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Snus is a smokeless tobacco product traditionally used in Scandinavia and available in pouched or loose forms. The objective of this study was to determine nicotine absorption for current pouched and loose snus products in comparison with a cigarette and an over-the-counter nicotine gum. We conducted an open-label, randomized, 6-way, crossover study involving 20 healthy snus and cigarette users. O
Background: The US Environmental Protection Agency voluntary phased-out residential use of chlorpyrifos in 2001. In contrast, in Costa Rica, chlorpyrifos-treated bags are increasingly used to protect banana and plantain fruits from insects and to fulfill product standards, even in populated areas. Objectives: To evaluate children's exposure to chlorpyrifos in villages situated nearby banana planta
The thermal decomposition of BaC2O4 center dot 3.5H(2)O and BaC2O4 center dot 0.5H(2)O was investigated using in situ synchrotron X-ray and neutron powder diffraction. The decomposition routes for the barium oxalate hydrates were observed to depend on the applied heating rate. Thermal decomposition of BaC2O4 center dot 0.5H(2)O showed transformation to alpha-BaC2O4 and to beta-BaC2O4 prior to the
Proteoglycans (PGs) are important macromolecules in mammalian cells, consisting of a core protein substituted with carbohydrate chains, known as glycosaminoglycans (GAGs). Simple xylosides carrying hydrophobic aglycons can enter cells and act as primers for GAG chain synthesis, independent of the core protein. Previously it has been shown that aromatic aglycons can be separated from the sugar resi
Postprandial lipemia varies with composition of dietary fat due to partitioning of fatty acids between beta-oxidation, incorporation into TAG, and tissue lipids. Effects of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) are poorly characterized. Lipase-catalyzed transesterification was used to produce a novel ALA-oil (35% ALA) from rapeseed and linseed oil. We hypothesized a lower postprandial lipemic response with A
Background Hyper-CVAD is widely used to treat acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and aggressive lymphomas. This multicenter, population-based study assessed the efficacy of Hyper-CVAD as first-line therapy in patients with T-cell ALL (T-ALL). Patients and methods Between October 2002 and September 2006, 24 patients were diagnosed with T-ALL in Sweden; 19 were eligible for treatment with the protoc
Background The incidence of hematologic cancers increases with age. These cancers are associated with recurrent somatic mutations in specific genes. We hypothesized that such mutations would be detectable in the blood of some persons who are not known to have hematologic disorders. Methods We analyzed whole-exome sequencing data from DNA in the peripheral-blood cells of 17,182 persons who were uns
OBJECTIVE: To determine which factors increase the risk of large caesarean scar defects as assessed by transvaginal ultrasound. DESIGN: Observational cross-sectional study. SETTING: University Hospital. POPULATION: One hundred and eight women who had undergone one caesarean section. METHODS: Transvaginal ultrasound examination of the scar in the uterus 6-9 months after the caesarean. Published ult
Purpose: In addition to genomic signaling, it is accepted that estrogen receptor-alpha (ER alpha) has nonnuclear signaling functions, which correlate with tamoxifen resistance in preclinical models. However, evidence for cytoplasmic ER localization in human breast tumors is less established. We sought to determine the presence and implications of nonnuclear ER in clinical specimens. Experimental D
Context: Calotropis procera (Ait.) R. Br. (Asclepiadaceae), Ficus elastica Roxb. (Moraceae) and Zingiber officinale Roscoe (Zingiberaceae) have been traditionally used to treat many diseases. Objective: The antischistosomal activity of these plant extracts was evaluated against Schistosoma mansoni. Materials and methods: Male mice exposed to 80 +/- 10 cercariae per mouse were divided into two batc
Background: Early diagnosis of breast cancer treatment-related lymphedema (BCRL) is of great importance for longstanding treatment results. Tissue dielectric constant (TDC) and bioimpedance spectroscopy (BIS) both have a potential for early diagnosis, but have not been compared. Methods and Results: One hundred women, treated for breast cancer with breast surgery, axillary dissection, and radiothe
Low-grade inflammation has been repeatedly associated with cardiovascular diseases but the relationship with incidence of atrial fibrillation (AF) remains unclear. We explored the association between elevated plasma levels of inflammation-sensitive proteins (ISPs) and incidence of AF in a population-based cohort. Plasma levels of five ISPs (fibrinogen, haptoglobin, ceruloplasmin, α(1)-antitrypsin
The combined effect of feeding regime and photoperiod on the growth of juvenile Atlantic cod Gadus morhua in land-based recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) was examined using three different commercial diets. Fish of 8-10 g were reared in 1 m³ tanks at an initial density of 10 kg m-³ for 78 d. Three RAS units were used to simultaneously test three feed/photoperiod regimes that might be encount
Background: Overlap syndrome is a term used for overlapping features of autoimmune hepatitis and primary sclerosing cholangitis or primary biliary cirrhosis and for autoimmune cholangitis. We describe a high prevalence of small duct primary sclerosing cholangitis among patients with overlapping autoimmune hepatitis and primary sclerosing cholangitis. Methods: We sought to retrieve all patients wit
Background: Cyclosporine (CsA) absorption varies early after transplantation and can be accurately assessed by the area under the absorption curve (AUC). The 2-hour post-dose (C2) level of CsA in whole blood is reported to be a useful surrogate marker of CsA AUC in kidney and liver transplant monitoring, but should be further explored in thoracic organ recipients. Methods: In a 12-month study we i
Objectives To assess, first, the prevalence and severity of symptoms associated with the climacteric period and their treatment and, second, the prevalence of exercise, smoking and body weight in a population-based sample of Swedish women. Material and methods Prospective, longitudinal cohort study, initiated in 1992, in women aged 46, 50, 54, 58 and 62 years with a follow-up 6 years later. Inform
Helicobacter pylori can transform, in vivo as well as in vitro, from dividing spiral-shaped forms into nonculturable coccoids, with intermediate forms called U forms. The importance of nonculturable coccoid forms of H. pylori in disease transmission and antibiotic treatment failures is unclear. Metabolic activities of actively growing as well as nonculturable H. pylori were investigated by compari
Objective: To develop a short measure of physical function for knee osteoarthritis (OA) using multi-national data from. individuals with varying degrees of severity of knee OA. Methods: Rasch analysis, based on the partial credit model, was conducted on Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score and Western Ontario McMaster Universities' Osteoarthritis Index data from individuals with knee OA, r
Genomes of prokaryotes differ significantly in size and DNA composition. Escherichia coli is considered a model organism to analyze the processes involved in bacterial genome evolution, as the species comprises numerous pathogenic and commensal variants. Pathogenic and nonpathogenic E. coli strains differ in the presence and absence of additional DNA elements contributing to specific virulence tra
