Carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) is a measure of arterial thickening and a risk predictor for myocardial infarction and stroke. It is unclear whether IMT also predicts atrial fibrillation (AF). We explored the association between IMT and incidence of first AF hospitalization in a population-based cohort.

We have recently shown in both herpesviruses and phages that packaged viral DNA creates a pressure of tens of atmospheres pushing against the interior capsid wall. For the first time, using differential scanning microcalorimetry, we directly measure the energy powering the release of pressurized DNA from the capsid. Furthermore, using a new calorimetric assay to accurately determine the temperatur

Conventional symptomatic treatment for Parkinson's disease (PD) with long term L-DOPA is complicated with development of drug-induced side effects. In vivo viral vector-mediated gene expression encoding tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and GTP cyclohydrolase 1 (GCH1) provides a drug delivery strategy of DOPA with distinct advantages over pharmacotherapy. Since the brain alterations made with current gene

Treatment with levodopa enhances functional recovery after experimental stroke but its mechanisms of action are elusive. Reactive astrocytes in the ischemic hemisphere are involved in mechanisms promoting recovery and also express dopamine 1 (D1) and dopamine 2 (D2) receptors. Here we investigated if the activation of astrocytic dopamine receptors (D1 and D2) regulates the expression of glial cell

Objective: Prospective study of attention, executive functions, and mentalizing abilities in a representative sample of teenage-onset anorexia nervosa (AN). Method: A total of 51 AN cases recruited after community screening were contrasted with 51 matched comparison cases 18 years after AN onset. Neuropsychological tests had been done at 21, 24, and 32 years (18 years after AN onset). Results: The

Objective To assess the accuracy of the Wells rule for excluding deep vein thrombosis and whether this accuracy applies to different subgroups of patients. Design Meta-analysis of individual patient data. Data sources Authors of 13 studies (n=10 002) provided their datasets, and these individual patient data were merged into one dataset. Eligibility criteria Studies were eligible if they enrolled

It has become increasingly clear that several age-associated pathologies associate with mutations in the mitochondrial genome. Experimental modeling of such events has revealed that acquisition of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) damage can impair respiratory function and, as a consequence, can lead to widespread decline in cellular function. This includes premature aging syndromes. By taking advantage o

For each noninteger complex number lambda, the Hilbert matrix H-lambda = (1/n+m+lambda)(n,m >= 0) defines a bounded linear operator on the Hardy spaces H-p, 1 < p < a, and on the Korenblum spaces , A(-tau), tau > 0. In this work, we determine the point spectrum with multiplicities of the Hilbert matrix acting on these spaces. This extends to complex lambda results by Hill and Rosenblum for real la

In the carbonate-siliciclastic strata of West Gondwana (e. g. in the Montagne Noire, France), the aftermath of the mid Languedocian (mid Cambrian) regression is characterized by a late Languedocian major turnover of trilobite families and a Furongian-early Tremadocian radiation related to the stepwise immigration of trilobite invaders from East Gondwana under persistent transgressive conditions. T

We report on the synthesis and characterization of fluorescent halogen substituted anthracene-bridge-aniline (ABA) supermolecules that undergo structural reorganization on photoexcitation to form transient complexes. The syntheses were achieved in high yields on a large scale and the molecular structures were confirmed by single crystal X-ray diffraction. The photophysics of the ABA supermolecules

The oceans mediate the response of global climate to natural and anthropogenic forcings. Yet for the past 2,000 years - a key interval for understanding the present and future climate response to these forcings - global sea surface temperature changes and the underlying driving mechanisms are poorly constrained. Here we present a global synthesis of sea surface temperatures for the Common Era (CE)

To study how patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) self-report their experience of disease-related symptoms (fatigue, morning stiffness, pain) and their ability to cope with everyday life (capacity) using a nurse-led structured follow-up during the first year after starting treatment with tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) inhibitors.

This paper analyzes the causes for regulatory compliance, using traditional deterrence variables and potential moral and social variables. We use self-reported data from 459 Tanzanian artisanal fishers in Lake Victoria. The results indicate that the decision to be either a non-violator or a violator, as well as the violation rate - if the latter - are influenced by changes in deterrence variables

While the distinction between manufacturing and services becomes increasingly blurred to some observers, we find, using a panel of Swedish firms, clear evidence that foreign sales (exports) are more important than domestic sales for stimulating R&D. This is particularly clear for manufacturing and this importance of foreign sales has increased over time, simultaneous to an opening up of the Sw

Motivated by the study of the spectrum of integration operators T(g)f(z) = integral(z)(0) f(xi)g'(xi) d xi, acting on the Hardy spaces H-p, we prove weighted versions of the classical estimates due to Fefferman-Stein and Littlewood-Paley which express the H-p-norm of an analytic function with help of its derivative.

At normal conditions there is a substantial water gradient over the skin as it separates the water-rich inside of the body from the dry outside. This leads to a variation in the degree of hydration from the inside to the outside of skin and changes in this gradient may affect the structure and function of skin. In this study we raise the question: How do changes in the water gradient across skin a

The Guzhangian Weeks Formation (house Range, Utah, USA) contains a virtually unstudied but diverse assemblage of "soft-bodied" organisms. This fauna includes several enigmatic appendages of arthropods that are described in this contribution. Six appendages (two isolated and four paired appendages) are interpreted as frontal appendages of a probably new species of Anomalocaris. They are characteriz

In telecommunication networks based on the current Ethernet technology, routing of traffic demands is based on multiple spanning trees: the network operator configures different routing spanning trees and assigns each demand to be routed in one of the selected spanning trees. A major optimization issue in this solution is the combined determination of (i) a set of appropriate spanning trees, and (

To the best of our knowledge, the present register is the only nationwide forensic psychiatric patient register in the world. The aim of this article is to describe the content of the Swedish National Forensic Psychiatric Register (SNFPR) for Swedish forensic patients for the year 2010. The subjects are individuals who, in connection with prosecution due to criminal acts, have been sentenced to co