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Agricultural soils contribute to human welfare through their generation of manifold ecosystem services such as food security, water quality and climate regulation, but these are degraded by common farming practices. We have developed a roadmap for evaluating the contribution of both private- and public-good ecosystem services generated by agricultural soils to societal welfare. The approach consid
mmediate breast reconstruction (IBR) combined with post-mastectomy radiotherapy (PMRT) is associated with an increased risk for complications. Here, we analyse whether IBR combined with PMRT is ethically acceptable. We employ normative analysis following reflective equilibrium and the principles of Beauchamp and Childress: non-maleficence, beneficence, autonomy, and justice. From the perspective oImmediate breast reconstruction (IBR) combined with post-mastectomy radiotherapy (PMRT) is associated with an increased risk for complications. Here, we analyse whether IBR combined with PMRT is ethically acceptable. We employ normative analysis following reflective equilibrium and the principles of Beauchamp and Childress: non-maleficence, beneficence, autonomy, and justice. From the perspective
Purpose: The objective of this work is to integrate structural optimization and reliability concepts into mini-plate fixation strategy used in symphysis mandibular fractures. The structural reliability levels are next estimated when considering a single failure mode and multiple failure modes. Patients and Methods: A 3-dimensional finite element model is developed in order to evaluate the ability
The measurement of the deuteron and anti-deuteron production in the rapidity range −1
Chronic autoimmune thrombocytopenic purpura (ATP) is a common hematologic disorder in which platelet-specific autoantibodies bind to platelets and enhance their destruction by the reticuloendothelial system. While there has been considerable investigation of the humoral immune abnormalities in ATP, little work has been performed on the cellular immunoregulatory aspects of this autoimmune disorder.
There is interest in increasing the consumption of foods with high dietary fiber content due to the health problems associated with its low intake. Plantain (Musa paradisiaca L.) flour (PF) (non-thermostable) and Hi-Maize 260 (HA) (thermostable) were used as resistant starch (RS) sources to elaborate blends with wheat (WF) and rice flours (RF) in a 50:50 ratio. Five blends were prepared (PF-WF, PF
This article discusses ineffective knowledge and information communication as an important barrier to improving energy efficiency in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and considers how to make functional communication an enabler of future SME energy-efficiency programmes. Energy audits – important tools when addressing energy efficiency in companies – are often performed by professionals w
We develop an optimization model with two decision variables to explore optimal migration mechanisms to facilitate optimal breeding timing in migratory songbirds. In the model, fitness is a function of date-dependent mortality, speed-dependent predation risk, and phenological match at arrival. The model determines the optimal combination of departure date for spring migration and migration speed,
Background The WHO estimates a global shortage of 2.8 million physicians, with severe deficiencies especially in low and middle-income countries (LMIC). The unequitable distribution of physicians worldwide is further exacerbated by the migration of physicians from LMICs to high-income countries (HIC). This large-scale migration has numerous economic consequences which include increased mortality a
In patients with asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, the addition of long-acting β2-agonists (LABA) to glucocorticosteroids (GCS) results in better control than increasing the dose of GCS alone. In smooth muscle cells and fibroblasts, one apparent underlying mechanism involves the ability of LABAs to activate the glucocorticoid receptor (GR). The present study investigates the effect
In this chapter I try to discern the shape of a phantom. The phantom is the people in a democracy. The first argument which will be put forward is that democracy cannot exist without such a phantom. But this phantasmagorical presence of the people in society can threaten the very democracy which it makes possible, in two ways. First, the phantom can prove to be no more than that – a mere figment o
WNT5A is a well-known mediator of melanoma cell invasion and metastasis via its ability to activate protein kinase C (PKC), which is monitored by phosphorylation of the endogenous PKC substrate myristoylated alanine-rich c-kinase substrate (MARCKS). However, a possible direct contribution of MARCKS in WNT5A-mediated melanoma cell invasion has not been investigated. Analyses of melanoma patient dat
In order to observe a patent application at the firm level, two conditions need to be met: new products need to be of patentable quality, which depends both on the degree of novelty of innovations and on the total number (portfolio) of innovations; and the benefits of patents need to be higher than the costs of owning them. Analyzing the patent propensity of small and large UK firms using a novel
Background: Brevican, neurocan, tenascin-C, and tenascin-R are extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins that are mainly expressed in the brain. They play important roles in proliferation and migration of neurons and other cell types in the brain. These ECM proteins may also be involved in various pathologies, including reactive gliosis. Objective: The aim of the study was to investigate if ECM protein
Obesity is one of the principal human health problems and one of the main treatments against it is the inhibition of pancreatic lipase, the main responsible enzyme of lipid digestion. For that purpose, previous studies have tested several phenolic compounds against lipase, without considering their aggregation behavior in aqueous solutions. Because of this, the present study focuses on understandi
Background We determined time frames for dilatation of anastomotic strictures (ASs) occurring during the first 2 years after esophageal atresia (EA) repair. Methods A retrospective study was conducted on children with EA (Gross type C) who underwent direct repair between January 2008 and March 2015 at a single tertiary center of pediatric surgery. Endoscopic signs of stricture were indications for
As almost all combustion processes of practical interest take place in the presence of turbulence, the development of the increasingly refined turbulence–chemistry interaction (TCI) models has led to highly sophisticated approaches. Nearly all of the studies comparing different models focus on stable premixed/non-premixed flame configurations. In this work, the focus is on well-documented, lean pr
With origins in post-war development thinking, the core-periphery concept has spread across the social and, increasingly, the natural sciences. Initially reflecting divergent socioeconomic properties of geographical regions, its relational connotations rapidly led to more topological interpretations. In today's network science, the standard core-periphery model consists of a cohesive set of core a
