Improving folding properties of computationally designed proteins.

While the field of computational protein design has witnessed amazing progression in recent years, folding properties still constitute a significant barrier towards designing new and larger proteins. In order to assess and improve folding properties of designed proteins, we have developed a genetics-based folding assay and selection system based on the essential enzyme, orotate phosphoribosyl transferase from Escherichia coli. This system allows for both screening of candidate designs with good folding properties and genetic selection of improved designs.

A longitudinal study of the perimenopausal transition: altered profiles of steroid and pituitary hormones, SHBG and bone mineral density.

From a longitudinal prospective study, 160 women with spontaneous menopause and without steroid medication were followed during the transition from pre- to postmenopause. After 12 years 152 women were still participating in the study. Blood samples were drawn every 6 months until 1 year after the menopause and every 12 months thereafter.

Primary prevention of drink driving by the large-scale use of alcolocks in commercial vehicles.

Unlabelled: Alcolocks are commercial breath test devices that prevent a motor vehicle from starting when a driver's blood alcohol concentration (BAC) is elevated. This report is an evaluation of the experiences and BAC data from the first use of alcolocks in commercial vehicles as a primary prevention strategy. In most applications, the alcolock is imposed only after an impaired driving conviction.

Is an alcohol ignition interlock programme a useful tool for changing the alcohol and driving habits of drink-drivers?

Unlabelled: This study evaluates whether the completion of an alcohol ignition interlock programme (AIIP) results in lasting changes of the behaviour of drink drivers and whether such a programme is more effective than a conventional licence revocation followed by an approved doctor's assessment. In Sweden, DWI offenders can voluntarily select a 2-year AIIP in lieu of a 12-month licence revocation. The AIIP includes regular medical checkups designed to alter alcohol use habits.

Positive health-care effects of an alcohol ignition interlock programme among driving while impaired (DWI) offenders.

Aims: To compare the costs of hospital care and sick leave/disability pensions between two groups of driving while impaired (DWI) offenders: participants in an alcohol ignition interlock programme (AIIP) and controls with revoked licences, but with no comparable opportunity to participate in an AIIP.

Setting: As an alternative to licence revocation DWI offenders can participate in a voluntary 2-year AIIP permitting the offender to drive under strict regulations entailing regular medical check-ups. The participants are forced to alter their alcohol habits and those who cannot demonstrate sobriety are dismissed from the programme.

A Swedish alcohol ignition interlock programme for drink-drivers: effects on hospital care utilization and sick leave.

Aims: This project evaluates health outcomes following an alcohol ignition interlock programme (AIIP) by assessing hospital care utilization and sick-leave register data relative to controls with revoked licences, but with no comparable opportunity to participate in an AIIP.

Setting: In Sweden, driving while impaired (DWI) offenders can now select voluntarily a 2-year AIIP in lieu of 12 months' licence revocation. The AIIP includes regular medical check-ups designed to alter alcohol use.

An evaluation of the Swedish ignition interlock program.

The Swedish alcohol ignition interlock program for driving while intoxicated (DWI) offenders, both first-time as well as multiple offenders, was launched as a pilot project in 1999. It is a volunteer program and differs in some respects from other programs: It covers a period of 2 years, it includes very strict medical regulations entailing regular checkups by a physician, it does not require a prior period of hard suspension, and it focuses strongly on changes in alcohol habits. Records from the 5 years prior to the offence showed that DWI offenders are generally in a high-risk category long before their offense, with a four to five times higher accident rate (road accidents reported by the police) and a three to four times higher rate of hospitalization due to a road accident.

An evaluation of the Swedish ignition interlock program.

The Swedish alcohol ignition interlock program for driving while intoxicated (DWI) offenders, both first-time as well as multiple offenders, was launched as a pilot project in 1999. It is a volunteer program and differs in some respects from other programs: It covers a period of 2 years, it includes very strict medical regulations entailing regular checkups by a physician, it does not require a prior period of hard suspension, and it focuses strongly on changes in alcohol habits. Records from the 5 years prior to the offence showed that DWI offenders are generally in a high-risk category long before their offense, with a four to five times higher accident rate (road accidents reported by the police) and a three to four times higher rate of hospitalization due to a road accident.

Primary and secondary prevention of drink driving by the use of alcolock device and program: Swedish experiences.

To prevent drinking and driving, alcolock (or alcohol-interlock) devices and programs were introduced in Sweden in 1999. Two types of prevention programs were begun. A primary prevention strategy was initiated to prevent alcohol impaired driving by individuals not pre-selected for having prior DWI offences.

[Only 1 out of 1 000 patients with alcohol dependence problems are reported according to the Driver's Licence Act. Physicians estimate to increase the number of reports some 70 times with a two-year ignition interlock program].

This poll, aimed at general practitioners and dependence specialists, shows that only one out of 1,000 patients diagnosed alcohol-dependent are reported to the county administrative board in accordance with the Swedish Driver's Licence Act. The anticipated negative effect on continued doctor-patient contact stands out as the predominant obstacle to filing a report. Among general practitioners an uncertainty about diagnosing alcohol dependence and alcohol abuse also was an important obstacle.

