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Asthma-like symptoms, methacholine hyperresponsiveness, and use of asthma medication are prevalent in elite cross-country skiers. We quantitated mucosal inflammatory cell infiltration and tenascin expression in the subepithelial basement membrane in endobronchial biopsy specimens of the proximal airways from 40 elite, competitive skiers (mean: 17.5; range: 16 to 20 yr) without a diagnosis of asthm

It is likely that everyone will, at some time, suffer from a problem related to the musculoskeletal system, ranging from a very common problem such as osteoarthritis or back pain to severely disabling limb trauma or rheumatoid arthritis. Many musculoskeletal problems are chronic conditions. The most common symptoms are pain and disability, with an impact not only on individuals’ quality of life bu

An updated version of the spectral ( bin) microphysics cloud model developed at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem [ the Hebrew University Cloud Model (HUCM)] is described. The model microphysics is based on the solution of the equation system for size distribution functions of cloud hydrometeors of seven types ( water drops, plate-, columnar-, and branch-like ice crystals, aggregates, graupel, an

The value of primary chemical compounds correlated with known secondary chemistry and morphological variation within the Ramalina siliquosa group has been investigated. A hundred specimens were collected on two different occasions from 13 different populations on the Swedish west coast during April 1984. Protein extracts were prepared from 27 on secondary constituents identified and morphologicall

The activity of ADAMTS 13, the von Willebrand factor cleaving protease, is deficient in patients with thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP). In the present study, the phenotype of ADAMTS13 in TTP and in normal plasma was demonstrated by immunoblotting. Normal plasma (n=20) revealed a single band at 190 kD under reducing conditions using a polyclonal antibody, and a single band at 150 kD under

Incubator covers are increasingly being used in neonatal care as part of minimal disturbance strategies. The aim of this study was to examine possible effects of incubator covers on sleep patterns in stable premature infants. Quiet sleep (QS) can be investigated by amplitude-integrated electroencephalography (aEEG) at 32–34 weeks gestational age. In nine premature infants (gestational ages 26–32 w

The presence and diversity of IncP-1 plasmids in the influent of a Danish wastewater treatment plant was studied by PCR amplification of the trfA gene in community DNA followed by sequencing. Three sets of PCR primers were designed to amplify a 281 bp fragment of trfA from all currently sequenced IncP-1 plasmids. A neighbor-joining tree, based on a multiple alignment of 72 obtained sequences toget

We tested the sensitivity of a dynamic ecosystem model (LPJ-GUESS) to the representation of soil moisture and soil temperature and to uncertainties in the prediction of precipitation and air temperature. We linked the ecosystem model with an advanced hydrological model (JULES) and used its soil moisture and soil temperature as input into the ecosystem model. We analysed these sensitivities along a

The aroma compounds in broccoli stored in different modified atmospheres were studied. The packaging materials used were oriented polypropylene (OPP), poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC), and low-density polyethylene (LDPE) containing an ethylene-absorbing sachet. All samples were stored for either 1 week at a constant temperature of 10 degreesC or for 3 days at 4 degreesC, followed by 4 days at 10 degrees

Environmental fluctuations have been proposed to enhance the coexistence of competing phenotypes. Evaluations are here presented on the effects of prey density and short-term temporal clumping of prey availability on the relative foraging success of unequal interferers in social forager groups of juvenile brown trout Salmo trutta feeding on drifting invertebrate prey (frozen chironomids). Groups o

Some recent sexual selection models predict that female choice in species without paternal care may function to discriminate among males in order to pass ''good genes'' to offspring. Data quantifying the relationship between female mate choice and reproductive success are scarce. In a Swedish population of pheasants females prefer to mate with long-spurred males. Male viability also correlates wit

Research in avian blood parasites has seen a remarkable increase since the introduction of polymerase chain reaction-based methods for parasite identification. New data are revealing complex multihost-multiparasite systems which are difficult to understand without good knowledge of the host range and geographical distribution of the parasite lineages. However, such information is currently difficu

Nine palynological intervals, A-I in ascending order, are recognised in the Carboniferous succession of the well 7120/2-1 on the Loppa High in the western Barents Sea. Within the Billefjorden Group intervals A-E are correlated with the early Visean to Serpukhovian Pu to TK Miospore Zones of western Europe. The known sedimentation break between the Billefjorden and Gipsdalen groups occurred in the

Three xylose isomerase enzymes (XI) [Eur. J. Biochem. 269 (2002) 157], encoded by mutated xylA genes from Thermus thermophilus, were produced at two different levels in Saccharomyces cerevisiae; xylA genes were chromosomally integrated and expressed from multicopy plasmids, respectively. An extra copy of the endogenous xylulokinase gene (XKS1) was chromosomally integrated and the aldose reductase

This paper explores the options that can be used by aid organizations working in human settlement development to more effectively address disaster risk management. Qualitative research was carried out in El Salvador at both the household and institutional levels - to analyze the needs, capacities and perspectives of slum dwellers and aid organizations. A clearer understanding of the gaps between w

The synthesis and characterisation of supramolecular model systems mimicking the light reactions on the donor side of Photosystem II (PSII) in green plants have been reviewed. In these systems, manganese complexes and tyrosine are electron donors, modelling the manganese cluster and tyrosineZ in PSII. The donors have been covalently linked to a photosensitizer, a ruthenium(ii) tris-bipyridyl compl