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The paper presents an automatic procedure for the correction of bridge weigh-in-motion (B-WIM) measurements, which are used to determine the axle loads of heavy vehicles using instrumented bridges. According to the European specifications for weigh-in-motion criteria, using this procedure the weighing results could be improved by up to one accuracy class. Whereas measurements performed on steel structures provide reliable information about the global behaviour of individual bridges, which is accounted for in the B-WIM algorithms, cracks that are present in concrete structures can, depending on their locations with respect to installed strain transducers, amplify or reduce the response. In the present work special care was taken to detect and calibrate any strain transducer which showed a disproportional response. The accuracy of the method was investigated numerically in relation to the extensive data which were available in the case of a reinforced concrete bridge (motorway underpass), located near Ljubljana, Slovenia, and then validated by a one-to-one comparison of the B-WIM weighing results and the statically weighed test vehicles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It has been claimed that artificial insemination (AI) of cows with frozen-thawed semen treated with commercially produced kits, Heiferplus ™ (HP, in favour of female gender) and Bullplus ™ (BP, in favour of male gender), increases the birth chance of calves with desired sex ratio by at least 20-25% and pregnancy rates by at least 5-20%. Hence, this study was conducted to investigate the efficacy of HP and BP kits as combined with AI on the pregnancy rates, foetal sex ratios and some reproductive parameters in cows. For this, a total of 200 cows (100 Holsteins and 100 Simmentals) from three to five years old were used. Fifty Holstein and 50 Simmental cows served as controls. The other half of Holstein and Simmental cows was artificially inseminated with frozen-thawed semen treated with HP and BP, respectively. Findings showed that the AI of cows with frozen-thawed semen treated with HP had no significant effect on the pregnancy rate [52.0% (26/50) in HP group; 56.0% (28/50) in control group], female calf ratio [52.0% (13/25) in HP group; 44.4% (12/27) in control group], embryonic death, abortion, stillbirth, twinning and gestation length as compared to the control group. Similarly, AI of cows with frozen-thawed semen treated with BP did not lead to any significant effect on the pregnancy rate [64.0% (32/50) in BP group; 58.0% (29/50) in control group], male calf ratio [53.1% (17/32) in BP group; 39.3% (11/28) in control group] and other reproductive parameters as compared to the control group. In conclusion, HP and BP treatments of semen used in the AI provided only slight, non-significant increases in female (7.6%) and male (13.8%) calf ratios, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The paper discusses a possibility of using an ultrasonic wave transmission method to study the influence of superplasticizers on the formation of structure of cement pastes at early ages. When compared to mixtures without additives, lower P-wave velocity was found through superplasticized cement pastes, indicating that superplasticizers prevent formation of a solid network frame. Comparing to sulfonate naphthalene-formaldehyde superplasticizers, polycarboxylate ether (PCE) admixtures retarded the solid network frame development more intensively, resulting in a plateau on a P-wave velocity curve during the setting period. The length of the plateau is proportional to the dosage of the PCE and inversely proportional to the specific surface area of the hydration products developed, proving that the specific surface area of a solid phase affects the performance of the PCEs. Validation of ultrasonic results was determined on the basis of the temperature evolution of the material in time. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper describes the theoretical foundation of and explicit algorithms for a novel approach to morphology and anisotropy analysis of complex spatial structure using tensor-valued Minkowski functionals, the so-called Minkowski tensors. Minkowski tensors are generalizations of the well-known scalar Minkowski functionals and are explicitly sensitive to anisotropic aspects of morphology, relevant for example for elastic moduli or permeability of microstructured materials. Here we derive explicit linear-time algorithms to compute these tensorial measures for three-dimensional shapes. These apply to representations of any object that can be represented by a triangulation of its bounding surface; their application is illustrated for the polyhedral Voronoi cellular complexes of jammed sphere configurations and for triangulations of a biopolymer fibre network obtained by confocal microscopy. The paper further bridges the substantial notational and conceptual gap between the different but equivalent approaches to scalar or tensorial Minkowski functionals in mathematics and in physics, hence making the mathematical measure theoretic formalism more readily accessible for future application in the physical sciences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A mathematical model for structural behavior of timber columns under fire has been proposed. The semi-analytical study has been carried out for evaluating the load-carrying capacity of timber columns exposed to fire. Particular emphasis has been given to critical buckling loads. For this purpose, a parametric study has been performed by which the influence of slenderness ratio, load level, and water content on critical buckling loads of timber columns have been investigated. The results of this preliminary study showed that the present semi-analytical method is conservative compared to the two simplified calculation methods offered by Eurocode 5 if the transfer of water is neglected, while, on the other hand, the results agree well for a water content of 12%. Moreover, for higher water contents, the present semi-analytical model is non-conservative compared to the Eurocode 5 methods. