Concerns over the threats of terrorism, piracy, and armed robbery against ships resulted in a number of International Maritime Organization (IMO) initiatives in the 1980s and 1990s including, inter alia, the establishment of an anti-piracy program, the development of guidelines for ship security, and the adoption of the Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts Against the Safety of Maritime

After infection with Borrelia burgdorferi, humans and mice under certain conditions develop arthritis. Initiation of inflammation is dependent on the migration of innate immune cells to the site of infection, controlled by interactions of a variety of adhesion molecules. In this study, we used the newly synthesized compound S18407, which is a prodrug of the active drug S16197, to analyze the funct

Splitting the Nash single linear reservoir into two serially connected reservoirs of unequal storage coefficients (one hybrid unit) for a physically realistic response, a hybrid model is introduced for derivation of a synthetic unit hydrograph. Empirical relations are given for estimation of the two storage coefficients from known peak flow (q(p)) and time to peak (t(p)). The hybrid model with two

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The role of environmental markers in memory performance among centenarians was examined in a study comparing non-cognitive factors to various aspects of memory performance. The centenarian group participating in the study consisted of 100 individuals (82 females and 18 males). Selected as non-cognitive factors were Quality of Life, Life-Habits, Health, Personality, and Autonomy. These factors were

Ion beam irradiation of silicon followed by electrochemical etching has been used to produce fluid anchor points on a sample target plate for matrix assisted laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry. Non-porous areas on the fabricated target plate serve as anchor points for sample deposition. High hydrophobicity of the macroporous silicon surface surrounding anchor points intrinsically led to

OBJECTIVES: Acrylate-styrene copolymer polish has been used to protect the surface of linoleum flooring since the 1960s. Problems with powdering of floor polish were observed at an early stage. In a secondary school in Linkoping, Sweden, this phenomenon occurred in the winter of 1994-1995 and the pupils frequently reported irritative symptoms from the eyes and airways. This study was undertaken to

Objective: To determine whether TNF blockers increase tumour risk in patients with RA. Material and methods: The South Swedish Arthritis Treatment Group register (SSATG) comprises over 90% of anti-TNF treated patients with RA in the area. 757 patients treated with etanercept or infliximab included between 1 February 1999 and 31 December 2002 were identified. 800 patients with conventional antirheu

An efficient scheme for the simulation of quasi-static crack growth in two-dimensional linearly elastic isotropic specimens is presented. The crack growth is simulated in a stepwise manner where an extension to the already existing crack is added in each step. In a local coordinate system each such extension is represented as a polynomial of some, user specified, degree, n. The coefficients of the

Background: Preterm birth is the primary cause of the neonatal mortality and morbidity. There will be no preterm birth without a cervical softening. Nitric oxide ( NO) is shown to be a mediator of term cervical ripening. The aim of this study was to investigate mRNA expression of the three isomers of NO synthases ( NOS) and to identify them by immunohistochemistry in the human cervix at preterm bi

Dextran-conjugated EGF (EGF-dextran) has a potential use for targeted radionuclide therapy of tumors that overexpress the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). There are plans to treat both bladder carcinomas and malignant gliomas with local injections of radiolabeled EGF-dextran since these tumors often express high levels of EGFR. In this report we show that EGF and EGF-dextran differentially

Geographic isolation of small populations in refugia during late Pleistocene glaciations resulted in population differentiation that in some cases lead to speciation. We report the karyotype of Microtus bavaricus, an evolutionary young and threatened rodent endemic to the Alps. Our results show that the karyotype of M. bavaricus is almost identical to that of M. liechtensteini (2N = 46, NF = 54).

Polyelectrolytes are known to mediate significant forces between macroions, or charged colloidal particles. This review highlights the research efforts made to understand the underlying mechanisms, and to predict the impact of polyelectrolyte addition to a dispersion of macroions.

Aims The aim was to determine the course of islet cell antibodies [glutamate decarboxylase (GADA), tyrosine phosphatase-like islet antigen 2 (IA-2A) and islet cell (ICA)] after the diagnosis of the diabetic patient. Methods The Diabetes Incidence Study in Sweden (DISS) attempted to prospectively enrol all newly diagnosed diabetic patients aged 15-34 years during 1992 and 1993. C-peptide and autoan

It is unclear whether high levels of antigen-specific islet antibodies [GADA (glutamic acid decarboxylase 65 antibodies) and IA2-ab (protein tyrosine phosphatase-like protein antibodies)] predict beta-cell failure in patients with onset of diabetes in adult age. Therefore, GADA and IA2-ab levels at the diagnosis of diabetes were related to fasting plasma C-peptide levels 5 yr later in 148 patients

In the first chapter we test if Purchasing Power Parity, PPP, is empirically valid and when that is not the case we test if productivity growth differences can account for the deviations from PPP by co-integration analysis. Interestingly, the results lend support in favour of PPP in several cases and when PPP is rejected GDP per capita growth rate differences seem to explain the long-run deviation