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The process to elaborate a legally binding instrument on Business and Human Rights started in 2014. The stated ambition animating UN process is to deliver a broad-spectrum treaty that significantly increases remediation for victims. However the treaty has polarized opinion from the very beginning. To come closer to genuine points of disagreement and possible paths forward, this chapter explains an
For more than a century, the dairy industry has used high-pressure homogenization for size reduction of fat globules. The prevailing break-up mechanism, turbulence, has been thoroughly investigated and the equipment continuously optimized thereafter. However, the high-pressure homogenizer is also used in size reduction of plant cell structures, for example in production lines of plant-based bevera
Raw sediment samples which are without prior lengthy laboratory preparation can be used to obtain a rough but rapid estimate of the luminescence equivalent dose, and thus of the relative age of the sediment. In this study, we tested this range-finder method on clastic sediments in NE Poland for the first time, with special focus on Pleistocene meltwater sediments generated by highly energetic glac
The field of organ transplantation is experiencing a transformative shift with the rise of Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products (ATMPs), which include gene therapies, somatic cell therapies, and tissue-engineered products. These therapies offer new, potentially curative treatments for longstanding medical challenges, impacting numerous patients. However, their adoption is hindered by complex regula
Background: Butaro Cancer Center of Excellence (BCCOE) was founded to serve Rwanda’s rural low-income population, providing subsidized cancer diagnosis and treatment with transport stipends for the lowest-income patients. We examined whether travel distance to BCCOE was associated with advanced-stage diagnoses and treatment completion. Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study using medic
The coefficient of friction (COF) and wear are critical parameters in assessing disc brake performance. However, their study is challenging due to their interdependence on contact pressure, sliding velocity, temperature, and material composition. The complex contact interactions between brake pads and discs involve the continuous formation and destruction of mesoscopic contact plateaus, which
In the present work, we describe the design, synthesis, and evaluation of a galectin-8- binding fluorescent probe designed for a competitive fluorescence polarization (FP) assay for screening new galectin-8N inhibitors. The probe was characterized for its photophysical properties and its binding affinity for galectin-8N was determined by using FP. We evaluated the probe in a competitive FP assay w
Introduction: Patients with substantial comorbidity burden are underrepresented in clinical trials on endovascular thrombectomy (EVT), despite being common in clinical routine care. Therefore, analysis of observational data is needed to evaluate how increasing comorbidity burden affects procedural success rate, complication rate, and clinical outcome following EVT. Patients and methods: We conduct
External quality assessment (EQA) schemes for pathology are essential, yet large/international programmes do not assess morphology-based biomarkers or address local/regional needs. This study outlines bottom-up initiated, flexible Swedish Digital Pathology EQA rounds for breast pathology, and presents results from the 2021 and 2023 rounds. Six breast carcinoma cases were selected for each EQA roun
Background: Congenital heart disease (CHD) is the most common organ anomaly in humans affecting approximately 1:125 newborns worldwide. Early diagnosis enables postnatal stabilisation and may improve outcomes, especially in critical CHD, in which the circulation is dependent on patency of the arterial duct. Detection of CHD in newborns remains incomplete and current screening programs do not aim t
Recent studies have demonstrated that the transcription factor hepatocyte nuclear factor 4α (HNF4A) drives epithelial differentiation in the renal proximal tubules (PTs) and is critical for maintaining a mature PT phenotype. Furthermore, HNF4A down-regulation has been observed following kidney injury in mouse models. The aim of the present work was to investigate the role of HNF4A during acute and
One of the key purposes of bone tissue engineering is the development of new biomaterials that can stimulate the body's own regenerative mechanism for patient's anatomical and functional recovery. Bioactive glasses, due to their versatile properties, are excellent candidates to fabricate porous 3-D architectures for bone replacement. In this work, morphological and structural investigations are ca
The Gaussian phase distribution approximation enables analysis of restricted diffusion encoded by general gradient waveforms but fails to account for the diffraction-like features that may occur for simple pore geometries. We investigate the range of validity of the approximation by random walk simulations of restricted diffusion in a cylinder using isotropic diffusion encoding sequences as well a
Objective. To investigate the occurrence of cardiovascular events (CVEs) in a large cohort of patients with antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-Associated vasculitis (AAV) across the European Union, China, Turkey, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the USA. Methods. Patients with a definite diagnosis of AAV who were followed for ? 3 months and had sufficient documentation were included. Data o
Children with cancer experience recurring hospitalizations and isolation during treatment, which affect their school attendance. This study explores experiences of children with cancer, their classmates, and teachers with using the telepresence robot as a learning mediator in the hybrid classroom during treatment periods. 31 children with cancer (aged 7–17 years), 30 teachers, and 118 classmates p
Laminins are extracellular matrix glycoproteins that influence the phenotype and functions of many types of cells. Laminins are heterotrimers composed of alpha, beta, and gamma polypeptides. So far five alpha, three beta, and two gamma polypeptide chains, and 11 variants of laminins have been proposed. Laminins interact in vitro with mature blood cells and malignant hematopoietic cells. Most studi
Den boreala regionen innehåller 40% av jordens kol (C) som lagras i vegetation och mark med sina skogar som står för nästan 30% av den terrestra C sänkan. Boreala skogar upplever några av de snabbaste hastigheterna för klimatuppvärmning och ökningar i brandaktivitet, vilket hotar att släppa ut stora mängder av deras C reserver till atmosfären. Även om klimat och skogsbränder har stark kontroll öveThe boreal region contains 40% of the earth’s carbon (C) that is stored in vegetation and soils with its forests accounting for almost 30% of the terrestrial C sink. Boreal forests are experiencing some of the most rapid rates of climatic warming and increases in fire activity, threatening to release large amounts of their dense C reserves to the atmosphere. While climate and wildfire place strong
Introduction: Commissioning, calibration, and quality control procedures for nuclear medicine imaging systems are typically performed using hollow containers filled with radionuclide solutions. This leads to multiple sources of uncertainty, many of which can be overcome by using traceable, sealed, long-lived surrogate sources containing a radionuclide of comparable energies and emission probabilit
STUDY QUESTION: Has cumulative live birth rate (CLBR) improved over time and which factors are associated with such an improvement? SUMMARY ANSWER: During an 11-year period, 2007-2017, CLBR per oocyte aspiration increased significantly, from 27.0% to 36.3%, in parallel with an increase in blastocyst transfer and cryopreservation by vitrification. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY: While it has been shown that
