PURPOSE OF REVIEW: To provide an update on the implementation of precision medicine, based on treatable traits and mechanisms, in the daily clinical management of chronic airways diseases. RECENT FINDINGS: Recent insights into the complex and heterogeneous nature of chronic airway diseases including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma identified several clinical and inflammator

This work presents a rapid, selective and sensitive automated sequential injection flow system with a capacitive biosensor for detection of the mecA gene (the model chosen for this study), which emerges from methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. A DNA-based 25-mer capture probe was immobilized on the surface of a gold electrode which was integrated in the capacitive sensor system. A constan

The use and promotion of pesticides is on the increase in many sub-Saharan African countries, including in the smallholder sector. This paper stems from placed-based research in Uganda and aims at advancing current knowledge on smallholder farmers' motivations for pesticide use, the extent and character of such use, as well as on lived experiences regarding the impacts of pesticides. Data was gene

CALIFA is the high efficiency and energy resolution calorimeter for the R3B experiment at FAIR, intended for detecting high energy charged particles and γ-rays in inverse kinematics direct reactions. It surrounds the reaction target in a segmented configuration of Barrel and Forward End-Cap pieces. The CALIFA Barrel consists of 1952 detection units made of CsI(Tl) long-shaped scintillator crystals

Raptors from the orders Accipitriformes and Falconiformes have been considered to rely principally on vision. Historically, this assumption has led scientists to discount any possible sense of smell in these birds, until work on cathartid vultures indicated that these species at least rely on olfaction to find carrion. In this review I provide evidence that raptors in general have functional olfac

As sales of e-bikes increase, so does the need for reliable evaluations of which means of transport the e-bike replaces, what we call the substitution effect. A randomised controlled trial with GPS data from 98 frequent drivers in Sweden was conducted to investigate the effect of the e-bike on modal choice, the number of trips, distance, as well as perceptions of the e-bike as a substitute for theAs sales of e-bikes increase, so does the need for reliable evaluations of which means of transport the e-bike replaces, what we call the substitution effect. A randomised controlled trial with GPS data from 98 frequent drivers in Sweden was conducted to investigate the effect of the e-bike on modal choice, the number of trips, distance, as well as perceptions of the e-bike as a substitute for the

Zone plates are diffractive optics commonly used in X-ray microscopes. Here, we present a wet-chemical approach for fabricating high aspect ratio Pd/Si zone plate optics aimed at the hard X-ray regime. A Si zone plate mold is fabricated via metal-assisted chemical etching (MACE) and further metalized with Pd via electroless deposition (ELD). MACE results in vertical Si zones with high aspect ratio

After decades of theoretical neglect of material properties and relations, a much welcome material turn within social science energy research has recently raised discussions of materiality to the centre of current debates. So far, the efforts to rematerialize energy has to a large extent drawn on new materialist thinking. Against the substantivalist conception of energy resources as self-standing

Human beings are definitely storytellers capable of travel back and forward in time. We not only construct stories about ourselves, but also share these with others (McAdams and McLean 2013). We construct and internalize an evolving and integrative story for life, that is, a narrative identity (Singer 2004). However, the life story is just one of three layers of personality that are in a dynamical

This book discusses the application of various statistical methods to texts, rather than numbers, in various fields in behavioral science. It proposes an approach where quantitative methods are applied to data whereas previously such data were analyzed only by qualitative research methods. To emphasize the quantitative aspects of semantics, and the possibilities of conducting scientific interferen

Graffiti game boards attest to the presence of historical populations at an archaeological site and, in some cases, assist in dating an archaeological context. While games suggest the presence of a social activity, their contextual significance compared to the graffiti of texts and images, pottery finds, and other diagnostic tools of archaeology is open to further enquiry. The presence of multiple

The unique diagnostic possibilities of X-ray diffraction, small X-ray scattering and phase-contrast imaging techniques applied with high-intensity coherent X-ray synchrotron and X-ray free-electron laser radiation can only be fully realized if a sufficient dynamic range and/or spatial resolution of the detector is available. In this work, it is demonstrated that the use of lithium fluoride (LiF) a

The SIRPα-CD47 axis plays an important role in T cell recruitment to sites of immune reaction and inflammation but its role in T cell antigen priming is incompletely understood. Employing OTII TCR transgenic mice bred to Cd47-/- (Cd47KO) or SKI mice, a knock-in transgenic animal expressing non-signaling cytoplasmic-truncated SIRPα, we investigated how the SIRPα-CD47 axis contributes to antigen pri

Physical exercise is a potentially effective treatment for adolescents with mild to moderate depression. However, there is a lack of long-term follow-ups to reveal adolescents’ experiences of exercise as a treatment for depression. The salutogenic concept of sense of coherence (SOC), comprising the domains manageability, comprehensibility, and meaningfulness is important to understand behaviour ch

While nonlinear phenomena (NLP) are widely reported in animal vocalizations, often causing perceptual harshness and roughness, their communicative function remains debated. Several hypotheses have been put forward: attention-grabbing, communication of distress, exaggeration of body size and dominance. Here, we use state-of-the-art sound synthesis to investigate how NLP affect the perception of pup

HIV infection affects the course of tuberculosis (TB), and HIV and Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) synergize in disease progression through complex immunological interplay. To gain further understanding of these mechanisms, we compared the microRNA (miRNA) and small nucleolar RNA (snoRNA) expression patterns in whole blood of individuals with active TB, with and without HIV coinfection (HIV+/TB+

Fragmentation, as one of the most distinct characteristics of agricultural landscapes worldwide, has resulted in a diversity of ecological consequences. It remains as a gap in the literature on how provisioning service changes in association with agricultural fragmentation and land use management. Addressing such a gap at a national level should provide essential insights for policymakers. This pa

Diamond anvil cell techniques have been improved to allow access to the multimegabar ultrahigh-pressure region for exploring novel phenomena in condensed matter. However, the only way to determine crystal structures of materials above 100 GPa, namely, X-ray diffraction (XRD), especially for low Z materials, remains nontrivial in the ultrahigh-pressure region, even with the availability of brillian