RATIONALE: Vascular calcification is a prominent feature of late-stage diabetes, renal and cardiovascular disease (CVD), and has been linked to adverse events. Recent studies in patients reported that plasma levels of osteomodulin (OMD), a proteoglycan involved in bone mineralisation, associate with diabetes and CVD. We hypothesised that OMD could be implicated in these diseases via vascular calci

Linking the fragmentary information provided in Kazuo Ishiguro’s “A Family Supper” (1982) to the first-person narrator’s unwillingness – or perhaps inability – to communicate, this brief note comments on a few passages that highlight the unforthcoming traits of the narrator.

We propose a Precambrian megacraton (consisting of two or more ancient cratons), DHABASI in the Indian Shield, which includes the Dharwar, Bastar and Singhbhum cratons. This interpretation is mainly based on seven large igneous provinces (LIPs) that are identified in these three cratons over the age range of c. 3.35–1.77 Ga, a period of at least 1.6 Ga. The absence of any subsequent break-up of DH

Anaerobic digestate based on food waste is increasingly used as fertilizer in food production. This study examined the characteristics of anaerobic digestate based on food waste from three biogas plants in Sweden. The characterization included measurements of heavy metals (n = 7), chemicals of emerging concern (CECs), such as currently used drugs and pesticides (n = 133), and an extended range of

Background: Birds that forage while covering distance during migration should adjust traveling behaviors as the availability of foraging habitat changes. Particularly, the behavior of those species that depend on bodies of water to find food yet manage to migrate over changing landscapes may be limited by the substantial variation in feeding opportunities along the route. Methods: Using GPS tracki

We show how the interplay between feedback and mass-growth histories introduces scatter in the relationship between stellar and neutral gas properties of field faint dwarf galaxies (M∗ 106, M⊙). Across a suite of cosmological, high-resolution zoomed simulations, we find that dwarf galaxies of stellar masses 105 ≤ M∗ ≤ 106, M⊙ are bimodal in their cold gas content, being either H i-rich or H i-defi

With amphiphilic properties, cellulose molecules are expected to adsorb at the O/W interface and be capable of stabilizing emulsions. The effect of solvent quality on the formation and stability of cellulose-based O/W emulsions was evaluated in different alkaline systems: NaOH, NaOH-urea and tetrabutylammonium hydroxide (TBAH). The optimal solvency conditions for cellulose adsorption at the O/W in

AIMS: Inflammation is a key factor in atherosclerosis. The transcription factor interferon regulatory factor-5 (IRF5) drives macrophages towards a pro-inflammatory state. We investigated the role of IRF5 in human atherosclerosis and plaque stability.METHODS AND RESULTS: Bulk RNA sequencing from the Carotid Plaque Imaging Project biobank were used to mine associations between major macrophage assoc

Recent studies highlight the importance of lipotoxic damage in aortic cells as the major pathogenetic contributor to atherosclerotic disease. Since the STE20-type kinase STK25 has been shown to exacerbate ectopic lipid storage and associated cell injury in several metabolic organs, we here investigate its role in the main cell types of vasculature. We depleted STK25 by small interfering RNA in hum

The use of silicon isotope ratios (expressed as δ30Si) as a paleolimnological proxy in lacustrine systems requires a better understanding of the role of lake processes in setting the δ30Si values of dissolved Si (dSi) in water and in diatom biogenic silica (bSi). We determined the δ30Si of modern dSi (δ30SidSi) and bSi (δ30SibSi) in three lakes in Lassen Volcanic National Park (LAVO), California (

Redshift measurement of active galactic nuclei (AGNs) remains a time-consuming and challenging task, as it requires follow up spectroscopic observations and detailed analysis. Hence, there exists an urgent requirement for alternative redshift estimation techniques. The use of machine learning (ML) for this purpose has been growing over the last few years, primarily due to the availability of large

In this work we discuss two different phases of a complex singlet extension of the Standard Model (SM) together with an extension that also includes new fermion fields, in particular, a Majoron model equipped with an inverse seesaw mechanism. All considered scenarios contain a global U(1) symmetry and allow for first-order phase transitions while only two of them are strong enough to favour the de

There is a large interest in predicting high-pressure homogenizer (HPH) valve hydrodynamics using CFD, in academic research and industrial R&D. Most of these studies still use two-equation RANS turbulence models, whereas only a few have used LES formulations. From a theoretical perspective, LES is known to be more accurate than RANS, especially in terms of estimating the dissipation rate of tuThere is a large interest in predicting high-pressure homogenizer (HPH) valve hydrodynamics using CFD, in academic research and industrial R&D. Most of these studies still use two-equation RANS turbulence models, whereas only a few have used LES formulations. From a theoretical perspective, LES is known to be more accurate than RANS, especially in terms of estimating the dissipation rate of tu

Hand amputation results in the loss of motor and sensory functions, impacting activities of daily life and quality of life. Commercially available prosthetic hands restore the motor function but lack sensory feedback, which is crucial to receive information about the prosthesis state in real-time when interacting with the external environment. As a supplement to the missing sensory feedback, the a