A new chromatographic system for the simultaneous analysis of polyethylene glycol, dextran, sugars, and low-molecular-weight fatty acids was developed. The system is based on a gel exclusion column which allows a first separation between high- and low-molecular-weight compounds, and a cationic exchange column used to further separate the low-molecular-weight compounds. Two applications of the syst

The effects of antirheumatic gold compounds and D-penicillamine on protein kinase C- and Ca(2+)-mediated activation of arachidonate mobilization and the formation of eicosanoids in mouse macrophages have been investigated. Auranofin (0.2-2 microM) enhanced the response to phorbol ester two- to three-fold, and similar enhancement was caused by aurothiomalate, aurothioglucose, and penicillamine, but

The cerebellar olivo-cortico-nuclear network influencing rubro- and corticospinal tracts via the nucleus interpositus anterior (NIA) is one of the most thoroughly characterized mammalian motor systems involved in limb movement control. Recent findings indicate that climbing fibres innervating the NIA system mediate highly integrated sensorimotor information derived from spinal withdrawal reflex mo

Parasitoids of the genus Horismenus (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) are the main natural enemies of bruchid beetles that feed on several species of Phaseolus beans. Samples of Horismenus depressus, H. missouriensis and H. butcheri were collected from seeds of three Phaseolus species throughout Mexico to examine the impact of plant variability on the genetic structure of parasitoid populations. For this

Superimposed electrical stimulation techniques can be used to detect central activation failure (CAF), that is, incomplete central nervous system recruitment or suboptimal activation of motor units. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of two stimulation parameters on perceived discomfort and torque increment size and variability. Discomfort was evaluated using a visual analog sca

Background: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the knee is often performed in patients who have knee symptoms of unclear cause. When meniscal tears are found, it is commonly assumed that the symptoms are attributable to them. However, there is a paucity of data regarding the prevalence of meniscal damage in the general population and the association of meniscal tears with knee symptoms and with r

Two two-stage systems, one consisting of a solid-bed reactor for hydrolysis/acidification connected to an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket methanogenic reactor, and the other consisting of a solid-bed reactor connected to a methanogenic reactor packed with wheat straw biofilm carriers, were investigated with regard to hydrolytic enzymes and methane production during mesophilic anaerobic digestion o

β-Alanine synthase is the final enzyme of the reductive pyrimidine catabolic pathway, which is responsible for the breakdown of uracil and thymine in higher organisms. The fold of the homodimeric enzyme from the yeast Saccharomyces kluyveri identifies it as a member of the AcyI/M20 family of metallopeptidases. Its subunit consists of a catalytic domain harboring a di-zinc center and a smaller dime

The preservatives imidazolidinyl urea (IMID, Germall 115) and diazolidinyl urea (DU, Germall II) are commonly used in cosmetic products and are well-known sensitizers. The aim of the present study was to establish the optimal patch test concentration in hydrophilic dried-in vehicle (TRUE Test) for IMID and DU. 181 patients were included in the study. Of these, 150 were patients referred for patch

Intrastriatal transplantation of embryonic dopaminergic tissue is a new, experimental approach for the treatment of Parkinson's disease (PD). Clinical trials have shown longterm graft survival and therapeutically valuable improvements with decreased L-dopa dose and time spent in the "off"-phase, and reduced rigidity and hypokinesia. We have measured health-related quality of life (HRQoL) using the

This paper analyzes the multi-period base-stock problem where there is a financial risk associated with a stochastic demand. For the single-period problem, it is known that the optimal inventory policy can be obtained with the Black and Scholes option pricing formula. This paper pushes the analysis further by applying the options valuation framework to the multi-period problem and presenting an al

Trypsinogen is a serine proteinase produced mainly by the pancreas, but it has recently been found to be expressed also in several cancers such as ovarian and colon cancer and in vascular endothelial cells. In this study, we found that trypsinogen-1 and -2 are present at high concentrations (median levels, 0.4 and 0.5 mg/L, respectively) in human seminal fluid and purified them to homogeneity by i

The performance of a miniaturized sample processing platform for matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS), manufactured by silicon microfabrication, called integrated selective enrichment target (ISET) technology was evaluated in a biological context. The ISET serves as both sample treatment device and MALDI-MS target, and contains an array of 96 perforated nanovial

1. We hypothesised that adult insects actively monitor potential habitats for the presence of fish by means of chemical cues and avoid sites that pose significant risks. This was examined by quantifying colonisation of insects in outdoor pools with no fish (controls), fish (direct predation effect) or caged fish (chemical predator cues). 2. A significant direct effect of predation was found, but n

Background: There is a certain difference in opinion regarding the optimal choice of housekeeping genes used as normalization factors in gene expression analysis. We have therefore examined the suitability of three housekeeping genes, hypoxanthine phosphoribosyl transferase, beta(2)-glucuronidase and beta(2)-microglobulin, for normalization of expression data from melanoma metastases. Methods: The

The aim of this study was to investigate the short-term (2 weeks) effects of the herbicide metsulfuron methyl alone and in combination with the insecticide cypermethrin in freshwater enclosures (80 1). We used a factorial design with four levels of herbicide (0, 1, 5, 20 mug/1) and two levels of insecticide (0 and 0.05 mug/1). The root growth of the macrophyte species Elodea canadensis and Myrioph

In cubomedusae, the central nervous system (CNS) is found both in the bell (the ring nerve) and in the four eye-bearing sensory structures (the rhopalia). The ring nerve and the rhopalia are connected via the rhopalial stalks and examination of the structure of the rhopalial stalks therefore becomes important when trying to comprehend visual processing. In the present study, the rhopalial stalk of