Determinants of growth differentiation factor 15 plasma levels in outpatients with peripheral arterial disease.

Background: Growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF-15) is a robust prognostic biomarker in patients with cardiovascular (CV) disease, and a better understanding of its clinical determinants is desirable. We aimed to study the associations between GDF-15 levels and in outpatients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD).

Methods: An explorative cross-sectional study (Study of Atherosclerosis in Vastmanland, Västerås, Sweden) included 439 outpatients with carotid or lower extremity PAD.

Rheological Properties of Emulsions Stabilized by Cellulose Derivatives with the Addition of Ethyl Alcohol.

The paper presents the results of research on the rheological properties and stability of oil-in-water emulsions containing cellulose derivatives: methylcellulose, hydroxyethylcellulose, and hydroxypropylmethylcellulose. The continuous phase of the emulsion was a 70% ethanol (EtOH) solution by volume. The dispersed phase consisted of mineral, linseed, and canola oils (20% by volume).

Mitochondrial Genome and Phylogenetic Analysis of the Narrownose Smooth-Hound Shark Springer, 1939.

Southern Brazil is home to a large biodiversity of elasmobranchs from the Brazilian coast. Several genera and species of small sharks of the Triakidae family live in this marine environment. Studies on these shark species are scarce, with few genetic data and little information on animal population structures.

Biomechanical Evaluation of Different Fixation Methods for Percutaneous Extracapsular Transverse Cervical Metatarsal Osteotomy in a Hallux Valgus Sawbone Model.

Background: There is limited literature available that provide information about fixation methods for minimally invasive hallux valgus osteotomies. Our objective was to evaluate the strength of different fixation methods for a percutaneous extracapsular transverse cervical metatarsal (PTCM) osteotomy in a sawbone model.

Methods: Thirty solid foam sawbone foot models were used.

Co-occurrence structure of late Ediacaran communities and influence of emerging ecosystem engineers.

Understanding the roles of habitat filtering, dispersal limitations and biotic interactions in shaping the organization of animal communities is a central research goal in ecology. Attempts to extend these approaches into deep time have the potential to illuminate the role of these processes over key intervals in evolutionary history. The Ediacaran marks one such interval, recording the first macroscopic benthic communities and a stepwise intensification in animal ecosystem engineering.