In this study 2d two phase microstructures closely resembling the experimentally captured micrographs of the interpenetrating phase composites are generated using a Gaussian correlation function based method. The scale dependent bounds on the effective thermal conductivity of such microstructures are then studied using Hill-Mandel boundary conditions. A scaling function is formulated to describe the transition from statistical volume element (SVE) to representative volume element (RVE), as a function of the mesoscale δ, the correlation length of the Gaussian correlation function λ, the volume fraction v, and the contrast k between the phases. The scaling function is determined through fitting the data from extensive simulations conducted over the parameter space. The scaling function shows that SVE approaches RVE as (δ/λ)−1.16. A material scaling diagram allows estimation of the RVE size, to within a chosen accuracy, of a given microstructure characterized by the correlation length of the Gaussian correla...

In the first part of the article, a new interesting system of difference equations is introduced. It is developed for re-rating purposes in general insurance. A nonlinear transformation φ of a d-dimensional (d ≥ 2) Euclidean space is introduced that enables us to express the system in the form ft+1:=φ( ft), t = 0, 1, 2,. …. Under typical actuarial assumptions, existence of solutions of that system is proven by means of Brouwer’s fixed point theorem in normed spaces. In addition, conditions that guarantee uniqueness of a solution are given. The second, smaller part of the article is about Leslie–Gower’s system of d ≥ 2 difference equations. We focus on the system that satisfies conditions consistent with weak inter-specific competition. We prove existence and uniqueness of the equilibrium of the model under surprisingly simple and very general conditions. Even though the two parts of this article have applications in two different sciences, they are connected with similar mathematics, in particular by our use of Brouwer’s fixed point theorem.

Herein we present the results of specific loss power (SLP) analysis of polydisperse water based ferrofluids, Fe3O4/PEG200 and Fe3O4/PEG6000, with average Fe3O4 particle size of 9 nm and 11 nm, respectively. Specific loss power was measured in alternating magnetic field of various amplitudes and at fixed frequency of 580.5 kHz. Maximum SLP values acquired were 195 W/g for Fe3O4/PEG200 and 60 W/g for Fe3O4/PEG6000 samples. The samples were labeled as superparamagnetic by magnetization measurements, but SLP field dependence showed deviation from the behavior predicted by the commonly employed linear response theory. The scope of this theory for both samples with wide particle size distribution is discussed. Deviation from the expected behavior is explained by referring to polydisperse nature of the samples and field dependent relaxation rates.

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and large-scale replication studies have identified common variants in 79 loci associated with breast cancer, explaining ∼14% of the familial risk of the disease. To identify new susceptibility loci, we performed a meta-analysis of 11 GWAS, comprising 15,748 breast cancer cases and 18,084 controls together with 46,785 cases and 42,892 controls from 41 studies genotyped on a 211,155-marker custom array (iCOGS). Analyses were restricted to women of European ancestry. We generated genotypes for more than 11 million SNPs by imputation using the 1000 Genomes Project reference panel, and we identified 15 new loci associated with breast cancer at P < 5 × 10−8. Combining association analysis with ChIP-seq chromatin binding data in mammary cell lines and ChIA-PET chromatin interaction data from ENCODE, we identified likely target genes in two regions: SETBP1 at 18q12.3 and RNF115 and PDZK1 at 1q21.1. One association appears to be driven by an amino acid substitution encoded in EXO1.

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is a common B-cell malignancy characterized by a highly variable course and outcome. The disease is believed to be driven by B-cell receptor (BCR) signals generated by external antigens and/or cell-autonomous BCR interactions, but direct in vivo evidence for this is still lacking. To further define the role of the BCR pathway in the development and progression of CLL, we evaluated the capacity of different types of antigen/BCR interactions to induce leukemia in the Eμ-TCL1 transgenic mouse model. We show that cell autonomous signaling capacity is a uniform characteristic of the leukemia-derived BCRs and represents a prerequisite for CLL development. Low-affinity BCR interactions with autoantigens generated during apoptosis are also positively selected, suggesting that they contribute to the pathogenesis of the disease. In contrast, high-affinity BCR interactions are not selected, regardless of antigen form or presentation. We also show that the capacity of the leukemic cells to respond to cognate antigen correlates inversely with time to leukemia development, suggesting that signals induced by external antigen increase the aggressiveness of the disease. Collectively, these findings provide in vivo evidence that the BCR pathway drives the development and can influence the clinical course of CLL.

Between January 2014 and the beginning of February 2015, the Federal Institute of Public Health in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina has reported 3,804 measles cases. Notable transmission has been observed in three Central Bosnia Canton municipalities: Bugojno, Fojnica and Travnik. Most cases were unvaccinated 2,680 (70%) or of unknown vaccination status 755 (20%). Health authorities have been checking vaccination records and performing necessary prevention measures. The epidemic is still ongoing.