces the drying time required, has been used in this case. An innovative procedure for the visualization of the progress of the drying process has been validated, thus allowing the validation of a simple phenomenological model of the time evolution of the ice core volume; in addition, data on the residual moisture of the dried paper sheets in different zones have been given. Finally, optimization of this particular drying process by using simple or more sophisticated approaches has been discussed.     

BRAF Gene and Melanoma: Back to the Future

As widely acknowledged, 40–50% of all melanoma patients harbour an activating BRAF mutation (mostly BRAF V600E). The identification of the RAS–RAF–MEK–ERK (MAP kinase) signalling pathway and its targeting has represented a valuable milestone for the advanced and, more recently, for the completely resected stage III and IV melanoma therapy management. However, despite progress in BRAF-mutant melanoma treatment, the two different approaches approved so far for metastatic disease, immunotherapy and BRAF+MEK inhibitors, allow a 5-year survival of no more than 60%, and most patients relapse during treatment due to acquired mechanisms of resistance. Deep insight into BRAF gene biology is fundamental to describe the acquired resistance mechanisms (primary and secondary) and to understand the molecular pathways that are now being investigated in preclinical and clinical studies with the aim of improving outcomes in BRAF-mutant patients.     

Statics Aware Grid Shells

We introduce a framework for the generation of polygonal gridshell architectural structures, whose topology is designed in order to excel in static performances. We start from the analysis of stress on the input surface and we use the resulting tensor field to induce an anisotropic nonEuclidean metric over it. This metric is derived by studying the relation between the stress tensor over a continuous shell and the optimal shape of polygons in a corresponding gridshell. Polygonal meshes with uniform density and isotropic cells under this metric exhibit variable density and anisotropy in Euclidean space, thus achieving a better distribution of the strain energy over their elements. Meshes are further optimized taking into account symmetry and regularity of cells to improve aesthetics. We experiment with quad meshes and hexdominant meshes, demonstrating that our gridshells achieve better static performances than stateoftheart gridshells.     

When simulated environments make the difference: the effectiveness of different types of training of car service procedures

An empirical analysis was performed to compare the effectiveness of different approaches to training a set of procedural skills to a sample of novice trainees. Sixty-five participants were randomly assigned to one of the following three training groups: (1) learning-by-doing in a 3D desktop virtual environment, (2) learning-by-observing a video (show-and-tell) explanation of the procedures, and (3) trial-and-error. In each group, participants were trained on two car service procedures. Participants were recalled to perform a procedure either 2 or 4 weeks after the training. The results showed that: (1) participants trained through the virtual approach of learning-by-doing performed both procedures significantly better (i.e. p < .05 in terms of errors and time) than people of non-virtual groups, (2) the virtual training group, after a period of non-use, were more effective than non-virtual training (i.e. p < .05) in their ability to recover their skills, (3) after a (simulated) long period from the training—i.e. up to 12 weeks—people who experienced 3D environments consistently performed better than people who received other kinds of training. The results also suggested that independently from the training group, trainees’ visuospatial abilities were a predictor of performance, at least for the complex service procedure, adj R ² = .460, and that post-training performances of people trained through virtual learning-by-doing are not affected by learning styles. Finally, a strong relationship (p < .001, R ² = .441) was identified between usability and trust in the use of the virtual training tool—i.e. the more the system was perceived as usable, the more it was perceived as trustable to acquire the competences.     

Modelling of interfacial mass transfer in microfluidic solvent extraction: part II. Heterogeneous transport with chemical reaction

The use of a microfluidic device in determining the extraction kinetics of Co^II ions by di-(2-ethylhexyl) phosphoric acid (DEHPA) was demonstrated. Experimental data obtained using a Y-Y-shaped microchannel were modelled using a finite volume method. The contributions of diffusion and reaction transport resistances to the overall rate of mass transfer were obtained. A diffusion-controlled transfer assumption could not account for the experimental data, confirming that transport occurs under a mixed reaction–diffusion resistance regime. The reaction rate constant was determined to be $(2.4 \pm 0.6) \times 10^{-10}$  m/s, in good agreement with corresponding Lewis cell measurements from the literature.     

Laser pyrolysis in papers and patents

Journal of Intelligent Manufacturing - This paper presents a critical review of laser pyrolysis. Although this technology is almost 60&nbsp;years old, in literature many researchers, both from...