in a structural analysis, the “rebellion & decline” theme creates a narrative structure in which eleven stories of shāhnāmeh – equal to 3.18 per cent of the whole epic – are included, which makes it the tenth largest sequence of the shāhnāmeh. this narrative structure (sequence) consists of initial tranquillity, the king’s rebellion, his decline, and ultimate tranquillity. the epical theme of r...

BACKGROUND This study was designed to determine a clinically significant point drop in function to define functional decline and the required sensitivity for a clinical decision tool to identify elderly patients at high risk of functional decline following a minor injury. METHODS After a rigorous development process, a survey questionnaire was administered to a random sample of 178 geriatrici...

OBJECTIVES Coeliac disease has emerged as an increasingly recognised public health problem over the last half-century, and is now coming to be seen as a global phenomenon, despite a profound lack of globally representative epidemiological data. Since children with coeliac disease commonly present with chronic diarrhoea and malnutrition, diagnosis is often overlooked, particularly in poorer sett...

Insect pollination is important for food production globally and apples are one of the major fruit crops which are reliant on this ecosystem service. It is fundamentally important that the full range of benefits of insect pollination to crop production are understood, if the costs of interventions aiming to enhance pollination are to be compared against the costs of the interventions themselves...

Primary immunodeficiency diseases (PID) result from defects in genes affecting the immune and other systems in many and varied ways (1, 2). Until the last few years, treatments have been largely supportive, with the exception of bone marrow transplantation. However, recent advances in immunobiology, genetics, and the explosion of discovery and commercialization of biologic modifiers have drasti...

Understanding rainfall variability, shifts and trends is of primary importance when considering the potential for biophysical, social and economic impacts. An increase in mean rainfall could enhance agricultural production and water supply. However, if this increase is associated with more extreme rainfall events, it can enhance flood frequency and intensity. Conversely, decreases in mean rainf...

Various authors have shown that the caries decline in the industrialized countries during recent decades is based on the use of fluorides, of which local fluoride application in the form of fluoridated toothpastes is of primary importance. The caries-protective potential of fluorapatite is quite low; in contrast, dissolved fluorides in the vicinity of enamel are effective both in promoting remi...