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Background: Social interaction is crucial for whether a person will successfully accomplish important life tasks. Aim and method: This study investigated the importance of sociodemographic, clinical and self-perceived health-related factors for social interaction among 103 individuals with persistent mental illness, mainly psychoses, visiting an outpatient unit. Results: Bivariate analyses pointed

Antimicrobial peptides are important effectors of the innate immune system. These peptides belong to a multifunctional group of molecules that apart from their antibacterial activities also interact with mammalian cells and glycosaminoglycans and control chemotaxis, apoptosis, and angiogenesis. Here we demonstrate a novel antimicrobial activity of the heparin-binding and cell-binding domain 5 of h

This study examines the effect of foreign (Anglo-American) board membership on corporate performance measured in terms of firm value (Tobin's Q). Using a sample of firms with headquarters in Norway or Sweden the study indicates a significantly higher value for firms that have outsider Anglo-American board member(s), after a variety of firm-specific and corporate governance related factors have bee

ABSTRACT This article articulates a concept of “heritage brands,” based primarily on field case research and studies of practice. We define brand heritage as a dimension of a brand’s identity found in its track record, longevity, core values, use of symbols, and particularly in an organisational belief that its history is important. A heritage brand is one with a positioning and value proposition

Objectives This study tested a feasible method for screening for cardiovascular risk at the worksite and investigated the effects of a long-term comprehensive program of life style intervention to prevent cardiovascular disease. Methods Employees in the public sector filled out a self-administered questionnaire with questions on social, medical, and work-related factors. The respondents numbered 4

This study investigates utilization of the Internet in the rehabilitation of people on long-term sick leave with chronic pain and/or burnout. Fifty-five people were randomly assigned to two groups: a treatment group (n = 27) that participated in a rehabilitation course over the Internet and a waiting list group (n = 28). The goals were to improve participants' health and increase quality of life,

Interleukin-6 (IL6) is a growth and survival factor in human prostate cancer (PCa) cells with aggressive phenotypes and has been implicated in the progression of hormone refractory PCas. In the present study, we characterized the IL6-triggered PI3K/Akt and MAPK/Erk signaling. We identified the A-type cyclin, cyclin A1 as an important downstream target of PI3K/Akt. Treatment of cells with PI3K inhi

Environmental factors are thought to play a major role in the development of rheumatoid arthritis. Because the use of ethanol is widespread, we assessed the role of ethanol intake on the propensity to develop chronic arthritis. Collagen type II-immunized mice were given water or water containing 10% (vol/vol) ethanol or its metabolite acetaldehyde. Their development of arthritis was assessed, as w

A constitutive model for rate-dependent and thermomechanically coupled plasticity at finite strains is presented. The plasticity model is based on a J(2) model and rate-dependent behavior is included by use of a Perzyna-type formulation. Adiabatic heating effects are handled in a consistent way and not, as is a common assumption, through a constant conversion of the internal work rate into rate of

Vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (VEMP) has been put forward as a test to evaluate the symmetry of saccular function. In the present study, the symmetry of VEMP was evaluated in 23 healthy subjects using automatic analysis. In response to binaural clicks with a stimulus repetition rate of 4/s all subjects revealed significant VEMP on both sides. The ipsilateral response to monaural clicks was

Traditional explanations for the negative fitness consequences of parasitism have focused on the direct pathogenic effects of infectious agents. However, because of the high selection pressure by the parasites, immune defences are likely to be costly and trade off with other fitness-related traits, such as reproductive effort. In a field experiment, we immunized breeding female flycatchers with no

OBJECTIVE: To compare postoperative pain relief and pulmonary function in patients after thoracoabdominal esophagectomy treated by continuing perioperative thoracic epidural anesthesia or changing to parenteral opioids. DESIGN: Prospective, randomized study. SETTING: University teaching hospital. PARTICIPANTS: Thirty-three patients undergoing thoracoabdominal esophagectomy. INTERVENTIONS: General

Abstract in Undetermined Incentive alignment, and risk & gain sharing, are argued to be key factors for successful implementation of supply chain management. Incentive-related issues can be improved by contract-based, information-based, and trust-based solutions. The focus of this article is on contract mechanisms used in the context of high demand volatility, supply allocation and outsourced

The present communication highlights aspects on the aetiology, diagnosis and therapy of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and some allied infections in which sexual transmission is regarded as possible. The aetiology of many genital infections is still unknown or rather, an aetiological relationship between a given agent and a clinical manifestation is in some infections still debated. The pa

Patients with severely deforming rheumatoid arthritis and impaired function of the upper extremity are often unable to use conventional walking aids. This report describes 42 such patients who were equipped with altogether 75 individually manufactured, lightweight walking aids (12 crutches, 12 forearm-crutches, 39 crutch-sticks and 12 sticks). A plaster cast of the patient's grip as well as analys

dc sputter deposition of stoichiometric Al2O3 is usually difficult due to the formation of an oxidized layer on the target surface, which reduces the deposition rate drastically and causes charge buildup and arcing at the target. To avoid this situation the arrival rate ratio O2/Al must be high enough at the substrate position that a stoichiometric film can form but low enough at the target that a