Regional innovation policies are often applied in a standardized way oriented at best practice models developed elsewhere. These policies fail to take specific sectoral and regional characteristics sufficiently into account. However, innovation processes and problems vary for firms in particular sectors since these exhibit distinct features dependent on their knowledge base. Also, companies are lo

Strengthening of load-bearing masonry walls might often be a solution to extend the life cycle and area of use of existing buildings. In the present work, strengthening of masonry walls by means of externally bonded steel-grid is studied. Full scale clay brick masonry walls were constructed and tested in laboratory under eccentric axial compressive loading. By use of a steel-grid embedded in the rStrengthening of load-bearing masonry walls might often be a solution to extend the life cycle and area of use of existing buildings. In the present work, strengthening of masonry walls by means of externally bonded steel-grid is studied. Full scale clay brick masonry walls were constructed and tested in laboratory under eccentric axial compressive loading. By use of a steel-grid embedded in the r

Pancreatic islet hormone secretion is central in the maintenance of blood glucose homeostasis. During development of hyperglycaemia, the β-cell is under pressure to release more insulin to compensate for increased insulin resistance. Failure of the β-cells to secrete enough insulin results in type 2 diabetes (T2D). MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are short non-coding RNA molecules suitable for rapid regulation

Numerous bioactive biophenol secoiridoids (BPsecos) are found in the fruit, leaves, and oil of olives. These BPsecos play important roles in both the taste of food and human health. The main BPseco bioactive from green olive fruits, leaves, and table olives is oleuropein, while olive oil is rich in oleuropein downstream pathway molecules. The aim of this study was to probe olive BPseco downstream

Introduction: Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers have the potential to improve the diagnostic accuracy of Alzheimer's disease, yet there is a lack of harmonized preanalytical CSF handling protocols. Methods: This systematic review summarizes the current literature on the influence of preanalytical variables on CSF biomarker concentration. We evaluated the evidence for three core CSF biomarkers:

Cell free hemoglobin impairs vascular function and blood flow in adult cardiovascular disease. In this study, we investigated the hypothesis that free fetal hemoglobin (fHbF) compromises vascular integrity and function in the fetoplacental circulation, contributing to the increased vascular resistance associated with fetal growth restriction (FGR). Women with normal and FGR pregnancies were recrui

Context: Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) affects people of all ages and is associated with poor prognosis. Chronic breathlessness affects almost all people with PAH. Objectives: This randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, crossover study aimed to evaluate the effects of regular, low-dose, extended-release (ER) morphine for PAH-associated chronic breathlessness. Methods: Participants w

The coastal cliffs in Klaksvík (Borðoyar Bay) are the only known locality with Eemian sediments in the Faroe Islands. Previous studies carried out there focused on the sedimentology, tephra chemistry, paleoecology including aquatic environment, or the age of the deposits. In the lacustrine, clayey to silty gyttja we collected scattered wood fragments, identified as Larix sp., Pinus sp., Taxus sp.

Background and purpose: Pain is highly prevalent in Parkinson's disease (PD), impacting patients’ ability, mood and quality of life. Detecting the presence of pain in its multiple modalities is necessary for adequate personalized management of PD. A 14-item, PD-specific, patient-based questionnaire (the King's Parkinson's Disease Pain Questionnaire, KPPQ) was designed corresponding to the rater-ba

Severe droughts in the Northern Hemisphere cause a widespread decline of agricultural yield, the reduction of forest carbon uptake, and increased CO2 growth rates in the atmosphere. Plants respond to droughts by partially closing their stomata to limit their evaporative water loss, at the expense of carbon uptake by photosynthesis. This trade-off maximizes their water-use efficiency (WUE), as meas

Objective: To determine the frequency, characteristics, and outcomes of cerebrovascular events (CerVEs), as well as clinical and autoantibody associations in a multiethnic/racial inception cohort of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Methods: A total of 1,826 patients were assessed annually for 19 neuropsychiatric (NP) events, including 5 types of CerVEs: 1) stroke, 2) transient isc

Bioethanol has been introduced on a large scale in several countries, for example, in Brazil, the United States, and some European countries such as Sweden. Currently, most bioethanol is produced using starch- or sugar-based production from wheat, corn, or sugar cane (first-generation bioethanol). However, to be able to meet the expected demand, further expansion will have to come from lignocellul

Pixel classification among overlapping land cover regions in remote sensing imagery is a very challenging task. Detection of uncertainty and vagueness are always the key features for classifying mixed pixels. This paper proposes an approach for pixel classification using a hybrid approach of rough set theory and particle swarm optimization methods. Rough set theory deals with incompleteness and va