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Quantitative measures for anisotropic characteristics of spatial structure are needed when relating the morphology of microstructured heterogeneous materials to tensorial physical properties such as elasticity, permeability and conductance. Tensor-valued Minkowski functionals, defined in the framework of integral geometry, provide a concise set of descriptors of anisotropic morphology. In this article, we describe the robust computation of these measures for microscopy images and polygonal shapes. We demonstrate their relevance for shape description, their versatility and their robustness by applying them to experimental data sets, specifically microscopy data sets of non-equilibrium stationary Turing patterns and the shapes of ice grains from Antarctic cores. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The HIV epidemic in Argentina is characterized by the high prevalence of infections caused by subtype B and BF variants. In this study, the Nef protein was used as a tool to study the impact of HIV-1 BF variants in the design of future vaccines. DNA and MVA vectors expressing Nef of the CRF12_BF recombinant form of HIV-1 were generated and characterized. After the administration of single DNAprime/MVAboost immunization schedules in Balb/c mice we found that NefBF delivered from these vectors generated a response of high specificity with low cross-reactivity against subtype B. But, when a more potent response was induced after 3 priming DNA doses and a booster with MVA virus, cross-reactivity against NefB was detected, although of lower magnitude than the NefBF specific. These results will be pivotal for vaccines designs in our region, indicating that antigens from these viral variants must be considered for a future vaccine. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The paper presents an alternative approach to the modelling of the mechanical behaviour of steel frame material when exposed to the high temperatures expected in fires. Based on a series of stress–strain curves obtained experimentally for various temperature levels, an artificial neural network (ANN) is employed in the material modelling of steel. Geometrically and materially, a non-linear analysis of plane frame structures subjected to fire is performed by FEM. The numerical results of a simply supported beam are compared with our measurements, and show a good agreement, although the temperature–displacement curves exhibit rather irregular shapes. It can be concluded that ANN is an efficient tool for modelling the material properties of steel frames in fire engineering design studies. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This article explores global geometric features of bicontinuous space-partitions and their relevance to self-assembly of block-copolymers. Using a robust definition of `local channel radius', based on the concept of a medial surface [Schröder et al., Eur. Phys. J. B 35, 551 (2003)], we relate radius variations of the space-partition to polymolecular chain stretching in bicontinuous diblock- and terblock copolymer assemblies. We associate local surface patches with corresponding cellular volume elements, to define local volume-to-surface ratios. The distribution of these v/a ratios and of the channel radii are used to quantify the degree of packing frustration of molecular chains as a function of the specific bicontinuous geometry, modelled by triply-periodic minimal surfaces and related parallel interfaces. The Gyroid geometry emerges as the most nearly homogeneous bicontinuous form, with the smallest heterogeneity of channel radii, compared to the cubic Primitive and Diamond surfaces. We clarify a geometric feature of the Gyroid geometry: the three-coordinated nodes of the graph are not the widest points of the labyrinths; the widest points are at the midpoints of the edges. We also explore a more complex cubic triply-periodic surface, the I-WP surface, containing two geometrically distinct channel subdomains. One of the two channel systems is nearly as homogeneous in local channel diameters as the Gyroid, the other is more heterogeneous than the Primitive surface. Its hybrid nature suggests the possibility of an “alternating I-WP” phase in polydisperse linear ABC-terpolymer blends, with monodisperse molecular weight distributions (MWD) in the A and B blocks and a more polydisperse C block. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this paper we discuss the Smart Positron Emission Tomography (PET) imaging system being developed by the University of Liverpool in conjunction with CCLRC Daresbury Laboratory. We describe the motivation for the development of a semiconductor-based PET system and the advantages it will offer over current tomographs. Details of the detectors and associated electronics are discussed and results of high precision scans are presented. Analysis of this scan data has facilitated full characterization of the detector response function and calibration of the three-dimensional position sensitivity. This work presents the analysis of the depth sensitivity of the detector. