The effect of circumstances and exposures early in life on the risk of developing ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is largely unknown. The purpose of this study was to determine whether perinatal characteristics predict development of AS.

This Letter presents the first search for a heavy particle decaying into an e(+/-)mu(-/+) final state in root s = 7 TeV pp collisions at the LHC. The data were recorded by the ATLAS detector during 2010 and correspond to a total integrated luminosity of 35 pb(-1). No excess above the standard model background expectation is observed. Exclusions at 95% confidence level are placed on two representat

The endwall heat transfer characteristics of forced flow past outlet guide vanes (OGVs) in a linear cascade have been investigated by using a liquid crystal thermography (LCT) method. Due to the special design of an OGV profile, the focus of this study is emphasized on the heat transfer patterns around the leading part of a vane. The Reynolds number is kept constant at 260,000. Two attack angles o

Phosphatidylethanol (PEth) is a direct ethanol metabolite, and has recently attracted attention as biomarker of ethanol intake. The aims of the current study are: (1) to characterize the normalization time of PEth in larger samples than previously conducted; (2) to elucidate potential gender differences; and (3) to report the correlation of PEth with other biomarkers and self-reported alcohol cons

Hasan Z, Rahman M, Palani K, Syk I, Jeppsson B, Thorlacius H. Geranylgeranyl transferase regulates CXC chemokine formation in alveolar macrophages and neutrophil recruitment in septic lung injury. Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol 304: L221-L229, 2013. First published December 14, 2012; doi:10.1152/ajplung.00199.2012.-Overwhelming accumulation of neutrophils is a significant component in septic l

In this study, a coupled multi-species transport and chemical equilibrium model has been established. The model is capable of predicting time dependent variation of pore solution and solid-phase composition in concrete. Multi-species transport approaches, based on the Poisson–Nernst–Planck (PNP) theory alone, not involving chemical processes, have no real practical interest since the chemical acti

Background: Although clinical studies have shown efficacy of biological agents in moderate to severe psoriasis, observational studies of real-world effectiveness are rare. Objective: To analyse the psoriasis area and severity index (PASI) and quality of life by the EQ-5D questionnaire and dermatology quality of life index (DLQI) in psoriasis patients who switched from conventional systemic treatme

Haemophilus influenzae is a Gram-negative human pathogen that resides in the upper respiratory tract. Encapsulated H. influenzae type b (Hib) and type f (Hif) are the most common serotypes associated with invasive disease. H. influenzae displays various strategies to circumvent the host innate immune response, including the bactericidal effect of the complement system. In this study, we identified

Formation of cubic diamond from graphite following irradiation by a single, intense, ultra-short laser pulse has been observed. Highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) samples were irradiated by a 100 fs pulse with a center wavelength of 800 nm. Following laser exposure, the HOPG samples were studied using Raman spectroscopy of the sample surface. In the laser-irradiated areas, nanoscale cubic d

Objective: Safety data regarding the usage of etoricoxib and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and other spondyloarthritis (SpA) patients are rather limited. To estimate and compare rates of gastrointestinal, renovascular, and cardiovascular adverse events in patients exposed to etoricoxib, celecoxib, non-selective NSAIDs (nsNSAIDs) or totally unexp

A search for the standard model Higgs boson is performed in the diphoton decay channel. The data used correspond to an integrated luminosity of 4.9 fb(-1) collected with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider in proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of root s = 7 TeV. In the diphoton mass range 110-150 GeV, the largest excess with respect to the background-only hypothesis is

In the native bovine casein micelle the calcium sensitive caseins (alpha(S1)-, alpha(S2)- and beta-casein) sequester amorphous calcium phosphate in nanometer-sized clusters, whereas the calcium-insensitive K-casein limits the growth of the micelle. In this paper, we further investigate the self-association of kappa- and beta-casein, which are two of the key proteins that control the substructure o

Serial quantification of BCR-ABL1 mRNA is an important therapeutic indicator in chronic myeloid leukemia, but there is substantial variation in results reported by different laboratories. To improve comparability, an internationally accepted plasmid certified reference material (CRM) was developed according to ISO Guide 34:2009. Fragments of BCR-ABL1 (e14a2 mRNA fusion), BCR and GUSB transcripts w

Rate-ratio asymptotic analysis is carried out to elucidate the influence of hydrogen on the structure and critical conditions for extinction of nonpremixed methane flames. Steady, axisymmetric, laminar flow of two counterflowing streams toward a stagnation plane is considered. One stream, called the fuel stream is made up of a mixture of methane (CH4) and nitrogen (N-2). The other stream, called t

Purpose: We recently presented a transfemoral endovascular coiling technique for inducing experimental retinal ischemia in pigs. Substantial variation was seen in the degree of ischemia. It was hypothesized that the blood supply to the retina may originate from both the ipsi- and contralateral ophthalmic arteries, and that there may be an interconnecting artery between the eyes. Methods: The exter

To validate a modified ligand-binding assay for the detection of aggrecanase generated aggrecan fragments with the ARGS neoepitope in synovial fluid (SF) and blood, and to verify the identity of aggrecan fragments found in blood.

A 14Cr ODS steel was characterized at elevated temperatures with regard to its behavior in small punch and uniaxial creep tests and in low cycle fatigue tests. A comparison of small punch and uniaxial creep tests at 650°C revealed a strong anisotropy of the material when strained parallel and perpendicular to the extrusion direction with rupture times being several orders of magnitude lower for th

To conduct a survey across European cardiac centres to evaluate the methods used for cerebral protection during aortic surgery involving the aortic arch.