In this study resonant acoustic spectroscopy was applied during static loading and unloading of three prestressed concrete beams in the context of acoustoelasticity. At each load step multiple modes of vibration were measured using an accelerometer and a small impact source. It was found that the measured resonance frequencies increased with increasing compressive stress in a manner which can be p

The aim of this study was to describe changes over time in the indications and outcomes of cataract surgery and to discuss optimal timing for the surgery.

Most state-of-the-art natural gas-fired combined cycle (NGCC) plants are triple-pressure reheat cycles with efficiencies close to 60%. However, with carbon capture and storage, the efficiency will be penalized by almost 10% units. To limit the energy consumption for a carbon capture NGCC plant, exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) is necessary. Utilizing EGR increases the CO2 content in the gas turbine

Conversion of agricultural residues, energy crops and forest residues into bioethanol requires hydrolysis of the biomass and fermentation of the released sugars. During the hydrolysis of the hemicellulose fraction, substantial amounts of pentose sugars, in particular xylose, are released. Fermentation of these pentose sugars to ethanol by engineered Saccharomyces cerevisiae under industrial proces

Isolates of Listeria monocytogenes (n = 932) isolated in Sweden during 1958-2010 from human patients with invasive listeriosis were characterized by serotyping and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) (AscI). Of the 932 isolates, 183 different PFGE types were identified, of which 83 were each represented by only one isolate. In all, 483 serovar 1/2a isolates were distributed over 114 PFGE types

The full triaxial stress state within individual particles in a monodisperse spherical granular assembly has been measured. This was made possible by neutron imaging and computed tomography combined with neutron diffraction strain measurement techniques and associated stress reconstruction. The assembly in question consists of 549 precision steel ball bearings under an applied axial load of 85 MPa

OBJECTIVE To investigate the effects of baseline testosterone on testosterone control and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) suppression using data from a phase III trial (CS21) comparing degarelix and leuprolide in prostate cancer. METHODS In CS21, patients with histologically confirmed prostate cancer (all stages) were randomized to degarelix 240 mg for 1 month followed by monthly maintenance doses

By combining the specific molecular recognition capability of MIPs and the asymmetric structure of Janus particles, the Janus MIP particles which were synthesized via a wax-water Pickering emulsion showed attractive capabilities as self-propelled transporters for controlled drug delivery.

BACKGROUND. Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a multifunctional cytokine that has been implicated in the modulation of growth and progression of prostate cancer. Decreased expression of the tyrosine phosphatase SHP-1, involved in regulation of cytokine and tyrosine kinase receptor signaling, has been shown to be associated with less favorable outcome among prostate cancer patients. METHODS. Parental LNCaP c

Phytase (EC 3.1.3.-) hydrolyzes phytate (IP6) present in cereals and grains to release inorganic phosphate (Pi), thereby making it bioavailable. The most commonly used method to assay phytase, developed nearly a century ago, measures the Pi liberated from IP6. This traditional end point assay is time consuming and well known for its cumbersomeness in addition to requiring extra caution for handlin

Many historical accounts have asserted that containerization triggered complementary technological and organizational changes that revolutionized global freight transport. We are the first to suggest an identification strategy for estimating the effects of the container revolution on world trade. Our empirical strategy exploits time and cross-sectional variation in countries’ first adoption of con

Diastereomer discrimination was observed in the formation of a metallomacrocycle from a racemic ligand based on Tröger's base. The metallomacrocycle exhibited a dramatic increase in fluorescence intensity compared to the ligand and its fluorescence was efficiently quenched by C(60).

As an approach to determining the aetiology of chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL), we searched for a virus expressed in human CLL B-cells by combining high-throughput sequencing and digital subtraction. Pooled B-cell mRNA transcriptomes from five CLL patients and five healthy donors were sequenced with 454 Life Sciences technology. Human reads were excluded by BLAST (Basic Local Alignment Search

Structures of Architectural Heritage are constantly exposed to natural and human-made threats that can compromise their cultural and artistic values. This is the case of the Roman city of Pompeii, whose preserving conditions nowadays are so critical to let a group of Unesco-appointed experts consider the possible inscription of the property on the list of “World Heritage in Danger”. In this respec

Background Up-to-date evidence about levels and trends in disease and injury incidence, prevalence, and years lived with disability (YLDs) is an essential input into global, regional, and national health policies. In the Global Burden of Disease Study 2013 (GBD 2013), we estimated these quantities for acute and chronic diseases and injuries for 188 countries between 1990 and 2013. Methods Estimate

Direct measurements of heat balance (latent heat and sensible heat fluxes) by the eddy covariance method, undertaken in 1998-2000 and 2002-2004, are used to obtain information on the daily, seasonal, and annual dynamics of energy and mass exchange between the atmosphere and the typical ecosystems of Siberia (middle taiga pine forest, raised bog, and true four grass steppe with data for typical tun

The planar Hall effect (PHE) has been studied in short period (Ga, Mn)As/GaAs superlattices displaying a ferromagnetic interlayer coupling between the magnetic layers. Complex dependence of the PHE on applied magnetic field is explained by taking into account the magnetocrystalline anisotropy of the (Ga, Mn)As layers, which results from biaxial compressive strain in the layers epitaxially grown on