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The impact of HIV-1 genetic diversity on the performance of laboratory testing is an issue that has to be monitored continuously. An “in-house” real-time PCR assay was developed by the Agence Nationale de Recherche sur le SIDA (ANRS) in France for viral load (VL) quantitation based on the amplification of the HIV-1 long terminal repeat (LTR) region. This technology has not been used in Argentina yet and considering the HIV-1 diversity in the country, a comparative analysis of this assay was undertaken versus the Versant HIV-1 RNA 3.0 Assay (b-DNA). The performance was assessed on 30 drug-naïve HIV-1 infected patients who were characterized previously by phylogenetic analysis of the pol and vpu gene. The results showed that there is a significant linear correlation between values of transformed viral load logarithms measured by both, bDNA and real-time PCR assay and that this assay can be used to quantify viral load in samples from BF-infected patients with the same accuracy and reliability as for B subtype samples. The use of “in-house” real-time PCR to measure DNA in PBMCs correlated strongly with the HIV-1 RNA levels in all specimens. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The `simplest' entanglements of the graph of edges of the cube are enumerated, forming two-cell {6,3} (hexagonal mesh) complexes on the genus-one two-dimensional torus. Five chiral pairs of knotted graphs are found. The examples contain non-trivial knotted and/or linked subgraphs [(2,2), (2,4) torus links and (3,2), (4,3) torus knots]. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Balanced infinite periodic minimal surface families that contain the cubic Gyroid (G), Diamond (D) and Primitive (P) surfaces are studied in terms of their global packing and local curvature properties. These properties are central to understanding the formation of mesophases in amphiphile and copolymer molecular systems. The surfaces investigated are the tetragonal, rhombohedral and hexagonal tD, tP, tG, rG, rPD and H surfaces. These non-cubic minimal surfaces furnish topology-preserving transformation pathways between the three cubic surfaces. We introduce `packing (or global) homogeneity', defined as the standard deviation Δd of the distribution of the channel diameter throughout the labyrinth, where the channel diameter d is determined from the medial surface skeleton centered within the labyrinthine domains. Curvature homogeneity is defined similarly as the standard deviation ΔK of the distribution of Gaussian curvature. All data are presented for distinct length normalisations: constant surface-to-volume ratio, constant average Gaussian curvature and constant average channel diameter. We provide first and second moments of the distribution of channel diameter for all members of these surfaces complementing curvature data from [A. Fogden, S. Hyde, Eur. Phys. J. B 7, 91 (1999)]. The cubic G and D surfaces are deep local minima of Δd along the surface families (with G more homogeneous than D), whereas the cubic P surface is an inflection point of Δd with adjacent, more homogeneous surface members. Both curvature and packing homogeneity favour the tetragonal route between G and D (via tG and tD surfaces) in preference to the rhombohedral route (via rG and rPD). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: To assess the long-term safety of a radioactive waste disposal system, mathematical models are used to describe groundwater flow, chemistry, and potential radionuclide migration through geological formations. A number of processes need to be considered, when predicting the movement of radionuclides through the geosphere. The most important input data are obtained from field measurements, which are not available for all regions of interest. For example, the hydraulic conductivity as an input parameter varies from place to place. In such cases, geostatistical science offers a variety of spatial estimation procedures. Methods for solving the solute transport equation can also be classified as Eulerian, Lagrangian and mixed. The numerical solution of partial differential equations (PDE) has usually been obtained by finite-difference methods (FDM), finite-element methods (FEM), or finite-volume methods (FVM). Kansa introduced the concept of solving partial differential equations using radial basis functions (RBF) for hyperbolic, parabolic, and elliptic PDEs. The aim of this study was to present a relatively new approach to the modeling of radionuclide migration through the geosphere using radial basis function methods in Eulerian and Lagrangian coordinates. In this study, we determine the average and standard deviation of radionuclide concentration with regard to variable hydraulic conductivity, which was modelled by a geostatistical approach. Radionuclide concentrations will also be calculated in heterogeneous and partly heterogeneous 2D porous media. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This imaging system aims at recording images of the core size and shape of an imploding deuterium-tritium (DT) microballoon on LMJ inertial confinement fusion (ICF) experiments. Image acquisition is difficult due to the harsh surrounding created by the fusion reaction, which affects system specifications. This one is made of a scintillator, an optical relay, and a CCD camera shielded from the surrounding. The system was tested on different facilities at CEA/DIF, where a spatial resolution of 120 μm was achieved and gamma dose up to 20 rad effects were measured. Setup and performed test are described. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An abstract of the research paper "Plasma cytokine levels and HIV-specific immune responses during acute/early HIV infection," by G. Turk and colleagues is presented.

