Introduction Aggrecanase cleavage at the (392)Glu-(393)Ala bond in the interglobular domain (IGD) of aggrecan, releasing N-terminal (393)ARGS fragments, is an early key event in arthritis and joint injuries. Here, we use a quantitative immunoassay of aggrecan ARGS neoepitope fragments in human synovial fluid to determine if this cleavage-site specific method better identifies joint pathology than

Purpose. To examine whether the Sollerman hand function test is reliable in a test-retest situation in patients with chronic stroke. Method. Three independent examiners observed each patient at three experimental sessions; two days in week I (short-term test-retest) and one day in week 4 (long-term test-retest). A total of 24 patients with chronic stroke (mean age; 59.7 years, mean time since stro

Changes in tree and understory plant diversity and community composition in two sites at different disturbance levels were studied on the Anaikatty hills, Western Ghats. Systematic sampling using small scale permanent quadrates (50 x 20 m for trees, 5 x 5 m for shrubs/saplings, 1 x 1 m for herbs/seedlings) enumerated 3,376 individuals of trees (106 species), 8,599 of individuals shrubs (122 specie

A new decay mode, the so called prompt proton decay, was discovered in 1998. It has since proven to be an important decay mechanism for several neutron deficient nuclei in the A similar to 60 region. To measure with high accuracy the energies and angular distributions of these protons, a state-of-the-art charged particle detector - LuWuSiA - was developed. It was first utilized during a fusion-eva

The expression of secondary ornaments is often positively correlated with the bearer's condition. So far no study has reported on consequences of directional selection on male sexual ornaments in birds, i.e. it is unknown to what extent male sexual traits are genetically correlated and whether selection for secondary ornaments affects viability. In this study we estimate phenotypic and genotypic p

Objectives. To determine the serum values of free, complexed, and total prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and their ratios in men with febrile urinary tract infection (UTI) during 1 year of follow-up. Methods. A total of 54 men were prospectively enrolled in the study, and serum samples were obtained at the acute stage of the UTI and after 1, 3, 6, and 12 months. Results. Most men had a rise (median

Nanometer-structured transducers for commercial use in pharmaceutical, medical or (bio-) chemical analysis have so far been hardly accessible since they could not be produced by parallel lithography techniques at reasonable costs. We introduce here a method on. how to fabricate nanometer-structured interdigitated array electrodes including interconnections and bond pads in the micrometer range in

Polymorphisms in genes that encode for metabolic enzymes have been associated with variations in enzyme activity between individuals. Such variations could be associated with differences in individual exposure to carcinogens that are metabolized by these genes. In this study, we examine the association between polymorphisms in several metabolic genes and the consumption of tobacco in a large sampl

One goal of animal breeding is to increase the economic output through increased production, improved milk quality, and cow health. The objective of this study was to evaluate genetic progress in relation to milk composition, processability, and yield as a correlated response to selection for the Swedish breeding objective. Dairy cows with high genetic merit, classified as elite dairy cows, of the

Protein phosphorylation is a key biological process that regulates reactions involved in plant-microbe interactions. The phosphorylated form of a protein often represents only a small fraction of the total population and can be problematic to analyze in a mass spectrometer. We demonstrate how a titanium dioxide (TiO2) resin can be employed for the enrichment of phosphoproteins, as well as a method

Self-reported data collected Via Surveys are a key input into a wide range of research conducted by economists. It is well known that Such data are subject to measurement error that arises when respondents are asked to recall past utilisation. Survey designers Must determine the length of the recall period and face a trade-off as increasing the recall period provides more information, but increase

Enzymes with α-galactosidase activity are produced by many organisms, often in multiple forms. Here we compare the biochemical and hydrolytic properties of four major α-galactosidase forms (α-gal I-IV) that were purified from the culture filtrate of Aspergillus niger. α-Gal II, III and IV appear to be isoforms of the same enzyme, and N-terminal amino acid sequence data suggest that they are closel

Previous studies have indicated that, during mechanical ventilation, an inspiratory pause enhances gas exchange. This has been attributed to prolonged time during which fresh gas of the tidal volume is present in the respiratory zone and is available for distribution in the lung periphery. The mean distribution time of inspired gas (MDT) is the mean time during which fractions of fresh gas are pre

OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of orthostatic hypotension (OH), low blood pressure and dizziness, falls and fractures in patients with organic dementia. DESIGN: We prospectively studied 151 patients, assessing the prevalence of OH, hypertension, heart disorders, diabetes mellitus and the use of medication possibly associated with OH. SETTING: The patients were admitted to our psychogeriatr

Objective To establish whether reinstitutionalisation is occurring in mental health care mid, if so, with What variations between Western European countries. Design Comparison of data on changes in service provision. Setting Six European countries with different traditions of mental health care that have all experienced deinstitutionalisation since the 1970s - England, Germany, Italy, the Netherla

The paper deals with flow allocation problems in IP networks using open shortest path first (OSPF) routing. Its main purpose is to discuss and propose methods for finding settlements of OSPF link weight system realising the assumed demand pattern for the given network resources (links capacities). Such settlements can result in a significantly better network performance, as compared with the simpl

An Adsorbent showing enhanced selectivity for the enzyme RNase A was prepared by a surface imprinting procedure based on metal coordination. A metal chelating monomer, N-(4-vinyl)-benzyl iminodiacetic acid, was polymerized onto methacrylate-derivated silica particles in the presence of RNase A and metal ions. Lysozyme and RNase A were separated on the adsorbent used as stationary phase in high-per