Terrestrial Arctic ecosystems play a key role in the global carbon (C) cycle, as they store a large amount of organic matter in permafrost. Among regions with continuous permafrost, Svalbard has one of the warmest permafrost and may provide a template of the environmental responses of Arctic regions to future climate change. We analyze the CO2 fluxes at a polygonal tundra site in Adventdalen (Sval

Background: Physical activity reduces the risk of acquired cardiovascular disease, which is of great importance in patients with congenital heart disease (CHD). There are diverging data whether physical activity level (PAL) differs between patients with CHD and controls. Furthermore, it is unknown if PAL can be reliably assessed in patients with CHD using self-reported instruments. Methods: Sevent

Modification of the surface electronic properties of vertically aligned and randomly distributed carbon nanotubes and the hydrophobic character after exposure to Ar:F2 and CF4 plasma are exploited to optimize the sensing characteristics of these materials. The sensing properties of fluorinated carbon nanotubes are disclosed by probing their stability and responsiveness towards the detection of two

With older and aging populations, patients experience multiple chronic diseases at the same time. Individual chronic disease guidelines often recommend pharmacological therapies as a key intervention, resulting in patients being prescribed multiple regular medications for their different diseases. Although the term “polypharmacy” has been applied to the use of multiple medications, there is no con

In this research work, heat transfer enhancement of mixed convection in an enclosure is investigated with a moving top wall. Numerical simulations based on an Al2 O3 –water nanofluid are conducted by using variable thermophysical properties. Flow fields and temperature distributions are analyzed by considering effects of two partially heated walls. Moreover, water–ethylene glycol mixed with graphe

Objectives: The primary aim was to investigate whether computer-assisted reading intervention somehow can affect event-related potentials (ERP) and mismatch negativity (MMN) in hearing impaired (HI) children with hearing aids (HAs) and normal hearing (NH) children. Methods: The study included 15 HI children with sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) using bilateral HAs and 14 NH children as a referenc

Chalcogenide-capped triiron clusters [Fe3(CO)7(μ3-CO)(μ3-E)(μ-dppm)] and [Fe3(CO)7(μ3-E)2(μ-dppm)] (E = S, Se) have been examined as proton-reduction catalysts. Protonation studies show that [Fe3(CO)9(μ3-E)2] are unaffected by strong acids. Mono-capped [Fe3(CO)7(μ3-CO)(μ3-E)(μ-dppm)] react with HBF4.Et2O but changes in IR spectra are attributed to BF3 binding to the face-capping carbonyl, while bi

The interplay among spin, lattice, charge and orbit is of central importance for several rich and fascinating properties of oxides, and is the subject of intense research at present. Here, we present an approach to manipulate this interplay by Sn doping to effectively apply uniaxial strain on the TiO2 lattice. The evolution of this interplay in pseudo-homoepitaxial Ti1-xSnxO2 films is measured usi

Spray-dried powders were produced from milk serum protein concentrate and lactose in varying ratios, and the rehydration characteristics of the powders were evaluated. The dissolution rate was estimated with a flow-cell based technique, and the external and internal distribution of the powder components were evaluated with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and confocal Raman microscopy, respectivel

In recent years, optical microscopy techniques have emerged that allow optical imaging at unprecedented resolution beyond the diffraction limit. These techniques exploit photostabilizing buffers to enable photoswitching and/or the enhancement of fluorophore brightness and stability. A major drawback with the use of photostabilizing buffers, however, is that they cannot be used in live cell imaging

The impact climate and land-use changes have on the hydrological conditions in peat bogs and lakes is often complex, but of great importance for the carbon budget and biodiversity in these ecosystems. Links and feedbacks between raised bog water table depth, lake level, net precipitation, hydrometeorological indices, and radial tree growth have been studied and identified in the Rėkyva wetland com

Introduction: It might in the future be valuable to screen for increased maternal arterial stiffness, i.e. low compliance, since it is associated with development of hypertensive complications in pregnancy. Digital pulse wave analysis (DPA) is an easy and manageable method for arterial stiffness assessment. We aimed to investigate gestational influence on DPA variables longitudinally, and establis

The needs for purified nucleic acids for preparative and analytical applications have increased constantly, demanding for the development of new and more efficient methods for their recovery and isolation. DNA molecules harbour some intrinsic chemical properties that render them suitable for chromatographic separations. These include a negatively charged phosphate backbone as well as a hydrophobic

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) share similar quality of life impairment. The aim of the present study was to investigate health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and its relation to the perception of treatment and psychosocial support among PAH and CTEPH patients. All adult PAH or CTEPH patients in the Swedish Pulmonary Arterial Hypert

Fluxes of calcium ions (Ca2+) in rod photoreceptors are major regulators of steady-state and light-evoked intracellular reactions to stimuli. The homeostasis of Ca2+ is regulated by channels and pumps localized at the plasma membrane and in intracellular organelles. Photoreceptor degeneration is frequently associated with Ca2+ homeostasis disruption and stimulation of Ca2+ activated proteases, suc

In the photoreceptors of the retina, the second-messenger molecule cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) occupies centre stage in the phototransduction cascade. Remarkably, cGMP is also involved in hereditary photoreceptor degeneration caused by a variety of different genetic insults. This provides an entry point for the development of inhibitory cGMP analogues for a mutation-independent treatment

The metaphor of a potential epigenetic differentiation landscape broadly suggests that during differentiation a stem cell approaches a stable equilibrium state from a higher free energy towards a stable equilibrium state which represents the final cell type. It has been conjectured that there is an analogy to the concept of entropy in statistical mechanics. In this context, in the undifferentiated

In this comment on Francesco Guala’s Understanding Institutions, I express my admiration for the book but I also raise some critical criticisms: His general account of institutions as rules-in-equilibrium seems to get their ontology wrong by disregarding their material side - their concrete realizations. It also diregards social institutions whose rules are not (and are not meant to be) in equilib