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The Lisbon Treaty (Article 11) recognises the provision on participatory democracy as a democratic principle of the European Union (EU), thus constitutionally legitimising the involvement of civil society in European governance. However, at least three issues relating to the democratic dimension of this practice remain unresolved. First, it is not possible to specify precisely how the participatio
ObjectiveExamine the factor structure, reliability, and validity of the Pediatric Testing Attitudes Scale-Diabetes (P-TAS-D), a measure of parental attitudes about predictive risk screening for type 1 diabetes in children. MethodsSurveys were completed by 3720 Swedish parents of children participating in the adolescent follow-up of a birth cohort study of type 1 diabetes onset. Parents averaged 43
Hemorrhage is a rare but dreaded complication after pancreatic surgery. The aim of this study was to examine the incidence, risk factors, management, and outcome of postpancreatectomy hemorrhage in a tertiary care center. A retrospective observational study was conducted on 500 consecutive patients undergoing major pancreatic resections at our institution. Postpancrea-tectomy hemorrhage was define
In Parkinson's disease non-motor symptoms can appear even before the motor symptoms. Additionally to motor fluctuations and dyskinesias, the non-motor symptoms constitute one of the main problems when treating Parkinson's disease. They are also of high relevance for the quality of life. There are indications that a continuous dopaminergic stimulation can improve symptoms such as depression, sleep
Cryostructuration platform renders it possible to form macroporous materials (known as cryogels) with a broad range of porosity, from structures with combination of meso- and macropores to structures with 100-μm sized macropores. When these materials are formed in the shape of monoliths (monolithic cryogels), they present a unique monolithic stationary medium for specific applications. This revie
It is well established that atherosclerosis is caused by an inflammatory process in the arterial intima. However, it is only in recent years that it has become clear that this inflammation is modulated by immune responses against plaque antigens. These antigens are primarily believed to be modified self-antigens such as oxidized LDL. The immune system is challenged to determine whether these antig
During moult, stressors such as malaria and related haemosporidian parasites (e.g. Plasmodium and Haemoproteus) could affect the growth rate and quality of feathers, which in turn may compromise future reproduction and survival. Recent advances in molecular methods to study parasites have revealed that co-infections with multiple parasites are frequent in bird-malaria parasite systems. However, th
Midkine shares several features in common with antibacterial proteins of the innate immune system. These include growth factor properties, heparin-binding regions, and effects on immune cells (i.e. recruitment and activation of neutrophils and macrophages). Indeed, recent research has demonstrated potent bactericidal and fungicidal activities of midkine. This protein is constitutively expressed at
Studies of circular DNA confined to nanofluidic channels are relevant both from a fundamental polymer-physics perspective and due to the importance of circular DNA molecules in vivo. We here observe the unfolding of confined DNA from the circular to linear configuration as a light-induced double-strand break occurs, characterize the dynamics, and compare the equilibrium conformational statistics o
Polymer films with embedded liquid crystal inclusions (polymer-dispersed liquid crystals) are superb composites for addressable windows, flexible displays and optical storage. Their scattering behavior and electro-optic properties depend essentially on the shape and size of the liquid crystal inclusions, which are typically formed by phase separation from a multicomponent homogeneous mixture. Here
Because music holds a strong power over people, and its impact on consumers is relatively direct, it is invariably an interesting medium for marketers. Although Sonic Branding – branding with music and sound – has been seen as ’the next big thing’ in branding toward consumers for about a decade, it is a scattered field still waiting for its breakthrough. Addressing this problem, the present consum
The rd1 natural mutant is one of the first and probably the most commonly studied mouse model for retinitis pigmentosa (RP), a severe and frequently blinding human retinal degeneration. In several decades of research, the link between the increase in photoreceptor cGMP levels and the extremely rapid cell death gave rise to a number of hypotheses. Here, we provide clear evidence that the presence o
Dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP-4) was recently found to be expressed in human and mouse islets with different expression patterns. However, whether species-dependent expression pattern is a generalized phenomenon and whether islet DPP-4 activity is regulated are not known. This study was conducted to investigate DPP-4 localization in several different species, and to examine the impact of glucose, in
We have investigated the potential impact on organic aerosol formation from biotic stress-induced emissions (SIE) of organic molecules from forests in Europe (north of lat. 45° N). Emission estimates for sesquiterpenes (SQT), methyl salicylate (MeSA) and unsaturated C17 compounds, due to different stressors, are based on experiments in the Jülich Plant Atmosphere Chamber (JPAC), combined with esti
Sialic acid-binding immunoglobulin-like lectins (Siglecs) are receptors believed to be important for regulation of cellular activation and inflammation. Several pathogenic microbes bind specific Siglecs via sialic acid-containing structures at the microbial surface, interactions that may result in modulation of host responses. Recently, it was shown that the group B Streptococcus (GBS) binds to hu
The current trend in biomass conversion technologies is toward more efficient utilization of biomass feedstock in multiproduct biorefineries. Many life-cycle assessment (LCA) studies of biorefinery systems have been performed but differ in how they use the LCA methodology. Based on a review of existing LCA standards and guidelines, this paper provides recommendations on how to handle key methodolo
Using both synchrotron-based photoemission electron microscopy/spectroscopy and scanning tunneling microscopy/spectroscopy, we obtain a complete picture of the surface composition, morphology, and electronic structure of InP nanowires. Characterization is done at all relevant length scales from micrometer to nanometer. We investigate nanowire surfaces with native oxide and molecular adsorbates res
