Objective. The diagnostic yield of sural nerve biopsy (SNB) in vasculitis is uncertain. Our aim was to document relevant characteristics of patients undergoing SNB in the investigation of vasculitis; determine the diagnostic yield; relate positive biopsy findings to patient demographic, laboratory, and clinical variables; and to calculate the rate of surgical complications. Methods. Patients with

Ice fragments are generated by sublimation of ice particles in subsaturated conditions in natural clouds. Conceivably, such sublimational breakup would be expected to cause ice multiplication in natural clouds. Any fragment that survives will grow to become ice precipitation that may sublimate and fragment further. As a first step toward assessing this overlooked process, a formulation is proposed

The European Union (EU) Water Framework Directive is of paramount importance for water management. According to the legal text, coordination with other directives like the Floods Directive is imperative and motivated by potential synergy effects. In this paper, the degree to which such coordination is achieved is evaluated for five Nordic and Baltic countries. The evaluation is based on legal docu

BACKGROUND: Emerging evidence suggests that animal protein foods may increase the risk of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). We therefore examined the NAFLD risk reduction related to substituting plant protein foods for animal protein foods.METHODS: The cohort in North China included 14,541 participants from the Tianjin Chronic Low-Grade Systemic Inflammation and Health (TCLSIH) study, and

BACKGROUND: We investigated the causality of IL-8 on carotid intima-media thickness (c-IMT), a measure of sub-clinical atherosclerosis.METHODS: The IMPROVE is a multicenter European study (n = 3,711). The association of plasma IL-8 with c-IMT (mm) was estimated by quantile regression. Genotyping was performed using the Illumina CardioMetabo and Immuno chips. Replication was attempted in three inde

3D Lung Models for Regenerating Lung Tissue is a comprehensive summary on the current state of art 3D lung models and novel techniques that can be used to regenerate lung tissue. Written by experts in the field, readers can expect to learn more about 3D lung models, novel techniques including bioprinting and advanced imaging techniques, as well as important knowledge about the complexity of the lu

Context. Measuring the abundances of neutron-capture elements in Galactic disk stars is an important part of understanding key stellar and galactic processes. In the optical wavelength regime a number of different neutron-capture elements have been measured; however, only the s-process-dominated element cerium has been accurately measured for a large sample of disk stars from the infrared H band.

Context. OH/IR stars are examples of late stellar evolution on the asymptotic giant branch (AGB), and they are, as such, important objects to study. They are also excellent probes of stellar populations, in particular in regions of high interstellar extinction such as the central regions of our Galaxy. Aims. Our goal is to characterise the stellar and circumstellar properties of high-mass-loss-rat

Early and accurate diagnoses are important for successful cancer treatment. Lymph node involvement is often critical, and magnetomotive ultrasound (MMUS) has been proposed for its detection and characterization. MMUS relies on a magnetic contrast agent, for example, iron oxide nanoparticles, delivered to the tissue of interest, magnetically set in motion and detected using ultrasound. The magneto-

We present the design, prototype developments and test results of the new time-of-flight detector (ToFD) which is part of the R3B experimental setup at GSI and FAIR, Darmstadt, Germany. The ToFD detector is able to detect heavy-ion residues of all charges at relativistic energies with a relative energy precision σΔE/ΔE of up to 1% and a time precision of up to 14 ps (sigma). Together with an el

Life cycle environmental problems have been addressed by a number of strategies, but with unsatisfactory results, since solutions are searched for within the same paradigms that give rise to the problems. This work questions the vision of linear material growth and searches for ways to sustain economic growth without putting the natural environment under stress. The research explores the concept o

Meta-analysis is a statistical method used in evidence synthesis for combining, analyzing and summarizing studies that have the same target endpoint and aims to derive a pooled quantitative estimate using fixed and random effects models or network models. Differences among included studies depend on variations in target populations (ie, heterogeneity) and variations in study quality due to study d

This article analyses the ideas and potential contribution of dematerialisation and eco-efficiency, and an innovation framework to promote Sustainability and increasing business competitiveness. From a strategic point of view and productivity approach, initiatives to reducing the resource intensity in producing products and providing services include: dematerialisation of the economy, extending pr

Environmental issues still have low priority within industries and universities in countries from the former Soviet Union. There is a weak link between academic R&D and industrial application, which leads to innovative retardation and economic backwardness. A short course conducted by IIIEE in Russia introduced Cleaner Production (CP) to both audiences and helped to gain some valuable insight