Background: Evidence for an association of alcohol consumption with prognosis after a diagnosis of breast cancer has been inconsistent. We have reviewed and summarized the published evidence and evaluated the association using individual patient data from multiple case cohorts. Methods: A MEDLINE search to identify studies published up to January 2013 was performed. We combined published estimates

Scattering of electromagnetic waves by discrete, randomly distributed objects is addressed. In general, the non-intersecting scattering objects can be of arbitrary form, material and shape. The main aim of this paper is to calculate the coherent reflection and transmission characteristics of a slab containing discrete, randomly distributed scatterers. The integral representation of the solution of

Secondary hole-nesting birds that do not construct nest holes themselves and hence regularly breed in nest boxes constitute important model systems for field studies in many biological disciplines with hundreds of scientists and amateurs involved. Those research groups are spread over wide geographic areas that experience considerable variation in environmental conditions, and researchers provide

While rural House Sparrows (Passer domesticus) have declined in Sweden, the population of the related Tree Sparrow (P. montanus) has remained stable, suggesting that they are affected by different population regulating mechanisms. Here we investigated if the two species differ in degree of nest-site limitation. After conducting an initial survey of both species on farmsteads in southern Sweden, we

Given that not every city can be an alpha city in today's global urban hierarchy, what options do beta cities such as Toronto or Chicago realistically have in the cultural economy? Put differently, if cultural capitals such as New York, London, Paris, and Tokyo play critically important roles in certifying and establishing new trends in theatre, fashion, and other cultural industries, how can beta

Fe-Mn-O magnetic nanocrystals precipitate in a glass system SiO2/Na2O/Fe2O3/MnO during thermal annealing for different periods of time. We report here small angle neutron scattering investigations using polarized neutrons (pSANS) on these glass samples. Analysis of scattering data reveals the formation of spherical core-shell particles. The core of the particle is found to be magnetic and it is su

Background: The sporulation of aerial hyphae of Streptomyces coelicolor is a complex developmental process. Only a limited number of the genes involved in this intriguing morphological differentiation programme are known, including some key regulatory genes. The aim of this study was to expand our knowledge of the gene repertoire involved in S. coelicolor sporulation. Results: We report a DNA micr

A fused coarse-grained model of aromatic ionic liquids 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazoliums tetrafluoroborate ([CnMIM(+)][BF4(-)]) has been constructed. Structural and dynamical properties calculated from our model are compared with experimental data as well as with corresponding results from simulations of other suggested models. Specifically, we adopt a fused-sphere coarse-grained model for cations and

The purpose of the study was to examine the possibilities of prolonging the life of rats with brain tumours using electroporation only while conducting impedance scans to evaluate the rate of electroporation. During the experiments, the treated rats in the first batch had tumors grow for 14 days and were then given electroporation with 8 + 8 exponential pulses at 800 v/cm, and 15 micro-F. Three of

The paper reports a study involving the use of Halomonas boliviensis, a moderate halophile, for co-production of compatible solute ectoine and biopolyester poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) in a process comprising two fed-batch cultures. Initial investigations on the growth of the organism in a medium with varying NaCl concentrations showed the highest level of intracellular accumulation of ectoine (0

Background: Quadrupole moments of excited nuclear states are important observables for geometrically interpreting nuclear structure in terms of deformed shapes, although data are scarce and sometimes ambiguous, in particular, in neutron-rich nuclides. Purpose: A measurement was performed for determining the spectroscopic quadrupole moment of the 2(1)(+) state of Ba-140 in order to clarify the char

A spectroscopic investigation of the gamma decays from excited states in Er-159 has been performed to study the changing structural properties exhibited as ultrahigh spins (I > 60 (h) over bar) are approached. The nucleus of Er-159 was populated by the reaction Cd-116(Ca-48, 5n gamma) at a beam energy of 215 MeV, and the resulting gamma decays were studied using the Gammasphere spectrometer. New r

Objective. Natural autoantibodies (NAAs) against MPO exist in normal human plasma. In the current study, the immune characteristics of MPO-NAA and MPO-ANCA were examined and compared with the aim to investigate the pathogenesis of MPO-ANCA. Methods. MPO-NAAs were affinity purified from normal plasma of five healthy blood donors and one batch of IVIG. MPO-ANCAs were purified from plasma of 10 patie

Nursing has come a long way since the days of Florence Nightingale and even though no consensus exists it would seem reasonable to assume that caring still remains the inner core, the essence of nursing. In the light of the societal, contextual and political changes that have taken place during the 21st century, it is important to explore whether these might have influenced the essence of nursing.

Thin films of titanyl phthalocyanine (TiOPc) have been adsorbed on InSb(1 1 1) (3 x 3) and InSb(1 0 0) c(8 x 2) surfaces and studied with respect to their electronic structure using photoemission (PES), density functional theory (DFT) and scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). The interface chemical interaction is weak in both cases; no adsorbate induced surface band bending is observed and the ener