The paddyfield warbler, Acrocephalus agricola, has extended its breeding range from Central Asia to the western Black Sea coast. The Balkan population offers a unique chance to test the effect of breeding range expansion on the genetically programmed migratory direction. We studied 21 paddyfield warblers at Durankulak Lake, NE Bulgaria, by recording their autumn migratory orientation in circular o

Pharmacological and revascularization strategies following myocardial infarction (MI) have changed substantially during the last two decades. We investigated the temporal trends in heart failure (HF) incidence and mortality during the first 90days following first-time MI between 1997 and 2010 in Denmark.

Background Compared with placebo, prophylactic treatment with bisphosphonates reduces risk of skeletal events in patients with multiple myeloma. However, because of toxicity associated with long-term bisphosphonate treatment, establishing the lowest effective dose is important. This study compared the effect of two doses of pamidronate on health-related quality of life and skeletal morbidity in pa

With fast growing power consumption and device miniaturization, micro/minichannels are superior to macrochannels or conventional channels for high heat-flux dissipation due to their large surface area to volume ratios and high heat transfer coefficients. However, the associated large pressure drop penalty and flow boiling instability of micro/minichannels hinder their advancement in many practical

Our simple dynamic-simulation model shows that the global supply of Rare Earth Elements is limited for meeting the future demands of new technologies. Unless improved recycling policies are adapted strategic elements may become scarce in the next half-century as a result of a “peak Rare Earths Elements” phenomenon. The model results also show that the market alone cannot solve the resource-ineffic

Cooperative diversity using distributed space-time codes has been recently proposed to form virtual antennas in order to achieve diversity gain. In this paper, we consider a multi-relay network operating in amplify-and-forward (AAF) mode. Motivated by protocol III presented in (Nabar et al. 2004), we propose a cooperative diversity protocol implementing space–time coding for an arbitrary number of

A study of the feasibility of perturbation-based control methods in industrial fed-batch fermentations based on experiments in industrial production scale bioreactors (>100 m(3)) is presented, as well as modelling of the relation between substrate feed rate and dissolved oxygen level in such a process. Several different types of perturbation-based control methods have been suggested for control of

In Europe, agri-environmental schemes (AES) have been introduced in response to concerns about farmland biodiversity declines. Yet, as AES have delivered variable results, a better understanding of what determines their success or failure is urgently needed. Focusing on pollinating insects, we quantitatively reviewed how environmental factors affect the effectiveness of AES. Our results suggest th

Evidence for an involvement of striatal D1 receptors in levodopa-induced dyskinesia has been presented whereas the contribution of striatal D2 receptors remains controversial. In addition, whether D1 and D2 receptors located in the substantia nigra reticulata shape the response to levodopa remains unknown. We therefore used dual probe microdialysis to unravel the impact of striatal and nigral D1 o

The target for the oral erectile dysfunction drugs, phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) inhibitors, is part of a pathway implicated in the development of malignant melanoma. An increased risk of melanoma in sildenafil users was recently reported.

Obestatin is a 23-amino acid peptide encoded by the ghrelin gene. We have investigated the effect of obestatin on intestinal contractility in rats ranging from the suckling period till adolescence. Duodenal and middle jejunum whole-thickness preparations from neonatal and adult rats were studied in an organ bath, for isometric recording under treatment with obestatin (1 mu mol L-1) in the presence

The aim of this work was to develop a model suited for detailed studies of aerosol dynamics, gas and particle phase chemistry within urban plumes, from local scale (1x1 km(2)) to regional scale. This article describes and evaluates the trajectory model for Aerosol Dynamics, gas and particle phase CHEMistry and radiative transfer (AD-CHEM). The model treats both vertical and horizontal dispersion p

We have measured the land-atmosphere CO2 exchange using the eddy covariance technique in a high Arctic tundra heath in northeast Greenland (Zackenberg). On the basis of 11 years of measurements (2000-2010), it was found that snow cover dynamics was important for the CO2 exchange. The start of CO2 uptake period correlated significantly with timing of snowmelt. Furthermore, for years with deep and l

Atmospheric ions participate in the formation of new atmospheric aerosol particles, yet their exact role in this process has remained unclear. Here we derive a new simple parameterization for ion-induced nucleation or, more precisely, for the formation rate of charged 2-nm particles. The parameterization is semi-empirical in the sense that it is based on comprehensive results of one-year-long atmo

The known monogenic forms of stroke are rare. The aim of this study was to analyze pedigrees of young stroke patients regarding possible monogenic cerebrovascular disease and to evaluate the possibility of genetic stroke in these families. This may contribute to a better understanding of disease mechanism in stroke.

In forensic contexts it is common that witnesses retell and discuss the experienced event many times. It is of forensic importance to understand how this influences memory and meta-memory. Eighty-nine participants viewed a short film and were assigned to one of four conditions: (1) Laboratory discussion (five discussions of the event with a confederate), (2) Family discussion (five discussions of

The stress fields of expanding (precipitation) and contracting (dissolution) hydride plates were computed by finite element method using Zr-H solid solution and hydride properties at 25, 200 and 400 degrees C for fully and semi-constrained hydride plates. For the first time simultaneous hydride expansion and matrix contraction and vice-versa have been considered in a simulation of hydride precipit

The association of contemporary hosts and their parasites might reflect either cospeciation or more recent shifts among existing hosts. Cospeciation implies that lineages of hosts and parasites diverge in parallel at the same time, but testing this prediction requires time-calibrated phylogenies, which are particularly difficult to obtain in organisms that leave few fossils. It has successively be