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In February 2007, an epidemic of severe dermatitis from Chinese recliner chairs and sofas started to unfold first in Finland and a few months later in the UK. Some patients reacted in patch tests (PTs) strongly to the material of their furniture, either leather or fabric. There have been hundreds of reports of chair or sofa dermatitis from Finland and the UK, with all cases linked to the same furn

BACKGROUND: Limonene and linalool are common fragrance terpenes. Both oxidized R-limonene and oxidized linalool have recently been patch tested in an international setting, showing contact allergy in 5.2% and 6.9% of dermatitis patients, respectively. OBJECTIVE: To investigate concomitant reactions between oxidized R-limonene and oxidized linalool in consecutive dermatitis patients. METHODS: Ox

Blood pressure is a heritable trait(1) influenced by several biological pathways and responsive to environmental stimuli. Over one billion people worldwide have hypertension (>= 140 mm Hg systolic blood pressure or >= 90 mm Hg diastolic blood pressure)(2). Even small increments in blood pressure are associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular events(3). This genome-wide association study o

In response to fasting or hyperglycemia, the pancreatic β-cell alters its output of secreted insulin; however the pathways governing this adaptive response are not entirely established. While the precise role of microRNAs (miRNAs) is also unclear, a recurring theme emphasizes their function in cellular stress responses. We recently showed that miR-184, an abundant miRNA in the β-cell, regulates co

Macrophytes in shallow lakes have the potential to alter fish-zooplankton interactions considerably. How far predation effects by newly hatched fish (0+ fish) on zooplankton are influenced by different types of aquatic vegetation, and how effects change during the first weeks of fish ontogeny remains, however, less clear. In order to address these issues, we examined the predation effects of 0+ fi

An online survey in the form of a questionnaire was conducted to obtain the opinion of computer users with tetraplegia on their current computer interfaces and to assess desirable applications for future independent control using assistive devices. The survey included questions related to information about the respondents' injury/disease, everyday activities and social life, electronic devices and

Lack or dysfunction of insulin producing β cells results in the development of type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus, respectively. Insulin secretion is controlled by metabolic stimuli (glucose, fatty acids), but also by monoamine neurotransmitters, like dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine. Intracellular monoamine levels are controlled by monoamine oxidases (Mao) A and B. Here we show that MaoA

Thylakoids are chlorophyll-containing membranes in chloroplasts that have been isolated from green leaves. It has been previously shown that thylakoids supplemented with a high-fat meal can affect cholecystokinin (CCK), ghrelin, insulin and blood lipids in humans, and can act to suppress food intake and prevent body weight gain in rodents. This study investigates the addition of thylakoids to a hi

The Hamilton and Zuk model predicts that genes for resistance to various pathogens may be continuously heritable due to selection disequilibria caused by coadaptional cycles of hosts and pathogens. The model further suggests that the expression of male secondary ornaments is condition-dependent and that only individuals with superior genetic disease resistance and vigour can fully express exaggera

A 65-year-old female was investigated due to a gradually increasing greenish colour change of her plastic dental splint, which she used to prevent teeth grinding when sleeping. Furthermore, she had noted a greenish/bluish colour change on the back of her black gloves, which she used to wipe her tears away while walking outdoors. The investigation revealed that the patient had a contact allergy to

The aim of this article is to introduce an integrative and more comprehensive approach to understanding and measuring perceived housing in old age. First, four conceptual domains of subjective housing were introduced, based on the assumption that each of the domains brings a unique perspective to the understanding of perceived housing: housing satisfaction, usability in the home, meaning of home a

Developmental instability and fluctuating asymmetry (FA) describe the inability of organisms to correct for random accidents under development and has become a major but controversial topic in evolutionary biology. Theoretical models predict that the level of FA should increase as a result of inbreeding, but empirical results are ambiguous. Moreover, the relationship between fitness and FA is stil