Aims: The airways of patients with asthma are characterized by chronic inflammatory changes comprising mainly T-cells and eosinophils, and airway remodelling with goblet cell metaplasia and submucosal gland hyperplasia. Mucus hypersecretion is often a marked feature, particularly in status asthmaticus. The matrix of airway sputum consists of high molecular glycoproteins and mucins. In this study,

We have investigated the influence of cold acclimation on the mechanical strength of carrot (Daucus carota L.) taproots. Changes in the mechanical strength were monitored when cold acclimation was induced in carrot plants cultivated in a growth chamber under strict climate control and in taproots harvested from field cultivation, where the plants had been exposed to the natural variations in clima

We propose that a radiative cycle operates in atoms and ions located ina rarefied gas in the vicinity of a hot star. Besides spontaneoustransitions the cycle includes a stimulated transition in one very weakintermediate channel. This radiative bottleneck creates apopulation inversion, which for an appropriate column density results inamplification and stimulated radiation in the weak transition. T

The oxygen evolving complex (OEC) of photosystem II (PSII) gives rise to manganese-derived electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) signals in the S0 and S2 oxidation states. These signals exhibit different microwave power saturation behavior between 4 and 10 K. Below 8 K, the S0 state EPR signal is a faster relaxer than the S2 multiline signal, but above 8 K, the S0 signal is the slower relaxer of t

The aim of the present study was to investigate whether histopathological changes can be detected in two soft palate muscles, the palatopharyngeus and the uvula, in 11 patients with long duration of sleep-disordered breathing (SDB). Muscle samples were collected froth patients undergoing uvulo-palatopharyngoplasty (UPPP). Reference samples from the corresponding areas were obtained at autopsy frot

The expression of platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) receptors in porcine uterus and human skin in situ, was compared with that of cultured primary cells isolated from the same tissues. PDGF receptor expression was examined by monoclonal antibodies specific for the B type PDGF receptor and by RNA/RNA in situ hybridization with a probe constructed from a cDNA clone encoding the B type PDGF recep

Objective: The therapies available today for multiple sclerosis (MS) reduce but do not fully control disease activity. The objective of this article is to review the definitions of and treatments for suboptimally controlled MS and highlight the challenges faced by clinicians to increase awareness of recognizing and managing patients with suboptimally controlled MS. Methods: Published literature de

Multireference complete active space self-consistent-field (CASSCF) and multireference CASSF second-order perturbation theory (MSCASPT2) calculations were performed on the ground state and a number of low-lying excited singlet and triplet states of chlorobenzene. The dual phosphorescence observed experimentally is clearly explained by the MSCASPT2 potential-energy curves. Experimental findings reg

Alcohol abuse is associated with an increased risk of osteopenia and fractures. Previous histomorphometric studies on iliac crest bone have found decreased bone formation and increased bone resorption in alcohol abusers but it has not been established whether alcohol abuse has any effect on the anatomical location or the healing time of tibial shaft fractures. We studied, retrospectively, 199 adul

Polyethers having well-defined comb-shaped architectures were prepared by using poly(4-hydroxystyrene) (PHSt) as a multifunctional initiator for graft polymerization of either ethylene oxide (EO) or a mixture of EO and propylene oxide (PO). The grafting process was performed in 1,4-dioxane using NaH as ionizer for the PHSt hydroxyl groups. The precursor PHSt was prepared by first polymerizing 4-te

Forensic DNA analysis of samples obtained from sexual assault evidence relies on separation of male and female components of the recovered genetic material. The conventional separation method used by crime laboratories, differential extraction (DE), is one of the most time-consuming sample preparation steps, requires extensive sample handling, is difficult to automate, and often results in ineffic

We investigate the coalescence of two DNA bubbles initially located at weak domains and separated by a more stable barrier region in a designed construct of double-stranded DNA. In a continuum Fokker-Planck approach, the characteristic time for bubble coalescence and the corresponding distribution are derived, as well as the distribution of coalescence positions along the barrier. Below the meltin

CD40 is a member of the growing tumor necrosis factor receptor family that has been shown to play important roles in T cell-mediated B lymphocyte activation. Ligation of B cell CD40 by CD154, mainly expressed on activated T cells, stimulates B cell proliferation, differentiation, isotype switching, up-regulation of surface molecules contributing to antigen presentation, development of the germinal

Ordovician conodont specimens resembling Oistodus venustus STAUFFER, 1935 have been reported from many areas. There is increasing evidence, however, that several lineages with homeomorphic conodont elements have erroneously been referred to one and the same species. I have investigated Baltoscandian conodont elements of this kind in order to find out about their origins and phylogenetic relationsh

Background Quadrivalent human papillomavirus (HPV types 6/11/16/18) L1 VLP vaccine is highly effective in preventing HPV 6/11/16/18-related cervical and external genital disease. Herein, we evaluated the impact of the quadrivalent HPV 6/11/16/18 L1 VLP vaccine on prevention of HPV-associated cervico-genital lesions in a broad population of sexually active European women. Methods Female subjects (N

For most associations of common single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with common diseases, the genetic model of inheritance is unknown. The authors extended and applied a Bayesian meta-analysis approach to data from 19 studies on 17 replicated associations with type 2 diabetes. For 13 SNPs, the data fitted very well to an additive model of inheritance for the diabetes risk allele; for 4 SNPs, th

The salamander Ensatina eschscholtzii is a classic example of a ring species, and has an intricate biogeographic history. Within a part of the ring distribution, earlier work using allozymes disclosed high levels of genetic structure in central coastal California, where the subspecies oregonensis, xanthoptica, and eschscholtzii meet. We used mitochondrial cytochrome b sequences to further examine

This study examines the effects of heparin and a low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) fragment on plasma lipolytic activity and substrate oxidation. Indirect calorimetry was performed continuously in healthy male subjects receiving a constant infusion of fat emulsion (0.2 g min-1) and glucose (0.8 g min-1) during a period of 4 h. After 2 h an infusion of heparin (n = 6) or LMWH (n = 6) (100 antifac