Filetype
Conventional diagnostic methods often involve long incubation times due to limited fluid mixing in confined spaces, despite offering high sensitivity. Therefore, acoustic streaming was employed to enhance microscale advection, thereby improving biomolecular interactions and reducing assay duration. The micromixing capability was demonstrated by dispersing methylene blue (MB) in deionized water and
Accessible design enables participation in the digital society for everyone. However, cognitive accessibility is not well established within the field of web design. The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) provides a descriptive framework that relates health conditions to functioning and participation. ICF Core Sets are purposefully tailored shortlists of ICF c
To predict major pressure losses from pumping shear thinning liquid foods and beverage, rheometer-measured flow behaviour (n) and flow consistency (K) indices are needed. These are always obtained with some measurement uncertainty. This contribution develops a tool that allows for quantitatively estimating how a given measurement uncertainty in the rheological parameters translate to predictio
Background: Rare disease clinical trials are notorious for complexities that frequently result in study-start delays. However, there is limited knowledge about how participants and researchers perceive these delays and what factors shape their experiences. A clinical trial in the rare, progressive disorder Pantothenate Kinase-Associated Neurodegeneration—the PKAN trial—encountered an unexpected de
STUDY QUESTION What are the perspectives of oocyte and sperm donors 14-17 years post-donation on the release of their identity and potential contact with donor-conceived offspring (DCO)? SUMMARY ANSWER Most oocyte and sperm donors wanted to be notified about future releases of their identity and were positive towards contact with DCO, but more than half expressed a need for support in relation to
Bryophytes constitute a diverse plant group with important roles in ecosystem functioning, in particular in arctic and subarctic environments. As they are physiologically strongly dependent on climatic conditions bryophytes could serve as indicators of ongoing climatic change. Their spores are generally dispersed by wind, and because of contrasting phenologies among species, the composition of the
Vacuum membrane distillation is a promising technology for seawater desalination, as it enables high recovery ratios, with reasonable thermal and minimal electric consumption. Ceramic membranes can offer notable advantages over polymeric membranes, mainly due to their robust thermal and mechanical stability, yet they have limited representation in the literature. Accordingly, this work investigate
Current advancements in molecular techniques for identifying multiple species from bulked soil samples have expanded our capacity for large-scale soil biodiversity assessments. However, these methods often lack validation and contextualization. Recent cross-European studies based on environmental DNA (eDNA) have reported unexpectedly high biodiversity in intensively managed agricultural soils comp
Climate change is one of the major drivers of biodiversity loss. Among vertebrates, amphibians are one of the more sensitive groups to climate change due to their unique ecology, habitat requirements, narrow thermal tolerance and relatively limited dispersal abilities. We projected the influence of climate change on an endemic toad, Malabar Tree Toad (Pedostibes tuberculosus; hereafter MTT) from t
Facilitated CO stripping: Partial metallization of TiO2 nanoparticles (NPs) by electroreduction in the molten, eutectic mixture of CaCl2 and NaCl at 600 °C produces nano- and submicro-sized Ti2O and CaδTiOx (perovskites, x/× δ 2) that can significantly promote the catalytic activity of Pt NPs towards the oxidation of CO and CH3OH in acidic solutions
The governance of agricultural resources, particularly seeds, has long been a site of contestation between corporate-aligned institutions promoting proprietary seed laws and smallholder farmers, civil society organisations, and food sovereignty advocates defending traditional seed systems and local control. In Ghana, the introduction and eventual passage of the Plant Variety Protection Act of 2020
Human–nature relationships are often framed positively, but research rarely addresses biophobia, the aversion to nature. However, negative relationships with nature are likely to become more widespread following societal and environmental changes, with serious implications for public health and conservation efforts. Here, we performed a systematic review of 196 studies on biophobia, revealing a fr
The Siusi/Seis section has been measured for the δ13C signature across the Permian-Triassic Boundary (PTB) in high resolution on magnetostratigraphic samples from Scholger et al. (2000), enabling an exact correlation with magnetostratigraphic data. We show that the base of the short normal polarity magnetozone that has been reported from the evento-stratigraphic boundary correlates with a distinct
Phylogenies are central to many disciplines in biology. While disciplines such as systematics are focused on phylogenetic hypotheses themselves, other disciplines depend on robust and well-supported phylogenies in order to put biological data into evolutionary context through phylogenetic comparative studies. Examples of such fields are macroevolutionary research e.g. studying the evolution of a f
Urbanization in coastal megacities leads to trade-offs between development and ecology, degrading carbon sinks and disrupting spatial-functional balance. Current models often fail to integrate land use, carbon dynamics, and ecological zoning. This study created a system that brings together Patch-generating Land Use Simulation (PLUS), Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Trade-offs (InVE
Background Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is the most common vaginal infection among women of reproductive age worldwide, caused by dysbiosis of the vaginal microbiome. Despite its prevalence, the underlying molecular mechanisms remain poorly understood, making diagnosis and treatment challenging. Although antibiotics are the standard therapy, recurrence rates are high, up to 50% within 1 year, and repe
The Japanese avant-garde dance form butoh, founded by Hijikata Tatsumi in the late 1950s, is known for its marked physicality. The choreographic methodology of butoh, however, is not focused primarily on instructing the dancers how to move their bodies. Instead, the dancers work with verbal and mental imagery to transform into butoh-tai, the “butoh body,” a special form of embodiment from which th
Anion exchange membranes (AEMs) play a vital role in AEM water electrolysis (AEMWE), a promising technology for hydrogen production. However, it remains challenging to develop AEMs that simultaneously achieve high OH− conductivity, robust alkaline stability, and sustained operational performance in AEMWE. In the present study, we report on a class of high-performance, readily synthesized AEMs base
Eighteen lichen species, one lichenicolous and two allied fungi are reported for the first time for Latvia (Europe). Bryoria smithii, Heterodermia speciosa, Phaeophyscia pusilloides and Ramalina europaea are new records for the Baltic countries. Comments on habitats and substrates of new records are provided.
