Objectives. We analyzed the relationship between macroeconomic conditions, measured as unemployment rate and social security spending, from 4 social security schemes and total spending due to sickness and disability. Methods. We obtained aggregated panel data from 13 Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development member countries for 1980-1996. We used regression analysis and fixed effect m

Objectives This study investigated the association between cancer of the extrahepatic biliary tract and exposure to endocrine-disrupting compounds. Methods Altogether 183 men with histologically confirmed carcinoma of the extrahepatic biliary tract and 1938 matched controls were interviewed between 1995 and 1997 in the frame of an international multicenter case-control study in six European countr

In the manufacture of heat-exchangers, it is of great importance that the heat-exchanger plates be thoroughly cleaned before being sealed. At a Swedish heat-exchanger manufacturer, oil, grease and other impurities are removed in a washing plant consisting of three stages: a degreasing tank and two rinsing tanks. The possibility of improving the cleanliness of the heat-exchanger plates, without inc

PURPOSE: Hypomotor seizures (characterized by diminished behavioral activity with indeterminate level of consciousness) have been identified as an important seizure type in infants. Our goal was to investigate further the clinical and EEG features of hypomotor seizures. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 110 hypomotor seizures from 34 patients recorded with video-EEG. RESULTS: Twenty-seven (79%)

Malondialdehyde, reduced glutathione, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase and cysteine protease cathepsins at postnatal (PN) days 2, 7, 14, 21 and 28 in controls (wt) and the retinal degeneration 1 (rd1) mouse model for retinitis pigmentosa retinas were measured to determine oxidative stress. In PN28 wt and PN2 rd1 retinas, elevated malondialdehyde and low glutathione peroxidase activity

Background: The purpose was to present the prevalence of all psychotic and bipolar (BP) disorders in a total general population (n=3563), which has been followed from 1947 to 1997. Materials and Methods: Best-estimate consensus DSM-IV diagnoses, supported by data from interviews, case notes, registers and key-informants, were assessed. The period prevalence from 1947 to 1997 and the lifetime preva

Primary headaches, for example, migraine and cluster headaches represent the most prevalent neurological disorders, affecting up to 15 - 20% of the adult population. There is a clear association between head pain and the release of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP). In this review the role of CGRP in human cranial circulation is described and the role for specific CGRP antagonism elucidated.

The molecular mechanisms that cause emphysema are complex but most theories suggest that an excess of proteinases is a crucial requirement. This paradigm is exemplified by severe deficiency of the key antielastase within the lung: alpha(1)-antitrypsin. The Z mutant of alpha(1)-antitrypsin has a point mutation Glu342Lys in the hinge region of the molecule that renders it prone to intermolecular lin

The human melanocortin 4 receptor (MC4r) was successfully expressed in Sf9 cells using the baculovirus infection system. N- and C-terminally His-tagged receptors generated B-max values of 14 and 23 pmol receptor/mg membrane protein, respectively. The highest expression level obtained with the C-terminally His-tagged MC4r corresponded to 0.25 mg active receptor/litre culture volume. Addition of a v

The aim of this study was to evaluate outcome after surgical intervention in patients with ankle fractures. Fifty-four patients consecutively operated were included. A standardised protocol was used to record a number of variables regarding patient characteristics, type of fracture and treatment. Radiographic examination was performed in all patients postoperatively and after 14 months. A question

The vertical positioning of benthic invertebrates should be a trade-off between the risky, but productive, sediment surface and the safer, but physiologically harsher, conditions deeper down in the sediment. This is because the foraging efficiency of benthic fish decreases with sediment depth, whereas the sediment surface is generally better oxygenated and has a higher resource quality than lower

The formylated spirobyclic alcohol 8a was computer modeled to be a mimetic of paclitaxel. In this model, the formyl group was used as a truncated paclitaxel side chain in order to reduce the computational work. Compound 8c, carrying the paclitaxel side chain, was synthesized in six steps from optically active 1,3-diketone 12. Microtubule stabilization was not observed for 8c, indicating that the m

The aim of this study was to obtain information that could help to ease the weaning transition in commercial pig production. Before weaning, phytohemagglutinin (PHA) in the form of a crude preparation of red kidney bean lectin was fed by gavage to 24 crossbred [(Swedish Landrace x Yorkshire) x Hampshire] piglets, whereas 24 control piglets were fed -lactalbumin by gavage, to study the effect on gr

Nursing care for older people with cancer requires an understanding of their history and current needs from both an individual and generalized view. The aim of this study was to investigate the experience of older people living with cancer and the way it affects their daily life. During the study, 41 individuals 75 years of age and older (mean age, 83 years) who had a cancer diagnosed within the p

Alterations in calcium metabolism have been associated with cardiovascular risk factors. An altered binding of calcium to plasma proteins and raised levels of parathyroid hormone (PTH) have been described in morbid obesity. In the present study, indices of mineral metabolism were related to obesity (body mass index, BMI) and fat distribution (waist to hip ratio, w/h) in 194 subjects with a wide ra

The coefficient of repeatability (COR), expressed as 2-SD of differences, was calculated between two measurements of oxygen consumption (V O2), heart rate (HR) and rating of perceived exertion (RPE) during ergometer cycling by men. The two sets of measurements were performed 5 to 6 weeks apart. Nineteen healthy men performed an incremental maximal exercise test on an ergometer cycle. The load star

Pinus sylvestris seedlings, colonised by ectomycorrhizal (EM) fungi from either of two different soils (untreated forest soil and a limed soil from a clear cut area), were grown with or without biotite as a source of K. The biotite was naturally enriched in Sr-87 and the ratio of Sr-87/Sr-86 in the plant biomass was estimated and used as a marker for biotite weathering and compared to estimates of