Three issues characterise the background to the MECCA study: A) Throughout Europe, most patients with severe forms of psychotic disorders are cared for in the community. The challenge now is to make processes in community mental health care more effective. B) There are widespread calls to implement regular outcome measurement in routine settings. This, however, is more likely to happen, if it prov

Anionic graft copolymers were prepared through ring-opening anhydride reactions between poly(ethylene oxide) monomethyl ethers (MPEG) and copolymers of maleic anhydride and styrene (SMA), methyl vinyl ether (MEMA) and ethylene (EMA), respectively. The carboxylic acid groups in the graft copolymers were neutralized with KOH, and films were prepared by solution casting. The materials were characteri

Hexahydrophthalic anhydride (HHPA) and methylhexahydrophthalic anhydride (MHHPA) are two highly allergenic compounds used in the chemical industry. A method was developed for quantification of protein adducts of HHPA and MHHPA in human plasma. The plasma was dialysed and the anhydrides were hydrolysed from the proteins at mild acidic conditions. The released hexahydrophthalic acid (HHP acid) and m

Cloud and aerosol effects on radiation in two contrasting cloud types, a deep mesoscale convective system (MCS) and warm stratocumulus clouds, are simulated and compared. At the top of the atmosphere, 45-81% of shortwave cloud forcing (SCF) is offset by longwave cloud forcing (LCF) in the MCS, whereas warm stratiform clouds show the offset of less than similar to 20%. 28% of increased negative SCF

Barns erfarenheter av separationer och placeringar utanför hemmet får vanligen så stor plats att de skymmer ålders­ och köns­ skillnader, vilket uppmärksammas i denna artikel. Som en del av ett större forsknings­ projekt granskas skillnader mellan 10-11­ åriga pojkars och flickors problem.

In five patients with clinical suspicion of spinal disease, MRI of the spine revealed unexpected aortic pathology explaining the symptoms. No significant intraspinal pathology was found on MRI. However, in one patient with clinical suspicion of spinal stenosis, an aortic occlusion was detected on MR images of the spine. The lower extremity ischaemia, caused by the occlusion, was responsible for th

In TSP with neighborhoods (TSPN) we are given a collection S of regions in the plane, called neighborhoods, and we seek the shortest tour that visits all neighborhoods. Until now constant-factor approximation algorithms have been known only for cases where the neighborhoods are of approximately the same size. In this paper we present the first polynomial-time constant-factor approximation algorith

One of the CHRISGAS project objectives is to study the shift catalysts in biomass-generated synthesis gas. The water gas shift reaction is ruled by equilibrium, and the state of the gas can for a given H2/CO ratio be shifted by addition/removal of water, CO2 and/or by a change in the temperature. Stability area in respect to gas composition, sulphur content, pressure and temperature for FeCr shift

A synthetic fluorapatite was prepared that undergoes a phase transformation generated during a dialysis step. A surface layer with the composition Ca(9)(HPO(4))(2)(PO(4))(4)F(2) is formed, which is suggested to form as one calcium atom is replaced by two protons. A surface complexation model, based upon XPS measurements, potentiometric titration data, batch experiments, and zeta-potential measurem

The high number of /-expressing T cells found in the epithelial lining layer suggests that they form a first line of defence against invading pathogens. To evaluate the role of / T cell-receptor (TCR)-expressing cells in cutaneous infection caused by Staphylococcus aureus, mice lacking /-expressing T cells (TCR/) were inoculated intradermally with S. aureus, and compared with S. aureus-infected co

Heparan sulfate 3-O-sulfotransferase transfers sulfate to the 3-OH position of a glucosamine residue of heparan sulfate (HS) to form 3-O-sulfated HS. The 3-O-sulfated glucosamine residue contributes to two important biological functions of HS: binding to antithrombin and thereby carrying anticoagulant activity, and binding to herpes simplex viral envelope glycoprotein D to serve as an entry recept

As the management of haemophilia is complex, it is essential that those with the disorder should have ready access to a range of services provided by a multidisciplinary team of specialists. This document sets out the principles of comprehensive haemophilia care in Europe. Within each country there should be a national organization which oversees the provision of specialist Comprehensive Care Cent

Women who smoke have less favourable prognosis following breast-cancer diagnosis. Some studies suggest that this is due to a more advanced stage at diagnosis, on average. Our present aim was to assess whether smoking is associated with other prognostic markers as well, e.g., hormone receptor status, histopathology and tumour differentiation. The evaluation was based on 268 incident cases in a coho

In adipocytes, phosphorylation and activation of PDE3B is a key event in the antilipolytic action of insulin. The role of PDE4, another PDE present in adipocytes, is not yet known. In this work we investigate the role of PDE3B and PDE4 in insulin-induced glucose uptake, GLUT-4 translocation and lipogenesis. Inhibition of PDE3 (OPC3911, milrinone) but not PDE4 (RO 20-1724) lowered insulin-induced g

Objective. To compare participants and non-participants early in the process of an audit on treatment of respiratory tract infections (RTIs) and to analyse any effect of the actual self-registration on the prescription of antibiotics in both groups. Design. All 80 general practitioners (GPs) at 14 health centres were invited to audit their use of antibiotics and 45 agreed to participate. There wer

Pinocytosis induced by Na+ was assayed by phase contrast microscopy in 8–12 days starvedAmoeba proteus. These cultures were inactive with respect to calcium-dependent Na+-induced pinocytosis, but treatment with amino acid methyl and ethyl esters increased their capacity for pinocytosis. Besides promoting pinocytosis these compounds also stimulated calcium-sensitive secretion of lysosomal enzymes f

The mesencephalic astrocyte-derived neurotrophic factor (MANF) has been described as a Survival factor for dopaminergic neurons in vitro, but its expression in mammalian tissues is poorly known. MANF and a homologous Protein, the conserved dopamine neurotrophic factor (CDNF), form a novel evolutionary conserved family of neurotrophic factors. Here we used in situ hybridization and immunohistochemi

Objective The recovery of bone mineral density (BMD) after surgical cure of primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) seems to be multifactorial and not just dependent on declining PTH. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the role of sex steroids in this context. Design and patients Thirty-six postmenopausal women with PHPT were examined before and 1 year after curative parathyroidectomy. Their

The molecular mechanism whereby the small heat-shock protein ( sHsp) chaperones interact with and prevent aggregation of other proteins is not fully understood. We have characterized the sHsp-substrate protein interaction at normal and increased temperatures utilizing a model substrate protein, citrate synthase ( CS), widely used in chaperone assays, and a dodecameric plant sHsp, Hsp21, by chemica