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Background: Cysteine protease cathepsins are important in extracellular matrix protein degradation, cell apoptosis, and angiogenesis. Mice lacking cathepsins are protected from tumor progression in several animal models, suggesting that the regulation of cathepsin activities controls the growth of various malignant tumors. Methods and Results: We tested the role of cathepsins using a mouse model o
We study the association of the cationic protein lysozyme with several almost neutral protein fragments but with highly uneven charge distributions. Using mesoscopic protein models, we show how electrostatic interactions can align or steer protein complexes into specific constellations dictated by the specific charge distributions of the interacting biomolecules. Including van der Waals forces sig
Studies on technological innovation systems (TISs) often set spatial boundaries at the national level and treat supranational levels as a geographically undifferentiated and freely accessible global technological opportunity set. This article criticizes this conceptualization and proposes instead to analyze relevant actors, networks and processes in TIS from a relational perspective on space. It d
ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Although the heritability of atrial fibrillation (AF) has been determined, the relevance of family history of AF for the likelihood of recurrent hospitalization for AF is unknown. The aim of this nationwide study was to determine whether family history of AF is a risk factor of recurrent hospitalization for lone AF (LAF), i.e., AF with unknown etiology. The familial risk f
Anthracyclines and taxanes are active cytotoxic drugs in the treatment of early metastatic breast cancer. It is yet unclear whether addition of capecitabine to the combination of these drugs improves the treatment outcome. Patients with advanced breast cancer were randomized to first-line chemotherapy with a combination of epirubicin (Farmorubicin(A (R))) and paclitaxel (Taxol(A (R))) alone (ET) o
Objective. Wistar Kyoto (WKY) rats are more susceptible to stress-evoked ulcerations than Sprague-Dawley (SPD) rats. We have already demonstrated that gastrin cells are more active and ghrelin cells less active in WKY rats than in SPD rats. The purpose of this study was to compare endocrine cell activity and gastric acid output in WKY and SPD rats. Material and methods. Gastric acid output was det
Purpose To assess the clinical effects and safety profile of initial monotherapy with either bisoprolol or enalapril in elderly patients with heart failure (HF). Methods In CIBIS III, 1010 patients with mild to moderate HF and age >= 65 years were randomized to monotherapy with either bisoprolol or enalapril for 6 months. Results Bisoprolol had a similar effect as enalapril on the combined end-poi
Reference attribute grammars (RAGs) have proven practical for gen- erating production-quality compilers from declarative descriptions, as demonstrated by the JastAdd system. Recent results indicate their applicability also to generating semantic services in interactive editors. For use in editors, it is necessary to update the attribution after edit operations. Earlier algorithms based on statical
OBJECTIVE-Retinol-binding protein (RBP) 4 is an adipokine of which plasma levels are elevated in obesity and type 2 diabetes. The aims of the study were to identify determinants of plasma RBP4 and RBP4 mRNA expression in subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) and skeletal muscle and to investigate the association between RBP4 and in vivo measures of glucose metabolism. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS-The s
Hematopoiesis is initiated by a rare population of hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) in the bone marrow (BM). HSCs give rise to red blood cells and white blood cells of myeloid and lymphoid lineages. The red blood cells are responsible for transporting oxygen throughout the body, while the myeloid and lymphoid cells are essentially required for immune responses. The HSCs reside in special niches in t
Cholestasis is a frequent clinical syndrome, which is caused by a dysfunction in bile formation of the hepatocyte or from obstruction of the biliary tract. This is associated with inflammation of the liver tissue, resulting in severe liver injury. In this inflammatory process, leukocyte recruitment has emerged as a key feature. Therefore, the aim of this thesis was to analyze the detailed mechanis
Kidney disease is a growing problem in the whole world. It is important to find these patients in an early state of the disease because then they can be treated and dialysis treatment can be avoided. To measure the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) an invasive technigue is used. In this thesis an equation to estimate GFR (eGFR) by drawing a blood sample and measure the concentration of cystatin C i
Objective. To investigate whether the serological marker for coeliac disease, tissue transglutaminase autoantibody (tTGAb), is associated with decreased bone mass density (BMD) and increased frequency of fractures in middle-aged women screened for osteoporosis. Material and methods. The study comprised 6480 women (mean age 56 years, range 50-64) who answered a number of questionnaires and who unde
