Recently, it has been shown and validated that presence and severity of emphysema on computed tomography could be estimated by a novel spirometry based index, the emphysema severity index (ESI). However, the clinical relevance of the index has not been established. We conducted cox-regression analyses with adjustment for age, smoking, sex, forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) and forced vital ca

Objectives To explore the relationship between creatinine and cystatin C based estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) in actively working sugarcane cutters. Methods This cohort study included 458 sugarcane cutters from Nicaragua and El Salvador. Serum samples were taken before and at end of harvest seasons and analysed for creatinine and cystatin C. Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collabo

Using the excess energy of charge carriers excited above the band edge (hot carriers) could pave the way for optoelectronic devices, such as photovoltaics exceeding the Shockley-Queisser limit or ultrafast photodetectors. Semiconducting nanowires show promise as a platform for hot-carrier extraction. Proof of principle photovoltaic devices have already been realized based on InAs nanowires, using

The potential devastation that a nuclear accident can cause to public health and the surrounding environment demands robust emergency preparedness. This includes gaining a greater knowledge of citizens’ needs in situations involving radiation risk. The present study examines cit-izens’ attitudes to a remediation scenario and their information and communication needs, using focus group data (n = 39

The FDI World Dental Federation suggests that "dentistry, as a profession, should integrate Sustainable Development Goals into daily practice and support a shift to a green economy in the pursuit of healthy lives and wellbeing for all, through all stages of life." This article reports on the recent activity of the Association for Dental Education in Europe Special Interest Group for Sustainability

SLA research is characterised by a striking homogeneity in the linguistic, social and geographical data we draw on. Such empirical homogeneity is a potential threat to the validity and scope of our claims and theories. This paper focuses on a particular gap in our knowledge, namely the SLA of sign languages. It outlines an argument for why the SLA of sign matters to general SLA research in terms o

Background: A prosthetic joint infection (PJI) is a devastating complication following total joint arthroplasties with poor prognosis. Identifying an accurate and prompt diagnostic method is particularly important for PJI. Recently, the diagnostic value of metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) in detecting PJI has attracted much attention, while the evidence of its accuracy is quite limite

Ground-based, high-resolution spectrographs are providing us with an unprecedented view of the dynamics and chemistry of the atmospheres of planets outside the Solar System. While there are a large number of stable and precise high-resolution spectrographs on modest-size telescopes, it is the spectrographs at observatories with apertures larger than 3.5 m that dominate the atmospheric follow-up of

This study focuses on one of the critical design parameters of lean premixed (LPM) combustors-the air split ratio (ASR) between the pilot and main stages. The effect of the air split ratio on thermoacoustic instability is experimentally studied based on a centrally staged model combustor. It is found that the thermoacoustic instability is suppressed with the ASR higher than 20%. The acoustic modes

INTRODUCTION: The development of inhibitory antibodies (inhibitors) in persons with hemophilia B (PwHB) causes significant morbidity. Data on the impact of the F9 variant and immune tolerance induction (ITI) outcome are limited. The aim of this study was to investigate the presence of neutralizing and non-neutralizing antibodies (NNA) in severe hemophilia B (HB) and to evaluate ITI outcome and com

Accurate identification of independent predictors of stillbirth is needed to define preventive strategies. We aim to examine the independent contribution of maternal race in the risk of stillbirth after adjusting for maternal characteristics and medical history. There are two components to the study: first, prospective screening in 168,966 women with singleton pregnancies coordinated by the Fetal