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This thesis presents the results of studies focused on effects caused by nano-sized particles using freshwater filter feeder Daphnia magna. I showed that both positively and negatively surface charged PS NPs induced significant mortality in D. magna after a life-time (103 days) of exposure at low concentrations. Previously, it was shown that negatively surface charged PS NPs are acutely not toxic

Though digital platforms (e.g., social media) are often used to promote unhealthy, calorie-dense foods, the dynamics characterizing consumers' engagement with healthy nutrition-based content (e.g., as stimulated trough gamification) on these platforms remains tenuous, warranting further exploration. Addressing this gap, we deploy a qualitative field study and two experiments to show that challenge

Spatial resolution, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and acquisition time are interconnected in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Trade-offs are made to keep the SNR at the acceptable level, maximizing the resolution, minimizing the acquisition time and maintaining radiologically useful images. In low-field MRI scanners and especially in diffusion imaging, these trade-offs are even more crucial due to

Carbon dioxide (CO2) uptake by plant photosynthesis, referred to as gross primary production (GPP) at the ecosystem level, is sensitive to environmental factors, including pollutant exposure, pollutant uptake, and changes in the scattering of solar shortwave irradiance (SWin) − the energy source for photosynthesis. The 2020 spring lockdown due to COVID-19 resulted in improved air quality and atmos

Despite the growth in scholarship on diverse religious communities in Turkey, little attention has been paid to Twelver Shiʿi Muslims. Since the founding of the Republic, the Turkish state's foundational secularist agenda has attempted to control and promote a single hegemonic form of Islam, and Shiʿa have faced continuous issues practicing their faith in public as a result. While the liberalizati

The oxidation of aromatics contributes significantly to the formation of atmospheric aerosol. Using toluene as an example, we demonstrate the existence of a molecular rearrangement channel in the oxidation mechanism. Based on both flow reactor experiments and quantum chemical calculations, we show that the bicyclic peroxy radicals (BPRs) formed in OH-initiated aromatic oxidation are much less stab

Background: Spending time in natural environments is beneficial for human health, but many older adults have limited or no access to natural environments. Virtual reality technology may be a means to facilitate nature experiences, and so, there is a need for knowledge on how to design virtual restorative natural environments for older adults. Objective: The aim of this study was to identify, imple

The pine sawfly Diprion jingyuanensis Xiao and Zhang (Hymenoptera: Diprionidae) is a serious pest of Pinus tabulaeformis Carr. in the Shanxi, Gansu, and Inner Mongolia provinces in P. R. China. The sex pheromone of D. jingyuanensis was shown to be the propionate ester of 3,7-dimethyl-2-tridecanol. Virgin females contained an approximate 1:3 blend of the pheromone precursors erythro-(2S,3S,7R/S and

Group A Streptococcus (GAS) is a significant human pathogen that has developed multipleimmune evasion mechanisms to counter the host immune response. One of these mechanisms involvesthe production of the M protein, which, amongst other things, acts as an anti-phagocytic factor and canbind host proteins. Another is the ability of M protein to bind a human protein called fibronectin (Fn). Thisprotei

Rapid urbanization has placed the sustainable development of some watershed ecosystems in jeopardy. In order to achieve sustainable urban development, it is vital to identify the coupling mechanisms between urbanization and the ecological environment quality. This study establishes indicators to evaluate the Jiulong River Basin’s urbanization and ecological environment systems. These are utilized

This paper deals with the issue of isotropic heat conduction in thermomechanical large-strain problems. The aim of the paper is a comparison of different variants of Fourier’s law used in the literature for a large strain problem. In particular, Fourier’s law is specified either in the reference or in the deformed configuration by using different options of heat flux density vectors which are pres

Background: Trauma to the pancreas is rare but associated with significant morbidity. Currently available management guidelines are based on low-quality evidence and data on long-term outcomes is lacking. This study aimed to evaluate clinical characteristics and patient-reported long-term outcomes for pancreatic injury. Methods: A retrospective cohort study evaluating treatment for pancreatic inju

The crop drought risk assessment is an important basis for mitigating the effects of drought on crops. The study of drought using crop growth models is an integral part of agricultural drought risk research. The current Decision Support System for Agrotechnology Transfer (DSSAT) model is not sufficiently sensitive to moisture parameters when performing simulations, and most studies that conduct di

Objectives A novel longitudinal clustering technique was applied to comprehensive autoantibody data from a large, well-characterised, multinational inception systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) cohort to determine profiles predictive of clinical outcomes. Methods Demographic, clinical and serological data from 805 patients with SLE obtained within 15 months of diagnosis and at 3-year and 5-year fol

In this work, a computationally efficient evolutionary algorithm is proposed for estimating the direction of arrival (DOA) of coherently distributed (CD) sources corrupted by additive impulsive noise. The typical method, such as distributed signal parameter estimation (DSPE) method, requires a 2-D spectral peak search and cannot allow for coherent signals. The proposed method in this article uses