We show conditional lower bounds for well-studied #P-hard problems: -The number of satisfying assignments of a 2-CNF formula with n variables cannot be computed in time exp(o(n)), and the same is true for computing the number of all independent sets in an n-vertex graph. -The permanent of an n x n matrix with entries 0 and 1 cannot be computed in time exp(o(n)). -The Tutte polynomial of an n-verte

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) has long been known as the most common and aggressive form of brain malignancy. The morphological similarities of the malignant and surrounding tissue cause difficulties to distinct the tumors during surgery. In order to achieve better results in resecting malignant brain tumors, a fiber based optical system which can be used intraoperative is developed in this projec

We investigate the Derjaguin approximation by explicitly determining the interactions between two spherical colloids using density functional theory solved in cylindrical coordinates. The colloids are composed of close-packed Lennard-Jones particles. The solvent particles are also modeled via Lennard-Jones interactions. Cross interactions are assumed to follow the commonly used Lorentz-Berthelot (

Context-aware computing applications dynamically change their behaviors based on the context data and services provided by multiple physical spaces in the real world, such as persons, shops, homes and offices. In this paper, we propose a generic context gateway framework to manage these heterogeneous physical spaces of context sources. The framework forms a key enabling component of a scalable con

Pancreatic cancer is commonly detected at advanced stages when the tumor is no longer amenable to surgical resection. Therefore, finding biomarkers for early stage disease is urgent. Here, we show that high-definition mass spectrometry (HDMS(E)) can be used to identify serum protein alterations associated with early stage pancreatic cancer.

Background. Globally, general practitioners (GPs) write more than 90% of all antibiotic prescriptions. This study examines the experiences of Lithuanian and Russian GPs in antibiotic prescription for upper respiratory tract infections, including their perceptions of when it is not indicated clinically or pharmacologically. Methods. 22 Lithuanian and 29 Russian GPs participated in five focus group

AimTo present the protocol of a two-group quasi-experimental study of spouses' involvement through case management (The SICAM-trial) in older patients' fast-track programmes during total hip replacement. BackgroundPatients in fast-track programmes are required to take an active part in their treatment and rehabilitation. Spouses of older patients can often provide valued practical and emotional su

The aim of present study is to inverstigate the association between antibody levels after vaccination with 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV7) and subsequent serious pneumococcal infections in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and spondylarthropathy (SpA) patients.

BACKGROUND: Enterocytes are exposed to antigens present in the intestinal lumen, like beta-glucans that are carbohydrate structures present not only in the cell wall of yeast and fungi but also in cereals. Beta-glucans are known for their immune modulating properties and we have earlier reported an increased immune response by enterocytes after addition of fecal water prepared from ileostomic cont

Consideration of urban microclimate and thermal comfort is an absolute neccessity in urban development, and a set of guidelines for every type of climate must be elaborated. However, to develop guidelines, thermal comfort ranges need to be defined. The aim of this study was to evaluate the behaviour of different thermal indices by investigating different thermal environments in Damascus during sum

The strongly temperature-dependent ionic mobility in polymer electrolytes is used to freeze in specific ionic charge environments around a nanowire using a local wrap-gate geometry. This makes it possible to set both the threshold voltage for a conventional doped substrate gate and the local disorder potential at temperatures below 220 K. These are characterized in detail by combining conductance

A palynological investigation has been conducted on Lower-Upper Miocene sediments from Jylland, Denmark, corresponding to the time interval of about 19 to 8 Ma. The sediments, derived from the Sdr. Vium drill core, were deposited in marine to marginal-marine environments, as shown by the relatively high abundance of dinoflagellate cysts in all samples. Nevertheless, rich and diverse pollen assembl

Landowners' choice of management practices will directly affect the conservation of biodiversity in large-scale productive landscapes such as forests and agricultural areas. Using the value-belief-norm theory, this study identifies the extent to which landowners differ regarding the psychological variables antecedent of a moral obligation to protect local biodiversity after participation in conser

The effects of dyslipidemia on the risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D) and related traits are not clear. We used regression models and 140 lipid-associated genetic variants to estimate associations between circulating HDL-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol and triglycerides, and T2D and related traits. Each genetic test was corrected for effects of variants on the other two lipid types and surrogates of adipo

Astrocytes appear to be important mediators in the clearance of amyloid beta1-42 (A beta), the key component of senile plaques characteristic of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Recently, we found the amyloid associated proteins (AAPs) alpha 1-antichymotrypsin (ACT), apolipoprotein J and E (ApoJ and ApoE) and a mixture of serum amyloid P (SAP) and C1q (SAP-C1q) to modify A beta-uptake by human astrocytes

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) represents the fourth cause of death in cancer and has a 5-year survival of < 5%. Only about 15% of the patients present with a resectable PDAC with potential to undergo "curative" surgery. After surgery, local and systemic recurrence, is though very common. The median survival of resected patients with adjuvant chemotherapy after surgery is only 20-23 mo. T

The time evolution of the out-of-equilibrium Mott insulator is investigated numerically through calculations of space-time-resolved density and entropy profiles resulting from the release of a gas of ultracold fermionic atoms from an optical trap. For adiabatic, moderate and sudden switching-off of the trapping potential, the out-of-equilibrium dynamics of the Mott insulator is found to differ pro

Lactobacilli are present in the intestine and oral cavity of most adults. Secretory IgA in mucosal secretions may provide carbohydrate receptors for bacterial adhesins. Here, oral and faecal samples from 33 IgA-deficient individuals and 34 controls were cultured for lactobacilli, which were identified using species-specific PCR or partial 165 rDNA sequencing and tested for expression of mannose-sp