BACKGROUND: Markedly decreased or absent gastric acid production is associated with a number of clinically significant conditions, and identification of patients with hypo/achlorhydria may be important. However, current methods of assessing impaired acid secretion are unreliable, time-consuming, and/or complex. The aim of this prospective study was to evaluate a modified endoscopic Congo red test

The role of environmental markers in memory performance among centenarians was examined in a study comparing non-cognitive factors to various aspects of memory performance. The centenarian group participating in the study consisted of 100 individuals (82 females and 18 males). Selected as non-cognitive factors were Quality of Life, Life-Habits, Health, Personality, and Autonomy. These factors were

Ion beam irradiation of silicon followed by electrochemical etching has been used to produce fluid anchor points on a sample target plate for matrix assisted laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry. Non-porous areas on the fabricated target plate serve as anchor points for sample deposition. High hydrophobicity of the macroporous silicon surface surrounding anchor points intrinsically led to

OBJECTIVES: Acrylate-styrene copolymer polish has been used to protect the surface of linoleum flooring since the 1960s. Problems with powdering of floor polish were observed at an early stage. In a secondary school in Linkoping, Sweden, this phenomenon occurred in the winter of 1994-1995 and the pupils frequently reported irritative symptoms from the eyes and airways. This study was undertaken to

Objective: To determine whether TNF blockers increase tumour risk in patients with RA. Material and methods: The South Swedish Arthritis Treatment Group register (SSATG) comprises over 90% of anti-TNF treated patients with RA in the area. 757 patients treated with etanercept or infliximab included between 1 February 1999 and 31 December 2002 were identified. 800 patients with conventional antirheu

Polyelectrolytes are known to mediate significant forces between macroions, or charged colloidal particles. This review highlights the research efforts made to understand the underlying mechanisms, and to predict the impact of polyelectrolyte addition to a dispersion of macroions.

Aims The aim was to determine the course of islet cell antibodies [glutamate decarboxylase (GADA), tyrosine phosphatase-like islet antigen 2 (IA-2A) and islet cell (ICA)] after the diagnosis of the diabetic patient. Methods The Diabetes Incidence Study in Sweden (DISS) attempted to prospectively enrol all newly diagnosed diabetic patients aged 15-34 years during 1992 and 1993. C-peptide and autoan

Yeast production on hydrolysate is a likely process solution in large-scale ethanol production from lignocellulose. The hydrolysate will be available on site, and the yeast has furthermore been shown to acquire an increased inhibitor tolerance when cultivated on hydrolysate. However, due to over-flow metabolism and inhibition, efficient yeast production on hydrolysate can only be achieved by well-

Facts about the phonotactics and the allophonic behaviour of German /x/ vs /k/ are summarized and discussed concerning the question of categorical vs gradual assimilation. It is concluded that the different allophonic variation of /x/ vs /k/ can more appropriately be described in terms of a difference in articulatory control rather than in assimilation. This difference is associated with a stronge

We have implemented highly accurate Monte Carlo based scatter modeling (MCS) with 3-D ordered subsets expectation maximization (OSEM) reconstruction for I-131 single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). The scatter is included in the statistical model as an additive term and attenuation and detector response are included in the forward/backprojector. In the present implementation of MCS, a

In order to separate the HC-emissions from two-stroke engines into short-circuit losses and emissions due to incomplete combustion, Laser Induced Fluorescence (LIF) measurements were performed on the exhaust gases just outside the exhaust ports of two engines of different designs. The difference between the two engines was the design of the transfer channels. One engine had "finger" transfer chan

E1, M2, M1 and E2 rates of transitions between n = 2 levels of N IV have been calculated using the tw independent codes CIV3 and MCHF. Convergence of each of the approaches has been studied and comparisons made as the complexity of the calculations increases to include valence, core-valence and core-core correlation. The agreement between the two methods is sufficiently good to allow us to set qui

[abstract missing]

In response to infection, epithelia mount an innate immune response that includes the production of antimicrobial peptides. However, the pathways that connect infection and inflammation with the induction of antimicrobial peptides in epithelia are not understood. We analyzed the molecular links between infection and the expression of three antimicrobial peptides of the beta-defensin family, human

Abstract is not available