Goodpasture disease fulfils all criteria for a classical autoimmune disease, where autoantibodies targeted against the non-collagenous domain of the alpha3-chain of collagen IV initiates an inflammatory destruction of the basement membrane in kidney glomeruli and lung alveoli. This leads to a rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis and severe pulmonary hemorrhage. Previous studies have indicated a

Radiative lifetimes of two short-lived levels (i.e. 4f(8) (F-7(6))6p(1/2) (6,1/2)(11/2,13/2)) in Tb II are measured by time-resolved laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) technique with a two-step excitation process. Free Tb III ions are produced in a laser-induced plasma. Lifetime values are evaluated with a deconvolution procedure of the time-resolved fluorescence signal with the temporal shape of se

Parkinson’s disease is predominantly a dopamine deficiency syndrome, which is produced in the brain by the loss of cells located in a small area in the ventral midbrain called the substantia nigra. Complete unilateral dopamine lesions, based on the administration of toxic substances (ie, 6-hydroxy-dopamine in rats and 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine in mice and primates) have been ext

The detection of the formyl radical (HCO) is of great interest in the field of combustion research since it can provide information about the local heat release (HR) rate which is a key parameter in the understanding of combustion processes. Unfortunately, due to the low signal level, HCO planar laser-induced fluorescence (PLTF) has so far not been applicable for single-shot imaging, which is nece

The genetic changes underlying the development and progression of male breast cancer are poorly understood. Germline BRCA2 mutations account for a significant part of male breast cancer, but the majority of patients lack a known inherited predisposition. We recently demonstrated that the progression of breast cancer in female carriers of a germline BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation follows specific genetic

This study investigates the association between anticipated ethnic discrimination and self-reported psychological health, taking generalized trust in other people into consideration. The 2004 Public Health Survey in Skåne, Sweden, is a cross-sectional postal questionnaire study including a total of 27,757 respondents aged 18-80 with a 59% response rate. Multivariate analyses of anticipated discrim

This study describes a novel isolation procedure for major glycolipids from Bifidobacterium adolescentis 94 BIM. The procedure consists of the use of supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO(2)) with hydro-methanolic solution as co-solvent. The major Glycolipids were isolated using the following operating conditions: pressure, 30 MPa, co-solvent concentration, 10% (9:1, methanol/water, v/v), CO2 flow ra

Cationic vesicles and DNA form complexes that are promising gene delivery systems. Despite the increasing number of publications on their morphology and structure, the mechanism leading to their formation is not yet understood due to a lack of kinetic data. In the present study the kinetics of the interaction between DNA and cationic vesicles were followed using stopped-flow turbidity and small-an

Novel proton conducting ionomers have been prepared by attaching pendant sulfonated aromatic side chains to polysulfone. Lithiated polysulfone was first reacted with 4-fluorobenzoic acid chloride to introduce 4-fluorobenzoyl side chains to the polymer main chain. Next, the activated fluoro groups were replaced by 4-sulfophenoxy or 7-sulfo-2-naphthoxy in a potassium carbonate-mediated nucleophilic

Exposure to hormone-replacement therapy (HRT) has consistently been associated with an increased incidence of breast cancer, particularly of small tumours. Other tumour characteristics in relation to HRT have received less scientific attention. Our aim in this population-based prospective cohort study was to assess whether HRT is associated with an increased incidence of breast-cancer subgroups de

SJL mice colonized with RcsX lymphoma cells undergo a rapid inflammatory response associated with biological and physiological effects including increased nitric oxide production and mutations in spleen DNA. By 2 weeks postcolonization, these changes were accompanied by both up- and down-regulation of a number of plasma proteins. In the experiments reported here, plasma from individual SJL mice wa

In the context of an European collaborative research project (EURELD), a study on attitudes towards medical end-of-life decisions was conducted among physicians in Belgium, Denmark, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden and Switzerland. Australia also joined the consortium. A written questionnaire with structured questions was sent to practising physicians from specialties frequently involved in the care

Alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma is an aggressive pediatric cancer of striated muscle characterized in 60% of cases by a t(2;13)(q35;q14). This results in the fusion of PAX3, a developmental transcription factor required for limb myogenesis, with FKHR, a member of the forkhead family of transcription factors. The resultant PAX3-FKHR gene possesses transforming properties; however, the effects of this chi

The serum concentrations of calcium, albumin and parathyroid hormone (PTH) and the plasma levels of ionized calcium were determined in 124 healthy subjects, 89 patients with primary hyperparathyroidism (HPT), 23 of whom had the syndrome of multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN-1) and 43 patients who had hypercalcaemia of other causes than HPT (non-HPT), in most cases due to widespread malignanc

Critical load calculations in the Czech part of 'the Black Triangle' show exceedance of critical load in 75% of the forest area. A comparison with forest damage data shows an insignificant tendency toward more forest damage in areas with high exceedance. We conclude that high exceedance of critical load is a probable contributing factor to forest damage in the area.

The vitamin K-dependent anticoagulant protein S binds with high affinity to C4b-binding protein (C4BP), a regulator of complement. Despite the physiological importance of the complex, we have only a patchy view of the C4BP-binding site in protein S. Based on phage display experiments, protein S residues 447-460 were suggested to form part of the binding site. Several experimental approaches were n

Efficient screening for ligands of seven-transmembrane, G-protein-coupled receptors, whether transfected or endogenously expressed, often involves cell-based reporter assays. Here we describe the development of reporter gene assays in HeLa cells. The reporter construct includes a synthetic multifunctional promoter with several different response motifs (NF-kappaB, STAT, and AP-1) and hence efficie

The cysteine protease cathepsin S is highly expressed in malignant tissues. By using a mouse model of multistage murine pancreatic islet cell carcinogenesis in which cysteine cathepsin activity has been functionally implicated, we demonstrated that selective cathepsin S deficiency impaired angiogenesis and tumor cell proliferation, thereby impairing angiogenic islet formation and the growth of sol