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Amphibians are declining worldwide, but lack of long-term regional data makes identifying possible causes difficult, hindering conservation efforts. We evaluated whether habitat destruction, terrestrial habitat adjacent to ponds and the physico-chemical characteristics of ponds could explain the regional and local decline of the spadefoot toad (Pelobates fuscus) in Sweden. Analyses of aerial photo

This investigation determined the effects of fermented oat-based products containing both native and microbial beta-glucans on plasma lipids and on fecal total bacterial count and Bifidobacterium ssp. The study was randomized, double blind with 3 parallel groups. Sixty-two free-living volunteers with moderately increased plasma cholesterol levels were recruited. In the final analysis, 56 subjects

The DyDOC model simulates the C dynamics of forest soils, including the production and transport of dissolved organic matter (DOM), on the basis of soil hydrology, metabolic processes, and sorption reactions. The model recognizes three main pools of soil C: litter, substrate (an intermediate transformation product), and humic substances. The model was used to simulate the behavior of C in the 0 ho

In anesthetized rabbits (n = 25) subject to slow intravenous saline loading (0.4 ml.min-1.kg-1) for 3 h, we measured pulmonary interstitial pressure (Pip) in intact in situ lungs with glass micropipettes inserted directly into the lung parenchyma via a "pleural window." Measurements were done in apneic animals at the end-expiratory volume with O2 delivered in the trachea. Pip was -10 +/- 1.5 (SD)

Aim. This observational study was undertaken in order to analyse whether any differences could be detected between diabetic and non-diabetic patients with critical limb ischemia (CLI) concerning the inflammatory response. Methods. A total number of 259 consecutive patients with CLI were treated between October 2001 and January 2003. Results. Among the 259 patients, 135 (52%) had diabetes, previous

Dietary phytoestrogens may play a role in chronic disease occurrence. The aim of our study was to assess the variability of plasma concentrations in European populations. We included 15 geographical regions in 9 European countries (Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Spain, Sweden, The Netherlands, and UK) and a 16th region, Oxford, UK, where participants were recruited from among vegans and

There is current interest in fish consumption and marine omega-3 (n-3) fatty acids and breast cancer risk. Some in vitro and animal studies have suggested an inhibitory effect of marine n-3 fatty acids on breast cancer growth, but the results from epidemiological studies that have examined the association between fish consumption and breast cancer risk in humans are inconsistent. We examined fish

The present study examined plasma lipoprotein, lipoprotein lipase, hepatic lipase, and insulin levels in men with borderline hypertension (diastolic blood pressure 85 to 94 mm Hg) compared with age-matched normotensive control subjects (diastolic blood pressure less than or equal to 80 mm Hg, n = 75 + 75). High-density lipoprotein (HDL) subclasses were determined in a subset (n = 45 + 45). While t

Dedicated clinics have been established for the early diagnosis and treatment of women at risk for inherited breast cancer, but the effects of such interventions are currently unproven. This second report on prospectively diagnosed inherited breast cancer from the European collaborating centres supports the previous conclusions and adds information on genetic heterogeneity and the effect of oophor

Purpose: To evaluate long-term patency and clinical efficacy of subintimal angioplasty (SAP) of occluded infrainguinal arteries 3 years post procedure. Methods: One hundred eighty-one patients (92 men; median age 79 years) underwent attempted SAP in 193 limbs with occluded infrainguinal arteries during the period 1999 to 2001. Nearly half (83, 46%) of the patients had diabetes. Most (172, 95%) had

A new member of the human cystatin superfamily, called cystatin E, has been found by expressed sequence tag (EST) sequencing in amniotic cell and fetal skin epithelial cell cDNA libraries. The sequence of a full-length amniotic cell cDNA clone contained an open reading frame encoding a putative 28-residue signal peptide and a mature protein of 121 amino acids, including four cysteine residues and

To study the effects of the new vasodilating beta-blocking agent carvedilol on a variety of metabolic, hemodynamic, and ECG parameters of importance for the clinical outcome of acute myocardial infarction (AMI), we infused epinephrine (EPI) in healthy male volunteers on two separate occasions to serum concentrations of the same level reached in AMI. Before the EPI infusions, the volunteers were pr

OBJECTIVE: To assess the frequency of epilepsy in primary and secondary antiphospholipid syndrome (APS); to analyze the clinical and laboratory features characterizing those with epilepsy in a cohort of 538 patients with APS; and to find associated features that would suggest risk factors for epilepsy in APS. METHODS: We analyzed the clinical features of patients with APS who had epilepsy and comp

BACKGROUND. Radiotherapy is a known risk factor for sarcoma development. Postirradiation sarcomas arise within the radiation field after a latency period of several years and usually are highly malignant. Very little is yet known about their genetic changes. METHODS. Twenty-seven postirradiation sarcomas were analyzed by comparative genomic hybridization, which allows genome-wide screening of DNA

Background Primary Sjogren's syndrome (pSS) is an autoimmune rheumatic disease mainly characterised by focal mononuclear cell infiltration in the salivary and lacrimal glands, and by the symptoms xerostomia and keratoconjunctivitis sicca. Germinal centre-like structures (GC) are found in the minor salivary glands of approximately 25% of patients. In this study, we aimed to assess genetic variation

Background. Although muscle wasting may lead to decreased ammonia detoxification in cirrhosis, the potential role of lean mass depletion in hepatic encephalopathy (HE) has not been explored. Anemia, hormonal abnormalities, and psychological distress may contribute to cognitive dysfunction, but data on their potential relation to HE are limited. Methods. Data on 108 cirrhotic liver transplant candi