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Carotid intima media thickness (IMT) progression is increasingly used as a surrogate for vascular risk. This use is supported by data from a few clinical trials investigating statins, but established criteria of surrogacy are only partially fulfilled. To provide a valid basis for the use of IMT progression as a study end point, we are performing a 3-step meta-analysis project based on individual p

Conceptually, the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS; Diener et al. in J Pers Assess 49(1):71–75, 1985) emphasizes evaluations comparing actual and expected life circumstances. Contrastingly we developed the Harmony in Life Scale (HILS) emphasiz-ing psychological balance and flexibility in life. Study 1 (476 participants) developed the HILS. In Study 2 participants (N = 787, T1; N = 545, T2) answe

Background Adjustment of cardiac dimensions by measures of body size appears intuitively convincing and in patients with aortic stenosis, aortic valve area (AVA) is commonly adjusted by body surface area (BSA). However, there is little evidence to support such an approach. Objective To identify the adequate measure of body size for the adjustment of aortic stenosis severity. Methods Parameters of

Calorespirometry is the simultaneous measurement of heat and gas exchange from biological systems. Such measurements can be used to assess fundamental properties of many different types of systems from small ecosystems to isolated tissues. Techniques for calorespirometric measurements on terrestrial (non-aquatic) samples are described. Methods and models for evaluation of carbon conversion efficie

The delivery of emulsified silicone oil to hydrophilic silica surfaces by mixtures of cationic polysaccharides and SDS has been studied by in situ null ellipsometry, dynamic light scattering, and turbidity measurements. The emulsion contained silicone oil droplets with a hydrodynamic radius of 18 rim, stabilized by anionic and nonionic surfactants. The investigated polysaccharides were cat-guar an

C1q is the central pattern-recognition molecule in the classical pathway of the complement system and is known to have a key role in the crossroads between adaptive and innate immunity. Hereditary C1q deficiency is a rare genetic condition strongly associated with systemic lupus erythematosus and increased susceptibility to bacterial infections. However, the clinical symptoms may vary. For long, t

While cognitive ability is inversely associated with risk for schizophrenia (SZ), the association is less clear with other nonaffective psychoses (ONAP) and bipolar illness (BPI). Using national Swedish hospital registry data, we examined the prospective relationship between school achievement (SA) and development of SZ, ONAP, and BPI in 1800643 adolescents born 1972-1990. We used Cox proportional

Minute electronic (bio) devices will likely play an increasingly important role in everyday life and beyond, as overall device size often limits device functionality and applicability, a factor especially critical for brain implants. Recent progress in micro-and nanoelectronics has enabled the production of nanoscale electronic components; however, overall device size is often defined by technical

Global climate models simulate the Earth's climate impressively at scales of continents and greater. At these scales, large-scale dynamics and physics largely define the climate. At spatial scales relevant to policy makers, and to impacts and adaptation, many other processes may affect regional and local climate and perhaps trigger teleconnections that provide significant feedbacks on the global c

The authors thank Bob Webb (the editor) and an anonymous referee for their helpful comments and suggestions. We are also grateful to Hossein Asgharian, Charlotte Christiansen, Bent Jesper Christensen, Karl Frauendorfer, Pascal Gantenbein, Björn Hansson, Heino Bohn Nielson, Anders Rahbek, Paul Söderlind, Klaus Spremann, and seminar participants at Lund University and the University of St. Gallen, a

The predominantly populated conformation of carbohydrates in solution does not necessarily represent the biologically active species; rather, any conformer accessible without too large an energy penalty may be present in a biological pathway. Thus, the conformational preferences of a naphthyl xyloside, which initiates in vivo synthesis of antiproliferative glycosaminoglycans, have been studied by

A series of molecularly imprinted polymer nanoparticles have been synthesized employing various template/functional monomer/crosslinking monomer ratio and characterized in detail to elucidate the correlation between the synthetic conditions used and the properties (e.g., particle size and template binding properties) of the obtained nanoparticles. In brief, the presence of propranolol (template) i

Results of numerical simulations are presented for flow past a stationary circular cylinder at low Reynolds numbers (Re=50-200). The simulations were carried out using a finite-volume code employing a fractional step method with second-order accuracy in both space and time. A sensitivity study on numerical parameters concerning the domain size, grid independence and time step resolution was carrie