Recently, eight allelic variants of the pertactin gene (prn1-8) have been characterized in Bordetella pertussis strains isolated in Europe and the United States. It has been suggested that the divergence of the pertactin types of clinical isolates from those of the B. pertussis vaccine strains is a result of vaccine-driven evolution. Sequencing of the prn, which is relatively time-consuming, ha...

In order to enhance the positioning capability of terrestrial networks, a novel communication and navigation fusion signal is proposed. The novel signal multiplexes the communication and navigation signal in the same frequency band, and the navigation system is superimposed on the original communication system. However, the application of pseudorandom noise (PRN) sequences in the navigation sys...

For every natural number n ≥ 2 and every finite sequence L of natural numbers, we consider the set UDn(L) of all uniquely decodable codes over an n-letter alphabet with the sequence L as the sequence of code word lengths, as well as its subsets PRn(L) and FDn(L) consisting of, respectively, the prefix codes and the codes with finite delay. We derive the estimation for the quotient |UDn(L)|/|PRn...

The invasion and the immunomodulatory effect of a Bordetella pertussis natural deficient strain 00141(PRN-) on human dendritic cells (MDDC) and its in vivo infection ability in a mouse model were evaluated in comparison with the reference B. pertussis strain ATCC 97-97 (18323). The mutant was isolated from a case of pertussis which occurred in a 22-month-old infant with typical symptoms of the ...

Background: The evaluation of the soft tissue facial profile is essential to achieve facial harmony in orthodontic diagnosis and treatment planning. Objectives: This study aimed to develop soft tissue angular photogrammetric norms for a sample of Iranian population. Patients and Methods: Standardized profile photographic records were taken from 34 men and 37 women. Twelve measurements were anal...

Members of the genus Burkholderia are known for their ability to suppress soil-borne fungal pathogens by the production of various antibiotic compounds. In this study we investigated the role of N-acylhomoserine lactone (AHL)-dependent quorum sensing (QS) in the expression of antifungal traits. Using a quorum quenching approach, that is, by heterologous expression of the Bacillus sp. AiiA lacto...

BACKGROUND In psychiatric inpatients, administration of pro re nata benzodiazepines is a common practice. Benzodiazepine use is associated with potential complications of risk of abuse, cognitive impairment, and falls. An interest in accreditation is growing rapidly among many countries to enhance the quality of health care services. We aimed to investigate whether hospital accreditation drives...

PURPOSE To compare visual and anatomic outcomes of intravitreal bevacizumab injections administered as needed (PRN group) and initial treatment with 3 monthly injections followed by as-needed injections (3 monthly initial dose group) in patients with macular edema (ME) secondary to branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO). METHODS This retrospective study included 69 and 26 patients in the PRN an...

Objectives: Propranolol (PRN) was found by chance very effective in treating hemangioma, yet the therapeutic mechanism remains unclear. This study was aimed to investigate the therapeutic mechanism of propranolol on hemangioma. Materials and Methods: The plasma propranolol concentrations at 2, 6, 10, 24 h were assayed by reversed phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) after oral...