BACKGROUND: New biological markers of male fecundity are needed for use in large-scale epidemiological studies. We studied the association between male inhibin B and fecundability. METHODS: Four hundred and thirty Danish couples without previous reproductive experience were followed from termination of contraception until pregnancy or for a maximum of six menstrual cycles. At enrolment we obtained

This paper describes an acoustic method for inducing rotating vortex flows in microchannels. An ultrasonic crystal is used to create an acoustic standing wave field in the channel and thus induce a Rayleigh flow transverse to the laminar flow in the channel. Mixing in microchannels is strictly diffusion-limited because of the laminar flow, a transverse flow will greatly enhance mixing of the react

We examine the dynamics of two bright solitary waves with a negative nonlinear term. The observed repulsion between two solitary waves-when these are in an antisymmetric combination-is attributed to conservation laws. Slight breaking of parity, in combination with weak relaxation of energy, leads the two solitary waves to merge. The effective repulsion between solitary waves requires certain nearl

Although the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) time-series data, derived from NOAA/AVFIRR, SPOT/VEGETATION, TERRA or AQUA/MODIS, has been successfully used in research regarding global environmental change, residual noise in the NDVI time-series data, even after applying strict pre-processing, impedes further analysis and risks generating erroneous results. Based on the assumptions tha

The local structure of Cd(II) surface complexes adsorbed onto manganite (gamma-MnOOH) has been investigated by extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectroscopy. Adsorption experiments were carried out within the pH range 7.4-9.8 and with surface coverage from 2.2 to 8.9 mu mol/m(2). Quantitative analysis of the EXAFS spectra shows little difference in the local coordination environmen

Colour vision greatly enhances the discriminatory and cognitive capabilities of visual systems and is found in a great majority of vertebrates and many invertebrates. However, colour coding visual systems are confronted with the fact that the external stimuli are ambiguous because they are subject to constant variations of luminance and spectral composition. Furthermore, the transmittance of the o

Since about 25 years ago work has been dedicated to the development of hydrodynamical model atmospheres for cool stars (of A to T spectral type). Despite their obviously sounder physical foundation in comparison with standard hydrostatic models, their general application has been rather limited. In order to understand why this is, and how to progress, we review the present status of hydrodynamical

The outstanding problem of finding a simple Muskhelishvili-type integral equation for stress problems on multiply connected domains is solved. Complex potentials are represented in a way which allows, for the incorporation of cracks and inclusions. Several numerical examples demonstrate the generality and extreme stablity of the approach. The stress field is resolved with a relative error of less

This study explores the use of environmental management systems for initiating and controlling environmental improvements in the context of supply chain cooperation. It examines how environmental requirements are reaching smaller companies in the electronics supply chain, especially in the light of recent legal changes such as enforcement of the RoHS Directive. It is based on qualitative interview

Laplace operators on metric graphs are considered. It is proven that for compact graphs the spectrum of the Laplace operator determines the total length, the number of connected components, and the Euler characteristic. For a class of non-compact graphs the same characteristics are determined by the scattering data consisting of the scattering matrix and the discrete eigenvalues.

Introduction Alveolar dead space reflects phenomena that render arterial partial pressure of carbon dioxide higher than that of mixed alveolar gas, disturbing carbon dioxide exchange. Right-to-left shunt fraction (Qs/Qt) leads to an alveolar dead space fraction (VdA(S)/VtA; where VtA is alveolar tidal volume). In acute respiratory distress syndrome, ancillary physiological disturbances may include

The aim of this work was to evaluate the measurement properties and hierarchical item structure of the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). Data were taken from a cross-sectional study regarding fatigue and sleep-related aspects of PD. One hundred and eighteen consecutive patients with neurologist-diagnosed PD without significant co-morbidities (54% men; mean a

Quality of movement is frequently referred to as a phenomenon in the European movement tradition,underlining a close connection between outer expression and inner,lived experience. Within physical therapy little is clarified about the phenomenon from the point of view of lived experience. A case study was done searching for basic elements and dimensions of the phenomenon. An interpretive phenomeno

Male mice homozygous for a mutated allele of the cyclin A 1 gene (Ccna 1) are sterile due to a block in cell cycle progression before the first meiotic division. Meiosis arrest in Ccna1(-1-) spermatocytes is associated with desynapsis abnormalities, lowered MPF activity, and apoptosis as evidenced by TUNEL-positive staining. With time, adult testicular tubules exhibit severe degeneration: some tub

In Sweden, Jurassic strata are restricted to Skåne and adjacent offshore areas. Jurassic sedimentary rocks predominantly comprise sandy to muddy siliciclastics, with subordinate coal beds and few carbonate-rich beds. During Mesozoic times, block-faulting took place in the Sorgenfrei– Tornquist Zone, a tectonic zone which transects Skåne in a NW–SE direction. The Jurassic depositional environments

Abstract in Undetermined To ensure that sufficient image quality is obtained in diagnostic radiology, the image quality of clinical radiographs has to be evaluated. We present two methods herein for evaluating antero-posterior (AP) radiographs of the lumbar spine. One was using image criteria, including six anatomical details (absolute method). In the other, the visibility of anatomical details re