OBJECTIVE To evaluate the potential effects of a 308-km ultra-marathon on bone and cartilage biomarkers. METHOD Venous blood samples were collected at pre-race, 100 km, 200 km, and 308 km checkpoints. The following markers of cartilage damage and bone metabolism were studied: osteocalcin (OC), osteoprotegerin (OPG), and calcium, phosphorous, and cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP). R...

In 1998, the Aznalcóllar mine tailings dyke in southwestern Spain broke, flooding the Agrio-Guadiamar river system with acid tailings up to the borders of one of the largest breeding colonies of white storks in the western Palearctic, Dehesa de Abajo. Over the following years, a high proportion of nestlings developed leg defects not seen before the spill, prompting this study. Nestlings with de...

Constructed wetlands have become a good alternative to urban and industrial wastewater treatments. Because of the many interactions between the different parts that form the wetland, the design of these systems used to be very complex so a good design tool is required. Hybrid constructed wetlands mix the aerobic and anaerobic properties of vertical and horizontal subsurface flow constructed wet...

We have investigated the electronic structure and carrier mobility of four types of phosphorous monolayer sheet (α-P, β-P,γ-P and δ-P) using density functional theory combined with Boltzmann transport method and relaxation time approximation. It is shown that α-P, β-P and γ-P are indirect gap semiconductors, while δ-P is a direct one. All four sheets have ultrahigh carrier mobility and show ani...

Similar to other Asian nations, suburban areas in Japan are characterized by dense intermixtures of residential areas and farmlands. These hybrid rural/urban areas are evaluated negatively in modern planning frameworks. However, mixed rural/urban landscapes may prove advantageous when attempting to reconstruct sustainable wastewater treatment systems. This research examines the potential for ab...

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an indirect tarns-log production function was employed to estimate the demand functions for such inputs as: fertilizer, seed, pesticide, water recourse and machinery as subject to budget constraint and while using data related to cotton producers in the three provinces of north khorasan, khorasane razavi, and south khorasan in 2007-8. lagrange coefficients with relation to cotton producers in t...

Factors Affecting Non-Personnel Budget Allotment at the Ministry of Education A. Ansari, Ph.D.  Budget allotment to the non-personnel expenditures at the Ministry of Education (MOE) affects the quality of educational services that are rendered by this Ministry. According to Wagner's perspective, budget allotment should be proportional to the GNP and the increase in student popula...