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Aging enhances a mechanically-induced reduction in tendon strength by an active process involving matrix metalloproteinase activity

Age-associated and degenerative loss of functional integrity in soft tissues develops from effects of cumulative and subtle changes in their extracellular matrix (ECM). The highly ordered tendon ECM provides the tissue with its tensile strength during loading. As age and exercise collude in the high incidence of tendinopathies, we hypothesized that aged tendons fail due to cumulative damage result

Variational energy functionals of the Green function tested on molecules

It was recently proposed to use variational functionals based on manybody perturbation theory for the calculation of the total energies of many-electron systems. The accuracy of such functionals depends on the degree of sophistication of the underlying perturbation expansions. The energy functionals are variational in the sense that they can be evaluated at rather crude approximations to their ind

Severe streptococcal infection is associated with M protein-induced platelet activation and thrombus formation.

Disturbed haemostasis is a central finding in severe Streptococcus pyogenes infection. In particular, microthrombi are found both at the local site of infection and at distant sites. Platelets are responsible for maintaining vascular function and haemostasis. We report here that M1 protein of S. pyogenes triggers immune-mediated platelet activation and thrombus formation. M1 protein is released fr

Cerebral vascular bed in hypertension and consequences for the brain

The internal carotid artery of spontaneously hypertensive rats and stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats has a thicker media than that of normotensive Wistar Kyoto rats as early as 15 days of age; furthermore, the media-to-lumen ratio is increased in the larger pial arteries. Since several studies have indicated that the mean arterial pressure is slightly elevated in spontaneously hypertens

A simplified precise method for adjusting serum levels of persistent organohalogen pollutants to total serum lipids.

In order to obtain biomarker values that reflect body burden of persistent organohalogen pollutants (POP), concentrations of lipophilic POP in serum or plasma are generally expressed on a lipid weight basis, and not on a fresh weight basis. There are two different approaches to determine the lipid content in serum and plasma. The gravimetric determination is more expensive, and longer experience i

Modulation by carbon dioxide and pH of the contractile responses to potassium and prostaglandin F2 alpha in isolated human pial arteries

Variation of PCO2 with concomitant changes in extracellular pH (pHo) may modulate cerebrovascular resistance, but the direct actions of carbon dioxide and pHo on human cerebral arteries are unknown. In this study, we have evaluated the effects of different carbon dioxide tensions (2.7, 4.2 and 7.2 kPa) with either fixed (pHo = 7.44) or concomitant changes in pHo, on contractions induced by depolar

Eyeing tumorigenesis: Notch signaling and epigenetic silencing of Rb in Drosophila.

Notch signaling plays an essential role in the processes of embryogenesis and cellular differentiation, and it is believed that the oncogenic effects of dysregulated Notch signaling are an anomalous reflection of the normal functions of this cascade. Nonetheless, the cellular events associated with oncogenic Notch signaling have thus far remained elusive. In a recent report, Ferres-Marco et al.((1

Functional outcome 3 months after stroke predicts long-term survival

Background: When reporting stroke survival and prognostic factors with a possible effect on outcome, the starting point for the observation of a clinical cohort usually is the onset of stroke or the acute admission of a patient. Thus, acute and early mortality inflict prognosis on long-term outcome. In order to give a more robust analysis of long-term survival after the acute period we chose to st

Management of patients with polycythaemia vera: results of a survey among Swedish haematologists

The prevailing attitudes regarding diagnostic and therapeutic procedures in patients with polycythaemia vera (PV) among Swedish haematologists were surveyed by way of a mailed questionnaire in August 2002. Among diagnostic procedures frequent use is reported for arterial O-2 saturation, spleen size determination, bone marrow histology, serum erythropoietin, serum cobalamins and leukocyte alkaline

Effects of long-term clarithromycin treatment on lavage-fluid markers of inflammation in chronic rhinosinusitis

Macrolides can be clinically effective in chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). However, little is known about how these drugs affect pathophysiological features of CRS in vivo. In the present study, patients with CRS were subjected to long-term treatment with clarithromycin. Nasal lavages with and without histamine (40 and 400 mu g ml(-1)) were carried out prior to and late into the treatment period. His

Proteoglycans and hyaluronan in human fetal membranes

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to describe the distributions of major extracellular matrix components, such as proteoglycans, collagen acid hyaluronan, in the fetal membranes at term. STUDY DESIGN: Fetal membranes were obtained from elective cesarean deliveries at term. Guanidinium extracts were analyzed for proteoglycans with alcian blue precipitation, sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide

Standardization of diagnostic PCR for the detection of foodborne pathogens.

In vitro amplification of nucleic acids using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) has become, since its discovery in the 1980s, a powerful diagnostic tool for the analysis of microbial infections as well as for the analysis of microorganisms in food samples. However, despite its potential, PCR has neither gained wide acceptance in routine diagnostics nor been widely incorporated in standardized me

Recrystallisation behaviour of native and processed waxy maize starch in relation to the molecular characteristics

Molecular characteristics were determined for native waxy maize starch and maize starch modified in different way (by mechanical treatment or/and acid hydrolysis). Recrystallisation behaviour was studied. Methods used in this study were MALLS, HPAEC-PAD, NMR, DSC, SEM, light microscopy. Five starch materials were subjected to storage under the same conditions in the presence of water (70 w/w%). Mo

Rapid decarbonisation of cities by addressing behavioural failures? A critical review of policy interventions

While many of the interventions to reduce carbon emissions target market failures, little attention is given to behavioural failures. This study investigates to what degree cities, which have taken a central role in global decarbonisation efforts, already incorporate findings from behavioural economics in their policy interventions. The ‘traditional taxonomy’ for policy intervention, represented a