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The questions about why and how senescence occurs in the wild are among the most pertinent ones in evolutionary ecology. Telomere length is a commonly used marker for aging, while other biomarkers of aging have received considerably less attention. Here we studied how another potent indicator of aging-skin pentosidine concentration-relates to age and blood telomere length in a long-lived seabird w
Objectives: To characterize the utility of nitrotyrosine (NT) as a biomarker for arthritis and joint injury. Design: Synovial fluid, plasma, and urine from patients diagnosed with osteoarthritis (OA), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury, meniscus injury and pseudogout, and knee-healthy volunteers were analyzed for concentrations of NT, nitrate and nitrite (NOx), matr
Swifts Apus apus are renowned for their fast flight manner which has fascinated people in all times. However, previous studies of swifts in flight during migration and roosting flights have shown that the birds operate over a narrow range of flight speeds compared with most other birds studied. In this study we have focused on the special flight behavior often called 'screaming parties'. During th
OBJECTIVE: To gain a deeper understanding of the content of 4 fear of falling (FOF) rating scales by linking them to the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF). DESIGN: Linking study according to the ICF linking rules. SETTING: Not applicable. PATIENTS: Not applicable. METHODS: The rating scales were the Falls Efficacy Scale-International (FES-I), the Swedish vers
The frequency-modulated continuous-wave (FMCW) technique, based on the beat signal of a Mach– Zehnder interferometer employing a frequency-ramped light source, is studied for solid scattering media applications. The method is used to evaluate the mean time-of-flight (MTOF) of light traveling in scattering media, specifically polystyrene foams. We assume that each the time-of-flight (TOF) time corr
EU forest biomass demand is increasing rapidly under policy stimuli, as biofuels are important for EU utilities to reach EU 2020 renewables goal. The import of large amounts will be required, but stakeholders have sustainability concerns. Utilities are adopting self-regulatory certification schemes to reduce stakeholder pressures but the interplay between these efforts, stakeholder and policy dyna
We present results from a paleomagnetic study of the previously undated Erayinia dykes intruding the south-western Yilgarn Craton. The U-Pb TIMs baddeleyite age of these dykes is now 2401 +/- 1 Ma, which is about 10 m.y. younger than the 2418-2410 Ma Widgiemooltha dyke swarm. The paleomagnetic study isolated a stable primary remanence with steep downward direction, and the paleomagnetic pole (22.7
Gliding flight performance and wake topology of a common swift (Apus apus L.) were examined in a wind tunnel at speeds between 7 and 11 m s(-1). The tunnel was tilted to simulate descending flight at different sink speeds. The swift varied its wingspan, wing area and tail span over the speed range. Wingspan decreased linearly with speed, whereas tail span decreased in a nonlinear manner. For each
Anthropologists studying audit culture focus on the success of rankings, ratings and indicators in constituting or reproducing discourses, a kind of audit juggernaut of power. But in fact, alot of these rankings have no impact at all. The short commentary, part of a group of papers on audit culture, rankings and indicators, compares the Transparency International Corruption Perception Index with t
Adverse early-life conditions have lasting effects on old-age health and mortality (Almond, 2006, Barker, 1992, Barker, 1994, Mazumder et al., 2010 and Roseboom et al., 2006). Some have even considered reductions in early life disease exposure to be a primary driver of historical mortality declines (Finch and Crimmins, 2004). Consequently, understanding the mechanisms through which early and later
Purpose – The authors have developed the Leadership-Employeeship-Relationship Model and a questionnaire following their conceptualization of the employeeship concept. It is possible to separately study leadership, peer employee, and interactive leader-follower behaviors. The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between the conceptualization and operationalization, as well as betwee
Apples (Malus domestica Borkh.) are highly susceptible to fungi causing rots, especially in organic orchards where these rots cause major economic losses. Since the use of conventional fungicides is prohibited or restricted in many countries and in organic production, altogether, one alternative is to make use of bioactive compounds that can inhibit fungal growth on apples. Antifungal effects of a
In this double-blind, placebo-controlled study, 363 patients with untreated multiple myeloma were randomized to receive either melphalan-prednisone and thalidomide (MPT) or melphalan-prednisone and placebo (MP). The dose of melphalan was 0.25 mg/kg and prednisone was 100 mg given daily for 4 days every 6 weeks until plateau phase. The dose of thalidomide/placebo was escalated to 400 mg daily until
This paper proposes a new model for computing value-at-risk forecasts. The model is fully nonparametric and easy to implement. Further, it incorporates information about the market's perceived uncertainty about the future. The forward-looking information is obtained from the option market via the Chicago Board Options Exchange's implied volatility index (VIX). Using S&P 500 data from 1990 to 2
Laws of nature concern the natural properties of things. Newton’s law of gravity states that the gravitational force between objects is proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of their distance; Coulomb’s law states a similar functional dependency between charged particles. Each of these properties confers a power to act as specified by the function of
L-DOPA-induced dyskinesia is a major problem in the treatment of Parkinson's disease. Today there are few anti-dyskinetic treatments available for the patients, and all of them have major limitations. Recent findings have revealed an important role of the serotonin system in L-DOPA-induced dyskinesia. In the parkinsonian brain, serotonin axon terminals can compensate for the dopamine loss by conve
Tuberculosis (TB) and HIV co-infections place an immense burden on health care systems and pose particular diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. Infection with HIV is the most powerful known risk factor predisposing for Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection and progression to active disease, which increases the risk of latent TB reactivation 20-fold. TB is also the most common cause of AIDS-relate
The complement system consists of more than 40 proteins that participate in the inflammatory response and in pathogen killing. Complement inhibitors are necessary to avoid the excessive consumption and activation of this system on host cells. Leptospirosis is a worldwide zoonosis caused by spirochetes from the genus Leptospira. Pathogenic leptospires are able to escape from complement activation b
Severely disturbed habitats such as military training grounds, gravel pits and sand pits contribute to the species diversity of the agricultural landscape in Europe. They host a number of red-listed species not found elsewhere, illustrating that many plant species are threatened by extinction due to too little soil disturbance. Implementing a suitable disturbance regime is therefore crucial to ens
