OBJECTIVE To assess the sensitivity, specificity, and feasibility of a new chemiluminescence immunoassay (CLIA) in the diagnosis of syphilis. METHODS At first, a retrospective study was conducted, using 135 documented cases of syphilis and 30 potentially interfering samples and 80 normal sera. A prospective study was also performed by testing 2, 071 unselected samples for routine screening fo...

∗ Author of correspondence, Phone: (+39) 071-2204799, Fax: (+39) 071-2204801, Email: [email protected]. ABSTRACT Companies applying mass customization paradigm regard the design process as a configuration task where the solution is achieved through the extraction of a new instance from a modular product structure. In this context product configuration management tools are evermore important....

The efficiency of a hybrid systems method which combined artificial neural networks (ANNs) as a modeling tool and genetic algorithms (GAs) as an optimizing method for input variables used in ANN modeling was assessed. Hence, as a new technique, it was applied for the prediction and optimization of the plant hormones concentrations and combinations for in vitro proliferation of Garnem (G × N15) ...

Glycogen synthase kinase-3, a serine/threonine kinase, is a fascinating enzyme with diverse biological actions in intracellular signaling systems, making it an emerging target for diseases such as diabetes mellitus, cancer, chronic inflammation, bipolar disorders, and Alzheimer's disease. It is important to inhibit glycogen synthase kinase-3 selectively, and the net effect of the glycogen synth...

In our earlier paper [BuK] (see also McMullen’s paper [M]), we constructed examples of separated nets in the plane R2 which are not biLipschitz equivalent to the integer lattice Z2. These examples gave a negative answer to a question raised by H. Furstenberg and M. Gromov. Furstenberg asked this question in connection with Kakutani equivalence for R2-actions, [F]. Return times for a section of ...

The topic of planar graphs is covered in many books and articles, but the treatment usually relies on intuition or on deep topological theorems that are quoted without proof. I give a self-contained rigorous introduction to planar graphs. 1 The Jordan curve theorem and Euler’s formula Throughout these notes graphs are allowed to have loops and multiple edges. Definition 1.1. A polygonal arc is ...

Introduction pH sensing has a pivotal role in diagnosis, e.g. tumors or inflammation sites have a lower pH as compared to pH 7.4 of normal tissues. This acidic environment, e.g. 6.5 or lower, has been used for an effective delivery of therapeutic agents, especially using liposomes. Sensitive probes or systems that can detect this change in vivo are necessary for disease diagnosis. Liposomes act...