BACKGROUND The aim of the study was to investigate knowledge and use of wild food plants in two mountain valleys separated by Mount Taibai--the highest peak of northern China and one of its biodiversity hotspots, each adjacent to species-rich temperate forest vegetation. METHODS Seventy two free lists were collected among the inhabitants of two mountain valleys (36 in each). All the studied h...

BACKGROUND To investigate the feasibility and dosimetric improvements of a novel technique to temporarily displace critical structures in the pelvis and abdomen from tumor during high-dose radiotherapy. METHODS Between 2010 and 2012, 11 patients received high-dose image-guided intensity-modulated radiotherapy with temporary organ displacement (TOD) at our institution. In all cases, imaging re...

Ever since the introduction of the concept of fiber tractography, methods to generate better and more plausible tractograms have become available. Many modern methods can handle complex fiber architecture and take on a probabilistic approach to account for different sources of uncertainty. The resulting tractogram from any such method typically represents a finite random sample from a complex d...

BACKGROUND In response to traditional zoning codes that contribute to car-dependent sprawling and disconnected neighborhoods, communities are reforming their land use laws to create pedestrian-friendly areas that promote physical activity. One such reform is the adoption of transit-oriented developments or districts (TODs). TODs are higher density, compact, and mixed use areas located around tr...

Prebiotics and probiotics strongly impact the gut ecosystem by changing the composition and/or metabolism of the microbiota to improve the health of the host. However, the composition of the microbiota constantly changes due to the intake of daily diet. This shift in the microbiota composition has a considerable impact; however, non-pre/probiotic foods that have a low impact are ignored because...

Hypertension causes target organ damage (TOD) that involves vasculature, heart, brain and kidneys. Complex biochemical, hormonal and hemodynamic mechanisms are involved in the pathogenesis of TOD. Common to all these processes is an increased bioavailability of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Both in vitro and in vivo studies explored the role of mitochondrial oxidative stress as a mechanism inv...

The diurnal variation in a range of psychological functions and core body temperature were investigated in a series of studies involving a total of 24 highly practised young women who lived in a controlled environment and on a strictly regimented 24-hour routine for 6 or 7 days. Ten participants were exposed to the natural light/dark cycle (L/Dc) through windows, whereas the 14 remaining partic...