In this paper, we analyze the experiences gained from tradable green certificate (TGC) schemes and extract some policy lessons that can lead to a successful design of a market-based approach for energy efficiency improvement, alias tradable white certificate schemes. We use tradable green certificate schemes existing in the Netherlands and Sweden as case studies. Departing from an assessment of bo

Objective: To compare two models of learning the pelvic examination (PE) for medical students, with professional patients (PP) or with clinical patients (CP), by measuring perceived distress and learning outcome in terms of skills. Methods: Prospective longitudinal study. Assessments of self-perceived distress on four occasions at the prospect of performing a PE. Evaluation of the learning session

Purpose Human papillomavirus (HPV) has been linked to oropharyngeal carcinomas, but its role in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) is not clear. A prospective multicenter study based on known tumor-cell percentage of fresh frozen carcinoma biopsies was established to determine the HPV prevalence. Moreover risk factors such as smoking, alcohol abuse, chronic laryngitis and gastroesophageal re

Recent findings indicate that the interactions among CO2, temperature and water can be substantial, and that the combined effects on the biological systems of several factors may not be predicted from experiments with one or a few factors. Therefore realistic multifactorial experiments involving a larger set of main factors are needed. We describe a new Danish climate change-related field scale ex

Objective: To examine whether blood pressure over 24 h differed between postmenopausal women receiving and not receiving hormone replacement therapy. Methods: One group of hormone replacement postmenopausal women (n = 32) and one group of non-hormone replacement (n = 32) postmenopausal women underwent non-invasive 24-h ambulatory blood pressure monitoring. They were randomly selected among the 200

Study Objective: To determine whether Postoperative wound infiltration with local anesthetics combined with fentanyl improves analgesia following breast surgery; and to investigate awakening and Postoperative nausea/vomiting. Design: Prospectively randomized clinical study. Setting: University hospital. Patients: 45 ASA physical status I and II patients scheduled for breast surgery. Interventions:

The association of cytochrome c oxidase negative fibres (COX-negative) and ragged-red fibres (RR-fibres) with work related trapezius myalgia has been proposed. Hitherto studies have been small or without control groups. The aim of the present study was to investigate the prevalences of RR-fibres and COX-negative fibres in female cleaners with (n=25) and without (n=23) trapezius myalgia and in clin

Lactic acid production by recycle batch fermentation using immobilized cells of Lactobacillus casei subsp. rhamnosus was studied. The culture medium was composed of whey treated with an endoprotease, and supplemented with 2.5 g/L of yeast extract and 0.18 mM Mn(2+) ions. The fermentation set-up comprised of a column packed with polyethyleneimine-coated foam glass particles, Pora-bact A, and connec

Endothelial cell seeding has been advocated as a method for reducing the thrombogenicity of prosthetic grafts. Principally two different techniques for endothelial cell seeding can be used: immediate seeding of grafts followed by implantation or initial growth and establishment of an endothelial cell-covered surface before subsequent late implantation. This study was designed to determine whether

UV/TiO2/H2O2, UV/TiO2 and UV/H2O2 were compared as pre-treatment processes for the detoxification of mixtures of 4-chlorophenol (4CP), 2,4-dichlorophenol (DCP), 2,4,6-trichlorophenol (TCP) and pentachlorophenol (PCP) prior to their biological treatment. When each chlorophenol was initially supplied at 50mg l(-1),UV/TiO2/H2O2 treatment supported the highest pollutant removal, COD removal, and dechl

The clinical background and circumstances of 75 patients who had survived a near-fatal choking episode, i.e., had undergone a Heimlich maneuver, oropharyngeal suctioning, or intubation, is reported. Sixty had choked on a solid bolus (often of a complex texture like sandwiches and chicken soup). Four patients had choked on mashed banana. In 30 patients neurologic disease (such as cerebrovascular di

An immunological capacitive biosensor for calpastatin was developed, optimized and applied for the analysis of meat extract samples. Anti-calpastatin antibody was immobilized on a gold electrode modified with a self-assembled monolayer of mercaptoundecanoic acid and Protein A from Staphylococcus aureus, and the obtained immunosensor was inserted as the working electrode in an electrochemical cell

A method is presented that combines the modelling of cracks by distributed dislocation dipoles with developing plasticity represented by discrete dislocations moving along slip bands. Crack growth is due to the emission of dislocations from the crack tip along preferred slip planes. Eventual annihilation of dislocations occurs by reunion with the corresponding displacement steps of the crack surfa

In patients with radiculopathy due to degenerative disease in the cervical spine, surgical outcome is still presenting with moderate results. The preoperative investigations consist of clinical investigation, careful history and most often magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the cervical spine. When MRI shows multilevel degeneration, different strategies are used for indicating which nerve root/ro

Tawny owls Strix aluco generally roost in cryptic locations during the day. To test the hypothesis that this cryptic behaviour is an effort to avoid mobbers or avian predators, we measured diurnal behaviour and cause-specific mortality of radio-tagged birds. Non-breeding adults (assumed to be well fed individuals, optimising their own survival) roosted in less exposed locations than adults with yo