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Submerged breakwaters (SBWs) are becoming a popular option for coastal protection, mainly due to their low aesthetic impact on the natural environment. However, SBWs have rarely been employed for coastal protection in the past and therefore, their efficacy remains largely unknown. The main objective of the present study was to investigate the structural and environmental conditions that govern the
The Arctic land area has warmed by > 1 A degrees C in the last 30 years and there is evidence that this has led to increased productivity and stature of tundra vegetation and reduced albedo, effecting a positive (amplifying) feedback to climate warming. We applied an individual-based dynamic vegetation model over the Arctic forced by observed climate and atmospheric CO2 for 1980-2006. Averaged ove
Old age is associated with an enhanced susceptibility to stroke and poor recovery from brain injury, but the cellular processes underlying these phenomena are only partly understood. Therefore, studying the basic mechanisms underlying structural and functional recovery after brain injury in aged subjects is of considerable clinical interest. Behavioral and cytological analyses of rodents that have
We are grateful to the commentators for taking the time to respond to our article. Too many interesting and important points have been raised for us to tackle them all in this response, and so in the below we have sought to draw out the major themes. These include problems with both the term ‘ultimate causation’ and the proximate-ultimate causation dichotomy more generally, clarification of the me
Agri-environmental schemes have been applied with the goal to mitigate negative effects of agriculture on biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. However, on evaluating the schemes the results have been variable and shown both positive and neutral effects. These variable effects can be attributed to not taking into account important factors affecting the variables at test, such as biodiversity. Th
Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a very efficient treatment for severe depression. However, cognitive side effects have raised concern to whether ECT can cause cellular damage in vulnerable brain regions. A few recent animal studies have reported limited hippocampal cell loss, while a number of other studies have failed to find any signs of cellular damage and some even report that electroconvul
Natural capital has emerged as the dominant response to revaluing nature in the context of deepening ecological degradation. The belief is that we make the contribution of nature to our well-being visible by seeing it as a form of capital alongside human-produced capitals. This would, it is assumed, help correct the observed imbalances between the capitals and prevent further ecological destructio
Platelets express Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), and this has been shown to be responsible for the thrombocytopenia induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) administration in vivo. We studied the role of LPS in mediating platelet phagocytosis by THP-1 cells in vitro by flow cytometry. Opsonization of platelets with an IgG monoclonal (W6/32) antibody or with IgG autoantibody-positive sera from patients wi
Background: A blunted growth hormone and prolactin response to pharmacological stress test have previously been found in depressed patients, as well as an increased cortisol response to psychosocial stress. This study investigated these hormones in response to acute exercise using an incremental bicycle test. Method: A cross-sectional comparison of cortisol, growth hormone, and prolactin in depres
BACKGROUND: IgA nephropathy (IgAN), the most common glomerulonephritis worldwide, is characterized by mesangial deposits containing predominantly IgA. IgAN commonly occurs or exacerbates after upper respiratory tract infections such as streptococcal pharyngitis. Certain group A streptococci express M proteins with IgA-binding regions (IgA-BRs). We have previously shown that these IgA-BRs co-locali
Methods. Blood samples from patients with IgAN (n = 21) and age-matched controls (n = 83) were assayed by ELISA to detect an IgG antibody response to the IgA-BRs of the M4, M22 and M60 proteins. Antibodies were assayed for each IgA-BR separately and the results were combined. Results. Antibody levels to the IgA-BRs were significantly higher in IgAN patients than controls (P = 0.016), particularly
Background: The tumoricidal complex alpha1-oleate targets bladder cancer cells, triggering rapid, apoptosis-like tumor cell death. Clinical effects of alpha1-oleate were recently observed in patients with non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC), using a randomized, placebo-controlled study protocol. Aims: To investigate if there are dose-dependent effects of alpha1-oleate. Materials and Methods
Brain imaging systems are a set of techniques that allow visualizing the regions of the brain that are activated when (emotional) stimuli are presented. Their advantage over traditional methods of measuring emotion, like self-reports is that they leave out response biases. This paper presents what brain imaging measurement can do for emotional design. It also reviews the brain imaging studies that
Background Today many large corporations worldwide are facing new competitors that develop good enough products to a low price. This is a well-known problem for large companies and is not an industry specific problem. We have seen new entrants especially from Asia entering, ranging from the airline industry, grocery, retailing, wind energy market, banking to IT services. These are just examples an
The aging lung is increasingly susceptible to infectious disease. Changes in pulmonary physiology and function are common in older populations, and in those older than 60 years, pneumonia is the major cause of infectious death. Understanding age-related changes in the innate and adaptive immune systems, and how they affect both pulmonary and systemic responses to pulmonary challenge are critical t
