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Mechanisms underlying tissue selectivity of anandamide and other vanilloid receptor agonists.

Anandamide acts as a full vanilloid receptor agonist in many bioassay systems, but it is a weak activator of primary afferents in the airways. To address this discrepancy, we compared the effect of different vanilloid receptor agonists in isolated airways and mesenteric arteries of guinea pig using preparations containing different phenotypes of the capsaicin-sensitive sensory nerve. We found that

Cure of established GL261 mouse gliomas after combined immunotherapy with GM-CSF and IFNgamma is mediated by both CD8(+) and CD4(+) T-cells.

We were the first to demonstrate that combined immunotherapy with GM-CSF producing GL261 cells and recombinant IFNgamma of preestablished GL261 gliomas could cure 90% of immunized mice. To extend these findings and to uncover the underlying mechanisms, the ensuing experiments were undertaken. We hypothesized that immunizations combining both GM-CSF and IFNgamma systemically would increase the numb

Initial patient characteristics can predict pattern and risk of relapse in localized rhabdomyosarcoma

Purpose Evaluation of primary tumor-, treatment-, and patient-related factors predicting relapse pattern, risk, and survival after relapse with the aim to design a risk-adapted, tumor- directed surveillance program for patients with localized rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS). Patients and Methods One thousand one hundred sixty-four patients with nonmetastatic RMS achieved complete remission at the end of mu

BRCA2 mutations in 154 Finnish male breast cancer patients

The etiology and pathogenesis of male breast cancer (MBC) are poorly known. This is due to the fact that the disease is rare, and large-scale genetic epidemiologic studies have been difficult to carry out. Here, we studied the frequency of eight recurrent Finnish BRCA2 founder mutations in a large cohort of 154 MBC patients (65% diagnosed in Finland from 1967 to 1996). Founder mutations were detec

A cost-benefit analysis of long-term management options for forests following contamination with (CS)-C-137

This paper provides a description of a cost-benefit analysis applied to determine the cost effectiveness, or otherwise, of nine management strategies potentially applicable to forests contaminated with Cs-137. Th management strategies were considered singly and in a number of likely combinations. A management strategy was considered to be cost-effective if it resulted in a lower overall monetary d

Encapsulated cell biodelivery of GDNF: A novel clinical strategy for neuroprotection and neuroregeneration in Parkinson's disease?

The main pathology underlying disease symptoms in Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive degeneration of nigrostriatal dopamine (DA) neurons. No effective disease-modifying treatment currently exists. Glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) has neuroprotective and neuroregenerative effects and it enhances dopaminergic function in animal models of PD. These findings raise the possibil

Triaxiality at high spins in Nd nuclei

The level structure of Nd-140(80) has been established up to spin 48 by in-beam gamma-ray spectroscopy using the Zr-96(Ca-48, 4n) reaction. High-fold gamma-ray coincidences were measured with the EUROBALL spectrometer. Twelve new rotational bands have been discovered at high spins, showing the change from a spherical single-particle behaviour at low spins to a deformed regime with stable triaxiali

Congenital oral mucosal abnormalities in true umbilical cord knots

Objective: The pathogenesis and clinical significance of true umbilical cord knots remain controversial. Here, we tested the hypothesis of the presence of congenital oral mucosal changes in newborns with true umbilical cord knots. Study design: Seven consecutive infants with true umbilical cord knots and 50 gestational age- and sex-matched controls were enrolled. The proportion of oral frenulum ab

Long-distance transports of newborn infants with congenital heart disease

Little has been published about specific problems that may occur during long-distance transports of newborn cardiac patients. During a 4-year period after centralization of pediatric heart surgery in Sweden, 286 transports were prospectively investigated. A majority (77.3%) of the transports were carried out by nonspecialized teams. Ten severe adverse events, including the death of 1 infant, occur

