Weak convergence of the multivariate point process of upcrossings of several high levels by a stationary Gaussian process is established. The limit is a certain multivariate Poisson process. This result is then used to determine the joint asymptotic distribution of heights and locations of the highest local maxima over an increasing interval. The results are generalized to upcrossings and local ma

BACKGROUND: Different movement efficiency in overweight children may affect accelerometer output data. The purpose was to investigate the ability of accelerometers to assess physical activity intensity and number of steps in normal-weight compared with overweight children. METHODS: Eleven normal-weight and 14 overweight African American children walked at 2, 4, 5, and 6 km/h on a treadmill wearin

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Although increasing evidence suggests involvement of the distal airway in all stages of asthma, it is not known whether structural changes (defined as airway remodelling) occur in the distal airways of subjects with mild asthma and those with atopy. The aim of this study was to compare control subjects and those with mild asthma in relation to fibroblast phenotypes and remodel

Introduction to the poetry of Italian writer Andrea Zanzotto

Abstract in Spanish En “La parte de Fate”, la tercera parte de 2666 de Roberto Bolaño, la televisión no sólo constituye un elemento relevante de la realidad representada sino también influye en la estructura del texto. La tele se enciende muy a menudo y a veces la narración da detallada cuenta de lo que se ve —fragmentos de programas o películas, incluso con el sonido apagado. La estructura del fl

Since the voluntary environmental reporting of companies started in the late eighties, there has been a profusion of literature describing why a company should report and what principles should be followed. This thesis takes a less prescriptive approach by investigating what explains the environmental communication in some Italian firms in the Energy and the Ceramic sectors. The research for these

As oncological treatment might impair the patients' fertility, male cancer patients are offered to cryopreserve semen prior to treatment. Impaired sperm DNA quality is associated with reduced fertility, and in case of assisted reproduction, sperm DNA integrity may have an impact on choice of method. Therefore, we have assessed sperm DNA integrity in cancer patients, comparing pre- and post-treatme

The main functions of estrogen are associated with reproduction. However, estrogen has been shown to be of functional importance also in non-classic target organs. Previous studies, especially epidemiologic and clinical ones, have addressed estrogen's influence on periodontitis, suggesting that estrogen has a beneficial effect, but the biological mechanisms have not been identified. Estrogen exert

PURPOSE: Amacrine cells expressing nitric oxide synthase (NOS) are seen in normal retinas and retinal grafts to extend long processes, which can be followed for long distances. Taking advantage of the morphologic features of these cells, the present study examined whether graft-host connections involve cells capable of producing nitric oxide, a recognized retinal neuromodulatory compound.METHODS: