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Background Current guidelines recommend tailoring of asthma management according to disease control, which is largely defined by increased symptoms and deterioration in lung function. These features do not reflect the severity nor the type of the asthmatic airway inflammation. Fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FENO) is a simple, non-invasive and cost-effective online test applicable in both adults
In the present paper, we investigate the influence of corrosion driving forces and interfacial toughness for a coated material subjected to mechanical loading. If the protective coating is cracked, the substrate material may become exposed to a corrosive media. For a stress corrosion sensitive substrate material, this may lead to detrimental crack growth. A crack is assumed to grow by anodic disso
Robust and efficient numerical methods are an essential prerequisite for the computer based dynamical analysis of engineering systems. In vehicle system dynamics, the methods and software tools from multibody system dynamics provide the integration platform for the analysis, simulation and optimization of the complex dynamical behaviour of vehicles and vehicle components and their interaction with h
Many forms of learning require temporally ordered stimuli. In Pavlovian eyeblink conditioning, a conditioned stimulus (CS) must precede the unconditioned stimulus (US) by at least about 100 ms for learning to occur. Conditioned responses are learned and generated by the cerebellum. Recordings from the cerebellar cortex during conditioning have revealed CS-triggered pauses in the firing of Purkinje
Tetraplegic patients have to depend upon someone else for moving the wheelchair or typing on a computer. One of the ways to make them independent is by using tongue-controlled in-mouth wireless devices. This letter presents antennas and propagation for such devices in 2.45 GHz ISM band. A monopole and a loop antenna suitable in size and performance is presented for such devices. The propagation li
The intersection of the developing topic of rating curve and discharge series uncertainty with the topic of hydrological change detection (e.g., in response to land cover or climatic change) has not yet been well studied. The work herein explores this intersection, with consideration of a long-term discharge response (1964-2007) for a ~650-km2 headwater basin of the Mara River in west Kenya, start
In experimental studies, enkephalins (ENKs) and related opioids have been implicated as negative regulators of breast cancer development by enhancing immune-mediated tumoral defense as well as directly inhibiting cancer cells. We hypothesized that plasma levels of ENKs are predictive of the long-term breast cancer risk. Therefore, our objective was to measure pro-ENK A, a surrogate for mature ENK,
Reversible electropermeabilization of plant tissues with heterogeneous structure represents a technological challenge as the response of the different structures within the same specimen to the application of electric field may differ due to different cell sizes, extracellular space configurations, and electrical properties. The influence of five different pulsed electric field protocols with diff
Synaptic degeneration is one of the earliest hallmarks of Alzheimer disease. The molecular mechanism underlying this degeneration is not fully elucidated but one key player appears to be the synaptotoxic amyloid β-peptide (Aβ). The exact localization of the production of Aβ and the mechanisms whereby Aβ is released remain elusive. We have earlier shown that Aβ can be produced in crude synaptic ves
The assessment of student learning driven by learning outcomes is often viewed as a tool to promote excellence in higher education. At the same time, many professors do not see a value in such approach, while nonetheless sincerely seeking to promote teaching and learning excellence. Is this a result of misunderstanding or is there an inherent conflict between a formalized assess- ment of learning
Climate change is widely recognised as a 'wicked' policy problem. Agreeing and implementing governance responses is proving extremely difficult. Policy makers in many jurisdictions now emphasise their ambition to govern using the best available evidence. One obvious source of such evidence is the evaluations of the performance of existing policies. But to what extent do these evaluations provide i
Architects have a key role to play when it comes to the design of future low-energy (solar) buildings. Proper design tools and working methods could help architects in the design process. In order to identify barriers of existing tools and methods for solar design, needs of architects for improved tools, and to gain an insight into architects’ methods of working during the design process, an inter
Density functional theory calculations have been used to investigate the reaction mechanisms of phosphodiester hydrolysis and transesterification catalyzed by a dinuclear zinc complex of the 2-(N-isopropyl-N-((2-pyridyl)methyl)aminomethyl)-6-(N-(carboxylmethyl)-N-((2-pyridyl)methyl)amino-methyl)-4-methylphenol (IPCPMP) ligand, mimicking the active site of zinc phosphotriesterase. The substrates bi
In the first of two essays in this Journal, I seek to unify the historical geography of early modern 'European expansion' (Iberia and Latin America) with the environmental history of the 'transition to capitalism' (northwestern Europe). The expansion of Europe's overseas empires and the transitions to capitalism within Europe were differentiated moments within the geographical expansion of commodi
We hypothesised that the removal of the subchondral bone plate (SCBP) for cemented acetabular component fixation in total hip arthroplasty (THA) offers advantages over retention by improving the cement-bone interface, without jeopardising implant stability. We have previously published two-year follow-up data of a randomised controlled trial (RCT), in which 50 patients with primary osteoarthritis
To assess muscle strength in the knee extensors, knee flexors and ankle dorsiflexors in persons with late effects of polio, and determine how much muscle strength, gender, age and BMI are related to gait performance.
Qualitative description of spray structure and geometry in the near-field region of atomizing sprays is particularly challenging due to the lack of visibility through such optically dense media. Similarly, quantitative determination of the optical depth can be particularly underestimated as a result of detecting photons which have experienced a number of scattering events. In this paper we demonst
About 1% of giant stars have been shown to have large surface Li abundances, which is unexpected according to standard stellar evolution models. Several scenarios for lithium production have been proposed, but it is still unclear why these Li-rich giants exist. A missing piece in this puzzle is the knowledge of the exact stage of evolution of these stars. Using low-and-high-resolution spectroscopi
