To assess the use of acute pancreatitis (AP)-associated drugs in patients with AP, the relation between sales of these drugs and the incidence of AP, and the potential impact on AP severity and recurrence.

Compartmentalized systems produced via the layer-by-layer (LbL) self-assembly method have been produced by alternatively depositing alginate and chitosan layers onto cores of liposomes. The combination of dynamic light scattering (DLS), zeta potential, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) techniques provides detailed information on the stability, dimensions, charge, and wall thickness of the

Plants have a remarkable capacity to adapt to local environmental conditions, which can result in ecotypic differentiation. Patterns of differentiation can, however, also be influenced by the extensive phenotypic plasticity exhibited by many plant species. In this study, we evaluated the distinctness of two putative ecotypes of the parasitic herb Rhinanthus angustifolius. We compared population me

The basic concept of a Net Zero Energy Building (Net ZEB) is that on-site renewable energy generation covers the annual energy load. The main objective of this study is to analyse the increase of embodied energy compared to the decrease of the energy use related to building operation; partly by a literature review, partly by detailed analysis of eleven case studies; taking the step from a low ener

Prostate cancer is a common malignancy in men and the worldwide burden of this disease is rising. Lifestyle modifications such as smoking cessation, exercise, and weight control offer opportunities to reduce the risk of developing prostate cancer. Early detection of prostate cancer by prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening is controversial, but changes in the PSA threshold, frequency of screeni

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a heterogeneous disorder. The goals of this review are (1) To stimulate use of standardized nomenclature for OA that could serve as building blocks for describing OA and defining OA phenotypes, in short to provide unifying disease concepts for a heterogeneous disorder; and (2) To stimulate establishment of ROAD (Risk of OA Development) and ROAP (Risk of OA Progression) tools

Background: Most current knowledge on kidney concentrations of nephrotoxic metals like cadmium (Cd), mercury (Hg), or lead (Pb) comes from autopsy studies. Assessment of metal concentrations in kidney biopsies from living subjects can be combined with information about exposure sources like smoking, diet, and occupation supplied by the biopsied subjects themselves. Objectives: To determine kidney

Background Glucocorticoid-mediated hypertension is incompletely understood. Recent studies have suggested the primary mechanism of this form of hypertension may be through the effects of glucocorticoids on vascular tissues and not to excess sodium and water re-absorption as traditionally believed. Objective The goal of this study was to better understand the role of the vasculature in the generati

The present study reports regression of pre-established experimental rat gliomas as a result of combining peripheral immunization using interferon gamma (IFNgamma) transduced autologous tumor cells with local intratumoral delivery of interleukin 7 (IL-7) by mesenchymal stromal cells. IL-7 alone significantly decreased the tumor area and this effect was enhanced with IFNgamma immunization. A higher

Defect management is a central task in software maintenance. When a defect is reported, appropriate resources must be allocated to analyze and resolve the defect. An important issue in resource allocation is the estimation of Defect Resolution Time (DRT). Prior research has considered different approaches for DRT prediction exploiting information retrieval techniques and similarity in textual defe

Deficiency in the E3 ubiquitin ligase Itch causes a skin-scratching phenotype in mice. We found that there was increased phosphorylation and activation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase p38α in spontaneous and experimentally induced skin lesions of Itch-deficient (Itch(-/-)) mice. Itch bound directly to the TGF-β-activated kinase 1-binding protein 1 (Tab1) through a conserved PPXY motif and

The number of undescribed species of lichenized fungi has been estimated at roughly 10,000. Describing and cataloging these would take the existing number of taxonomists several decades; however, the support for taxonomy is in decline worldwide. In this paper we emphasize the dire need for taxonomic expertise in lichenology. We bring together 103 colleagues from institutions worldwide to describe

For investigation of chemical exposure in allergic individuals, spot tests are invaluable. A reagent may react with a specific compound to give a specific typical colour, and thus indicate the presence of the specific substance. Spot tests can give both false-negative and false-positive reactions. To confirm the presence of the substance and quantify it, more sophisticated methods are required. On

The riodinid Rhetus belphegor (Westwood) (n. comb., previously in the genus Nirodia) is a critically endangered butterfly confined to the “campos rupestres”; a high-altitude rocky outcrop vegetation from southeast Brazil. The aim of this study is to unveil its biology and evaluate its systematic position. Based on museum data and public contribution of data (in the context of citizen science), R.

The charged-particle pseudorapidity density measured over four units of pseudorapidity in nonsingle-diffractive p + Pb collisions at a center-of-mass energy per nucleon pair root s(NN) = 5.02 TeV is presented. The average value at midrapidity is measured to be 16.81 +/- 0.71 (syst), which corresponds to 2.14 +/- 0.17 (syst) per participating nucleon, calculated with the Glauber model. This is 16%

Internationalisation of higher education is a strategic theme in current research on higher education and policy debate. Both at national and institutional levels, in many countries, internationalisation is stated to be an educational goal. However, the dominant discourse on internationalisation of higher education in research and research-based discussions tends to be framed by political, economi

Background. Islet allograft rejection in sensitized recipients is difficult to control by costimulation blockade using anti-CD154 and cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen-4 immunoglobulin (CTLA4Ig). Because leukocyte function antigen (LFA) 1 is highly expressed on memory T cells, adding an LFA-1 blockade may inhibit memory T-cell activities. We examined the effects on islet allograft survival of triple

The ovariectomized (OVX) rat model is well established in investigations of osteoporosis and osteoporotic therapies. Advent of techniques such as Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) facilitate characterization of bone composition and mineral structure, respectively, which are key determinants of bone strength. Limited publications exist on the imp