It has been proposed that formation of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is part of a systemic arterial dilatative disease. However, arteries in the upper extremity are scarcely studied and it remains unclear whether both muscular and elastic arteries are affected by the proposed systemic arterial dilatation. The aim of this study was to investigate diameter and stiffness of muscular and elastic art

This article analyses similarities between Flaubert’s stylistics in Madame Bovary and the theories of new materialism, in particular the work of Karen Barad. Drawing upon earlier readings of the novel by Schor, Danius, Starobinski and Rancière this reading centers on the motif of boundaries and their dissolvement and it argues that the novel highlights a feeling of disappointment or frustration wi

While the Japanese writer Murakami Ryūs earlier works are concerned with shock and boredom, his works from the 1990’s display an interest in apocalyptic fantasies in order to start society afresh. This article examines two of these novels – Popular Hits of the Showa Era (1994) and In the Miso Soup (1997) – and discusses this tendency in the context of Japan’s Lost Decade, the economic depression t

Ethics and politics in a new materialist framework are key issues in current debates and spark research in a wide array of fields from matters of sex and gender to ecology and art theory. However, a definition of politics, and how it relates to democracy, is often left out of these discussions. This article addresses that issue through the theory of radical democracy and politics as rupture from J

Solitary bees are important pollinators of crops and wild plants, and their decline poses a risk to the sustained provision of the services they provide. Although evidence suggests that exposure to insecticides can affect bees, most pesticide research and risk assessment has focussed on social bees and mortality while solitary species are understudied. The ability to forage is critical for solitar

1. Bees are essential pollinators of crops and wild plants and their ability to forage and pollinate are key aspects of their behaviour. Bee populations are under threat, with the use of insecticides a contributing factor. Most research has focused on neonicotinoid insecticides and bee mortality, and little is known about impacts on bee foraging and delivery of pollination services. However, other

Quinoa is a pseudocereal that has gained more attention in the last decades, due to its outstanding nutritional value. Quinoa has a very good protein quality and content, with a complete amino acid profile; it is also rich in minerals and bioactive compounds. However, quinoa, like other cereals and legumes, has phytate which inhibits the absorption of essential minerals. High content of phytate is

In his recent article in Millennium 33, no. 3 (2005), Thomas Diez’s reconsideration of the Normative Power (NP) thesis raises a number of important questions about the European Union (EU) as a normative power in world politics. His article critically problematises NP and calls for ‘a greater degree of self-reflexivity’ in discussions and representations of the EU as a NP. This response to Diez’s a

In this discussion of security and democracy in the European Union two interrelated arguments are put forward about the use of normative power to address the security challenge. The article starts by discussing the European (security) Union within the context of over 15 years of European human security debates, and then reflects on the current conduct of the total war on terror as led by the USA.

There are broad calls in national and international forest policy processes for basing decision-making on the best obtainable scientific knowledge. Simultaneously, there is also a need to accommodate plural values and objectives people and society in general have associated with forests. An essential step for building an evidence base that accommodates pluralistic understandings is to capture info

Extracellular matrix remodeling mechanisms are understudied in cardiac development and congenital heart defects. We show that matrix-degrading metalloproteases ADAMTS1 and ADAMTS5, are extensively co-expressed during mouse cardiac development. The mouse mutants of each gene have mild cardiac anomalies, however, their combined genetic inactivation to elicit cooperative roles is precluded by tight g

The creative efforts of the European integration process have changed what passes for 'normal' in world politics. Simply by existing as different in a world of states and the relations between them, the European Union changes the normality of 'international relations'. In this respect the EU is a normative power: it changes the norms, standards and prescriptions of world politics away from the bou

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to produce a valid and reliable Persian version of the Rapid Assessment of Physical Activity (RAPA) questionnaire, which previously has been shown to be valid and reliable for assessing physical activity among older adults. Methods: Permission was obtained from the scale developer, who provided a copy of the the Linguistic Validation of the RAPA Qestionnaire,

Purpose: The aim of this study was to examine test–retest reliability and responsiveness of the short version (6-item) Hip Return to Sport after Injury (Hip-RSI) scale in patients following hip arthroscopy. Methods: The study included 100 hip arthroscopy patients responding to a digital survey including the short version (6-item) Hip-RSI, International Hip Outcome Tool (short version) (iHOT-12) an

The fate of soil organic matter (OM) is determined by its microbial use for growth or respiration. Many environmental factors influence microbial OM use, including the presence of contaminants and toxins in the environment, such as heavy metals. We evaluated short- and long-term responses of microbial processes to metal contamination by estimating biomass concentrations and growth rates of bacteri