OBJECTIVE: B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) has been established as a biomarker for heart failure. The objective was to evaluate BNP measured on arrival in the intensive care unit (ICU) as a predictor for heart failure defined as need for inotropic support or IABP beyond 24 hours postoperatively after aortic valve replacement. DESIGN: A prospective, observational study. SETTING: A cardiothoracic s

Complexes formed in mixtures of cationic liposomes of varying charge density and nucleosome core particles (NCPs) or nucleosome arrays have been characterized. Under most of the conditions studied, the lipids and NCPs or arrays formed lamellar structures similar to those obtained with the liposomes and pure DNA. Thus, the dissociation of DNA from the NCP or nucleosome array and the formation of a

BACKGROUND:: There is a lack of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) studies in Chinese women with cervical cancer. OBJECTIVE:: The objectives of this study were to investigate the HRQOL trajectory in women with cervical cancer in Mainland China in the 9 months following diagnosis and to identify factors that influence HRQOL. METHODS:: Initially, 187 patients with cervical cancer were included i

Abstract Background: Empowerment is essential in the rehabilitation process for people with psychiatric disabilities and knowledge about factors that may play a key role within this process would be valuable for further development of the day centre services. Objective: The present study investigates day centre attendees' perceptions of empowerment. The aim was to investigate which factors show th

We study reduced fusion systems from the point of view of their essential subgroups, using the classification by Goldschmidt and Fan of amalgams of prime index to analyze certain pairs of such subgroups. Our results are applied here to study reduced fusion systems over -groups of order at most 64, and also reduced fusion systems over -groups having abelian subgroups of index two. More applications

Specular reflection infrared microspectroscopy was used for chemical imaging of cross-sectioned urinary stones to determine their chemical composition and morphology simultaneously. Absorption spectral bands were recovered from reflection spectra by Kramers-Kronig transform. FUse of far-infrared radiation provides high-contrast images and allows more precise constituent distribution determinations

In order to reduce comsumption of inhalational anaesthetsics during high-flow anaesthesia, a system open in regard to oxygen, nitrogen and nitrous oxide, but closed to inhalational anaesthetics, was developed. This was achieved by a reflecting filter for inhalational anaesthetics made of active carbon. The principle has been developed into the commercially available Anesthetic Conserving Device (A

Background: The proportion of Mycoplasma pneumoniae isolates carrying point mutations in the 23S region of the genome associated with macrolide resistance has increased. We evaluated the probability of developing M. pneumoniae macrolide resistance mutations during macrolide treatment. Methods: M. pneumoniae strains from initial and follow-up oropharyngeal samples from 38 Swedish patients were test

Abstract in UndeterminedWe introduce Gaussian wave packets in pursuit of representations of functions, in which the representation is invariant under translation, modulation, scale,rotation and anisotropic dilation. Properties of both continuous and discrete representations are discussed. For the discrete (two-dimensional) case, we develop fastalgorithms for the application of the analysis and syn

In view of the bioinformatic projection that a third of all protein coding genes and essentially all biological pathways are under control of microRNAs (miRNAs), it is not surprising that this class of small RNAs plays roles in vascular disease progression. MiRNAs have been shown to be involved in cholesterol turnover, thrombosis, glucose homeostasis and vascular function. Some miRNAs appear to be

The objective of the present study was to assess the safety and effectiveness of vernakalant hydrochloride injection (RSD1235), a novel antiarrhythmic drug, for the conversion of atrial fibrillation (AF) or atrial flutter to sinus rhythm (SR) Patients with either AF or atrial flutter were randomized in a 11 ratio to receive vernakalant (n = 138) or placebo (n = 138) and were stratified by an arrhy

Benthic foraminifera were cultured for five months at four temperatures (4, 7, 14 and 21 degrees C) to establish the temperature dependence of foraminiferal calcite delta O-18 and Mg/Ca. Two Bulimina species (B. aculeata and B. marginata) were most successful in terms of calcification, adding chambers at all four temperatures and reproducing at 7 and 14 degrees C. Foraminiferal delta O-18 values d

To evaluate intra-atrial conduction delay in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) via calculation of conduction velocities (CVs) of the right and left atria.

A virtual reality (VR) experiment with 96 participants was carried out to provide recommendations on the design of flashing lights at emergency exit portals for road tunnel emergency evacuation. The experiment was carried out in a Cave Automatic Virtual Environment laboratory. A set of variables was investigated, namely (1) colour of flashing lights, (2) flashing rate, (3) type of light source, (4

PURPOSE: Lengthy resuscitations in the catheterisation laboratory carry extremely high rates of mortality because it is essentially impossible to perform effective chest compressions during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the use of a mechanical chest compression device, LUCAS, in the catheterisation laboratory, in patients who suffered circulato

BACKGROUND: Patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) may display elevated plasma levels of pro-inflammatory substances. Although the underlying mechanisms are unknown, inflammation has been proposed to play a direct role in the generation of depressive symptoms. Skeletal muscle is a potent producer of cytokines, and physical exercise has been suggested to alleviate symptoms of depression. In

BACKGROUND: This cross-sectional study is aimed at describing and investigating empowerment and its relationships with level of engagement in daily activities and community life, experienced stigma, psychopathology, and quality of life among people with mental illness entering supported employment. METHOD: The following scales were administered to 120 persons: Empowerment Scale, Profiles of Occupa

Purpose/Aim: To explore changes in morphology and function in the rabbit retina after intravitreal high-dose injection of three commonly used VEGF inhibitors. Materials and methods: Forty-eight rabbits of mixed strain (6 months of age, body weight ≈ 3 kg) were randomized into four groups (n = 12). They were examined with full-field electroretinography (ERG) and with multifocal electroretinograph

This paper studied associations between ocular symptoms, rhinitis, throat and dermal symptoms, headache and fatigue in students by ethnicity and in relation to exposure to chemical microbial markers and fungal DNA in vacuumed dust in schools in Malaysia. A total of 462 students from 8 randomly selected secondary schools in Johor Bahru, Malaysia, participated (96% response rate). Dust was vacuumed