Aim: This study was conducted to assess efficacy and tolerability of vildagliptin in drug-naive patients with type 2 diabetes and mild hyperglycaemia. Methods: Multicentre, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study of 52-week treatment with vildagliptin (50 mg q.d.) in 306 drug-naive patients with type 2 diabetes (A1C = 6.2-7.5%). A1C, fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and meas

The A rabidopsis thaliana protein kinase AtPDK1 was identified as a homologue of the mammalian 3-phosphoinositide-dependent protein kinase-1 (PDK1), which is involved in a number of physiological processes including cell growth and proliferation. We now show that AtPDK1 expressed in E. coli as a recombinant protein, undergoes autophosphorylation at several sites. Using mass spectrometry, three pho

The use of high dynamic range (HDR) textures in real-time graphics applications can increase realism and provide a more vivid experience. However, the increased bandwidth and storage requirements for uncompressed HDR data can become a major bottleneck. Hence, several recent algorithms for HDR texture compression have been proposed. In this paper, we discuss several practical issues one has to co

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate how the tumor suppressor protein p16(INK4A) interferes with growth and differentiation of leukemic U-937 cells. MATERIALS AND METHODS: U-937 clones constantly overexpressing the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p16(INK4A) were established. Clones transfected with empty vector were used as controls. The effects of high-level expression of p16(INK

The paper examines energy consumption in Sweden, Holland, Italy and Spain over 200 years, including both traditional and modern energy car-riers. The article is based on totally new series of energy consumption in-cluding traditional carriers along with modern sources. Our main purposes are a closer examination of the process of the energy transition in Europe and a revision of the prevailing idea

Surfactant molecules are amphipathic and posses complicated solution chemistry and self-assembly properties. In addition to being of enormous practical significance, the physical characterization of surfactant systems presents a rich area of condensed matter physics. This article focuses on the application and interpretation of the commonly used NMR approaches for probing these systems. In particu

Fuel-cycle emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) carbon oxide (CO), nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulphur dioxide (SO2), hydrocarbons (HC), methane (CH4), and particles are analysed from a life-cycle perspective for different biogas systems based oil six different raw materials. The gas is produced in large- or farm-scale biogas plants, and is used in boilers for heat production, in turbines for co-generatio

Sedation in critically ill patients is a complex issue and at the same time an important concept for ensuring patient comfort. The aim of this study was to review the current practice of sedation for patients on mechanical ventilation in Swedish intensive care units (ICUs). Questionnaires were sent by post to head nurses in 89 ICUs with mechanically ventilated patients. By August 2000, 87 (98%) qu

In several countries, increased incidence of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the tongue in young adults has been suspected during the last decades. Some reports indicate a lower survival rate for young patients compared to older patients. In other reports, there has not been any considerable difference in survival when comparing young adults to older patients, whereas some authors have shown bett

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is the prototype autoimmune disease where genes regulated by type I interferon (IFN) are over-expressed and contribute to the disease pathogenesis. Because signal transducer and activator of transcription 4 (STAT4) plays a key role in the type I IFN receptor signaling, we performed a candidate gene study of a comprehensive set of single nucleotide polymorphism (S

The Ljusdal Batholith (LjB) is a major component of the central Svecofennian Domain in Sweden. It is separated from the Bothnian Basin to the north by the 1.82-1.80 Cia crustal-scale Hassela Shear Zone (HSZ). The LjB has emplacement ages of 1.86-1.84 Cia, is mainly alkali-calcic, metaluminous, has epsilon(Nd) values between -0.3 and + 1.2 and was formed in a magmatic arc setting. During the Svecok

Patients with hemophilia have an impaired thrombin Generation and therefore form loose fibrin hemostatic plugs that are easily dissolved by fibrinolysis. This prevents maintained hemostasis in these patients, resulting in a severe bleeding disorder. Recombinant (F)VIIa has been shown to enhance thrombin generation on already thrombin-activated platelets in the absence of FVIII and FIX. An efficacy

Effective treatment of bleeding episodes in hemophilia with high titer inhibitors (HTI) remains a challenge, despite the fact that the therapeutic armamentarium has expanded considerably over the past few years. Treatment safety has improved with the availability of porcine factor VIII (FVIII) and bypassing products such as recombinant factor VIIa (rFVIIa), and plasma-derived activated Prothrombin

The visual system of box jellyfish comprises a total of 24 eyes. These are of four types and each probably has a special function. To investigate this hypothesis the morphology and optics of the lesser eyes, the pit and slit eyes, were examined. The pit eyes hold one cell type only and are probably mere light meters. The slit eyes, comprising four cell types, are complex and highly asymmetric. The

Analyses of data from cancer registries have shown a 10% unit difference in 5-year relative survival between Danish and Swedish patients with breast cancer. This study investigates the effect of age and patho-anatomic variables on this survival difference. Hospital records were collected for women over 40 years of age diagnosed in 1989 or 1994 in east Denmark and south Sweden; patho-anatomical var

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PURPOSE: To compare the short-term efficacy of the Artelon trapeziometacarpal (TMC) implant with that of total trapeziectomy and abductor pollicis longus (APL) tendon suspension interposition arthroplasty in TMC osteoarthritis. METHODS: A single-center matched cohort study was designed. The Artelon cohort comprised 13 consecutive patients (10 women, 3 men; mean age, 54 years) operated on with Arte

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have shown that the serum level of sialic acid is associated positively with mortality from coronary disease and stroke. In this study its relation with carotid atherosclerosis was evaluated. METHODS: From the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study, 323 cases with carotid intima-media wall thickness above the 90th percentile (measured with B-mode ultrasound)

In order to maximize protein identification by peptide mass fingerprinting noise peaks must be removed from spectra and recalibration is often required. The preprocessing of the spectra before database searching is essential but is time-consuming. Nevertheless, the optimal database search parameters often vary over a batch of samples. For high-throughput protein identification, these factors shoul