Pre-treatment serum levels of sCD163 were measured in a cohort of 236 suspected tuberculosis (TB) cases from Guinea-Bissau, with a median follow-up period of 3.3 years (range 0-6.4 years). In 113 cases, the diagnosis of TB was verified by positive sputum microscopy and/or culture. Among the verified TB cases, a decreased survival rate was found in 27 patients with sCD163 levels above the upper ref

Coherent structures and mixing in the flow field of a jet in crossflow have been studied using computational (large eddy simulation) and experimental (particle image velocimetry and laser-induced fluorescence) techniques. The mean scalar fields and turbulence statistics as determined by both are compared for circular, elliptic, and square nozzles. For the latter configurations, effects of orientat

Objective: The course and the long-term outcome of 'refractory' secretory otitis media (SOM), defined as continuous SOM for more than 6 years, were studied in 52 young patients. They had during childhood been treated for bilateral SOM on average for 12 years (range 6 to 26 years). The mean interval between resolution of SOM and examination was 7 years. Methods: At follow up the patients' medical r

Alcohol abuse is associated with an increased risk of osteopenia and fractures. Previous histomorphometric studies on iliac crest bone have found decreased bone formation and increased bone resorption in alcohol abusers but it has not been established whether alcohol abuse has any effect on the anatomical location or the healing time of tibial shaft fractures. We studied, retrospectively, 199 adul

Aim. The purpose of this investigation was to analyze predictors for wound healing, amputation and mortality after vacuum assisted closure (VAC (R)) therapy of wounds in the lower limb in patients with arterial disease. Methods. One hundred and twenty one wounds were treated and followed for 12 months at two vascular centres in Uppsala and Malmo, Sweden. VAC (R) therapy was applied in the wound at

Recent work in the literature had evaluated the energy-momentum tensor of a Casimir apparatus in a weak gravitational field, for an electromagnetic field subject to perfect conductor boundary conditions on parallel plates. The Casimir apparatus was then predicted to experience a tiny push in the upward direction, and the regularized energy-momentum tensor was evaluated to first order in the gravit

A method based on U-V-irradiation in organic solvent followed by transfer of the remaining pollutants into silicone oil for subsequent biodegradation in a biphasic system inoculated with a phenanthrene degrading Pseudomonas sp. was tested for the treatment of various mixtures of PAHs. Acetone was first selected as the most suitable solvent compared to methanol, acetonitrile and silicone oil for th

BACKGROUND: Cobalamin/folate deficiency is common in elderly subjects and may lead to psychiatric symptoms, but even more often it increases the severity of other organic and non-organic mental diseases. It is therefore of importance to evaluate the optimal use of different markers of cobalamin/folate status in a psychogeriatric population. METHODS: We measured serum cobalamin, blood folate, plasm

The large eyes and well-developed visual system of billfishes suggest that vision is an important sense for the detection and interception of prey and lures. Investigations of visual abilities in these large pelagic fishes are difficult, however anatomical studies of billfish eyes and retinas allow prediction of a number of visual capabilities. From the density of ganglion cells in the blue marlin

As part of the project of postcolonial national modernization, the United Arab Emirates has seen the transformation of significant areas of the country’s desert environment into green landscapes, with enormous resources devoted to agricultural development, park landscaping and nature reserves. In addition, recent years have also seen the creation of a number of social institutions dealing with env

During the summer of 1935, approximately 20,000 Swedish women mobilized in a peaceful action the Women's Unarmed Uprising Against War. The manifestation was a protest against rearmament and, in particular, against a militarization of everyday life that might result from a civil defense buildup. Thus, in a spirit of solidarity women were encouraged to refuse to use gas masks or evacuate into cellar

Polarization spectroscopy in the mid-infrared (IRPS) has been applied to the detection of acetylene molecules making use of the asymmetric C-H stretching vibration at around 3 μm. The infrared laser pulses were produced through difference frequency generation in a LiNbO3 crystal pumped by a Nd:YAG and dye laser system. By directly probing the ro-vibrational transitions with IRPS, sensitive detecti

Polyethers having well-defined comb-shaped architectures were prepared by using poly(4-hydroxystyrene) (PHSt) as a multifunctional initiator for graft polymerization of either ethylene oxide (EO) or a mixture of EO and propylene oxide (PO). The grafting process was performed in 1,4-dioxane using NaH as ionizer for the PHSt hydroxyl groups. The precursor PHSt was prepared by first polymerizing 4-te

Background: The beneficial effects of angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE)-inhibitors are in part mediated through the inhibition of the degradation of the vasodilator bradykinin. The bradykinin effect is counteracted by cyclooxygenase-inhibitors. Angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) do not affect bradykinin. Aims: To test the hypothesis that renal counteraction from a cyclooxygenase-inhibitor, dic

Background: Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) alpha, beta delta and gamma are nuclear receptors activated by fatty acid metabolites. An anti-inflammatory role for these receptors in airway inflammation has been suggested. Methods: Nasal biopsies were obtained from 10 healthy volunteers and 10 patients with symptomatic allergic rhinitis. Nasal polyps were obtained from 22 patients,

A variety of studies have shown that Na+ reabsorption across epithelial cells depends on the protease-antiprotease balance. Herein, we investigate the mechanisms by which alpha(1)-antitrypsin (A1AT), a major anti-serine protease in human plasma and lung epithelial fluid and lacking a Kunitz domain, regulates amiloride-sensitive epithelial Na+ channel (ENaC) function in vitro and in vivo. A1AT (0.0