The packing of cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) in the anisotropic chiral nematic phase has been investigated over a wide concentration range by small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and laser diffraction. The average separation distance between the CNCs and the average pitch of the chiral nematic phase have been determined over the entire isotropic−anisotropic biphasic region. The average separation di

Since the advancement in CH4 gas analyser technology and its applicability to eddy covariance flux measurements, monitoring of CH4 emissions is becoming more widespread. In order to accurately determine the greenhouse gas balance, high quality gap-free data is required. Currently there is still no consensus on CH4 gap-filling methods, and methods applied are still study-dependent and often carried

Male reproductive function is impaired during end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Disturbance of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis, and therefore the regulation of sex hormones, is one of the major causes. Our focus was to include antimüllerian hormone (AMH) and inhibin B concentrations. Twenty male patients on hemodialysis, median age 40 (26-48) years, were analyzed for follicle-stimulating hor

The addition of crop residues is a common farming practice to increase the organic carbon content of agricultural soils with particular importance in organically managed crops. Residues can be added either from the crop plant itself or from other plants and the type of litter may differentially affect decomposer populations. Effects of litter addition may cascade up to affect generalist predators

BACKGROUND: Little is known about whether the four main manifestations of arterial vascular disease (coronary heart disease=CHD, ischemic stroke, peripheral artery disease=PAD, and aortic (i.e. atherosclerosis/aneurysm) disease=AD) share familial susceptibility. The aim of this nationwide study was to determine the familial risks of concordant (same disease in proband and exposed relative) and dis

Few studies have investigated the relationship between predefined dietary patterns and type 2 diabetes incidence; little is known about the generalisability of these associations. We aimed to assess the association between predefined dietary patterns and type 2 diabetes risk in European populations. From among a case-cohort of 12,403 incident diabetes cases and 16,154 subcohort members nested with

Increasing landscape complexity can enhance biodiversity and ecosystem services in agroecosystems. However, policies based on conversion of arable land into semi-natural habitats to increase landscape complexity and ecosystem services can be difficult to implement. Although it appears to be a promising management option, nothing is known about the effect of increasing landscape diversity through c

center dot People with mild and moderate asthma have been shown to absorb less inhaled insulin than healthy subjects. center dot In people with moderate asthma, the administration of a bronchodilator before inhalation of insulin has been shown to lead to increased uptake of inhaled insulin compared with no prior administration of bronchodilator. WHAT THIS STUDY ADDS center dot This study is the fi

BACKGROUND: It is well established that parity and use of oral contraceptives reduce the risk of ovarian cancer, but the associations with other reproductive variables are less clear. METHODS: We examined the associations of oral contraceptive use and reproductive factors with ovarian cancer risk in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition. Among 327 396 eligible women, 878

A series of nine radiocarbon measurements obtained at increments of 50 years was used to wiggle match varved sediments in Lake Kalksjon (west central Sweden) to the calendar year time scale provided by the tree-ring-derived radiocarbon calibration curve. The anchor point for a series of 400 varves known to span the '8.2 kyr cold event' was derived from a combination of correlation analysis, Monte

Plasma concentrations of total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglycerides are among the most important risk factors for coronary artery disease (CAD) and are targets for therapeutic intervention. We screened the genome for common variants associated with plasma lipids in >100,000 individuals of European ancestry. Here we report 95 signi

This article examines continuity, change and adaptation of blat, a Soviet-time informal economic transaction network, in today’s Ukraine and Belarus. The analysis is based on 33 in-depth interviews, and the main focus is the descriptions, justifications and explanations of on-going informal participation in contemporary forms of blat. Theories on informal institutions, path dependence and the rela

The aim of this work was to determine how a latent optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) signal in irradiated household salt is preserved under various ambient conditions, from the time of exposure to the time of signal readout. The following parameters were examined: optical fading in fluorescent light and under darkroom conditions (red light), thermal stability of the OSL signal during storage

Optical spectroscopy has been used as a supplement to conventional techniques for analyzing and diagnosing cancer in many human organs. Because ocular tumors may be characterized by their different melanin content, we investigated the feasibility of using transscleral visible/near-infrared spectroscopy (Vis/NIRS) to estimate the quantity of melanin in a novel uveal melanoma phantom of ex vivo porc

A highly sensitive and stable solid state electrochemiluminescence (ECL) sensor for tri-n-propylamine (TPrA, as coreactant) detection was developed using Ru(bpy)(3)(2+) ion-exchanged into the composite film of ZnO nanoparticles decorated multi-walled carbon nanotubes (nanoZnO-MWCNTs) and Nafion. The electrocatalytic activity of nano-ZnO active sites towards Ru(bpy)(3)(2+) redox reaction and also t

Streptococcus pyogenes AP1, a strain of the highly virulent M1 serotype, uses exclusively protein H to bind the complement inhibitor C4b-binding protein (C4BP). We found a strong correlation between the ability of AP1 and its isogenic mutants lacking protein H to inhibit opsonisation with complement C3b and binding of C4BP. C4BP bound to immobilized protein H or AP1 bacteria retained its cofactor

Abstract Azoospermia is observed in 10-15% of infertile men and 60% of these cases are classified as having non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA). NOA results from testicular failure, and one of the causes of this is the presence of varicocele. Varicocele is found in 5-10% of men with NOA and its repair is associated with the appearance of spermatozoa in the ejaculate in 21-55% of cases. This review d

Pseudomyogenic haemangioendothelioma (PHE) is an intermediate malignant vascular soft tissue tumour primarily affecting children and young adults. The molecular basis of this neoplasm is unknown. We here used chromosome banding analysis, fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), mRNA sequencing, RT-PCR and quantitative real-time PCR on a series of morphologically well-characterized PHEs to show t

In birds, fatty acids (FA) have three main functions; they are structural components of cell membranes, metabolic fuel, and inflammatory molecules. Environmental factors, such as diet and ambient temperature, affect FA composition, thereby function and ultimately fitness. Thus, variation in FA compositions can be the underlying mechanism for varying performance of birds in different habitats. Here