Europe is in the midst of a generational transformation that is as much rooted in a complex constellation of socio-economic crises, as it is the product of an ideological revolution, championed by the far-right, in which the Western Balkans, in particular, have become a veritable totem for real and imagined problems confronting the EU and “the West” more broadly.

The micro-mechanisms of fracture in a laminate composed of an aluminium foil and a polyethene film are considered. The laminate as well as the freestanding layers were fracture mechanically tested. Inspection of the broken cross-sections shows that fracture occurs through necking, i.e., localised plastic deformation leading to a decreasing and eventually vanishing cross-section. This occurs ahead The micro-mechanisms of fracture in a laminate composed of an aluminium foil and a polyethene film are considered. Thelaminate as well as the freestanding layers were fracture mechanically tested. Inspection of the broken cross-sections shows thatfracture occurs through necking, i.e., localised plastic deformation leading to a decreasing and eventually vanishing cross-section.This occurs ahead of

Background: There is paucity of data regarding the significance of high percentage of premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) in healthy children and their impact on left ventricular (LV) function and the risk of ventricular arrhythmias. The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence of LV systolic dysfunction in children with frequent PVCs and determine whether PVC characteristics were

For patients living with chronic conditions, the daily life will change due to symptoms, drug treatment, and psychosocial factors caused by the disease. Our studies show that Swedish patients with PAH or CTEPH are satisfied with the information they have received, but still have a wish for more. Therefore, it is important to repeat the information on a regular basis and to make sure that patients

The number of the X chromosome–linked genes has been previously suggested to influence immune responses and the development of autoimmune diseases. In the present study, we aimed at evaluating the level of expression of CD40L (an X-linked gene involved in adaptive immunity) and TLR7 (an X-linked gene involved in innate immunity) in a variety of different karyotypes. Those included males, females a

Multiple reactions on patch testing can be related to contact allergy to components of the patch test system used, for example, contact allergy to aluminium.1-11 We report on two cases with contact allergy to Finn Chamber AQUA (FCA) test chambers (SmartPractice, Phoenix, Arizona).

Background: Allergic contact dermatitis caused by henna-based hair-colouring products has been associated with adulteration of henna with p-phenylenediamine (PPD). Objectives: To develop a testing approach based on in vitro techniques that address key events within the skin sensitization adverse outcome pathway in order to evaluate the allergenic potential of hair-colouring products. Methods: The

The transport characteristics of a disordered, multilayered MoS2 nanoflake in the insulator regime are studied by electrical and magnetotransport measurements. The MoS2 nanoflake is exfoliated from a bulk MoS2 crystal and the conductance G and magnetoresistance are measured in a four-probe setup over a wide range of temperatures. At high temperatures, we observe that lnG exhibits a -T-1 temperatur

Direct numerical simulations (DNS) of statistically planar flames at moderate and high Karlovitz number (Ka) have been used to perform an a priori evaluation of a presumed-PDF model approach for filtered reaction rate in the framework of large eddy simulation (LES) for different LES filter sizes. The model is statistical and uses a presumed shape, based here on a beta-distribution, for the sub-gri

In boreal forest soils, mycelium of mycorrhizal fungi is pivotal for regulating soil carbon (C) cycling and storage. The carbon use efficiency (CUE), a key parameter in C cycling models, can inform on the partitioning of C between microbial biomass, and potential soil storage, and respiration. Here, we test the dependency of mycorrhizal mycelial CUE on stand age and seasonality in managed boreal f

Background: Adults with complex congenital heart disease (CHD) have reduced aerobic capacity and impaired muscle function. We therefore hypothesized that patients have a lower skeletal muscle mass and higher fat mass than controls. Methods: Body composition was examined with full body Dual-Energy x-ray Absorptiometry (DXA) in 73 patients with complex CHD (mean age 35.8 ± 14.3, women n = 22) and 73

Objective: To investigate the relationship between hearing loss (HL) and general quality of life (QoL) in adults seeking hearing aids (HAs). Design: The patients completed the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Quality of Life Questionnaire’s general part and a questionnaire measuring self-assessed communication ability (Abbreviated Profile of hearing Aid Benefit—AP

Introduction and hypothesis: The aim of this study was to compare the long-term subjective outcomes of an adjustable single-incision sling (Ajust®) vs standard mid-urethral slings (SMUS) for the treatment of women with stress urinary incontinence. Methods: This study was designed as a multicenter prospective randomized trial. Women under 60 years old with objectively verified stress urinary incont

Seven large European Union (EU)–funded epilepsy-related research projects joined forces in May 2018 in Brussels, Belgium, in a unique community building event—the epiXchange conference. During this conference, 170 investigators from the projects DESIRE, EpimiRNA, EPISTOP, EpiTarget, EpiXchange, and EpiPGX as well as the European Reference Network EpiCARE, met up with key stakeholders including rep

Depletion of B cells is beneficial in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients with autoantibodies to citrullinated proteins (ACPA) and/or the Fc portion of immunoglobulins (rheumatoid factor [RF]), suggesting a role for B cells in disease pathogenesis. To date, however, the identity of specifically pathogenic B cell subsets has not been discovered. One candidate population is identified by the low expr