Introduction: Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease that affects about 2% of general population. Clinically, disease can present with cutaneous and nails lesions. Nail abnormalities can be seen in up to two-thirds of patients with psoriasis and both fingernails and toenails may be affected. Objective: The objectives of our study were to evaluate the frequency and clinical presentations of nail abnormalities in patients with psoriasis. Also, we aimed to find correlation between nail changes and some clinical parameters. Methods: One hundred and ten patients with psoriasis were included in this study. A detailed history and examination was recorded for all study subjects, including the age and gender of the patients, type of psoriasis, duration, and extent of disease. Finger and toe nails were clinically examined and nail changes were noted. In the case of clinically suspected of fungal infection, further mycological investigations were performed. Results: Nail abnormalities were present in 67 patients (60.9%) with psoriasis. Nail pitting was the most common lesion observed on fingernails, followed by discoloration of nail plate. Subungual hyperkeratosis of nail plates were significantly more frequent on the toenails. Positive mycological culture was in 14 (20.8%) psoriatic patients with nail involvement. Also, positive correlation between nail abnormalities and duration of psoriasis was found. Conclusions: Nail involvement is common in patients with psoriasis and accompanies skin lesions on the body surface. Pitting and subungual hyperkeratosis are the most frequent nail abnormality in psoriatic patients.

Background: Chemokines play a prominent role in inflammatory diseases. Results: Nanobodies targeting chemokines display high affinity and potently neutralize chemokine-induced receptor binding and signaling. Conclusion: Neutralizing Nanobodies targeting chemokines effectively inhibit chemokine function. Significance: Nanobodies directed against inflammatory and homeostatic chemokines form a promising new class of potent and specific inhibitors of chemokine function, to be used for research and therapeutic purposes. Chemokine receptors and their ligands play a prominent role in immune regulation but many have also been implicated in inflammatory diseases such as multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, allograft rejection after transplantation, and also in cancer metastasis. Most approaches to therapeutically target the chemokine system involve targeting of chemokine receptors with low molecular weight antagonists. Here we describe the selection and characterization of an unprecedented large and diverse panel of neutralizing Nanobodies (single domain camelid antibodies fragment) directed against several chemokines. We show that the Nanobodies directed against CCL2 (MCP-1), CCL5 (RANTES), CXCL11 (I-TAC), and CXCL12 (SDF-1α) bind the chemokines with high affinity (at nanomolar concentration), thereby blocking receptor binding, inhibiting chemokine-induced receptor activation as well as chemotaxis. Together, we show that neutralizing Nanobodies can be selected efficiently for effective and specific therapeutic treatment against a wide range of immune and inflammatory diseases.

An investigation of the structures and chemistry of substituted hexamethyl disiloxanes ((XCH2)3Si)2O; X=F, Cl, Br, I, N3 , and ONO2) is reported. New synthetic routes to the precursor hexakis(chloromethyl)disiloxane are presented. The products with X=Cl, Br, I, and N3 were characterized by NMR, IR, and Raman spectroscopy. In addition, the single-crystal structures of the products with X=Cl, Br, and I are discussed in detail. The compounds with X=F and ONO2 were not obtained in their pure form; instead investigations of the decomposition products revealed their conversion into intermediates. Theoretical calculations of the gas-phase structures at the B3LYP/cc-pVDZ, B3LYP/3-21G, MP2/6-31G*, and MP2/3-21G levels of theory are used to explain the chemical and physical behavior of the compounds with X=Cl, Br, I, N3, and ONO2. A new decomposition pathway of hexakis(nitratomethyl)disiloxane is presented and is used to explain their remarkable instability. The energetic properties and values of the nitrate and azide derivatives were calculated at the CBS-4M level of theory by using the improved EXPLO5 computer code version 6.01.

In this paper, we analyze the impact of nonlinear high-power amplifier (HPA) on the performance of cooperative network based on orthogonal frequency division multiplexing combined with time-division multiplexing (OFDM/TDM) using minimum mean-square-error frequency-domain combining (MMSE-FDC) in a frequency-selective fading channel. We design a novel MMSE-FDC weights while taking into account the nonlinearity of HPA at source and relay. Closed-form symbol error rate and outage probability expressions are derived while approximating the residual inter-slot interference after the MMSE-FDC as a random Gaussian variable. We discuss and address the nonlinear OFDM/TDM system design issues in cooperative network using the obtained simulation and theoretical results. We show that the OFDM/TDM with MMSE-FDC can be used to reduce the impact of nonlinear HPA on overall performance of cooperative network in comparison to OFDM while providing the target quality-of-service for reduced required signal-to-noise ratio. This is because OFDM/TDM with MMSE-FDC achieves frequency diversity in addition to cooperative diversity, while reduced peak-to-average power ratio makes it more robust on nonlinear degradation due to HPA saturation in comparison to conventional OFDM.

Coordinate measuring machines (CMMs) are widely used to check dimensions of manufactured parts, especially in the automotive industry. The major obstacles in automation of these measurements are fixturing and clamping assemblies, which are required in order to position the measured object within the CMM. This paper describes how an industrial robot can be used to manipulate the measured object within the CMM work space, in order to enable automation of complex geometry measurement.