OBJECTIVES: There is a concern that persistent organohalogen toxicants, such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), might display endocrine-disrupting effects in exposed populations. In this study the correlations between PCBs and thyrotropin (TSH) and thyroid hormone concentrations in plasma were assessed in adult women.METHODS: The study group consisted of 182 fishermen's wives from the Swedish ea

We derive and validate an analytical model that describes the migration of Raman scattered photons in two-layer diffusive media, based on the diffusion equation in the time domain. The model is derived under a heuristic approximation that background optical properties are identical on the excitation and Raman emission wavelengths. Methods for the reconstruction of two-layer Raman spectra have been

Laminins are extracellular matrix glycoproteins that influence the phenotype and functions of many types of cells. Laminins are heterotrimers composed of alpha, beta, and gamma polypeptides. So far five alpha, three beta, and two gamma polypeptide chains, and 11 variants of laminins have been proposed. Laminins interact in vitro with mature blood cells and malignant hematopoietic cells. Most studi

This paper addresses the issue of coalescence of frequent collocations and its consequences for their realization and mental representation. The items examined are ‘semi-modal’ instantiations of the type V-to-Vinf, namely have to, used to, trying to and need to, in American English. We explore and compare their realization variants in speech, considering the effects of speech-internal and extra-liThis paper addresses the issue of coalescence of frequent collocations and its consequences for their realization and mental representation. The items examined are ‘semi-modal’ instantiations of the type V-to-Vinf, namely have to, used to, trying to and need to, in American English. We explore and compare their realization variants in speech, considering the effects of speech-internal and extra-li

Inspired by feminist thought, this special issue aims to disturb conventional ways of thinking about public diplomacy and nation branding as “soft power” tools of the state. A feminist rethinking of the soft/hard power metaphor reveals its implicit masculinist logic and invites a critical exploration of the gendering of geopolitical contestations. This issue takes one step in addressing this gap a

Frequency diverse array (FDA) radars provide a potential solution to target localisation along the slant range and azimuth angle due to the range-angle-dependent transmit beampattern caused by the used frequency increments. However, the S -shaped beampattern resulting from the standard FDA leads to multiple candidate location estimates, introducing ambiguity in the target localization. To make ful

The food packaging market has been witnessing substantial growth due to changing consumer lifestyles, urbanization, increased purchasing power, and growing environmental sustainability awareness. This growth presents significant opportunities for companies operating in this market. To effectively capitalize on these opportunities, it is crucial to develop marketing strategies and forecasting analy

Spam review detection has gathered significant attention within the Natural Language Processing (NLP) academic community, especially in recent years due to the growing reliance on online reviews for purchases and the increased uti- lization of Artificial Intelligence. The prevailing methods for identifying fraudulent reviews often concentrate on text-based features employing diverse techniques. Re

Aims: Intermittently scanned continuous glucose monitoring (isCGM) systems have not been thoroughly evaluated during in-hospital stay, and there are concerns about accuracy during various conditions. Patients undergoing pancreatoduodenectomy have an increased risk of hyperglycaemia after surgery which is aggravated by parenteral nutrition therapy. This study aims to evaluate glycaemic control and

Ovarian cancer is an intractable disease that is mostly diagnosed at an advanced stage and has a high recurrence rate. The early development of characteristic peritoneal dissemination via ascites contributes to a poor prognosis. Based on the “seed and soil” theory, ovarian cancer is considered to form a disseminated tumor that interacts with the peritoneum; superficial mesothelial cells are struct

Friction characteristics and wear of sheet-bulk metal forming tools featuring microstructured surfaces are simulated on the mesoscale. Computational homogenisation is used for surface cut-outs on which the structures are geometrically resolved and where friction laws model lower scale roughness. Two approaches are presented for the modelling of wear. A dissipation based Archard model is implemente

Differential and double-differential distributions of kinematic variables of leptons from decays of top-quark pairs (tt¯) are measured using the full LHC Run 2 data sample collected with the ATLAS detector. The data were collected at a pp collision energy of s = 13 TeV and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 140 fb −1. The measurements use events containing an oppositely charged eμ pair and

Many species of migratory birds have evolved the ability to migrate at night, and the recent and rapid expansion of artificial light at night has markedly altered the nighttime sky through which they travel. Migrating birds regularly pass through heavily illuminated landscapes, and bright lights affect avian orientation. But risks to migrating birds from artificial light are not spatially or tempo

Species with wide-range distributions usually display high genetic variation. This variation can be partly explained by historical lineages that were temporally isolated from each other and are back into secondary reproductive contact, and partly by local adaptations. The smooth newt ( Lissotriton vulgaris) is one of the most widely distributed amphibians species across Eurasia and forms a species

Activating Notch1 mutations have been reported in human T-line-age acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) and lymphomas from genetically modified mice. We report that Notch1 is a prevalent and major mutational target in chemically induced mouse lymphoma. The regions of the gene that are frequently mutated are the heterodimerization domain and the N-terminal ligand-binding region, important for prote

BACKGROUND: GH therapy in adult patients with GH deficiency (GHD) was approved over 10 yr ago, and the indication has subsequently gained broad acceptance. The HypoCCS surveillance database is a suitable means to examine the evolution of diagnostic patterns since 1996.METHODS: Baseline demographics, reported cause of GHD, and diagnostic tests were available from 5893 GH-treated patients. Trends fo

We investigate the structures and mechanical properties of leaf midribs of Ficus microcarpa and Prunus dulcis, which deposit calcium oxalate crystals, and of Olea europaea midribs which contain no mineral deposits, but do contain lignified fibers. The midrib mechanical performance contributes to the leaf's ability to maintain a flat conformation for light harvesting and to efficiently reconfigure