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BACKGROUND: The IFCC Reference Measurement System for hemoglobin (Hb)A(1)c (IFCC-RM) has been developed within the framework of metrologic traceability and is embedded in a network of 14 reference laboratories. This paper describes the outcome of 12 intercomparison studies (periodic evaluations to control essential elements of the IFCC-RM). METHODS: Each study included: unknown samples (to test in
Background/Aims: This study aims at describing the natural history and outcome of small duct primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC). Methods: Thirty-two patients with small duct PSC were studied. The average time taken for diagnosis was 69 (1-168) months. The median follow-up time was 63 (1-194) months. Results: All patients including one who underwent liver transplantation because of end-stage live
The paper treats the problem of ratio control. Previous solutionsbased on simple Ratio stations perform poorly during transientscaused by setpoint changes. A new solution, the Blend station, thatimproves control during transients, is proposed. Both a constant-gainand an adaptive version are presented.
The ability of the leucine-rich repeat (LRR) proteins biglycan, decorin and chondroadherin to interact with collagen VI and influence its assembly to supramolecular structures was studied by electron microscopy and surface plasmon resonance measurements in the BIAcore 2000 system. Biglycan showed a unique ability to organize collagen VI into extensive hexagonal-like networks over a time period of
Background: Little is known about the influence of racemic ketamine on autoregulation of cerebral blood flow (CBF), and available reports regarding its influence on cerebral hemodynamics are contradictory. This study was designed to evaluate cerebrovascular responses to changes in the mean arterial pressure (MAP) during ketamine anesthesia. Methods: In eight normoventilated pigs anesthesia was in
Name analysis for Java is challenging with its complex visibility rules involving nested scopes, inheritance, qualified access, and syntactic ambiguities. We show how Java name analysis including ambiguities related to names of variables, fields, and packages, can be implemented in a declarative and modular manner using the JastAdd compiler construction system. Declarative attributes and context-d
Smad5 is known to transduce intracellular signals from bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs), which belong to the transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) superfamily and are involved in the regulation of hematopoiesis. Recent findings suggest that BMP4 stimulates proliferation of human primitive hematopoietic progenitors in vitro, while early progenitors from mice deficient in Smad5 display increa
The initial stages of TiO2 growth on Si(111) under ultra-high vacuum conditions is studied using core level photoelectron spectroscopy, x-ray absorption spectroscopy, and scanning tunneling microscopy. The TiO2 film was formed by means of chemical vapor deposition of titanium(IV) isopropoxide at a sample temperature of 500 degreesC. The thickness and composition of the amorphous interface layer an
Conodont faunas solve the long-standing problem regarding the relationships between the Hogklint, Tofta, and lower Slite. The name Hangvar Formation is here formally introduced for the strata identified between the Tofta Formation and the Slite Group. The Hangvar Fm. includes marls as far SW as near Paviken (previously Slite Marl), argillaceous limestones (seen only in the most distal areas access
The objective of this study was to investigate associations between suicidal intent and psychiatric symptoms, and to study the usefulness of the Suicidal Intent Scale (SIS) and the Comprehensive Psychopathological Rating Scale (CPRS) for suicide risk assessment in an inpatient population. One hundred and ninety-six suicide attempters, of whom 15 eventually committed suicide, were admitted to a psy
A balance sheet of the Cuban Revolution in terms of growth performance, equity, and the satisfaction of basic needs after 50 years is a mixed bag. Growth performance has been disappointing during most of the past 25 years, although there are today some encouraging new trends. Income distribution that was quite equal in 1985 has seen some deterioration since 1990. Agriculture has been one of the fa
We prove, under quite general assumptions, the global existence of classical solutions for quasilinear parabolic equations in bounded domains with homogeneous Dirichlet boundary conditions. The same results for weakly coupled reaction-diffusion systems are also given. 2000 Mathematics Subject Classification.
In this article, we evaluate the work out of some artificial neural network models as tools for support in the medical diagnosis of urological dysfunctions. We develop two types of unsupervised and one supervised neural network. This scheme is meant to help the urologists in obtaining a diagnosis for complex multi-variable diseases and to reduce painful and costly medical treatments since neurolog
We investigated the patterns of nocturnal bird migration in autumn 1998 at a coastal site on the Falsterbo peninsula in south-western Sweden, by means of a passive infrared device. In total 17 411 flight paths, including track direction and altitude, of migrating birds were recorded for 68 nights from August to October. Mean migratory traffic rate per night varied between 6 and 6618 birds km1 h1,
The aim of this study was to examine the effects of negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) on wound edge microvascular blood flow, comparing different wound fillers. Wounds were created on the backs of 7 pigs. NPWT was applied, using either foam or gauze, at -50,-75, -100, -125, -150, or -175 mm Hg. Microvascular blood flow was measured in muscle tissue, subcutaneous tissue, and in the wound bed,
X-linked agammaglobulinemia (XLA) is a hereditary defect of B-cell differentiation in man caused by deficiency of Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK). A three-dimensional model for the BTK kinase domain, based on the core structure of cAMP-dependent protein kinase, was used to interpret the structural basis for disease in eight independent point mutations in patients with XLA. As Arg-525 of BTK has been
Chlorophyll a (Chl a) serves a dual role in oxygenic photosynthesis: in light harvesting as well as in converting energy of absorbed photons to chemical energy. No other Chl is as omnipresent in oxygenic photosynthesis as is Chl a, and this is particularly true if we include Chl a2, (=[8-vinyl]-Chl a), which occurs in Prochlorococcus, as a type of Chl a. One exception to this near universal patter
