Organic–inorganic (O–I) hybrid nanocomposites have already been widely investigated in the optoelectronic industry and are emerging in the biomedical field. In both cases, a thorough knowledge of the O–I hybrid morphology is key for reaching tailored properties of the devices; however, up to now little is known on this matter. Herein, we used advanced X-ray scattering and microscopy techniques to

Alkaline delignification of wood tissue is the core of the global pulping technology and the most prominent large-scale separation of the main wood components. This work aims at improved understanding of the interplay between the topochemistry of alkaline pulping and the associated morphological changes. Morphology and chemical structure of partially soda-delignified wood chips were studied combin

Climate change alters frequencies and intensities of soil drying-rewetting and freezing-thawing cycles. These fluctuations affect soil water availability, a crucial driver of soil microbial activity. While these fluctuations are leaving imprints on soil microbiome structures, the question remains if the legacy of one type of weather fluctuation (e.g., drying-rewetting) affects the community respon

OBJECTIVESTo characterize the phenotypic presentation at diagnosis of childhood-onset primary Sjögren syndrome (SjS).METHODSThe Big Data Sjögren Project Consortium is an international, multicentre registry using worldwide data-sharing cooperative merging of pre-existing clinical SjS databases from the five continents. For this study, we selected those patients in whom the disease was diagnosed bel

How do you take a reliable measurement of a material whose microstructure is random? When using wave scattering, the answer is often to take an ensemble average (average over time or space). By ensemble averaging we can calculate the average scattered wave and the effective wavenumber. To date, the literature has focused on calculating the effective wavenumber for a plate filled with particles. On

Isotope labeling enables the detection and quantification of nutrient fluxes between soil and plants through arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi. Here we describe the use of radioactive isotopes, 33P and 32P, to study the uptake of P from soil by AM fungal mycelium and its transfer to the host plant through the mycorrhizal pathway.

Ethnopharmacological relevance: To study the potential benefit of the traditional Mexican medicinal plant Galium mexicanum Kunth (Rubiaceae). Hexane, chloroform, and methanol extracts as well as various fractions from these extracts were tested to determine antibacterial, antifungal, antiparasitic or anti-inflammatory activities in vitro. Materials and methods: Aerial parts of the plant were extra

BACKGROUND: Type 2 diabetes (T2D) patients are at a greater risk of cardiovascular events due to aggravated atherosclerosis. Oxidized LDL (oxLDL) has been shown to be increased in T2D plaques and suggested to contribute to plaque ruptures. Despite intensified statin treatment during the last decade the higher risk for events remains. Here, we explored if intensified statin treatment was associated

Background: Dementia and advanced cancer are complex, life-limiting conditions that benefit from specialized palliative care (SPC) interventions at the end of life. The objective was to study possible differences in care for patients with concomitant advanced cancer and dementia (CA-DEM) or cancer only (CA) regarding access to SPC, acute hospital care, and place of death. Materials and methods: A

This article introduces a 28-nm CMOS digitally controlled oscillator (DCO) based on eight oscillator cores, where the number of active cores can be reconfigured to be either 2, 4, 6, or 8, trading power consumption for phase noise without incurring an additional phase noise penalty. The impact of the reconfiguration pMOS switches on the phase noise performance is determined through a simple yet ri

Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate how otherwise healthy older adults with self-assessed voice problems relate to their voice and voice changes. Method: Focus groups were conducted at an activity center to identify how older adults reflect on their own voice and the aging voice in general. The interviews were audio recorded and transcribed. The analysis was done using thematic content a

Movement patterns and habitat selection of animals have important implications for ecology and evolution. Darwin's finches are a classic model system for ecological and evolutionary studies, yet their spatial ecology remains poorly studied. We tagged and radio-tracked five (three females, two males) medium ground finches (Geospiza fortis) to examine the feasibility of telemetry for understanding t

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a rare disease with poor prognosis. The symptoms are often unspecific, which can lead to delayed diagnosis. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) can be used to accurately assess the right ventricle (RV) and is the gold standard for measuring volumes and global ventricular function, such as ejection fraction. However, even with preserved ejection fractio

Background: This international, multi-center cross-sectional study is one of the preparatory studies in the development of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) Core Sets for adults with cerebral palsy (CP) to describe their functioning and health. Objective: To identify the most common problems in functioning of adults with CP presenting in healthcare servic

Bax is a well-known universal proapoptotic protein. Bax protein is detected in almost all human organs, and its expression levels can be correlated with disease progression and therapeutic efficacy in certain settings. Interestingly, increasing evidence has shown that mature neuronal cell death is often not typical apoptosis. Most results on the expression of Bax proteins (predominantly Baxα) in t

AimTo quantify the responses of alpha and beta diversity to multivariate gradients, incorporating variation in environmental and management variability in coastal dune slacks.LocationUnited Kingdom dune slacks.MethodsPlant community composition, plant nutrient status and soil characteristics were measured for 164 quadrats in 41 dune slacks across 12 coastal sand dune systems. Data were collated on