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BACKGROUND: Sphingomyelin (SM) is present in dietary products and cell plasma membranes. We previously showed that dietary SM inhibited cholesterol absorption in rats. In the intestinal tract, SM is mainly hydrolyzed by alkaline sphingomyelinase (alk-SMase) to ceramide. AIMS: We investigated the influence of SM and its hydrolytic products ceramide and sphingosine on cholesterol uptake in intestina

Aim: The present investigation was designed to evaluate the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of adolescents with asthma between the age of 16 and 21, when they are transferred from paediatric to adult care. Methods: In this prospective study, 156 teenagers (69 females) with asthma were screened employing spirometry, a histamine challenge, skin prick test for allergy and filled out the 'Livin

BACKGROUND: The early detection of circulatory failure in patients with sepsis is important for successful treatment. Heparin-binding protein (HBP), released from activated neutrophils, is a potent inducer of vascular leakage. In this study, we investigated whether plasma levels of HBP could be used as an early diagnostic marker for severe sepsis with hypotension. METHODS: A prospective study of 2

Background and Purpose. Data on performance times for the 'timed up and go' (TUG) test with analyses of factors, that eventually could affect the result in patients with hip fracture, have not been published to date. The aims of the present study, therefore, were to assess normative reference values of TUG performances and determine the influence of individual and clinical factors on TUG-test scor

The aim of this study was to identify spinal target cells of spinocerebellar neurons, in particular the ventral spinocerebellar tract (VSCT) neurons, giving off axon collaterals terminating within the lumbosacral enlargement. Axons of spinocerebellar neurons were stimulated within the cerebellum while searching for most direct synaptic actions on intracellularly recorded hindlimb motoneurons and i

To present and validate a new method for 4D flow quantification of vortex-ring mixing during early, rapid filling of the left ventricle (LV) as a potential index of diastolic dysfunction and heart failure.

Recurrent spontaneous abortion (RSA), three or more pregnancy losses prior to 20 weeks, occurs in about 1% of all pregnancies, 50% of RSA cases remain unexplained and unresolved. Recently, immune pathways have been implicated in the pathophysiology of RSA. Immune tolerance of the fetal-placental unit and placental angiogenesis are mandatory for a successful pregnancy outcome. Unscheduled dysregula

Mutations in the gene encoding Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK) result in X-linked agammaglobulinemia (XLA), an immunodeficiency of antibody defect. By using base excision sequence scanning method (BESS) followed by direct sequencing we found in seven unrelated families with a classical XLA phenotype various mutations including six novel mutations (g.64512_64513insC, c.108_109insG, c.1700_1701insACTAC

Exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB) can be prevented by a single dose of montelukast (MLK). The effect is variable, similar to the variable responsiveness observed after daily treatment with MLK. We hypothesized that the effect of a single MLK-dose (5 or 10 mg) on EIB could predict the clinical effectiveness of longer term once daily treatment.

Multiconfiguration Hartree-Fock (MCHF) calculations of hyperfine constants for the 2s2p 3P states of beryllium and the ground states of boron and carbon are reported. The capacity of a recently developed configuration-interaction program [Froese Fischer and Tong (unpublished); Stathopoulos and Froese Fischer (unpublished)], allowing for large configuration expansions, is explored. Using a systemat

Malunion after a distal radius fracture can be treated with an osteotomy of the distal radius. Autologous iliac crest bone graft is often used to fill the gap, but the procedure is associated with donor site morbidity. In this study a novel fast resorbing biphasic bone substitute consisting of a mixture of calcium sulphate and calcium phosphate is used (Cerament BoneSupport AB, Sweden). Fifteen co

A diffusion model of noninvasive absorption spectroscopy was used to determine how the change in signal resulting from a point absorber depends on the position of that absorber relative to the source and detector. This is equivalent to calculating the relative probability that a photon will visit a certain location in tissue before its detection. Experimental mapping of the point-target response i

We report a case of a newborn girl with inspissated bile syndrome (IBS) that did not respond to treatment with oral ursodeoxycholic acid (Ursofalk). A solution was found using laparoscopic aided cholecystostomy with an indwelling catheter for local Ursofalk flushing in the gallbladder and the choledochus. This is the first report of a laparoscopic aided management of IBS without cholecystectomy or

Screening assays designed to probe ligand and drug-candidate regulation of membrane proteins responsible for ion-translocation across the cell membrane are wide spread, while efficient means to screen membrane-protein facilitated transport of uncharged solutes are sparse. We report on a microfluidic-based system to monitor transport of uncharged solutes across the membrane of multiple (>100) indiv

BACKGROUND: The size of myocardial infarction (MI) is of significance for the prognosis. Selvester scores might be valuable for this estimation. OBJECTIVE: To compare the differences in Selvester scores for chronic MI provided from standard and EASI-derived 12-lead electrocardiograms (ECGs) and to compare these scores to the MI size measured by delayed-enhancement magnetic resonance imaging (DE-MR

Determination of the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) is generally considered as the most important parameter of quantifying renal function. The GFR is determined as renal or plasma clearance of an ideal filtration marker which is freely filtered by the kidney, does not undergo metabolism, tubular secretion or absorption. Markers that fulfil these demands are inulin, 51Cr-EDTA, 99mTc-DTPA, labelle