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This paper analyses the nature and scale of transaction costs (TCs) borne by obliged parties under a "Tradable White Certificate" (TWC) scheme. Taking the first phase of the Energy Efficiency Commitment (EECl) in Great Britain as a case study, several sources of TCs were considered, such as search for information, persuasion of customers, negotiation with business partners, and measurement and ver

This report describes the results obtained from fire tests in a 1/3-scale room. The aim of the study was to investigate how changes in external radiation and oxygen supply affect the production of smoke and toxic gases. The ventilation was varied to simulate under- and well-ventilated fires. The thermal exposure to the materials was varied to simulate fires of different sizes. Fifty-nine tests wer

Background: Quinoa is a pseudocereal with relatively high content of proteins and minerals that also contains mineral inhibitors such as phytate. The aim of the present study was to evaluate lactic acid fermentation and dry roasting on the nutritional quality and sensory attributes of quinoa. Various processes were evaluated, and quinoa grains were dry-roasted, milled, and fermented, either with o

The present work reports new experimental data for premixed flames of nitromethane, CH3NO2, at atmospheric pressure, and an evaluation of two contemporary kinetic mechanisms based on these new flame studies as well as previously published experimental data on laminar burning velocity and ignition. Flames of nitromethane + air at lean (ϕ = 0.8) and rich (ϕ = 1.2) conditions were stabilized on a fla

Objective. Our study describes sick leave during 3 years before and 3 years after diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in relation to referents and identifies predictors for sick leave during the third year after diagnosis of RA. Methods. One hundred twenty patients (76% women) from the Swedish early RA study TIRA were included. Disease activity and disability were registered regularly during 3

Background: The global prevalence of obesity and overweight is increasing rapidly among adults as well as among children and adolescents. Recent genome-wide association studies have provided strong support for association between variants in the FTO gene and obesity. We sequenced regions of the FTO gene to identify novel variants that are associated with obesity and related metabolic traits. Resul

A two-phase hollow-fiber (HF) liquid-phase microextraction (LPME) method was developed for determination of a quaternary ammonium compound surfactant, dicocodimethylammonium chloride, in aqueous samples. The porous HF was fixed on a metal rod support and was impregnated with approximately 6.6 mu L of organic extractant, which was immobilized in the HF pores. Surfactant extraction was facilitated b

Persistent organochlorine pollutants (POPs) have been suggested to have negative effects on a number of hormonal systems. Several studies performed retrospectively have reported a possible association between POP exposure and fertility, measured as time to pregnancy (TTP). However, these studies lack biomarkers of exposure at the time when the women tried to conceive. It has previously been found

Extreme climate events and nonsustainable land use are important drivers altering the functioning of European ecosystems, resulting in loss of the services provided. Yet a consensus method for regular continental scale assessment of ecosystem condition in relation to land degradation (LD) is still lacking. Here, we propose a new remote sensing-based approach allowing for improved, repeated assessm

Both atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition and precipitation can strongly impact below-ground biogeochemical processes. Soil extracellular enzymes activities (EEAs) and microorganisms are considered as the key agents in ecosystem nutrient cycling. However, how the interaction between increasing N deposition and precipitation may affect soil EEAs and microbes remain poorly understood. In a 5-year fie

Aims: To determine the underlying cellular changes and clinical correlates associated with pathology of the hypothalamus in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), as hypothalamic atrophy occurs in the preclinical phase of the disease. Methods: The hypothalamus was pathologically examined in nine patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in comparison to eight healthy control subjects. The severity

INTRODUCTION: Universal Health Coverage is not only about access to health services but also about access to high-quality care, since poor experiences may deter patients from accessing care. Evidence shows that quality of care drives health outcomes, yet little is known about non-clinical dimensions of care, and patients' experience thereof relative to satisfaction with visits. This paper investig

External sources such as traffic and construction work cause noise and vibration in nearby buildings, potentially annoying human residents. Today, almost every fifth European is harmfully affected by traffic noise and vibration. Wave barriers placed on or embedded within the soil between the source and the receiver can mitigate the transmission of ground vibration, and the airborne noise transmiss

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate how the use and perceived unmet need of mobility devices (MD) in people with Parkinson's disease (PD) evolve over a 3-year period. Methods: The study reports baseline assessments (n = 255) and comparisons for participants with complete data at baseline and the 3-year follow-up (n = 165). Structured questions addressed the use and perceived unmet need of