The objective of this study was to calculate indicative ranges of production costs and assess the main sources of cost for a number of energy crops, both annual and perennial, on a regional level in Europe. The production costs were calculated in terms of the economic compensation required by the farmer in order to grow the crop, and therefore include not only the cost of cultivation, but also the

Calbindin D28k is a member of the calmodulin super-family of Ca2+ -binding proteins and contains six EF-hands. The protein is generally believed to function as a Ca2+ buffer, but the studies presented in this work indicate that it may also act as a Ca2+ sensor. The results show that Mg2+ binds to the same sites as Ca2+ with an association constant of approximately 1.4 x 10(3) M-1 in 0.15 M KCl. Th

Objectives. To investigate the association between means of transportation to work and overweight+obesity and obesity. Methods. The 2004 public health survey in Sk (a) over circle ne is a cross-sectional postal questionnaire study of the population aged 18-80 with a 59% response rate including 16,705 employed participants. Results. Forty-six percent of men and 26.6% of women were overweight (BMI

Background: The incidence of Clostridium difficile-associated disease (CDAD) in hospitalised patients is increasing. Critically ill patients are often treated with antibiotics and are at high risk of developing CDAD. Lactobacillus plantarum 299v (Lp299v) has been found to reduce recurrence of CDAD. We investigated intensive care unit (ICU) patients regarding the impact of Lp299v on C. difficile co

Some case reports have shown that patients suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorder can be effectively treated with anti-androgenic pharmacological agents with various modes of action. The most effective group of such agents is the long-acting analogues of the gonadotropin-releasing hormone. This investigation was undertaken in order to further elucidate the possibility of using such powerful

Fuel ethanol can be produced from softwood through hydrolysis in an enzymatic process. Prior to enzymatic hydrolysis of the softwood, pretreatment is necessary. In this study two-step steam pretreatment by dilute H2SO4 impregnation to improve the overall sugar and ethanol yield has been investigated. The first pretreatment step was performed under conditions of low severity (180°C, 10 min, 0.5% H2

The paper describes a novel extraction procedure for lipopolysaccharides (LPS) from Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica (PCM 2266). Process parameters for the extraction of LPS from bacterial mass were optimized by carrying out a two-level fractional design experiment. Four parameters, namely temperature, CO2 flow rate, pressure and co-solvent composition were analyzed. The best crude extract yiel

Steroid injections are often employed as an alternative treatment for radicular pain in patients with degenerative spinal disorders. Prospective randomised studies of the lumbar spine reveal contradictory results and non-randomised and most often retrospective studies of the cervical spine indicate pain reduction from steroid injections. No prospective randomised study on transforaminal steroid in

It was hypothesized that stuttering may be related to impaired sensory gating, leading to overflow of superfluous disturbing auditory feedback and breakdown of the speech sequence. This hypothesis was tested using the acoustic startle prepulse inhibition (PPI) paradigm M. A group of 22 adults with developmental stuttering were compared with controls regarding the degree of PPI. No significant diff

Objective To investigate the congenital heart disease (CHD) found in association with an increased nuchal translucency (NT) at 11 - 14 weeks of gestation in chromosomally normal and abnormal fetuses. Methods Patients referred from January 1998 until May 2007 with an increased NT (>= 95th percentile) where CHD was diagnosed were included. Chromosome analysis, fetal and postnatal echocardiography we

Purpose: To study the influence on pain and handling of different preoperative immobilization procedures for hip fractures. Method: 123 consecutive patients with displaced cervical and trochanteric hip fractures were randomized to skin traction, placement in a special foam pillow (Lasse pillow), and comfortable placement with an ordinary pillow under the hip from admission to operation. The effect

The written language situation of the minority populations of China is described, with emphasis on script reforms & the creation of new scripts after the founding of the People's Republic in 1949. Despite the efforts of scholars, the new scripts have had little success. Despite the fact that many of these scripts meet some significant criteria for "good writing systems," they also pose problem

This article describes intermediate stages in the development of TRAFFIC JAM, a computerized gaming simulation for children and adolescents. TRAFFIC JAMfocuses on the environmental and health impact of various means of transport, such as walking, biking, and going by bus or private car. It is being developed within the field of environmental psychology as a tool for promoting attitudes related to

In order to investigate what factors influence antibiotic prescribing, a questionnaire answered by 8700 parents to 4-year-old children in Malmö between 1999 and 2004 was analyzed. 51.3% of the 4-year-old children had been treated with antibiotics. Exposure to environmental smoking, attending day care centers, employment of parents and parents born in Sweden was found to be statistically significan

Objective: Fasting insulin concentrations are often used as a surrogate measure or insulin resistance. We investigated the relative contributions Of fasting insulin and insulin resistance to cardiometabolic risk and preclinical atherosclerosis. Design and methods: The Relationship between Insulin Sensitivity and Cardiovascular disease (RISC) cohort consists of 1326 European non-diabetic. overall h

Haemophilia patients with inhibitors characteristically have impaired joint function and reduced health-related quality of life (HRQoL). This analysis examined whether secondary prophylaxis with recombinant activated factor VII (rFVIIa) improves HRQoL vs. conventional on-demand therapy in patients with haemophilia with inhibitors and frequent bleeds. After a 3-month preprophylaxis period, 22 patie

We used satellite-tracking data from repeated journeys between Europe and West Africa by the same osprey, Pandion haliaetus, individuals to test whether the timing of migration differs between spring and autumn and whether landmarks and stopover goal areas are important for navigation. The timing of migration varied more in autumn than in spring, owing to significant differences between individual