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Purpose: To evaluate the posterior capsule opacification (PCO) rates in three different modern standard intraocular lenses (IOL) and analyse the related cost. Methods: Retrospective study of medical records from 1527 patients who underwent uneventful cataract surgery by phacoemulsification with posterior chamber implantation of either AcrySof SN60 (n = 375), Akreos Adapt (n = 350) or Tecnis Acry
The present study aimed to investigate how the impact of several factors linked to geography would shape life-history traits in a gregarious species, using the pine processionary moth (PPM) Thaumetopoea pityocampa as a model system. PPM has a wide geographical distribution over the Mediterranean Basin, and it is a strictly gregarious species throughout larval development, where the total reproduct
Widespread negative correlations between summertime-mean temperatures and precipitation over land regions are a well-known feature of terrestrial climate. This behavior has generally been interpreted in the context of soil moisture atmosphere coupling, with soil moisture deficits associated with reduced rainfall leading to enhanced surface sensible heating and higher surface temperature. The prese
Objectives We sought to replicate the association between the kinesin-like protein 6 (KIF6) Trp719Arg polymorphism (rs20455), and clinical coronary artery disease (CAD). Background Recent prospective studies suggest that carriers of the 719Arg allele in KIF6 are at increased risk of clinical CAD compared with noncarriers. Methods The KIF6 Trp719Arg polymorphism (rs20455) was genotyped in 19 case-c
The islets of Langerhans are key regulators of glucose homeostasis and have been known as a structure for almost one and a half centurys now. During the twentieth century several different cell types were described in the islets of different species and at different developmental stages. Six cell types with identified hormonal product have been described so far by the use of histochemical staining
The Sao Francisco Craton (SFC) is an Archaean craton that hosts a significant number of mafic intrusions. Previous attempts to date the igneous emplacement of these rocks are limited to a few dates of poor precision. Here, two dyke swarms from the Uaua Block in the northeastern portion of the craton were dated using U-Pb on baddeleyite (ID-TIMS) and zircon (SIMS). The older dyke swarm trends mainl
The primary source of dissolved silicon (Si: DSi) is the weathering of silicate minerals. In recent years, it has been shown that Si cycling through vegetation creates a more soluble Si pool in the soil, as amorphous Si (ASi) deposits in plants (phytoliths) are returned to the soil through litter. Amorphous Si accumulation in soils depends on a number of factors, including land use. In addition to
Ancient DNA trapped in the matrices of ceramic transport jars from Mediterranean shipwrecks can reveal the goods traded in the earliest markets. Scholars generally assume that the amphora cargoes of 5th-3rd century B.C. Greek shipwrecks contained wine, or to a much lesser extent olive oil. Remnant DNA inside empty amphoras allows us to test that assumption. We show that short 100 nucleotides of an
Protein kinase B (PKB)/Akt has been strongly implicated in the insulin-dependent stimulation of GLUT4 translocation and glucose transport in skeletal muscle and fat cells. Recently an allosteric inhibitor of PKB (Akti) that selectively targets PKB alpha and -beta was reported, but as yet its precise mechanism of action or ability to suppress key insulin-regulated events such as glucose and amino a
Individual differences in animal behavior can be attributed to genetic as well as non-genetic influences. One mechanism by which the behavioral phenotype of an individual can be shaped is via transmission of maternal sex steroids. In this study, we examined the role of yolk testosterone (T) in controlling neophobia in 9-month-old, sexually mature zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata). Offspring hatc
Hyaluronan is a free glycosaminoglycan which is abundant in the extracellular matrix of the developing brain. Although not covalently linked to any protein it can act as a backbone molecule forming aggregates with chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans of the lectican family and link proteins. Using neurocan-GFP as a direct histochemical probe we analyzed the distribution and organization of hyaluronan
MAIN QUESTION: To compare the diagnostic properties of Endorette and D&C in women with postmenopausal bleeding, to relate the properties to endometrial thickness as measured by ultrasound, and to assess the women's experiences of the two methods. METHODS: In a prospective study, 133 consecutive women with postmenopausal bleeding were examined with transvaginal ultrasound. After measuring the e
Background: Lack of generalized guidelines for DNA flow cytometric analysis (FCM) may be the main reason for its limited use in the clinical management of breast cancer. Methods: After an initial interlaboratory reproducibility study (Round 1), we concluded that it was the evaluation of the DNA histograms rather than the technical performance of the analysis that was the main reason for discordant
Background: Hyper- as well as hypoglycemia may be detrimental for brain energy metabolism and even a moderate increase in blood glucose concentration can affect outcome adversely. During physiological conditions, glucose concentration obtained from microdialysis of subcutaneous adipose tissue adequately reflects plasma glucose concentration. This study examines whether this correlation is also obt
The interaction between cystatin C variants, in which the evolutionarily conserved Gly-11 residue was substituted by Ala, Glu or Trp, and the cysteine proteinases, papain, ficin, actinidin and cathepsin B, was characterized. The substitutions reduced the affinity of binding in a manner consistent with the Gly residue of the wild-type inhibitor, allowing the N-terminal region to adopt a conformatio
Stabilisation of electrochemically deposited Prussian blue (PB) films on glassy carbon (GC) electrodes has been investigated and an enhancement in the stability of the PB films is reported if the electrodes are treated with tetrabutyl ammonium toluene-4-sulfonate (TTS) in the electrochemical activation step following the electrodeposition. A multi-enzyme PB based biosensor for sucrose detection wa
The study evaluates the factor structure and predictive validity of the symptom questionnaire EUROQUEST (EQ) that had been developed with the goal of simplifying the evaluation of health effects associated with long-term solvent exposure. The EQ was added to the normal evaluation procedures for 118 male patients with suspected solvent-induced toxic encephalopathy (TE) referred to seven Swedish cli
The synthesis and contents of extracellular non-collagenous matrix macromolecules was studied in early and late human osteoarthritic (OA) cartilage obtained at surgery for sarcomas in the lower extremities (normal and early OA) or for total knee replacement (late stage OA). The early OA samples were those that had some fibrillation in the joint by visual examination. One group had fibrillation in
Atmospheric deposition of N and S appears to have caused nutrient imbalance in Norway spruce stands in southern Sweden. This calls for a change of forest management to procedures that promote nutrient balance. Studies have shown lower soil acidity in Norway spruce/deciduous mixed stands than in spruce monocultures, but the tree nutrient status in such mixtures has not been much investigated so far
Findings in previous studies have suggested nitric oxide (NO) to be a regulator of mucociliary activity in the upper airways. The aim of the present investigation was to study whether a correlation exists between the nasal NO concentration and mucociliary function in patients suffering from respiratory tract diseases such as chronic sinusitis or recurrent pneumonia. Nasal NO was measured with a ch
