INTRODUCTION: Snakebite accidents are an important health problem in rural areas of tropical countries worldwide, including Costa Rica, where most bites are caused by the pit-viper Bothrops asper. The treatment of these potentially fatal accidents is based on the timely administration of specific antivenom. In many regions of the world, insufficient health care systems and lack of antivenom in rem

In this paper the interaction between two rigid parts of a multibody, connected by an ideal spherical joint equipped with a visco-elastic torsion bushing element, is derived. The model allows for arbitrary relative rotations of the parts and involves a non-linear torsion stiffness of the bushing. An expression for the interaction between the parts is derived and a specialization to the isotropic b

Diabetes mellitus is a lifelong, incapacitating metabolic disease associated with chronic macrovascular complications (coronary heart disease, stroke, and peripheral vascular disease) and microvascular disorders leading to damage of the kidneys (nephropathy) and eyes (retinopathy). Based on the current trends, the rising prevalence of diabetes worldwide will lead to increased cardiovascular morbid

BACKGROUND: It is unclear which anthropometric measure is most useful for assessment of the cardiovascular risk. We investigated the association between different anthropometric measures and risk of heart failure (HF) hospitalization. METHODS: BMI, waist-hip ratio (WHR), waist circumference (WC), body fat percentage (BF%), weight and height were measured among 26 653 subjects (aged 45-73 years) wi

A strict division between the formal economy and the informal economy cannot be made and every economic actor has in certain situations a propensity to engage in informal economic activities. The formal, as well as informal economy may lead to economic growth which is essential for a broad welfare policy, under which social benefits are categorized. A person's economic contribution to a state shou

Trilayer graphene exhibits exceptional electronic properties that are of interest both for fundamental science and for technological applications. The ability to achieve a high on-off current ratio is the central question in this field. Here, we propose a simple method to achieve a current on-off ratio of 10(4) by opening a transport gap in Bernal-stacked trilayer graphene. We synthesized Bernal-s

This study investigated conceptions of decision quality and efficiency held by administrative officers from three Swedish public authorities (the Tax Board, the Social Insurance Agency, and the Police Authority) with respect to decisions made for other people. Research on conceptions of decision quality held by decision makers making decisions for themselves shows that decision outcome is emphasiz

The aim of this study was to reconstruct diatom production in the subarctic northern tip of the Baltic Sea, Bothnian Bay, based on down-core analysis of Si isotopes in biogenic silica (BSi). Dating of the sediment showed that the samples covered the period 1820 to 2000. The sediment core record can be divided into two periods, an unperturbed period from 1820 to 1950 and a second period affected by

Fluxes of carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) from lakes may have a large impact on the magnitude of the terrestrial carbon sink. Traditionally lake fluxes have been measured using the floating chamber (FC) technique; however, several recent studies use the eddy covariance (EC) method. We present simultaneous flux measurements using both methods at lake Tamnaren in Sweden during field campaigns

Intentional or accidental introduction of species to new locations is predicted to result in loss of genetic variation and increase the likelihood of inbreeding, thus reducing population viability and evolutionary potential. However, multiple introductions and large founder numbers can prevent loss of genetic diversity and may therefore facilitate establishment success and range expansion. Based o

Biosynthetic nerve grafts are desired as alternative to autologous nerve grafts in peripheral nerve reconstruction. Artificial nerve conduits still have their limitations and are not widely accepted in the clinical setting. Here we report an analysis of fine-tuned chitosan tubes used to reconstruct 10 mm nerve defects in the adult rat. The chitosan tubes displayed low, medium and high degrees of a

Clinical pathways aim to ensure that individuals receive appropriate evidence-based care and interventions, with the Liverpool Care Pathway for the Dying Patient focusing on end of life. However, controlled studies of the Liverpool Care Pathway for the Dying Patient, particularly outside of cancer settings, are lacking.

High levels of the antimicrobial peptide, LL-37, are detected in gingival crevicular fluid from patients with chronic periodontitis. LL-37 not only shows antimicrobial activity but also affects host-cell viability. The objective of the present study was to identify endogenous mechanisms that antagonize the detrimental effects of LL-37 on osteoblast viability, focusing on the human peptide p33 expr

The aim was to determine the sensitivity and specificity of gated myocardial perfusion SPECT (MPS) with a technetium-labelled (Tc) perfusion tracer to detect myocardial infarction (MI) in a clinical population referred for assessment of stress-induced ischemia using late gadolinium enhancement cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) as reference method.

Regional climate models (RCMs) primarily represent physical components of the climate system, omitting vegetation dynamics, ecosystem biogeochemistry and their associated feedbacks. To account for such feedbacks, we implemented a novel plant individual-based vegetation dynamics-ecosystem biogeochemistry scheme within the RCA3 RCM. Variations in leaf area index (LAI) of seven plant functional type

The PHENIX experiment has measured open heavy-flavor production via semileptonic decay over the transverse momentum range 1 < p(T) < 6 GeV/c at forward and backward rapidity (1.4 < vertical bar y vertical bar < 2.0) in d + Au and p + p collisions at root s(NN) = 200 GeV. In central d + Au collisions, relative to the yield in p + p collisions scaled by the number of binary nucleon-nucleon collision

The authors investigated the association of adherence to Mediterranean diet with colorectal cancer (CRC) risk in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and nutrition study. Adherence to Mediterranean diet was expressed through two 10-unit scales, the Modified Mediterranean diet score (MMDS) and the Centre-Specific MMDS (CSMMDS). Both scales share the same dietary components but differ