The aim of this study was to assess the concentration of isradipine in maternal and fetal plasma, and in amniotic fluid under steady-state conditions. Eight women were treated with 5-mg isradipine tablets twice daily and eight women were given slow-release isradipine capsules (SRO) twice daily for hypertension in pregnancy. Blood and amniotic fluid sampling for analysis of drug concentration was p

The diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) relies on the bacteriological examination of sputum. However, microscopy of smears made directly from sputum has a low sensitivity and there is an urgent need for improved methods. We have compared microscopy of smears made directly from sputum with microscopy after liquefaction of sputum with household bleach (NaOCl) and concentration of bacteria by ce

The proposal for quantum computing with rare-earth-metal-ion qubits in inorganic crystals makes use of the inhomogeneous broadening of optical transitions in the ions to associate individual qubits with ions responding to radiation in selected frequency channels. We show that a class of Gaussian composite pulses and complex sech pulses provide accurate qubit pi rotations, which are at the same tim

A single incremental cycle exercise test including a steady-state load, combined with respiratory gas exchange, was performed with the objective of determining the time constant (o2) and the amount of oxygen required at each load (o2/DeltaW) by using a novel equation. The protocol was validated using four exercise tests at different constant loads and conventionally fitted mono-exponential functio

Paradelia Ringdahl is a modest-sized, anthomyiid genus found in cool-temperate to arctic situations in northern and elevated parts of Eurasia and North America. A high percentage of the known Eurasian species are more widespread, Holarctic in distribution. The monophyly of the genus is well supported, though it is less easy to place unambiguously in a phylogeny. Most species are rarely collected a

X-linked retinitis pigmentosa (XLRP) is a severe form of inherited progressive retinal degeneration. The RP3 (retinitis pigmentosa type 3) locus at Xp21.1 is believed to account for the disease in the majority of XLRP families. Linkage analysis and identification of patients with chromosomal deletion have refined the location of the RP3 locus and recently have led to the cloning of the RPGR (retin

Regulating the choice between neural stem cell maintenance versus differentiation determines growth and size of the developing brain. Here we identify TGF-beta signaling as a crucial factor controlling these processes. At early developmental stages, TGF-beta signal activity is localized close to the ventricular surface of the neuroepithelium. In the midbrain, but not in the forebrain, Tgfbr2 ablat

Human dignity is grounded in basic human attributes such as life and self-respect. When people cannot stand up for themselves they may lose their dignity towards themselves and others. The aim of this study was to elucidate if dignity remains intact for family members during care procedures in a children's hospital. A qualitative approach was adopted, using open non-participation observation. The

Leaf area index (LAI) of boreal ecosystems were estimated with optical instruments at the Laxemar and the Forsmark investigation areas in Sweden. The aim was to study the relationship between LAI and the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) from Landsat-5 and SPOT and evaluate the applicability of the MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) LAI product for small boreal regio

[Context and motivation] In market-driven software development it is crucial, but challenging, to find the right balance among competing quality requirements (QR). [Problem] In order to identify the unique challenges associated with the selection, trade-off, and management of quality requirements an interview study is performed. [Results] This paper describes how QR are handled in practice. Data i

Alarm analysis is the task of finding the root cause of a failure situation in an industrial process. In this article, a new approach for performing alarm analysis using multilevel flow models (MFM) is introduced. This approach is compared with existing methods for alarm analysis using MFM. The result of the alarm analysis presented in this article is a set of explanations that fits the observed s

We propose a rational fabrication method for nanoimprinting moulds by scanning probe lithography. By wet chemical etching, different kinds of moulds are realized on Si( 110) and Si( 100) surfaces according to the Si crystalline orientation. The structures have line widths of about 200 nm with a high aspect ratio. By reactive ion etching, moulds with patterns free from the limitation of Si crystall

Insulin stimulation of adipocytes results in serine phosphorylation/activation of phosphodiesterase 3B (PDE 3B) and activation of a kinase that phosphorylates PDE 3B in vitro, key events in the antilipolytic action of this hormone. We have investigated the role for p70 S6 kinase, mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAP kinases), and protein kinase B (PKB) in the insulin signaling pathway leading to

Molecularly imprinted polymer coatings were synthesized in fused-silica capillary columns by the use of a surface-coupled radical initiator. The coatings were prepared using either toluene, dichloromethane, or acetonitrile in the prepolymerization mixtures and were 0.15-2 microm thick as determined by scanning electron microscopy. Solvent-dependent differences in appearance were observed. All the

The regulation of neuronal nitric oxide synthase (NOS) mRNA levels during kindling epileptogenesis in the rat brain was investigated using in situ hybridization. Following 40 rapidly recurring seizures evoked by hippocampal stimulations, NOS mRNA expression decreased by 56% in the dentate granule cell layer (maximum at 2 h) and increased by 420,105 and 1260% in the CA1 and CA3 pyramidal layers and

Cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (cdk5) has been identified as one of the kinases that phosphorylates tau at several Alzheimer's disease (AD)-associated sites. Cdk5 is predominantly expressed in neurons, and has higher activity in AD brains than in non-demented brains. To investigate the effect of the CDK5 gene on AD, we analyzed an SNP of the CDK5 gene (rs2069456) in 347 patients with AD and in 157 cont

We demonstrate the growth of InSb-based nanowire heterostructures by metalorganic vapour phase epitaxy and use it to integrate InSb on extremely lattice-mismatched III-V nanowire templates made of InAs, InP, and GaAs. Influence of temperature, V/III ratio, and diameter are investigated in order to investigate the growth rate and morphology. The range of growth temperatures used for InSb nanowire g

The pathogenesis of ulcerative colitis (UC) remains unknown. It is thought to be due to an abnormal and uncontrolled immune response to normally occurring constituents of the intestine. Microbial agents appear to be involved in the pathogenesis and intestinal bacteria seem to be an important factor in the development and chronicity. The aim of this study was to investigate the colonic microbiota o

Island populations harbour a comparatively species-poor pathogen community, often resulting in naïve host species that experience compromised immunity when faced with novel diseases. Over 95% of the Galápagos avifauna have survived 400 years of human settlement, yet currently face threats due to introduced diseases such as avian poxvirus. On Hawaii, declining populations of birds and even some ext