Experimental studies have suggested possible protective effects of dimethylglycine (DMG) on glucose metabolism. DMG is degraded to glycine through a DMG-dehydrogenase (DMGDH)-catalyzed reaction and this is the only known pathway for the breakdown of DMG in mammals. In this study we aimed to identify the strongest genetic determinant of circulating DMG concentration and to investigate its associati

The mixing height (MH) is a crucial parameter in commonly used transport models that proportionally affects air concentrations of trace gases with sources/sinks near the ground and on diurnal scales. Past synthetic data experiments indicated the possibility to improve tracer transport by minimizing errors of simulated MHs. In this paper we evaluate a method to constrain the Lagrangian particle dis

In gastronomic tourism, Slow Food has gained considerable attention. Cittáslow, a network of towns, are working with qualitative local urban development, based on similar principles as Slow Food. This article studies how destination development and destination marketing is conducted in a cittáslow context. A study was conducted in three cittáslow towns in Northern Italy. All three towns worked amb

A measurement of B-s(0) -> J/psi phi decay parameters, including the CP-violating weak phase phi(s) and the decay width difference Delta Gamma(s) is reported, using 4.9 fb(-1) of integrated luminosity collected in 2011 by the ATLAS detector from LHC pp collisions at a centre-of-mass energy root s = 7 TeV. The mean decay width Gamma(s) and the transversity amplitudes vertical bar A(0)(0)vertical ba

Abstract Question: Can satellite data be related to fine-scale species diversity and does the integrated use of field and satellite data provide information that can be used in the estimation of fine-scale species diversity in semi-natural grassland sites? Location: The Baltic Island of Oland (Sweden). Methods: Field work including the on-site description of 62 semi-natural grassland sites (repres

The most recent fashion in the policy-level promotion of excellence in academic research seems to be the launching of funding programs directed to young and promising (postdoc level) researchers with the purpose of assisting them in establishing their own research profile at this allegedly crucial and fragile career stage. In the Swedish public research funding system, which is rather diversified

Fishing activity has been suggested to affect food web structure and functioning of aquatic ecosystems. Based on changes of the mean trophic level index of fishery catch, the present study demonstrates long-term ecosystem impacts of fisheries in Lake Chaohu, a freshwater lake in Anhui Province, China. The decline of mean trophic level (MTL) in the last five decades, coupled with a dramatic increas

Combining long-acting muscarinic antagonists (LAMAs) and long-acting β2-agonists (LABAs) is beneficial in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), as the two classes of bronchodilator have complementary modes of action. The optimal dose for the fixed-dose combination of the LAMA tiotropium and the LABA olodaterol needed to be determined. In this phase II trial, the dose response of tiotropium

The microbial deconstruction of the plant cell wall is a key biological process that is of increasing importance with the development of a sustainable biofuel industry. The glycoside hydrolase families GH5 (PaMan5A) and GH26 (PaMan26A) endo-beta-1,4-mannanases from the coprophilic ascomycete Podospora anserina contribute to the enzymatic degradation of lignocellulosic biomass. In this study, P. an

This paper presents results of an all-sky search for periodic gravitational waves in the frequency range [50, 1190] Hz and with frequency derivative range of similar to[-20, 1.1] x 10(-10) Hz s(-1) for the fifth LIGO science run (S5). The search uses a noncoherent Hough-transform method to combine the information from coherent searches on time scales of about one day. Because these searches are ve

A simple method to enhance ion generation with femtosecond ultraintense lasers is demonstrated experimentally by defocusing laser beams on target surface. When the laser is optimally defocused, we find that the population of medium and low energy protons from ultra-thin foils is increased significantly while the proton cutoff energy is almost unchanged. In this way, the total proton yield can be e

A Panel of International Experts was convened by the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) in collaboration with the European Society for Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID) to update the 1999 Uncomplicated Urinary Tract Infection Guidelines by the IDSA. Co-sponsoring organizations include the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, American Urological Association,

To examine whether there is an association between neighbourhood deprivation and diagnosed childhood obesity, after accounting for family- and individual-level socio-demographic characteristics.

Objective: Interrelationships between hormones of the hypothalamic-pituitary-testicular (HPT) axis, hypogonadism, vitamin D and seasonality remain poorly defined. We investigated whether HPT axis hormones and hypogonadism are associated with serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) in men. Design and methods: Cross-sectional survey of 3369 community-dwelling men aged 40-79 years in eight Euro

Objective: The TEDDY Study is an international, multi-center prospective study designed to identify the environmental triggers of type 1 diabetes (T1D) in genetically at-risk children. This report investigates ethnic minority (EM) differences in patterns of enrollment and retention in the US centers. Methods: As of June 2009, 267,739 newborns had been screened at birth for high risk T1D genotypes.

We use classical density functional theory to investigate ionic liquid + solvent mixtures against smooth, model electrodes. We consider those mixtures that display a wetting transition at the electrodes. We find that a wetting film of an ionic liquid at the electrodes has similar properties to the neat liquid. A novel aspect of this transition is that, close to a surface critical point, we find an

Abstract Objective. Only a minority of patients with low-risk prostate cancer needs treatment, but the methods for optimal selection of patients for treatment are not established. This article describes the Study of Active Monitoring in Sweden (SAMS), which aims to improve those methods. Material and methods. SAMS is a prospective, multicentre study of active surveillance for low-risk prostate can

English ergative verbs in one-participant constructions such as ‘The door opens’ often correspond to reflexive verbs or -S forms in Norwegian and Swedish. Following Kemmer (1993) such constructions profile spontaneous event meaning and belong to the middle domain. This study uses corpus methodology to explore spontaneous-event marking in Norwegian and Swedish from the point of view of Kemmer’s sug

Scintigraphy is the gold standard for objective measurement of delayed gastric tube emptying after esophagectomy. The aim of this pilot study is to validate, by reference to scintigraphy, the paracetamol absorption test for measuring gastric tube emptying in esophagectomized patients.