Role of ABO secretor status in mucosal innate immunity and H. pylori infection

The fucosylated ABH antigens, which constitute the molecular basis for the ABO blood group system, are also expressed in salivary secretions and gastrointestinal epithelia in individuals of positive secretor status; however, the biological function of the ABO blood group system is unknown. Gastric mucosa biopsies of 41 Rhesus monkeys originating from Southern Asia were analyzed by immunohistochemi

Role of the FOXC2 -512C>T polymorphism in type 2 diabetes: possible association with the dysmetabolic syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: Overexpression of the human transcription factor FOXC2 gene ( FOXC2) protects against insulin resistance in mice and a common FOXC2 polymorphism (-512C > T) has been suggested to be associated with insulin resistance in humans. Here, we addressed the potential role for FOXC2 as a candidate gene for type 2 diabetes and associated phenotypes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A case-control study wa

Differential effects of rapamycin, cyclosporine A, and FK506 on human coronary artery smooth muscle cell proliferation and signalling

Background: Immunosuppressive agents are at the forefront of preventing organ rejection after transplantation. However, their effects on vascular smooth muscle cell-mediated intimal hyperplasia that occurs in post-transplant coronary artery disease are less well known. Methods and results: We investigated the in vitro effects of three immunosuppressive agents cyclosporine A (CsA), FK506 (tacrolimu

Educational priorities and current involvement in genetic practice: a survey of midwives in the Netherlands, UK and Sweden

Objective: to investigate whether practising midwives are adequately prepared to integrate genetic information into their practice. Design: a cross-sectional, postal, structured questionnaire survey was sent to practising midwives. Setting: practising midwives from the Netherlands (NL), Sweden (SE) and the United Kingdom (UK). Participants: 1021 replies were received, achieving a response rate of

Predicted properties of eclipsing binaries observable by Gaia

Using a population synthesis model we estimate the fraction of stars of different types that are likely to show eclipses, as a function of the period. The population model is based on the bse-code from Hurley et al. (2002) which is a rapid binary evolution code that include all common effects in close binaries such as mass transfer, tidal locking, wind etc. We use this to evolve millions of system

Effect of specific binding of human albumin, fibrinogen, and immunoglobulin G on surface characteristics of bacterial strains as revealed by partition experiments in polymer phase systems

Four strains of gram-positive cocci with different combinations of positive binding of human proteins were investigated with respect to changes in physicochemical surface properties after specific protein binding. Staphylococcus aureus Cowan I, two group A beta-hemolytic streptococci, and one group G streptococcal strain were studied; they represented three different combinations of reactivity for

Can intraspecific brood parasitism be detected using egg morphology only?

Intraspecific brood parasites lay their eggs in the nests of conspecifics. There are a number of methods for detecting intraspecific brood parasitism (IBP) in birds based on egg morphology. Here we test Eadie's (1989) method, which calculates the Euclidean distances between eggs in a given clutch in a three-dimensional space (weight, length and width). A parasitised clutch is predicted to contain

Constitutively elevated nuclear export activity opposes Ca2+-dependent NFATc3 nuclear accumulation in vascular smooth muscle: role of JNK2 and Crm-1

The transcription factor NFAT (nuclear factor of activated T-cells) is a cytosolic phosphoprotein that accumulates in the nucleus following dephosphorylation by the calcium (Ca2+)/calmodulin-dependent phosphatase, calcineurin. A defining feature of stimuli that induce NFAT nuclear accumulation/activation is a sustained increase in global intracellular Ca2+. Contrary to expectations, we have found

Rapid one-step whole blood C-reactive protein magnetic permeability immunoassay with monoclonal antibody conjugated nanoparticles as superparamagnetic labels and enhanced sedimentation

A rapid (5.5 min) one-step whole blood C-reactive protein (CRP) magnetic permeability immunoassay utilizing monoclonal antibody conjugated dextran iron oxide nanoparticles (70 nm) as superparamagnetic labels and mixed fractions (1:1 ratio of 15-40 and 60 mu m) of polyclonal anti-CRP conjugated silica microparticles for enhanced sedimentation is described. In this one-step assay procedure, a whole