The purpose of safety systems is to reduce dangers to human life or environment to acceptable levels. In order to aid companies in this when developing safety systems for functional safety of machinery, the standard IEC 62061 has recently been released. The standard proposes an outlined design method to follow requirements specification. However, companies that use the standard have to implement a

INTRODUCTION: Some commercial divers have claimed that headache is a frequent symptom related to decompression following a saturation dive, but due to lack of systematic reporting there is limited knowledge of the incidence and clinical characteristics of such headaches. METHODS: During 2001, a questionnaire was distributed to divers participating in offshore saturation diving operations on the No

Concentrations of interleukin 6 (IL-6) and its receptor are increased in human prostate cancer. Prostate cancer LNCaP-IL-6+ cells, established after prolonged treatment with IL-6, have been found to acquire a growth advantage. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) may accelerate the growth of various tumours by stimulation of VEGF receptor 2 (VEGFR-2). To understand better the regulation of pr

We report on a method of synthesizing arrays of individually seeded nanowires. An electron beam lithography and metal lift-off method was used to pattern InP(111)B substrates with catalysing gold particles. Vertical InP(111)B nanowire arrays were then grown from the gold particles, using metal-organic vapour phase epitaxy. The lithographic nature of the method allows individual control over each n

Deficiency of mannan-binding lectin (MBL) has been reported to impact susceptibility to severe nfections and atherosclerosis in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). In this study, MBL gene polymorphisms were analysed in 143 SLE patients and the frequency of severe infections and organ damage according to SLICC/ACR Damage Index regarding cerebrovascular accidents, angina pectoris, coronary by-pass s

In type-1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) with diabetic nephropathy (DN), accumulation of abnormal proteins in the kidney and other tissues may derive from constitutive alterations of intracellular protein recognition, assembly, and turnover. We characterized the proteins involved in these functions in cultured skin fibroblasts from long-term T1DM patients with [DN+] or without [DN-] nephropathy but simi

Pulmonaria officinalis is an understorey spring geophyte, which starts its vegetative period before full foliation of the tree storey. During its early growth phase it is exposed to full solar radiation, therefore the enhanced UV-B radiation could present a threat to this species. An outdoor experiment in which potted plants were exposed to below ambient, ambient, and above ambient (corresponding

C-13 labeled methane and rhenium-boron coated plates were used at the JET tokamak as tracers for studies of the material transport, its erosion and re-deposition. Experimental procedures are described. The results are discussed in terms of processes underlying the material transport and the change of morphology of targets exposed to the plasma: physical sputtering, chemical erosion, prompt re-depo

Aim: The aim of this paper was to review the literature on the clinical importance of monitoring intra-abdominal pressure (IAP) after ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm (rAAA) repair. Method: The literature was searched for abdominal compartment syndrome (ACS) or intra-abdominal pressure and aortic aneurysm. Original articles were studied. Personal experiences were reported. Results: The Consensus

We investigated the dimensions and stability in health-related behaviors (HRBs) among midlife Swedish women, and the factors that predicted change in those behaviors. At age 43, 569 women from a representative longitudinal sample completed questionnaires about lifestyle (diet, exercise, smoking, alcohol) and participated in medical screening. Four years later we mailed a follow-up questionnaire. H

Software development is a complex area and extensive practice and reflection is required in order to obtain a good understanding of the different tasks involved in going from idea to deliverable software. To help in providing this understanding, we have developed a team programming course based on extreme programming and a coaching course. We discuss how these courses affect the curriculum, the de

The mechanism of formation of two different cubic mesoporous silica materials formed with Pluronic triblock copolymers is investigated with in situ time-resolved small-angle synchrotron X-ray scattering, in situ time-resolved H-1 nuclear magnetic resonance, and time-resolved transmission electron microscopy. The materials studied are the micellar cubic (Im (3) over barm) SBA-16 formed with Pluroni

Background & Aims: Gastrin stimulation of the type 2 cholecystokinin (CCK2) receptor results in ECL cell proliferation and histamine secretion. This report describes the effects of targeted disruption of the CCK2 receptor gene on ECL cell morphology and function. Methods: The ECL cells in the oxyntic mucosa of CCK2 receptor-deficient (knockout [KO]) vs. wild-type (WT) mice were investigated by

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of hepatic vein occlusion by stent-graft used in transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS). The experiments were performed in six healthy pigs under general anesthesia. Following percutaneous transhepatic implantation of a port-a-cath in the right hepatic vein, TIPS was created with a stent-graft (Viatorr; W L Gore, Flagstaff, AZ, US

Epidemiologic studies suggest that a high intake of fruits and vegetables is associated with decreased risk of cancers of the upper aero-digestive tract. We studied data from 345,904 subjects of the prospective European Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) recruited in seven European countries, who had completed a dietary questionnaire in 1992-1998. During 2,182,560 person years of obser

Collagen-induced arthritis ( CIA), an approved animal model for rheumatoid arthritis, is thought to be a T cell-dependent disease. There is evidence that CD8(+) T cells are a major subset controlling the pathogenesis of CIA. They probably contribute to certain features of disease, namely tissue destruction and synovial hyperplasia. In this study we examined the role of perforin (pfp), a key molecu

Introduction Methods Results Discussion Conclusion Consistent evidence underlines the utility of human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA testing in the management of women with equivocal cervical cytological abnormalities, but not in case of low-grade lesions. We performed a meta-analysis including studies where the high-risk probe of the Hybrid Capture-II is used to triage these two cytological categories