The effects of the inhalation of Cymbopogon martinii essential oil (EO) and geraniol on Wistar rats were evaluated for biochemical parameters and hepatic oxidative stress. Wistar rats were divided into three groups n = 8: G1 was control group, treated with saline solution; G2 received geraniol; and G3 received C. martinii EO by inhalation during 30 days. No significant differences were observed in

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to investigate the association of the redox state via malondialdehyde (MDA) as a lipid peroxidation biomarker and hydrophilic antioxidant capacity (HAC) with dietary, anthropometric, demographic, socio-economic and clinical variables as well as the serum concentrations of vitamins in children aged 20-36 months. This cross-sectional study was conducted fr

Yacon (Smallanthus sonchifolius) is a native Andean plant rich in phenolic compounds, and its effects on dysmetabolism and cardiomyopathy in diabetic rats was evaluated. The rats (10/group) were allocated as follows: C, controls; C + Y, controls treated with Yacon leaf extract (YLE); DM, diabetic controls; and DM + Y, diabetic rats treated with YLE. Type 1 diabetes (T1DM) was induced by the admini

This paper presents a methodology for developing software systems denoted Cleanroom Software Engineering. The methodology has been developed at IBM and Software Engineering Technology (SET) in the USA, and is currently being adapted and applied to the field of telecommunications by E-P Telecom Q-Labs. The paper gives a brief introduction to Cleanroom. The main objective of Cleanroom is to introdu

Presents a method proposal for estimation of software reliability before the implementation phase. The method is based upon a formal description technique and that it is possible to develop a tool for performing dynamic analysis, i.e. locating semantic faults in the design. The analysis is performed by applying a usage profile as input as well as doing a full analysis, i.e. locating all faults tha

Software reliability is a frequently used term, but very seldom the reliability is under control during a software development project. This paper presents a method, Statistical Usage Testing (SUT), which gives the possibility to estimate and predict, and hence control software reliability. SUT is the reliability certihcation method described as a part of Cleanroom software engineering. The main o

Insects have mutualistic symbioses with a variety of microorganisms. However, the chemical signals that maintain these insect-microbe relationships are poorly known compared to those from insect-plant symbioses. The spruce bark beetle, Ips typographus, the most destructive forest pest in Europe, has a symbiotic relationship with several fungi that are believed to contribute to its successful invas

In agro-ecosystems, environmental monitoring is fundamental to detect and survey changes related to land use change and management practices. Butterflies and moths have often been suggested as suitable indicators for monitoring environmental effects on biodiversity in farmlands. Here, we estimated the required sample size and monitoring effort necessary to run a Lepidoptera survey in European farm

Purpose: Paroxysmal atrial fibrillation is often suspected as a probable cause of cryptogenic stroke. Continuous long-term ECG monitoring using insertable cardiac monitors is a clinically effective technique to screen for atrial fibrillation and superior to conventional follow-up in cryptogenic stroke. However, more studies are needed to identify factors which can help selecting patients with the

Reptiles use pterin and carotenoid pigments to produce yellow, orange, and red colors. These conspicuous colors serve a diversity of signaling functions, but their molecular basis remains unresolved. Here, we show that the genomes of sympatric color morphs of the European common wall lizard (Podarcis muralis), which differ in orange and yellow pigmentation and in their ecology and behavior, are vi

The title compound was synthesized according to Andersson Acta Chem. Scand. 18 (1964) 2233. The structure is an incommensurately modulated variation of the UO3 structure, in a (3 + 1)-dimensional super space description isostructural to the composite phases (1 - x)Ta2O5•xWO3 Acta Crystallogr., Sect. B 52 (1996) 223 and Acta Crystallogr., Sect. B 51 (1995) 709. The compound crystallizes in the orth

Diffraction patterns from apatite-structure compounds Cd5-η/2(TO4)3X1-η with T=P, V and X=Br, I show sheets of diffuse scattering normal to c* at incommensurate l=q (q=1.63 for Cd-V-I apatite and q=1.78 for Cd-P-Br apatite), because the c repeat of the average unit cell is shorter than two X diameters. The equilibrium X..X spacing along c defines the incommensurate periodicity c/q and stoichiometr

The first incommensurate ordering of NH4Cu7-xS4 (x = 0.16) has been investigated using X-ray single crystal diffraction at 174 K. The modulated structure is described with monoclinic symmetry with the cell parameters a = 10.272 (angstrom), b = 10.272 (angstrom), c = 7.694 (angstrom) and β=90.0°. It belongs to the four-dimensional space group P:P2/n:-11 {conventional setting P:P2/b:-11 (no. 13.1)}.

Background: Neuropathic pain is an increasingly prevalent condition and has a major impact on health and quality of life. However, the risk factors for the development and maintenance of neuropathic pain are poorly understood. Clinical, genetic and psychosocial factors all contribute to chronic pain, but their interactions have not been studied in large cohorts. The DOLORisk study aims to study th

Objective: The de-institutionalizing process came to an end before the millennium shift by closing mental hospitals. After that some of the most ill patients are cared for in sheltered housing (SH). There is no in-house psychiatric competence and the staff on the floor usually lacks such knowledge and training. Observation instruments may improve this by making it possible to assess and monitor pa

The Steyn and Puth (2000) model for strategic communication management has been applied by students and other project participants to non-profit organisations (NPOs), government institutions and small and medium enterprises in South Africa, but organisations’ communication practices have not been measured against the model. This paper reports on the strategic communication management practices of