An abstract of the research paper "Detection of HIV T-cell responses with polifunctionality and high plasma levels of the B-chemokine MDC in exposed HIV-seronegative individuals (ESN)," by G. Turk and colleagues is presented.

Abstract: A mathematical model for slip-buckling has been proposed and its analytical solution has been found for the analysis of layered and geometrically perfect composite columns with inter-layer slip between the layers. The analytical study has been carried out to evaluate exact critical forces and to compare them to those in the literature. Particular emphasis has been placed on the influence of interface compliance on decreasing the bifurcation loads. For this purpose, a preliminary parametric study has been performed by which the influence of various material and geometric parameters on buckling forces have been investigated. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to model the behaviour of timber composite beams with interlayer slip, when simultaneously exposed to static loading and fire. A transient moisture-thermal state of a timber beam is analysed by the Luikov equations, and mechanical behaviour of timber composite beam is modelled by Reissner''s kinematic equations. The model can handle layers of different materials. Material properties are functions of temperature. The thermal model is validated against the experimental data presented in the literature. Generally, the model provides excellent agreement with the experimental data. It is shown that the material properties of timber play an important role in the fire resistance analysis of timber structures when exposed to fire. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The paper deals with the characteristic value determination from relatively small samples. When the distribution and its parameters of a random variable are known, the characteristic value is deterministic quantity. However, in practical problems the parameters of distribution are unknown and can only be estimated from random samples. Therefore the characteristic value is by itself a random variable. The estimates of characteristic values are strongly dependant on the distribution of random variable. In the paper we show the analytical solution for characteristic value determination from random samples of normal and lognormal random variables. The confirmation of analytical results is accomplished by the use of computer simulations. For Gumbel, and Weibull distribution the characteristic value estimates are obtained numerically by combination of simulations and bisection method. In the paper the numerical results are presented for 5% characteristic values with 75% confidence interval, which is in accord with the majority of European building standards. The proposed approach is demonstrated on the data of experimentally obtained bending strengths of finger jointed wooden beams. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A new locking-free strain-based finite element formulation for the numerical treatment of linear static analysis of two-layer planar composite beams with interlayer slip is proposed. In this formulation, the modified principle of virtual work is introduced as a basis for the finite element discretization. The linear kinematic equations are included into the principle by the procedure, similar to that of Lagrangian multipliers. A strain field vector remains the only unknown function to be interpolated in the finite element implementation of the principle. In contrast with some of the displacement-based and mixed finite element formulations of the composite beams with interlayer slip, the present formulation is completely locking-free. Hence, there are no shear and slip locking, poor convergence and stress oscillations in these finite elements. The generalization of the composite beam theory with the consideration of the Timoshenko beam theory for the individual component of a composite beam represents a substantial contribution in the field of analysis of non-slender composite beams with an interlayer slip. An extension of the present formulation to the non-linear material problems is straightforward. As only a few finite elements are needed to describe a composite beam with great precision, the new finite element formulations is perfectly suited for practical calculations. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• Determination of residual mechanical properties of limestone concrete. • Influence of water to cement ratio and temperature on experimental results. • Relationships between results from destructive and nondestructive tests. • US pulse velocity and surface strength can predict the concrete residual strength. The feasibility of estimation of mechanical properties of limestone concrete after exposure to high temperatures, using nondestructive methods, was investigated. Experimental study was carried out on two concrete mixtures that differed in water to cement ratio (w/c). After standard curing time, specimens were exposed to various temperature levels, i.e. 20 °C, 200 °C, 400 °C, 600 °C or 800 °C. Basic mechanical properties of concrete specimens were determined prior heating at ambient temperature. Once the specimens were cooled down to the ambient temperature, various nondestructive tests including ultrasonic (US) method, determination of rebound number, and resonant frequency method were performed. Further on, specimens were visually inspected to assess the damage of the concrete surface. To determine the residual mechanical properties of specimens after exposure to high temperature, the compressive