Objective: To identify the major aggrecanase-and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-generated aggrecan fragments in human osteoarthritis (OA) synovial fluid and in human OA joint cartilage. Method Aggrecan fragments were prepared by CsCl gradient centrifugation. Fragment distributions were compared with aggrecanase-1 (ADAMTS-4) and MMP-3 digested human aggrecan by analysis with neoepitope antibodies a

The influence of the addition of carbohydrates with different physicochemical properties on weight loss and formation of heterocyclic amines (HAs) during the frying of beef burgers was examined. Furthermore, the capability of carbohydrates to bind HAs was tested. Beef burgers containing 1.5% NaCl and 0.3% tripolyphosphate (reference), with the addition of 1.5% carbohydrate, were fried for 5 min at

Among the three recently described GB viruses (GBV-A, GBV-B, and GBV-C), only GBV-C has been linked to cryptogenic hepatitis in man. Because of the limited utility of currently available research tests to determine antibody response to GBV-C proteins, the prevalence of GBV-C RNA in human sera was studied using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The prevalence of GBV-C is hig

Recent studies indicate that increasing solar UV-B is not merely an environmental stress for plants. Solar UV-B can cause plant morphogenetic effects, which can, in turn, modify the architecture of plants and the structure of a vegetation, In addition, UV-B radiation affect the production of various secondary metabolites (such as flavonoids, tannins and lignin) with important physiological and eco

Background: Sentinel lymph node biopsy is an established staging method in early breast cancer. After a negative biopsy, most institutions will not perform a completion axillary dissection. The present study reports the current axillary recurrence (AR) rate, overall and disease-free survival in the Swedish Multicenter Cohort Study. Methods: From 3534 patients with primary breast cancer

Introduction: A state of hypercoagulation and fibrinolytic dysfunction is present in individuals with diabetes, which may contribute to disturbed skin microcirculation and impaired ulcer heating. We have previously reported an improved outcome of chronic diabetic foot ulcers during treatment with dalteparin. In the present study we investigated the effects of dalteparin on skin microcirculation an

We present calculations of charm and beauty production at Tevatron within the framework of k(T)-factorization, using the unintegrated gluon distributions as obtained from the Linked Dipole Chain model. The analysis covers transverse momentum and rapidity distributions and the azimuthal correlations between b and (b) over bar quarks (or rather muons from their decay) which are powerful tests for th

In patients with rheumatoid arthritis, the presence of acute synovial inflammation is an indication of the activity of the disease. It is an important finding because it often influences therapeutic decisions. However, acute synovitis may be difficult to detect by clinical examination, especially if a joint effusion also is present. As gadolinium tetra-azacyclododecane tetraacetic acid (Gd-DOTA) c

Aim: Migration has been suggested to promote large breeding ranges among birds because of the greater mobility of migratory compared to non-migratory species, but migration has also been suggested to restrict breeding ranges because of evolutionary constraints imposed by the genetical migration programme. We aim to investigate the association between migration and the breeding ranges of both land

In the present study, the mechanism for the antigen formation of alpha, beta-unsaturated ketones was investigated. A series of analogues of carvone ((5R)-5-isopropenyl-2-methyl-2-cyclohexenone) with altered chemical reactivity and with retained overall structure or with retained reactivity and altered three-dimensional structure were synthesized. These analogues were tested for cross-reactivity in

Total fungal biomass, the biomass of ectomycorrhizal and ericoid mycorrhizal (EM + ErM), and arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi, as well as the production of EM and AM fungi, were estimated in coniferous forest soils along four natural nutrient gradients. Plant community changes, forest productivity, soil pH and N availability increase over relatively short distances (< 100 m) along the gradients.

Thermal manikins have served research and development purposes for more than 60 years. They are widely used for analysing the thermal interface of the human body and its environment. Particular applications are found in the determination of thermal properties of clothing and in the evaluation of the local body-heat fluxes in complex environments such as in a vehicle cabin. Recent developments of s

Ga1-xMnxAs/GaAs superlattices with Mn concentrations of 1% and 5% in the Ga1-xMnxAs layers and a GaAs spacer thickness of 4 and 60 GaAs monolayers have been studied by cross-sectional scanning tunneling microscopy. By achieving atomic resolution of the superlattices, we observe individual Mn atoms in the Ga1-xMnxAs layers and in the GaAs spacer. We find that about 20% of the total amount of Mn dif

Forces have been measured between silica surfaces with adsorbed surfactants by means of a bimorph surface force apparatus. The surfactants used are the cationic surfactant tetradecyltrimethylammonium bromide (TTAB) and the nonionic surfactant hexakis(ethylene glycol) mono-n-tetradecyl ether (C14E6) as well as mixtures of these two surfactants. The measurements were made at elevated pH, and the eff

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Inflammatory bowel conditions, particularly ulcerative colitis, are associated with an increased incidence of neoplastic transformation. High levels of proinflammatory leukotrienes (LTs) and up-regulated expression of cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 are characteristic of inflammation. Moreover, COX-2 has been implicated in cell survival and early colon carcinogenesis. Other aspects o

Background/Aim: Several studies have described that oxytocin exerts stimulatory or inhibitory effects on gut functions. Recently, mRNA for oxytocin and its receptor was found throughout the entire human gastrointestinal (GI) tract. The aim of this study was to examine the cellular localization and distribution of the corresponding proteins. Material and methods: Full-thickness biopsies from 24 pat