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BackgroundParental education has been suggested to be an effective instrument for improving child health in low- and middle-income countries. Both education and child health have improved, however, as well as related factors. These changes may have implications for the observed association.MethodsWe used Demographic and Health Surveys conducted in 43 countries at two points in time, between 1991 a

Neutrophils are crucial mediators of host defense that are recruited to the central nervous system (CNS) in large numbers during acute bacterial meningitis caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae. Neutrophils release neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) during infections to trap and kill bacteria. Intact NETs are fibrous structures composed of decondensed DNA and neutrophil-derived antimicrobial prote

How insects promote crop pollination remains poorly understood in terms of the contribution of functional trait differences between species. We used meta-analyses to test for correlations between community abundance, species richness and functional trait metrics with oilseed rape yield, a globally important crop. While overall abundance is consistently important in predicting yield, functional div

Surface waters can contain a diverse range of organic pollutants, including pesticides, pharmaceuticals and industrial compounds. While bioassays have been used for water quality monitoring, there is limited knowledge regarding the effects of individual micropollutants and their relationship to the overall mixture effect in water samples. In this study, a battery of in vitro bioassays based on hum

The orchid genus Nigritella is closely related to Gymnadenia and has from time to time been merged with the latter. Although Nigritella is morphologically distinct, it has been suggested that the separating characters are easily modifiable and subject to rapid evolutionary change. So far, molecular phylogenetic studies have either given support for the inclusion of Nigritella in Gymnadenia, or for

In the present study, copper surfaces were deposited with Cu-Zinc nanoparticles of 0.6 mg by an electrophoretic deposition method (EPD). Two deposition patterns were designed, i.e., fully deposition (EPD-F) and channel-pattern deposition (EPD-C). In the channel-pattern deposition, the smooth channel and the deposition channel occur alternatively, by keeping the width of the smooth channel as 3 mm,

Aim: Surgery for colorectal cancer is associated with a high incidence of postoperative complications. The aim of this study was to analyse whether postoperative complications following radical resection for colorectal cancer are associated with increased recurrence rate and impaired survival. Method: Patients operated for colon cancer between 2007 and 2009 with curative intent were identified thr

Association studies have linked microbiome alterations with many human diseases. However, they have not always reported consistent results, thereby necessitating cross-study comparisons. Here, a meta-analysis of eight geographically and technically diverse fecal shotgun metagenomic studies of colorectal cancer (CRC, n = 768), which was controlled for several confounders, identified a core set of

Background: Emerging literature suggests that boredom is a frequent problem experienced by homeless persons that may influence their health and well-being. Purpose: The range and breadth of literature exploring boredom among homeless persons is unknown. We initiated this study to fill this gap in existing literature. Method: Using the method advanced by Arksey and O’Malley (2005), and furthered by

Pebble accretion is an efficient mechanism that is able to build up the core of the giant planets within the lifetime of the protoplanetary disc gas-phase. The core grows via this process until the protoplanet reaches its pebble isolation mass and starts to accrete gas. During the growth, the protoplanet undergoes a rapid, large-scale, inward migration due to the interactions with the gaseous prot

On-surface synthesis has emerged in the last decade as a method to create graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) with atomic precision. The underlying premise of this bottom-up strategy is that precursor molecules undergo a well-defined sequence of inter- and intramolecular reactions, leading to the formation of a single product. As such, the structure of the GNR is encoded in the precursors. However, recent

Background: The uterine environment may influence telomere length at birth, which is essential for cellular function, aging, and disease susceptibility over the lifespan. However, little is known about the impact of toxic chemicals on early-life telomeres. Therefore, we assessed the potential impact of multiple toxic metals on relative telomere length (rTL) in the maternal blood, cord blood, and

The Homogeneous Charge Compression Ignition ({HCCI}) combustion principle lacks direct ignition timing control, instead the auto-ignition depends on the operating condition and fast combustion phasing control is necessary for reliable operation. A six-cylinder heavy-duty HCCI engine was controlled on a cycle-to-cycle basis in real time using a variety of sensors, actuators and control structures f

A combination therapy approach is required to improve tumor immune infiltration and patient response to immune checkpoint inhibitors that target negative regulatory receptors. Galectin-3 is a β-galactoside-binding lectin that is highly expressed within the tumor microenvironment of aggressive cancers and whose expression correlates with poor survival particularly in patients with non-small cell l

The impact of many unfavorable childhood traits or diseases, such as low birth weight and mental disorders, is not limited to childhood and adolescence, as they are also associated with poor outcomes in adulthood, such as cardiovascular disease. Insight into the genetic etiology of childhood and adolescent traits and disorders may therefore provide new perspectives, not only on how to improve well

High resolution 100 kV electron beam lithography in thin layers of the negative resist SU-8 is demonstrated. Sub-30 nm lines with a pitch down to 300 nm are written in 100 nm thick SU-8. Two reactive ion etch processes are developed in order to transfer the SU-8 structures into a silicon substrate, a Soft O-2-Plasma process to remove SU-8 residues on the silicon surface after development and a hig

Context. Aims. The goal of this paper is to demonstrate the outstanding quality of the second data release of the Gaia mission and its power for constraining many different aspects of the dynamics of the satellites of the Milky Way. We focus here on determining the proper motions of 75 Galactic globular clusters, nine dwarf spheroidal galaxies, one ultra-faint system, and the Large and Small Mage

Context. The second release of Gaia data (Gaia DR2) contains the astrometric parameters for more than half a million quasars. This set defines a kinematically non-rotating reference frame in the optical domain. A subset of these quasars have accurate VLBI positions that allow the axes of the reference frame to be aligned with the International Celestial Reference System (ICRF) radio frame. Aims. W