We performed a multilevel analysis (including individuals, households, census tracts, municipalities and provinces) on a 10% sample (N=230,978) from the Longitudinal Database of the Andalusian Population (LDAP). We aimed to investigate place effects on 8-year individual mortality risk. Moreover, besides calculating association (yielding odds ratios, ORs) between area socio-economic circumstances a

Climate warming will increase the drought exposure of many forests world-wide. It is not well understood how trees adapt their hydraulic architecture to a long-term decrease in water availability. We examined 23 traits characterizing the hydraulic architecture and growth rate of branches and the dependent foliage of mature European beech (Fagus sylvatica) trees along a precipitation gradient (855-

We measured the air speeds of 31 bird species, for which we had body mass and wing measurements, migrating along the east coast of Sweden in autumn, using a Vectronix Vector 21 ornithodolite and a Gill WindSonic anemometer. We expected each species' average air speed to exceed its calculated minimum-power speed (V-mp), and to fall below its maximum-range speed (V-mr), but found some exceptions to

Coordinate representations and equations of motion for multibody systems are discussed from a general point of view. Linear coordinates for flexible, as well as rigid, parts are introduced and their properties are analysed. The mass matrix and strain tensors are calculated in terms of the linear coordinates and equations of motion are formulated for multibodies containing rigid and flexible parts.

Selected reaction monitoring (SRM) is emerging as a standard tool for high-throughput protein quantification. For reliable and reproducible SRM protein quantification it is essential that system performance is stable. We present here a quality control workflow that is based on repeated analysis of a standard sample to allow insight into the stability of the key properties of a SRM setup. This is s

Increased recirculation of process water has given rise to problems with formation of calcium oxalate incrusts (scaling) in the pulp and paper industry and in forest biorefineries. The potential in using oxalate decarboxylase from Aspergillus niger for oxalic acid removal in industrial bleaching plant filtrates containing oxalic acid was examined and compared with barley oxalate oxidase. Ten diffe

Pollinating insects form a key component of European biodiversity, and provide a vital ecosystem service to crops and wild plants. There is growing evidence of declines in both wild and domesticated pollinators, and parallel declines in plants relying upon them. The STEP project (Status and Trends of European Pollinators, 2010-2015, www.step-project.net) is documenting critical elements in the nat

Sensitive and non-intrusive detection of gas-phase methanol with high spatial and temporal resolution has for the first time been reported using mid-infrared degenerate four-wave mixing (IR-DFWM). IR-DFWM spectra of methanol have been successfully recorded in nitrogen-diluted gas flows at room temperature and at 300 A degrees C, by probing ro-vibrational transitions belonging to the fundamental C-

Internal erosion is a cause of embankment dam failure, thus it is important to develop methods for seepage monitoring and internal erosion detection. In order to evaluate the potential of resistivity monitoring to give an early warning of such leakage/erosion, a test was undertaken on a rockfill embankment dam with a central glacial till core at the Rossvatn test facility in Norway. Three defects,

Risk factors for acute myocardial infarction (AMI) are known to cluster and to be differently distributed in men and women. The aim of this study was to sex-specifically explore clusters of acknowledged AMI risk factors by factor analysis, and to study whether such clusters are associated with left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), used as a subclinical measure of CHD.

The carcinogenicity of cigar and pipe smoking is established but the effect of detailed smoking characteristics is less well defined. We examined the effects on cancer incidence of exclusive cigar and pipe smoking, and in combination with cigarettes, among 102,395 men from Denmark, Germany, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom in the EPIC cohort. Hazard ratios (HR) and their 95% confidence interva

Background. Second-generation immigrants have an increased risk of schizophrenia, a finding that still lacks a satisfactory explanation. Various operational definitions of second-generation immigrants have been used, including foreign parental country of birth. However, with increasing global migration, it is not clear that parental country of birth necessarily is informative with regard to ethnic

Dinoflagellates belonging to the genus Gambierdiscus are the causative agent of ciguatera fish poisoning (CFP). This syndrome, which is widespread in tropical and subtropical regions, has recently been reported also in temperate latitudes. Taxonomic studies of Gambierdiscus have yet to completely couple the morphological features of member species with their genetics. In this study, the cellular a

The Muhammad cartoon crisis in 2005 provides an illustrative example of how crises travel across geographical boundaries, in this case, from a national newspaper into a full-fledged public diplomacy crisis at the international level. From a crisis management perspective, a multilevel setting poses a real challenge to actors trying to contain the situation at hand. Likewise, the multilevel nature o

We studied the solubilization of oil in the C16E8/hexadecane/H2O system. Close to the phase inversion temperature (PIT), the system, at equilibrium, can form either homogeneous states (i.e., microemulsions) at high surfactant concentrations or three-phase states at lower concentrations. We show that, under gentle shear, at a line we named the clearing boundary (CB), located a few degrees below the

Elevated levels of tropospheric ozone can significantly impair the growth of crops. The reduced removal of CO2 by plants leads to higher atmospheric concentrations of CO2, enhancing radiative forcing. Ozone effects on economic yield, e. g. the grain yield of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), are currently used to model effects on radiative forcing. However, changes in grain yield do not necessarily re

Antibody-mediated blockade of CTLA4 has been shown to be effective in treating a select group of patients with late-stage melanoma. The precise mechanism underlying the clinical activity of CTLA4 immunotherapy is poorly understood, although recent experimental findings indicate that antibody-mediated depletion of regulatory T cells (Tregs) in the tumor microenvironment plays a key role in efficaci

The turbidity variation in time and space is investigated in the downstream stretch of the river Gota Alv in Sweden. The river is heavily regulated and carries the discharge from the largest fresh water lake in Sweden, Lake Vanern, to the outflow point in Goteborg Harbour on the Swedish west coast. The river is an important waterway and serves as a fresh-water supply for 700 000 users. Turbidity i