Stable distribution in fragmentation processes

We introduce three models of fragmentation in which the largest fragment in the system can be broken at each time step with a fixed probability, p. We solve these models exactly in the long time limit to reveal stable time invariant (scaling) solutions which depend on p and the precise details of the fragmentation process. Various features of these models are compared with those of conventional fragmentation models. To get Figures e-mail to G.J. [email protected]

Verlaufsbeobachtung von Patienten mit Anlage eines Transjugulären Intrahepatischen Portosystemischen Shunts (TIPS) zur Beeinflussung des Aszites bei dekompensierter Leberzirrhose

Die Behandlung von Patienten mit therapierefraktärem Aszites bei Leberzirrhose durch die Anlage eines transjugulären intrahepatischen portosystemischen Shunts (TIPS) wurde in dieser Arbeit retrospektiv analysiert. Dabei konnten der Therapieerfolg, die Überlebenswahrscheinlichkeit und deren Einflussfaktoren sowie die Shuntfunktion bei 69 Patienten beurteilt werden. Es zeigte sich, dass die TIPS-Implantation bei der Behandlung von Patienten mit refraktärem Aszites häufig erfolgreich ist. Der Therapieerfolg nach einen Monat kann als guter Prognosefaktor für das Überleben des Patienten dienen

An intense source for cold cluster ions of a specific composition

Funding Information: This work was supported by EFRE (K-Regio project FAENOMENAL, Grant No. EFRE 2016-4) and the Austrian Science Fund FWF (Project No. P31149, I4130). This work was also supported by Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT-MCTES), Radiation Biology and Biophysics Doctoral Training Programme (RaBBiT, PD/00193/2012); Applied Molecular Biosciences Unit - UCIBIO (UIDB/04378/2020) and CEFITEC Unit (UIDB/00068/2020); and scholarship Grant No. PD/BD/114447/2016 to J.A., F. Zappa acknowledges support from the Brazilian agency CNPq. K.v.H. kindly acknowledges the award of a LFUI guest professorship.The demand for nanoscale materials of ultra-high purity and narrow size distribution is addressed. Clusters of Au, C60, H2O, and serine are produced inside helium nanodroplets using a combination of ionization, mass filtering, collisions with atomic or molecular vapor, and electrostatic extraction, in a specific and novel sequence. The helium droplets are produced in an expansion of cold helium gas through a nozzle into vacuum. The droplets are ionized by electron bombardment and subjected to a mass filter. The ionic and mass-selected helium droplets are then guided through a vacuum chamber filled with atomic or molecular vapor where they collide and "pick up" the vapor. The dopants then agglomerate inside the helium droplets around charge centers to singly charged clusters. Evaporation of the helium droplets is induced by collisions in a helium-filled radio frequency (RF)-hexapole, which liberates the cluster ions from the host droplets. The clusters are analyzed with a time-of-flight mass spectrometer. It is demonstrated that using this sequence, the size distribution of the dopant cluster ions is distinctly narrower compared to ionization after pickup. Likewise, the ion cluster beam is more intense. The mass spectra show, as well, that ion clusters of the dopants can be produced with only few helium atoms attached, which will be important for messenger spectroscopy. All these findings are important for the scientific research of clusters and nanoscale materials in general.publishersversionpublishe

From Saussure to sociology and back to linguistics

The article highlights a semiotically relevant aspect of Niklas Luhmann’s Theory of Social Systems: its reception of the Saussurean dichotomies signifiant/signifié and langue/parole. Luhmann’s position is weighted against the Cours as well as Saussure’s original writings, sampling their approaches to form, meaning, the sign’s two-sidedness, and the relation of linguistic structure and speech events. Ultimately, the article proposes a social ontology of linguistic abstraction in line with general semiology that explains the motility of language through communication, thereby accounting for variability and optionality. It also indicates as to how the theoretical framework can feed into a model of linguistic description.Peer Reviewe

A review of the renal system and diurnal variations of renal activity in livestock

Kidneys are the main organs regulating water-electrolyte homeostasis in the body. They are responsible for maintaining the total volume of water and its distribution in particular water spaces, for electrolyte composition of systemic fluids and also for maintaining acid-base balance. These functions are performed by the plasma filtration process in renal glomeruli and the processes of active absorption and secretion in renal tubules, all adjusted to an 'activity-rest' rhythm. These diurnal changes are influenced by a 24-hour cycle of activity of hormones engaged in the regulation of renal activity. Studies on spontaneous rhythms of renal activity have been carried out mainly on humans and laboratory animals, but few studies have been carried out on livestock animals. Moreover, those results cover only some aspects of renal physiology. This review gives an overview of current knowledge concerning renal function and diurnal variations of some renal activity parameters in livestock, providing greater understanding of general chronobiological processes in mammals. Detailed knowledge of these rhythms is useful for clinical, practical and pharmacological purposes, as well as studies on their physical performance

Long-term follow-up of IPEX syndrome patients after different therapeutic strategies : an international multicenter retrospective study

Background: Immunodysregulation polyendocrinopathy enteropathy x-linked(IPEX) syndrome is a monogenic autoimmune disease caused by FOXP3 mutations. Because it is a rare disease, the natural history and response to treatments, including allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) and immunosuppression (IS), have not been thoroughly examined. Objective: This analysis sought to evaluate disease onset, progression, and long-term outcome of the 2 main treatments in long-term IPEX survivors. Methods: Clinical histories of 96 patients with a genetically proven IPEX syndrome were collected from 38 institutions worldwide and retrospectively analyzed. To investigate possible factors suitable to predict the outcome, an organ involvement (OI) scoring system was developed. Results: We confirm neonatal onset with enteropathy, type 1 diabetes, and eczema. In addition, we found less common manifestations in delayed onset patients or during disease evolution. There is no correlation between the site of mutation and the disease course or outcome, and the same genotype can present with variable phenotypes. HSCT patients (n = 58) had a median follow-up of 2.7 years (range, 1 week-15 years). Patients receiving chronic IS (n 5 34) had a median follow-up of 4 years (range, 2 months-25 years). The overall survival after HSCT was 73.2% (95% CI, 59.4-83.0) and after IS was 65.1% (95% CI, 62.8-95.8). The pretreatment OI score was the only significant predictor of overall survival after transplant (P = .035) but not under IS. Conclusions: Patients receiving chronic IS were hampered by disease recurrence or complications, impacting long-term.disease-free survival. When performed in patients with a low OI score, HSCT resulted in disease resolution with better quality of life, independent of age, donor source, or conditioning regimen