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The objective of this work was to quantify comparisons between several computational results and measurements performed during a pool fire scenario in a well-confined compartment. This collaborative work was initiated under the framework of the OECD fire research program and involves the most frequently used fire models in the fire community, including field and zone models. The experimental scena
In this issue of Journal of Endocrinology, Dr Han and colleagues report a protective effect of the glutamate dehydrogenase-activator BCH under diabetes-like conditions that impair β-cell function in both a pancreatic β-cell line and in db/db mice. Based on these observations, the authors suggest that BCH could serve as novel treatment modality in Type 2 Diabetes. The present commentary discusses t
New data regarding a positive association between smoking and risk of epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC), especially the mucinous tumor type, has started to emerge. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between different measures of smoking exposures and subtypes of EOC in a large cohort of women from 10 European countries. The European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nut
Bird colour vision is mediated by single cones, while double cones and rods mediate luminance vision in bright and dim light, respectively. In daylight conditions, birds use colour vision to discriminate large objects such as fruit and plumage patches, and luminance vision to detect fine spatial detail and motion. However, decreasing light intensity favours achromatic mechanisms and eventually, in
More than 100 volcanic necks composed of basanites and melanephelinites occur in Scania, southern Sweden, at the junction of two major tectonic lineaments, the Phanerozoic Sorgenfrei-Tornquist Zone (STZ) and the Proterozoic Protogine Zone. New Ar-40/Ar-39 isotope analyses of whole rock fragments of nine selected basalt necks suggest that the Mesozoic alkaline volcanism in the Scanian province comm
The susceptibility to enzymatic hydrolysis of starch extracted from raw roots of Canna indica, Manihot esculenta and Xanthosoma sagittifolium, grown in Bolivia, were studied below the gelatinization temperature. The granule size and amylose content were as followed: C. indica>M. esculenta>X. sagittifolium. The hydrolysis showed a rapid rate at the initial stage, followed by a progressive decrease
Polymorphisms of the FA desaturase (FADS) gene cluster have been associated with LDL, HDL, and triglyceride concentrations. Because FADS converts alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) and linoleic acid into PUFAs, we investigated the interaction between different PUFA intakes and the FADS polymorphism rs174547 (T>C) on fasting blood lipid and lipoprotein concentrations. We included 4,635 individuals (60% fem
The molecular background of the Ca2+-sensitizing effect of levosimendan relates to its specific interaction with the Ca2+-sensor troponin C molecule in the cardiac myofilaments. Over the years, significant preclinical and clinical evidence has accumulated and revealed a variety of beneficial pleiotropic effects of levosimendan and of its long-lived metabolite, OR-1896. First of all, activation of
The exocrine pancreatic insufficient (EPI) pigs grow less due to different disturbances in feed digestion, absorption, and retention. Use of pancreatic-like enzymes of microbial origin in pigs may improve feed use and performance in slow-growing pigs. The aim was to study gut recovery and effectiveness of pancreatic-like enzymes of microbial origin supplementation on pig performance. Six male pigs
Some 30 years ago it was suggested that catalytic reactions that showed a 'compensation' effect were activated through a vibrational resonance between that one vibrational mode of the reactant that led to reaction and a comparable vibration mode of the catalyst system that represented the energy input. The isokinetic effect can be calculated from this model, in some cases within less than 1 % from
By investigating both semi-natural and experimentally implemented pH variation in nutrient-poor sandy grasslands, we examined how soil decalcification may influence the arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungal biomass in plant roots and in the soil, as well as the allocation of carbon (C) to AM fungal biomass. We estimated the amount of AM fungal mycelium, by using the fatty acid 16:1 omega 5, in the ro
Objective-The immunoinflammatory response plays a critical role in the development and progression of atherosclerosis. Recent studies suggested an important role for regulatory T (Treg) cells in the inhibition of disease-related vascular inflammation. We hypothesized that induction of a specific Treg cell response to atherosclerosis-relevant antigens would be an attractive strategy to limit the de
Phase change material (PCM) absorbs or releases latent heat when it changes phases, making thermal-regulated clothing possible. The objective of this study was to quantify the relationships between PCM cooling rate and temperature gradient, mass, and covering area on a thermal manikin in a climatic chamber. Three melting temperatures (24, 28, 32 °C) of the PCMs, different mass, covering areas, and
We amplified RPB1, RPB2, and the ITS and LSU ribosomal genes from species mostly in the phlebioid clade, focusing heavily in phanerochaetoid taxa. We performed Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian analyses for different combinations of datasets. Our results provide a strongly supported phylogenetic picture of the phlebioid clade, representing 89 species in the four genes analyses, of which 49 represent
Background: The forests of western Amazonia are known to be more dynamic that the better-studied forests of eastern Amazonia, but there has been no comprehensive description of the carbon cycle of a western Amazonian forest. Aims: We present the carbon budget of two forest plots in Tambopata in south-eastern Peru, western Amazonia. In particular, we present, for the first time, the seasonal variat
There is growing evidence in the epidemiologic literature of the relationship between air pollution and adverse health outcomes. Prediction of individual air pollution exposure in the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) funded Multi-Ethnic Study of Atheroscelerosis and Air Pollution (MESA Air) study relies on a exible spatio-temporal prediction model that integrates land-use regression with krig
