We previously discovered that high copeptin is associated with incidence of diabetes mellitus (diabetes), abdominal obesity, and albuminuria. Furthermore, copeptin predicts cardiovascular events after myocardial infarction in diabetic patients, but whether it is associated with heart disease and death in individuals without diabetes and prevalent cardiovascular disease is unknown. In this study, w

In the course of the ICOS (Integrated Carbon Observation System) Demonstration Experiment a feasibility study on the usefulness of a travelling comparison instrument (TCI) was conducted in order to evaluate continuous atmospheric CO2 and CH4 measurements at two European stations. The aim of the TCI is to independently measure ambient air in parallel to the standard station instrumentation, thus pr

Greater and lesser spotted eagles (Aquila clanga, A. pomarina) are two closely related forest eagles overlapping in breeding range in east-central Europe. In recent years a number of mixed pairs have been observed, some of which fledged hybrid young. Here we use mitochondrial (control region) DNA sequences and AFLP markers to estimate genetic differentiation and possible gene flow between these sp

An injectable material consisting of calcium sulphate mixed with hydroxyapatite was investigated as a possible alternative to autograft in the restoration of bone defects. The material was studied both in vitro in simulated body fluid (SBF) and in vivo when implanted in rat muscles and into the proximal tibiae of rabbits. Variation in the strength and weight of the material during ageing in SBF wa

A review and expansion of the fundamental processes of the vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) growth mechanism for nanowires is presented. Although the focus is on nanowires, most of the concepts may be applicable to whiskers, nanotubes, and other unidirectional growth. Important concepts in the VLS mechanism such as preferred deposition, supersaturation, and nucleation are examined. Nanowire growth is feas

The Jutulsessen nunataks (72degrees00'S; 2degrees30'E), Gjelsvikfjella, Dronning Maud Land (DML), consist mainly of migmatites of two types. A heterogeneous banded amphibolite facies gneisses; and a more homogeneous part. In the more homogeneous part, partial melts form along axial planes to tight folds. Numerous pegmatitic dykes occur in both migmatites. The homogeneous part of the migmatite has

Aim The distribution of taxa ('microspecies') in the apomictic species complexes Hieracium L. sect. Hieracium and H. sect. Vulgata (Griseb.) Willk. and Lange have been analysed to test whether the geographical distribution of species within each complex will reflect historical processes and phenomena, e.g. historical barriers to migration and range expansion. It is argued that apomictic species ca

According to medieval Canon Law the validity of a marriage depended solely on the consent of the parties. No one could legally force a couple to marry if they did not freely consent to do so. At the same time, any kind of sexual relations outside of marriage was prohibited by Canon Law. An unmarried couple could be forced to abjure one another sub pena nubendi. This meant that any future intercour

Four flavonols with spasmolytic activity have been isolated from a methanol extract of Artemisia abrotanum L. (Asteraceae), as the principles primarily responsible for the smooth muscle relaxing activity of this plant. The flavonols show a dose-dependent relaxing effect on the carbacholine-induced contraction of guinea-pig trachea, the EC50 values for compounds 1-3 are 20-30 mumol/l while compound

Tumour angiogenesis and the levels of plasminogen activator inhibitor type I (PAI-I) are both informative prognostic markers in breast cancer. In cell cultures and in animal model systems, PAI-I has a proangiogenic effect. To evaluate the interrelationship of angiogenesis and the PAI-I level in breast cancer, we have evaluated the prognostic value of those factors in a total of 228 patients with p

For 10 consecutive winters, measurements were carried out in Lake Vendyurskoe, Karelia, Russia. The aim of these measurements was to investigate some of the physical processes in this small shallow lake during its ice-covered period. Detailed measurements of ice thickness and condition, snow thickness, water temperature, salt content, and currents were developed into a database. Within this databa

Objectives. The aim of this study was to illuminate older immigrants' experience of their life situation in the context of receiving public care in Sweden. Background. To meet the varying needs from the growing number of older immigrants, more knowledge about the experience of their life situation, health, illness and family ties is needed, especially in the context of receiving public health car

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

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

Climbing fibres projecting to the cerebellar C3 zone (and the related C1 and Y zones) receive spatially well organized tactile and nociceptive inputs from the skin. In the present study, cutaneous tactile and nociceptive input to climbing fibres projecting to the X, B, C2 and D1 zones in lobule V were investigated in pentobarbitone-anaesthetized cats. From the present results and previous studies,

Correlations of the difference between the measured and calculated mass of neighbouring nuclei obtained from different nuclear compilations are studied. The autocorrelation function is found to be, to a good approximation, model independent. The result is well described by a semiclassical theory that assumes the existence of a contribution to the nuclear mass associated with a chaotic motion of th