Partial words are sequences over a finite alphabet that may contain some undefined positions called holes. We consider unavoidable sets of partial words of equal length. We compute the minimum number of holes in sets of size three over a binary alphabet (summed over all partial words in the sets). We also construct all sets that achieve this minimum. This is a step towards the difficult problem...

Partial words are sequences over a finite alphabet that may contain wildcard symbols, called holes, which match, or are compatible with, all letters in the alphabet ((full) words are just partial words without holes). The subword complexity function of a partial word w over a finite alphabet A assigns to each positive integer, n, the number, pw(n), of distinct full words over A that are compati...

PURPOSE This study was performed to evaluate the clinical hemostatic effectiveness of a new application method for fibrin glue, the rub-and-spray method, in aortic surgery. METHODS Twenty consecutive patients undergoing emergency ascending aorta or ascending-hemiarch replacement for Stanford type A acute aortic dissection were prospectively randomized into 2 groups, one with the rub-and-spray...

The Khuran Channel, Southern Iran (26°45’N), is a topographically complex channel which is open at both ends. Owning to its particular geometry, this narrow channel is subjected to strong tidal currents.Across-channel distribution of the mean and tidal flows were obtained over a semidiurnal tidal cycle in the Khuran Channel where the highest tidal velocity in the third day of the seco...