Properties of polyelectrolyte gels in equilibrium with a reservoir of salt solution described within the primitive model have been investigated using Monte Carlo simulations. The polyelectrolyte gel was modeled as a charged defect-free three-dimensional network of diamondlike topology with explicit simple ions. The deswelling upon addition of salt was investigated for gels with different charge de

In this work the temperature dependence of the proton resonance frequency was assessed in agarose gel with a high melting temperature (95 degrees C) and in porcine liver in vitro at temperatures relevant to thermotherapy (25-80 degrees C). Furthermore, an optically tissue-like agarose gel phantom was developed and evaluated for use in MRI. The phantom was used to visualize temperature distribution

We have previously shown that selective heavy meromyosin (HMM) adsorption to predefined regions of nanostructured polymer resist surfaces may be used to produce a nanostructured in vitro motility assay. However, actomyosin function was of lower quality than on conventional nitrocellulose films. We have therefore studied actomyosin function on differently derivatized glass surfaces with the aim to

A 10-bit two-step subranging folding analog-to-digital converter (ADC) that converts signal at 500 MSample/s is presented. Using dual-channel preprocessing blocks with distributed sample-and-hold circuits and two-stage amplifiers in which auto-zero calibration technique is employed, the proposed 10-bit ADC has a wide input bandwidth (>250MHz). The ADC consumes 124mW from a 1.2V power supply. The p

DNA microarray technology has been a valuable tool to provide a global view of the changes in gene expression that characterize different types of B cell lymphomas, both in relation to clinical parameters but also in comparison with the non-malignant counterparts. The number of transcripts that can be analyzed on an array has dramatically increased, and now most commercially available arrays cover

Supermacroporous monolithic acrylamide (AAm)-based cryogels were prepared by radical cryo-polymerizaton (polymerization in the moderately frozen system) of AAm with functional monomers and cross-linker N,N'-methylene-bis-acrylamide (MBAAm). Electron microscopy studies revealed supermacroporous structure of the developed cryogels with pore size of 5-100 mum. Cryogel porosity depended on cryo-polyme

A new theoretical approach to two-photon transition intensities at the multiconfigurational self-consistent field (MCSCF) level of theory, is described in detail. The fundamental property of an MCSCF wave function, that it is possible to define the response equations for an excited state, is a prerequisite. The method requires solely first-order multiconfigurational response calculations, because

Appearance of dyskinesia is a common problem of long-term l-DOPA treatment in Parkinson's disease patients and represents a major limitation for the pharmacological management of the motor symptoms in advanced disease stages. We have recently demonstrated that dopamine released from serotonin neurons is responsible for l-DOPA-induced dyskinesia in 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA)-lesioned rats, raising

The microstructure of phase-segregated amylopectin (AP) and β-lactoglobulin (βlg) mixtures formed during drying from solutions with different concentrations and different polysaccharide and protein ratios have been studied using atomic force microscopy (AFM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). AFM was used as the main technique and TEM was used to confirm the results. Systems with only one

Background: The survival for patients with atrioventricular septal defect has improved markedly over the last decades and, during the same period, the survival of children with Down's syndrome has also increased. The aim of our study was to investigate long-term survival in patients having atrioventricular septal defect with common valvar orifice, but without associated significant congenital hear

The optical properties of quantum dots embedded in a catalytically grown semiconductor nanowire are studied theoretically. In comparison to dots in a bulk environment, the excitonic absorption is strongly modified by the one-dimensional character of the nanowire phonon spectrum. In addition to pronounced satellite peaks due to phonon-assisted absorption, we find a finite width of the zero-phonon l

To model aerosol-cloud interactions in general circulation models (GCMs), a prognostic cloud scheme of cloud liquid water and amount is expanded to include droplet number concentration (N(d)) in a way that allows them to be calculated using the same large-scale and convective updraft velocity field. In the scheme, the evolution of droplets fully interacts with the model meteorology. An explicit tr

The accuracy of monitor unit calculations from a pencil beam based, three-dimensional treatment planning system (3D TPS) has been evaluated for open irregularly shaped photon fields. The dose per monitor unit was measured in water and in air for x-ray beam qualities from 6 to 15 MV. The fields were shaped either with a multileaf collimator (MLC) or with customized alloy blocks. Calculations from t

The model presented in this paper further extends the demand-for-health model in which the family is the producer of health investments, to consider the case in which an employer has incentives for investing in the health of a family member. The household and the employer are assumed to interact strategically in the production of health. The general insight provided is that the conditions which de