Land degradation, as a threat to smallholders in the tropics, attracts less attention than other global challenges. In addition, gaps between scientific understandings of land degradation and international policy regimes are problematic. We identify the three most significant debates including their different policy implications: desertification in the Sahel, nutrient depletion in Africa, and rura

The typical form of hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) is associated with enterohemorrhagic ESCHERICHIA COLI (EHEC) infection. The disease process is initiated and perpetuated by interactions between the pathogen or its virulence factors and host cells, as well as the host response. During EHEC-associated HUS, alterations occurring at the intestinal mucosal barrier and in the circulation, as well as

Mate preferences can vary in the direction of the preference, as well as the strength of the preference, and both direction and strength of preference are known to be plastic in many species. Preferences might have a learned component, and current and past social context may influence an individual's choosiness. In the damselfly species Calopteryx splendens, females increase the strength of their

The aim of our study was to investigate the dynamics of cortical thinning around well fixed cemented Muller straight stems without osteolysis at different time periods during long term follow-up. We investigated patients operated on for osteoarthritis with a cemented Muller straight stem, all with more than 15 years follow-up and no radiological signs of osteolysis. Cortical thinning in 20 THA hip

Key points Chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 28 (CCL28) is a novel growth factor for human hematopoietic stem- and progenitor cells.CCL28 supports the in vitro and in vivo functional integrity of cultured primitive hematopoietic cells.

OBJECTIVES: Allogeneic blood transfusion and reoperation for postoperative bleeding after the coronary artery bypass grafting have a negative impact on the patient outcome. This study aimed at evaluating the effects of reduced doses of heparin and protamine on the patient outcome, using a heparin-coated mini-cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) system. METHODS: Sixty patients undergoing elective first-ti

Necessary and sufficient conditions for simplicity of a general skew group ring A?(sigma)G are not known. In this article, we show that a skew group ring A?(sigma)G, of an abelian group G, is simple if and only if its centre is a field and A is G-simple. As an application, we show that a transformation group (X, G), where X is a compact Hausdorff space acted upon by an abelian group G, is minimal

The pathogenesis of inhibitory antibodies has been the focus of major scientific interest over the last decades and several studies on underlying immune mechanisms and risk factors for formation of these antibodies have been performed with the aim of improving the ability to both predict and prevent their appearance. It seems clear that the decisive factors for the immune response to the deficient

Fetometry dating of gestational age is the gold standard in most developed countries but may have some inborn errors. Dating pregnancies after in vitro fertilization can be used for the evaluation of fetometric studies and for studies of variables which may affect them.

Purpose: T cells influence outcome in follicular lymphoma, but their contributions seem to be modified by therapy. Their impact in patients receiving rituximab without chemotherapy is unknown. Experimental Design: Using flow cytometry, we evaluated the T cells in tumors and/or blood in a total of 250 follicular lymphoma patients included in two Nordic Lymphoma Group randomized trials that compared

Claudins (CLDNs) are central components of tight junctions that regulate epithelial-cell barrier function and polarity. Altered CLDN expression patterns have been demonstrated in numerous cancer types and lineage-specific CLDNs have been proposed as therapy targets. The objective of this study was to assess which fraction of patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) express CLDN6 and CLDN18

Background Gadolinium (Gd) neutron capture therapy (GdNCT) is based on a neutron capture reaction (NCR) that involves emission of both short and long range products. The aim of this study was to investigate both the microscopic and macroscopic contributions of the absorbed dose involved in GdNCT. Methods Cylindrical containers with diameters 1-30 mm filled with a solution of Gd were irradiated wit

Multifunctional chemicals including hydroxycarboxylic acids are gaining increasing interest due to their growing applications in the polymer industry. One approach for their production is a biological selective oxidation of polyols, which is difficult to achieve by conventional chemical catalysis. In the present study, trimethylolpropane (TMP), a trihydric alcohol, was subjected to selective oxida

Gene-environment interactions need to be studied to better understand the obesity. We aimed at determining whether genetic susceptibility to obesity associates with diet intake levels and whether diet intakes modify the genetic susceptibility. In 29,480 subjects of the population-based Malmö Diet and Cancer Study (MDCS), we first assessed association between 16 genome-wide association studies iden

Conformational entropy provides major contributions to protein folding and functions, such as ligand binding, making it a potentially important driver of biologically relevant processes. NMR spectroscopy is a unique technique to estimate conformational entropy changes at atomic resolution, an approach that can be favorably augmented by comparisons with results from molecular dynamics (MD) simulati

Some single-nucleotide polymorphisms are associated with higher risk of colorectal cancer development and are suggested to explain part of the genetic contribution to Lynch syndrome. Aim: To evaluate the mutL homolog 1 (MLH1) I219V polymorphism in 124 unrelated South American individuals suspected of having Lynch syndrome, based on frequency, association with pathogenic MLH1 and mutS homolog 2 (MS

Background: Rotational thrombelastometry/thrombelastography with ROTEM (R) and TEG (R) is becoming available bedside in an increasing number of intensive care units, where many patients with heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) are treated. The study has been performed in an effort to find out whether ROTEM (R) could be an alternative to activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) when argatrob

Background: Pediatric lead (Pb) exposure impacts cognitive function and behavior and co-exposure to manganese (Mn) may enhance neurotoxicity. Objectives: To assess cognitive and behavioral function in adolescents with environmental exposure to Pb and Mn. Methods: In this cross sectional study, cognitive function and behavior were examined in healthy adolescents with environmental exposure to metal

Background. Upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs) are the most common reason for consulting a GP and for receiving an antibiotic prescription, although evidence shows poor benefit but rather increasing antibiotic resistance. Interventions addressing physicians have to take into consideration the complexity of prescribing behaviour. Objective. To study whether interventions based on behavioura