Thoron Mitigation from Building Materials with Surface Barriers.

Thoron (Rn) exhalation from building materials has become increasingly recognized as a potential source for radiation exposure in dwellings. However, few studies have focused on mitigation strategies to reduce exposure from thoron and its progeny. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to (1) determine the reduction in thoron exhalation from building materials applied with regularly available surface barriers and (2) investigate the effects from surface roughness of the base material, barrier thickness, and surface cover on the thoron-retaining action of the surface barrier.

In vitro articular cartilage growth with sequential application of IGF-1 and TGF-β1 enhances volumetric growth and maintains compressive properties.

In vitro cultures with insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) have previously been shown to differentially modulate the growth of immature bovine articular cartilage. IGF-1 stimulates expansive growth yet decreases compressive moduli and increases compressive Poisson's ratios, whereas TGF-β1 maintains tissue size, increases compressive moduli, and decreases compressive Poisson's ratios. The current study's hypothesis was that sequential application of IGF-1 and TGF-β1 during in vitro culture produces geometric and compressive mechanical properties that lie between extreme values produced when using either growth factor alone.

[Working with magnification in dental medicine: useful or indispensible?].

In this article, the author describes the different types of magnifying-glasses which can be used in a dental practice. He informs about his own experience in using these glasses in his daily practice.

The use of confidence intervals for individual utilities: limits to formal decision analysis for treatment choice.

This paper discusses the use of confidence intervals for utility measurements. Classic test theory is applied to estimate confidence intervals for utilities. The theory is enhanced to calculate confidence areas for combined utilities and confidence bands for the threshold line.

Patient participation in clinical decision-making for treatment of T3 laryngeal cancer: a comparison of state and process utilities.

Purpose: To study the use of two different approaches, and feasibility of four commonly used utility assessment methods to assess preferences for treatment of T3-laryngeal cancer by surgery or radiation therapy (RT).

Methods: Utility assessment methods, namely, time trade-off (TTO), standard reference gamble (SRG), rating scale (RS), and direct comparison (DC), were used to assess utilities in two groups of former cancer patients (n = 10 for both), a group of clinicians (n = 9), and a group from the general population (n = 10). For the treatment modalities, ie, surgery and RT, two types of scenarios were developed and used: the state scenario, which describes a stable health state after treatment, and the process scenario, which describes a dynamic process.

Effects of fetal bovine serum, FSH and 17beta-estradiol on the culture of bovine preantral follicles.

We describe a 7-d culture in droplets of collagen gel of isolated small bovine preantral follicles in medium with or without 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS). In addition, the effect of human recombinant FSH and 17beta-estradiol on the morphology and growth of the preantral follicles was investigated in medium without FBS. After culture in medium with 10% FBS, the increase in follicle diameter was 13.

Quality of life and maladjustment associated with hair loss in women with alopecia androgenetica.

Quality of life and maladjustment related to hair loss were studied by means of a standardized interview in a group of 58 women with alopecia androgenetica who applied for treatment at the Department of Dermatology. The hair loss was found to have a negative influence on the quality of life on the majority of them. In 88%, hair loss had negative effects on their daily life; in about 75%, the hair problems were manifested in negative self-esteem and about 50% experienced social problems.

Cytogenetic analysis of day-7 bovine embryos by cytophotometric DNA measurements.

A Feulgen staining procedure that stains the DNA of individual fixed nuclei stoichiometrically was used to analyse cytophotometrically the incidence of total ploidy and mixoploidy in 28 day-7 bovine embryos that had been fixed after collection ('non-cultured' embryos). The influence of culture on the incidence of chromosome abnormalities was further studied in another group of 24 embryos ('cultured' embryos) by culturing them for 24 h in Whittingham's medium. Of the total 52 embryos studied, two appeared to be entirely abnormal: one embryo was completely haploid, whereas the other embryo was completely triploid.

Survival and proliferation of rat gonocytes in vitro.

Quiescent gonocytes were isolated from fetal testes of rat 18-day post coitum and cultured alone or on monolayers of somatic cells from different origins. The gonocytes specifically adhered to Sertoli cells, isolated from 21 to 23-day-old rat testes; this adherence was necessary for their survival in vitro. Addition of follicle-stimulating hormone and testosterone to these cultures did not increase the viability of the gonocytes.

A monoclonal antibody recognizing a differentiation marker on rat gonocytes.

Monoclonal antibodies (MAb) were raised against a testicular membrane fraction from 18-day post coitum (p.c.) rat testes.

The associations of neck pain with radiological abnormalities of the cervical spine and personality traits in a general population.

