The past decade has witnessed a marked increase in distributed system complexity. This was driven by a maturing technology that steadily decreased the number of faults. Unfortunately these fewer faults have become exponentially more costly. It becomes mandatory to detect faults prior to taking effect on the network. Such an early detection requires a new test detection and fault containment strate

Background: Several studies have found correlations between diabetes and an increased prevalence of periodontitis. Objective: To analyse, in a group of subjects with type 2 diabetes (T2D), (i) the association between medical characteristics and severe periodontal disease and (ii) dental care habits and knowledge of oral health. Methods: One hundred and ninety-one subjects with T2D were examined. B

Objectives: To examine the diameter and distensibility of the abdominal aorta in patients with severe α1-antitrypsin deficiency, and to compare the results with those of normal subjects. Material and methods: Abdominal aortic diameter and stiffness (β) was measured using echo-tracking sonography in 19 men (mean age 50, range 25–79) and 17 women (mean age 46, range 26–62) with severe α2-antitryps

The RISING project was designed to perform high-resolution gamma-ray spectroscopy with radioactive beams at GSI. Unstable beams were produced by fragmentation of relativistic heavy ion projectiles provided by the SIS synchrotron. The fragment separator FRS was used to select and to focus the exotic fragments at about 100A MeV energy on a secondary target. Various charged particle detectors enabled

On the basis of synchronization of three carbon-14 (C-14)-dated lacustrine sequences from Sweden With tree ring and ice core records, the absolute age of the Younger Dryas-Preboreal climatic shift was determined to be 11,450 to 11,390 +/- 80 years before the present. A 150-year-long cooling in the early Preboreal, associated with rising Delta(14)C values, is evident in all records and indicates an

Leukemic stem cells (LSCs) share the capacity of self renewal and extensive proliferation with normal hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), and are therefore obvious targets for therapy. As such, they need to be identified and characterized in order to elucidate what drives them, and what separates them from their normal counterparts. The focus of this thesis is on pre B cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukem

Inhibition of oxidative metabolism is often found to decrease contractility of systemic vascular smooth muscle, but not to reduce global [Ca(2+)](i). In the present study, we probe the hypothesis that it is associated with an altered pattern of intracellular Ca(2+) oscillations (waves) influencing force development. In the rat tail artery, mitochondrial inhibitors (rotenone, antimycin A, and cyani

The distribution of persistent pollutants in an eel population from a eutrophic lake of southern Scandinavia was examined. The origin of PCBs, DDT, DDE and lindane found in the fish was most likely the atmosphere. The most important factors for uptake of the chlorinated hydrocarbons was age (exposure time), growth rate and fat content. The life cycle of the eel is unique with a stage in freshwater

Purpose: To estimate the prevalence of severe carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) that potentially needs surgical treatment in a general population. Methods: A health-status questionnaire was mailed to a random general population sample of 3,000 subjects (ages, 25-74 y). The responders who reported numbness and/or tingling in the median nerve distribution in the hands were asked to attend a clinical eval

This study is an effort to describe and analyse the taphonomic history of skeletal remains of wild boar (Sus scrofa) and red deer (Cervus elaphus) from six Mesolithic sites. Five methods have been used to analyse the effect of different taphonomic processes. A positive correlation between bone element frequency (%MAU) and structural bone density in all but one bone sample (Segebro) indicates high

This work represents an amalgam of a group of studies with the purpose of understanding the influence of the Pacific and Atlantic sea surface temperature on precipitation and river discharge in Northeastern South America. Sea surface temperature is a good representative of phenomena such as ENSO that, in turn, cause worldwide climate variability. The patterns of the Atlantic Ocean sea surface tem

The electronic properties of quantum dot (QD) arrays are strongly influenced by the Coulomb interaction of electrons within the dot as well as with those in neighbouring dots. In this paper, we investigate this behaviour taking into account screening by a free electron gas in the vicinity of the QDs. We find pronounced effects for standard capacitance - voltage ( CV) measurements of QD structures

The way the fuel is introduced into the combustion chamber is one of the most important parameters for the power output and the generation of emissions in the combustion of liquid fuels. The interaction beween the turbulent gas flow field and the liquid fuel droplets, the vaporisation of them and the mixing of the gaseous fuel with the ambient air that are vital parameters in the combustion proces

In a 6-y period, 114 household contacts connected to newly diagnosed MRSA patients screened for MRSA in the southern part of Sweden. In 22 of 51 (43%) families, 1 to 4 household contact(s) connected to a MRSA patient were positive for MRSA. In the 22 families, 42 of 60 (70%) household contacts were positive for MRSA and transmission of MRSA occurred between adult couples, parents and children, gra

Cell-CAM 105, a glycoprotein that is involved in recognition and adhesion between isolated rat hepatocytes in vitro, was purified to homogeneity by a combination of immunoaffinity chromatography, gel-exclusion chromatography and ion-exchange chromatography. Electrophoretic, compositional and enzymic analyses were performed and the glycoprotein was shown to consist of two peptide chains, of apparen

We use Stein's method in combination with notions from graph theory to obtain Berry-Esseen and central limit theorems for generalized serial rank statistics.