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The adipose organ, including white and brown adipose tissues, is an important player in systemic energy homeostasis, storing excess energy in form of lipids while releasing energy upon various energy demands. Recent studies have demonstrated that white and brown adipocytes also function as endocrine cells and regulate systemic metabolism by secreting factors that act locally and systemically. Howe

IntroductionIn this book a new phenomenological approach to brittle medium fracture initiation under shock pulses is developped. It provides an opportunity to estimate fracture of media with and without macrodefects. A qualitative explanation is thus obtained for a number of principally important effects of high-speed dynamic fracture that cannot be clarified within the framework of previous appro

The Nordic region, comprising primarily Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, has many of the necessary characteristics for being at the forefront of genome-based precision medicine. These include egalitarian and universal healthcare, expertly curated patient and population registries, biobanks, large population-based prospective cohorts linked to registries and biobanks, and a wi

Introduction: We assessed whether modest systemic cooling started within 6 hours of symptom onset improves functional outcome at three months in awake patients with acute ischaemic stroke. Patients and methods: In this European randomised open-label clinical trial with blinded outcome assessment, adult patients with acute ischaemic stroke were randomised to cooling to a target body temperature of

This paper, a revised presentation at a panel on academic exchanges at the 2018 Conference of the Society for Romanian Studies, discusses the challenges of researchers studying small, insignificant places, and particularly when our specific knowledge pushes us to become generalists. Since every country has a ‘La noi ca la nimeni’ (‘Nobody has it the way we have it’) discourse, how do we make Roman

Aims/hypothesis: The mechanisms for improved glycemic control after bariatric surgery in subjects with type 2 diabetes (T2D) are not fully known. We hypothesized that dynamic hepatic blood responses to a mixed-meal are changed after bariatric surgery in parallel with an improvement in glucose tolerance. Methods: A total of ten morbidly obese subjects with T2D were recruited to receive a mixed-meal

It is well-known that the response to mechanical loading of nano-sized metal structures differs from what applies to the macroscopic scale, and often non-intuitive behaviors are revealed. Here beams of square cross section, containing defects in terms of voids and loaded in fatigue with R = 0 under displacement controlled conditions, are investigated. The structures under consideration are single-It is well-known that the response to mechanical loading of nano-sized metal structures differs from what applies to the macroscopic scale, and often non-intuitive behaviors are revealed. Here beams of square cross section, containing defects in terms of voids and loaded in fatigue with R = 0 under displacement controlled conditions, are investigated. The structures under consideration are single-

In the present paper, an experimental campaign is carried out with reference to the steady state propagation of an existing cut in polymeric plates, ranging from glassy to soft polymers. The steady state propagation is investigated by considering a commercial cutting tool under different insertion velocities of the blade. Full-field finite strain maps are experimentally recorded by means of digita

Recently, 3D X-Ray Diffraction (3DXRD) has been proposed as a new tool for experimental granular mechanics. The technique enables measurements of tensor strains of all the individual grain in granular assemblies under load. From the grain-strains, granular stresses can be determined and, in combination with structural information from x-ray tomography, contact forces can be inferred, thereby eluci

Towards the improvement of the understanding of force/stress distribution in granular media under load, a new experimental approach is suggested. Neutron diffraction, a non-conventional experimental technique, has been successfully used to map the evolution of intragranular strains in sand specimens loaded in a novel plane-strain apparatus. Representative preliminary results from recent experiment

In this review, we present an up-to-date phenomenological summary of research developments in the physics of the Quark-Gluon Plasma (QGP). A short historical perspective and theoretical motivation for this rapidly developing field of contemporary particle physics is provided. In addition, we introduce and discuss the role of the quantum chromodynamics (QCD) ground state, non-perturbative and latti

Since 2009, the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) in Lebanon has been going through a major reform initiative to improve its contracting system with private and public hospitals. The private sector is the main provider of hospital care in the country and the main contractor to the MoPH for the provision of curative care. As an “insurer of last resort,” the MoPH plays an important role in providing

BackgroundChronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Chronic breathlessness is a feared and distressing symptom with significant impact on daily life. Little is known of the prevalence of breathlessness at the end of life in severe COPD. International guidelines support the use of opioids to treat breathlessness, but it is unknown how comm