Steroid injections are often employed as an alternative treatment for radicular pain in patients with degenerative spinal disorders. Prospective randomised studies of the lumbar spine reveal contradictory results and non-randomised and most often retrospective studies of the cervical spine indicate pain reduction from steroid injections. No prospective randomised study on transforaminal steroid in

It was hypothesized that stuttering may be related to impaired sensory gating, leading to overflow of superfluous disturbing auditory feedback and breakdown of the speech sequence. This hypothesis was tested using the acoustic startle prepulse inhibition (PPI) paradigm M. A group of 22 adults with developmental stuttering were compared with controls regarding the degree of PPI. No significant diff

Objective To investigate the congenital heart disease (CHD) found in association with an increased nuchal translucency (NT) at 11 - 14 weeks of gestation in chromosomally normal and abnormal fetuses. Methods Patients referred from January 1998 until May 2007 with an increased NT (>= 95th percentile) where CHD was diagnosed were included. Chromosome analysis, fetal and postnatal echocardiography we

Purpose: To study the influence on pain and handling of different preoperative immobilization procedures for hip fractures. Method: 123 consecutive patients with displaced cervical and trochanteric hip fractures were randomized to skin traction, placement in a special foam pillow (Lasse pillow), and comfortable placement with an ordinary pillow under the hip from admission to operation. The effect

The written language situation of the minority populations of China is described, with emphasis on script reforms & the creation of new scripts after the founding of the People's Republic in 1949. Despite the efforts of scholars, the new scripts have had little success. Despite the fact that many of these scripts meet some significant criteria for "good writing systems," they also pose problem

This article describes intermediate stages in the development of TRAFFIC JAM, a computerized gaming simulation for children and adolescents. TRAFFIC JAMfocuses on the environmental and health impact of various means of transport, such as walking, biking, and going by bus or private car. It is being developed within the field of environmental psychology as a tool for promoting attitudes related to

In order to investigate what factors influence antibiotic prescribing, a questionnaire answered by 8700 parents to 4-year-old children in Malmö between 1999 and 2004 was analyzed. 51.3% of the 4-year-old children had been treated with antibiotics. Exposure to environmental smoking, attending day care centers, employment of parents and parents born in Sweden was found to be statistically significan

Objective: Fasting insulin concentrations are often used as a surrogate measure or insulin resistance. We investigated the relative contributions Of fasting insulin and insulin resistance to cardiometabolic risk and preclinical atherosclerosis. Design and methods: The Relationship between Insulin Sensitivity and Cardiovascular disease (RISC) cohort consists of 1326 European non-diabetic. overall h

Haemophilia patients with inhibitors characteristically have impaired joint function and reduced health-related quality of life (HRQoL). This analysis examined whether secondary prophylaxis with recombinant activated factor VII (rFVIIa) improves HRQoL vs. conventional on-demand therapy in patients with haemophilia with inhibitors and frequent bleeds. After a 3-month preprophylaxis period, 22 patie

We used satellite-tracking data from repeated journeys between Europe and West Africa by the same osprey, Pandion haliaetus, individuals to test whether the timing of migration differs between spring and autumn and whether landmarks and stopover goal areas are important for navigation. The timing of migration varied more in autumn than in spring, owing to significant differences between individual

The article describes the execution and result of an investigation of the "'ScR-method'" of freeze/thaw-testing concrete. The investigation formed part of the work within RILEM Committee 4-CDC. Five laboratories participated. Two concrete types were tested," one without and one with entrained air. At each laboratory the critical degree of saturation, SCR, was determined by freeze/thaw-experiments

Murine SCC-VII squamous carcinoma cells have the capacity to penetrate reconstituted basement membranes (Matrigel) in vitro. The invasion of Matrigel layers by SCC-VII cells was significantly reduced by E-64, a specific inhibitor of lysosomal cysteine proteinases. The cathepsin-B-selective E-64 derivative, CA-074, inhibited penetration of Matrigel by SCC-VII cells to the same extent, indicating a

This study describes the development of a high throughput procedure for the extraction, purification, and quantification of all 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) on EPA's priority list, subject to biodegradation assays in a creosote-contaminated soil. We used various combinations of solvents, temperatures, ultrasonication, tumbling, saponification, vacuum centrifugation, adsorption chroma

Structure-property relationships of polymers incorporating Lewis acidic boron in their branched chain architecture were investigated as a function of LiClO4 salt concentration. The polymers were synthesised from boron trioxide, and different poly(ethylene glycol)s (PEGs) and monomethyl ether end-capped PEGs. The PEG-boronate ester polymers based on PEGs having molecular weights equal to, or below,

Psychosocial stress could lead to a wide range of possible physiological reactions, due to both the total burden of stress as well as individual susceptibility. Two useful Swedish registers to investigate early life influences on stress susceptibility are the Swedish Medical Birth Register (MBR) and the Military Service Conscription Register (MSCR). In a previous study we showed a positive relatio