Serum cystatin C is believed to reflect the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) more closely than serum creatinine in many contexts and a reference interval for serum cystatin C in term pregnancy has been defined to enable its use also in pregnant women. However, serum cystatin C levels were not found to be decreased in term pregnancy, though GFR of low molecular mass substances is known to increase

The gene GAD2 encoding the glutamic acid decarboxylase enzyme (GAD65) is a positional candidate gene for obesity on Chromosome 10p11-12, a susceptibility locus for morbid obesity in four independent ethnic populations. GAD65 catalyzes the formation of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), which interacts with neuropeptide Y in the paraventricular nucleus to contribute to stimulate food intake. A case-co

The identification of unknown genomic flanking DNA sequences can be used for the molecular monitoring of retro-, lenti- and foamyviral integration, transgenes in early embryogenesis, insertional mutagenesis, cell fate, and stem cell plasticity. Most existing methods reflect shortcomings in sensitivity and or specificity, thus limiting genomic sequencing of unknown flanking DNA to clonal preparatio

OBJECTIVE—Sleep deprivation in healthy men has been experimentally found to result in disturbances in glucose metabolism and in sympathovagal imbalance. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether sleep disturbances and elevated resting heart rate are associated with increased risk of developing diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS—A group of 6,599 initially healthy, nondiabetic men

The interfacial behavior of polyelectrolytes, mainly cationic with varying content of amphiphilic groups, and their complexes with oppositely charged surfactant are discussed. Both the kinetics and the reversibility aspect of the adsorption are considered. The structure of adsorbed layer formed was found to be dependent not only on the bulk solution phase behavior, but also on the pre-applied cond

The aim of the studies was to explore fetal circulatory changes relative to development of brain-sparing flow (BSF) in growth-restricted fetuses exposed to acute hypoxic stress, as provoked by uterine contractions during an oxytocin challenge test (OCT).(1) In fetuses with a normal cerebral circulation during basal conditions, signs of an acute hyperperfusion in both the arterial and venous cerebr

In 1997, a temporally shifted population of Thaumetopoea pilyocampa (Den. & Schiff.), was recorded for the first time in a restricted area of the oldest National Pine Forest of Portugal-the National Pine Forest of Leiria. This new population larval development takes place during the summer (summer population-SP), while in the normal population it takes place during the winter (winter populatio

Streptococcus pneumoniae is an important cause of upper and lower respiratory tract infections, meningitis, peritonitis, bacterial arthritis, and sepsis. Here we have studied a novel immune evasion mechanism of serotype 3 pneumococci, which are particularly resistant to phagocytosis. On their surfaces the bacteria express the factor H-binding inhibitor of complement (Hie), a protein of the pneumoc

Three new species, i.e. Hieracium cirrobractum T. Tyler, H. helenae T. Tyler and H. praviforme T. Tyler, are described from southern Sweden and two new combinations, i.e. Hieracium limitianeum (Johanss.) T. Tyler and Hieracium oletatum (Johanss. & Sam.) T. Tyler are made.

This study is on a combined effect of window, the daylighting and the thermal effects, in desert houses. It is comprised of two complementary studies. In the introduction a historical review on the development of use daylight has been carried out in order to place the case study in a historical perspective. The first study is comprehensive and contains two main parts. In the first part a study was

The goal of this study was to investigate the applicability of asymmetrical flow field-flow fractionation-multi-angle light scattering (AsFIFFFMALS) for size analysis of green fluorescent protein inclusion bodies (GFPIBs). The size distributions of GFPIBs prepared by various culture conditions were determined. For GFPIBs prepared at 37 degrees C the peak maximum hydrodynamic diameter (dH) first in

Although a negative trade-off between current reproductive effort and future reproductive output has for long been hypothesized and in some cases empirically shown, no mechanism with the potential to mediate such a reproductive cost from one season to another has been demonstrated. Here we suggest such a mechanism: the time and/or energy constraints during moult. We manipulated current reproductio

Stopped-flow fluorescence studies were performed to investigate the kinetics of formation of complexes between DNA and cationic vesicles. We followed the kinetics as a function of charge ratio and lipid vesicle composition. Binary mixtures of a saturated cationic lipid, dioctadecyldimethlammonium bromide (DODAB), and a zwitterionic lipid, dioleoylphosphatidylethanolamine (DOPE), were used to prepa