Scattering of sunlight produces patterns of partially linearly polarized light in the sky throughout the day, and similar patterns appear at night when the Moon is bright. We studied celestial polarization patterns during the period of twilight, when the Sun is below the horizon, determining the degree and orientation of the polarized-light field and its changes before sunrise and after sunset. Du

Cyclomaltodextrinases are multidomain and often dimeric proteins from the alpha-amylase family (glycoside hydrolase family 13) which frequently have been very difficult to express in active form in Escherichia coli. To express the soluble form of this type of proteins in larger quantities the expression has to be optimized. We have used and combined two strategies to increase the yield of soluble

BACKGROUND: The RSR ELISAs for GADAb and IA-2Ab are now widely used but due to a considerable number of falsely positive GADAb results obtained with EDTA plasma, it is recommended that only serum samples are run in these two assays. However, as EDTA plasma is often the preferred sample type in Europe we have assessed the possibility that adding Ca(2+) to plasma would reduce the number of falsely p

The fetal inflammatory response has been suggested as causal in neonatal morbidity. Serial levels of circulating cytokines were evaluated in 74 infants with a mean gestational age (GA) of 27.1 wk. Pro-inflammatory and modulatory (IL-4, IL-10) cytokines were analyzed from cord blood, and at 6, 24, and 72 h postnatal age. Measure of cytokine burden over time was assessed by calculating the area unde

OBJECTIVE: To study fat metabolism and evaluate lipid deposition in hepatocytes and Kupffer cells during parenteral nutrition (PN) with or without fat. DESIGN: 20 male Sprague-Dawley rats, divided into four groups, were investigated. Rats fed orally were used as a reference group and compared to three groups of rats receiving PN either without fat or with 33% of non-protein energy as fat or with 6

It has been hypothesized that women with vasomotor symptoms differ from those without with respect to cardiovascular risk factors or responses to exogenous hormone therapy. We studied whether the presence and extent of menopausal complaints are associated with cardiovascular risk profile. Data were used from a population-based sample of 5523 women, aged 46 to 57 years, enrolled between 1994 and 19

The objective was to study the effects of ethanol on coagulation and fibrinolysis in whole blood. Blood samples from healthy volunteers were analyzed before and after in-vitro addition of ethanol in order to achieve ethanol concentrations of 0, 1, 2 and 4[per mille sign], respectively (0, 22, 44 and 88 mmol/l). Coagulation and fibrinolysis were then assessed using rotational thromboelastometry. We

Prostate specific antigen (PSA) and human glandular kallikrein 2 (hK2), produced essentially by the prostate gland, are 237-amino acid monomeric proteins, with 79% identity in primary structure. Twenty-five anti-PSA monoclonal antibodies (Mabs) were studied for binding to a large array of synthetic linear peptides selected from computer models of PSA and hK2, as well as to biotinylated peptides co

OBJECTIVE: To compare the effects on fat metabolism and Kupffer cell morphology by total parenteral nutrition (TPN) with two different fat emulsions. DESIGN: Thirty-two male Sprague-Dawley rats, divided into three groups, were investigated. Rats fed orally were used as a reference group, and a group of rats receiving TPN with fat emulsions containing pure long-chain triglycerides (LCT) was compare

Caveolae, plasma membrane invaginations particularly abundant in adipocytes, have been suggested to be important in organizing insulin signalling. Insulin-induced activation of the membrane bound cAMP degrading enzyme, phosphodiesterase 3B (PDE3B) is a key step in insulin-mediated inhibition of lipolysis and is also involved in the regulation of insulin-mediated glucose uptake and lipogenesis in a

The Notch signaling pathway is involved in several lineage commitment and differentiation events. One of these is fate determination of the common lymphoid progenitor, promoting T-cell development at the expense of B-cell differentiation. It has been suggested that this process relies on Notch's ability to inhibit E proteins, which are crucial for early B-cell development. Here, we report that Not

Objectives: It was the aim of this study to assess educational needs and priorities in genetics amongst non-genetic health professionals. Methods: The methods used included website reviews and direct contact with individuals and organisations involved in health professional education. Results and Conclusions: Health professional education and training differed in structure with wide variation in t

Nearly half of mammalian genomes are derived from ancient transposable elements (TEs). We analyzed the prevalence of TEs in untranslated regions of human and mouse mRNAs and found evidence suggesting that TEs affect the expression of many genes through the donation of transcriptional regulatory signals. Furthermore, we found that recently expanded gene classes, such as those involved in immunity o

This study investigated: (a) the cost and change in hospitalizations related to alcohol misuse for the healthcare sector and (b) the effect of distance to the border on alcohol-related hospitalization costs. The first objective was analyzed using descriptive statistics and the second using ordinary least squares regression on aggregated municipality data. The total cost decreased marginally during

A dynamic, process-oriented, deterministic and phosphorus-based model was developed to simulate the food web dynamics of Lake Ringsjön, in particular the long-term effects of biomanipulation in terms of reduction of omnivorous fish. The model contains 14 state variables, each with a differential equation describing sources and sinks of phosphorus. The state variables encompass piscivorous and omni

The removal of chemical oxygen demand (COD) from wastewater containing oxalic acid was experimentally investigated using a three-phase three-dimensional electrode reactor. The experimental results show that the removal efficiency depends on the applied cell voltage, airflow, electrolysis time and the number of repeated runs. The former four factors all had a positive effect while the last factor g

BACKGROUND. Androgen deprivation is the only effective systemic therapy available for patients with prostatic carcinoma, but is associated with a gradual transition to a hormone-refractory prostate cancer (HRCAP) in which ligand-independent activation of the androgen receptor has been implicated. The beta(2)-adrenergic receptor (beta(2)-AR) is a well-known activator of the androgen receptor. METHO

A time domain method building on the concept of wave splitting is used to study direct wave propagation phenomena in weakly nonlinear media. The starting point is the linear wave equation with time-dependent coefficients. This means that the studied nonlinear medium in some sense has to be approximated with a nonstationary medium which changes while the wave passes through. For the nonstationary e

PIP: To determine whether bacterial vaginosis (BV) is associated with use of specific contraceptive methods, 956 women from family planning and youth clinics at 3 Swedish hospitals were enrolled in a cohort study. 131 women had at least 3 of the 4 clinical signs of BV: a homogenous gray vaginal discharge, a vaginal pH of 4.7, a positive amine test, and the presence of "clue" cells. Age at first in