A novel application of DPIV methods is presented for measuring velocity and vorticity distributions in vertical cross sections through the wake of a freely flying bird (thrush nightingale) in a wind tunnel. A dual-camera system is used, and successive cross-correlation operations remove lens/camera distortions, and then the undisturbed background flow, so that the final operation simply examines t

BACKGROUND: This clinical study aimed at investigating the impact of postoperative thoracic epidural analgesia on extracellular glycerol concentration and glucose metabolism in subcutaneous adipose tissue, using the microdialysis technique. The sympathetic nervous activity, which can be attenuated by epidural anesthesia, influences lipolysis and the release of glycerol. METHODS: Fourteen patients

Objective. To study one aspect of the development of primary care research from 1975 to 2003. Design. Quantitative bibliometric study. Setting. Pub Med database. Subjects. Four Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden), seven countries from the rest of Europe (Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, and the UK), and seven countries from the rest of the world (Austral

This paper presents the design and implementation of a reciprocal unit, in which the initial approximation of the reciprocal is obtained using a look-up table and a multiplication. How to create a look-up Table efficiently is described in detail, and the error analysis for the ROMs of different sizes is also given in this paper. The presented design utilizes a 27

The laminate consisted of several polymer layers, aluminium, and one cellulose-based layer containing the active enzymatic system (e.g., glucose oxidase, catalase, glucose, and CaCO3). During the industrial lamination process, the enzyme layer was exposed to three temperature spikes up to 325degreesC without significant enzyme inactivation. Ninety-seven percent of the glucose oxidase activity stil

Background: The W allele of the G460W polymorphism in the adducin-1 gene has been occasionally associated with increased blood pressure (BP). The aim of this study was to test whether the G460W variant is associated with BP levels and BP progression rate and whether G460W associations with BP are affected by sex, body mass index (BMI), or age. Methods: The G460W polymorphism was genotyped in the p

MSH2 rearrangements are involved in approximately 10% of hereditary non,polyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC) families, and in most of the rearrangements, exon I is deleted. We scanned by quantitative multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of short fluorescent fragments (QMPSF) 200 kb of genomic sequences upstream of the MSH2 transcription initiation site in 21 HNPCC families with exon I deletion

The primary objective of this multicenter, multinational, epidemiological study is the identification of infectious agents, dietary factors, or other environmental exposures that are associated with increased risk of autoimmunity and type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM). Factors affecting specific phenotypic manifestations such as early age of onset or rate of progression or with protection from the de

In a revision of the stratigraphic classification of the subsurface Upper Ordovician succession of Gotland, the terms Lower and Upper Ostersjo Limestone are rejected and replaced by the Slandrom Limestone and the File Limestone, respectively. Two mound generations are recognized, the Rakveran-Nabalan Liste mounds and the Pirguan Klasen mounds, the latter being by far the most common. Both occur no

In this paper a statistical forecasting model designed for bounded areas of near-surface ocean wind speeds is implemented. Dimension reduction is achieved by decomposing the covariance structure into one large-scale and one small-scale component using empirical orthogonal functions. The large-scale component is modelled with an AR process and forecasts are calculated by applying a Kalman filter. T

Sex ratio evolution relies on genetic variation in either the phenotypic traits that influence sex ratios or sex-determining mechanisms. However, consistent variation among females in offspring sex ratio is rarely investigated. Here, we show that female painted dragons (Ctenophorus pictus) have highly repeatable sex ratios among clutches within years. A consistent effect of female identity could r

The important issue addressed by the studies presented here is the mechanism of neutrophil-mediated damage to endothelial and epithelial cells during inflammation. Binding of neutrophil-released granule proteins to endothelial cells may be involved in vascular damage in patients with inflammatory vascular diseases. We have determined whether granule proteins proteinase 3(PR3) and/or myeloperoxidas

Light-emitting electrochemical cells offer efficient light-emission but suffer from short operational lifetimes. The latter is demonstrated to stem from photoinduced chemical reactions involving the conjugated polymer in the light-emitting p-n junction region, as evidenced by, e.g., optical and Raman microscopy (see figure). It is possible to alleviate the extent of these side reactions, and accor

Knee joints of non-immunized rabbits were repeatedly injected with bovine serum albumin (BSA) and preformed BSA-anti-BSA immune complexes which had differing precipitation profiles and abilities to activate complement. Ten days after the last of six injections the antibody and lymphoproliferative responses to BSA were analysed and correlated to the degree of arthritis. Joint swelling, increased nu

Essay on the international stereotype of Sweden and how it is reproduced in Henning Mankell's Wallander novels and in the British tv-series starring Kenneth Branagh.

To investigate whether interstitial cells (ICs) are present in the adult mouse bladder, and what transmitters characterize adjacent nerve fibres, as ICs in human and guinea-pig bladder lie close to nerve fibres but transmitters present in these nerves have not yet been reported. Sections of the bladder wall from 12 adult male mice (six each, aged 3-4 or 18-24 months) were incubated in carboxygenat

Background: Previous studies indicate that there may be infant gender differences in cytokine expression associated with differences in neonatal morbidity. Objective: We tested the hypothesis that umbilical cord interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra) correlates with infant gender and neonatal outcome in preterm infants. Study Design: IL-1ra was measured in cord blood taken from 58 preterm infa

Chinese hamster ovary cells were seeded in the absence or presence of the polyamine synthesis inhibitor 2-difluoromethylornithine (DFMO). At 1-4 days after seeding, the cells were labelled for 15-120 min with the thymidine analogue bromodeoxyuridine (BrdUrd) and they were then fixed directly after the labelling period. In addition, cells were labelled for 30 min and they were then allowed to progr

The associations among educational level, occupational status, and atherosclerosis were investigated during 1992-1994 in a general population sample of 4,176 Swedish men and women. Carotid artery intima-media thickness (IMT) and carotid stenosis were determined by B-mode ultrasound. Socioeconomic differences in mean carotid IMT and odds ratios for carotid stenosis prevalence were estimated. In wom