The remarkable variation in plumage and morphological characters in the redpoll complex Carduelis flammea-hornemanni has puzzled taxonomists for several decades. In contrast, molecular studies have not revealed any genetic differentiation among the phenotypic redpoll forms. This could either be a result of high present-day gene flow or morphological differentiation following a rapid and recent pop

Recent studies of semen quality in men from the general population gave rise to the hypothesis of an East-West gradient in semen quality in the Nordic-Baltic area, with the highest sperm counts in Estonia, Lithuania and Finland, and the lowest in Denmark (30% difference in mean concentration). Genetic, lifestyle-related and environmental factors - alone or in combination - were suggested to be res

BACKGROUND: The clinically important Kidd (JK) blood group antigens are carried by the urea transporter in red cells. The rare Jk(a-b-) phenotype can be caused by homozygosity at the JK locus for a silent allele, JK: This phenotype has been recorded in many ethnic groups, but it is most abundant among people originating from the Polynesian Islands and Finland. The molecular basis for Jk(a-b-) is u

Objective Recent studies suggest an increased prevalence of obstetric complications in female carriers of hereditary or acquired thrombophilias. The aim of the study was to determine if carriership of the factor V (FV) Leiden mutation (activated protein C [APC] resistance) is higher in women who have had of placental abruption during pregnancy. Design A retrospective case-control study. Setting Un

Dystrophin of the dystrophin-glycoprotein complex connects the actin cytoskeleton to basement membranes and loss of dystrophin results in Duchenne muscular dystrophy. We have previously shown injury-induced neointima formation of the carotid artery in mice with the mdx mutation (causing dystrophin deficiency) to be increased. To investigate the role of dystrophin in intimal recruitment of smooth m

OBJECTIVE- Some individuals with normal glucose tolerance (NGT) exhibit a 1-h excursion of plasma glucose during oral glucose tolerance testing as high as that of individuals with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT). The aim of this study was to characterize their metabolic phenotype. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS- A total of 1,205 healthy volunteers (aged 29-61 years) underwent assessment of 1) oral g

Background: In evaluating complex interventions, it is a challenge for researchers to provide transparent reporting of the intervention content with sufficient detail and clarity such that effects can be compared across studies or countries. Objective: To describe and compare the content of current rehabilitation for patients with inflammatory arthritis across 4 northern European countries. Patien

Systematic background radiation variations can lead to both false positives and failures to detect an orphan source when searching using car-borne mobile gamma-ray spectrometry. The stochastic variation at each point is well described by Poisson statistics, but when moving in a background radiation gradient the mean count rate will continually change, leading to inaccurate background estimations.

Monodisperse short-chain amorphous or semicrystalline amylose-glycerol monostearate (GMS) complexes, or, as a reference, pure GMS, were added to starch dispersions which were gelatinized and allowed to cool. The largest impacts on rheological properties were observed when GMS or amorphous GMS complexes were added. The controlled release of the short amylose chains of the latter induced double heli