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In five patients with clinical suspicion of spinal disease, MRI of the spine revealed unexpected aortic pathology explaining the symptoms. No significant intraspinal pathology was found on MRI. However, in one patient with clinical suspicion of spinal stenosis, an aortic occlusion was detected on MR images of the spine. The lower extremity ischaemia, caused by the occlusion, was responsible for th

In TSP with neighborhoods (TSPN) we are given a collection S of regions in the plane, called neighborhoods, and we seek the shortest tour that visits all neighborhoods. Until now constant-factor approximation algorithms have been known only for cases where the neighborhoods are of approximately the same size. In this paper we present the first polynomial-time constant-factor approximation algorith

One of the CHRISGAS project objectives is to study the shift catalysts in biomass-generated synthesis gas. The water gas shift reaction is ruled by equilibrium, and the state of the gas can for a given H2/CO ratio be shifted by addition/removal of water, CO2 and/or by a change in the temperature. Stability area in respect to gas composition, sulphur content, pressure and temperature for FeCr shift

A synthetic fluorapatite was prepared that undergoes a phase transformation generated during a dialysis step. A surface layer with the composition Ca(9)(HPO(4))(2)(PO(4))(4)F(2) is formed, which is suggested to form as one calcium atom is replaced by two protons. A surface complexation model, based upon XPS measurements, potentiometric titration data, batch experiments, and zeta-potential measurem

The high number of /-expressing T cells found in the epithelial lining layer suggests that they form a first line of defence against invading pathogens. To evaluate the role of / T cell-receptor (TCR)-expressing cells in cutaneous infection caused by Staphylococcus aureus, mice lacking /-expressing T cells (TCR/) were inoculated intradermally with S. aureus, and compared with S. aureus-infected co

Heparan sulfate 3-O-sulfotransferase transfers sulfate to the 3-OH position of a glucosamine residue of heparan sulfate (HS) to form 3-O-sulfated HS. The 3-O-sulfated glucosamine residue contributes to two important biological functions of HS: binding to antithrombin and thereby carrying anticoagulant activity, and binding to herpes simplex viral envelope glycoprotein D to serve as an entry recept

As the management of haemophilia is complex, it is essential that those with the disorder should have ready access to a range of services provided by a multidisciplinary team of specialists. This document sets out the principles of comprehensive haemophilia care in Europe. Within each country there should be a national organization which oversees the provision of specialist Comprehensive Care Cent

Women who smoke have less favourable prognosis following breast-cancer diagnosis. Some studies suggest that this is due to a more advanced stage at diagnosis, on average. Our present aim was to assess whether smoking is associated with other prognostic markers as well, e.g., hormone receptor status, histopathology and tumour differentiation. The evaluation was based on 268 incident cases in a coho

In adipocytes, phosphorylation and activation of PDE3B is a key event in the antilipolytic action of insulin. The role of PDE4, another PDE present in adipocytes, is not yet known. In this work we investigate the role of PDE3B and PDE4 in insulin-induced glucose uptake, GLUT-4 translocation and lipogenesis. Inhibition of PDE3 (OPC3911, milrinone) but not PDE4 (RO 20-1724) lowered insulin-induced g

Objective. To compare participants and non-participants early in the process of an audit on treatment of respiratory tract infections (RTIs) and to analyse any effect of the actual self-registration on the prescription of antibiotics in both groups. Design. All 80 general practitioners (GPs) at 14 health centres were invited to audit their use of antibiotics and 45 agreed to participate. There wer

Pinocytosis induced by Na+ was assayed by phase contrast microscopy in 8–12 days starvedAmoeba proteus. These cultures were inactive with respect to calcium-dependent Na+-induced pinocytosis, but treatment with amino acid methyl and ethyl esters increased their capacity for pinocytosis. Besides promoting pinocytosis these compounds also stimulated calcium-sensitive secretion of lysosomal enzymes f

The mesencephalic astrocyte-derived neurotrophic factor (MANF) has been described as a Survival factor for dopaminergic neurons in vitro, but its expression in mammalian tissues is poorly known. MANF and a homologous Protein, the conserved dopamine neurotrophic factor (CDNF), form a novel evolutionary conserved family of neurotrophic factors. Here we used in situ hybridization and immunohistochemi

Objective The recovery of bone mineral density (BMD) after surgical cure of primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) seems to be multifactorial and not just dependent on declining PTH. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the role of sex steroids in this context. Design and patients Thirty-six postmenopausal women with PHPT were examined before and 1 year after curative parathyroidectomy. Their

The molecular mechanism whereby the small heat-shock protein ( sHsp) chaperones interact with and prevent aggregation of other proteins is not fully understood. We have characterized the sHsp-substrate protein interaction at normal and increased temperatures utilizing a model substrate protein, citrate synthase ( CS), widely used in chaperone assays, and a dodecameric plant sHsp, Hsp21, by chemica

To monitor emissions of NH3 and N2O during composting and link these to ammonia oxidation rates and the community structure of ammonia oxidizing bacteria (AOB). A laboratory-scale compost reactor treating organic household waste was run for 2 months. NH3 emissions peaked when pH started to increase. Small amounts of N2O and CH4 were also produced. In total, 16% and less than 1% of the initial N wa

In developing countries such as Ethiopia, where chronic gastritis and peptic-ulcer disease are the most common endoscopic findings, it is important to study the association between Helicobacter pylori infection and gastroduodenal diseases. Both invasive and non-invasive diagnostic methods were therefore used to investigate 300, consecutive, adult patients with dyspepsia, from the gastrointestinal

1. Given the allometric scaling of thermoregulatory capacity in birds, and the cold and exposed Arctic environment, it was predicted that Arctic-breeding shorebirds should incur high costs during incubation. Using doubly labelled water (DLW), daily energy expenditure (DEE) during incubation was measured in eight shorebird species weighing between 29 and 142 g at various sites in the Eurasian and C

Selective immunolesioning of the basal forebrain cholinergic system by 192 IgG-saporin, which leads to a dramatic loss of the cholinergic innervation in cortical and hippocampal regions, facilitates the development of hippocampal kindling in rats. The aim of the present study was to explore whether grafted cholinergic neurones are able to reverse the lesion-induced increase of seizure susceptibili

Using beam-foil spectroscopy, we have observed several new lines in the B IV and B V spectra. This experimental work was combined with theoretical calculations using ab initio and semi-empirical techniques. We have also critically evaluated all previous and recent experimental and theoretical data for these spectra. Complete data on wavelengths and energy levels based on this analysis are tabulate