Nordic Occupational Skin Questionnaire (NOSQ-2002): a new tool for surveying occupational skin diseases and exposure.

Occupational skin diseases are among the most frequent work-related diseases in industrialized countries. Good occupational skin disease statistics exist in few countries. Questionnaire studies are needed to get more data on the epidemiology of occupational skin diseases.

Esophageal perforation and mediastinitis from fish bone ingestion.

Esophageal perforation is a serious condition with a high mortality rate. Successful therapy depends on the size of the rupture, the time elapsed between rupture and diagnosis, and the underlying health of the patient. Common causes of esophageal perforation include medical instrumentation, foreign-body ingestion, and trauma.

Structure and positioning comparison of two variants of penetratin in two different membrane mimicking systems by NMR.

The Antennapedia homeodomain protein of Drosophila has the ability to penetrate biological membranes and the third helix of this protein, residues 43-58, known as penetratin (RQIKIWFQNRRMKWKK-amide) has the same translocating properties as the entire protein. The variant, RQI KIFFQNRRMKFKK-amide, here called penetratin (W48F,W56F) does not have the same ability. We have determined a solution structure of penetratin and investigated the position of both peptides in negatively charged bicelles.

Let evidence be the arbiter.

Methods for evaluating drugs to ensure there is value for money spent have been debated for years. There have been many attempts at controlling the use of drugs starting with formularies, limited listings for specific uses and the negotiation of prices. The strategy put forward by the lead authors would be helpful to all parties.

Gender differences in disability and health-related quality of life in patients with Parkinson's disease treated with stereotactic surgery.

Objectives: To investigate eventual differences between women and men with Parkinson's disease (PD) before and after surgery, with respect to clinical status, disability and health-related quality of life (HRQoL).

Material And Methods: Twenty-four men and 14 women with PD received a total of 46 surgical procedures (pallidotomy, thalamotomy and deep brain stimulation of the thalamus, pallidum or subthalamic nucleus). The impact of PD on disability and other aspects of HRQoL was analysed separately in men and women before and at a mean of 11 months after surgery, using the following assessment tools: The Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS), the ADL Taxonomy, the Nottingham Health Profile, the Life Satisfaction Questionnaire and a Visual Analogue Scale.

3-year evaluation of a new open sandwich technique in Class II cavities.

Purpose: To evaluate the durability of a new open sandwich restoration with, as shown in a previous scanning electron microscope study, improved interfacial adaptation. A polyacid-modified resin-based composite (PMRC; compomer) was placed as an intermediate layer and covered with resin composite (RC). A direct RC restoration was used as control.

USMLE performances in a predominantly Asian and Pacific Islander population of medical students in a problem-based learning curriculum.

Purpose: To compare the USMLE performances of students of various ethnicities, predominantly Pacific Islander and Asian, at one medical school and to examine the predictive validity of MCAT scores for USMLE performance.

Method: A total of 258 students in the graduating classes of 1996-2000 at the University of Hawai'i School of Medicine were classified by ethnicity. Demographic and performance characteristics of the groups were examined, and MCAT scores with and without undergraduate science GPA were used to predict USMLE performance.

Comparisons of three different investigative interview techniques with young children.

After viewing a film of a mother hitting her son, a film not seen by the college student interviewers, children were misinformed about a detail (via exposure to a misleading question) as well as explicitly coached to disclose 3 false details. The children were then interviewed by interviewers who had previously learned 1 of 3 different interviewing procedures: the Yuille Step-Wise Interview developed by J. C.

Clinical characteristics, prevalence, influence on sow performance, and assessment of sow-related risk factors for granulomatous mastitis in sows.

Objective: To determine the prevalence and clinical appearance of granulomatous mastitis in sows, to identify sow-related risk factors for development of granulomatous mastitis, and to explore the manner in which the disease influences sow performance.

Animals: 1,254 sows from 76 herds.

Procedure: A clinical examination was performed at time of weaning and 7 days later.

Does the ADL part of the unified Parkinson's disease rating scale measure ADL? An evaluation in patients after pallidotomy and thalamic deep brain stimulation.

We evaluated the impact of pallidotomy and thalamic deep brain stimulation (DBS) on disability of patients with advanced Parkinson's disease and investigated whether the activities of daily living (ADL) section of the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) measures disability in everyday life. Nineteen patients who had pallidotomy and 14 patients who had thalamic DBS were followed for a mean of 11 months. Evaluation tools included the UPDRS as well as a generic ADL scale, called ADL taxonomy.

Genotyping of Chlamydia trachomatis would improve contact tracing.

Background: The reported number of Chlamydia trachomatis genital infections has increased 15% annually since 1997 in Sweden. Inaccurate partner notification might be one reason.

Goal: The goals were to determine if genotyping of C trachomatis would improve partner notification and to study the duration of infection.

Antioxidant protein 2 prevents methemoglobin formation in erythrocyte hemolysates.

Antioxidant protein 2 (AOP2) is a member of a family of thiol-specific antioxidants, recently renamed peroxiredoxins, that evolved as part of an elaborate system to counteract and control detrimental effects of oxygen radicals. AOP2 is found in endothelial cells, erythrocytes, monocytes, T and B cells, but not in granulocytes. AOP2 was found solely in the cytoplasm and was not associated with the nuclear or membrane fractions; neither was it detectable in plasma.

Estrogen receptor (ER)-beta reduces ERalpha-regulated gene transcription, supporting a "ying yang" relationship between ERalpha and ERbeta in mice.

Estrogen is of importance for the regulation of adult bone metabolism. The aim of the present study was to determine the role of estrogen receptor-beta (ERbeta) in vivo on global estrogen-regulated transcriptional activity in bone. The effect of estrogen in bone of ovariectomized mice was determined using microarray analysis including 9400 genes.

Differences among moisturizers in affecting skin susceptibility to hexyl nicotinate, measured as time to increase skin blood flow.

Background/aims: A wide range of branded and generic moisturizers is frequently used for the prevention and treatment of dry skin. The influence of moisturizers on the skin permeability is pertinent to the understanding of their therapeutic efficacy. The aim of the present study was to compare the effect of two moisturizers on the skin permeability barrier, assessed as skin reactivity to a vasodilating substance.

Common denominator of Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase mutants associated with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: decreased stability of the apo state.

More than 100 point mutations of the superoxide scavenger Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD; EC ) have been associated with the neurodegenerative disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). However, these mutations are scattered throughout the protein and provide no clear functional or structural clues to the underlying disease mechanism. Therefore, we undertook to look for folding-related defects by comparing the unfolding behavior of five ALS-associated mutants with distinct structural characteristics: A4V at the interface between the N and C termini, C6F in the hydrophobic core, D90A at the protein surface, and G93A and G93C, which decrease backbone flexibility.

Identification of estrogen-regulated genes of potential importance for the regulation of trabecular bone mineral density.

Estrogen is of importance for the regulation of trabecular bone mineral density (BMD). The aim of this study was to search for possible mechanisms of action of estrogen on bone. Ovariectomized (OVX) mice were treated with 17beta-estradiol.