The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of thromboxane A2 in bradykinin-induced airflow obstruction in guinea pig in vivo. Airway insufflation pressure (Pi) was measured to assess airflow obstruction and the thromboxane B2 (a stable metabolite of thromboxane A2) concentration in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid was determined by radioimmunoassay. The animals were pretreated with propranolol (1

Adenoviral vector-mediated treatment is a potential therapy for tumors of the central nervous system. To obtain a significant therapeutic effect by adenoviral vectors, a sufficient infection is required, the power of which depends predominantly on the level of Coxsackie adenovirus receptors. We stained surgical biopsies of central nervous system tumors and neuroblastomas for Coxsackie adenovirus r

This article investigates the importance of using draft curtains to obtain faster sprinkler activation with three different models-two computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models (CFX 4.4 and fire dynamics simulator (FDS) 4.07) and a zone model (Argos) containing a ceiling-jet formula - for an actual scenario in an entertainment center in Denmark. It is found that a draft curtain has some effect on

BACKGROUND: There is a wide range (5-50 per 100 000) in the reported annual incidence of acute pancreatitis. Furthermore, the predominant aetiology varies in different reports. This study was undertaken to establish the current incidence, aetiology and associated mortality rate in a defined population. METHODS: A retrospective study of all cases of acute pancreatitis admitted over a 10-year p

The main aim of the study was to explore the extent to which familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) influences the life of the patients affected. The study employed a qualitative analysis of semi-structured interviews with 23 outpatients who were being treated following a diagnosis of heterozygous FH at a tertiary hospital in Göteborg, Sweden. Some interviewees reported concerns related to their medic

The purpose of this paper is to present a regulator for control of the continuous-sedimentation process in a clarifier–thickener unit when this is modelled in one space dimension and when the settling properties of the solids obey Kynch’s assumption. The model is a scalar hyperbolic conservation law with space-discontinuous flux function and point source. The most desired type of solution contains

The essay shows how the interplay between Garbo's off screen and on screen personas were used in the making of "Ninotchka" (1939), and how the film, directed by Ernst Lubitsch, connected to contemporary social and cultural norms focusing on the understanding of gender types.

Background: Family caregivers of relatives with dementia report higher level of psychological distress than other caregivers and report their self-related health as poorer than that of comparison groups. Aims and objectives: The purpose of the study was to examine characteristics of family caregivers and to assess whether income, subjective health, age and relationship were associated with the bur

The transcription factor Rex has been implicated in regulation of the expression of genes important for fermentative growth and for growth under conditions of low oxygen tension in several Gram-positive bacteria. Rex senses the redox poise of the cell through changes in the NADH/NAD(+) ratio. The crystal structures of two essentially identical Rex proteins, from Thermus aquaticus and T. thermophil

The aim of the article is to put together four different studies and research perspectives. The four authors present their own studies about drug addicted mothers; fathers called into question by child welfare authorities; children in foster care; child welfare services. The four studies have a qualitative approach, interviewing parents and children in vulnerable positions and in contact with chil

This study was aimed at finding a correlation between the experienced off-flavor in packaged foods and the presence of specific degradation products in PE packaging films. The possibility to trap degradation products by chemical reactions with scavengers, that is, zeolites and maleic anhydride grafted LLDPE, were investigated. This trapping would prevent the degradation products from migrating to

The prognosis of depression in elderly people is reported as poor, with high mortality and high rate of non-recovery. The aim of this study was to investigate the outcome after 6 years in a broader perspective. In addition to the risk of dying, we also estimated the risk of moving to long-term care, and having a depression in a re-screening event after 6 years. In 1993, a screening event for depre

Hemicelluloses, which are abundant in nature and have potential use in a wide variety of applications, may make an important contribution in helping relieve society of its dependence on petrochemicals. However, cost-efficient methods for the isolation of hemicelluloses are required. This article presents an economic evaluation of a full-scale process to isolate hemicelluloses from process water fr

This study compared the realism of witnesses’ confidence judgments of their own recall elicited in either the Cognitive Interview (CI) or the Structured Interview (SI). Calibration methodology was used to analyze the realism of the confidence judg­ments. Participants (N = 56) were interviewed about their observations of a staged crime and returned two weeks later to assess their confidence in the

The aim of this study was to test the potential of four isolates of ectomycorrhizal (EM) fungi to utilize organic nitrogen (N) at two different substrate pHs. The organic N source ((1)5N labelled lyophilised fungal mycelium) was mixed with either untreated peat/sand mixture (pH 4.9) or peat/sand mixture limed to a pH of 5.9 and put in cylindrical containers added to each pot. The content of the co

The flora of 17 islets was studied during the period 1968-2000, with thorough inventories from 1971. At each visit the species present and their population sizes were noted. The flora of the smallest islets of hard rock consisted mainly of perennials, and remained unchanged in terms of species present throughout the period of study. In the larger and more complex islets the major part of the flora

Objective. To analyze the fine specificity of IgG autoantibodies in sera from rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients for type II collagen (CII) epitopes that are arthritogenic in collagen-induced arthritis (CIA), a relevant murine model of RA. Methods. For enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) analysis of conformation-dependent autoantibody binding, recombinant chimeric collagens that harbor the r