Widespread negative correlations between summertime-mean temperatures and precipitation over land regions are a well-known feature of terrestrial climate. This behavior has generally been interpreted in the context of soil moisture atmosphere coupling, with soil moisture deficits associated with reduced rainfall leading to enhanced surface sensible heating and higher surface temperature. The prese

Objective To develop a system for predicting the progression of radiographic knee osteoarthritis (OA) using tibial trabecular bone texture. Methods. We studied 203 knees with (n = 68) or without (n = 135) radiographic tibiofemoral OA in 105 subjects (90 men and 15 women with a mean age of 54 years) in whom 2 sets of knee radiographs were obtained 4 years apart. We determined medial and lateral com

This paper contains a joint ESHG/ASHG position document with recommendations regarding responsible innovation in prenatal screening with non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT). By virtue of its greater accuracy and safety with respect to prenatal screening for common autosomal aneuploidies, NIPT has the potential of helping the practice better achieve its aim of facilitating autonomous reproductive

In patients with a small heart, defined as an end-systolic volume (ESV) of a parts per thousand currency sign20 mL calculated using the Quantitative Gated SPECT (QGS) program, underestimation of ESV and overestimation of ejection fraction (EF) using gated myocardial perfusion imaging are considered errors caused by inappropriate delineation of the left ventricle (LV). The aim of this study was to

Objective. To explore how a group of Swedish general practitioners (GPs) manage patients with a sore throat in relation to current guidelines as expressed in interviews. Design. Qualitative content analysis was used to analyse semi-structured interviews. Setting. Swedish primary care. Subjects. A strategic sample of 25 GPs. Main outcome measures. Perceived management of sore throat patients. Resul

The formation of two-dimensional (2D)-hexagonal (p6m) silica-based hybrid material with a dual-mesoporosity is investigated in situ using synchrotron time-resolved Small Angle X-ray Scattering (SAXS). The material is synthesized from a mixed micellar solution of a nonionic fluorinated surfactant, RF₈(EO)₉, and a nonionic triblock copolymer, P123. Both mesoporosities, with pores dimensions at 3.3 a

We explain metacognition as a management of cognitive resources that does not necessitate algorithmic strategies or metarepresentation. When pragmatic, world-directed actions cannot reduce the distance to the goal, agents engage in epistemic action directed at cognition. Such actions often are physical and involve other people, and so are open to observation. Taking a dynamic systems approach to d

Coeliac disease and type 1 diabetes are autoimmune diseases that may share the same initiating environmental factors. In this study, the occurrence of type 1 diabetes associated autoantibodies (GADA and IA-2A) and tissue transglutaminase autoantibodies (TGA) was determined in patients with confirmed viral infections and no signs of type 1 diabetes or coeliac disease. Serum samples from 82 Cuban pa

Recent work in the literature has studied rigid Casimir cavities in a weak gravitational field, or in de Sitter spacetime, or yet other spacetime models. The present review paper studies the difficult problem of direct evaluation of scalar Green functions for a Casimir-type apparatus in de Sitter spacetime. Working to first order in the small parameter of the problem, i.e. twice the gravity accele

A new mechanistic model of drug release by osmotic pumping and diffusion from pellets coated with a semipermeable film developing pores created by the leaching of water-soluble compounds initially present in the coating, has been developed. The model describes dynamically all the main processes occurring during release, i.e. the inflow of solvent driven by the difference in osmotic pressure across

Abstract in UndeterminedIn this paper theoretical results regarding a generalized minimum rank matrix approximation problem in the spectral norm are presented. An alternative solution expression for the generalized matrix approximation problem is obtained. This alternative expression provides a simple characterization of the achievableminimum rank, which is shown to be the same as the optimal obje

The European Union (EU) military Operation Headquarters (OHQ) construct has been described as a slow starter due to familiarization issues and an arena for parallel chains of command. Similarly, a recent study of a live OHQ showed national perspectives to be common, particularly with staff members from nations prominent in the operation. However, the nature of these flaws remains unclear while sch

Dizziness is seldom the only symptom among patients who develop stroke but patients, hospitalized for vertigo are at higher risk of stroke than the general population. The proportions of patients who have remaining dizziness after a stroke seem to be unclear.

Gastrointestinal symptoms have a major impact on the quality of life and are becoming more prevalent in the western population. The enteric nervous system (ENS) is pivotal in regulating gastrointestinal functions. Purinergic neurotransmission conveys a range of short and long-term cellular effects. This study investigated the role of the ADP-sensitive P2Y13 receptor in lipid-induced enteric neurop

There is consensus that young patients with mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) should receive intensive immunochemotherapy regimens, but optimal treatment of elderly patients as well for as patients with limited or indolent disease is not defined. Our aim was to evaluate and compare outcome in relation to prognostic factors and first-line treatment in patients with MCL in a population-based data set. Data

Background. Well-specified and unambiguous treatment protocols are essential both for current practice and for the future development of radiation therapy. In order to provide assistance for writing good protocols, irrespective of treatment intention and complexity, up-to-date guidelines are highly desirable. Methods. We have analysed the radiotherapy work-flow, including clinical and physical asp

We present user-controllable and plausible defocus blur for a stochastic rasterizer. We modify circle of confusion coefficients per vertex to express more general defocus blur, and show how the method can be applied to limit the foreground blur, extend the in-focus range, simulate tilt-shift photography, and specify per-object defocus blur. Furthermore, with two simplifying assumptions, we show th

We report on large-scale and critically evaluated ab initio multiconfiguration Dirac-Hartree-Fock calculations of the wavelength and transition rate of the "coronal," M1 transition 4f F-2(5/2)o-F-2(7/2)o in Ag-like ions. The transition between these two fine-structure levels, which makes up the ground term for Z >= 62 in the isoelectronic sequence, has recently been observed in Yb23+ and W27+, whe

The success of artificial breeding program depends largely on the reproductive performance of males. Male performance can vary with season and age impacting on quality and quantity of semen collected for artificial insemination purposes and therefore fertility of inseminated females. We examined variation in semen output and male libido of seven male ostriches (aged 2-5 years) over a period of 24