The inflammatory mediator procalcitonin (PCT) has previously been associated with prognosis in myocardial infarction, cancer and sepsis patients. The importance of PCT in the general population is currently unknown. Our aim was to assess the relationship between plasma PCT and the risk of all-cause and cause-specific mortality in apparently healthy individuals with no previous history of cardiovas

Determining the electronic and geometric structures of photoexcited transient species with high accuracy is crucial for understanding their fundamental photochemistry and controlling their photoreactivity. We have applied X-ray transient absorption spectroscopy to measure the XANES and EXAFS spectra of a dilute (submillimolar) solution of the osmium(II) polypyridyl complex [Os(bpy)(2)dcbpy](PF6)(2

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the most prevalent form of liver cancer, is difficult to diagnose and has limited treatment options with a low survival rate. Aside from a few key risk factors, such as hepatitis, high alcohol consumption, smoking, obesity, and diabetes, there is incomplete etiologic understanding of the disease and little progress in identification of early risk biomarkers.

Background: Neuroblastoma (NB) tumours are commonly divided into three cytogenetic subgroups. However, by unsupervised principal components analysis of gene expression profiles we recently identified four distinct subgroups, r1-r4. In the current study we characterized these different subgroups in more detail, with a specific focus on the fourth divergent tumour subgroup (r4). Methods: Expression

Noxious stimulation of the skin with either chemical, electrical or heat stimuli leads to the development of primary hyperalgesia at the site of injury, and to secondary hyperalgesia in normal skin surrounding the injury. Secondary hyperalgesia is inducible in most individuals and is attributed to central neuronal sensitization. Some individuals develop large areas of secondary hyperalgesia (high-

Abstract. Under the influence of U.S. government regulations, enforcement of anti-bribery laws and embarrassing corruption scandals, major global corporations have realized that unethical conduct may affect not only their reputations but their profits. This development has given rise to a new position within the traditional management team: the ethics and compliance officer (who differs from the e

Neutron dark-field imaging constitutes a seminal progress in the field of neutron imaging as it combines real space resolution capability with information provided by one of the most significant neutron scattering techniques, namely small angle scattering. The success of structural characterizations bridging the gap between macroscopic and microscopic features has been enabled by the introduction

We have investigated nuclear fragmentation reactions of a relativistic Pb-208 beam. Ten isomeric states for nuclei with A = 142-152 and Z = 62-67 were observed. Measured isomeric ratios were compared, together with values from other experiments, with prediction of theoretical models. The discrepancies between the experimental and theoretical values were discussed in terms of transitions by-passing

This paper explores the role of relationships in the emergence of a network's value creation structure. The strategic navigation from creative exploration to global exploitation through the use of so-called transformation networks is particularly highlighted. The creativity phase requires a creator with visionary leadership. The commercialisation phase, on the other hand, requires technology integ

The oxidized Ag(111) surface has been studied by a combination of experimental and theoretical methods, scanning tunneling microscopy, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and density functional theory. A large variety of different surface structures is found, depending on the detailed preparation conditions. The observed structures fall into four classes: (a) individually chemisorbed atomic oxygen a

A calibration model was developed for a non-invasive blood glucose sensor, to determine how the blood glucose data measured by this sensor is related to blood glucose data measured with laboratory capillary finger sticks and to corrupting noise. The variability of calibration models for different patients was analyzed as well as the dynamics of the non-invasive blood glucose sensor according to re

Measurements are presented of single and double-differential dijet cross sections in diffractive photoproduction based on a data sample with an integrated luminosity of 47 pb(-1). The events are of the type ep -> eXY, where the hadronic system X contains at least two jets and is separated by a large rapidity gap from the system Y, which consists of a leading proton or low-mass proton excitation. T

The article relates the concept of God's "plan" in Job 38:2 and 42:3 to similar concepts in earlier Ancient Near Eastern mythological literature, especially the term niklātu ("wise, ingenious things") used in the Babylonian Enuma Elish to describe the actions of Marduk - both the battle against the chaos monster Tiamat and the creation of the earthly world. Parallels are also drawn to expressions

The significant defect-induced increase in transconductance at high frequencies in some III-V MOSFETs is utilized to reveal the spatial distribution and energy profile of traps in the gate dielectric. The frequency response of the border traps is modeled as a distributed RC network inserted in the small signal model. Surface-channel InGaAs MOSFETs with Al2O3/HfO2 high-k gate dielectric are evaluat