Spectrum of mutations of thalassemia among couples from izeh city, khuzestan province, iran

Hemoglobinopathies are inherited blood disorders with an autosomal recessive pattern. We aimed to evaluate the frequency of mutations of thalassemia and hemoglobinopathies among couples referred to health centers of Izeh in Khuzestan Province, Iran. Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed on 150 couples referred to Izeh Health Centers in 2015-2018. DNA was isolated from peripheral venous blood samples and then the HBB gene was analyzed by using Sanger sequencing. For molecular analysis of α-globin gene, multiplex Gap-PCR and ARMS-PCR was performed to identify mutations of α-thalassemia. Results: DNA analysis revealed 13 different mutations for beta thalassemia in studied couples. Three mutations including 36/37 (-T), IVS-II-1 (G>A) and IVS-I-110 (G>A) accounted for 20.7, 19.3 and 13.3% of beta thalassemia mutations, respectively. For alpha thalassemia; α3.7 (49.5%),--MED (19.1 %) and-α4.2 (3.1%) were identified as the most common mutations. Conclusion: Considering common alpha and beta mutations of this geographic area of Iran could be useful concerning genetic counselling in of the population where the rate of consanguineous marriage is high

Why so serious? Theorising playful model-driven group decision support with situated affectivity

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Springer via the DOI in this record.An integrative approach to theorising behavioural, affective and cognitive processes in modeldriven group decision support (GDS) interventions is needed to gain insight into the (micro-)processes by which outcomes are accomplished. This paper proposes that the theoretical lens of situated affectivity, grounded in recent extensions of scaffolded mind models, is suitable to understand the performativity of affective micro-processes in model-driven GDS interventions. An illustrative vignette of a humorous micro-moment in a group decision workshop is presented to reveal the performativity of extended affective scaffolding processes for group decision development. The lens of situated affectivity constitutes a novel approach for the study of interventionist practice in the context of group decision making (and negotiation). An outlook with opportunities for future research is offered to facilitate an integrated approach to the study of cognitive-affective and behavioural micro-processes in model-driven GDS interventions.This work was supported in part by the EU FP7-ENERGY- SMARTCITIES-2012 (314277) project STEEP (Systems Thinking for Comprehensive City Efficient Energy Planning

CO2 laser polishing of laser-powder bed fusion produced AlSi10Mg parts

Poor surface quality represents an important issue that needs improvement for metal Additively Manufactured parts. Both short or long wavelength lasers have been applied for surface polishing in order to improve the surface finish. In this work, the possible use of a CO2 laser for the surface polishing of AlSi10Mg parts made by Laser-based Powder Bed Fusion (L-PBF) was explored. The high surface roughness in the as-built condition can lead to increased laser energy absorption. In order to assess the effects of the main laser-related process parameters, the experiments were carried out on L-PBF samples built vertically with respect to the build platform. Their effect on the surface were evaluated by means of the surface arithmetical mean height (Sa), surface skewness (Ssk) and primary profile root mean square slope (Pdq), obtained via confocal microscopy. Microstructure evolution was also investigated by means of SEM and EDS analysis. The results showed a large reduction in surface roughness, ranging from the 67% to the 85% of the starting value. Microstructure of the re-molten layer revealed an increased grain size and an increased Si content that led to an overall hardness increase from 85 to 121 HV

Comparative performance of ex situ artificial solid electrolyte interphases for Li metal batteries with liquid electrolytes

The design of artificial solid electrolyte interphases (ASEIs) that overcome the traditional instability of Li metal anodes can accelerate the deployment of high-energy Li metal batteries (LMBs). By building the ASEI ex situ, its structure and composition is finely tuned to obtain a coating layer that regulates Li electrodeposition, while containing morphology and volumetric changes at the electrode. This review analyzes the structure-performance relationship of several organic, inorganic, and hybrid materials used as ASEIs in academic and industrial research. The electrochemical performance of ASEI-coated electrodes in symmetric and full cells was compared to identify the ASEI and cell designs that enabled to approach practical targets for high-energy LMBs. The comparative performance and the examined relation between ASEI thickness and cell-level specific energy emphasize the necessity of employing testing conditions aligned with practical battery systems