Biomedical subjects

B Aagaard

Publications and source records attributed to B Aagaard.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2005

Implications for prediction and hazard assessment from the 2004 Parkfield earthquake.

Obtaining high-quality measurements close to a large earthquake is not easy: one has to be in the right place at the right time with the right instruments. Such a convergence happened, for the first time, when the 28 September 2004 Parkfield, California, earthquake occurred on the San Andreas fault in the middle of a dense network of instruments designed to record it. The resulting data reveal aspects of the earthquake process never before seen. Here we show what these data, when combined with data from earlier Parkfield earthquakes, tell us about earthquake physics and earthquake prediction. The 2004 Parkfield earthquake, with its lack of obvious precursors, demonstrates that reliable short-term earthquake prediction still is not achievable. To reduce the societal impact of earthquakes now, we should focus on developing the next generation of models that can provide better predictions of the strength and location of damaging ground shaking.

Journal Article↗

PubMed1997

A repetition-prediction study of European parasuicide populations: a summary of the first report from part II of the WHO/EURO Multicentre Study on Parasuicide in co-operation with the EC concerted action on attempted suicide.

One of the aims of the European Study on Parasuicide, which was initiated by the Regional Office for the European Region of the World Health Organization in the mid-1980s, was to try to identify social and personal characteristics that are predictive of future suicidal behaviour. A follow-up interview study (the Repetition-Prediction Study) was designed, and to date 1145 first-wave interviews have been conducted at nine research centres, representing seven European countries. The present paper provides an abridged version of the first report from the study. The design and the instrument used (The European Parasuicide Study Interview Schedules, EPSIS I and II) are described. Some basic characteristics of the samples from the various centres, such as sex, age, method of suicide attempt, and history of previous attempts, are presented and compared. The male/female sex ratio ranged from 0.41 to 0.85; the mean age range for men was 33-45 years and that for women was 29-45 years. At all of the centres, self-poisoning was the most frequently employed method. On average, more than 50% of all respondents had attempted suicide at least once previously. The representativeness of the samples is discussed. There were differences between the centres in several respects, and also in some cases the representativeness of the different samples varied. Results obtained from analyses based on pooled data should therefore be treated with caution.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1994

Differences in outer membrane characteristics between gallstone-associated bacteria and normal bacterial flora.

Previous studies with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) have suggested that pigment gallstones contain bacteria. We set out to culture these bacteria and to study their membrane characteristics. We studied gallstones from 54 patients (36 men, 18 women; mean age 55.4 years) admitted consecutively to two hospitals for cholecystectomy. SEM detected bacteria in all of 14 brown pigment stones, 2 of 14 black pigment stones, and in the pigmented centres of 9 of 19 mixed cholesterol stones; no bacteria were detected in 14 pure cholesterol stones or within the cholesterol portions of mixed stones. We were able to culture bacteria from all gallstones with bacteria seen on SEM and for which sufficient material was available (n = 16). 20 bacterial species were recovered from these stones. Gallstones containing bacteria were associated with clinical sepsis and cholangitis. All bacteria obtained from gallstones agglutinated human O P1 erythrocytes, which reflects the presence of P1-specific fimbriae. 5 strains were positive for Forssman-antigen-specific fimbriae. None showed evidence of mannose-specific fimbriae. All of the organisms bound anti-Gal, a ubiquitous naturally occurring IgG specific for alpha-galactosyl residues. The presence of P1 fimbriae and alpha-galactosyl residues and the absence of mannose-specific fimbriae distinguish these organisms from gut flora. We postulate that possession of these unusual properties may enhance the ability of bacteria to colonise the biliary tree and initiate pigment gallstone formation.

Adolescent↗