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This paper is concerned with machine-cell and part-family formation for the design of cellular manufacturing systems. The paper has two distinguished purposes. The first purpose of the paper is to introduce a modified p-median model, an integer linear programming formulation, for the machine-cell or part-family formation problem. Compared with the original p-median model, the modified model has additional desirable features. The modified model allows the control of the size of machine cells or part families by introducing an upper bound on the maximal number of machines per cell or maximal number of parts per family. The modification also results in a substantial reduction of the number of constraints in the model formulation. The second purpose of this paper is to present various computational results in a comparative study for machine-cell and part-family formation based on the original and modified p-median models using three different definitions of similarity coefficients. Guidelines are given to choose design parameters, definition of similarity coefficients, and appropriate solution sequence of machine-cell and part-family formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Data on the early course of stroke-related aphasia after thrombolysis are scant. Aims: The aim of this study was to describe recovery patterns of aphasia after thrombolysis in a large sample of stroke patients. Methods & Procedures: Clinical and radiological data of consecutive stroke patients treated with thrombolysis over a 5-year period were routinely entered into prospective registries at two stroke units. Recovery was evaluated using the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) at baseline, after 24 hr, and on day 7. Aphasia was defined as a score >0 on item 9 of the NIHSS (measurement of language skills), aphasia improvement as any decrease in the item-9 score, and aphasia resolution as an item-9 score of 0. To assess global motor and language impairments, we created a composite language score obtained by summing the scores for items 1b, 1c, and 9; and a composite motor score obtained by summing the scores for items 4, 5, and 6. Outcomes & Results: Out of the 338 patients treated with thrombolysis, 137 (40.5%) had aphasia. In patients with both aphasia and motor deficits (n = 109), these two impairments showed similar recovery patterns. Aphasia recovered significantly better in patients without limb motor deficits (n = 28) than those with limb motor deficits (n = 109), both after 24 hr (p < 0.05) and after 7 days (p < 0.0001). These results were supported by findings from a group-based trajectory modelling methods (p < 0.005). Conclusions: Language impairments and limb motor deficits show similar recovery after thrombolysis in a given patient. Aphasia recovery is significantly better in the absence of limb motor deficits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have developed a novel model -- Vectorial Complex Ray Model (VCRM) -- for the scattering of a smooth surface objet of arbitrary shape [Opt. Lett. 36(1)]. In this model, the wave is described by bundles of rays, and a ray is characterized not only by its direction and amplitude but also the curvature and the phase of the wave. These new properties allows to take into account the phase shift due to the focal lines of an arbitrary shaped wave and the amplitude due to the divergence of the wave. The interferences can therefore be calculated correctly for an arbitrarily shaped particle of smooth surface. In this communication, we present an application of the VCRM in the 2D scattering of a plane wave by a homogeneous ellipsoid at oblique incidence. The transversal convergence effect of the wave will be discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies the influence of particles on the first Rayleigh-Benard bifurcation from the motionless to the convective state in a suspension layer heated from below and cooled from above. Change of the slope of the curve showing the heat flux versus the temperature difference; Increase of the convective threshold.

Abstract: Expression of the thrombomodulin (TM) variant c.1611C>A (p.Cys537Stop) leads to the synthesis of a protein with no cytoplasmic tail and a transmembrane domain shortened by 3 amino acids (TM536). However, little is known regarding the release mechanism and properties of TM536. Using umbilical vein endothelial cells and peripheral blood-derived endothelial colony-forming cells from a heterozygous carrier of the TM536 variant as well as overexpression cell models, we demonstrated that TM536 is released from cells by an unusual mechanism. First, TM536 is inserted into the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane, then, because of the low hydrophobicity of its intramembrane domain, it escapes from it and follows the conventional secretory pathway to be released into the extracellular compartment without the involvement of proteolysis. This particular secretion mechanism yields a soluble TM536, which is poorly modified by chondroitin sulfate glycosaminoglycan compared with conventionally secreted soluble forms of TM, and therefore has a suboptimal capacity to mediate thrombin-dependent activation of protein C (PC). We also showed that TM536 cellular trafficking was altered, with retention in the early secretory pathway and increased sensitivity to ER-associated degradation. As expected, activation of ER-associated degradation increased TM536 degradation and reduced its release. The expression of TM536 at the cell surface was low, and its distribution in lipid raft-like membrane microdomains was altered, resulting in low thrombin-dependent PC activation on the cell surface., (© 2024 by The American Society of Hematology. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0), permitting only noncommercial, nonderivative use with attribution. All other rights reserved.)

Background: There is a lack of standardized assessment tools for poststroke aphasia in Brazil, particularly bedside screenings for early identification of patients with suspected language disorders. The Language Screening Test (LAST) is a valid and reliable method for screening hospitalized patients following a stroke. This tool was first developed in French and then translated and validated in other languages., Purpose: This study aimed to translate, culturally adapt, and validate the LAST into Brazilian Portuguese., Method: Following a systematic, multistep approach to translation and cultural adaptation of language instruments, this study developed the two parallel versions of the Brazilian Portuguese LAST (pLAST) Versions A and B. The final versions were applied to 70 healthy and 30 poststroke adults across age and educational levels. Subtests of the Boston Diagnostic Aphasia Examination (BDAE) were used to assess the external validity of the pLAST., Results: Findings showed that the two versions (A and B) of the pLAST were equivalent (intraclass correlation coefficient = .91; p < .001). No floor or ceiling effects were observed, and internal validity was excellent (Cronbach's α = .85). Moreover, its external validity against the BDAE was moderate to strong. Test sensitivity and specificity were 0.88 and 1, respectively, and accuracy was 0.96., Conclusion: The Brazilian Portuguese version of the LAST is a valid, simple, easy, and rapid test to screen poststroke aphasia in hospital settings., Supplemental Material: https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.23548911.

Re-education of the tumor microenvironment with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) has provided the most significant advancement in cancer management, with impressive efficacy and durable response reported. However, low response rates and a high frequency of immune-related adverse events (irAEs) remain associated with ICI therapies. The latter can be linked to their high affinity and avidity for their target that fosters on-target/off-tumor binding and subsequent breaking of immune self-tolerance in normal tissues. Many multispecific protein formats have been proposed to increase the tumor cell's selectivity of ICI therapies. In this study, we explored the engineering of a bispecific Nanofitin by the fusion of an anti-epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and anti-programmed cell death ligand 1 (PDL1) Nanofitin modules. While lowering the affinity of the Nanofitin modules for their respective target, the fusion enables the simultaneous engagement of EGFR and PDL1, which translates into a selective binding to tumor cells co-expressing EGFR and PDL1 only. We demonstrated that affinity-attenuated bispecific Nanofitin could elicit PDL1 blockade exclusively in an EGFR-directed manner. Overall, the data collected highlight the potential of this approach to enhance the selectivity and safety of PDL1 checkpoint inhibition.