The ability to reproduce a specified head-on-trunk position can be an indirect test of cervical proprioception. This ability is affected in subjects with neck pain, but it is unclear whether and how much pain or continuous muscle contraction factors contribute to this effect. We studied the influence of a static unilateral neck muscle contraction task (5 min of lateral flexion at 30% of maximal vo

BACKGROUND: We have measured blood lead concentrations (B-Pb) in Swedish children, yearly since 1978. As reported previously, a substantial decrease of B-Pb was found for the period 1978-1994 (2440 children measured), as an effect of gradual reduction of lead in petrol. In another report focusing on the petrol-lead-free period 1995-2001, we noted that B-Pb seemed to stabilize at an average level c

Internal return migration has received limited attention in most western countries, despite studies attesting to its potential for helping understand population redistribution. This paper compares differences in self-reported motives for migration between return and non-return migrants. Particular attention is paid to differences in individual characteristics and in the types of places these two m

L1CAM gene mutations cause neurodevelopmental disorders collectively termed L1 syndrome. Insufficient information about L1CAM variants complicates clinical prognosis, genetic diagnosis and genetic counseling. We combined clinical data, in silico effect predictions and functional analysis of four L1CAM variants, p.I37N, p.D202Y, p.M172I and p.T38M, located to the two N-terminal Ig-like domains pres

A chain is no stronger than its weakest link is an old idiom that holds true for muscle biology. As the name implies, skeletal muscle's main function is to move the bones. However, for a muscle to transmit force and withstand the stress that contractions give rise to, it relies on a chain of proteins attaching the cytoskeleton of the muscle fiber to the surrounding extracellular matrix. The import

PURPOSE: To better direct targeted therapies to the patients with tumors that express the target, there is an urgent need for blood-based assays that provide expression information on a consistent basis in real time with minimal patient discomfort. We aimed to use immunomagnetic-capture technology to isolate and analyze circulating tumor cells (CTC) from small volumes of peripheral blood of patien

BACKGROUND: The (anti neutrophil cytoplasmatic autoantibody ANCA), associated small vessel vasculitides (ASVV) are relapsing-remitting inflammatory disorders, involving various organs, such as the kidneys. (Monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 MCP-1) has been shown to be locally up regulated in glomerulonephritis and recent studies have pointed out MCP-1 as a promising marker of renal inflammation.

The aim of this investigation was to assess the outcome of secondary alveolar bone grafts 6 months after the procedure and examine the possible influence of patient sex, age at surgery, cleft width, and dehiscence of mucosa and sequestered bone at 2 weeks.

OBJECTIVES: To establish iodine (I) contrast medium (CM) doses iso-attenuating with gadolinium (Gd) CM doses regarded diagnostic in CTA and percutaneous catheter-angiography/vascular interventions (PCA/PVI) in azotemic patients. METHODS: CT Hounsfield units (HU) were measured in 20-mL syringes containing 0.01/0.02,/0.05/0.1 mmol/mL of iodine or gadolinium atoms and placed in phantoms. Relative con

Recently measured radiative lifetimes of the Rydberg series 6pnd 1/2[5/2](2)(0) and 1/2[3/2](2)(0) (n = 6 - 13) of PbI [Li et al., Phys. Rev. A 57, 3443 (1998)] have been compared with theoretical values obtained by means of multichannel quantum defect theory (MQDT) analyses. The MQDT parameters were obtained from experimentally determined energy levels. The channel admixture coefficients were cal

Electromagnetic scattering from a perfectly conducting elliptic disk is treated by means of the null-field approach. The disk is obtained as the zero-thickness limit of an ellipsoid. It is shown that in this limit all relevant matrix elements have a well-defined limit. Owing to the lack of axial symmetry, an integral that can not be solved analytically remains in the azimuthal angle. In an appendi

Artificial neural networks interpretation of myocardial perfusion scintigraphy (MPS) has so far been based on image data alone. Physicians reporting MPS often combine image and clinical data. The aim was to evaluate whether neural network interpretation would be improved by adding clinical data to image data. Four hundred and eighteen patients were used for training and 532 patients for testing th

OBJECTIVES: To explore the possibility that a paleolithic-like diet can be used in the prevention of age-related degenerative Western disease. METHODS: Literature review of African Paleolithic foods in relation to recent evidence of healthy nutrition. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Available evidence lends weak support in favor and little against the notion that lean meat, fish, vegetables, tubers, and f