A quantitative point measurement of total sodium ([Na](total)) and potassium ([K](total)) in the plume of a burning particle of Australian Loy Yang brown coal (23 +/- 3 mg) and of pine wood pellets (63 +/- 3 mg) was performed using laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) in a laminar premixed methane flame at equivalence ratios (Phi) of 1.149 and 1.336. Calibration was performed using atomic s

BACKGROUND: In the absence of long-term, placebo-controlled studies of cholinesterase inhibitors in Alzheimer's disease (AD), analysis of the results of open-label trials becomes crucial. This study aimed to explore the three-year effects of galantamine treatment, as well as subgroups of response and adherence to treatment. METHODS: Two hundred and eighty patients with a clinical diagnosis of AD

Choice blindness is the finding that participants both often fail to notice mismatches between their decisions and the outcome of their choice and, in addition, endorse the opposite of their chosen alternative. But do these preference reversals also carry over to future choices and ratings? To investigate this question, we gave participants the task of choosing which of a pair of faces they found

This paper examines whether combining non-monetary and monetary incentives increases municipal solid waste sorting. We empirically investigate this issue, exploiting the exogenous variation in waste management policies experienced during the years 1999–2008 by the 95 municipalities in the district of Treviso (Italy). Using a panel regression analysis, we estimate that pay-as-you-throw (PAYT) incen

Optimization of aerodynamic shapes using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) approaches has been successfully demonstrated over a number of years; however, the typical optimization approaches employed utilize gradient algorithms that guarantee only the local optimality of the solution. While numerous global optimization techniques exist, they are usually too time consuming in practice. In this brie

A detailed experimental study of the Zn-62 nucleus was conducted by combining the data sets from four fusion-evaporation reaction experiments. Apart from the previous published data, the present results include ten new rotational band structures and two new superdeformed bands. The GAMMASPHERE Ge-detector array in conjunction with the 4 pi charged-particle detector array Microball allowed for dete

It has been demonstrated that tissue factor (TF) may be involved in the tumor-derived procoagulatory status and angiogenic modulation in certain solid tumors. In the present study, we examined immunohistochemical localisation of TF in esophageal squamous cell carcinomas (ESCC) from 103 patients. TF immunopositivity was found in 91.3% of all tumor sections, while normal esophageal tissues were immu

To understand whether cerebrovascular events, a major complication of atherosclerosis, are associated with any specific DNA methylation changes in the carotid plaque.

Having good balance is a facilitating factor in the performance of everyday activities. Good balance is also essential in various sport activities in order to both get results and prevent injury. A common measure of balance is postural sway, which can be measured both antero-posteriorly and medio-laterally. There are several companies marketing wristbands whose intended function is to improve bala

Abstract Heart failure is a common and disabling disease with high mortality that carries substantial societal costs. Current therapeutic strategies are aimed at relieving symptoms, avoiding hospitalization, and prolonging life, but disease progression is ultimately inevitable. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are short, non-coding RNA molecules with pervasive roles in eukaryotic biology, annealing to complimen

Global maritime security has been a subject of analysis and debate in the West since the onset of the European expansion. This article distinguishes four main periods with regard to the doctrines and practices of global maritime security since c. 1450, during which the role of the state in relation to private actors has shifted. As a concept of global policy making, however, maritime security only

Transvaginal ultrasound plays a pivotal role in the management of non-pregnant women with abnormal vaginal bleeding. No other imaging technique has a role in the triage of these women. In women with postmenopausal bleeding, ultrasound is used to categorise women as at low or high risk of endometrial cancer, and the result of the ultrasound examination is the basis for further management. In women

Brain injury affects neurologic function and quality of life in survivors after cardiac arrest.

The test of Ng (A simple test for nonstationarity in mixed panels, Journal of Business & Economic Statistics 26, 113–126, 2008) is one of the few that enables general inference regarding the proportion of non-stationary units in panel data. The current paper furthers the investigation of Ng (2008) in two directions. First, the existing sequential limit analysis is generalized to a very flexibl