Dendritic cells (DCs) protect the respiratory epithelium via induction of innate immune responses and priming of naive T cells during the initiation of adaptive immunity. Streptococcus pneumoniae, a commonly carried asymptomatic member of the human nasopharyngeal microflora, can cause invasive and inflammatory diseases and the cholesterol-dependent cytotoxin pneumolysin is a major pneumococcal vir

BACKGROUND: Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a widely used and efficient treatment modality in psychiatry, although the basis for its therapeutic effect is still unknown. Past research has shown seizure activity to be a regulator of neurogenesis in the adult brain. This study examines the effect of a single and multiple electroconvulsive seizures on neurogenesis in the rat dentate gyrus. METHODS

Objective Bile reflux is thought to be responsible for reflux gastritis and stump carcinoma occurring after partial gastrectomy for peptic ulcer. Gastritis and gastric carcinoma are also correlated with Helicobacter pylori. The aim of this study was to investigate whether diversion of enteric reflux and the presence of H. pylori infection alter long-term histological developments in the gastric re

Background. Subjects with absolute central visual field loss use. eccentric fixation and magnifying devices to utilize their residual vision. This preliminary study investigated the importance of an accurate eccentric correction of off-axis refractive errors to optimize the residual visual function for these subjects. Methods. Photorefraction using the PowerRefractor instrument was used to evaluat

It is assumed that the Id helix-loop-helix (HLH) proteins act by associating with ubiquitously expressed basic HLH (bHLH) transcription factors, such as E47 and E2-2, which prevents these factors from forming functional hetero- or homodimeric DNA binding complexes. Several tissue-specific bHLH proteins, including HASH-1, dHAND, and HES-1, are important for development of the nervous system. Neurob

The Stress Barometer, which includes stress symptoms, stress types, relationship stress and time stress, was developed as an easy-to-use instrument which provides a visual representation of the stress an individual is experiencing. The purpose of this study was to assess the reliability, validity and usefulness of the Stress Barometer. Reliability was tested using a test-retest procedure on 23 pai

Polymer density functional theory is used to test the accuracy of the Derjaguin approximation in describing the interaction between two spherical colloidal particles immersed in a polymer solution. The density functional equations are solved numerically in a cylindrical geometry and thus a rigorous comparison is afforded, within the density functional framework. The density functional theory provi

The ubiquitin-proteasome system targets numerous cellular proteins for degradation. In addition, modifications by ubiquitin-like proteins as well as proteins containing ubiquitin-interacting and -associated motifs modulate many others. This tightly controlled process involves multiple specific and general enzymes of the system as well as many modifying and ancillary proteins. Thus, it is not surpr

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) for the treatment of prostate cancer has been demonstrated to be a safe treatment option capable of inducing tissue necrosis and decrease in prostate specific antigen (PSA). Research groups report on large variations in treatment response, possibly due to biological variations in tissue composition and shortterm response to the therapeutic irradiation. Within our group,

During most of an annual cycle, we studied the temporal variation of total mercury (Hg-T) and methyl mercury (MeHg) in unfiltered and filtered (0.45 mu) peat water from a minerotrophic peat bog in southeastern Sweden. MeHg in bulk water ([MeHgT]) and total Hg in filtered water in discharge water from the peat bog ([Hg-D]) were an order of magnitude higher than in upland runoff water entering the p

We have previously reported that the C-Med 100® extract of the plant Uncaria tomentosa induces prolonged lymphocyte half life and hence increased spleen cell number in mice receiving the extract in their drinking water. Further, the extract induces cell proliferation arrest and inhibits activation of the transcriptional regulator nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) in vitro. We now report that mice exposed

Cryo-transmission electron microscopy (cryo-TEM) is a rather artefact-free method, well suited to study the alveolar surfactant system. A pharmacy grade porcine lung surfactant extract (HL-10) was mixed with human SP-A and Ringer's solution (for calcium ions), and it was shown by cryo-TEM that the tubular myelin (TM) type of structure was reconstituted. These aggregates were associated to liposoma

Simultaneous videoradiography and solid-state manometry (videomanometry) was performed in 8 patients (4 women, 4 men; age range = 46-81 years, mean age = 70 years) with pharyngeal dysfunction. Five patients had severe pharyngeal dysfunction with frequent misdirected swallows. Three patients had moderate pharyngeal dysfunction with delayed initiation of pharyngeal swallow. Three different swallowin

The reason for the particularly increased risk for cardiovascular complications in diabetic women is still unclear. We have previously found decreased distensibility of elastic arteries in type I diabetic women, indicating increased cardiac load, not seen in type I diabetic men, which might be one contributing factor. Whether the effect of gender is different in muscular arteries in type I diabeti

Magneto-resistive nanostructures have been investigated. The structures were fabricated by electron beam lithography patterning and chemical etching from thin epitaxial layers of the ferromagnetic semiconductor (Ga,Mn)As, in shape of three nanowires joined in one point and forming three-terminal devices, in which an electric current can be driven through any of the three pairs of nanowires. In the

C4b-binding protein (C4BP) inhibits all pathways of complement activation, acting as a cofactor to the serine protease factor I (FI) in the degradation of activated complement factors C4b and C3b. C4BP is a disulfide-linked polymer of seven alpha-chains and a unique beta-chain, the alpha- and beta-chains being composed of eight and three complement control protein (CCP) domains, respectively. In p

Awareness of cost-effectiveness aspects has become increasingly important within the health care sector in times of constrained resources. Health economics deal with methods of making choices under conditions of uncertainty and provide models for decision making. A key question is to compare alternative strategies. Within the field of prophylaxis against venous thromboembolism general thromboproph