OBJECTIVE: To determine which factors increase the risk of large caesarean scar defects as assessed by transvaginal ultrasound. DESIGN: Observational cross-sectional study. SETTING: University Hospital. POPULATION: One hundred and eight women who had undergone one caesarean section. METHODS: Transvaginal ultrasound examination of the scar in the uterus 6-9 months after the caesarean. Published ult

Ytterbium (Yb3+)-sensitized upconverting nanoparticles (UCNPs) are excited at 975 nm causing relatively high absorption in tissue. A new type of UCNPs with neodymium (Nd3+) and Yb3+ codoping is excitable at a 808-nm wavelength. At this wavelength, the tissue absorption is lower. Here we quantify, both experimentally and theoretically, to what extent Nd3+-doped UCNPs will provide an increased signa

Altered protein handling is thought to play a key role in the etiopathogenesis of Parkinson's disease (PD), as the disorder is characterized neuropathologically by the accumulation of intraneuronal protein aggregates (Lewy bodies and Lewy neurites). Attention has particularly focused on the alpha-synuclein protein, as it is the principal component of Lewy pathology. Moreover, point mutations in th

Summary *Here, species composition and biomass production of actively growing ectomycorrhizal (EM) mycelia were studied over the rotation period of managed Norway spruce (Picea abies) stands in south-western Sweden. *The EM mycelia were collected using ingrowth mesh bags incubated in the forest soil during one growing season. Fungal biomass was estimated by ergosterol analysis and the EM species w

Induction of membrane pores has been suggested as the common molecular action by which a variety of amphipathic membrane-active peptides cause damage to cells. In this study, we have performed coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations to establish two clear molecular processes that seem critical for the activity of amphipathic peptides. They are (i) the recognition and (ii) the stabilization o

Detection of fusion genes for diagnostic purposes and as a guide to treatment is well-established in hematological malignancies, and the prevalence of fusion genes in epithelial cancers is also increasingly appreciated. To study whether established fusion genes are present within additional cancer types, we have used an updated version of our fusion gene microarray in a systematic survey of report

Optical properties of five donor acceptor polymers of interest for light-harvesting in organic photovoltaic devices have been studied experimentally and computationally. Experimentally recorded absorption spectra in solution of the five polymers are shown to be significantly temperature-dependent. The polymers were subjected to a first-principles computational treatment using density functional th

We investigated the activity of trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (SXT) against Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The MIC distribution of SXT was 0.125/2.4-2/38 mg/L for the 100 isolates tested, including multi- and extensively drug-resistant isolates (MDR/XDR-TB), whereas the intracellular MIC90 of sulfamethoxazole (SMX) for H37Rv was 76 mg/L. In an exploratory analysis using fAUC0-24h/MIC ≥25 as a potenti

We have developed a new approach to create microsatellite primer sets that have high utility across a wide range of species. The success of this method was demonstrated using birds. We selected 35 avian EST microsatellite loci that had a high degree of sequence homology between the zebra finch Taeniopygia guttata and the chicken Gallus gallus and designed primer sets in which the primer bind sites

This paper presents three claims concerning boundaries, dependence and parthood. The claims are intuitively plausible, but cannot, at face value, all be true on pain of contradiction. Each of the three claims is shown to be more plausible than its converse and some solutions to the puzzle are presented.

Perturbations in levels of amino acids (AA) and their derivatives are observed in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Yet, it is unclear whether these alterations precede or are a consequence of the disease, nor whether they pertain to anatomically related cancers of the intrahepatic bile duct (IHBC), and gallbladder and extrahepatic biliary tract (GBTC). Circulating standard AA, biogenic amines and h

This paper presents a search for Higgs bosons decaying to four leptons, either electrons or muons, via one or two light exotic gauge bosons Z(d), H -> ZZ(d) -> 4l or H -> Z(d)Z(d) -> 4l. The search was performed using pp collision data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of about 20 fb(-1) at the center-of-mass energy of root s = 8 TeV recorded with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Col

Octenyl succinate starches are commonly used as emulsifiers and texturizing agents in many food-systems. Rice, tapioca, corn, wheat and potato starches were modified with octenyl succinic anhydride (OSA) at 3% level. Structural characterization, molecular weight, starch digestibility and physical properties of starch granule stabilized emulsions were studied for modified starches. Modified potato

It is well known that plant-soil interactions play an important role in determining the impact of global change phenomena on biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. Little is known, however, about the individual and relative importance for carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) cycling of non-random changes in plant and soil communities that result from global change phenomena, such as fertilization and agri

Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIP) for histamine using methacrylic acid were developed and recognition mechanisms were thoroughly characterized for the first time in this study. The binding affinity of imprinted polymer with structurally related compounds was studied in organic and aqueous media, at various conditions. In organic media, MIP was found to bind histamine two and six times more than

To analyse late morbidity and mortality in pre and post-menopausal breast cancer patients treated with postmastectomy radiotherapy, with emphasis on side-effects from the heart, cerebrovascular and respiratory systems.

Adiponectin enhances insulin sensitivity and may play a role in fetal and postnatal growth.