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We study a numerical method of calculating the near field of ensembles of arbitrary spheres by extending Mie theory. A recursive method based on the orders of scattering is presented. This method represents a concise way to calculate the near field of aggregates of any number of arbitrary spheres. Numerical examples are given to show its validity. (C) 2004 Optical Society of America.

OBJECTIVE: Neutrophil infiltration is a key regulator in the pathophysiology of acute pancreatitis (AP), although the impact of Toll-like receptors (TLRs) in AP remains elusive. The aim of this study was to define the role of TLR2 and TLR4 in leukocyte recruitment and tissue damage in severe AP. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: AP was induced by retrograde infusion of sodium taurocholate into the pancreatic d

Patients with rheumatic disorders have an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). This excess co-morbidity is not fully explained by traditional risk factors. Disease severity is a major risk factor for CVD in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Shared disease mechanisms in atherosclerosis and rheumatic disorders include immune dysregulation and

Several Locus-Specific DataBases (LSDBs) have recently been approached by larger, more general data repositories (including NCBI and UCSC) with the request to share the DNA variant data they have collected. Within the Human Genome Variation Society (HGVS) a document was generated summarizing the issues related to these requests. The document has been circulated in the HGVS/LSDB community and was d

Almost all parents in Sweden are invited to parental groups organized by the child health service (CHS) during their child's first year, but only 40% chose to attend. The aim of this study was to describe parents' experiences of participating in these parental groups. A total of 143 parents from 71 different parental groups at 27 child health-care (CHC) centres in one Swedish county completed an o

Background: The ability to adapt and habituate based on prior experiences is important for human movement control, fall prevention and for the ability to enhance performance during various human activities. However, little is known about the ability for the elderly to adapt to balance perturbations in the lateral direction. Objective: To determine whether adaptation, i.e., the ability to adjust po

The early transition of knowledge from highly specialised and sophisticated proteomics research to a diverse community in need of know-how is a challenge that requires backing from advanced research centres and groups, and a coordinating body for the dissemination of this knowledge. The European Proteomics Association (EuPA) Education Committee signified this as a priority area when the EuPA was f

This paper aims to provide a review of studies using neuroimaging to measure functional-structural reorganisation of the neuronal network for auditory perception after unilateral hearing loss.

Sampling is normally done periodically in time. For linear time invariant systems this leads to closed loop systems that linear and periodic. Many properties can be investigated by considering the behavior of the systems at times that are synchronized with the sampling instants. This leads to drastic simplifications because the systems can be described by difference equations with constant coeffic

Two monoclonal antibodies (mAb) CB268 and CII-C1 to type 11 collagen (CII) react with precisely the same conformational epitope constituted by the residues ARGLT on the three chains of the CII triple helix. The antibodies share structural similarity, with most differences in the complementarity determining region 3 of the heavy chain (HCDR3). The fine reactivity of these mAbs was investigated by s

Monte Carlo calculations of protein binding to affinity ligands tethered to a surface by polymers have been done and analyzed with statistical mechanical perturbation theory. The interaction of the polymers with the surface, the solvent and the protein has been varied. Different solution conditions of the polymers have been investigated, varying from collapsed polymer structures on a surface to st

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Developing care for older people in the last phase of life requires knowledge about the type and extent of care and factors associated with the place of death. The aim of this study was to examine age, living conditions, dependency, care and service among old people during their last year of life, but also their place of death and factors predicting it. METHODS: The sample (n=

Abstract in Danish Formål: Formålet er at beskrive tuberkulosens (tbc.) epidemiologi i Danmark de sidste 25 år, specielt udviklingen i den danske befolkning. Metode: Et registerstudie af anmeldte tilfælde af tbc. i Danmark 1972-1996: Fra 1970-1989 i DIKE's register, fra 1990-1996 i EPI-registeret, epidemiologisk afd., Statens Serum Institut. Resultater: tbc.-incidensen faldt jævnt fra 1972 indtiThe present study is based on notified cases of tuberculosis (TB) in the National tbc. register 1972-1996. A decline in Tb incidence was seen from 1972 and until the mid-1980's. Subsequently the trend has reversed due to an increasing number of TB cases in foreigners. In 1996, 60% of all cases of TB in Denmark were found in foreigners reflecting the rising number of refugees and their families arr

The cause of retinopathy in diabetes mellitus is unknown. Among factors suggested to be involved in the development of retinopathy is altered platelet function. In the present study, platelet aggregation was measured in vitro after stimulation with adenosine diphosphate (ADP) and collagen in patients with and without proliferative retinopathy. The results show that patients with proliferative reti

To overcome the limited treatment depth of superficial photodynamic therapy we investigate interstitial light delivery. In the present work the treatment light was delivered using a system in which three or six clear-cut fibers were placed in direct contact with the tumor area. This placement was thought to represent a step toward general purpose interstitial PDT. Twelve nodular basal cell carcino