Vocational education and training (VET) has in recent years enjoyed a revival for two major reasons. Firstly, it is regarded as a suitable means of promoting economic growth. Secondly, it is seen as a potentially powerful tool for fostering social inclusion. In this review, these assumed effects are critically examined on the basis of the vastly expanding literature in the field. Evidence of the p

The study was undertaken to explore the force-velocity relationship under conditions where the myofilament system is subjected to an external force that serves as a negative load and assists the shortening movement.

Immunoecology deals with the questions about how immune defences have evolved and are being used and optimized in different environments, ecological settings and lineages. In such research, often only single time point measures and small sample volumes are available, which limits the applicability of traditional immunological methods. Methodological progress in the field thus largely depends on th

Day centres for people with psychiatric disabilities need to be evaluated for effectiveness in order to provide the best possible support. This study aimed at investigating the effectiveness of a tailor-made intervention to improve day centre services for people with psychiatric disabilities.

The continuously increasing solid waste generation worldwide calls for management strategies that integrate concerns for environmental sustainability. By quantifying environmental impacts of systems, life cycle assessment (LCA) is a tool, which can contribute to answer that call. But how, where and to which extent has it been applied to solid waste management systems (SWMSs) until now, and which l

The morphologies and proton-transport efficiencies of segmented copoly(arylene ether sulfone) ionomers that contain tetrasulfonated sequences are compared with the corresponding copolymers with disulfonated sequences. Tetrasulfonated 4,4′-bis[(4-chlorophenyl)sulfonyl]-1,1′-biphenyl (sBCPSBP) is synthesized by metalation and sulfination. This new monomer is then used in K2CO3-mediated polycondensat

We present an efficient model for the simulation of polycrystalline materials undergoing solid to solid phase transformations. As a basis, we use a one-dimensional, thermodynamically consistent phase-transformation model. This model is embedded into a micro-sphere formulation in order to simulate three-dimensional boundary value problems. To solve the underlying evolution equations, we use a newly

Positron emission tomography (PET) with (18)F-FDG is a valuable tool for staging, planning treatment, and evaluating the treatment response for many different types of tumours. The correct volume estimation is of utmost importance in these situations. To date, the most common types of phantoms used in volume quantification in PET utilize fillable, hollow spheres placed in a circular or elliptical

Is overweight associated with impaired sperm DNA integrity?

Objectivity is central to many professions, ensuring legitimacy via impartiality and the detachment of emotional involvement. This article conducts an analysis of the emotion talk about objectivity in order to reveal and re-attach the emotions involved. This is achieved by determining how objectivity is presented in a profession viewed to be particularly objective namely the legal profession. Ther

Germline CDKN2A mutations are found in 5-20% of melanoma families. Numerous studies have shown that carriers of CDKN2A mutations have increased risks of non-melanoma cancers, but so far there have been no studies investigating cancer risks in CDKN2A wild type (wt) melanoma families. In this prospective cohort study, index melanoma cases (n = 224) and their first-degree relatives (n = 944) were ide

Actin dynamics in vascular smooth muscle is known to regulate contractile differentiation and may play a role in the pathogenesis of vascular disease. However, the list of genes regulated by actin polymerization in smooth muscle remains incomprehensive. Thus, the objective of this study was to identify actin-regulated genes in smooth muscle and to demonstrate the role of these genes in the regulat

Tasquinimod is an anti-tumor drug that is currently in clinical development for the treatment of solid cancers. After oral administration, tasquinimod and a number of its metabolites are excreted in the urine. The quantitative determination of tasquinimod in urine is challenging because of the required sensitivity (down to 0.1nM or 40pg/mL), the highly variable nature of this biological matrix and

Acute coronary syndromes (ACS) with narrow QRS are divided into 2 groups: ST-elevation ACS that requires emergency percutaneous coronary intervention, and non-ST elevation ACS. The classification of ACS into these 2 groups is not always straightforward. In this document, we discuss several electrocardiogram patterns of acute ischemia that are often misinterpreted. We suggest that any new recommend

Wall collision broadening of absorption lines of gases confined in porous media is a recently opened domain of high-resolution spectroscopy. Here, we present an experimental investigation of its application for pore size assessment. We report on the manufacturing of nanoporous zirconia ceramics with well-defined pore sizes fine-tuned from 50 to 150 nm. The resulting pore structure is characterized

Aim The aim of this study was to explore changes in motor function up to 10 years after selective dorsal rhizotomy (SDR). Method The participants comprised 29 children (20 males, nine females) with bilateral spastic diplegia who were consecutively operated on at a median age of 4 years and 3 months and followed until a median age of 15 years. SDR was combined with physiotherapy and regular follow-

Dendritic cells (DCs) operate as the link between innate and adaptive immunity. Their expression of pattern recognition receptors (PRRs), such as TLRs and CLRs, enable antigen recognition and mediate appropriate immune responses. Distinct subsets of human DCs have been identified; however their PRRs expressions are not fully clarified. Especially, expressions of CLRs by DC subpopulations remain el

PURPOSE: To examine the subsequent risk and prognosis of urological cancers among individuals diagnosed with autoimmune(AI) diseases. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We analyzed systematically the risk and prognosis of prostate, kidney and bladder cancers among individuals diagnosed with any of 33 different AI diseases based on nation-wide Swedish database covering years 1964 through 2008. Standardized inc

The extreme pressure resulting from modern-day disasters in terms of severe shortages of resources, mass casualties, infrastructure breakdown, large-scale damage and their impact necessitate coordination between all the agencies involved in disaster response. Better coordination in international disaster response operations will make them more effective in organizing the different phases of relief