Drag torque in a disc brake is the residual torque when the brake is not activated. This torque can adversely influence the total energy consumption, life of the brake components, and level of airborne wear particles from vehicles. Drag torque is of special interest for long haul trucking since it could have an effect of the total energy consumption. Drag torque performance of a disc brake is usua

The phenomenon that contemplating future events elicits stronger emotions than contemplating past events has been coined “temporal value asymmetry” (TVA) (Caruso et al., 2008). We conducted very close replications of three experiments derived from two influential TVA papers: Studies 1 and 4 in Caruso et al. (2008), demonstrating TVA in monetary valuation, and Study 1 in Caruso (2010), demonstratin

BACKGROUND: Screening immigrant mothers for postpartum depression has been shown to be challenging for health care professionals in handling cultural implications of postpartum depression, communicating through interpreter and applying translated versions of the screening scale.AIM: The aim of the study was to test the feasibility of an evidence-based educational intervention for Child Health Serv

Solid materials doped with rare-earth ions are considered an attractive platform for quantum information applications. One of the main reasons for this is the exceptionally long optical and hyperfine coherence times of the 4fn states, due to the shielding provided by the outer lying 5s and 5p electrons. This enables a large number of quantum operations before the system loses its coherence. Anothe

Resilience in tourism studies has mainly departed from a socio-ecological system-theory approach and has developed knowledge in relation to different tourism contexts. This approach has consequences for the conceptualization of resilience and sets limits. Calls for theory development on resilience see a need to take account of, for instance, politics and power relations, and conflicts over resourc

We use a case of intact cord resuscitation to argue for the beneficial effects of an enhanced blood volume from placental transfusion for newborns needing resuscitation. We propose that intact cord resuscitation supports the process of physiologic neonatal transition, especially for many of those newborns appearing moribund. Transfer of the residual blood in the placenta provides the neonate with

Gene expression profiling together with unsupervised analysis methods, typically clustering methods, has been used extensively in cancer research to unravel, e.g., new molecular subtypes that hold promise of disease refinement that may ultimately benefit patients. However, many of the commonly used methods require a prespecified number of clusters to extract and frequently require some type of fea

BACKGROUND: The recent systematic adoption of intracameral antibiotic injection during cataract surgery in Sweden, India, and the US serves as a model for the successful transitioning of local quality improvement initiatives to organization-wide implementation. Although the delivery of eye care in the 3 countries is distinctly organized with differing governances and technological infrastructure,

If the primary function of avian-dispersed fruit coloration were the maximization of detectability, then the commonest avian-dispersed fruit colors should be the ones most detectable to birds. We tested this prediction by photographing 63 fruit species primarily dispersed by birds, in situ in Sweden and Australia, with a multispectral camera closely mimicking the predominant spectral sensitivities

OBJECTIVE: To investigate influence of whole-body cooling on cyclic GMP (cGMP) in women with Raynaud's phenomenon and in healthy women.DESIGN: The study was performed as an open, parallel-group comparison between women with Raynaud's phenomenon and healthy women during the winter month of February.SETTING: The municipality of Västerås (Sweden).PARTICIPANTS: The Raynaud group comprised 24 female pa

Primary Raynaud's phenomenon (PRP) is characterized by cold- or stress-induced transient attacks of impaired skin circulation in fingers and/or toes. PRP displays seasonal variation with less severe symptoms in the summer. The aetiology has not been clarified. The aims of the present study were (a) to assess the influence of cold exposure on the plasma levels of the nitric oxide (NO) metabolite, n

1. Primary Raynaud's phenomenon (PRP) is characterized by increased vasoconstrictor tone that develops during exposure to cold. The symptoms are most pronounced during the winter months with low outdoor temperature. The L-arginine-nitric oxide (NO)-cyclic GMP (cGMP) pathway plays an important role in counteracting vasospasm. The aim of the present study was to investigate if the venous cGMP respon

1. Primary Raynaud's phenomenon is characterized by white fingers and toes with impaired perfusion in response to cold or emotional stress. The aetiology has not been clarified. In previous studies we have demonstrated a season-linked inability in women with primary Raynaud's phenomenon to raise their plasma cGMP levels in response to whole-body cooling, suggesting a dysfunction of the L-arginine-

To understand better the role of endothelin-1 (ET-1) in the pathogenesis of primary Raynaud's phenomenon (PRP), we investigated the basal ET-1 plasma levels and changes after whole-body cooling in healthy women and those with PRP. The study was performed as an open parallel-group comparison during the month of February. The Raynaud group included 21 female patients (mean age 45.3 years, range 21-5

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effects of the nitric oxide (NO) precursor L-arginine on the airway NO concentration in patients with preeclampsia.METHODS: NO was measured by a noninvasive chemiluminescence technique in air sampled directly from nasal and oral cavities during expiration before and during L-arginine infusion in 9 preeclamptic and 10 control pregnancies. Maternal blood pressure and hear

The present study was designed to test the hypothesis of a diurnal variation of endothelial function. Sixteen healthy, nonsmoking women were studied, each on four occasions during one 24-h period (2:00 PM, 8:00 PM, 2:00 AM, and 8:00 AM). Endothelial function was assessed by ultrasound determinations of flow-mediated vasodilation (FMD%) in the brachial artery. FMD% was contrasted with endothelium-i

The potential role of inflammatory mechanisms in the pathophysiology of ischemic brain damage has intensely been discussed. We have recently demonstrated that stroke patients display an intrathecal production of proinflammatory cytokines early after onset of symptoms. IL-1beta, one of these cytokines, stimulates the production of nitric oxide (NO), a potent inflammatory mediator. The aim of the pr

A growing body of evidence points out the potential role of inflammatory mechanisms in the pathophysiology of brain damage in dementia. We have recently demonstrated that patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and vascular dementia (VaD) display an intrathecal production of proinflammatory cytokines. TNF-alpha, one of these cytokines, leads to the production of nitric oxide (NO), a potent inflamma