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Adrenomodulin (ADM) is a peptide hormone secreted in response to cellular strain such as ischemia and is believed to have a beneficial effect on the cardiovascular system. However, the epidemiological relationships between ADM and measurements of haemodynamics, arteriosclerosis and atherosclerosis are not well established. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between the mid-re

CO2 fluxes for the Netherlands and surroundings are estimated for the year 2008, from concentration measurements at four towers, using an inverse model. The results are compared to direct CO2 flux measurements by aircraft, for 6 flight tracks over the Netherlands, flown multiple times in each season. We applied the Regional Atmospheric Mesoscale Modeling system (RAMS) coupled to a simple carbon fl

Hovering means stationary flight at zero net forward speed, which can be achieved by animals through muscle powered flapping flight. Small bats capable of hovering typically do so with a downstroke in an inclined stroke plane, and with an aerodynamically active outer wing during the upstroke. The magnitude and time history of aerodynamic forces should be reflected by vorticity shed into the wake.

Background: Glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) is the most promising neurotrophin for restorative treatments in Parkinson's disease, but its biological effects are not completely understood. Objective: To define a model of GDNF gene therapy in the mouse, we studied the long-term effects of lentiviral GDNF delivery in mice with striatal 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) lesions. Methods: L

In this paper we investigate the size, structure and scaling relationships in glycogen isolated from five different animal sources. For this purpose a versatile fractionation technique, asymmetrical flow field-flow fractionation (AsFlFFF), coupled to multi-angle light scattering, is utilized. For determination of the average degree of branching 1H NMR is utilized. The results give a detailed insig

The Archean basement in the northeastern part of the Kaapvaal craton is intruded by a large number of mafic dykes, defining three major dyke swarms, which collectively appear to fan out from the Bushveld Complex. Herein we present U-Pb baddeleyite ages for two of these dyke swarms, the northwest trending Badplaas Dyke Swarm and the east-west trending Rykoppies Dyke Swarm, and infer their correlati

Baddeleyite (ZrO2) is today recognized as the key mineral for dating the emplacement of mantle-derived igneous rocks, primarily gabbro and dolerite dykes and sills. The comment by Michard and Gasquet calls for a discussion on the significance of baddeleyite U-Pb TIMS dates of two dykes in the Bas-Draa inlier, dated at 1381 +/- 8 and 1384 +/- 6 Ma, presented in El Bahat et al. (2013-in this issue).

Crystalline lenses with multiple focal lengths in monochromatic light (multifocal lenses) are present in many vertebrate groups. These lenses compensate for chromatic aberration and create well-focused color images. Stabilization of the lens within the eye and the ability to adjust focus are further requirements for vision in high detail. We investigated the occurrence of multifocal lenses by phot

Abstract Aims. To describe differences in caregiver burden and health-related quality of life of informal caregivers of people with dementia in eight European countries and assess changes after transition from home to institutional long-term care. Background. Country differences in the experience of burden and health-related quality of life are rarely described. Design. Prospective cohort study. M

Phenotypic variability is well recognized in severe hemophilia A. A few studies, mainly in adults treated lifelong on demand, suggest that bleeding phenotype correlates with factor VIII gene (F8) mutation type. Because treatment regimens influence outcomes to a large extent, examining bleeding phenotype during the first years of life may be the most suitable way to define this variability. We set

To obtain a full understanding of the aerodynamics of animal flight, the movement of the wings, the kinematics, needs to be connected to the wake left behind the animal. Here the detailed 3D wingbeat kinematics of bats, Glossophaga soricina, flying in a wind tunnel over a range of flight speeds (1-7 m s(-1)) was determined from high-speed video. The results were compared with the wake geometry and

The packing of cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) in the anisotropic chiral nematic phase has been investigated over a wide concentration range by small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and laser diffraction. The average separation distance between the CNCs and the average pitch of the chiral nematic phase have been determined over the entire isotropic−anisotropic biphasic region. The average separation di

Since the advancement in CH4 gas analyser technology and its applicability to eddy covariance flux measurements, monitoring of CH4 emissions is becoming more widespread. In order to accurately determine the greenhouse gas balance, high quality gap-free data is required. Currently there is still no consensus on CH4 gap-filling methods, and methods applied are still study-dependent and often carried

Male reproductive function is impaired during end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Disturbance of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis, and therefore the regulation of sex hormones, is one of the major causes. Our focus was to include antimüllerian hormone (AMH) and inhibin B concentrations. Twenty male patients on hemodialysis, median age 40 (26-48) years, were analyzed for follicle-stimulating hor

The addition of crop residues is a common farming practice to increase the organic carbon content of agricultural soils with particular importance in organically managed crops. Residues can be added either from the crop plant itself or from other plants and the type of litter may differentially affect decomposer populations. Effects of litter addition may cascade up to affect generalist predators

BACKGROUND: Little is known about whether the four main manifestations of arterial vascular disease (coronary heart disease=CHD, ischemic stroke, peripheral artery disease=PAD, and aortic (i.e. atherosclerosis/aneurysm) disease=AD) share familial susceptibility. The aim of this nationwide study was to determine the familial risks of concordant (same disease in proband and exposed relative) and dis

Few studies have investigated the relationship between predefined dietary patterns and type 2 diabetes incidence; little is known about the generalisability of these associations. We aimed to assess the association between predefined dietary patterns and type 2 diabetes risk in European populations. From among a case-cohort of 12,403 incident diabetes cases and 16,154 subcohort members nested with

Increasing landscape complexity can enhance biodiversity and ecosystem services in agroecosystems. However, policies based on conversion of arable land into semi-natural habitats to increase landscape complexity and ecosystem services can be difficult to implement. Although it appears to be a promising management option, nothing is known about the effect of increasing landscape diversity through c