Background: A European concerted action (the EuroNatal study) investigated differences in perinatal mortality between countries of Europe. This report describes the methods used in the EuroNatal international audit and discusses the validity of the results. Methods: Perinatal deaths between 1993 and 1998 in regions of ten European countries were identified. The categories of death chosen for the s

In this paper, we present the development of a new potential blood pool contrast agent for magnetic resonance imaging applications (MRA/MRI) based on gadolinium complexes containing amphiphilic supramolecular aggregates. A novel amphiphilic unimer, containing the DTPAGlu chelating agent covalently bound to two C18 alkylic chains, has been synthesized. DTPAGlu is a well-known chelating agent for a

Nitric oxide (NO) is an important signalling molecule that has been suggested to be a key molecule for induction and maintenance of migraine attacks based on clinical studies, animal experimental studies and the expression of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) immuno reactivity within the trigeminovascular system. Sensitisation of the trigeminal system including the trigeminal ganglia neurones is believe

A previously developed biosensor for fast estimation of short-term biochemical oxygen demand (BODst) was used for off-line monitoring of intermediate products from the initial step of an anaerobic process in laboratory scale. Good agreement was generally achieved between the results from the biosensor method and the conventional 5-day test except for samples with high content of organic polymers.

BACKGROUND: Sperm DNA integrity is an important factor in the prognosis of male fertility. In this study, we investigated intra-individual variation of sperm chromatin structure assay (SCSA) parameters in infertility patients undergoing assisted reproductive techniques (ARTs). METHODS: Retrospective study of 282 consecutive patients referred for ART [intrauterine insemination (IUI), IVF or ICSI] w

Increased morbidity among teenage smokers has been reported, but specific current health problems and medication use other than of alcohol and narcotics have received less attention. The aim of this study was to examine the association between health problems and daily smoking in teenagers. Ninety percent of all teenagers attending junior high or high schools participated in a cross-sectional stud

Background & Aims: A 30-year-old woman, treated with buserelin, an analogue of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) (also called luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone, LH-RH), developed chronic intestinal pseudo-obstruction (CIPO). The sudden onset of this disease in a previously healthy woman perplexed us. CIPO refers to a gastrointestinal disorder that can have a variety of causes, such as

BACKGROUND: In assisting the nurse's counselling on lifestyle changes in hypertension care a behaviour model can be used. AIM: To analyse the effects of nurses' training on the use of the stages of change model when counselling hypertensive patients to perform lifestyle changes. METHODS: As part of a randomised, controlled trial, 19 nurses belonging to the intervention group took part in video-rec

A method to separate suspended particles from their medium in a continuous mode at microchip level is described. The method combines an ultrasonic standing wave field with the extreme laminar flow properties obtained in a silicon micro channel. The channel was 750 mum wide and 250 mum deep with vertical side walls defined by anisotropic wet etching. The suspension comprised "Orgasol 5mum" polyamid

LTRs of endogenous retroviruses are known to affect expression of several human genes, typically as a relatively minor alternative promoter. Here, we report that an endogenous retrovirus LTR acts as one of at least two alternative promoters for the human beta1,3-galactosyltransferase 5 gene, involved in type 1 Lewis antigen synthesis, and show that the LTR promoter is most active in the gastrointe

Objective: To summarize recent knowledge on the small molecular weight protein cystatin C (cys-C) and its use as a marker of the glomerular filtration rate (GFR). Methods: A multinational expert meeting was held in April 2002 in Marburg, Germany. Contributors summarized their main findings. Conclusions: Cys-C is at least equal if not superior to serum creatinine as a marker of GFR. The independenc

The morphology and viscoelastic properties of films prepared from bimodal latex blends containing equal weight fractions of soft and hard latex particles were investigated as a function of the particle sizes and the particle size ratio (soft particle diameter/hard particle diameter). Minimum film formation temperature (MFT) measurements were associated with transmission electron microscopy (TEM) t

In contrast to some extensively examined food mutagens, for example, aflatoxins, N-nitrosamines and heterocyclic amines, some other food contaminants, in particular polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and other aromatic compounds, have received less attention. Therefore, exploring the relationships between dietary habits and the levels of biomarkers related to exposure to aromatic compounds is

This study investigates the use of a dual-beam, optical null, FT-IR spectrometer to measure trace organic components in aqueous solutions in the combination band region 5000-4000 cm(-1). The spectrometer may be used for both single- and dual-beam measurements, thereby facilitating comparison of these two modes of operation. The concentrations of aqueous solutions of urea and glucose in the ranges

Aim Many species are currently expanding their ranges in response to climate change, but the mechanisms underlying these range expansions are in many cases poorly understood. In this paper we explore potential climatic factors governing the recent establishment of new palm populations far to the north of any other viable palm population in the world. Location Southern Switzerland, Europe, Asia and

When the genome organization of thirty native isolates belonging to a wine-spoilage yeast Dekkera/Brettanomyces bruxellensis, a distant relative of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, was examined, the number of chromosomes varied drastically, from 4 to at least 9. When single gene probes were used in Southern analysis, the corresponding genes usually mapped to at least two chromosomal bands, excluding a si