Objectives Exposure to persistent organohalogen pollutants was suggested to impair male reproductive function. A gene-environment interaction has been proposed. No genes modifying the effect of persistent organohalogen pollutants on reproductive organs have yet been identified. We aimed to investigate whether the CAG and GGN polymorphisms in the androgen receptor gene modify the effect of persiste

It has been proposed that the developmentally supportive care of very-low-birthweight (VLBW) infants provided by the Newborn Individualized Developmental Care and Assessment Program (NIDCAP) can improve the infants’ opportunities for rest and sleep. The aim of the present study was to determine whether quiet sleep (QS) in VLBW infants is affected by NIDCAP care. Twenty-two infants with a gestation

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the diagnostic potential of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) levels of tau and beta-amyloid protein ending at amino acid 42 (Abeta42) as biomarkers for Alzheimer disease (AD) in clinical practice. DESIGN: A 1-year prospective study. SETTING: Community population-based sample of all consecutive patients admitted for investigation of cognitive symptoms to the Pitea River Valley Hospi

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: We examined features of the metabolic syndrome to see if they modified the risk of chronic diabetic complications in patients with Type II (non-insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus. METHODS: A total of 85 randomly selected patients with the metabolic syndrome (WHO definition) were compared with 85 Type II diabetic patients matched for age, sex, duration of diabetes, glycaemic cont

Background: The Shouldice technique is the 'gold standard' of open non-mesh hernia repair. The aim of this study was to compare 5-year recurrence rates after Shouldice and laparoscopic transabdominal preperitoneal patch (TAPP) repair for primary inguinal hernia. Method: Men with a primary unilateral inguinal hernia were randomized to either Shouldice or TAPP operation. An independent observer scor

Amplification of CCND1 (cyclin D1 gene) in squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN) is correlated to poor prognosis. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether CCND1 amplification is related to different subsites and also to DNA ploidy status and S-phase fraction (SPF). Biopsies from 67 patients with SCCHN were analysed for CCND1 amplification by fluorescence in situ hybridis

Low-density polethylene disks with smooth or course surfaces were implanted in the abdominal wall of rats, and the tissue response was evaluated after 1, 6, or 12 weeks. Cell damage was detected by two different methods. Cells with increased membrane permeability could be identified using fluorescence microscopy by injection of propidium iodide prior to the killing of the rats. Second, cell death

Abstract The aim of this article is to introduce a conceptual framework for a corporate brand building process based on core values. The nature, role, and function of core values are considered a central part of the value foundation of a corporate brand. In line with this reasoning, a distinction is also made between three groups of values: organisational values, core values, and added values. Th

OBJECTIVES: Neutrophils are activated and infiltrate the myocardium after ischemia and reperfusion. The involvement of neutrophils in irreversible reperfusion injury is suggested by numerous experimental studies. The aim of this study was to investigate markers of neutrophil activation following reperfusion of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) accomplished with percutaneous coronary intervention (

Motor dysfunctions in Parkinson's disease are considered to be primarily due to the degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta. Pharmacological therapies based on the principle of dopamine replacement are extremely valuable, but suffer from two main drawbacks: troubling side effects (e.g. dyskinesia) and loss of efficacy with disease progression. Transplantation of

Both increased and decreased dyskinesias have been reported from open label clinical trials of transplantation of human embryonic dopamine rich tissue in Parkinson's disease patients. In the first double-blind clinical transplantation trial, 15% of the grafted patients developed severe postoperative dyskinesias in the “off” phase. Since then, postoperative off-medication dyskinesias have been repo

Acrylamide is formed via the Maillard reaction between reducing sugars and asparagine in a number of carbohydrate-rich foods during heat treatment. High acrylamide levels have been found in potato products processed at high temperatures. To examine the impact of harvest year, information on weather conditions during growth, that is, temperature, precipitation, and light, was collected, together wi

Background: Human studies assessing thyroid hormone metabolism in relation to brain monoaminergic activity in vivo are scarce. The few studies that do exist suggest significant associations between thyroid function and monoaminergic activity, but the cause-and-effect relationships are far from elucidated. Methods: We simultaneously collected cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and serum samples from 35 pati

BACKGROUND. The clinical value of detecting prostate specific antigen (PSA) mRNA in the peripheral blood mononuclear cell fraction of patients (pts) by standard RT-PCR assays with localized prostate cancer remains controversial. We used a quantitative RT-PCR assay to measure the PSA mRNA copy number in addition to the qualitative PSA RT-PCR and correlated the results with clinical parameters. METH

Purpose: Transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) of the prostate/prostatic urethra is a risk factor for urethral recurrence after radical cystoprostatectomy for TCC. Using conventional sectioning techniques, prostate involvement (prostatic urethra, acini, ducts and/ or stroma) has been detected in a range of 10-20% of the patients, whereas transversal whole mount sectioning has revealed 43% prostate inv

Background-Leukocyte concentration in blood is a classical marker of systemic inflammation. Whether high leukocyte counts are associated with incidence of heart failure (HF) is unknown. This population-based study explored whether the leukocyte concentrations were associated with incidence of hospitalizations due to HF. Methods and results-Leukocyte counts were measured in 16 940 men from the gene