and flexural strengths were determined on cubic and prismatic specimens, respectively. The main goal of presented research was the estimation of the compressive and flexural strengths of limestone concrete after fire based on developed relationships between results of destructive and nondestructive measurements performed on limestone concrete mixtures 1 and 2. The best relationship for estimation of compressive strength was determined based on measured fundamental torsional frequency, whereas the best relationship for estimation of flexural strength was determined based on combination of fundamental flexural frequency and US pulse velocity, both measured on prisms. The analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed that the influence of temperature on experimental results, obtained from destructive and nondestructive tests, is highly statistically significant for both mixtures. Posteriori test revealed that the majority of the measured quantities were significantly different on the temperature interval between 400 °C and 600 °C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nuclear matter under the conditions of a supernova explosion unfolds into a rich variety of spatially structured phases, called nuclear pasta. We investigate the role of periodic networklike structures with negatively curved interfaces in nuclear pasta structures, by static and dynamic Hartree-Fock simulations in periodic lattices. As the most prominent result, we identify for the first time the single gyroid network structure of cubic chiral I4123 symmetry, a well-known configuration in nanostructured soft-matter systems, both as a dynamical state and as a cooled static solution. Single gyroid structures form spontaneously in the course of the dynamical simulations. Most of them are isomeric states. The very small energy differences from the ground state indicate its relevance for structures in nuclear pasta. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A new mathematical model and its finite element formulation for the non-linear analysis of mechanical behaviour of a two-layer timber planar beam is presented. A modified principle of virtual work is employed in formulating the finite element method. The basic unknowns are strains. The following assumptions are adopted in the mathematical model: materials are taken to be non-linear and can differ from layer to layer; interacting shear and normal contact tractions between layers are derived from the non-linear shear contact traction–slip and the non-linear normal contact traction–uplift characteristics of the connectors; the geometrically linear and materially non-linear Bernoulli’s beam theory is assumed for each layer. The formulation is found to be accurate, reliable and computationally effective. The suitability of the theory is validated by the comparison of the numerical solution and the experimental results of full-scale laboratory tests on a simply supported beam. An excellent agreement between measured and calculated results is observed for all load levels. The further objective of the paper is the analysis of the effect of different normal contact traction–uplift constitutive relationships on the kinematic and static quantities in a statically determined and undetermined structure. While the shear contact traction–slip constitutive relationship dictates the deformability of the composite beam and has a substantial influence on most of the static and kinematic quantities of the composite beam, a variable normal contact traction–uplift constitutive relationship is in most cases negligible. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: One of the first fusion–evaporation experiments using radioactive ion beams was performed at GANIL in order to study proton-rich nuclei of the light rare-earth region. The low production cross-section of the exotic species of interest, in combination with the low intensity of the beam and its induced background, demanded the use of a highly efficient experimental setup. This consisted of the EXOGAM -ray spectrometer coupled for the first time with both the DIAMANT charged-particle array and the VAMOS recoil spectrometer. In this report the experimental challenges of such studies will be discussed and the experimental achievements of the in-beam spectroscopy of proton drip-line nuclei using EXOGAM will be presented. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The evolution of Germanium detector technology over the last decade has lead to the possibility that they can be employed in medical and security imaging. The potential of excellent energy resolution coupled with good position information that Germanium affords removes the necessity for mechanical collimators that would be required in a conventional gamma camera system. By removing this constraint, the overall dose to the patient can be reduced or the throughput of the system can be increased. An additional benefit of excellent energy resolution is that tight gates can be placed on energies from either a multi-lined gamma source or from multi-nuclide sources increasing the number of sources that can be used in medical imaging. In terms of security imaging, segmented Germanium gives directionality and excellent spectroscopic information. