In this investigation, the influence of various kinds of organic solutes on the fouling of an anion and a cation selective ED membrane was studied. Fouling by adsorption of organic matter onto the membrane was measured as an increase in the membrane resistance with time. Experiments were performed with a fatty acid (octanoic acid), two anionic surfactants (sodium octanoate and sodium dodecylbenzen

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: Oxidation of LDL in the arterial extracellular matrix is a key event in the development of atherosclerosis and autoantibodies against oxidised LDL antigens reflect disease severity and the risk of developing acute cardiovascular events. Since type 2 diabetes is associated with increased oxidative stress, we tested the hypothesis that autoantibodies against oxidised LDL antigens ar

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to examine the impact and mechanism of action of low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) in a model of murine colitis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Balb/c mice were exposed to 5% dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) in the drinking water for five days. LMWH (500 units/kg/day) was administered by subcutaneous injection prior to and throughout the treatment period with DSS. Cl

This paper concerns a numerical investigation of the heat and fluid flow in V-shaped ribbed ducts. The Navier-Stokes equations and the energy equation are solved in conjunction with a low Reynolds number k-epsilon turbulence model. The Reynolds turbulent stresses are computed with an explicit algebraic stress model (EASM) while the turbulent heat fluxes are calculated with a simple eddy diffusivit

The major myeloid blood cell lineages are generated from hematopoietic stem cells by differentiation through a series of increasingly committed progenitor cells. Precise characterization of intermediate progenitors is important for understanding fundamental differentiation processes and a variety of disease states, including leukemia. Here, we evaluated the functional in vitro and in vivo potentia

In a retrospective survey of 450 patients with rheumatoid arthritis on whom cervical spine radiography was performed, one patient was found with a backward tilting of the posterior arch of the atlas. With preserved relations anteriorly, the posterior arch was rotated downward in front of the spinous process of the axis, encroaching on the space of the spinal canal.

Perseid and sporadic meteor hourly rates and magnitudes observed in 1953-1983 by a team of visual observers at the Onsala Space Observatory, Sweden, are analysed. A high-resolution study of the zenithal hourly rates of bright Perseid meteors /(m

We report the first experimental measurements and theoretical calculations for the hyperfine splitting of the 3d(5) 4s ground state of Mn II. The hyperfine structure constants were determined using Fourier transform spectroscopy with a hollow cathode discharge lamp. The uncertainties in the magnetic dipole constants, A, are between 3 x 10(-4) and 5 x 10(-4) cm(-1). Extensive configuration interact

This study describes the effects of acute ethanol exposure on the mRNA levels of c-jun,junB and junD in the human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cell line. An acute exposure to 100 mM ethanol did not influence the basal and phorbol ester-induced expression of c-jun and junB, whereas the basal mRNA level of junD was attenuated by 30%. This effect was dose- and time-dependent with maximal inhibition being de

The study aim was to establish by systematic review the prevalence of asymptomatic Chlamydia trachomatis infection of the lower female genital tract in Europe and also to assess the extent and effect of screening. The search process was wide ranging, using the electronic databases Medline, Embase and Aidsline and the Internet using the search engines Netscape and Euro-ferret. Studies published in

The oxidation of the Rh(111) surface at oxygen pressures from 10(-10) mbar to 0.5 bar and temperatures between 300 and 900 K has been studied on the atomic scale using a multimethod approach of experimental and theoretical techniques. Oxidation starts at the steps, resulting in a trilayer O-Rh-O surface oxide which, although not thermodynamically stable, prevents further oxidation at intermediate

The Nordic Power Exchange (Nord Pool), the first multinational exchange for electricity trading, has existed since January 1996. Spot and futures contracts are traded on this exchange and its typical characteristics are very high volatilities as well as non-normally distributed returns. This article looks at electricity futures and how they can be used for short-term hedging of positions taken in

OBJECTIVES: Our goal was to validate myocardium at risk on T2-weighted short tau inversion recovery (T2-STIR) cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) over time, compared with that seen with perfusion single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction, and to assess the amount of salvaged myocardium after 1 week. BACKGROUND: To assess reperfusion

Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is caused by a defect in the function of the low density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor and inherited in an autosomal, codominant way. In this study we present a 13-year-old girl, compound heterozygote for the LDL receptor mutations C240F and Y167X. Fibroblasts from the patient showed very low cholesterol esterification rate, LDL uptake, and degradation compared to n

The general knowledge of family caregivers’ experience of burden during the continuing care of a close relative with dementia is incomplete. Several types of care settings are available today, and, for carers, modalities of burden probably differ between these settings. The aim of this study was to explore whether burden differed significantly between former family caregivers (FFCs) to people with

A theoretical model is presented for the formation of an ordered phase close to the air-liquid interface of an open binary aqueous solution. The chemical potential of water in the liquid phase is, in general, not equal to the chemical potential of water in the ambient atmosphere. There are therefore nonequilibrium conditions close to the air-liquid interface. There is also a gradient in the chemic