The UV-absorbing capacity (measured as A(310) cm(-2) and A(365) cm(-2) or AUVR cm(-2)) of the shade leaves of four representative evergreen sclerophylls of the Mediterranean region (Quercus coccifera, Q. ilex, Arbutus andrachne and A. unedo) was considerably lower than the corresponding one of sun leaves of the same species. However, fibre optic microprobe measurements showed that adaxial as well

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (CCPD) is a disease primarily caused by cigarette smoking, which in turn has been shown to affect the susceptibility to and progression of airway infections. The question addressed in this study was how components from cigarette smoke could affect the defence mechanisms of T-cells and epithelial cells, and thereby contribute to the development of the COPD path

A group of 137 male workers with known exposure (mean 20 fibre years per millilitre) to asbestos cement who had symptoms or signs of pulmonary disease was studied together with a reference group of 49 healthy industrial workers with no exposure to asbestos. Lung function measurements were made at rest and during exercise. Evidence of lung fibrosis was found as well as of obstructive airways diseas

A detailed study of ultraviolet spectra of the symbiotic star AG Peg has been undertaken to derive the atomic excitation mechanisms and origin of formation for the lines common in symbiotic systems. More than 600 emission lines are observed in spectra from IUE, HST and FUSE of which 585 are identified. Population mechanisms and origin of formation are given for a majority of those lines. Based on

Finely wrought pieces of storytelling, pithy sayings and clever riddles constituting oral traditions often labelled “verbal art” abound in ancient texts. Yet while it has long been recognised that such traditions—folklore—can be found in the Homeric poems, it is less well known that they have also been incorporated into many other types of texts. This paper aims to offer a concise description of h

Strips from Graafian follicles of bovine ovaries were tested for their contractile response in vitro in order to characterize the type of post-junctional alpha-adrenoceptor involved. Electrically induced contractions were inhibited concentration-dependently by the alpha 1-antagonist, prazosin. Besides noradrenaline the alpha 1-selective agonists, methoxamine and phenylephrine, caused the strips to

The soot particle size distribution was studied via numerical simulation under diesel like engine conditions using a detailed kinetic soot model. Two different mathematical methods of the soot model description have been used in this work. In the first part of the work, the method of moments is presented. In addition, a so called sectional method for the soot particle size distribution function in

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in water were extracted with a rebuilt extraction unit using 47 mm C18 solid-phase extraction (SPE) disks. Three types of disks (SPEC, ENVI and Empore) were investigated for the extraction of seven PCBs from 1 l reagent water spiked at two concentration levels (20 and 1000 ng/l). The Empore disks produced the best analyte recoveries (91–107% with R.S.D. of 1–8%) at

Biosensors, combining a selective biological recognition element and a sensitive transducer, are versatile analytical tools applied more and more in different fields, such as medicine, food quality and safety control, and environment pollution monitoring. They are expected to play an increasingly important role in the improvement of life quality. In this context, the present work covers recent app

Background: The purpose was to investigate adjuvant marrow-supportive high-dose chemotherapy compared with an equitoxicity-tailored comparator arm. Patients and methods: Five hundred and twenty-five women below the age of 60 years with operated high-risk primary breast cancer were randomised to nine cycles of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor supported and individually tailored FEC (5-fluorour

Popular Abstract in Swedish Anglo-amerikanska relationer efter andra världskriget bestod både av samarbete och konflikt. Ett exempel på det första var Pentagondiskussionerna 1947 då ett amerikanskt uttalande betonade det generella målet att upprätthålla säkerheten i Mellanöstern genom att stödja de brittiska politiska, ekonomiska och strategiska positionerna i området. Ett exempel på det senare vaAnglo-American post-Second World War relations in the Middle East included cases of close cooperation and conflict. An example of the former was the Pentagon Talks in 1947 when an American statement pointed out the general objective of maintaining the security of the Middle East by retaining the British political, economic, and strategic position in areas supported by the United States. An example

The development of inhibitory antibodies against coagulation factor VIII (FVIII) in patients with mild haemophilia A is uncommon. We describe here two families in which three or two members have developed inhibitors, suggesting a familial predisposition. The mutations found, in the A2 (Arg593Cys) and C1 domains (Tyr2105Cys), have been reported to give rise to inhibitor development in single indivi