Degenerative changes are considered to be a common cause of neck pain. In addition to this cause, personality traits could contribute to the complaint of neck pain. We investigated the associations of neck pain with personality traits, disc degeneration and osteoarthritis (OA) on radiographs of the cervical spine in a general population of 5,440 men and women between 20 and 65 years of age.

Psychological characteristics of women with androgenetic alopecia: a controlled study.

The psychological characteristics and the hair problems of 58 females with androgenetic alopecia were compared with a group of women with non-apparent dermatological diseases, and with a group of men with androgenetic alopecia. The women with androgenetic alopecia had higher scores for self-sufficiency and social inadequacy compared to women with non-visible dermatological complaints, and they scored higher for inadequacy, rigidity and general psychological maladjustment than the men and had lower scores for injuredness self-evaluation and self-esteem. The women with androgenetic alopecia had more psychosocial problems, which they attributed to the hair loss, than the other groups.

The association of frequent headaches with personality and life events.

The associations between personality traits, life events and frequent headaches were studied in a sample of 5766 adult subjects between 20 and 65 years of age from the general population. Subjects with at least weekly headaches had more life events and higher inadequacy, social inadequacy, rigidity and injuredness than subjects with less frequent headaches. These relationships were not observed in subjects of 50 years of age and older, with the exception of the association with inadequacy.

Psychologic characteristics of men with alopecia androgenetica and their modification.

Psychologic characteristics were studied in a sample of 168 men with alopecia androgenetica who participated in a clinical trial on the efficacy of minoxidil gel. In general, no evidence of psychologic malfunctioning was found. Instead, a slightly more adequate psychologic state was indicated.

Cell-cell interaction between rat Sertoli cells and mouse germ cells in vitro.

An antiserum against rat germ cell membranes was prepared, and after absorption with protein extracts of rat liver and kidney and mouse testis, this antiserum reacted only with rat germ cell membranes and juxtanuclear vesicles in rat Sertoli cells. Germ cell-free rat Sertoli cell monolayers were cultured in vitro. Freshly isolated mouse germ cells adhered to these monolayers within 1 h.

Humoral immune response of dogs after vaccination against leptospirosis measured by an IgM- and IgG-specific ELISA.

An IgM- and IgG-specific ELISA was used to measure the antibody response stimulated in dogs by vaccination with a leptospiral bacterin containing chemically inactivated Leptospira interrogans serotype icterohaemorrhagiae and serotype canicola leptospires. All dogs produced anti-leptospiral IgM and IgG. The IgM production was of the primary response type after each vaccination (primary vaccination, booster vaccination and annual revaccination).

Determination of specific anti-leptospiral immunoglobulins M and G in sera of experimentally infected dogs by solid-phase enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

The development and evaluation of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to detect specific anti-leptospiral IgM and IgG in sera of dogs experimentally infected with Leptospira interrogans serotype canicola are reported. In all dogs specific anti-leptospiral IgM was detected from the second half of the first week after infection, the maximum being attained during the second week. Subsequently the IgM titre gradually decreased.

Serodiagnosis of canine leptospirosis by solid-phase enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to detect antibodies to Leptospira interrogans serotype canicola in dogs was developed and evaluated. Comparison of the ELISA with the microscopic agglutination test (MAT) showed that, during the first two weeks after an experimental infection with serotype canicola, the ELISA detected antibody at higher dilutions than the MAT. After the second week post-infection both tests detected antibody at almost equal titres (r = 0.

The effect of oral immunization on the population of lymphocytes migrating to the mammary gland of the sow.

Sows were immunized orally with live Escherichia coli according to various immunization schedules. Six pregnant gilts were used; 4 immunized at various intervals during the last month of gestation, 1 control immunized after parturition following suppression of lactation by weaning and 1 non-immunized control. The effect of oral vaccination on cell populations from lymphoid organs was studied.

Induction and effector phases of the immune response: physiological and pathophysiological features.

A review is given on the current state of knowledge about the induction and effector phases of the immune response. Physiological and pathophysiological features of the regulation of the immune response are discussed comparatively for both man and animals.

The histocompatibility complex GLA in the goat.

The current status of research on the major histocompatibility complex of the goat (GLA) is discussed, as well as its similarities to other species, although some of the results are preliminary.

Skin grafting and graft rejection in goats.

As part of a study to define the major histocompatibility complex of the goat and to show certain aspects of its biological function, a skin-grafting technique is described which might also be applicable for similar studies in other ruminant species.

Quantification of turkey immunoglobulins IgA, IgM and IgG in serum and secretions.

The immunoglobulins IgA, IgM and IgG of the turkey were quantitated in individual serum samples as well as in pooled sera. The variability of Ig levels in normal, healthy birds was quite high: IgA: mean value 0.633 mg/ml (4.