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Objectives: Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) libraries have limited capabilities for identification of Streptococcus bovis/Streptococcus equinus-complex (SBSEC) subspecies. The objective was to develop and validate novel MALDI-TOF MS libraries adapted to diagnostic culturing and sampling conditions for improved identification of SBSEC subs

BACKGROUND: Extensive head and neck reconstructive surgery is a complex procedure often performed in patients with multiple comorbidities, and the risk of complications is high. Evidence-based preoperative assessment and reliable risk prediction are therefore essential, and the anesthesiologist plays an important role in this process. The aim of this study was to evaluate the predictive properties

Many sexual crime matters are in a difficult position when it comes to proof, where it's word against word between the parties. However, the legislation states that it's the offender's actions that are to be in focus for the judicial judgement, but often the focus is on the woman, whether she said no and how she acted in that particular situation (Sutorius & Kaldal, 2003). The pur

Background: Right ventricular (RV) systolic function is an important determinant of outcome in patients with pulmonary hypertension (PH). Conventional echocardiographic measures of RV are mainly based on longitudinal contractility. Recently, measurement of RV global longitudinal strain derived from multiple windows (RVGLS) has emerged as an option but has not been well evaluated. The aim of the pr

Understanding and managing the responses of natural systems to climate change requires knowing whether recent changes in ecosystem structure and function are within the bounds of natural variation or whether the systems are entering new states that are unprecedented. Several recent studies of the fossil diatom record of the last ~ 150 years in Andean lakes have shown changes in diatom species comp

The radiological consequences of a nuclear power plant (NPP) accident, resulting in the release of radionuclides to the environment, will depend largely on the mitigating actions instigated shortly after the accident. It is therefore important to make predictions of the radiation dose to the affected population, from external as well as internal exposure, soon after an accident, despite the fact

With advancing age, changes in the arterial wall contribute to what has been called vascular aging, and in some prematurely affected subjects even early vascular aging (EVA).1–5 Several years ago,1 we listed various components of EVA, including arteriosclerosis, atherosclerosis, and excess vasoconstriction, with their clinical expression: arterial stiffening and increased central pulse pressure, c

Background: Traumatic brain injuries continue to be a significant cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide. Most traumatic brain injuries are classified as mild, with a low but not negligible risk of intracranial hemorrhage. To help physicians decide which patients might benefit from a computerized tomography (CT) of the head to rule out intracranial hemorrhage, several clinical decision rules h

BACKGROUND: Despite complex illness trajectories and a high symptom burden, palliative care has been sub-optimal for patients with end-stage kidney disease and hemodialysis treatment who have a high rate of hospitalization and intensive care towards end of life. There is a growing awareness that further development of palliative care is required to meet the needs of these patients and their family

Pavement data collection is the most expensive and time consuming component of Pavement Management System (PMS). Thus, possible methods of minimizing the need of such data might be critical in reducing pavement condition monitoring costs. Also the ability to relate pavement performance prediction models (frequently roughness based) to hot mix asphalt field performance models (distress based) provi

Background: Rare and ultra-rare diseases (URDs) are often chronic and life-threatening conditions that have a profound impact on sufferers and their families, but many are notoriously difficult to detect. Niemann-Pick disease type C (NP-C) serves to illustrate the challenges, benefits and pitfalls associated with screening for ultra-rare inborn errors of metabolism (IEMs). A comprehensive, non-sys

A few years ago, Alon et al. [ISMB 2008] gave a simple randomized O((2e)km∊−2)-time exponential-space algorithm to approximately compute the number of paths on k vertices in a graph G up to a multiplicative error of 1 ± ∊. Shortly afterwards, Alon and Gutner [IWPEC 2009, TALG 2010] gave a deterministic exponential-space algorithm with running time (2e)k+O(log3 k)m log n whenever ∊−1 = kO(1). Recen

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to study what influences consumers’ intention to buy sustainable food products in Germany by applying an extended model of the theory of planned behavior (TPB). Methodology – A questionnaire was developed based on previous research and the answers from a focus group. Data from 218 respondents were collected through convenient sampling by sharing the survey on

The Capability Approach (CA) has been increasingly gaining popularity amongst scholars and policy-makers, offering an alternative to the so far predominant position of the GDP as the primary measure of human development. The CA is a normative framework which can be used as a basis to conceptualize and evaluate socio-economic and political phenomena such as inequality and human well-being. One of t

Purpose: Host factors, including genetic factors, are underutilized in breast cancer treatment selection. This study aimed to investigate AIB1 genotypes as pharmacogenetic markers for adjuvant breast cancer treatment. The prognostic impact of three functional polymorphisms associated with altered mRNA expression rs6094752 (low expression), rs2230782 (low expression) and rs2076546 (high expression)

While a naive algorithm for multiplying two 2 × 2 matrices requires eight multiplications and four additions, Strassen showed how to compute the same matrix product using seven multiplications and 18 additions. Winograd reduced the number of additions to 15, which was assumed to be optimal. However, by introducing a change of basis, Karstadt and Schwartz showed how to lower the number of additions

If an accident or attack involving radiological or nuclear material were to happen, people from the general public would be at risk of exposure to ionising radiation. Unlike people working with ionising radiation, for whom level of exposure to radiation is constantly monitored with dosemeters, people from the general population do not wear dosemeters; thus, the dose estimations for these individua

Radial motions of stars in nearby moving clusters are determined fromaccurate proper motions and trigonometric parallaxes, without any use ofspectroscopy. Assuming that cluster members share the same velocityvector (apart from a random dispersion), we apply a maximum-likelihoodmethod on astrometric data from Hipparcos to compute radial and spacevelocities (and their dispersions) in the Ursa Major,