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We set out to study the relationship between circulating levels of IGF-I and its major binding protein (IGFBP-3) in relation to ovarian cancer risk. We conducted a case-control study nested within the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition. Levels of IGF-I and IGFBP-3 were measured in prediagnostic serum samples of 214 women who subsequently developed ovarian cancer, and 388

Background: Much effort has been made to study first-ever stroke patients. However, recurrent stroke has not been investigated as extensively. It is unclear which risk factors dominate, and whether adequate secondary prevention has been provided to patients who suffer from recurrent stroke. Also, the different types of recurrent stroke need further evaluation. Methods: The study included patients

The viscoelastic behavior of the two different liquid crystalline lamellar phases and the liquid crystalline cubic phase of the mixed soybean lecithin/DDAB system in water was studied through rheology, with mechanical parameters studied as a function of composition. The swollen or diluted lamellar region is formed by vesicles, and its characteristic flow curve presents two-power law regions separa

Enteric neuronal plasticity is probably fundamental in order to withstand injury or changes in intestinal activity. The role of the neuropeptides in neuroprotection is still enigmatic. The expression of galanin and vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) and the effects of the two peptides on survival of small intestinal porcine myenteric neurons cultured for 6 days were studied. Immunocytochemistry a

Aims: Two common reasons to explain slow environmental biodegradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), namely lack of appropriate carbon sources for microbial growth and limited bioavailability of PAHs, were tested in a laboratory bioassay using a creosote-contaminated soil. Methods and Results: The soil, containing a total of 8 mg g(-1) of 16 PAHs, was sieved and incubated in bottles f

Background & Aims: The long-term prognosis of patients with small-duct primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) remains incompletely characterized. We aimed at determining the natural history and long-term outcomes of a large number of patients with small-duct PSC. Methods: Data from 83 patients with well-characterized small-duct PSC from several medical institutions in Europe and the United State

Binding of the class II PapG adhesin, found at the tip of filamentous pili on Escherichia coli, to the carbohydrate moiety of globoseries glycolipids in the human kidney is a key step in development of pyelonephritis, a severe form of urinary tract infection. An assay based on surface plasmon resonance for quantification of the binding of the class II PapG adhesin to oligosaccharides has been deve

The sea elevation at a fixed point is modelled as a quadratic form of a vector valued Gaussian process with arbitrary mean. With this model, saddlepoint methods are used to approximate the mean upcrossing intensity with which the sea level crosses upwards at a certain height. This estimated intensity is further used to determine the probability distribution of wave crests. The use of saddlepoint t

INTRODUCTION: Sperm chromatin integrity assessment has been suggested as a fertility predictor. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between the results of sperm chromatin structure assay (SCSA) and the outcome of IVF, ICSI and intrauterine insemination (IUI). METHODS: A total of 306 consecutive couples undergoing assisted reproduction were included. IUI was performed in 131, IVF

Infectious agents may be involved in atherothrombogenesis. The potential pathogenic pathway, however, remains unclear. We investigated the association between various infectious agents and lipoproteins known to have an atherogenic effect, We recruited 470 healthy blood donors and 238 patients with angiographically proven coronary heart disease (CHD), aged 40 to 68 years. Seropositivity to Chlamydi

As part of the LBA-SMOCC (Large-Scale Biosphere-Atmosphere Experiment in Amazonia – Smoke, Aerosols, Clouds, Rainfall, and Climate) 2002 campaign, we studied the emission of carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2), and aerosol particles from Amazonian deforestation fires using an instrumented aircraft. Emission ratios for aerosol number (CN) relative to CO (ERCN/CO) fell in the range 14–32 cm−3

Background Despite the fact that severe itch is common in many dermatological diseases, the therapeutic arsenal against itching is limited. From neurophysiological experiments, using a new technique termed cutaneous field stimulation, it is known that acute itch can be effectively relieved by stimulation of cutaneous nociceptors. Methods We tested the effects of cutaneous field stimulation (25 mi

ntrastriatal grafts of fetal ventral mesencephalic tissue, rich in dopaminergic neurons, can reverse symptoms in Parkinson's disease. For development of effective cell replacement therapy, other sources of dopaminergic neurons, e.g. derived from stem cells, are needed. However, the electrophysiological properties grafted cells need to have in order to induce substantial functional recovery are poo

The important air pollutant sulfur dioxide has a strong structured absorption band in the ultraviolet (UV) region around 300 nm. Recently, light-emitting diodes (LEDs) with structureless emission in a band about 15-nm wide in the UV region have become available. We demonstrate that they can be ideal sources for gas absorption measurements combined with the gas correlation technique, where an absor

Scatter and septal penetration deteriorate contrast and quantitative accuracy in single photon emission computed tomography ( SPECT). In this study four different correction techniques for scatter and septal penetration are evaluated for I-123 brain SPECT. One of the methods is a form of model-based compensation which uses the effective source scatter estimation ( ESSE) for modelling scatter, and

Microbial community dynamics associated with manure hot spots were studied by using a model system consisting of a gel-stabilized mixture of soil and manure, placed between layers of soil, during a 3-week incubation period. The microbial biomass, measured as the total amount of phospholipid fatty acids (PLFA), had doubled within a 2-mm distance from the soil-manure interface after 3 days. Principa

Using scanning tunneling microscopy and density functional theory, we have studied the initial oxidation of Rh(111) surfaces with two types of straight steps, having {100} and {111} microfacets. The one-dimensional (1D) oxide initially formed at the steps acts as a barrier impeding formation of the 2D oxide on the (111) terrace behind it. We demonstrate that the details of the structure of the 1D