Aims: The purpose of this study was to investigate criterion-related validity and test–retest repeatability of the heart rate monitor Polar RS400 versus electrocardiogram (ECG). Methodology: Ten healthy subjects, 19–34 years, performed a cycle ergometer test 5 min on each load (50, 100 and 150 W). Heart rate (HR) was measured with ECG and Polar RS400 and recorded digitally. After at least one hour

When the moon is absent from the night sky, stars remain as celestial visual cues. Nonetheless, only birds [1, 2], seals [3], and humans [4] are known to use stars for orientation. African ball-rolling dung beetles exploit the sun, the moon, and the celestial polarization pattern to move along straight paths, away from the intense competition at the dung pile [5-9]. Even on clear moonless nights,

Zinc-protoporphyrin, adsorbed on the rutile TiO2(110) surface, has been studied using photoemission spectroscopy and near-edge absorption fine structure spectroscopy to deduce the nature of the molecule-surface bonding and the chemical environment of the central metal atom. To overcome the difficulties associated with sublimation of the porphyrin molecules, samples were prepared in situ using ultr

PURPOSE: Adverse effects by night-call duty have become an important occupational health issue. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the heart rate variability (HRV) differed during recovery from day work and night-call duty between distinct physician specialities. METHODS: We studied the impact of a 16-h night-call duty on autonomic balance, measured by HRV, among two physician groups

Amyloid beta is generated from the copper- and heparan sulfate (HS)-binding amyloid precursor protein (APP) by proteolytic processing. APP supports S-nitrosylation of the HS-proteoglycan glypican-1 (Gpc-1). In the presence of ascorbate there is NO-catalyzed release of anhydromannose (anMan)-containing oligosaccharides from Gpc-1-SNO. We have investigated whether these oligosaccharides interact wit

In practice, the catchment hydrologist is often confronted with the task of predicting discharge without having the needed records for calibration. Here, we report the discharge predictions of 10 modellers - using the model of their choice - for the man-made Chicken Creek catchment (6 ha, northeast Germany, Gerwin et al., 2009b) and we analyse how well they improved their prediction in three steps

Background We investigated whether prediagnostic reported intake of dairy products and dietary calcium are associated with colorectal cancer (CRC) survival. Methods Data from 3,859 subjects with CRC (42.1% male, mean age at diagnosis 64.2 ± 8.1 years) in the European Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) cohort were analyzed. Intake of dairy products and dietary calcium was assessed at ba

This study analyzes the socioeconomic gradient in drug utilization. We use The Swedish Prescribed Drug Register, merged with the Survey of Living Conditions (the ULF), and the study sample consists of 8138 individuals. We find a positive education gradient (but no income gradient) in drug utilization, after controlling for health indicators. Whereas high-educated men use a larger number of drugs,

Objective Previous studies show that growth hormone (GH) treatment increases cardiac dimensions in short children with GH deficiency (GHD) and has diverse cardiac effects in children with idiopathic short stature (ISS). This study was performed to assess the effect of GH on the cardiovascular system in short children with a broad range of GH secretion and GH sensitivity/responsiveness. Design and

Background The clinical effect of routine intracoronary thrombus aspiration before primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is uncertain. We aimed to evaluate whether thrombus aspiration reduces mortality. Methods We conducted a multicenter, prospective, randomized, controlled, open-label clinical trial, with enrollment of

We aimed to validate genetic variants as instruments for insulin resistance and secretion, to characterise their association with intermediate phenotypes, and to investigate their role in T2D risk among normal-weight, overweight and obese individuals.We investigated the association of genetic scores with euglycaemic-hyperinsulinaemic clamp- and OGTT-based measures of insulin resistance and secreti

A series of fully aromatic polymers having only sulfone bridges linking the aromatic rings has been synthesized via polycondensations and studied as proton-exchange membranes. Mixtures of tetrasulfonated 4,4’-bis[(4-chlorophenyl)sulfonyl]-1,1’-biphenyl (BCPSBP), non-sulfonated BCPSBP and 4,4’-thiobisbenzenethiol were copolymerized by nucleophilic aromatic substitution reactions to obtain sulfonate

Tropospheric ozone is involved in a complex web of interactions with other atmospheric gases and particles, and through ecosystem interactions with the N-cycle and climate change. Ozone itself is a greenhouse gas, causing warming, and reductions in biomass and carbon sequestration caused by ozone provide a further indirect warming effect. Ozone also has cooling effects, however, for example, throu

Since its introduction more than 40 years ago, electronic fetal monitoring has become widely used for intrapartum surveillance to determine fetal wellbeing in labor. Although fetal hypoxia and acidosis are reflected in changes in fetal heart rate, there is no evidence that cardiotocography has been effective in reducing neonatal morbidity related to fetal distress occurring during labor. Indeed th

The Gram-positive bacterium Aerococcus urinae can cause infectious endocarditis (IE) in older persons. Biofilm formation and platelet aggregation is believed to contribute to bacterial virulence in IE. Five A. urinae isolates from human blood were shown to form biofilms in vitro and biofilm formation was enhanced by the presence of human plasma. Four of the A. urinae isolates caused platelet aggre

Self-reported data on health care use is a key input in a range of studies. However, the length of recall period in self-reported health care questions varies between surveys, and this variation may affect the results of the studies. This study uses a large survey experiment to examine the role of the length of recall periods for the quality of self-reported hospitalization data by comparing regis

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been implicated in regulating multiple processes during brain development in various species. However, the function of miRNAs in human brain development remains largely unexplored. Here, we provide a comprehensive analysis of miRNA expression of regionalized neural progenitor cells derived from human embryonic stem cells and human foetal brain. We found miR-92b-3p and miR-1

Decoding transcriptional effects of experimental tissue-tissue or cell-cell interactions is important; for example, to better understand tumor-stroma interactions after transplantation of human cells into mouse (xenografting). Transcriptome analysis of intermixed human and mouse cells has, however, frequently relied on the need to separate the two cell populations prior to transcriptome analysis,

Recent studies suggest a variety of factors characterize substantia nigra neurons vulnerable to Parkinson's disease, including the transcription factors pituitary homeobox 3 (Pitx3) and orthodenticle homeobox 2 (Otx2) and the trophic factor receptor deleted in colorectal cancer (DCC), but there is limited information on their expression and localization in adult humans. Pitx3, Otx2, and DCC were i