Recent studies of semen quality in men from the general population gave rise to the hypothesis of an East-West gradient in semen quality in the Nordic-Baltic area, with the highest sperm counts in Estonia, Lithuania and Finland, and the lowest in Denmark (30% difference in mean concentration). Genetic, lifestyle-related and environmental factors - alone or in combination - were suggested to be res

We report on the final electroweak measurements performed with data taken at the Z resonance by the experiments operating at the electron-positron colliders SLC and LEP. The data consist of 17 million Z decays accumulated by the ALEPH, DELPHI, L3 and OPAL experiments at LEP, and 600 thousand Z decays by the SLID experiment using a polarised beam at SLC. The measurements include cross-sections, for

We are reporting about a scintillating fibre tracking detector which is proposed for the precise determination of the absolute luminosity of the CERN LHC at interaction point 1 where the ATLAS experiment is located. The detector needs to track protons elastically scattered under mu rad angles in direct vicinity to the LHC beam. It is based on square shaped scintillating plastic fibres read out by

Gonyostomum semen (Raphidophyceae) is today one of the most common flagellates in humic lakes ill Sweden and appears regularly in 30% of these lakes. The first mass development of this alga was recorded in 1948 in Lake Helgasjon, South Sweden. In this paper the life cycle of Gonyostomum is described for the first time. During the winter Gonyostomum survived as resting cysts on the surface of the b

Recent advances in technology, including computerized analysis, have renewed interest in pharyngeal manometry. Simultaneous fluoroscopy and videography have been recommended by many authors. This article reviews the history of pharyngeal manometry and highlights some of the technical difficulties involved. We also report the current status of the simultaneous technique and summarize our own result

The aim of this article is to contribute to the development of the domain analytical approach by using tools from the theory of professions. This is accomplished by showing how the symbolic values of professional information can create, sustain, and alter professional interests, power relations, and occupational identities. By taking this approach, the importance of considering the issues of power

The radiobiological effect of intracellularly localised radionuclides emitting low energy electrons (Auger electrons) has received much attention. Most in vivo studies reported have been performed in the mouse testis. We have investigated the rat testis as an in vivo radiobiological model, with sperm-head survival, testis weight loss and also alteration in the blood plasma hormone levels of FSH an

Leptin is a key biological marker related to energy balance and development of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Its levels are increased in populations with a high degree of the metabolic syndrome. Life history of evolution has, however, largely taken place under the ecological context of hunting and gathering. In this study, we explored whether the first steps of transition to sedentary agri

Every tripotent which is a left unit of a compact simple Kantor triple system defines a decomposition of the space of the triple into a direct sum of four components, hence it defines a generalization of the Peirce decomposition for Jordan triple systems. We give examples of the Peirce decomposition for classical compact simple Kantor triple systems and for (exceptional) compact simple Kantor trip

Room-temperature ionic liquids (ILs) are gaining wide recognition as novel solvents in chemistry. Their application in analytical chemistry, especially in separating analytes, is merited because ILs have some unique properties, such as negligible vapor pressure, good thermal stability, tunable viscosity and miscibility with water and organic solvents, as well as good extractability for various org

Using angle-dependent photoemission spectra of core and valence levels we show that metallic, single crystal K3C60 is terminated by an insulating or weakly-conducting surface layer. We attribute this to the effects of strong intermolecular correlations combined with the average surface charge state. Several controversies on the electronic structure are thereby resolved.

Gamma-ray lines from Sn-103 have been identified for the first time using EUROBALL and ancillary detectors. The level scheme of Sn-103 has been established by means of particle-gated gamma gamma coincidences. The energy spacing between the g(7/2) and d(5/2) neutron single-particle orbitals is determined from the excited states in Sn-103.

High-resolution spectra of the chemically peculiar HgMn stars chi Lupiand HR 7775, obtained with the Hubble Space Telescope/Goddard HighResolution Spectrograph, are investigated for their abundance of bismuthby comparison with LTE synthetic spectrum modeling. HR 7775, previouslyknown from International Ultraviolet Explorer spectra to display stronglines of Bi II, is determined to have bismuth pres

Electron mean free path (MFP) was determined by the angular resolved photoemission in 10-40 eV energy range for GaAs(100)-c(4 x 4) by the overlayer method. The investigation was based on the attenuation of the normal photoemission intensity of the Al 2p line from the molecular-beam-epitaxy grown GaAlAs layer buried four monolayers of GaAs below the surface. The energy dependence of the MFP shows a