Disk-shaped acrylamide (AAm) gels were prepared from AAm with various NN'-methylenebisacrylamide (Bis) contents as cross-linker in the presence of ammonium persulfate as an initiator by free-radical cross-linking copolymerization in water. Polyacrylamide (PAAm) gels were dried before using for swelling experiments. Steady-state fluorescence spectrometer was employed during the swelling of PAAm hydrogels in water. Pyranine was introduced as a fluorescence probe. Fluorescence intensity of pyranine ...

Communal tables and open workspaces have become popular servicescapes that is contemporary spaces for experiencing dining or working alone but together. Previous research demonstrates that experiencing with close others (e.g. with friends or family) increases happiness and satisfaction but experiences shared with strangers in contexts such as communal tables or workshops have not yet been thoroughly analyzed. Addressing this research gap from a social-psychological perspective we suggest that even ...

We have examined the frequency of the EcoRI XbaI and MspI RFLPs of the apolipoprotein B (apo 13) gene in I 10 type 2 diabetic patients and 9 1 healthy control subjects in order to ascertain whether variation in this gene may influence the development of non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (type 2 diabetes). Serum lipids including total-cholesterol (T-Chol) triacylglycerol (TAG) apolipoprotein E (apo E) apolipoprotein Al (apo Al) apolipoprotein B and lipoprotein (a) (Lp(a)) were analysed. Genomic ...

This paper investigates the evolution of competition in the Turkish banking industry by taking into account the transformation in the sector in the aftermath of the country's financial crisis of 2000 to 2001 and the global financial crisis. The results demonstrate that the level of competition in the system did not increase despite the restructuring that was undertaken and the increased foreign bank participation. In addition the level of competition in the sector deteriorated during the global ...

We studied the effect of variation at the lipoprotein lipase (LPL) gene locus on the susceptibility of individuals with non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) in a population of 110 NIDDM patients and 91 controls. Our objective was to study the relationship between the LPL-Pvu II polymorphism and NIDDM and lipid metabolism. PCR-RFLP was used to determine the DNA polymorphism of the sixth intron of the LPL gene. The frequencies of the genotypes in case and control groups were 29.1 and 30.8% ...

his paper investigates the effect of the economic policy uncertainty (EPU) on corporate environmental, social, and governance practices (ESG), using 6,562 firm-year observations from 15 developed European countries covering the period from 2004 to 2017. The results show that during periods of high uncertainty, firms increase their overall ESG performance, corporate environmental performance, and performance in governance. The relationship is valid for emission, resource use, workforce, management, ...

Leucocytes are present throughout the male reproductive tract but the clinical significance of leucocytic infiltration in the human ejaculate is controversial. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines leucocytospermia as the presence of peroxidase-positive leucocytes in concentrations of >= 1 x 10(6)/mL of semen. The goals of this study were to clarify the relationship between leucocytospermia and semen parameters including sperm concentration progressive and total motility before and after ...

False‐belief understanding and executive functions are two main sociocognitive abilities reliably linked to child social competence. Although institution‐reared children are especially at risk for behavioral problems and cognitive delays, the role that executive function and false‐belief understanding might play in the social withdrawal of institutionalized children has not been examined. The current study used two‐wave data to investigate the concurrent and longitudinal relations of social ...

Spinal muscular atrophy is an autosomal recessive motor neuron disease that is caused by mutation of the survival motor neuron gene (SMN1) but all patients retain a nearly identical copy SMN2. The disease severity correlates inversely with increased SMN2 copy. Currently the most promising therapeutic strategy for spinal muscular atrophy is induction of SMN2 gene expression by histone deacetylase inhibitors. Polyphenols are known for protection against oxidative stress and degenerative diseases. ...

Objective Social judgments are evaluators' opinions about the social properties of a set of actors. Different types of judgments rendered by the evaluators and potential interactions between them may have major consequences for the actors who are evaluated. In this article, we distinguish between judgments of capability and conformity, and examine their concurrent and interdependent effects on evaluator impressions. Methods We investigate these dynamics in the context of authors competing for the ...