A certified reference material (CRM) for radionuclides in fish sample IAEA-414 (mixed fish from the Irish Sea and North Seas) is described and the results of the certification process are presented. Nine radionuclides (K-40, Cs-137, Th-232, U-234, U-235, U-238, Pu-238, Pu239+240 and Am-241) were certified for this material. Information on massic activities with 95% confidence intervals is given fo

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the association between smoking and the development of bladder cancer. The study population consisted of 429,906 persons participating in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC), 633 of whom developed bladder cancer during the follow-up period. An increased risk of bladder cancer was found for both current- (incide

Patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) have an increased risk of thrombosis. Platelet-induced extracellular phosphorylation of plasma proteins suggests that this is due to persistent activation of the platelets. We examined 30 SLE patients (15 with thrombotic disease), 18 non-SLE patients with deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and 50 healthy controls by analysing beta-thromboglobulin, activated

To understand the evolution of the Milky Way Galaxy requires detailed knowledge of the star formation history of various populations. The vast amounts of photometric and astrometric data provided by the Gaia mission give unprecedented opportunities in this area. The relationships between the observed data and the ages of stars are however complex and highly non-linear and great care must be taken

3T3-L1 fibroblasts were induced to differentiate to 3T3-L1 adipocytes by dexamethasone, isobutyl-methylxanthine, and insulin. To study how differentiation affects extracellular matrix production, the accumulation of proteoglycans was studied by labeling the 3T3-L1 cells with [35S]sulphate for 24 h. The labeled proteoglycans were isolated from the medium and cell layer extracts by anion-exchange ch

We analyse time series data of 17 bird species trapped at Ottenby Bird Observatory, Sweden, during spring migration 1972-1999. The species have similar demography but respond differently to variation in the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) - a strong determinant of winter climate in the northern Hemisphere. Species wintering in northern Europe, compared to species having winter quarters in the Med

Lignin was extracted by ultrafiltration from kraft cooking liquors taken directly from a continuous digester. The temperature of the liquors was 145 degrees C (softwood) or 135 degrees C (hardwood), the total dry solids content was 18% and the pH 13-14. Methods for start-up, shut-down and cleaning of conventional UF equipment modified for this demanding application, were developed. The influence o

The effects of ruthenium red, an inorganic dye with known capsaicin antagonist properties, was investigated in the rabbit eye. At a dose of 0.24 nmol ruthenium red inhibited the inflammatory effects of capsaicin (1 or 8 nmol). Unexpectedly, when the dye was injected in doses ranging from 0.24 to 7.4 nmol, it caused an inflammatory response with constriction of the pupil (miosis) and a breakdown of

Calculated absorbed dose distributions from tangential irradiation of the breast have been compared with TLD measurements in a anthropomorfic body-shaped phantom which has gone through all phases of the radiation treatment planning cycle, including mapping of electron densities with a CT scanner, simulation of beam set-up and several treatments with an accelerator. The absorbed doses, measured in

A novel method for the synthesis of spherical molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) beads by suspension polymerization in mineral oil is described. The usefulness of the method was demonstrated by the synthesis of a propranolol imprinted MIP library. The composition of the library was generated by statistical experimental design. Multivariate data analysis correlated the screening data, obtained by

Objective To investigate the congenital heart disease (CHD) found in association with an increased nuchal translucency (NT) at 11 - 14 weeks of gestation in chromosomally normal and abnormal fetuses. Methods Patients referred from January 1998 until May 2007 with an increased NT (>= 95th percentile) where CHD was diagnosed were included. Chromosome analysis, fetal and postnatal echocardiography we

Objective. Recent work has shown that several soluble biomarkers, detectable in peripheral blood, synovial fluid, and/or urine, reflect remodeling of joint tissues and may therefore constitute outcome measures that reflect joint damage. Consequently, it is now desirable to begin the process of developing criteria for validation of a soluble biomarker as an outcome measure reflecting structural dam

The solution structures and dynamic behaviour of [Rh6(CO)14(µ-PX)][PX = diphenyl(2-pyridyl)phosphine, (PN); diphenyl(2-thienyl)phosphine, (PS); diphenyl(vinyl)phosphine, (PV)] have been studied by multinuclear NMR and the X-ray structure of [Rh6(CO)14(µ,3-PV)] is reported. In solution, the above clusters undergo a variety of localised CO-exchanges and the mechanisms of these are discussed. The PV

BACKGROUND: We studied the effect on skin papillomas of topical application of a complex of α-lactalbumin and oleic acid (often referred to as human α-lactalbumin made lethal to tumor cells [HAMLET]) to establish proof of the principle that α-lactalbumin-oleic acid kills transformed cells but not healthy, differentiated cells. METHODS: Forty patients with cutaneous papillomas that were resistant t

Objectives: To investigate whether amniotic fluid concentrations of non protein bound iron (NPBI) vary with growth in healthy fetuses and also offer a reference curve in the second trimester of pregnancy. Design and methods: Amniotic fluid concentrations of NPBI were measured by HPLC in 118 women with physiological singleton pregnancies, who underwent amniocentesis for fetal karyotype between week