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Occasional fog is a critical water source utilised by plants and animals in the Namib Desert. Fog basking beetles (Onymacris unguicularis, Tenebrionidae) and Namib dune bushman grass (Stipagrostris sabulicola, Poaceae) collect water directly from the fog. While the beetles position themselves optimally for fog water collection on dune ridges, the grass occurs predominantly at the dune base where l
INTRODUCTION: Bisphosphonates have been shown to reduce osteoclastic activity and enhance pin fixation in both experimental and clinical studies. In this prospective, randomized study of high tibial osteotomy using the hemicallotasis (HCO) technique, we evaluate whether treatment by one single infusion of zoledronic acid can enhance the pin fixation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 46 consecutive patients
This report presents a large number of optimal PI and PID parameters for a batch of 134 benchmark process models representative for the process industry. This information can e.g. be used as a reference for other controller design methods. The optimal parameters have been derived using the MATLAB®-based software called SWORD, which determines the PI or PID controller that gives the best load distu
The structures and dynamics of unsteady laminar partially premixed methane/air Bunsen flames are studied by means of numerical simulations, OH and CH PLIF imaging, and high speed chemiluminescence imaging employing a high framing speed intensified charge coupled device camera. The Bunsen burner has a diameter of 22 mm. Rich methane/air mixtures with an equivalence ratio of 1.5 are injected from th
Agriculture's reliance on ecosystem services creates economic and ecological interdependencies between crop production and biodiversity. Interactions with mobile organisms are particularly complex because they depend on the spatial configuration of habitat at large scales. As such conserving habitat is likely to benefit multiple farmers whereas conservation costs are born individually, creating po
The neural transcription factor SOX11 is present at specific stages during embryo development with a very restricted expression in adult tissue, indicating precise regulation of transcription. SOX11 is strongly up-regulated in some malignancies and have a functional role in tumorgenesis. With the aim to explore differences in epigenetic regulation of SOX11 expression in normal versus neoplastic ce
In this article we analyze the equity and distribution of financial incentives in Ecuador's Programa Socio Bosque (PSB). PSB aims to conserve native ecosystems on privately owned lands while reducing rural poverty. Based on the analysis of 1,563 conservation contracts, representing nearly 900,000ha of land in Ecuador and more than 90,000 beneficiaries, we scrutinize the regional distribution of be
Multivariate Laplace distribution is an important stochastic model that accounts for asymmetry and heavier than Gaussian tails, while still ensuring the existence of the second moments. A Levy process based on this multivariate infinitely divisible distribution is known as Laplace motion, and its marginal distributions are multivariate generalized Laplace laws. We review their basic properties and
Alcohol affects balance and is related to falls and injuries. Even though alcohol effects on balance and eye movement have been studied before we know less about the dose and time dependent effects and how each supportive sense to balance contributes during acute alcohol intoxication. The purpose was to investigate parallel effects of acute alcohol intoxication on balance (postural control), bal
This thesis explores the impact of past and present landscape and habitat structure on present levels of vascular plant species diversity within fragmented semi-natural grasslands. Within the Jordtorp-area, a mosaic agricultural landscape on the island of Öland (Sweden), historical land-use changes and the development of semi-natural grasslands was characterized, over a time-period of almost 300 y
This study aimed to determine the prevalence of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among HIV-infected and uninfected pregnant women in Tanga, Tanzania. Retrospective data on syphilis and HIV status during 2008-2010 were collected from antenatal clinic (ANC) records. Prospective data were collected from HIV-infected (n = 105) and HIV-uninfected pregnant women (n = 100) attending ANCs between Ap
The Dalby Gospel Book, dating from the eleventh century, is the oldest preserved complete manuscript with a medieval Scandinavian provenance, and has rightly been considered a document of great historical importance. Local patriotism has coloured its attribution by scholars to Dalby, with arguments presupposing judgemental quality assessments, questionable Anglo-Saxon parallells and alleged scriba
Background: Cadmium (Cd) can cause renal damage and osteoporosis after high-level exposure. Recently such effects, including increased urinary excretion of calcium, have been shown also at low-level exposure, as measured by Cd in blood or urine. However, associations with kidney Cd have not been examined. The aim of this study was to explore the relation between kidney Cd and urinary calcium excre
Standard No. EN 15831:2004 provides 2 methods of calculating insulation: parallel and serial. The parallel method is similar to the global one defined in Standard No. ISO 9920:2007. Standards No. EN 342:2004, EN 14058:2004 and EN 13537:2002 refer to the methods defined in Standard No. EN ISO 15831:2004 for testing cold protective clothing or equipment. However, it is necessary to consider several
We present results of magnetic neutron diffraction experiments on the codoped superoxygenated La2-xSrxCuO4+y (LSCO+O) system with x=0.09. We find that the magnetic phase is long-range ordered incommensurate antiferromagnetic with a Neacuteel temperature T-N coinciding with the superconducting ordering temperature T-c=40 K. The incommensurability value is consistent with a hole doping of n(h)approx
Microscopic colitis (MC) induces gastrointestinal symptoms, which are partly overlapping with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), predominately in middle-aged and elderly women. The etiology is unknown, but association with smoking has been found. The aim of this study was to examine whether the increased risk for smokers to develop MC is a true association, or rather the result of confounding factors
The structures of concentrated phases formed in mixtures of an anionic polyelectrolyte and the cationic surfactant decyl betainate (DeB) in water were changed in situ via the hydrolysis of the latter. Degradation of DeB yields decanol, and as the fraction of alcohol increases the structure of the concentrated phase evolves from cubic to hexagonal and then lamellar. We present "self-evolving" as we
Gathering experimental evidence suggests that bovine as well as human lactoferrin self-associate in aqueous solution. Still, a molecular level explanation is unavailable. Using force field based molecular modeling of the protein-protein interaction free energy we demonstrate (1) that lactoferrin forms highly stereo-specific dimers at neutral pH and (2) that the self-association is driven by a high
