The mechanisms behind the load building capabilities of a hyperbranched polymer (HBP) in polyurethane (PU) foams have been investigated, using microscopy techniques and mechanical analyses. By broadening the traditional uniaxial compression characterization of PU foams to include combined shear deformations and compression behavior, an apparent Poisson ratio of the foam could be obtained in situ.

Phylogenetic relationships of seven cetrarioid lichens – Ahtiana sphaerosporella, Esslingeriana idahoensis, Kaernefeltia merrillii, Tuckermannopsis americana, T. platyphylla, T. subalpina and Vulpicida canadensis – occurring in British Columbia are analysed together with seven other cetrarioid species using parsimony analysis. The phylogenetic hypothesis based on ITS sequences suggest that ascus c

Even though most bird species with a raptorial feeding habit express varying extents of reversed sexual dimorphism (RSD: females bigger than males), the evolutionary basis for its maintenance, as well as its possible secondary consequences for the ecological adaptations of the different sexes, is debated. We studied pairs of tawny owls, Strix aluco (females 20% heavier than males), throughout the

Following the theme of this monograph, this paper discusses a dialectic we perceive to subsist between meaningful use and reflection upon use. This dialectic between experiencing use and reflecting upon experiencing use (or thinking, and thinking about thinking) may be considered in the following way. Each of these elements is subject to change. As reflection triggers change in use, and such chang

A simple N-country specific-factor-type model with imperfectly mobile labour is developed. It is shown that the effects of country-specific productivity shocks hitting a small country have fundamentally asymmetric effects: A positive shock will be accommodated by a moderate wage increase and sizeable in-migration, whereas a negative shock will be accommodated by a significant decrease in wages and

Background-Epidemiological studies indicate a genetic contribution to ischemic stroke risk, but specific genetic variants remain unknown, with the exception of a few rare variants. Recent genome-wide association studies identified and replicated common genetic variants on chromosome 9p21 to confer risk of coronary heart disease. We examined whether these variants are associated with ischemic strok

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of ethanol exposure on the expression of fos and jun genes. Exposure of human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells to ethanol for 2-4 days caused a dose-dependent increase in c-jun and junD mRNA levels, whereas mRNAs for c-fos, fosB and junB were not detectable in control or ethanol-treated cells. Four days of ethanol exposure also enhanced the AP-1 bindi

Background Ex vivo gene therapy in the central nervous system (CNS) holds great promise for diseases such as the neurodegenerative disorders. However, achieving stable, long-term transgene expression in grafted cells has proven problematic. This study reports the establishment of an in vitro model of transgene down-regulation in cells grafted to the CNS using the immortalized neural progenitor cel

It is difficult to overestimate Paul Meehl's influence on judgment and decision-making research. His 'disturbing little book' (Meehl, 1986, p. 370) Clinical versus Statistical Prediction: A Theoretical Analysis and a Review of the Evidence (1954) is known as an attack on human judgment and a call for replacing clinicians with actuarial methods. More than 40 years later, fast and frugal heuristics

The effects of nine different anionic and cationic micelle-forming surfactants on the viscosity and viscoelasticity of semidilute solutions of hydrophobically modified hydroxyethyl cellulose (HMHEC) were studied. All added surfactants gave rise to the well-established viscosity maximum with increasing surfactant concentration, but the total surfactant concentration at the maximum, as well as the m

This paper focuses on the role of corporate financial strategies to improve their market valuations and lower their cost of capital. The identification of successful strategies is accomplished within an overall strategic framework. The paper is built on 12 longitudinal case studies from the Nordic countries to illustrate the linkages between business strategy, firm motivation, and various financia

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to investigate, in an experimental survival model, the functional and morphologic results of lung transplantation using lungs from non-heart-beating donors. METHODS: Left lungs, topically cooled to 25 degrees C for 2 hours in situ after 5 minutes of circulatory arrest followed by 26 minutes of unsuccessful cardiopulmonary resuscitation, were transplanted into

Since many years we routinely use diagnostic selective nerve root blocks (SNRB) at our department when evaluating patients with cervical radiculopathy. Frequently patients who also presented with headache reported that the headache disappeared when the nerve root responsible for the radicular pain was blocked with local anaesthetics. Headache has been described as a companioning symptom related to

The pyrimidine catabolic pathway is of crucial importance in cancer patients because it is involved in degradation of several chemotherapeutic drugs, such as 5-fluorouracil; it also is important in plants, unicellular eukaryotes, and bacteria for the degradation of pyrimidine-based biocides/antibiotics. During the last decade we have developed a yeast species, Saccharomyces kluyveri, as a model an

Inhibitory antibodies to factors VIII or IX have the potential to affect a broad range of outcomes among people with hemophilia; however, their possible effect on growth and maturation has not been explored. We evaluated skeletal maturation (bone age), pubertal progression, serum testosterone levels, height velocity, and stature in the multicenter Hemophilia Growth and Development Study. A total o