Uniform random colored complexes

We present here random distributions on $(D+1)$-edge-colored, bipartite graphs with a fixed number of vertices $2p$. These graphs are dual to $D$-dimensional orientable colored complexes. We investigate the behavior of quantities related to those random graphs, such as their number of connected components or the number of vertices of their dual complexes, as $p \to \infty$. The techniques involved in the study of these quantities also yield a Central Limit Theorem for the genus of a uniform map of order $p$, as $p \to \infty$.Comment: 36 pages, 9 figures, minor additions and correction

UV-Curing Additive Manufacturing of Bio-Based Thermosets: Effect of Diluent Concentration on Printing and Material Properties of Itaconic Acid-Based Materials

In the quest toward sustainable thermosets, researchhas been conductedon various polymer classes like epoxy, benzoxazines, acryl-/methacrylates,etc. One particular group that can also be utilized as sustainableinks for additive manufacturing is itaconic acid-based unsaturatedpolyester resins. However, due to increased viscosity of the resins,the use of reactive diluents is required to increase their processability.While research has focused on creating different polymeric structuresto expand the possible applications, the required amount of diluenthas not received equal attention. In this work, a group of itaconicacid-based polyesters was synthesized to create a series of formulationswith different reactive diluent contents. The physicochemical propertiesof the prepared formulations, along with their reactivity toward UVlight, were assessed via photo-differential scanning calorimetry (photo-DSC),real-time attenuated total reflectance (RT-ATR), and photorheologymeasurements. The same formulations were then used to fabricate testspecimens via digital light processing (DLP) three-dimensional (3D)printing, which were examined as to their thermomechanical propertiesby means of dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) and thermogravimetricanalysis (TGA) measurements

Vive la difference! the effects of natural and conventional wines on blood alcohol concentrations: A randomized, triple-blind, controlled study

Different alcoholic beverages can have different effects on blood alcohol concentration (BAC) and neurotoxicity, even when equalized for alcohol content by volume. Anecdotal evidence suggested that natural wine is metabolized differently from conventional wines. This triple-blind study compared the BAC of 55 healthy male subjects after consuming the equivalent of 2 units of alcohol of a natural or conventional wine over 3 min in two separate sessions, one week apart. BAC was measured using a professional breathalyzer every 20 min after consumption for 2 h. The BAC curves in response to the two wines diverged significantly at twenty minutes (interval T20) and forty minutes (interval T40), and also at their maximum concentrations (peaks), with the natural wine inducing a lower BAC than the conventional wine [T20 = 0.40 versus 0.46 (p < 0.0002); T40 = 0.49 versus 0.53 (p < 0.0015); peak = 0.52 versus 0.56 (p < 0.0002)]. These differences are likely related to the development of different amino acids and antioxidants in the two wines during their production. This may in turn affect the kinetics of alcohol absorption and metabolism. Other contributing factors could include pesticide residues, differences in dry extract content, and the use of indigenous or selected yeasts. The study shows that with the same quantity and conditions of intake, natural wine has lower pharmacokinetic and metabolic effects than conventional wine, which can be assumed due to the different agronomic and oenological practices with which they are produced. It can therefore be hypothesized that the consumption of natural wine may have a different impact on human health from that of conventional wine

Magnetic-Oriented Nickel Particles and Nickel-Coated Carbon Nanotubes: An Efficient Tool for Enhancing Thermal Conductivity of PDMS Composites

In this study, PDMS composites are thermally cured with nickel particles and nickel-coated carbon nanotubes as fillers. Both fillers are oriented with the aim to increase the thermal conductivity of the silicone polymer network, due to the formation of a continuous thermal path. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) gives a picture of the polymer network's morphology, proving the effective alignment of the nickel particles. Rheology and attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) studies confirm the full curing of the silicon network and no influence in the curing kinetics of the type and content of fillers and their orientation. Dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA) and tensile analysis show instead different thermo-mechanical behavior of the polymer network due to the presence of different fillers, different fillers percentage, and orientation. Finally, the thermal transmittance coefficient (k) is studied by means of hot disk analysis, revealing the increment of almost 200% due to magnetic filler orientation

Compact 3-manifolds via 4-colored graphs

We introduce a representation of compact 3-manifolds without spherical boundary components via (regular) 4-colored graphs, which turns out to be very convenient for computer aided study and tabulation. Our construction is a direct generalization of the one given in the eighties by S. Lins for closed 3-manifolds, which is in turn dual to the earlier construction introduced by Pezzana's school in Modena. In this context we establish some results concerning fundamental groups, connected sums, moves between graphs representing the same manifold, Heegaard genus and complexity, as well as an enumeration and classification of compact 3-manifolds representable by graphs with few vertices ($\le 6$ in the non-orientable case and $\le 8$ in the orientable one).Comment: 25 pages, 11 figures; changes suggested by referee: references added, figure 2 modified, results about classification of the manifolds in Proposition 17 announced at the end of section 9. Accepted for publication in RACSAM. The final publication is available at Springer (see DOI

Two birds with one stone: human SIRPα nanobodies for functional modulation and in vivo imaging of myeloid cells

Signal-regulatory protein α (SIRPα) expressed by myeloid cells is of particular interest for therapeutic strategies targeting the interaction between SIRPα and the “don’t eat me” ligand CD47 and as a marker to monitor macrophage infiltration into tumor lesions. To address both approaches, we developed a set of novel human SIRPα (hSIRPα)–specific nanobodies (Nbs). We identified high-affinity Nbs targeting the hSIRPα/hCD47 interface, thereby enhancing antibody-dependent cellular phagocytosis. For non-invasive in vivo imaging, we chose S36 Nb as a non-modulating binder. By quantitative positron emission tomography in novel hSIRPα/hCD47 knock-in mice, we demonstrated the applicability of 64Cu-hSIRPα-S36 Nb to visualize tumor infiltration of myeloid cells. We envision that the hSIRPα-Nbs presented in this study have potential as versatile theranostic probes, including novel myeloid-specific checkpoint inhibitors for combinatorial treatment approaches and for in vivo stratification and monitoring of individual responses during cancer immunotherapies