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BACKGROUND: Sperm DNA integrity is an important factor in the prognosis of male fertility. In this study, we investigated intra-individual variation of sperm chromatin structure assay (SCSA) parameters in infertility patients undergoing assisted reproductive techniques (ARTs). METHODS: Retrospective study of 282 consecutive patients referred for ART [intrauterine insemination (IUI), IVF or ICSI] w

Increased morbidity among teenage smokers has been reported, but specific current health problems and medication use other than of alcohol and narcotics have received less attention. The aim of this study was to examine the association between health problems and daily smoking in teenagers. Ninety percent of all teenagers attending junior high or high schools participated in a cross-sectional stud

Background & Aims: A 30-year-old woman, treated with buserelin, an analogue of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) (also called luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone, LH-RH), developed chronic intestinal pseudo-obstruction (CIPO). The sudden onset of this disease in a previously healthy woman perplexed us. CIPO refers to a gastrointestinal disorder that can have a variety of causes, such as

BACKGROUND: In assisting the nurse's counselling on lifestyle changes in hypertension care a behaviour model can be used. AIM: To analyse the effects of nurses' training on the use of the stages of change model when counselling hypertensive patients to perform lifestyle changes. METHODS: As part of a randomised, controlled trial, 19 nurses belonging to the intervention group took part in video-rec

A method to separate suspended particles from their medium in a continuous mode at microchip level is described. The method combines an ultrasonic standing wave field with the extreme laminar flow properties obtained in a silicon micro channel. The channel was 750 mum wide and 250 mum deep with vertical side walls defined by anisotropic wet etching. The suspension comprised "Orgasol 5mum" polyamid

LTRs of endogenous retroviruses are known to affect expression of several human genes, typically as a relatively minor alternative promoter. Here, we report that an endogenous retrovirus LTR acts as one of at least two alternative promoters for the human beta1,3-galactosyltransferase 5 gene, involved in type 1 Lewis antigen synthesis, and show that the LTR promoter is most active in the gastrointe

Objective: To summarize recent knowledge on the small molecular weight protein cystatin C (cys-C) and its use as a marker of the glomerular filtration rate (GFR). Methods: A multinational expert meeting was held in April 2002 in Marburg, Germany. Contributors summarized their main findings. Conclusions: Cys-C is at least equal if not superior to serum creatinine as a marker of GFR. The independenc

The morphology and viscoelastic properties of films prepared from bimodal latex blends containing equal weight fractions of soft and hard latex particles were investigated as a function of the particle sizes and the particle size ratio (soft particle diameter/hard particle diameter). Minimum film formation temperature (MFT) measurements were associated with transmission electron microscopy (TEM) t

In contrast to some extensively examined food mutagens, for example, aflatoxins, N-nitrosamines and heterocyclic amines, some other food contaminants, in particular polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and other aromatic compounds, have received less attention. Therefore, exploring the relationships between dietary habits and the levels of biomarkers related to exposure to aromatic compounds is

This study investigates the use of a dual-beam, optical null, FT-IR spectrometer to measure trace organic components in aqueous solutions in the combination band region 5000-4000 cm(-1). The spectrometer may be used for both single- and dual-beam measurements, thereby facilitating comparison of these two modes of operation. The concentrations of aqueous solutions of urea and glucose in the ranges

Aim Many species are currently expanding their ranges in response to climate change, but the mechanisms underlying these range expansions are in many cases poorly understood. In this paper we explore potential climatic factors governing the recent establishment of new palm populations far to the north of any other viable palm population in the world. Location Southern Switzerland, Europe, Asia and

When the genome organization of thirty native isolates belonging to a wine-spoilage yeast Dekkera/Brettanomyces bruxellensis, a distant relative of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, was examined, the number of chromosomes varied drastically, from 4 to at least 9. When single gene probes were used in Southern analysis, the corresponding genes usually mapped to at least two chromosomal bands, excluding a si

The properties of melamine based supramolecular compounds have been studied with rheological, thermal, mechanical, dielectric and scattering techniques and compared with similar covalently bonded materials. The complexes are based on a linear pTHF-diol ([bar M ]n = 1 000) connected via a diisocyanate with melamine. The results obtained show that, despite of the material's low molecular weight (< 2

High precision isotopic measurements of Sn in two commercially available high purity materials and a previously analysed cassiterite from Straits Settlement, Malaysia, are presented as a basis for a new measurement procedure using the Micromass IsoProbe MC-ICP-MS. The results show that under optimised instrumental conditions two laboratory calibration standard solutions (Johnson-Matthey Puratronic

Many problems with odor and taste in food packaging can be traced to degradation of the packaging materials during processing. From this starting point, the degradation of polyethylene in a commercial extrusion coating process was studied by analyzing degradation products present in smoke sampled at the extruder die orifice. Two low-density polyethylenes, A and B, with similar melt flow indexes an

Objectives. We analyzed the relationship between macroeconomic conditions, measured as unemployment rate and social security spending, from 4 social security schemes and total spending due to sickness and disability. Methods. We obtained aggregated panel data from 13 Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development member countries for 1980-1996. We used regression analysis and fixed effect m

Objectives This study investigated the association between cancer of the extrahepatic biliary tract and exposure to endocrine-disrupting compounds. Methods Altogether 183 men with histologically confirmed carcinoma of the extrahepatic biliary tract and 1938 matched controls were interviewed between 1995 and 1997 in the frame of an international multicenter case-control study in six European countr