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Background: The aim of this study was to develop and psychometrically test a short, patient-reported questionnaire to be used in clinical practice for patients with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). The Visual Analogue Scale for Irritable Bowel Syndrome (VAS-IBS) questionnaire was designed to measure the treatment response of symptoms and well-being in patients suffering from IBS. Methods: The VAS-I
In 1991 the African Union established a plan for creating a monetary union for the whole continent. The plan, the Abuja Treaty, aim to unify the continent, creating stability and improving economic welfare. Several regional economic communities (RECs) are the foundation of this plan which means that the progress is primary dependent on their successful development. This essay studies Africa’s prog
The Fire Risk Index Method is a tool for assessing fire safety in multi-storey apartment buildings. This report contains a description of how Version 1.2 of the Fire Risk Index Method was developed. The terminology frequently used in the development process of the method is also explained. The use of the Fire Risk Index Method is described and illustrated by an example. The method is applied to an
Applying contemporary ideas regarding the role literature may have had in human evolutionary history to literary analysis, using Herman Melville's Moby Dick as a case study. The paper focuses on the function of male bonding in the text, the ways in which the setting is defined by humanity's evolutionary past, and the artistic function of the hunt, as it is described in the text.
Abstract Parkinson’s disease (PD) is characterized by selective loss of dopaminergic neurons and progressive accumulation of intracellular alpha synuclein protein aggregates known as Lewy bodies. Due to pathological links to both sporadic and inherited cases of PD, alpha synuclein (asyn) has become a focal point for study, although the exact mechanisms of its toxicity are not known. In contrast to
This thesis is focusing on the protection of fundamental human rights at work for third country migrant workers in the European Union, a region which attracts more and more migrant workers in recent years. The first Chapter introduces the background briefly, the methodology and the sources on which the research is conducted on and provides the scope and definition of the issues which are under dis
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a highly disabling disease affecting all structures of the joint. Understanding the pathology behind the development of RA is essential for developing targeted therapeutic strategies as well as for developing novel markers to predict disease onset. Several molecules normally hidden within the cartilage tissue are exposed to complement components in the synovial fluid u
A concept for time-sensitive optical detectors is described that shows how to confirm whether the detection device is operating in the linear response regime. By evaluating the recorded time decay of a thermographic phosphor, even weak saturation effects far from obvious situations can be identified and further related to either optical or electrical saturation. The concept has been validated by r
A means for noninvasive measurement of transverse and longitudinal characteristics of bunched beams in synchrotrons has been developed based on high sensitivity slotted waveguide pickups. The pickups allow for bandwidths exceeding hundreds of MHz while maintaining good beam sensitivity characteristics. Wide bandwidth is essential to allow bunch-by-bunch measurements by means of a fast gate. The Sc
Background: Proteins can be used in drug delivery systems to improve pharmacological properties of an active substance. Differences in pH between tissues can be utilized in order to achieve a targeted drug release at a specific location or tissue, such as a tumor. The enamel matrix protein amelogenin has a pH dependent solubility profile and self-assemble to form aggregates at neutral pH. This cou
Background and Objectives Reagent red blood cells (RBCs) for antibody detection should express certain important antigens as a double dose, that is, the donors must be homozygous for the corresponding alleles. Traditionally, dose is determined by serological typing and known allele frequencies. However, RHD zygosity cannot be predicted serologically owing to the absence of an antithetical antigen,
A simple assay was developed to estimate functional mannose-binding lectin (MBL) levels in serum based on the principle of yeast-induced bystander lysis of chicken erythrocytes (ChE). The assay is sensitive to inhibition by ethylene glycol bis-(beta-aminoethyl ether)-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid (EGTA) (which allows alternative pathway activation), ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA), mannose,
The various problems associated with co-authorship of research articles have attracted much attention in recent years. We believe that this (hopefully) growing awareness is a very welcome development. However, we will argue that the particular and increasing importance of authorship and the harmful implications of current practices of research authorship for junior researchers have not been emphas
Whether and how long-term energy and climate targets can be reached depend on a range of interlinked factors: technology, economy, environment, policy, and society at large. Integrated assessment models of climate change or energy-system models have limited representations of societal transformations, such as behavior of various actors, transformation dynamics in time, and heterogeneity across and
