Nitrate pollution in groundwater is a severe problem in Shimabara Peninsula, Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan. Previous studies have investigated water quality characteristics in the northern part of the peninsula and shown serious effects of nitrate pollution in the groundwater. The present study aimed to investigate the groundwater quality in the southern areas of the peninsula for improved understand

Even if there is evidence of play from all vertebrate classes suggesting origins in deep time, descriptions of the evolution of play are surprisingly patchy. To bridge this gap, one must study play comparatively and include taxa from key phylogenetic positions. This study is the first systematic description of play in greater rheas, and thereby the first such report on any palaeognath bird. Palaeo

Aquatic organisms are constantly at risk of being exposed to potentially harmful chemical compounds of natural or anthropogenic origin. Biological life can for instance respond to chemical stressors by changes in gene expression, and thus, certain gene transcripts can potentially function as biomarkers, i.e. early warnings, of toxicity and chemical stress. A major challenge for biomarker applicatiAquatic organisms are constantly at risk of being exposed to potentially harmful chemical compounds of natural or anthropogenic origin. Biological life can for instance respond to chemical stressors by changes in gene expression, and thus, certain gene transcripts can potentially function as biomarkers, i.e. early warnings, of toxicity and chemical stress. A major challenge for biomarker applicati

This article presents and discusses the case study “Scraping the surface,” aworkshop about sustainable design held for master’s students of different design majors at the FHNW Academy of Art and Design. Through marketing we, as consumers, are bombarded with products claiming to be sustainable. As a result, sustainability has become a buzz word. “Scraping the surface” highlighted the complex factor

The objective was to investigate the validity and reliability of a new instrument assessing sexual harassment at a public university in Sweden. In-depth interviews and focus group discussions resulted in a 10-item instrument, the ‘Lund University Sexual Harassment Inventory’ (LUSHI). A survey was sent to all staff, including PhD students, and students, with a response rate of 33% (n = 2736) and 32

MHC genes play a fundamental role in immune recognition of pathogens and parasites. Therefore, females may increase offspring heterozygosity and genetic diversity by selecting males with genetically compatible or heterozygous MHC. In birds, several studies suggest that MHC genes play a role in mate choice, and recent evidence suggests that olfaction may play a role in the MHC-II discrimination. Ho

We introduce the concept of a k-dimensional matrix product D of k matrices (Formula presented.) of sizes (Formula presented.) respectively, where (Formula presented.) is equal to (Formula presented.). We provide upper bounds on the time complexity of computing the product and solving related problems of computing witnesses and maximum witnesses of the Boolean version of the product in terms of the

Various concepts guide discussions on global literature, not least ›transnational‹. The presenttext advocates, however, for the term trans-imperial, as offering a more correct definitionof world literature, or global literature, both in pre-modern and modern times. Imperialspheres build up worlds of strong interconnections, and the languages they employ becomeprivileged languages that may last bey

Background: It is unclear whether peripheral arterial cannulation is superior to central arterial cannulation for postcardiotomy veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO). Methods: A systematic review was conducted using PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar to identify studies on postcardiotomy VA-ECMO for the present individual patient data (IPD) meta-analysis. Analysis was perfor

The purpose of this article is to develop more fully the notion of the international identity of the European Union (EU) in world politics. We will attempt to balance our previous focus of work on the "active dimension' of the EU' s attempts to "assert its identity on the international scene'; by looking at the "reflexive dimension'; of the EU's international identity from a more sociological pers

This chapter focuses on recent policies adopted by the Swedish government in its management of unaccompanied children, and asks what the implications are for the concerned children’s rights. Focusing on conditions for rights, the chapter identifies three tensions which illustrate spaces for rights claiming: the boundary between who is a child and who is an adult, the division of responsibility bet

Background In sub-Saharan Africa, high HIV incidence rates in adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) persist despite extensive HIV prevention efforts. Methods A prospective cohort of 2,710 HIV-negative AGYW (15–24 years) in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa were interviewed at baseline and followed-up approximately 18 months later (2014–2017). Associations between HIV seroconversion and socio-demograph