On the Asymptotic Behavior of Selfish Transmitters Sharing a Common Channel

This paper analyzes the asymptotic behavior of a multiple-access network comprising a large number of selfish transmitters competing for access to a common wireless communication channel, and having different utility functions for determining their strategies. A necessary and sufficient condition is given for the total number of packet arrivals from selfish transmitters to converge in distribution. The asymptotic packet arrival distribution at Nash equilibrium is shown to be a mixture of a Poisson distribution and finitely many Bernoulli distributions.Comment: Proceedings of the 2008 IEEE International Symposium on Information Theory, Toronto, ON, Canada, July 6 - 11, 200

Systematic review of beliefs, behaviours and influencing factors associated with disclosure of a mental health problem in the workplace

Stigma and discrimination present an important barrier to finding and keeping work for individuals with a mental health problem. This paper reviews evidence on: 1) employment-related disclosure beliefs and behaviours of people with a mental health problem; 2) factors associated with the disclosure of a mental health problem in the employment setting; 3) whether employers are less likely to hire applicants who disclose a mental health problem; and 4) factors influencing employers' hiring beliefs and behaviours towards job applicants with a mental health problem

Studio instructors talk about skills, knowledge, and professional roles in architecture and landscape architecture

This article examines the attitudes of studio instructors in architecture and landscape architecture departments throughout the United States toward the designer's role, sources of knowledge and inspiration in design, related disciplines, and essential skills. A cluster analysis of instructors' responses to a questionnaire identified five groups according to conceptions of professional identity: master designers, communicative designers, political designers, researcher designers, and those who see design, research, and political skills as almost equally important. The two most common self-conceptions are "master" and "negotiator." In-depth interviews with some instructors further elucidated each approach. The results revealed the coexistence of a multiplicity of ideas and convictions within a shared ethos and suggested various strategies for increasing the effectiveness of design education and practice. The article concludes that the professional identity of designers is being transformed from that of isolated creative individuals to that of politically active professionals. © 1998 Sage Publications, Inc

Biodegradable and biocompatible radiopaque iodinated poly-3-hydroxy butyrate: synthesis, characterization and in vitro/in vivo X-ray visibility

Hazer, Baki/0000-0001-8770-805XWOS: 000511700600016TARAMASCOPUSTARAMAWOSSome novel radiopaque biodegradable and biocompatible iodinated polymers based on poly-3-hydroxy butyrate (PHB) were obtained. Following the attachment of diethanol amine to PHB, the hydroxyl ends were capped with 4-iodobenzoic acid and 2,3,5-tri-iodobenzoic acid. In this manner, tri-novel radiopaque polymers were obtained. The resulting polymers were structurally characterized by NMR technique. They were evaluated with respect to their possible use as radiopaque implant biomaterials indicating X-ray visibility in a noninvasive manner using routine X-ray absorption imaging techniques. These polymers exhibited good radiopacity with conventional imaging X-ray techniques in vivo. Additionally, biocompatibility of these iodinated polymers was also evaluated. There were no signs of infection or abscess formation on the surgical area. These novel radiopaque PHBs should be promising biomaterials for a new-generation radiopaque materials.Kapadokya University [KUN.2018-BAGP-001]; Bulent Ecevit University Research FundsBulent Ecevit University [BEU-2017-72118496-01]This work was supported by the Kapadokya University (#KUN.2018-BAGP-001) and Bulent Ecevit University Research Funds (#BEU-2017-72118496-01). The authors thank to Fatih Pekdemir for taking FTIR spectra. This paper has been proofread by Bulent Ecevit University Article Proofreading and Editing Office

Gold and Cobalt Oxide Nanoparticles Modified Poly-Propylene Poly-Ethylene Glycol Membranes in Poly (ε-Caprolactone) Conduits Enhance Nerve Regeneration in the Sciatic Nerve of Healthy Rats

TARAMAPUBMEDTARAMASCOPUSReconstruction of nerve defects is a clinical challenge. Autologous nerve grafts as the gold standard treatment may result in an incomplete restoration of extremity function. Biosynthetic nerve conduits are studied widely, but still have limitations. Here, we reconstructed a 10 mm sciatic nerve defect in healthy rats and analyzed nerve regeneration in poly (ε-caprolactone) (PCL) conduits longitudinally divided by gold (Au) and gold-cobalt oxide (AuCoO) nanoparticles embedded in poly-propylene poly-ethylene glycol (PPEG) membranes (AuPPEG or AuCoOPPEG) and compared it with unmodified PPEG-membrane and hollow PCL conduits. After 21 days, we detected significantly better axonal outgrowth, together with higher numbers of activated Schwann cells (ATF3-labelled) and higher HSP27 expression, in reconstructed sciatic nerve and in corresponding dorsal root ganglia (DRG) in the AuPPEG and AuCoOPPEG groups; whereas the number of apoptotic Schwann cells (cleaved caspase 3-labelled) was significantly lower. Furthermore, numbers of activated and apoptotic Schwann cells in the regenerative matrix correlated with axonal outgrowth, whereas HSP27 expression in the regenerative matrix and in DRGs did not show any correlation with axonal outgrowth. We conclude that gold and cobalt-oxide nanoparticle modified membranes in conduits improve axonal outgrowth and increase the regenerative performance of conduits after nerve reconstructio