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In this paper we appraise current agricultural subsidy policy in the EU. Several sources of its inefficiency are identified: it is inefficient for supporting farmers’ incomes or guaranteeing food security, and irrational transfer payments decoupled from actual performance that may be negative for environmental protection, social cohesion, etc. Based on a simplified economic model, we prove that th

The low-lying structure of W-188,W-190,W-192 has been studied following beta decays of the neutron-rich mother nuclei Ta-188,Ta-190,Ta-192 produced following the projectile fragmentation of a 1-GeV-per-nucleon Pb-208 primary beam on a natural beryllium target at the GSI Fragment Separator. The beta-decay half-lives of Ta-188, Ta-190, and Ta-192 have been measured, with gamma-ray decays of low-lyin

A partially protected C-5=C-5a unsaturated carbasugar with alpha-lyxo configuration is synthesised in five steps and 26% overall yield from a known mannose-derived hemiacetal, using ring-closing metathesis as a key step. This carbasugar is converted into valienamine derivatives with beta-lyxo (i.e., corresponding to beta-manno at C-1-C-4), alpha-lyxo (i.e., corresponding to alpha-manno at C-1-C-4)

Intake of dietary fibres may reduce the prevalence of physiological risk factors of the metabolic syndrome, such as high plasma lipid levels and low-grade inflammatory state. Dietary fibres are usually of plant origin however microbial exopolysaccharides (EPSs) have analogue structures that could potentially exert similar physiological effects. Pediococcus parvulus 2.6 (Pd 2.6) excretes a ropy EPS

List decoding of binary block codes for the additive white Gaussian noise channel is considered. The output of a list decoder is a list of the $L$ most likely codewords, that is, the L signal points closest to the received signal in the Euclidean-metric sense. A decoding error occurs when the transmitted codeword is not on this list. It is shown that the list error probability is fully described b

Many decisions in the everyday work of the structural engineer are taken under the influence of uncertainties. The degree of uncertainty affects the quality and variability of the outcome of the structural design work. The effect of uncertainties related to knowledge and experience of the structural engineer was studied in a round robin investigation. Despite a relatively well defined task, the re

This volume focuses on the interaction of lichens with their substrate, environment and their biogeographic effects. In seventeen chapters thirty-eight authors present recent fi ndings and developments in systematics, biodiversity, fl oristic studies and ecology, as well as newly described taxa, and keys to the identifi cation of Caloplaca and xanthorioid lichens. Molecular phylogenetic analyses o

The field of genetics has come to rely heavily on commercial genotyping arrays and accompanying annotations for insights into genotype-phenotype associations. However, in order to avoid errors and false leads, it is imperative that the annotation of SNP chromosomal positions is accurate and unambiguous. We report on genomic positional discrepancies of various SNP chips for human, cattle and mouse

Using all-atom Monte Carlo simulations with implicit water, combined with a cluster size analysis, we study the aggregation of A16-22, a peptide capable of forming amyloid fibrils. We consider a system of six initially randomly oriented A16-22 peptides, and investigate the thermodynamics and structural properties of aggregates formed by this system. The system is unaggregated without ordered secon

Low concentrations of the structural protein collagen have recently been reported in dinosaur fossils based primarily on mass spectrometric analyses of whole bone extracts. However, direct spectroscopic characterization of isolated fibrous bone tissues, a crucial test of hypotheses of biomolecular preservation over deep time, has not been performed. Here, we demonstrate that endogenous proteinaceo

The Swedish Dementia Registry (SveDem) was developed with the aim to improve the quality of diagnostic work-up, treatment and care of patients with dementia disorders in Sweden.

Abstract: This doctoral thesis has sought to clarify the influence of gender in gastrointestinal (GI) disorders. Women with different hormone profiles were investigated, their colonic microbiota was characterized, and the impact of lifestyle and risk factors for GI disease were examined. In a pilot study, the relation between vaginal and rectal lactobacilli flora and hormone levels was investigate

The dryer fabric influences the mass and heat transfer, separating the hot, moist paper from the ambient drying air. A dynamic model is presented describing this mass and heat transfer in a dryer fabric based on the fabric parameters: effective diffusivity, porosity, tortuosity, calliper, effective permeability, thermal conductivity and basis weight. The model predicts moisture, temperature and pr

BACKGROUND: Seed galactomannans are preferred hydrocolloids since they are comparatively cheap, non-toxic, eco-friendly and non-polluting during production and application. Galactomannans from seeds of three species of Gleditsia, namely G. sinensis, G. microphylla and G. melanacantha, were characterized in terms of structural and thermal properties. RESULTS: Gleditsia polysaccharides were characte

Background: Macronutrient intake varies substantially between individuals, and there is evidence that this variation is partly accounted for by genetic variants. Objective: The objective of the study was to identify common genetic variants that are associated with macronutrient intake. Design: We performed 2-stage genome-wide association (GWA) meta-analysis of macronutrient intake in populations o

From the starting point of narrative ethnography, this article explores a specific kind of service user involvement in psychiatry: staff training activities in which patients and former patients are invited to “tell their stories”. A core feature of these stories is that they are based on the narrators’ self-perceived experience, and they all have a highly personal character. I call these stories

Removal of seven active pharmaceutical substances (ibuprofen, ketoprofen, naproxen, diclofenac, clofibric acid, mefenamic acid, and gemfibrozil) was assessed by batch experiments, with suspended biofilm carriers and activated sludge from several full-scale wastewater treatment plants. A distinct difference between nitrifying activated sludge and suspended biofilm carrier removal of several pharmac

The western world has had a general decline in student interest for natural sciences. A 2-4 h program is described that can generate interest in chemistry by letting compulsory students conduct experiments that are connected to their life.