To study waist-hip ratio (WHR), waist circumference (WC), sagittal abdominal diameter (SAD), and waist-hip-height ratio (WHHR) as predictors of CVD, in men and women stratified by BMI (cut-off ≥25).

Rapid transition from glow discharge to thermal arc has been a common problem in generating stable high-power non-thermal plasmas especially at ambient conditions. A sustained diffusive gliding arc discharge was generated in a large volume in atmospheric pressure air, driven by an alternating current (AC) power source. The plasma column extended beyond the water-cooled stainless steel electrodes a

The observed increased risks of gastric cancer among first-generation immigrants compared to those in Swedes suggest the role of childhood environmental exposure in the risk of this disease.

Energy-dense diets that are high in fat are associated with a risk of metabolic diseases. The underlying molecular mechanisms could involve epigenetics, as recent data show altered DNA methylation of putative type 2 diabetes candidate genes in response to high-fat diets. We examined the effect of a short-term high-fat overfeeding (HFO) diet on genome-wide DNA methylation patterns in human skeletal

Environmental and process control applications have needs for sensors that operate continuously or repeatedly, making them applicable to batch measurement and flowing product stream measurement. Additionally, for lactose monitoring in dairy-processing plants, the sensors must have sufficient flexibility to handle a wide range of substrate concentration and be resilient to withstand wide pH excursi

Epiphytic dwarf males on the females present a possible solution to the problem of short fertilization distances in mosses. However, leptokurtic spore dispersal makes dwarf males likely to be closely related to their host shoot, with an accompanying risk of inbreeding. The capacity of a female to harbour a high number of different dwarf males suggests that there may be mechanisms in place that cou

Astrand H, Stalhand J, Karlsson J, Karlsson M, Sonesson B, Lanne T. In vivo estimation of the contribution of elastin and collagen to the mechanical properties in the human abdominal aorta: effect of age and sex. J Appl Physiol 110: 176-187, 2011. First published November 11, 2010; doi:10.1152/japplphysiol.00579.2010.-The mechanical properties of the aorta affect cardiac function and are related t

Severe acute pancreatitis (AP) often leads to distant organ dysfunction with a high morbidity and mortality rate. The most common and earliest organ to fail is the lungs, but the exact pathophysiological mechanisms underlying the disease are still unclear. No successful targeted therapy exists, and treatment is limited to organ supportive care. It is believed that the gut is involved in the develo

Shibanqiao Reservoir (0.24 km(2)) and Xiaohe Reservoir (0.28 km(2)) have catchments of 6.00 km(2) and 22.69 km(2), respectively. They essentially represent "strongly eroded" (Shibanqiao) and "mildly eroded" (Xiaohe) regions in Guizhou Plateau, southwestern China. Sediment cores were retrieved from the two reservoirs and soils were also sampled from their catchments. Mineral magnetic measurements w

Motivational internalism postulates a necessary connection between moral judgments and motivation. In arguing for and against internalism, metaethicists traditionally appeal to intuitions about cases, but crucial cases often yield conflicting intuitions. One way to try to make progress, possibly uncovering theoretical bias and revealing whether people have conceptions of moral judgments required f

Objectives: Analysis of fetal arterial and venous Doppler predictability for adverse perinatal outcome. Methods: Blood flow in the uterine, umbilical and middle cerbral arteries, umbilical vein, ductus venosus and Galen vein were examined with in 72 h of delivery in 88 high-risk pregnancies. The managing clinicians were only informed about the results of the umbilical artery Doppler. The Doppler r

AIMS: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a frequent co-morbidity in heart failure (HF) associated with increased mortality, but little is known about the mechanisms underlying AF onset in HF patients. We evaluated the association of cardiovascular and genetic risk factors with AF in HF patients. METHODS AND RESULTS: Individuals hospitalized for HF (n = 1040; 500 with AF) were identified from a large, pop

Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are widely used in a variety of industrial processes and products, and have been detected globally in humans and wildlife. PFASs are suspected to interfere with endocrine signaling and to adversely affect human reproductive health. The aim of the present study was to investigate the associations between exposure to PFASs and sperm global methylation levels in a po

Amyloid diseases such as Alzheimer, Parkinson, and prion diseases are associated with a specific form of protein mis-folding and aggregation into oligomers and fibrils rich in beta-sheet structure. The BRICHOS domain consisting of similar to 100 residues is found in membrane proteins associated with degenerative and proliferative disease, including lung fibrosis (surfactant protein C precursor; pr

The development of antimicrobial resistance of Neisseria gonorrhoeae arising from wide dissemination of resistant clones is a major global health problem. In this study, a total of 235 isolates of N. gonorrhoeae isolated from patients of Bangrak Hospital were tested for their antibiotic susceptibilities to penicillin, norfloxacin, ofloxacin, ciprofloxacin, spectinomycin, and ceftriaxone. Mutation

Arctic and boreal/temperate species are likely to be evolutionary adapted to different light regimes. Currently, the boreal/temperate Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) is coexisting with the native polar cod (Boreogadus saida) in the Arctic waters around Svalbard, Norway. Here, we studied light/dark adaptative optical plasticity of their eye lenses by exposing fish to bright light during the polar night

This methodological study was conducted to examine the suitability and reliability of the diary form to measure lighting use in work places. The occupants of 18 single-occupant offices were asked to report in diary form on their lighting-use-related activities and times present in their offices for one workday every two months from June 2009 through May 2010. Electronic measurement of the occupant

The microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF) is a key regulator of melanocyte development and a lineage-specific oncogene in melanoma; a highly lethal cancer known for its unpredictable clinical course. MITF is regulated by multiple intracellular signaling pathways although the exact mechanisms that determine MITF expression and activity remain incompletely understood. In this study,