Gene transfer into hematopoietic cells using viral vectors has focused mostly on lymphocytes and hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). HSCs have been considered particularly important as target cells because of their pluripotency and ability to reconstitute hematopoiesis after myeloablation and transplantation. HSCs are believed to have the ability to live a long time, perhaps a lifetime, in the recipi

Background: Family caregivers of relatives with dementia report higher level of psychological distress than other caregivers and report their self-related health as poorer than that of comparison groups. Aims and objectives: The purpose of the study was to examine characteristics of family caregivers and to assess whether income, subjective health, age and relationship were associated with the bur

As part of a UNICEF-sponsored Psychosocial Programme in Bosnia, data were collected from a representative sample of 339 children aged 9–14 years, their mothers, and their teachers in order to investigate risk and moderating factors in children's psychological reactions to war. Self-report data from children revealed high levels of post-traumatic stress symptoms and grief reactions, but normal leve

Crucian carp (Carassius carassius) develop a deeper body in response to chemical cues from piscivores. This change in body morphology has been suggested to be a predator-induced defence. Here we investigate the possible benefits of the induced body morphology in laboratory experiments. Pike foraging behaviour when feeding on crucian carp of different body depths was recorded using video. Further,

The aim of the study was to optimize the criteria for the BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene testing and to improve oncogenetic counseling in the Stockholm region. Screening for inherited breast cancer genes is laborious and a majority of tested samples turn out to be negative. The frequencies of mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes differ across populations. Between 1997 and 2000, 160 families with breast an

To investigate the role of protein kinase C (PKC) isoforms in regulation of neurite outgrowth, PKCalpha, betaII, delta, and epsilon fused to enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) were transiently overexpressed in neuroblastoma cells. Overexpression of PKCepsilon-EGFP induced cell processes whereas the other isoforms did not. The effect of PKCepsilon-EGFP was not suppressed by the PKC inhibitor

alpha 1-Antitrypsin (AAT) is a major circulating and tissues inhibitor of serine proteinases implicated in the regulation of inflammation and host defence. There is now increasing evidence that AAT may also exhibit anti-inflammatory activities independent of its protease inhibitor function. This study was undertaken to investigate the effects of native (inhibitory) and polymerized (non-inhibitory)

Aims: The aim of the study was to explore whether exposure to microbial agents determines the prevalence of acute coronary events. Methods and results: Patients with unstable angina pectoris and myocardial infarction (N = 335) and their paired controls were investigated. The subjects answered a questionnaire about their childhood contagious diseases: varicella, scarlet fever, measles, rubella, mon

Objective. To follow patients with fibromyalgia six and 24 months after they finished a six-month treatment programme. The programme comprised pool exercise therapy, adjusted to the patients' limitations, and education based on their health problems. Methods. Twenty-six patients were examined six and 24 months after the completion of the treatment programme with the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnai

The relative importance of seed, habitat and microhabitat limitation has rarely been investigated for invasive non-native species, although this is critical for their effective management and for predicting future range expansion. Rosa rugosa is an abundant non-native shrub in coastal habitats of NW Europe; it is common along the Baltic coast but more scarce in exposed dunes of the North Sea. To i

The photochemistry of protochlorophyllide a, a precursor in the biosynthesis of chlorophyll and substrate of the light regulated enzyme protochlorophyllide oxidoreductase, is investigated by pump-probe spectroscopy. Upon excitation into the lowest lying Q-band the light induced changes ore recorded over a wide range of probe wavelengths in the visible and near-IR region between 500 and 1000 nm. Fo

Surface analytical tools have gained interest in the bioanalytical field during recent years because they offer the possibility of more detailed investigations of biomolecular interactions. To be able to use such tools, the biomolecules of interest must be immobilized to a surface in a functioning way. For small water-soluble biomolecules, the surface immobilization is quite straightforward, but i

We have studied the effects of cholesterol and steroid-based antibiotic fusidic acid (FA) on the behavior of lipid bilayers using a variety of experimental techniques together with atomic-scale molecular dynamics simulations. Capillary electrophoretic measurements showed that FA was incorporated into fluid 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine membranes. Differential scanning calorimetr

The Large-billed Reed Warbler Acrocephalus orinus is known only from the type specimen, collected in Himachal Pradesh, India, in 1867. The specimen is poorly prepared, and it has been suggested that it could represent an isolated form of the Clamorous Reed Warbler A. stentoreus or an aberrant Blyth's Reed Warbler A. dumetorum. We tested the affinity of A. orinus by (1) re-examining the morphology

Benzodiazepines, which are widely used clinically for relief of anxiety and for sedation, are thought to enhance synaptic inhibition in the central nervous system by increasing the open probability of chloride channels activated by the inhibitory neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). Here we show that the benzodiazepine diazepam can also increase the conductance of GABAA channels activa

It is an undeniable fact that software project managers need reliable techniques and robust tool support to be able to exercise a fine control over the development process so that products can be delivered in time and within budget. Therefore, managers need to be trained so that they could learn and use new techniques and be aware of their possible impacts. In this context, effective learning is a

Clinical and radiographic data provide important information in the evaluation of soft tissue lesions/neoplasms. Morphologic tissue and cytologic examination is considered to be a necessary part of the diagnostic work-up. The standard procedure for obtaining tumor tissue for morphologic evaluation has been incisional (open) or core needle biopsy. An increasing use of minimally invasive diagnostic