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Background Persistent inflammation has been proposed to contribute to various stages in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease. Interleukin-6 receptor (IL6R) signalling propagates downstream inflammation cascades. To assess whether this pathway is causally relevant to coronary heart disease, we studied a functional genetic variant known to affect IL6R signalling. Methods In a collaborative met

Coastal eutrophication by nutrient fluxes from agricultural land to marine recipients is presently com- bated by measures such as the implementation of watershed-scale wetland creation programs aimed at nitrogen removal. Such created agricultural wetlands – termed ‘nitrogen farming wetlands’ (NFWs) – receive nitrogen (N) loads predominantly as nitrate, facilitating N removal by denitrification. Ho

The results of a search for pair production of the scalar partners of bottom quarks in 2: 05 fb(-1) of pp collisions at root s = 7 TeV using the ATLAS experiment are reported. Scalar bottom quarks are searched for in events with large missing transverse momentum and two jets in the final state, where both jets are identified as originating from a bottom quark. In an R-parity conserving minimal sup

For triangles with linear vertex motion, common practice is to backface cull a triangle if it is backfacing at both the start and end of the motion. However, this is not conservative. We derive conservative tests that guarantee that a moving triangle is backfacing over an entire time interval and over the area of a lens. In addition, we present tests for the special cases of only motion blur and o

Aim: To develop and validate a questionnaire for detecting atopic dermatitis in infants and small children from the age of 2 months. Methods: Parents to 60 children answered a written questionnaire prior to a physical examination and individual semistructured interview. Qualitative and quantitative analyses of validity, sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values of the questionnaire were pe

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to increase our understanding of the multifaceted phenomenon of home and health, by exploring processes underlying these dynamics when living at home in very old age. METHOD: A qualitative meta-synthesis was used on four complementary qualitative studies, based on data from the Swedish ENABLE-AGE In-depth Study, focusing on very old, single-living people's expe

In spite of the growing attention to climate-induced migration, a coherent understanding of the matter is lackingas any articulated governance strategy. Although such an impasse relates to the unprecedented socioecological processes involved, we argue that many of the challenges posed by climate-induced migration are not unique in the history of global environmental governance. Proceeding from thi

Chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS) is a common condition that causes severe symptoms, bother, and quality-of-life impact in the 8.2% of men who are believed to be affected. Research suggests a complex pathophysiology underlying this syndrome that is mirrored by its heterogeneous clinical presentation. Management of patients diagnosed with CP/CPPS has always been a formidabl

Knee-replacement surgery is frequently done and highly successful. It relieves pain and improves knee function in people with advanced arthritis of the joint. The most common indication for the procedure is osteoarthritis. We review the epidemiology of and risk factors for knee replacement. Because replacement is increasingly considered for patients younger than 55 years, improved decision making

The European Association of Urology non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) guidelines recommend that all low- and intermediate-risk patients receive a single immediate instillation of chemotherapy after transurethral resection of the bladder (TURB), but its use remains controversial.

The photo-fragmentation of ammonia molecular clusters ionized with soft x-rays is studied for photon energies near the N-1s threshold. The fragmentation is studied with a 3D momentum mass spectrometer to access the energy and angular correlations between fragments. By choosing the cluster sizes below or above the critical size of stable dication, we investigate the coulomb explosion dynamics and t

Regional government formation in varying multilevel contexts: a comparison of eight European countries, Regional Studies. Although governance in multilevel settings has become a prominent research field in political science, there are few comparative studies that focus on explaining sub-national coalition outcomes in such settings. This paper sets out to study regional government formation in eigh

The chapter explores how users ascribe gender to a visually androgynous teachable agent, and if and how the ascribed gender can influence the perceived personality characteristics of the agent. Previous studies have shown positive effects of using agents with more neutral or androgynous appearances, for instance, a more gender neutral agent evoked more positive attitudes on females than did a more

Sustainability science needs approaches that allow for the integration of knowledge across disciplines and scales. This paper suggests an approach to conceptualize problems of unsustainability by embedding the Drivers-Pressure-State-Impact-Response (DPSIR) scheme within a multi-level institutional framework represented by Hagerstrand's system of nested domains. The proposed taxonomy helps to decip

Legumain, an asparaginyl endopeptidase, is up-regulated in tumour and tumour-associated cells, and is linked to the processing of cathepsin B, L, and proMMP-2. Although legumain is mainly localized to the endosomal/lysosomal compartments, legumain has been reported to be localized extracellularly in the tumour microenvironrnent and associated with extracellular matrix and cell surfaces. The most p

Many of Sokurov’s films, features as well as documentaries, are characterised by scant or subdued dialogue and/or voice-over narration. This aesthetic style of the predominance of visual over verbal expression is understood as a direct expression of Sokurov’s concern with mortality and death. The argument proceeds from a semiotic distinction between language as basically discrete and moving pictur

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: To date, the molecular function of most of the reported type 2 diabetes-associated loci remains unknown. The introduction or removal of cytosine-phosphate-guanine (CpG) dinucleotides, which are possible sites of DNA methylation, has been suggested as a potential mechanism through which single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) can affect gene function via epigenetics. The aim of this

We describe the spectrum of certain integration operators acting on generalized Fock spaces.

The use of medical equipment is growing in healthcare, resulting in an increased need for resources to educate users in how to manage the various devices. Learning the practical operation of a device is one thing, but learning how to work with the device in the actual clinical context is more challenging. This paper presents a computer-based simulation prototype for learning medical technology in