In the field of biomedical X-ray imaging, novel techniques, such as phase-contrast and dark-field imaging, have the potential to enhance the contrast and provide complementary structural information about a specimen. In this paper, a first prototype of a preclinical X-ray phase-contrast CT scanner based on a Talbot-Lau interferometer is characterized. We present a study of the contrast-to-noise ra

Dwarf males (nannandry) occur in many unrelated, mostly aquatic, groups of organisms. Among land plants they are unique to bryophytes. In this study our aim was to explain variation in frequency of dwarf males and fertilization within populations in the moss Homalothecium lutescens. We compared parameters related to dwarf male presence and sporophyte production in 90 colonies from three localities

Mn-doped GaAs nanowires were grown in the self-catalytic growth mode on the oxidized Si(100) surface by molecular beam epitaxy and characterized by scanning and transmission electron microscopy, Raman scattering, photoluminescence, cathodoluminescence, and electron transport measurements. The transmission electron microscopy studies evidenced the substantial accumulation of Mn inside the catalyzin

Long-chain n-6 and n-3 PUFA (LC-PUFA), arachidonic acid (AA) (20:4n-6) and DHA (22:6n-3), are critical for optimal brain development. These fatty acids can be consumed directly from the diet, or synthesized endogenously from precursor PUFA by Δ-5 (encoded by FADS1) and Δ-6 desaturases (encoded by FADS2). The aim of this study was to determine the potential importance of maternal genetic variabilit

Objective: The Intermittent and Constant Osteoarthritis (OA) Pain (ICOAP) questionnaire evaluates the constructs of 'intermittent' and 'constant' pain. Theses are conceptually different from 'pain on activity' and pain 'intensity' as measured by the WOMAC and Chronic Pain Grade (CPG), measures commonly used in OA. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the responsiveness of the ICOAP, and diffe

The anaesthetic conserving device AnaConDa(®) (ACD) reflects exhaled anaesthetic agents thereby facilitating the use of inhaled anaesthetic agents outside operating theatres. Expired CO2 is, however, also reflected causing a dead space effect in excess of the ACD internal volume. CO2 reflection from the ACD is attenuated by humidity. This study tests the hypothesis that sevoflurane further attenua

To promote a healthy and active lifestyle there is a need to increase our knowledge of the level of physical activity (PA) among people with late effects of polio.

Integrated cross-sectoral impact assessments facilitate a comprehensive understanding of interdependencies and potential synergies, conflicts, and trade-offs between sectors under changing conditions. This paper presents a sensitivity analysis of a European integrated assessment model, the CLIMSAVE integrated assessment platform (IAP). The IAP incorporates important cross-sectoral linkages between

In initiating the development of a large-scale golf resort in Aberdeenshire, Trump International Golf Links Scotland made a relatively unknown site central to Scottish planning debates. A stretch of land along the North Sea coast north of Aberdeen became linked to new possible futures. Part of the site developed consisted of moving sand dunes given environmental protection as a Site of Special Sci

Neuron-specific enolase (NSE) is a widely-used biomarker for prognostication of neurological outcome after cardiac arrest, but the relevance of recommended cutoff values has been questioned due to the lack of a standardized methodology and uncertainties over the influence of temperature management.

BACKGROUND: Heart or lung recipients are taught about a new lifestyle, risk factors, medication, food restrictions and exercise so they can take an active role and responsibility for disease management after transplantation. However, little is known about patients' experiences of information and support in these situations. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to illuminate how patients, six months

To evaluate the psychometric properties of a questionnaire addressing psychosocial consequences of false-positive mammographic screening.

Affinity proteomics, mainly represented by antibody microarrays, has in recent years been established as a powerful tool for high-throughput (disease) proteomics. The technology can be used to generate detailed protein expression profiles, or protein maps, of focused set of proteins in crude proteomes and potentially even high-resolution portraits of entire proteomes. The technology provides uniqu

9172 Conodonts have been recovered from the uppermost Hunghuayuan Formation and the Zitai Formation at two sections in Shitai County, southern Anhui Province, South China, which was situated close to the margin of the Lower Yangtze Platform during the Early to Middle Ordovician. Systematic and multivariate statistical studies on these conodonts permit recognition of seven conodont biofacies: Tropo

Viruses must remain infectious while in harsh extracellular environments. An important aspect of viral particle stability for double-stranded DNA viruses is the energetically unfavorable state of the tightly confined DNA chain within the virus capsid creating pressures of tens of atmospheres. Here, we study the influence of internal genome pressure on the thermal stability of viral particles. Usin

We report on the application of an automated and easy-to-use device to directly measure the immunoreactions between adda-specific monoclonal antibodies and microcystins. The antibodies were immobilized on a gold electrode whose surface was modified first with polytyramine and then with gold nanoparticles. The immunoreaction leads to a change in the capacitance of the system. Under optimum conditio

We aim to characterize high-velocity (HiVel) stars in the solar vicinity both chemically and kinematically using the fourth data release of the RAdial Velocity Experiment (RAVE). We used a sample of 57 HiVel stars with Galactic rest-frame velocities larger than 275 km s(-1). With 6D position and velocity information, we integrated the orbits of the HiVel stars and found that, on average, they reac

1. Theory predicts that the processes generating biodiversity after disturbance will change during succession. Comparisons of phylogenetic and functional (alpha and beta) diversity with taxonomic diversity can provide insights into the extent to which community assembly is driven by deterministic or stochastic processes, but comparative approaches have yet to be applied to successional systems. 2.

This study examines determinants of chairman compensation in a supervisory board setting and, specifically, the relationship between chairman and CEO compensation. Using a sample of publicly listed firms in Sweden, the study indicates that chairman compensation— despite its fixed nature—is reflective of firm performance via a positive relationship to CEO compensation. As CEO compensation is set be