PURPOSE: Computer-assisted laparoscopic surgery (CALS) in children is increasingly used and has proven to be feasible and safe. However, its full potential remains unclear and clinical comparative studies hardly exist. The aim of this study was to prospectively evaluate our experience with CALS for performing retroperitoneal nephrectomies in children when compared with controls undergoing open sur

Electrochemical oxidation is an effective method in removal of organic pollutant from high salinity waste-water (NaCl), by producing active chlorine at anode or hydrogen peroxide at cathode. To solve the existing problems including low efficiency, high cost and energy consumption, a Ti/SnO2-Sb anode (TSSA)-air diffusion cathode (TSSA-ADC) system was investigated for methyl orange (MO) removal from

We present a detailed calculation of the electronic structure of SrVO3 based on the GW + DMFT method. We show that a proper inclusion of the frequency-dependent Hubbard U and the nonlocal self-energy via the GW approximation, as well as a careful treatment of the Fermi level, are crucial for obtaining an accurate and coherent picture of the quasiparticle band structure and satellite features of Sr

To examine the risk of sleep problems associated with work stress (job strain, job demands, and decision authority), worries and pain and to investigate the synergistic interaction between these factors and traffic noise. Sleep problems and predictor variables were assessed in a cross-sectional public health survey with 12,093 respondents. Traffic noise levels were assessed using modelled A-weight

Cooperative effects between molecular wires affect conduction through the wires, and studies have yet to clarify the conditions under which these effects enhance (diminish) conduction. Using a simple but general model, we attribute this crosstalk to the duality of energetic splitting and phase interference between the wires' conduction channels. In most cases, crosstalk increases (decreases) condu

Microbial decomposition of soil organic matter (SOM) is the source of most of the terrestrial carbon dioxide emission. Consequently, our ability to predict how climate warming will affect the global carbon (C) budget relies on our understanding of the temperature relationship and adaptability of microbial processes. We exposed soil microcosms to temperatures between 0 and 54 degrees C for 2 months

Existing knowledge of genetic variants affecting risk of coronary artery disease (CAD) is largely based on genome-wide association study (GWAS) analysis of common SNPs. Leveraging phased haplotypes from the 1000 Genomes Project, we report a GWAS meta-analysis of similar to 185,000 CAD cases and controls, interrogating 6.7 million common (minor allele frequency (MAF) > 0.05) and 2.7 million low-fre

Susan Petrilli discusses Victoria Welby (1837–1912) and the Signific movement in her book Signifying and Understanding. The disposition of the book is chronological and thematic, and Petrilli’s discussion connects Welby’s work with contemporary semiotics, as well as with the intellectual and scientific landscape of Welby’s own time. For instance, a selection of Welby’s vast correspondence with int

Premise of the study: Even though pollen deposition schedules may have profound effects on the evolutionary outcome of pollen competition, few studies have investigated such effects in relation to pistil traits such as delayed stigma receptivity that enhance pollen competition. In Collinsia heterophylla, a largely outcrossing species with delayed stigma receptivity, we performed a series of contro

Background: Certain immune-mediated diseases (IMDs) have been associated with increased risk for cardiovascular disorders. The aim of the present study was to examine whether there is an association between 32 different IMDs and first hospitalization for ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke. Methods: All individuals in Sweden hospitalized with a main diagnosis of IMD (without previous or coexisting stro

Background. A recent rise in the incidence of prostate cancer and a more favorable outcome have increased the proportions of other causes of death in affected men. Extending the survival of prostate cancer patients thus requires knowledge of all causes of death. Methods. Data on the population, cancers, and causes of death were gathered from the nationwide Swedish Family-Cancer Database. A Cox reg

Pervasive computing is a vision about computers blending into the background, being there to assist us when we need them, but not requiring constant attention. The vision covers scenarios in the home, at work, and out in the street, and builds on the ongoing development towards an increasing number of embedded computers with network connectivity. The thesis presents the assembly as a lightweight

Objectives - Aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is frequently associated with delayed neurological deterioration (DND). Several studies have shown that DND is not always related to vasospasm and ischemia. Experimental and clinical studies have recently documented that it is possible to diagnose and separate cerebral ischemia and mitochondrial dysfunction bedside. The study explores whether c

OBJECTIVE-Using the genome-wide association approach, we recently identified the glucokinase regulatory protein gene (GCKR, rs780094) region as a novel quantitative trait locus for plasma triglyceride concentration in Europeans. Here, we sought to study the association of GCKR variants with metabolic phenotypes, including measures of glucose homeostasis, to evaluate the GCYR locus in samples of no

Cartilage is of vital importance for the function of joints. It is characterized by a prominent extracellular matrix (ECM) that is produced and maintained by relatively few cells of one type, the chondrocyte. The cartilage ECM consists of collagen fibrillar networks, proteoglycan aggregates, and a number of other molecules united in numerous interactions. This work focused at identifying catabolic

Background: Clinical trial participants may be temporarily absent or withdraw from trials, leading to missing data. In intention-to-treat (ITT) analyses, several approaches are used for handling the missing information - complete case (CC) analysis, mixed-effects model (MM) analysis, last observation carried forward (LOCF) and multiple imputation (MI). This report discusses the consequences of app

Experimentally determined activation energies of propane dehydrogenation catalyzed by ZSM-5 zeolites have been used to test the SET theory. The basis of this theory is that the catalyst system transfers vibrational energy via a resonance process to a specific vibration mode of the reacting molecule. Being excited up to a certain number of vibrational quanta the molecule is brought to reaction. By