Sustainable agricultural development that prioritizes the needs and respects the rights of smallholder farmers is widely framed as a societal goal by both national governments and international institutions. However, in many places this remains an elusive goal, not least in sub-Saharan Africa. The past decades have seen new types of rural social movements emerge, demanding socially just and enviro

Parasite-derived proteases are important for the parasite life cycle and the pathogenesis of the disease they produce. Proteases of intestinal protozoan parasite Blastocystis hominis were studied for the first time with azocasein assays and gelatin SDS-PAGE analysis. Parasitic lysates were found to have high protease activity and nine protease bands of low (20-33 kDa) and high (44-75 kDa) molecula

In epidemiological studies of occupational musculoskeletal disorders there is a need for quantitative exposure measurements of the physical work load. In studies of neck and upper limb disorders the so-called cumulative trauma disorders (CTDs), in particular the carpal tunnel syndrome, the positions and movements of the wrist are of special interest. A biaxial flexible electrogoniometer was used t

Blastocystis is a ubiquitous enteric protozoan found in the intestinal tracts of humans and a wide range of animals. Evidence accumulated over the last decade suggests association of Blastocystis with gastrointestinal disorders involving diarrhea, abdominal pain, constipation, nausea, and fatigue. Clinical and experimental studies have associated Blastocystis with intestinal inflammation, and it h

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to assess the hypothesized association between persistent organochlorine compounds through the consumption of fatty fish from the Baltic Sea (at the Swedish east coast) and low birthweight.MATERIALS AND METHODS: During the period 1973-1991, 72 cases of low birthweight (1500-2750 g) were selected from among infants born to fishermen's wives within a cohort

Blastocystis is an enteric protozoan purportedly associated with numerous clinical cases of diarrhea, flatulence, vomiting, and other gastrointestinal symptoms. Despite new knowledge of Blastocystis cell biology, genetic diversity, and epidemiology, its pathogenic potential remains controversial. Numerous clinical and epidemiological studies either implicate or exonerate the parasite as a cause of

Microbial immunoglobulin A (IgA) proteases cleave human secretory IgA, promoting the mucosal adhesion of pathogens. To investigate if the enteric protozoan Blastocystis degrades human secretory IgA, cell lysate and conditioned medium from two species were exposed to immunoglobulin A. Secretory IgA was cleaved by both cell lysate and conditioned medium with mainly cysteine proteinase activity in B.

We report the development of a simple technique involving 15 ml polypropylene tubes and a rotatory incubator for obtaining erythrocytes singly infected with Plasmodium falciparum. This technique will be useful for cloning of the parasite. Our finding that P. falciparum merozoite invasion is inhibited during rotation suggests that this method may also be useful for the study of parasite-erythrocyte

From a population of 8918 farmers, 237 were selected whose consumption of locally produced foods was high. The subjects' water sources, private wells, were of different degrees of acidity. Significant associations between pH (median 6.7, range 4.7-8.6) of the drinking water and element concentrations were found. The correlation was negative for aluminium (Al; median 0.07 mumol/l), cadmium (Cd; 0.4

OBJECTIVES: To examine the mortality pattern and the cancer incidence in a cohort of long term smelter workers exposed to lead.METHODS: The cohort consists of 664 male lead battery workers, employed for at least three months in 1942-87. From 1969 the values of all blood lead samples repeatedly obtained from these workers every two to three months, have been collected in a database. The expected mo

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of the study was to assess reproductive outcomes, especially birthweight, and the consumption of fatty fish from the Baltic Sea, contaminated with persistent organochlorine compounds, among women from the Swedish east coast.MATERIAL AND METHODS: Cohorts of fishermen's wives from the Swedish east and west coasts were established and linked to the Swedish Medical Birth Regist

Neutrophil-borne heparin-binding protein (HBP) is a multifunctional protein involved in the progression of inflammation. HBP is stored in neutrophil granules and released upon stimulation of the cells in proximity to endothelial cells. HBP affects endothelial cells in multiple ways; however, the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying the interaction of HBP with these cells are unknown. Affin

Bladder denervation and bladder outlet obstruction are urological conditions that cause bladder growth. Transcriptomic surveys in outlet obstruction have identified differentially expressed genes, but similar studies following denervation have not been done. This was addressed using a rat model in which the pelvic ganglia were cryo-ablated followed by bladder microarray analyses. At 10 days follow

Elevated levels of amyloid beta (Aβ) peptide, hyperphosphorylation of tau protein, and inflammation are pathological hallmarks in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Phosphodiesterase 7 (PDE7) regulates the inflammatory response through the cyclic adenosine monophosphate signaling cascade, and thus plays a central role in AD. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of an inhibitor of PDE7, named

The fate of carcinogens differs among individuals who have different activities of drug-metabolizing enzymes that are important in activating and detoxifying carcinogens. A drug that profoundly alters the metabolism of the drugs and carcinogens is the anticonvulsive agent phenobarbital. To investigate why epileptic patients appear to have a low risk of cancer of the urinary bladder, and on the bas

Regulation of actomyosin dynamics by post-transcriptional modifications in cytoplasmic actin is still poorly understood. Here we demonstrate that dioxygenase ALKBH4-mediated demethylation of a monomethylated site in actin (K84me1) regulates actin-myosin interaction and actomyosin-dependent processes such as cytokinesis and cell migration. ALKBH4-deficient cells display elevated K84me1 levels. Non-

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to assess cancer incidence and cardiovascular mortality among women with a high dietary intake of fatty fish from the Baltic Sea (on the Swedish east coast), contaminated with persistent organochlorine compounds.MATERIAL AND METHODS: Cohorts of fishermen's wives from the Swedish east (1989 subjects) and west (6605 subjects) coasts were established. The mor

Chronic respiratory diseases remain a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. The only option at end-stage disease is lung transplantation, but there are not enough donor lungs to meet clinical demand. Alternative options to increase tissue availability for lung transplantation are urgently required to close the gap on this unmet clinical need. A growing number of tissue engineering appr

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a devastating interstitial lung disease, characterized by damage of lung epithelial cells, excessive deposition of extracellular matrix in the lung interstitium, and enhanced activation and proliferation of fibroblasts. S100a4, also termed FSP-1 (fibroblast-specific protein-1), was previously considered as a marker of fibroblasts but recent findings in renal

The Na(+)- and Cl(-)-dependent GABA-betaine transporter (BGT1) has received attention mostly as a protector against osmolarity changes in the kidney and as a potential controller of the neurotransmitter GABA in the brain. Nevertheless, the cellular distribution of BGT1, and its physiological importance, is not fully understood. Here we have quantified mRNA levels using TaqMan real-time PCR, produc