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Smoking is the main risk factor for COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) but genetic factors are of importance, since only a subset of smokers develops the disease. Sex differences have been suggested both in disease prevalence and response to environmental exposures. Furthermore, it has been shown that acquisition of 'addiction' to smoking is partly genetically mediated. Disease cases and
Lake and peat corings on three Azores islands in the central North Atlantic, resulted in the discovery of a 6000 year long lacustrine sequence in a small crater lake, Lake Caveiro, on the island of Pico. This island is dominated by Pico mountain (2351 m), Portugal's highest mountain, and the lake site is situated at 903 in asl. Two sediment profiles, one central and one littoral, were sampled. Due
An assessment of nutrient sustainability has been done for stands of European beech, Sycamore maple, European oak, Norway spruce, Larch, Grandis fir and Douglas fir at Bjornstorp Estate in southern Sweden. To estimate the nutrient sustainability, mass balance was calculated with respect to Ca, Mg, K, N and P. The release from mineral weathering was calculated using the PROFILE model. The leaching
OBJECTIVE: Previous studies have shown possible neuroendocrine effects of GH. In the present study we investigated the incidence of mental disorders and the prevalence of mental distress and cognitive dysfunction in hypopituitary women with untreated GH deficiency compared to population-based controls.DESIGN AND PATIENTS: Thirty-three hypopituitary women with a median age of 64 years (range 39--77
The purpose of our study was to develop specific, sensitive, objective assays for early detection of disseminated tumour cells in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC). Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and cytokeratin 20 (CK20) were chosen as markers because they are selectively expressed in epithelial cells with maintained expression in CRC. Real-time quantitative RT-PCR assays with RNA copy standa
We previously described a simplified quantitative hemolytic assay for classical pathway (CP) hemolytic function in serum that has been shown to correlate with the 50% hemolytic complement (CH50) assay. In the present study, we used this assay to compare CP functions; plasma levels of C3, C4, and C3dg; and ratios of C3dg to C3 in healthy individuals and patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (S
What do we gain from labeling certain norms of social organization law? This question provides the backdrop against which this chapter will examine the works of Leon Petrażycki and Eugen Ehrlich, two of the founders of legal sociology who devised concepts of law broader than state law. In the course of this examination we shall also assess the relevance of Petrażycki’s 'intuitive law' and Ehrlich’
As a pre study for future work the output from a regular plane solid 2-dimensional finite element was compared with the output from a solid 2-dimensional axisymmetric finite element. It was done by creating a very simple finite element model for the heat convection problem. The purpose was to compare the results from a heat convection analysis. The model can be used directly for the mass diffusion
Comparisons of PIXE detection limits for K, X rays using 2-5 MeV protons and 7-8 MeV 4He2+ ions as projectiles have been performed. The comparisons have been made for common aerosol backings. According to simple theoretical considerations regarding X-ray production cross sections and the production of background radiation, detection limits for 4He2+ should be two to four times lower than for proto
A European Union (EU) directive on vitamins and minerals used as ingredients of food supplements with a nutritional or physiological effect (2002/46/EC) was introduced in 2003. Its implications for the use of oral supplements of calcium and vitamin D in the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis were discussed at a meeting organized with the help of the World Health Organization ( WHO) Collabora
The severity of hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS) is usually graded according to the Stockholm workshop scales. Although the Stockholm workshop scales are regarded the gold standard for assessing the severity of HAVS, they are based primarily on subjective symptoms. The aim of the present study was to explore the agreement between Stockholm workshop scales and the outcome from ten well-defined cl
Catalytically active wire meshes were used to combust different pollutants present in flue gases from bio-fuel combustion, e.g. CO, propylene, terpenes and tar. Alumina was spray-deposited onto wire meshes of Kanthal AF (8-20 Tayler mesh) with a plasma spray equipment. The specific surface area of the ceramic layer was increased through wash coating, in-situ precipitation or sol-treatment. The cat
Simulated moving bed (SMB) technology is a continuous chromatographic technique proven to have many advantages compared to conventional batch chromatography, such as: raised productivity and product concentration, reduced buffer consumption as well as more efficient use of raw material. In this study a 20 column SMB process for the separation of lactoperoxidase and lactoferrin from whey protein co
Dark-grown tigrina-d(12) mutants of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) accumulate abnormally high amounts of the chlorophyll intermediate protochlorophyllide. In light dark cycles this leads to necrotic segments of the seedling leaves and lethality due to photodynamic damage by the excessive protochlorophyllide accumulated in the dark period. Upon inhibition of the early chlorophyll biosynthetic enzyme,
Serum cystatin C is believed to reflect the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) more closely than serum creatinine in many contexts and a reference interval for serum cystatin C in term pregnancy has been defined to enable its use also in pregnant women. However, serum cystatin C levels were not found to be decreased in term pregnancy, though GFR of low molecular mass substances is known to increase
A gas chromatographic-ion trap tandem mass spectrometric method was developed for the quantification of muramic acid, a marker of bacterial peptidoglycan, in environmental and clinical specimens. Samples (bacteria, house dust and urine) were heated in methanolic hydrochloric acid overnight and extracted with hexane for removal of hydrophobic compounds. The aqueous phase was evaporated and heated i
