Aerococcus is a genus that comprises seven species, of which Aerococcus urinae, and Aerococcus sanguinicola are emerging human pathogens. Aerococci are gram positive cocci that are easily misidentified as streptococci or staphylococci, and thus the incidence of aerococcal infections has been underestimated. With the introduction of matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass sp

Ukraine (UA) faces broad needs for energy security enhancement, energy diversification, revitalization of agriculture, and improvements in the state of the environment. UA has large biomass-for-bioenergy potential, which can be leveraged to contribute to local/regional energy self-sufficiency, rural development and diversification, and environmental improvement via fossil fuel substitution with lo

Vascular smooth muscle cells (SMCs) display remarkable phenotypic plasticity in response to environmental cues. The nuclear factor of activated T-cells (NFAT) family of transcription factors plays a critical role in vascular pathology. However, known functional NFAT gene targets in vascular SMCs are currently limited. Publicly available whole-genome expression array data sets were analyzed to iden

As oil-prices and environmental concerns are increasing, it is of interest to better use the well-head gas. This light fraction co-produced with petroleum is generally flared and in this paper a method for upgrading and returning the co-product to the petroleum stream is suggested. The method is based on a conversion of the gas to synthesis gas and upgrading this synthesis gas into liquid hydrocar

Hos 11,8-9 is characterized by its strong anthropomorphic language and by its (illusory?) disassociation from it. A reference to Israel’s God as “not human” motivates the unexpected change of mind and compassion for God’s Israel. This article is based on a tradition-historical oriented typological reading of the expression “I am God and not human.” It suggests a new interpretation of this expressi

In contrast to most vertebrates, invertebrate deuterostome echinoderms, such as the sea star Asterias rubens, undergo regeneration of lost body parts. The current hypothesis suggests that differentiated cells are the main source for regenerating arm in sea stars, but there is little information regarding the origin and identity of these cells. Here, we show that several organs distant to the regen

Diagnostic for investigating and distinguishing different laser ion acceleration mechanisms has been developed and successfully tested. An ion separation wide angle spectrometer can simultaneously investigate three important aspects of the laser plasma interaction: (1) acquire angularly resolved energy spectra for two ion species, (2) obtain ion energy spectra for multiple species, separated accor

We present a detailed study of the use of a non-parallel, inhomogeneous magnetic field spectrometer for the investigation of laser-accelerated ion beams. Employing a wedged yoke design, we demonstrate the feasibility of an in-situ self-calibration technique of the non-uniform magnetic field and show that high-precision measurements of ion energies are possible in a wide-angle configuration. We als

The effect of various doping profiles on the electronic transport in GaSb/InAs(Sb) nanowire tunnel diodes is investigated. Zn-doping of the GaSb segment increases both the peak current density and the current level in reverse bias. Top-gated diodes exhibit peak current modulation with a threshold voltage which can be controlled by Zn-doping the InAs(Sb) segment. By intentionally n-doping the InAs(

AIMS: The aim of this study was to investigate nurses' perceptions of working according to standardized care plans (SCPs), regarding usability, documentation, quality of care and the implementation process. BACKGROUND: Administrative work is an extensive part of nursing practice which leads to decreased time for the near patient-related care. In addition, the number of very sick patients with shor

Seaweed can be anaerobically digested for the production of energy-rich methane. However, the use of seaweed digestate as a fertilizer may be restricted because of the high heavy metal content especially cadmium. Reducing the concentration of heavy metals in the digestate will enable its use as a fertilizer. In this laboratory-scale study, the potential of seaweed and its leachate in the productio

Our knowledge of the binding sites for neutralizing Abs (NAb) that recognize a broad range of HIV-1 strains (bNAb) has substantially increased in recent years. However, gaps remain in our understanding of how to focus B cell responses to vulnerable conserved sites within the HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein (Env). In this article, we report an immunization strategy composed of a trivalent HIV-1 (clade

INTRODUCTION: Exacerbations in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) reduce quality of life and are associated with a more rapid deterioration of the disease. It is desirable to predict an oncoming exacerbation before it occurs. The aim of the present study was to identify biomarkers that may predict a forthcoming exacerbation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty-three patients with COPD in their

Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) escapes the host immune system by recruitment of the complement regulator vitronectin that inhibits the formation of the membrane attack complex (MAC) by inhibiting C5b-C7 complex formation and C9 polymerization. We previously reported that Hib acquires vitronectin at the surface by using Haemophilus surface fibrils (Hsf). Here we studied in detail the interacti

The present day global climate change is fueled by our use of fossil fuels and land use change. The already observed warming and other distinct changes in the climate system stem from these human influences and are ongoing. Due to climate system inertia, a part of the climate system's response to this historical forcing remains to manifest itself, which it will do over time. At the same time, soci

This comparison of the effects of national approaches to encouraging local climate mitigation initiatives in four municipalities in Norway and Sweden suggests that the development of such initiatives depend not only on the comprehensiveness and ambitions of central government efforts, but more crucially on characteristics of the targeted municipalities. We argue that local coalitions of committed

Context: Calotropis procera (Ait.) R. Br. (Asclepiadaceae), Ficus elastica Roxb. (Moraceae) and Zingiber officinale Roscoe (Zingiberaceae) have been traditionally used to treat many diseases. Objective: The antischistosomal activity of these plant extracts was evaluated against Schistosoma mansoni. Materials and methods: Male mice exposed to 80 +/- 10 cercariae per mouse were divided into two batc

The high frequency of contact allergy to gold in patients with dermatitis was established after exhaustive skin testing, determining the right test agent, the best concentration, and repeated test readings. Metallic gold in contact with skin is slowly ionized, permitting absorption and haptenisation. Contact allergy to gold is statistically correlated to the presence of dental gold. But in many ca