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Background and aim: Moderate alcohol consumption has been associated with a lower risk of disease severity in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). It is unclear if this reflects current or lifetime drinking, or can be attributed to confounders such as diet and exercise. We evaluated the impact of lifetime alcohol consumption on fibrosis severity in NAFLD. Methods: We prospectively enrolled 1
Background: Recently, the block-sequential regularized expectation maximization (BSREM) reconstruction algorithm was commercially introduced (Q.Clear, GE Healthcare, Milwaukee, WI, USA). However, the combination of noise-penalizing factor (β), acquisition time, and administered activity for optimal image quality has not been established for
Epidemiological contact tracing complemented with genotyping of clinical Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates is important for understanding disease transmission. In Sweden, tuberculosis (TB) is mostly reported in migrant and homeless where epidemiologic contact tracing could pose a problem. This study compared epidemiologic linking with genotyping in a low burden country. Mycobacterium tuberculosi
In the tropical moist semi-deciduous forests of West Africa, soil catenas with extremely gravel-rich soil horizons at the summits and upper slopes and largely gravel-free profiles at the lower slope are common. Previous investigations have suggested that these gravel layers are the result of macro-invertebrates mining of fine-grained soil m
The magnitude of soil and sediment erosion and accumulation processes can profoundly affect landscape development and hamper efficient management of natural resources. Consequently, estimating the rates and causes of these processes is essential, particularly in remote regions, for prediction of changes in landform and river evolution and pr
Multiple-pilot injection strategies with both moderate and short time separations (dwells) are investigated in a light-duty diesel engine. Both conventional and optical engine experiments are performed. By implementing triple-pilot injection strategies with short dwells between the individual injections, combustion noise can be significantly reduced. The sound pressure level was reduced by nearly
The objective of this paper is to present the main results of an engineering-research project dealing with model-based evaluation of waste streams treatment from a biotech company. This has been extensively done in domestic treatment systems, but is equally important, and with different challenges in industrial wastewater treatment. A new s
Due to their high aspect ratio and increased surface-to-foot-print area, arrays of vertical semiconductor nanowires are used in numerous biological applications, such as cell transfection and biosensing. Here we focus on two specific valuable biosensing approaches that, so far, have received relatively limited attention in terms of their potential capabilities: cellular mechanosensing and lightgui
Deep and rapid decarbonization of the building sector requires energy demand reductions and the incorporation of renewable-energy sources. Energy retrofitting of existing buildings is a central strategy in climate mitigation and has often been highlighted as a cost-effective strategy. However, decisions on these strategies are often hampered by modeling assessments that are limited by contextual,
Considerable research has been conducted in Scotland to reconstruct Younger Dryas glaciers and palaeoclimatic conditions, but our understanding remains incomplete. In this contribution, we examine the Gaick, a dissected plateau that extends over ∼520 km 2
Solitary insects that feed on floral nectar must use innate knowledge to find their first flower. While innate preferences for flower colours are often described as fixed, species-specific traits, the nature and persistence of these preferences have been debated, particularly in relation to ontogenetic processes such as learning. Here we present evidence for a strong context-dependence of innate c
Cracks in concrete structures can have a negative impact on durability and aesthetic appearance. It is therefore important to estimate crack widths before construction, and to use suitable reinforcement amounts to limit crack widths. Crack widths are however hard to predict in restrained structures, as cracking reduces the stiffness, which in turn reduces the restraint and thereby the amount of cr
The communication of requirements within software development is vital for project success. Requirements engineering and testing are two processes that when aligned can enable the discovery of issues and misunderstandings earlier, rather than later, and avoid costly and time-consuming rework and delays. There are a number of practices that support requirements-test alignment. However, each organis
ObjectivesCultural behaviors are theoretically linked to future life chances but empirical literature is scant. We use heavy metal as an example of cultural identities due to its high salience. We first assess the social morphology of metal preferences in terms of socio-economic and socio-structural positions, and then asses the short term outcomes of being a heavy metal fan on education and healt
Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan and Tanzania share a past and present as authoritarian states. Dominant parties are in power in Tanzania and Kazakhstan, while elections are competitive but not democratic in Kenya and Kyrgyzstan. Returns for political support (clientelism), and persecution of political adversaries and the electorate (repression), are key components in all four states. This dissertati