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The SmartPET project is the development of a prototype small-animal imaging system based on the use of Hyperpure Germanium (HPGe) detectors. The use of digital electronics and application of Pulse Shape Analysis (PSA) techniques provide fine spatial resolution, while the excellent intrinsic energy resolution of HPGe detectors makes the system ideal for multi-nuclide imaging. As a result, the SmartPET system has the potential to function as a dual modality imager, operating as a dual-head Positron Emission Tomography (PET) camera or in a Compton Camera configuration for Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) imaging. In this paper, we discuss how the use of simple PSA techniques greatly improves the position sensitivity of the detector yielding improved spatial resolution in reconstructed images. The PSA methods presented have been validated by comparison to data from high-precision scanning of the detectors. Results from this analysis are presented along with initial images from the SmartPET system, which demonstrates the impact of these techniques on PET images. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Small Animal Reconstruction PET (SmartPET) is a project funded by the UK medical research council (MRC) to demonstrate proof of principle that Germanium can be utilised in Positron Emission Tomography (PET). The SmartPET demonstrator consists of two orthogonal strip High Purity Germanium (HPGe) planar detectors manufactured by ORTEC. The aim of the project is to produce images of an internal source with sub mm3 spatial resolution. Before this image can be achieved the detectors have to be fully characterised to understand the response at any given location to a γ-ray interaction. This has been achieved by probing the two detectors at a number of specified points with collimated sources of various energies and strengths. A 1mm diameter collimated beam of photons was raster scanned in 1mm steps across the detector. Digital pulse shape data were recorded from all the detector channels and the performance of the detector for energy and position determination has been assessed. Data will be presented for the first SmartPET detector. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A four-channel VERSAmodule Eurocard (VME) with 14 bit, 80 MHz digitizers and powerful on-board processing has been designed, built, and used in tests of digital pulse processing techniques for gamma-ray tracking. This paper explains the background, describes the VME card (known as the GRT4) and presents a 64-channel GRT4 digitizing system which was used to instrument two segmented Germanium detectors during in-beam tests. Results obtained using the GRT4 card are presented as well as some applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the acute phase of HIV-1 infection, a strong readaptation occurs in the viral population. Our objective was to analyze the post-transmission mutations associated with escape to the cytotoxic immune response and its relationship with the progression of the infection. In this study, a total of 17 patients were enrolled during acute/early primary HIV infection and 8 subjects that were the HIV positive partner resulting in 8 transmission pairs. Genotyping of the genetic polymorphisms of HLA class I A and B was performed using PCR-SSOP. Viral RNA extraction was from plasma. 570 single Gag-gene amplifications were obtained by limiting-dilution RT-PCR. Epitope prediction was performed with NetMHC CBS prediction server for the 19 HLA-A and B alleles. Cytotoxic response prediction was performed by using the IEDB Analysis Resource. From our results, we deduce that the transmitted CTL / gag escape frequency in the founder virus was at least double compared to the post-transmission events. Additionally, by means of an algorithm that combines these frequencies, we observed that the founder viruses better adapted to the HLA A / B alleles of the recipient could contribute to a greater progression of the infection. Our results suggest that there is a large adaptation of HIV-1 to the HLA A / B alleles prevalent in our population. However, despite this adaptive advantage, the virus needs to make "readjustments" through new escape and compensatory mutations. Interestingly, according to our results, this readaptation could have a role in the progression of the infection. • The highest proportion of HIV-1 viral escape was transmitted. • Protein p24 showed the lowest proportion of epitopes associated with escape. • The frequency of CTL escape is influenced by the frequency of the allele. • The viral readaptation to new host could influence the progression of infection. • Gag segments associated with escape presented more significant entropy variation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An abstract of the conference paper "Low selection rate of HLA-anchor escape mutations in HIV after transmission of subtype B and recombinants BF strains patients from Argentina," by G. Damilano and colleagues is presented.

Nature provides impressive examples of chiral photonic crystals, with the notable example of the cubic so-called srs network (the label for the chiral degree-three network modeled on SrSi2) or gyroid structure realized in wing scales of several butterfly species. By a circular polarization analysis of the band structure of such networks, we demonstrate strong circular dichroism effects: The butterfly srs microstructure, of cubic I4132 symmetry, shows significant circular dichroism for blue to ultraviolet light, that warrants a search for biological receptors sensitive to circular polarization. A derived synthetic structure based on four like-handed silicon srs nets exhibits a large circular polarization stop band of a width exceeding 30%. These findings offer design principles for chiral photonic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]