Electric-field-induced alignment of electrically neutral disk-like particles: modelling and calculation

This work reveals a torque from electric field to electrically neutral flakes that are suspended in a higher electrical conductive matrix. The torque tends to rotate the particles toward an orientation with its long axis parallel to the electric current flow. The alignment enables the anisotropic properties of tiny particles to integrate together and generate desirable macroscale anisotropic properties. The torque was obtained from thermodynamic calculation of electric current free energy at various microstructure configurations. It is significant even when the electrical potential gradient becomes as low as 100 v/m. The changes of electrical, electroplastic and thermal properties during particles alignment were discussed

Removable partial dentures: The clinical need for innovation

Statement of problem: The number of partially dentate adults is increasing, and many patients will require replacement of missing teeth. Although current treatment options also include fixed partial dentures and implants, removable partial dentures (RPDs) can have advantages and are widely used in clinical practice. However, a significant need exists to advance materials and fabrication technologies because of the unwanted health consequences associated with current RPDs. Purpose: The purpose of this review was to assess the current state of and future need for prosthetics such as RPDs for patients with partial edentulism, highlight areas of weakness, and outline possible solutions to issues that affect patient satisfaction and the use of RPDs. Material and methods: The data on treatment for partial edentulism were reviewed and summarized with a focus on currently available and future RPD designs, materials, means of production, and impact on oral health. Data on patient satisfaction and compliance with RPD treatment were also reviewed to assess patient-centered care. Results: Design, materials, ease of repair, patient education, and follow-up for RPD treatment all had a significant impact on treatment success. Almost 40% of patients no longer use their RPD within 5 years because of factors such as sociodemographics, pain, and esthetics. Research on RPD-based treatment for partial edentulism for both disease-oriented and patient-centered outcomes is lacking. Conclusions: Future trials should evaluate new RPD materials and design technologies and include both long-term follow-up and health-related and patient-reported outcomes. Advances in materials and digital design/production along with patient education promise to further the application of RPDs and improve the quality of life for patients requiring RPDs

MoDeST: a compositional modeling formalism for hard and softly timed systems

This paper presents Modest (MOdeling and DEscription language for Stochastic Timed systems), a formalism that is aimed to support (i) the modular description of reactive system's behaviour while covering both (ii) functional and (iii) nonfunctional system aspects such as timing and quality-of-service constraints in a single specification. The language contains features such as simple and structured data types, structuring mechanisms like parallel composition and abstraction, means to control the granularity of assignments, exception handling, and non-deterministic and random branching and timing. Modest can be viewed as an overarching notation for a wide spectrum of models, ranging from labeled transition systems, to timed automata (and probabilistic variants thereof) as well as prominent stochastic processes such as (generalized semi-)Markov chains and decision processes. The paper describes the design rationales and details of the syntax and semantics

The quantitative verification benchmark set

We present an extensive collection of quantitative models to facilitate the development, comparison, and benchmarking of new verification algorithms and tools. All models have a formal semantics in terms of extensions of Markov chains, are provided in the Jani format, and are documented by a comprehensive set of metadata. The collection is highly diverse: it includes established probabilistic verification and planning benchmarks, industrial case studies, models of biological systems, dynamic fault trees, and Petri net examples, all originally specified in a variety of modelling languages. It archives detailed tool performance data for each model, enabling immediate comparisons between tools and among tool versions over time. The collection is easy to access via a client-side web application at qcomp.org with powerful search and visualisation features. It can be extended via a Git-based submission process, and is openly accessible according to the terms of the CC-BY license

Cross-priming of cyclin B1, MUC-1 and survivin-specific CD8(+ )T cells by dendritic cells loaded with killed allogeneic breast cancer cells

INTRODUCTION: The ability of dendritic cells (DCs) to take up whole tumor cells and process their antigens for presentation to T cells ('cross-priming') is an important mechanism for induction of tumor specific immunity. METHODS: In vitro generated DCs were loaded with killed allogeneic breast cancer cells and offered to autologous naïve CD8(+ )T cells in 2-week and/or 3-week cultures. CD8(+ )T cell differentiation was measured by their capacity to secrete effector cytokines (interferon-γ) and kill breast cancer cells. Specificity was measured using peptides derived from defined breast cancer antigens. RESULTS: We found that DCs loaded with killed breast cancer cells can prime naïve CD8(+ )T cells to differentiate into effector cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs). Importantly, these CTLs primed by DCs loaded with killed HLA-A*0201(- )breast cancer cells can kill HLA-A*0201(+ )breast cancer cells. Among the tumor specific CTLs, we found that CTLs specific for HLA-A2 restricted peptides derived from three well known shared breast tumor antigens, namely cyclin B1, MUC-1 and survivin. CONCLUSION: This ability of DCs loaded with killed allogeneic breast cancer cells to elicit multiantigen specific immunity supports their use as vaccines in patients with breast cancer

The influence of different culture microenvironments on the generation of dendritic cells from non-small-cell lung cancer patients

This study extends the model developed in Williams and Seaman’s [Williams, J. J. and Seaman, A. E. (2010). Corporate Governance and Mindfulness: The Impact of Management Accounting Systems Change, The Journal of Applied Business Research, Vol. 26, No. 5, pp. 1-17] exploratory paper examining the moderating effects of management accounting systems (MAS) change on the corporate governance/mindfulness relationship for a Canadian sample of 124 top-level accounting professionals. Canonical correlation analysis was applied to the linkage of multiple cognitive processes of mindfulness (Weick and Sutcliffe, 2001; 2007) and the governance dimensions of performance and conformance specified by the International Federation of Accountants (2009), underpinned by the moderating effects of five different components of MAS change, which yielded 13 significant relationships. The latter were subsequently analyzed for important gestalts (i.e., patterns) in the overall relationship, and assessed within the context of aligning professional accounting practices involving systems changes to the IFAC (2009) governance framework. These findings appear to have implications for improved governance structures in practice as well as offering a rich foundation for future research