Background: Ischaemia and local protease activation close to the pancreaticojejunal anastomosis (PJA) are potential mechanisms of postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF) formation. To provide information on the pathophysiology of POPF, intraperitoneal microdialysis was used to monitor metabolic changes and protease activation close to the PJA after pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD). Methods: In patient

Synthetic esters based on polyols and fatty acids possess suitable technical and ecological properties for applications as biolubricants, and can replace the mineral oil based lubricants in several applications. In this work, the synthesis of trimethylolpropane (TMP) esters with oleic acid using immobilised lipase B from Candida antarctica (Novozym (R) 435) has been studied. TMP-trioleate has suit

Generating global protein expression profiles, including also membrane proteins, will be crucial for our understanding of biological processes in health and disease. In this study, we have expanded our antibody microarray technology platform and designed the first human recombinant antibody microarray for membrane proteins targeting crude cell lysates and tissue extracts. We have optimized all key

The International Federation of Nurse Anesthetists is improving anaesthesia patient care through a voluntary Anesthesia Program Approval Process (APAP) for schools and programmes. It is the result of a coordinated effort by anaesthesia leaders from many nations to implement a voluntary quality improvement system for education. These leaders firmly believe that meeting international education stand

To study the efficacy and safety of anti-CD52 antibody (alemtuzumab) in the treatment of refractory and relapsing Behçet disease (BD).

Electron beams and betatron X-ray radiation generated by laser wakefield acceleration in long plasma targets are studied. The targets consist of hydrogen filled dielectric capillary tubes of diameter 150 to 200 microns and length 6 to 20 mm. Electron beams are observed for peak laser intensities as low as 5x10(17) W/cm(2). It is found that the capillary collects energy outside the main peak of the

At the turn of the nineteenth century, most men wore suits. One easily gets the impression that all these men look more or less identical; the suits seem to resemble uniforms. Furthermore, compared to the women’s clothing of the period, the suit seems restrained and even drab in its shape and colour. The dissertation takes up this point and examines the claim that all men look alike in a suit. The

In combination with other spectroscopy, microscopy, and scattering techniques, neutron reflectivity is a powerful tool to characterize biological systems. Specular reflection of neutrons provides structural information at the nanometer and subnanometer length scales, probing the composition and organization of layered materials. Currently, analysis of neutron reflectivity data involves several sim

We study the problem of estimating the fundamental frequencies of a signal containing multiple harmonically related sinusoidal components using a novel block sparse signal representation. An efficient algorithm for solving the resulting optimization problem is devised exploiting a novel variable step-size alternating direction method of multipliers (ADMM). The resulting algorithm has guaranteed co

We used the Aerosol Dynamics gas- and particle-phase chemistry model for laboratory CHAMber studies (ADCHAM) to simulate the contribution of BVOC plant emissions to the observed new particle formation during photooxidation experiments performed in the Julich Plant-Atmosphere Chamber and to evaluate how well smog chamber experiments can mimic the atmospheric conditions during new particle formation

Increasing obesity rates and corresponding public health problems are well-known, and disparities across socioeconomic groups are frequently reported. However, the literature is less clear on whether the increasing trends are specific to certain socioeconomic groups and whether disparities in obesity are increasing or decreasing over time. This knowledge sheds light on the understanding of the dri

BACKGROUND: The effectiveness of mammography screening for women ages 40 to 49 years still is questioned, and few studies of the effectiveness of service screening for this age group have been conducted. METHODS: Breast cancer mortality was compared between women who were invited to service screening at ages 40 to 49 years (study group) and women in the same age group who were not invited during 1

OBJECTIVE: To determine the proportion of persons with poststroke shoulder pain 4 months after onset of the stroke in whom long-lasting shoulder pain develops and to assess the extent to which age, side of paresis at stroke onset, pain frequency and pain intensity, passive shoulder range of motion, resistance to passive movements, motor function, and subluxation at 4 months after stroke predict s

In Landspitali University Hospital, magnetic resonance imaging is used non-selectively in addition to mammogram and ultrasound in the preoperative assessment of breast cancer patients. The aim of this study was to assess invasive tumor size on imaging, compare with pathological size and evaluate the impact of magnetic resonance imaging on the type of surgery performed.

This study deals with the historian Jan T Gross’ book Fear, published in 2006 in the United States and in 2008 in Poland. The book deserves special attention because it became one of the most discussed historical works in post-Communist Poland. In Fear, just as in his previous book Neighbors (2000), Gross challenged the Poles’ view of themselves as solely innocent victims of German Nazism and argu

The facultative intracellular bacterium Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) may cause severe infection in humans and livestock. Control of acute listeriosis is primarily dependent on innate immune responses, which are strongly regulated by NF-kappa B, and tissue protective factors including fibrin. However, molecular pathways connecting NF-kappa B and fibrin production are poorly described. Here, we inves

The financial crisis starting in 2008 made many European countries opt for a change of exchange rate regime. The choice of price measure as an entry requirement to the European Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) and as input in the monetary policy decision process re‐appeared as an important political and research issue. This paper aims to argue that, considering the importance of producer prices i

Autoimmunity against pancreatic islet beta cells is strongly associated with proinsulin, insulin, or both. The insulin autoreactivity is particularly pronounced in children with young age at onset of type 1 diabetes. Possible mechanisms for (pro)insulin autoimmunity may involve beta-cell destruction resulting in proinsulin peptide presentation on HLA-DR-DQ Class II molecules in pancreatic draining

In 2005, methylisothiazolinone (MI) on its own came into use as a preservative. Prior to that, MI was always present together with methylchloroisothiazolinone (MCI). Can the pattern of reactivity to the separate active ingredients in allergic patients tell us something about the primary sensitizer?