In December 2019, China reported the first cases of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). This disease, caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome–related coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has developed into a pandemic. To date, it has resulted in ~9 million confirmed cases and caused almost 500 000 related deaths worldwide. Unequivocally, the COVID-19 pandemic is the gravest health and socioeco

Aim: To investigate the associations between major foods and dietary fibre with subtypes of stroke in a large prospective cohort. Methods and results: We analysed data on 418 329 men and women from nine European countries, with an average of 12.7 years of follow-up. Diet was assessed using validated country-specific questionnaires which asked about habitual intake over the past year, calibrated us

Rituals are customarily muted into predictable routines aimed to stabilise social orders and limit conflict. As a result, their magic lure recedes into the background, and the unexpected and disruptive elements are downplayed. Our collaborative contribution counters this move by foregrounding rituals of world politics as social practices with notable disordering effects. We engage a series of ‘wor

Background: The purpose of this study was to prospectively recruit patients treated with limb malformation and to explore the prevalence and the clinical and epidemiological features of Heart-Hand Syndrome (HHS) in China. Methods: The consecutive patients treated for congenital upper limb malformation in Beijing Ji Shui Tan Hospital from October 1st, 2016 to October 1st, 2019 were prospectively re

Technology of 3D printing is opening the possibility for small-scale production in quantities between ten and several hundred pieces. The technology of adding material enables the production of complex and integrated functional concepts in a single-pass process, which consequently potentially reduces the need for assembly operations. Design approaches and manufacturing processing are not mastered

A search for production of the superheavy elements with atomic numbers 119 and 120 was performed in the 50Ti+249Bk and 50Ti+249Cf fusion-evaporation reactions, respectively, at the gas-filled recoil separator TASCA at GSI Darmstadt, Germany. Over four months of irradiation, the 249Bk target partially decayed into 249Cf, which allowed for a simultaneous search for both elements. Neither was detecte

BACKGROUND: DNA methylation plays a critical role in breast cancer development. Previous studies have identified DNA methylation marks in white blood cells as promising biomarkers for breast cancer. However, these studies were limited by low statistical power and potential biases. Using a new methodology, we investigated DNA methylation marks for their associations with breast cancer risk. METHODS

Coordinated international censuses of the Northwest European Bewick's Swan Cygnus columbianus bewickii population have been undertaken across the swans' wintering range at c. 5-year intervals since 1984. During the early years of the study, numbers increased steadily to a peak of 29,780 individuals in January 1995, but then declined by 39.4% to 18,057 swans counted in January 2010 before showing a

The circular economy may help firms to maximize the value of their material resources and minimize the overall resource use, waste, pollution and emissions of their business activities. Implementing a circular economy program requires radical changes in product, business model and ecosystem innovation. Most research on circular oriented innovation takes a product or business model perspective. Few

We investigate the enrichment patterns of several delivery scenarios of the volatiles to the atmospheres of ice giants, having in mind that the only well constrained determination made remotely, namely the carbon abundance measurement, suggests that their envelopes possess highly supersolar metallicities, i.e., close to two orders of magnitude above that of the protosolar nebula. In the framework

Background: Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are widespread, bioaccumulating, and persistent and show placental transfer. Emerging research indicates associations between prenatal exposure and low birth weight. The aim of this study was to assess the associations between first trimester exposure to PFASs and birth weight (BW) in the Swedish Environmental, Longitudinal, Mother and child, Asthma an

While the Sun is generally more eruptive during its maximum and declining phases, observational evidence shows certain cases of powerful solar eruptions during the quiet phase of solar activity. Occurring in the weak Solar Cycle 14 just after its minimum, the extreme space weather event in 1903 October-November is one of these cases. Here, we reconstruct the time series of geomagnetic activity bas

Objectives: To find possible predictive factors to predict the failure of conservative treatment of non-tubal ectopic pregnancy. For that purpose, we assessed the rate of failure, complications and need for additional interventions of the different primary treatment regimens in non-tubal ectopic pregnancies that occurred in our center. Study design: Retrospective single-center study conducted at H

This study compares taxation trends, volatility and tax effort between sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and Latin American and the Caribbean (LAC) countries since 1980. It finds that the LAC countries lead on revenue collection and revenue stability, but richer SSA countries outperform their LAC counterparts. Since 2010, there has been a divergence on personal income taxes, which have grown in SSA but dec

Background and AimsThe ecosystem engineers Sphagnum (peat mosses) are responsible for sequestering a large proportion of carbon in northern peatlands. Species may respond differently to hydrological changes, and water level changes may lead to vegetation shifts in peatlands, causing them to revert from sinks to sources of carbon. We aimed to compare species-specific responses to water level drawdo

Microfluidic soil chips render optical access to the naturally opaque soil systems and enable direct investigation of microbial growth and interactions in micro-structurally and chemically controlled environments. However, chemical analyses of these interactions at high spatial and temporal resolution are still lacking. Here we propose that the use of advanced microspectroscopy techniques, namely

Background: Potent antithrombotic therapy has significantly improved prognosis for patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI), however, at a price of increased bleeding risk. Chronic gastric infection with Helicobacter pylori (Hp) commonly causes upper gastrointestinal bleeding and is proposed as a risk factor for subsequent bleeding post AMI. The prevalence of active Hp in a current AMI popu

AIM: To study school outcomes of adolescents with cerebral palsy (CP) compared with a matched comparison group from the general population, and to observe to what extent sociodemographic and disability-specific factors are associated with school outcomes.METHOD: This was a register study of persons with CP in Sweden, born between 1990 and 1999, with a matched comparison group. Logistic regressions

Peptide oligomerization dynamics affects peptide structure, activity, and pharmacodynamic properties. The thrombin C-terminal peptide, TCP-25 (GKYGFYTHVFRLKKWIQKVIDQFGE), is currently in preclinical development for improved wound healing and infection prevention. It exhibits turbidity when formulated at pH 7.4, particularly at concentrations of 0.3 mM or more. We used biochemical and biophysical a