Background & objectives: Endoscopy is the current gold standard for evaluation of disease activity in ulcerative colitis. The Mayo Endoscopic Subscore (MES) is commonly used for quantifying disease activity, but it has several weaknesses. Numerous new endoscopic indices have been developed but none of these have been widely implemented, likely due to limited feasibility. The primary objective

Background: Family-centered rounds (FCR) reduce the risk of psychological comorbidities of family members and improve the quality of communication between providers and families. Materials and methods: We conducted a pilot quality improvement study analyzing family perceptions of virtual FCR. Family members of previously admitted cardiac ICU patients who participated in at least one session of vir

This paper reviews research on child L2 French (cL2) published since 2000 with a focus on research areas and methodology in a broad sense. The aim of the review is to identify methodological trends in the research, to exemplify, and to provide a discussion of prominent features. The review shows that research on cL2 French has mainly focused on the acquisition of morphosyntax based on oral product

The article analyzes power structures and relations in the Soviet Union in the mid-1960s, i.e., in the first years of Leonid Brezhnev's rule. It shows how Brezhnev limited the control mechanisms of power introduced by Nikita Khrushchev in order to consolidate his own position. The analysis contributes to a better understanding of the failure of Khrushchev's "reform communism" and the construction

Commercial small-scale fisheries along the Baltic Sea coasts have declined over the years although these fisheries are viewed as important for coastal development and food security at the local, national, and EU levels. The viability and future of small-scale fisheries are severely challenged by problems caused by grey seals. The conflict, occurring between Baltic Sea coastal fisheries and conserv

This work aimed to investigate structurally defined biobased polymers as non-leachable and non-toxic UV blockers for sunscreen applications. Two dicarboxylate monomers were synthesized using two lignin-based monomeric aromatic compounds, vanillin and 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde. These two monomers were then polymerized together with linear aliphatic diols of varying lengths to produce UV-active polyeste

Eye tracking technology has become increasingly prevalent in scientific research, offering unique insights into oculomotor and cognitive processes. The present article explores the relationship between scientific theory, the research question, and the use of eye-tracking technology. It aims to guide readers in determining if eye tracking is suitable for their studies and how to formulate relevant

Symbiotic relationships between eukaryotes and prokaryotes played pivotal roles in the evolution of life and drove the emergence of specialized symbiotic structures in animals, plants and fungi. The host-evolved symbiotic structures of microbial eukaryotes – the vast majority of such hosts in nature – remain largely unstudied. Here we describe highly structured symbiosomes within three free-living

Understanding the origin of eukaryotic cells is one of the most difficult problems in all of biology. A key challenge relevant to the question of eukaryogenesis is reconstructing the gene repertoire of the last eukaryotic common ancestor (LECA). As data sets grow, sketching an accurate genomics-informed picture of early eukaryotic cellular complexity requires provision of analytical resources and

Patent Law is a legal field designed to promote technological innovation. Patent rights ensure exclusivity of rights to commercialize and explore innovation and in this sense are a fundamental mechanism to attract investment, ensure revenue streams and foster innovation. The relative relevance of patent rights depends on sectors of activity, business models and the nature of both the underlying in

Identifying patients at risk for metastatic relapse is a critical medical need. We identified a common missense germline variant in proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) (rs562556, V474I) that is associated with reduced survival in multiple breast cancer patient cohorts. Genetic modeling of this gain-of-function single-nucleotide variant in mice revealed that it causally promotes b

Peatlands are often considered carbon pools as they are critical components of the carbon cycle process. Evaluating conditions of the peatlands is important for climate change impact studies as there is a close correlation between the peat accumulation, carbon sequestration, and water depth of the peatlands. Hence, accurate and continuous monitoring of their conditions is crucial to evaluate carbo

Significant groundwater (GW) head decline due to excessive withdrawal is an essential hydrological concern in several major plains of Iran. The capacity of an aquifer to retain GW can be described through the storativity parameters. Traditional methods to define these parameters are costly, time-consuming, and sometimes ineffective. The storativity of an aquifer, irrespective of its confinement ty

The COVID-19 pandemic challenges expectations of retirement. In this paper, we ask: How is the retirement transition experienced in the everyday lives of older adults during pandemic as compared to pre-pandemic times? The paper draws on 15 semi-structured interviews with adults aged 60–75 years living in Germany within the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, which were analyzed based on social co

Today, the concept of security manifests itself in a number of forms in most scientific, social, environmental, and political issues. One of the most essential and prominent types of security issue faced today is water security, which has introduced a complex and new concept to the literature of today’s world. Not only has the current water crisis in most parts of the world increased the risk of m

Improper utilization of water resources has the potential to result in reduced availability of high-quality water and adverse effects on societal development. In fact, what appears to be a serious gap in comprehensive water resources studies is the lack of a coherent approach that can link different social, economic and environmental parts within the framework of the integrated water management pa