By utilizing flow-controlled PLL-g-PEG and PLL-g-PEGbiotin modification of predefined regions of a poly-(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) micro-fluidic device, with an intentionally chosen large (similar to 1 cm(2)) internal surface area, we report rapid (10 min), highly localized (6 x 10(-6) cm(2)), and specific surface-based protein capture from a sample volume (100 mu L) containing a low amount of prot

The present study describes and compares quality of life (QoL) and factors which predict QoL among people aged 75 years and over who receive help with activities of daily living (ADLs) from formal and/or informal helpers. The subjects were living at home or in special accommodation in Sweden. A postal questionnaire was sent to a randomly selected and age-stratified sample of 8500 people. The respo

In Hungary an unusually high rate of parasitism on the great reed warbler Acrocephalus arundinaceus by the common cuckoo Cuculus canorus has been maintained for at least the last one hundred years. We evaluated parasitism rate, antiparasite defence and genetic differentiation among Hungarian great reed warblers at three sites located 40-130 km from each other, where hosts suffered from a high (41-

Here we unravel the structural features of human IgM and IgA that govern their interaction with the human Fc alpha/mu receptor (hFc alpha/mu R). Ligand polymerization status was crucial for the interaction, because hFc alpha/mu R binding did not occur with monomeric Ab of either class. hFc alpha/mu R bound IgM with an affinity in the nanomolar range, whereas the affinity for dimeric IgA (dIgA) was

We discuss four variants of the graph colouring problem, and present algorithms for solving them. The problems are k-COLOURABILITY, MAX IND k-COL, MAX VAL k-COL, and, finally, MAX k-COL, which is the unweighted case of the MAX k-CUT problem. The algorithms are based on the idea of partitioning the domain of the problems into disjoint subsets, and then considering all possible instances were the va

The magnetic map hypothesis proposes that animals can use spatial gradients in the Earth's magnetic field to help determine geographic location. This ability would permit true navigation--reaching a goal from an entirely unfamiliar site with no goal-emanating cues to assist. It is a highly contentious hypothesis since the geomagnetic field fluctuates in time and spatial gradients may be disturbed

This study reports effects on soil solution chemistry and plant uptake of 55 elements (Ag, Al, As, B, Ba, Be, Bi, Br, Ca, Cd, Ce, Co, Cr, Cs, Cu, Dy, Er, Eu, Fe, Gd, Ge, Hf, Hg, Ho, K, La, Li, Lu, Mg, Mn, Mo, Na, Nb, Nd, Ni, P, Pb, Pr, Rb, S, Sb, Sc, Se, Si, Sm, Sr, Tb, Th, Tl, U, V, W, Y, Yb, Zn, Zr) by raising the pH using addition of fine-grained precipitated calcium carbonate at 20 rates (yiel

The aim of this study was to characterize the reversible cerebral uptake of morphine in the pig by measuring the changing arterio-venous plasma concentration gradient over the brain. Seven pigs were anaesthetized by continuous infusions of ketamine and pancuronium and ventilated with oxygen in nitrous oxide. During and after 5-min intravenous infusions of morphine hydrochloride, blood samples were

The percentages of Type I muscle fibres were measured systematically in ATPase-stained, transverse cryostat sections of whole tibialis cranialis muscles from 8 young, adult beagles. The distance of the section from the origin of the muscle does not significantly affect the mean percentage. There are no identifiable differences in mean percentages between right and left muscles. Differences in mean

A general method to map and control thermal spray processes, ensuring predefined levels of selected final coating properties, is presented. The method relies on monitoring and individually controlling particle velocity and particle temperature through selected spray gun parameters. Mapping of the process results in process maps describing the individual effect of particle velocity and particle tem

The electron transport properties of photosystem II (PSII) from five different domains of the thylakoid membrane were analyzed by flash-induced fluorescence kinetics. These domains are the entire grana, the grana core, the margins from the grana, the stroma lamellae, and the Y100 fraction (which represent more purified stroma lamellae). The two first fractions originate from appressed grana membra

Gastric bypass is a clinical option for obesity surgery. An increased susceptibility to Helicobacter pylori infection in the bypassed stomach has been speculated. The aim of the present study was to examine the susceptibility of the bypassed stomach to H. pylori infection in rats and mice. Adult Sprague-Dawley and Wistar rats and NMRI mice were subjected to either gastric bypass or laparotomy only

Patients with depression and suicidality suffer from low-grade neuroinflammation. Pro-inflammatory cytokines activate indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase, an initial enzyme of the kynurenine pathway. This pathway produces neuroactive metabolites, including quinolinic- and kynurenic acid, binding to the glutamate N-methyl-d-aspartate-receptor, which is hypothesized to be part of the neural mechanisms under