Inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) therapy such as fluticasone propionate (FP) is effective in moderate-to-severe asthma, but for patients on ICS who still experience symptoms, treatment guidelines recommend either increasing the dose of ICS or adding a long-acting beta2-agonist such as salmeterol or formoterol. Several studies have now shown that adding salmeterol provides greater clinical benefit than

Cold feet comprise problems for lots of people. Various methods can be used for determination of the thermal properties of footwear. A method using a thermal foot model allows the study of the insulation under different conditions. The paper describes the combined effect of walking and sweating on thermal insulation. Walking and sweating simulation on the foot model reduced the total insulation up

Objective: The aims of the present study were to evaluate the role of the gap junction protein beta-2 gene (GJB2), encoding connexin 26 (Cx26), in children with moderate to profound prelingual nonsyndromic sensorineural hearing impairment (HI) and to investigate the carrier frequencies of the GJB2 gene mutations in a control population in Northern Finland. Methods: Mutation analysis was performed

The introduction of nasal glucocorticosteroids, 30 years ago, has been the most important therapeutic progress in rhinitis management since the introduction of the first generation of antihistamines. Our knowledge of the mode of action of glucocorticosteroids in the nose has improved as the airway mucous membrane of the nose is easily accessible for investigation. However, the exact mechanism behi

Aim: Palivizumab (Synagis(R)(R)) was registered in Sweden in 1999 for prophylaxis against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in premature infants. The high costs and the limited knowledge of the efficacy of this substance have led to debate about how and when it should be used. National guidelines for the use of palivizumab in Sweden were constructed in the year 2000. The aim of this study was to e

This paper reviews decision support methodologies that can be applied to treatment plants. Case studies of decision support systems (DSS) that have been developed and used or trialled are presented below. These include rule-based systems and systems based on digraphs of cause-and-effect relationships. Detection examples on real plant data are presented, in one case using direct measurements and si

Both DNA ploidy and S-phase ploidy are promising prognostic factors for node-negative breast cancer patients. Based largely on the analysis of one large study, much of the reported problems with these factors have been caused by some unappreciated complexities in categorizing DNA ploidy into low- and high-risk groups and the lack of some necessary adjustments to eliminate unwanted correlations bet

Exposure of L. acidophilus CRL 639 cells to sublethal adaptive acid conditions (pH 5.0 for 60 min) was found to confer protection against subsequent exposure to lethal pH (pH 3.0). Adaptation, which only occurred in complex media, was dependent on de novo protein synthesis and was inhibited by amino acid analogues. There was no modification in the protein synthesis rate during adaptation, but the

Various examinations of sealant joints show that there are many problems with leakage, even in fairly new buildings. Two main reasons have been that the sealant properties are overrated and that the joint design or workmanship is poor due to lack of knowledge about the basic requirements and the material properties. The failure mechanism of an elastic sealant is described. This serves as a basis

In order to reduce the total enzyme consumption in high-solids static hydrolysis of nonwashed steam-exploded willow Salix caprea by mixed cellulase of Trichoderma reesei + Aspergillus foetidus, two different approaches were proposed. In the first case, the enzyme activity adsorbed on residual solids after extended hydrolysis was used for hydrolysis of the newly added substrate. The initial mixing

In a consecutive series of hip revisions due to mechanical loosening, using impacted morselized allografts and cement, we followed 21 acetabular components by radiostereometric analysis (RSA) during 2 years. All but 1 acetabular component migrated in the proximal direction (median 2.1 (0.5-6.4) mm). 6 components migrated in the medial direction (median 0.8 (0.4-1.2) mm) and 6 in the lateral (media

The present article provides current opinion on studies of the interfacial dynamics, adsorption, and structure of surfactant layers. The physical principles and applications of physicochemical methods such as tensiometry, ellipsometry, photon correlation spectroscopy, and neutron reflectivity techniques, as well as relevant theoretical aspects related to the adsorption and desorption kinetics, int