Cigarette smoke exposure is a strong risk factor for cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. However, the knowledge about how cigarette smoke induces damage to vasculature and airway is limited. The present study was designed to examine the effects of cigarette smoke particles extracted by heptane (heptane-soluble smoke particles, HSP), by water (water-soluble smoke particles, WSP) and by DMSO (D

Mercury concentrations in air and in condensed steam coming from fumarolic activity at the Solfatara crater (Phlegraean Fields - Italy) were determined. In the condensed steam, mercury was found mainly associated as Hg-S complexes and showed a flux in the range from 0.9 to 4.5 g day(-1). Using the point monitor technique, high values (up to 690 ng m(-3)) of atmospheric mercury levels were observed

OBJECTIVE: To date, for detection of the absence of peristalsis in children with chronic constipation and a suspicion of Hirschsprung disease (HD), children have been investigated with a contrast enema. If the radiographic investigation is inconclusive, anometry and a rectal biopsy are performed. A new noninvasive real-time sonographic method for examination of the rectoanal inhibitory reflex (RAI

The subject of study is the emission of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) during the drying of wood. Heartwood and sapwood from Scots pine were dried at different temperatures (50, 70 and 90°C) in a laboratory kiln. The sampling method, Solid Phase Microextraction was used to collect the different volatile organic compounds during the drying. The gas chromatograph and mass spectrometer was used to

Although several studies have reported on the anti-tumoural properties exerted by 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase (HMG-CoAR) inhibitors (statins), the in vivo expression of HMG-CoAR in human cancer has been considerably less investigated. In our study, we examined the immunohistochemical expression of HMG-CoAR in 511 incident breast cancers within the Malmö Diet and Cancer Study in

PURPOSE: Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) gene amplification or protein overexpression (HER2 positivity) defines a clinically challenging subgroup of patients with breast cancer (BC) with variable prognosis and response to therapy. We aimed to investigate the heterogeneous biologic appearance and clinical behavior of HER2-positive tumors using molecular profiling. PATIENTS AND METHO

Background: Linalool is a common fragrance terpene that, in pure form, is not allergenic or is a very weak allergen. However, linalool autoxidizes on air exposure, and the oxidation products can cause contact allergy. In a Swedish study, oxidized linalool 6.0% in petrolatum (pet.) gave 5% positive patch test reactions in 2500 dermatitis patients. Objectives: To investigate whether oxidized linal

BACKGROUND:: Microvascular injury and epithelial barrier dysfunction are rate-limiting aspects in radiation enteropathy. This study examined the role of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK) signalling in radiation-induced colitis in an experimental model. METHODS:: The p38 MAPK inhibitor SB239063 was administered to mice immediately before exposure to 20 Gy radiation. Leucocyte- and pla

We present a compact, fast, and versatile fiber-optic probe system for real-time determination of tissue optical properties from spatially resolved continuous-wave diffuse reflectance measurements. The system collects one set of reflectance data from six source-detector distances at four arbitrary wavelengths with a maximum overall sampling rate of 100 Hz. Multivariate calibration techniques based

Structural equation modeling on questionnaire data showed that prejudice toward different target groups can be represented in terms of a general prejudice factor. Distinction of classical and modern prejudice only increased model fit marginally. In two separate samples (paper and pencil vs. Internet) several structural models of the relationship between key individual difference variables and prej

Background: Colour differences in photographs can be enhanced using a digital image-processing technique called LYYN. Objective: To investigate colour changes in the histamine wheal after skin prick tests (SPTs). Methods: Histamine SPTs were performed on the forearm of six medical students, and the reactions of the skin were photographed every 2 min for 30 min. Colour differences in the photograph

This longitudinal study used a multi-disciplinary approach and examined the relationship between psychosocial and health characteristics and the pattern of informal and formal support for non-institutionalized very old people. The data were derived from a single cohort of 80-year-old people living in Lund, Sweden who were followed over a 3-year period. In order to account for potential sample bias

A statistical approach to a posteriori blockmodeling for graphs is proposed. The model assumes that the vertices of the graph are partitioned into two unknown blocks and that the probability of an edge between two vertices depends only on the blocks to which they belong. Statistical procedures are derived for estimating the probabilities of edges and for predicting the block structure from observa

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: The metabolic syndrome is a cluster of factors contributing to increased risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes but unifying mechanisms have not been identified. Our aim was to study whether common variations in 17 genes previously associated with type 2 diabetes or components of the metabolic syndrome and variants in nine genes with inconsistent association with at le

A frequency-doubled laser diode system for generation of blue-UV light is described. The system is based on an external-cavity high-power laser diode with double feedback from the zeroth and the first orders of a diffraction grating. Light at 405 nm is generated in a single-pass configuration using periodically poled KTiOPO4. We show that the double grating feedback improves the second harmonic co

BACKGROUND: This study aims to present a novel method for using cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) to non-invasively quantify the variation in pulmonary blood volume throughout the cardiac cycle in humans. METHODS: 10 healthy volunteers (7 males, 3 female, age range 21-32 years) were studied. The blood flow in the pulmonary artery and all pulmonary veins was quantified during free breathing u

Monitoring Editor: Marianne Bronner-Fraser Morphogenesis of the Drosophila embryo is associated with dynamic rearrangement of the Actin cytoskeleton mediated by small GTPases of the Rho family. These GTPases act as molecular switches that are activated by guanine nucleotide exchange factors. One of these factors, DRhoGEF2, plays an important role in the constriction of Actin filaments during pole

What is known and objective: Interventions involving medication reconciliation and review by clinical pharmacists can reduce drug-related problems and improve therapeutic outcomes. The objective of this study was to examine the impact of routine admission medication reconciliation and inpatient medication review on emergency department (ED) revisits after discharge. Secondary outcomes included the