The outage probability of the Switch and Stay Combining/Selection Combining (SSC/SC) combiner output signal at two time instants, in the presence of log-normal fading, is determined in this paper. The probability density function (PDF) of the combiner output signal is derived. Then, the outage probability is numerically calculated using this PDF. The results are shown graphically to compare per...

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is associated with increased risk of malignancy. The organ systems most commonly affected are the lungs, the breasts and the hematological system. Risk factors predisposing a SSc patient for development of malignancy are not well defined, and the pathogenic basis of the association is yet to be explained. The incidence of malignancies in SSc patients is variable from on...

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is characterized by tissue fibrosis, vasculopathy and autoimmunity. Indoleamine 2,3 dioxygenase (IDO) plays a pivotal role in immunological tolerance modulating regulatory T cell (Treg) generation and function. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of IDO gene could impact on Treg function and predispose to autoimmunity. Here, the existence of an association between sp...

This report describes a discrete-time model of the startup phase of a FlexRay network. The startup behaviour of this network is analysed in the presence of several faults. It is shown that in certain cases a faulty node can prevent the network from communicating altogether. One previously unknown scenario is uncovered.

A pacemaker is a small battery operated device that helps the heart to beat in a regular rhythm. It contains a powerful battery, electronic circuits, and computer memory that jointly generate electronic signals. One of the main problems about pacemakers is their batteries. Since the capacity of the batteries is limited, it limits the pacemakers lifetime. The other method to power up the implant...

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is characterized by tissue fibrosis and autoimmunity. Although the pathogenic relationship between autoimmunity and clinical manifestations of SSc remains unknown, SSc patients display abnormal immune responses including the production of disease-specific autoantibodies. Previous studies have demonstrated that B cells play a critical role in systemic autoimmunity and di...

INTRODUCTION Myopathy related to systemic sclerosis (Myo-SSc) is a disabling and unpredictable complication of SSc. We assessed the predictive value of serum aldolase, creatine kinase (CK), alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (AST) and C-reactive protein (CRP) to estimate the risk of developing Myo-SSc. METHODS We enrolled 137 SSc patients without proximal muscle weakness in a ...

BACKGROUND During scleroderma (SSc) pathogenesis, fibroblasts acquire an activated phenotype characterized by enhanced production of extracellular matrix (ECM) and constitutive activation of several major signaling pathways including extracellular signal-related kinase (ERK1/2). Several studies have addressed the role of ERK1/2 in SSc fibrosis however the mechanism of its prolonged activation i...