We investigated the association between cadmium in blood and the concentration of the prostate specific antigen (PSA) in semen, including the modifying effects of zinc or the CAG polymorphism in the androgen receptor (AR). Blood and semen samples were collected from 504 partners of pregnant women in Greenland, Poland and Ukraine. We found an inverse trend between cadmium and PSA (log (ß)= -0.121,

1. Environmental factors fluctuate spatially and temporally, and organisms that can alter phenotype in response to these changes may increase their fitness. Zooplankton are known to be able to induce body pigmentation in response to ultraviolet radiation (UVR) and to reduce the pigmentation when exposed to fish predators. Hence, reduced pigmentation because of the presence of fish could potentiall

P>Shigella bacteria invade macrophages and epithelial cells and following internalization lyse the phagosome and escape to the cytoplasm. Galectin-3, an abundant protein in macrophages and epithelial cells, belongs to a family of beta-galactoside-binding proteins, the galectins, with many proposed functions in immune response, development, differentiation, cancer and infection. Galectins are synth

Measurements of double-helicity asymmetries in inclusive hadron production in polarized p + p collisions are sensitive to helicity-dependent parton distribution functions, in particular, to the gluon helicity distribution, Delta g. This study focuses on the extraction of the double-helicity asymmetry in eta production ((p) over right arrow + (p) over right arrow -> eta + X), the eta cross section,

The chapter explores the potentials of a new type of pedagogical agent – a Challenger Teachable Agent. The aim of such a pedagogical agent is to increase engagement and motivation, and challenge students into deeper learning and metacognitive reasoning. It is based on the successful implementation of the Learning by Teaching approach in Teacheable Agents, and in addition it draws on previous work

A process combining dark fermentation and photofermentation for production of hydrogen is interesting due to its potential of producing hydrogen at a high yields. In this study, the hydrogen process is compared to a 2nd generation ethanol process with respect to cost and with the aim of increasing our understanding of the pros and cons and giving a clear picture of the present status of the two pr

Aim: To study the effects of intravitreally injected triamcinolone acetonide (TA) and/or its preservative benzyl alcohol (BA) in healthy rabbit retina. Methods: Forty-eight rabbits (aged 4 months, body weight approximate to 3 kg) were randomized into four groups (n=12). They were examined with electroretinography (ERG) prior to drug exposure, and then injected intravitreally with a combination of

A detailed study has been made of soot growth in two premixed flat ethylene/air flames, at I broken vertical bar = 2.1 and I broken vertical bar = 2.3, where focus has been on following the change in optical properties from nascent to more mature soot, and the importance of these properties for laser-induced incandescence (LII). A combination of two-color LII (2C-LII) and elastic light scattering

Aluminum foams are favorable in modern thermal engineering applications because of the high thermal conductivity and the large specific surface area. The present study aims to investigate an application of porous aluminum foam by using the local thermal equilibrium (LTE) and local thermal nonequilibrium (LTNE) heat transfer models. Three-dimensional simulations of laminar flow (porous foam zone),

Aims/hypothesis The role of biomarkers of subclinical inflammation in the early deterioration of glycaemia before type 2 diabetes is largely unknown. We hypothesised that increased levels of circulating proinflammatory biomarkers and decreased circulating adiponectin would be associated with 7 year increases of HbA(1c) in non-diabetic individuals. Methods This study was based on individuals who pa

Overflow metabolism, i.e. the production of metabolic by-products at a high glycolytic flux, is a recurring problem in fed-batch processes with many types of microorganisms. In the current study, a novel feeding strategy aimed at avoiding process failures due to overflow by-product formation was designed and implemented in a pilot-scale reactor (0.5 m3). The basic principle behind the strategy was

Impaired insulin secretion is a hallmark of type 2 diabetes (T2D). Epigenetics may affect disease susceptibility. To describe the human methylome in pancreatic islets and determine the epigenetic basis of T2D, we analyzed DNA methylation of 479,927 CpG sites and the transcriptome in pancreatic islets from T2D and non-diabetic donors. We provide a detailed map of the global DNA methylation pattern

John Kingdon's Multiple Streams Framework (MSF) constitutes a powerful tool for understanding the policy process, and more specifically, agenda-setting, through three separate streams: problems, policies and politics. This article argues that the MSF would benefit from further development of the problem stream. It introduces a clearer conception of agency into the problem stream by suggesting the

Shelf and coastal regions are exceptionally important for many countries as they provide the main habitat for many economically important fish and shellfish species. With ongoing climate change and human-induced eutrophication the shelf regions are especially affected, resulting in increased temperatures and stratification as well as oxygen depletion of the bottom waters. In order to be able to pr

Thermal radiation is the dominating form of heat transfer in several combustion technologies that combust solid fuels, such as pulverized coal combustion and fixed bed combustion. The thermal radiation originates from the hot combustion gases and particles. For accurate modelling of thermal radiation in these environments the selection of the radiative transport model and radiative property model

Imprinting theory suggests that founding conditions are stamped' on organizations, and these imprinted routines often resist change. In contrast, strategic choice theory suggests that the firm can overcome organizational inertia and deliberately choose its future. Both theories offer dramatically different explanations behind an organization's capacity for change. IPO firms provide a unique contex

Using kilometric arrays of air Cherenkov telescopes at short wavelengths, intensity interferometry may increase the spatial resolution achieved in optical astronomy by an order of magnitude, enabling images of rapidly rotating hot stars with structures in their circumstellar disks and winds, or mapping out patterns of nonradial pulsations across stellar surfaces. Intensity interferometry (once pio

Objectives: To explore the views of experts about the development and validation of a robotic surgery training curriculum, and how this should be implemented. Materials and methods: An international expert panel was invited to a structured session for discussion. The study was of a mixed design, including qualitative and quantitative components based on focus group interviews during the European A