[CDT a valuable marker of overconsumption of alcohol. Guidelines for its use in connection with automobile driver examination].

According to the medical regulations for obtaining a driver's license in Sweden, alcohol abuse/dependency constitutes sufficient grounds for denial. In the case of a conviction for gross drunk driving, it is incumbent upon the offender to present a medical certificate verifying a "sober lifestyle". Biological markers are important tools for proving alcohol abuse in each of these contexts.

The community safety approach in Falun, Sweden--is it possible to characterise the most effective prevention endeavours and how long-lasting are the results?

The safe community concept was put into practice in order to reduce the number of unintentional injuries occurring in the Falun municipality. A community-based injury prevention programme was initiated in 1989 and has been gradually built up since that time. The prevention endeavours were based primarily on active intervention strategies through the provision of information, supervision, education and training.

[Time to take the regional program for prevention of injuries seriously. Reduced number of hip fractures is the most obvious benefit of the Falun project].

The article consists in a report of the community safety programme to reduce the prevalence of non-intentional injuries that was launched in Falun in 1989 and built up gradually. Evaluation of the results was based on data elicited by a local surveillance system (out-patients) and hospital discharge data (in-patients), both of which registers indicated significant reductions in injury rates. Although the reduction was most prominent in the targeted risk categories (particularly in falls due to slipping or stumbling, resulting in femoral fractures), spin-off benefits were also observed.

Sexological problems after cystectomy: bladder substitution compared with ileal conduit diversion. A questionnaire study of male patients.

A questionnaire study was carried out to compare the postoperative sexological problems after cystectomy and bladder substitution using the urethral Kock reservoir or the ileocecal reservoir with that following ileal conduit diversion. A total of 76 male patients with bladder cancer completed the questionnaire: 49 patients had a bladder substitution and 27 an ileal conduit diversion. Median follow-up was 1.

A questionnaire study of sexological problems following urinary diversion in the female patient.

A questionnaire study was conducted to evaluate the sexological problems after urinary diversion, using the continent Kock reservoir or the ileal conduit diversion. Thirty-seven female patients completed the questionnaire: 17 patients had a continent and 20 an ileal conduit diversion, with a median follow-up of 0.8 year (range 0.

Dementia and driving: an attempt at consensus.

The number of older drivers in Sweden will be rapidly increasing during the next decades. A possible relationship exists between the increased relative crash risk of older drivers and the prevalence of age-related diseases such as dementia. However, a clear-cut policy for evaluating driving competence in demented persons is still lacking.

Cervical mucus antibodies against human papillomavirus type 16, 18, and 33 capsids in relation to presence of viral DNA.

To investigate whether cervical mucus antibodies against human papillomavirus (HPV) capsids are associated with the detection of HPV DNA or HPV-related cytological diagnoses, 611 samples of cervical secretions from 359 women referred to a colposcopy clinic were tested by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for the presence of immunoglobulin A (IgA) antibodies against HPV capsids of HPV type 16, 18, or 33 and for the presence of cervical HPV DNA by PCR. Among subjects with at least one cervical sample positive for HPV type 16 (HPV-16) DNA, 28.1% also had at least one HPV-16 IgA-positive cervical sample (odds ratio [OR] = 2.

Health-related quality of life after cystectomy: bladder substitution compared with ileal conduit diversion. A questionnaire survey.

Objective: To compare the health-related quality of life after bladder substitution with that following ileal conduit diversion.

Patients And Methods: Sixty-seven male patients with bladder cancer completed the questionnaire; 38 had undergone bladder substitution and 29 ileal conduit diversion; the median follow-up was 1.0 year (range 0.

A longitudinal study of the perimenopausal transition: altered profiles of steroid and pituitary hormones, SHBG and bone mineral density.

From a longitudinal prospective study, 160 women with spontaneous menopause and without steroid medication were followed during the transition from pre- to postmenopause. After 12 years 152 women were still participating in the study. Blood samples were drawn every 6 months until 1 year after the menopause and every 12 months thereafter.

Typing of human papillomaviruses by consensus polymerase chain reaction and a non-radioactive reverse dot blot hybridization.

A non-radioactive reverse dot blot hybridization method was developed for typing of human papillomavirus (HPV) consensus primer generated polymerase chain reaction (PCR) products in a single test. In the PCR biotin-14-dATP was incorporated into the amplified DNA, which was then used as a probe in hybridization with a membrane, on which different genital HPV types had been immobilized. Of cervical brush samples from women referred to a colposcopy clinic (n = 58) and from women attending a health control program (n = 14) which had been found positive by PCR with consensus HPV primers but negative using primers specific for the HPV types 6, 11, 16, 18, 31, 33 and 35, 25 (43%) and 3 (21%), respectively, could be typed by this method.