The phrase "a subtle decline" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe a gradual or understated decrease in something, such as performance, quality, or quantity.
Example: "Over the past few years, there has been a subtle decline in the number of visitors to the museum."
Alternatives: "a gradual decrease" or "a slight downturn".
RT-PCR analysis indicated that homozygous enarev showed a significant reduction in ena expression, whereas a single copy of P[UAS]117 (as in enarev/+) resulted in a subtle decline in ena levels, consistent with its lack of effect on the behavioral paradigm (Figs. 4G and 2A B).
Several studies have shown that long-term lithium use is associated with a subtle decline in estimated glomerular filtration rate.
Lithium causes a subtle decline in glomerular filtration rate; renal function needs to be monitored in patients on lithium treatment.
In E. grandis, a significant decline in rooting ability was observed as the distance of the cutting source from the ground increased, although only a subtle decline in miR156 expression was observed in the same plant samples.
A subtle decline in OXPHOS is associated with skeletal muscle atrophy, type 2 diabetes, neurodegeneration, and the aging process itself (Vafai and Mootha, 2012), though the molecular basis and biochemical consequences are currently not known.
WASHINGTON -- Two new automated polls show sharp declines in support for Newt Gingrich in Iowa, and the national Gallup Daily tracking poll shows a more subtle decline nationwide.
Certainly, close monitoring of eGFR over time, rather than serum creatinine alone (with clear documentation of a baseline level) might detect subtle decline and alert one earlier to the possibility of nephrotoxicity.
The primary motor cortex displayed a subtle progressive decline in size from birth, whereas the primary somatosensory cortex remained unaffected at all stages studied.
Nonetheless, it is apparent that a change in practice for the routine long term follow-up of Fontan patients is necessary in order to detect progressive subtle decline in status and to have a favourable impact on the functional status of these unique survivors (table 3).
The Daqing Oilfield is one of the China's largest oilfields since the 1950s and has reached a steady state of production since the 1970s, with recent subtle decline in production.
The new work, published in an upcoming issue of Mechanisms of Ageing and Development, suggests that telomere length tracks the subtle decline of fitness with age well before disease strikes.
