High blood levels of glucocorticoids are associated with increased mortality, confusion and poor functional outcome in stroke patients. It has been proposed that inhibition of glucocorticoids in acute stroke might be beneficial, but experimental data are conflicting and no long-term follow-up study has been reported. We have studied whether pre- or postoperative administration of metyrapone, a ste

A method for the observation of the three-dimensional structure of intact ectomycorrhizal rhizomorphs is described. The method is based on a combination of clearing the material with KOH followed by staining with congo red and subsequent imaging under a laser scanning confocal microscope (LSCM). The images obtained are of a much higher three-dimensional resolution than those obtained previously by

gamma-Carboxyglutamic acid (Gla) is an unusual amino acid that is synthesized post-translationally from glutamate in a vitamin K-dependent reaction. The dicarboxylic side chain of Gla chelates Ca(2+), a property important for the biological activity of vitamin K-dependent proteins. To date, Gla-containing polypeptides have been identified in venom from two groups of organisms: elapid snakes, and s

Several models have been proposed in the literature for numerical simulations of pulverised wood drying, pyrolysis, gasification and combustion processes. These models are based on different assumptions and they yield fairly different results. In the present study a pulverised wood flame in a laboratory vertical furnace is chosen as the test case to evaluate the different sub-models including, dry

Polymerization of dimethylacrylamide (DMAAm) cross-linked with PEG diacrylate was studied using H-1 NMR both in situ in a semi frozen system and in a supercooled aqueous system. The amount of nonfrozen microphase, in which polymerization proceeds, is defined by the concentration of the starting monomers and the freezing temperature, which depends on the depression in freezing temperature caused by

Animal models greatly facilitate understanding of transmission, pathogenesis and immune responses in HIV and SIV infection and provide models for studies on the effect of candidate drugs or vaccines. However, there are several aspects that one should consider when drawing conclusions from results obtained from animal models. First, the genetic relationship of primate lentiviruses cannot be disrega

Endoglucanases (endo-1,4---glucan-4-glucanohydrolase, EC 3.2.1.4) are industrially important enzymes. In this study endoglucanase I (EGI or Cel7B) of the filamentous fungi Trichoderma reesei has been genetically engineered to investigate the influence of tryptophan rich peptide extensions (tags) on partitioning in an aqueous two-phase model system. EGI is a two-domain enzyme and is composed of a N

OBJECTIVE: Congestive heart failure (CHF) is accompanied by enhanced peripheral sympathetic nerve activity, increased vascular resistance and impaired peripheral blood flow. Besides noradrenaline and neuropeptide Y, the sympathetic nervous system also releases ATP, which has contractile effects mediated by different subtypes of P2-receptors on the vascular smooth muscle cells. The present study wa

Blood coagulation factors IX and X are two serine proteases with a similar modular structure. The non-catalytic part of each protein consists of a gamma-carboxyglutamic acid (Gla)-containing module and two modules homologous to the epidermal growth factor (EGF) precursor. We have now found that the NH2-terminal EGF-like module of both factors IX and X inhibits factor Xa formation in a Gla-independ

Deviances in early event-related potential (ERP) components reXecting auditory and phonological processing are well-documented in children at familial risk for dyslexia. However, little is known about brain responses which index processing in other linguistic domains such as lexicon, semantics and syntax in this group. The present study investigated eVects of lexical-semantic priming in 20- and 24

Objective: The aim of the first Nordic mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) protocol was to study the clinical significance of an augmented CHOP induction chemotherapy followed by high-dose chemotherapy and autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) and to examine the prognostic significance of stem cell contamination rates in newly diagnosed patients with MCL. Patients and methods: Forty-one newly diagnos

Background and purpose: The requirements on the delivered dose in radical radiation therapy are extremely high. The dose should be within a few percent and also delivered with high accuracy in space. Vendors and users have successfully managed to implement radiation therapy systems, which are able to achieve these demands with high accuracy and reproducibility. These systems include computerized t

The contribution of endothelium-linked mechanisms to the contraction induced by 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) was investigated in the isolated human uterine artery. 5-HT contracted the uterine artery concentration-dependently. Removal of the endothelium or treatment with the cyclooxygenase inhibitor indomethacin potentiated the contractile response to 5-HT. The nitric oxide synthase inhibitor L-N(G)-

This study deals with changes in the plant cover and its net carbon sequestration over 30 years on a subarctic Sphagnum-mire with permafrost near Abisko, northernmost Sweden, in relation to climatic variations during the same period. Aerial colour infrared images from 1970 and 2000 were compared to reveal changes in surface structure and vegetation over the whole mire, while the plant populations

GRACILE syndrome (Fellman syndrome, MIM 603358), an autosomal recessive metabolic disorder of the Finnish disease heritage, has been diagnosed in 25 infants of 18 families. The incidence is at least 1/47,000 in Finland. The main findings are fetal growth retardation, Fanconi type aminoaciduria, cholestasis, iron overload (liver hemosiderosis, hyperferritinemia, hypotransferrinemia, increased trans

A certified reference material (CRM) for radionuclides in fish sample IAEA-414 (mixed fish from the Irish Sea and North Seas) is described and the results of the certification process are presented. Nine radionuclides (K-40, Cs-137, Th-232, U-234, U-235, U-238, Pu-238, Pu239+240 and Am-241) were certified for this material. Information on massic activities with 95% confidence intervals is given fo

Theoretical and experimental results for the 2s(2) S-1(0)-2s2p P-3(1) intercombination line in beryllium-like ions are reviewed and revised, and some new data are presented. The uncertainty in the resulting transition rate is estimated, by using convergence of systematic calculations, accuracy of energy properties and theoretical tests, and is used to evaluate the accuracy of present and other cal

Purpose of review Recently, genome-wide genetic screening of common DNA sequence variants has proven a successful approach to identify novel genetic contributors to complex traits. This review summarizes recent genome-wide association studies for lipid phenotypes, and evaluates the next steps needed to obtain a full picture of genotype-phenotype correlation and apply these findings to inform clini

The ecological niches occupied by various species of Helicobacter are not yet known and the full spectrum of diseases associated with Helicobacter infections are not yet defined. Since these fastidious microaerofilic bacteria require special growth conditions new and improved molecular and serologic diagnostic methods have been developed to increase our understanding of their pathogenesis and viru