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Objective: To identify circulating angiogenic and inflammatory biomarkers with potential in screening for pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) in systemic sclerosis (SSc), and in early diagnosis and determination of treatment response in PAH. Method: Plasma samples were taken at the time of PAH diagnosis and at treatment follow-up after a median (interquartile range) of 4 months (3–9.8 months) in
Climate change researchers argue that a residual domain exists beyond the limits of adaptation to prevent deleterious climate change impacts: this has been labeled as “loss and damage.” Over the last 8 years, there has been significant growth in loss and damage scholarship thus making it imperative to take stock of what we know already and directions for future research. We undertook a quantitativ
Developing organisms typically mature earlier and at larger sizes in favorable growth conditions, while in rarer cases, maturity is delayed. The rarer reaction norm is easily accommodated by general life history models, whereas the common pattern is not. Theory suggests that a solution to this paradox lies in the existence of critical size thresholds at which maturation or metamorphosis can commen
The recording and verbatim transcription of interviews is often considered to be one of the more tedious but necessary aspects of the in-depth qualitative research process. While transcription is undoubtedly a necessary methodological tool for researchers focusing specifically on discourse and language, it has also been widely adopted by researchers across the social sciences, and is sometimes adv
Objectives. The arachidonate 5-lipoxygenase activating protein (ALOX5AP) regulates synthesis of leukotrienes (LTs), which are important mediators of inflammation and connective tissue remodelling. The aim of this study was to evaluate if single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of ALOX5AP confer risk of SSc and/ or SSc-related organ involvement. Methods. Seven SNPs of ALOX5AP (rs17222814, rs17216473
In Torfs et al. (2017) a new unified framework to model settling tanks in water resource recovery facilities was proposed providing a set of partial differential equations (PDEs) modelling different settling unit processes in wastewater treatment such as primary and secondary settling tanks (PSTs and SSTs). The extension to a multi-class framework to deal with the distributed properties of the set
A number of studies have analysed how multinational enterprises (MNEs) develop appropriate strategies for managing the institutionally different contexts of various markets. However, we still know rather little about how MNEs manage different institutional pressures when they operate in emerging markets. These markets have a higher level of uncertainty as their values and structures undergo change
BACKGROUND - Multiple laboratory tests are used to diagnose and manage patients with diabetes mellitus. The quality of the scientific evidence supporting the use of these tests varies substantially. APPROACH - An expert committee compiled evidence-based recommendations for the use of laboratory testing for patients with diabetes. A newsystemwas developed to grade the overall quality of the evidenc
Background Germline mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes are associated with increased risks of breast and ovarian cancers. Although several common variants have been associated with breast cancer susceptibility in mutation carriers, none have been associated with ovarian cancer susceptibility. A genome-wide association study recently identified an association between the rare allele of the sing
The cavitation phenomenon has today become a keystone for different areas of science and technology including various industrial processes and medicine. Recently increasing interest and much attention have been paid to study this phenomenon. The last two decades have witnessed the development of numerous devices for different important applications of considerable practical interest, and the rang
Background: Acute appendicitis is one of the most common causes of acute abdominal pain. Differences in the management of this large group of patients has important consequences for the patients and the healthcare system. Controversies regarding the understanding of the natural course of the disease, the utility of new diagnostic methods, and alternative treatments have lead to large variations in
Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common sustained cardiac arrhythmia and is associated with increased risk of stroke, heart failure, and mortality. One of the systems which AF is influenced by is the autonomic nervous system (ANS), which regulates involuntary functions such as heart rate. Environmental stressors, such as air pollution, may also affect these physiological systems and contribute
This editorial introduces the special feature’s main objective: to provide latest research findings on the dynamics between environmental protection and post-conflict peacebuilding processes after internal armed conflicts. In the feature, we propose a broad understanding of environmental peacebuilding that takes all cycles of the peacebuilding process into account and puts stronger emphasis on the
Analysis of an individual's immunoglobulin or T cell receptor gene repertoire can provide important insights into immune function. High-quality analysis of adaptive immune receptor repertoire sequencing data depends upon accurate and relatively complete germline sets, but current sets are known to be incomplete. Established processes for the review and systematic naming of receptor germline genes
Share and repair organizations (SROs) have important implications for resource efficiency and socio-economic sustainability in cities, but their potential to contribute to long-term urban resilience has yet to be systematically investigated. Knowledge is scarce about how these nascent circular initiatives can provide building blocks for socio-economic recovery in the wake of recent crises such as
Reliable prediction tools are yet to be developed for estimating the accurate acoustic performance of lightweight structures, which are vital especially in the design process. This paper presents a sound insulation prediction model based on artificial Neural Networks (NN) to estimate acoustic performance for airborne and impact sound insulation of floor structures. At an initial stage, the predict
