Background: Two randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials have investigated the efficacy of IV alpha-1 antitrypsin (AAT) augmentation therapy on emphysema progression using CT densitometry. Methods: Data from these similar trials, a 2-center Danish-Dutch study (n = 54) and the 3-center EXAcerbations and CT scan as Lung Endpoints (EXACTLE) study (n = 65), were pooled to increase the stati

OBJECTIVE: The outcomes, in terms of quality of life and satisfaction with rehabilitation, of the 16-week Redesigning Daily Occupations (ReDO) programme as a work rehabilitation method for women with stress-related disorders was evaluated. It was hypothesised that, compared to women who got Care as Usual (CAU), the ReDO group would improve their quality of life and self-mastery more, and that thos

We applied the new injury severity scoring system and studied mechanisms of injury and risk factors for mortality, in order to find potential preventive measures, in the present Scandinavian trauma cohort triaged through red trauma alarm according to the Medical Emergency Triage and Treatment System.

Oral anticoagulation is the recommended treatment for stroke prevention in patients with atrial fibrillation. Notwithstanding, many patients are treated with acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) as monotherapy. Our objective was to investigate if atrial fibrillation patients benefit from ASA as monotherapy for stroke prevention. Retrospective study of patients with a clinical diagnosis of atrial fibrillatio

What is already known about this subject Sagittal diameter (SAD), i.e. the mid height of the abdomen when lying down, has been reported to correlate to visceral fat, insulin resistance and cardiovascular risk factors in adults. SAD seems to be the best anthropometric predictor of cardiovascular risk, and also of more importance than waist circumference (WC) in adults. There has been no validation

A novel super-macroporous monolithic composite cryogel was prepared by embedding macroporous cellulose beads into poly(hydroxyethyl methacrylate) cryogel. The cellulose beads were fabricated by using a microchannel liquid-flow focusing and cryopolymerization method, while the composite cryogel was prepared by cryogenic radical polymerization of the hydroxyethyl methacrylate monomer with poly(ethyl

Lumbar disc herniation (LDH) is a common indication for lumbar spine surgery. The proportion of patients having a second surgery within 2 years varies in the literature between 0.5% and 24%, with recurrent herniation being the most common cause. Several studies have not found any relevant outcome differences between patients undergoing surgery for primary LDH and patients undergoing reoperation fo

This article is a largely constructivist revisit to the crisis of confidence between Iran and the West. It strives to investigate the chief historical, cultural, ideological, and identity-related, as well as geostrategic factors, involved in postrevolutionary Iran-West relations, and how they have caused an almost solidified sense of fear, suspicion, and mistrust between the two. The contemporary

The quality of spatial analyses of biodiversity is improved by (i) utilizing study areas with well defined physiogeographical boundaries, (ii) limiting the impact of widespread species, and (iii) using taxa with heterogeneous distributions. These conditions are typically met by ecosystems such as oceanic islands or ancient lakes and their biota. While research on ancient lakes has contributed sign

Global change may substantially affect biodiversity and ecosystem functioning but little is known about its effects on essential biotic interactions. Since different environmental drivers rarely act in isolation it is important to consider interactive effects. Here, we focus on how two key drivers of anthropogenic environmental change, climate change and the introduction of alien species, affect p

Aim: Our aim was to test the hypothesis that dual endothelin receptor blockade with tezosentan attenuates hypoxia induced pulmonary vasoconstriction. Methods: 14 anaesthetised, ventilated pigs, with a mean±SEM weight of 30,5±0,6 kg, were studied, in normoxia (FiO(2) â0,21) and with tezosentan (5mg·kg(-1) ) infusion during (n=7) or before (n=7) hypoxia (FiO(2) ∼0,10). Results: Compared to normoxia,

We have recorded extreme ultraviolet spectra from W11+ to W15+ ions using a flat-field spectrometer installed at the Shanghai high-temperature superconducting electron-beam ion trap. The spectra were recorded at beam energies ranging between 200 and 400 eV and showed spectral lines and transition arrays in the 170-260 angstrom region. The charge states and spectra transitions were identified by co

Fertility remains higher and contraceptive levels are substantially lower in Sub-Saharan Africa than elsewhere in the developing world. In this paper we use information on individuals and couples provided in recent Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS, fifth wave) undertaken in Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, and Zambia. We use bivariate and multivariate techniques to examine the determinants of contrace

We have previously shown analytically that the biologically effective dose (BED), including effects of repair during irradiation and of incomplete repair between fractions, can be formulated using a convolution between the absorbed dose rate function and the function describing repair. In this work, a discrete formalism is derived along with its implementation via the fast Fourier transform. The i

We apply the resummed version of the Luscher formula to analyze finite volume corrections to the mass of the nucleon and of heavy mesons. We show that by applying the subthreshold expansion of the scattering amplitudes one can express the finite volume corrections in terms of only a few physical observables and the size of the box. In the case of the nucleon, the available information about the qu

Streptomyces is a multicellular mycelial bacterium, which exhibits pronounced cell polarity and grows by extension of the hyphal tips. Similarly to other polarly growing walled cells, such as filamentous fungi or pollen tubes, Streptomyces hyphae face an intrinsic problem: addition of new cell wall material causes structural weakness of the elongating tip. Cellular strategies employed by walled ce

We introduce a lattice-free hard sphere exclusion stochastic process. The resulting stochastic rates are distance based instead of cell based. The corresponding Markov chain build for this many particle system is updated using an adaptation of the kinetic Monte Carlo method. It becomes quickly apparent that due to the lattice-free environment, and because of that alone, the dynamics behave differe

In 2005, we demonstrated that the polished triple-tapered C-stem at two years had migrated distally and rotated internally. From that series, 33 patients have now been followed radiologically, clinically and by radiostereometric analysis (RSA) for up to ten years. The distal migration within the cement mantle had continued and reached a mean of 2 mm (0.5 to 4.0) at ten years. Internal rotation, al