Abstract Hyperphosphatemia is the primary risk factor for vascular calcification, which is closely associated with cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Recent evidence showed that oxidative stress by high inorganic phosphate (Pi) mediates calcific changes in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). However, intracellular signaling responsible for Pi-induced oxidative stress remains unclear. Here, we investigated molecular mechanisms of […]

Abstract To determine the conclusive integrity in the Shiraz Cohort Heart Study (SCHS) project, management began quality assurance (QA) and quality control (QC) of the collected data throughout the study end-points. The QA is a focused process that prevents and detects data collection errors and verification of intended requirements in the SCHS. The QC is […]

Abstract Thanks to the ability to bring immersive experiences to users, Virtual Reality (VR) technologies have been gaining popularity in recent years. A key component in VR systems is omnidirectional content, which can provide 360-degree views of scenes. However, at a given time, only a portion of the full omnidirectional content, called viewport, is displayed […]

Abstract In this paper we investigate to which point each of the healthcare industry’s stakeholders are influencing the final innovation outputs. We propose and test a model that puts together stakeholders’ engagement, innovation objectives and innovation outputs. We analyze data from 400+ healthcare Spanish companies using Partial Least Squared modelling technique. Results show that stakeholders’ […]

Abstract Nanotubes made of boron nitride (BN) and carbon have attracted considerable attention within the literature due to their unique mechanical, electrical and thermal properties. In this work, BN and carbon nanotubes, exhibiting high purity (>99%) and similar surface areas (~200 m2/g), were systematically investigated for their thermal stability and oxidation behavior by combining thermal […]

Abstract In reactive bimetallic compounds such as Ni–Al multilayers, desirable thermo-kinetic properties upon ignition require simultaneously controlled geometric microstructure and material composition. This article establishes fundamental dynamical models of plastic deformation and material diffusion in ball milling processing of particulates from Ni and Al powders, for the purpose of designing and implementing feedback control strategies […]

Abstract (1) Background: Dendritic cell (DC) vaccination has shown outstanding achievements in cancer treatment, although it still has some adverse side effects. Vaccination with DC-derived exosomes has been thought to overcome the side effects of the parental DCs. (2) Method: We performed the experiments to check the ability of cryopreserved umbilical cord blood mononuclear cell-derived […]

Abstract This case study used anthropological and culture concept methodologies to evaluate the perceptions of sustainable coffee production of the K’Ho ethnic minority in Di Linh district, Lâm Đồng province in the Central Highlands of Vietnam. Sustainable production is a means of mitigating the increasing impacts of climate change upon the region. The Central Highlands […]

Abstract Dendritic cells (DC) are professional antigen-presenting cells that activate T cells to kill cancer cells. The extracellular products of DCs have also been reported to perform the same function. In this study, we examined the in vitro differentiation of umbilical cord blood monocytes into DCs in the presence of GM-CSF, and interferon (IFN)-α. The resulting DC […]

Abstract We propose a network DEA (Data Envelopment Analysis) model that consists of internal and external service processes and employs customer satisfaction as an intermediate factor. Using the proposed model, we calculate four efficiency scores: service productivity score drawn from internal service process, service efficiency score drawn from external service process, overall efficiency score drawn […]