The aim of this study was to evaluate the consequences on the physical workload of new solutions in the forklift cab environment for the driver by quantifying the physical workload on the neck, shoulders, arms and wrists as an effect of steering systems. Twelve male subjects conducted identical test cycles with three types of steering: normal, tilted and miniature. The physical load on the drivers

Triplefin fishes reach their greatest diversity in New Zealand with 26 endemic species, and habitat diversification has been implicated as a key factor in the divergence of this group. Despite this, it is unknown whether species-specific habitat patterns in these sympatric fishes are established by passive processes (e.g. differential mortality) or by habitat selection during settlement. We invest

This paper outlines some recent advances in the full-field experimental characterisation of the mechanics of granular geomaterials (in particular, sands) using a range of methods that provide characterisation at different scales, from the sample-scale down to the inter- and intra-grain scale. The techniques used are “full-field” approaches involving in-situ x-ray micro-tomography, 3D-volumetric di

We show an O^*(2^k)-time polynomial space algorithm for the k-sized Graph Motif problem. We also introduce a new optimization variant of the problem, called Closest Graph Motif and solve it within the same time bound. The Closest Graph Motif problem encompasses several previously studied optimization variants, like Maximum Graph Motif, Min-Substitute, and Min-Add. Moreover, we provide a piece of e

It is well established that female choice may lead to sexual selection on quality-revealing ornaments in males. However, in many species, both sexes display conspicuous characters, which may reflect individual quality and condition. We examined the correlations between measures of individual condition, reproductive performance and variation in size and whiteness of white wing patches in both sexes

The Streptococcus pyogenes cysteine protease SpeB (streptococcal pyrogenic exotoxin B) is important for the invasive potential of the bacteria, but its production is down-regulated following systemic infection. This prompted us to investigate if SpeB potentiated the host immune response after systemic spreading. Addition of Spa to human plasma increased plasma-mediated bacterial killing and prolon

Vascular complications are common in diabetes. IGF-I receptors (IGF-IR) and insulin receptors (IR) in endothelial cells might respond to altered levels of IGF-I and insulin, resulting in altered endothelial function in diabetes. We therefore studied IGF-IR and IR gene expression, ligand binding, receptor protein, and phosphorylation in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC). IGF-IR mRNA wa

Gender differences and variations in inflammatory disease (e. g. atherosclerosis, neurological disorders, periodontitis and rheumatoid arthritis) severity with female sex hormone level have been reported, suggesting that female sex hormones modulate the inflammatory response. Estrogens act on gene transcription via estrogen receptors alpha and beta. Identification of estrogen-regulated genes is a

A 5-year retrospective study of the frequency of sensitization to the 25 allergens of the European standard series (ESS) was conducted in 10 centres in 8 European countries. Included were the results of 26 210 patients. The range in sensitivities differed moderately between the centres. Combining results of different centres and drawing conclusions on incidences can be done only with great care. T

Clothing evaporative resistance is an important input in thermal comfort models. Thermal manikin tests give the most accurate and reliable evaporative resistance values for clothing. The calculation methods of clothing evaporative resistance require the sweating skin surface temperature (i.e., options 1 and 2). However, prevailing calculation methods of clothing evaporative resistance (i.e., optio

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common cardiac arrhythmia, and the total number of AF patients is constantly increasing. The mechanisms leading to and sustaining AF are not completely understood yet. Heterogeneities in atrial electrophysiology seem to play an important role in this context. Although some heterogeneities have been used in in-silico human atrial modeling studies, they have not

Ligand homogeneity is an important issue in affinity chromatography. Using phages expressing peptides on the pIII protein, a heterogeneity in the binding of monoclonal phages was observed during affinity chromatography on supermacroporous cryogels. Fractions with different apparent binding affinities could be separated by stepwise elution. When these different fractions were re-applied, the respec

This article aims to expand our understanding of projectification in Swedish municipalities. Above all the article explores to what extent processes of projectification can be identified and if so how they unfold. The article draws its inspiration from critical management studies and uses the notion of sensemaking to identify the practices of projectification processes. Three processes of projecti

Studies in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), a mouse model of multiple sclerosis, have shown that B cells markedly influence the course of the disease, although whether their effects are protective or pathological is a matter of debate. EndoS hydrolysis of the IgG glycan has profound effects on IgG effector functions, such as complement activation and Fc receptor binding, suggesting