Finite-element programs can be used for designing columns and their bracing systems. It is well known, however, that the output obtained from such programs is highly dependent upon the input (such as imperfections and stiffness properties). In the present study, the effects of imperfections on the predicted strength and stiffness requirements of steel columns and of their bracing systems are inves

The peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARgamma), a member of the nuclear hormone receptor superfamily, is essential for adipocyte differentiation and glucose homeostasis. PPARgamma has been found recently to regulate macrophage activation in response to mitogens and inflammation. Our study shows PPARgamma to be preferentially expressed in the nuclei of resting T cells and to incre

In this study we have compared the interaction of human MHC class I molecules with IgG heavy chain (HC) binding protein (BiP), calnexin, calreticulin, tapasin and TAP in beta(2)-microglobulin (beta(2)m)- or TAP-deficient cells, as well as in wild-type B-LCL cells. Distinct differences between the association of HC and these endoplasmic reticulum (ER) proteins were found in the three cell lines. In

The growth hormone/insulin-like growth factor (IGF) axis can be manipulated in animal models to promote longevity, and IGF-related proteins including IGF-I and IGF-binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) have also been implicated in risk of human diseases including cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and cancer. Through genomewide association study of up to 30 884 adults of European ancestry from 21 studies, w

We have used visual and instrumental (EDXRF, energy-dispersive x-ray fluorescence) methods to analyse naturally occurring flint from Gotland and Öland. We compare the results with previously published analyses conducted on other types of flint. We identify two visually distinct types of flint from Gotland: grey flint and white/brown flint. The chemistry of the more common grey flint is unique comp

This paper deals with theoretical and experimental investigations of nailed steel plate connections. For the experimental part, a total of 99 laboratory tests have been carried out in order to study failure mechanism and shear capacity of nailed steel plate connections. The testing programme comprised two nail lengths, two steel plate thicknesses and five nailing patterns. All tests related to loa

Background and objectives A randomized trial was conducted in Tuscany, Italy, to evaluate the effectiveness of HPV vaccination for 25 year old (yo) women who attend at the first time cervical cancer screening. The trial also evaluated immune response after vaccination, reductions of cytological abnormalities and the impact of vaccination on screening activity. Study design During 2010–2011, all 25

Food web links reflect the feeding rate of organisms and should thus capture the biomass production rate of the consumer. This information is rarely available for detrital food webs and has instead been inferred from biomass estimates to construct quantitative detrital food webs. Published method comparisons between biomass, growth and mineralisation show that microbial biomass is a poor predictor

Introduction: Trismus is a treatment-related late side effect in patients treated for cancer in the head and neck region (HNC). The condition can have a considerable negative impact on nutrition, dental hygiene, ability to speak and quality of life. We have previously studied trismus within the frame of a randomized phase 3 study of HNC patients treated with mainly three-dimensional (3D) conformal

Lynch syndrome caused by constitutional mismatch-repair defects is one of the most common hereditary cancer syndromes with a high risk for colorectal, endometrial, ovarian and urothelial cancer. Lynch syndrome is caused by mutations in the mismatch repair (MMR) genes i.e., MLH1, MSH2, MSH6 and PMS2. After 20 years of genetic counseling and genetic testing for Lynch syndrome, we have compiled the m

We present evidence from the RAdial Velocity Experiment (RAVE) survey of chemically separated, kinematically distinct disc components in the solar neighbourhood.We apply probabilistic chemical selection criteria to separate our sample into a-low ('thin disc') and a-high ('thick disc') sequences. Using newly derived distances,which will be utilized in the upcoming RAVE DR5, we explore the kinematic

Many arthropod species have evolved to thrive only on the leaves of a particular species of plant, which they must be capable of finding in order to survive accidental displacement, developmental transitions, or the changing of the seasons. A number of studies have tested whether such species select leaves to land or oviposit on based on their color, shape, or size. Unfortunately, many studies did

RGB displays effectively simulate millions of colors in the eyes of humans by modulating the relative amount of light emitted by 3 differently colored juxtaposed lights (red, green, and blue). The relationship between the ratio of red, green, and blue light and the perceptual experience of that light has been well defined by psychophysical experiments in humans, but is unknown in animals. The perc

Diminished insulin secretion and dysregulated glucagon secretion are key features of type 2 diabetes (T2D). The overall aim of this thesis was to study the role of cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript (CART) in islet cell function and how CART regulates glucose homeostasis. We found that CART is expressed in human islet cells and that its expression is increased in patients with T2D, as w

Objective There is uncertainty about the direction and magnitude of the associations between parity, breastfeeding and the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD). We examined the separate and combined associations of parity and breastfeeding practices with the incidence of CHD later in life among women in a large, pan-European cohort study. Methods Data were used from European Prospective Investigat

We describe a reference panel of 64,976 human haplotypes at 39,235,157 SNPs constructed using whole-genome sequence data from 20 studies of predominantly European ancestry. Using this resource leads to accurate genotype imputation at minor allele frequencies as low as 0.1% and a large increase in the number of SNPs tested in association studies, and it can help to discover and refine causal loci.