A Geant4-based Python/C++ simulation and coding framework, which has been developed and used in order to aid the R&D efforts for thermal neutron detectors at neutron scattering facilities, is described. Built upon configurable geometry and generator modules, it integrates a general purpose object oriented output file format with meta-data, developed to facilitate a faster turn-around time when

Purpose: The aim of the present study was to assess the occurrence of reported subjective oral dryness in relation to objective sialometric values in a randomly selected group and a dental care-seeking group. Materials and Methods: A questionnaire assessing subjective oral dryness was sent out to a randomly selected sample of 200 individuals. The dental care-seeking group was recruited from among

Introduction: Twelve-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) is used to screen for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), but up to 25% of HCM patients do not have distinctly abnormal ECGs, whereas up to 5% to 15% of healthy athletes do. We hypothesized that an approximately 5-minute resting advanced 12-lead ECG test ("A-ECG score") could detect HCM with greater sensitivity than pooled conventional ECG criteria

Recent epidemiological as well as in vivo and in vitro studies collectively suggest that the metalloestrogen cadmium (Cd) could be a potential risk factor for hormone-related cancers in particularly breast cancer. Assessment of the association between Cd exposure and levels of endogenous sex hormones is of pivotal importance, as increased levels of such have been associated with a higher risk of b

In this article, we discuss the structure and composition of mixed DNA-cationic surfactant adsorption layers on both hydrophobic and hydrophilic solid surfaces. We have focused on the effects of the bulk concentrations, the surfactant chain length, and the type solid surface on the interfacial layer structure (the location, coverage, and conformation the e DNA and surfactant molecules). Neutron re

Experimental studies have suggested that autoimmunity is involved in atherosclerosis and provided evidence that both protective and pro-atherogenic immune responses exist. This concept has received support from small clinical studies implicating autoantibodies directed against apolipoprotein B-100 (apoB-100) in human atherosclerosis. We examined circulating autoantibodies directed against native a

Background: An unexplained survival difference was observed in the Nordic Myeloma Study Group (NMSG) high-dose therapy trial 5/94 in Denmark compared with Sweden and Norway; however, this difference was eliminated in the subsequent NMSG trial 7/98. It was hypothesized that a detailed analysis of potential explanations would reveal important information for future designs of clinical trials for mul

Inti gen. nov. (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae: Entedoninae), is described from Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic, and includes one new species, I. levis sp. nov. The new genus is characterized by four autapomorphies, and the possession of an additional 14 synapomorphies. Inti is compared to the Australian genus Horismenoides Girault with which it shares the most apomorphies, indicating a possible si

Background: Fall-related fractures are an increasing problem for society. Dizziness is identified as a risk factor for falls and vestibular asymmetry is often found among patients with fall-related fractures. An option to prevent fall-related fractures may be to identify patients with vestibular asymmetry and to improve their balance and asymmetry by exercise. Objective: To examine whether vestibu

In various tumors inactivation of growth control is achieved by interfering with the RB1 signaling pathway. Here, we describe that RB1 and γ tubulin proteins moderate each other's expression by binding to their respective gene promoters. Simultaneous reduction of RB1 and γ tubulin protein levels result in an E2F1-dependent upregulation of apoptotic genes such as caspase 3. We report that in variou

Shrunken Pore Syndrome was recently suggested for the pathophysiologic state in patients characterized by an estimation of their glomerular filtration rate (GFR) based upon cystatin C, which is lower or equal to 60% of their estimated GFR based upon creatinine, i.e. when eGFRcystatin C ≤ 60% of eGFRcreatinine. Not only the cystatin C level, but also the levels of other low molecular mass proteins

Human galectin-4 is a lectin that is expressed mainly in the gastrointestinal tract and exhibits metastasis-promoting roles in some cancers. Its tandem-repeat nature exhibits two distinct carbohydrate recognition domains allowing crosslinking by simultaneous binding to sulfated and non-sulfated (but not sialylated) glycosphingolipids and glycoproteins, facilitating stabilization of lipid rafts. Cr

FKBPs (FK506-binding proteins) have long been recognized as key regulators of the response to immunosuppressant drugs and as co-chaperones of steroid receptor complexes. More recently, evidence has emerged suggesting that this diverse protein family may also represent cancer biomarkers owing to their roles in cancer progression and response to treatment. FKBPL (FKBP-like) is a novel FKBP with role

OBJECTIVE: To construct an artificial neural network (ANN) model to predict survival after liver resection for colorectal cancer (CRC) metastases. BACKGROUND: CRC liver metastases are fatal if untreated and resection can possibly be curative. Predictive models stratify patients into risk categories to predict prognosis and select those who can benefit from aggressive multidisciplinary treatment an

A search for flavour changing neutral current (FCNC) processes in top-quark decays by the ATLAS Collaboration is presented. Data collected from pp collisions at the LHC at a centre-of-mass energy of root s = 7 TeV during 2011, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 2.1 fb(-1), were used. A search was performed for top-quark pair-production events, with one top quark decaying through the t ->

OBJECTIVE: Previous smaller studies have indicated inverse associations between autoantibodies to oxidized low-density lipoprotein epitopes, and cardiovascular disease. The present study investigated associations between autoantibodies against the apolipoprotein B-100 peptides p45 and p210, respectively, and risk of incident cardiovascular disease in a large population-based cohort. APPROACH AND

Effective pair potentials between charged colloids, obtained from Monte Carlo simulations of two single colloids in a closed cell at the primitive model level, are shown to reproduce accurately the structure of aqueous salt-free colloidal dispersions, as determined from full primitive model simulations by Linse et al. (Linse, P.; Lobaskin, V. Electrostatic Attraction and Phase Separation in Soluti

The Gram-positive species Streptococcus pneumoniae is a human pathogen causing severe local and life-threatening invasive diseases associated with high mortality rates and death. We demonstrated recently that pneumococcal endopeptidase O (PepO) is an ubiquitously expressed, multifunctional plasminogen and fibronectin binding protein facilitating host cell invasion and evasion of innate immunity. I

Playfulness is easily overlooked in studies of total institutions because it does not match what we expect from institutional order. By studying playfulness ethnographically, social life in today’s institutions can be depicted both more naturalistically and more unexpectedly. This article explores how members of Swedish youth care institutions enact and respond to playful disputes or aggression in

BACKGROUND: The metabolic syndrome (MetS) has been related to an increased risk of colorectal cancer, but the modest size of previous studies precluded detailed characterization of the role of individual MetS factors and their interaction on risk. METHODS: In the Metabolic Syndrome and Cancer Project (Me-Can), data on body mass index (BMI), blood pressure, and blood levels of glucose, cholesterol,