It has been hypothesized that excessive activity of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), in particular the gelatinases MMP-9 and MMP-2, contributes to poor healing of chronic skin ulcers. We compared MMP-9 and MMP-2 in wound margin biopsies of standardized acute partial-thickness wounds in healthy volunteers (n = 6) and in venous leg ulcer patients (n = 12) with those of chronic wounds of different e

OBJECTIVE: Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is known to exert a positive effect in preventing bone loss and a beneficial effect on the disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We evaluated the effects of HRT on bone mineral density (BMD) and on the course of established RA. METHODS: Eighty-eight postmenopausal women with RA were randomly allocated to receive HRT, vitamin D3, and calcium sup

Climate change has proven to affect various aspects of the migration of birds. In response to milder winters making the habitat more profitable and increasing the survival of residents, the migratory fraction of partially migratory populations has been predicted to decline. We studied the blue tit Parus caeruleus, a common partial migrant in southern Sweden. The numbers migrating at Falsterbo, a m

Animal eyes have long served as a classical example of independent origin followed by convergence of structures onto a few different solutions. During the past decade this view has been challenged by the discovery of shared developmental regulatory genes. The Pax6 gene in particular is almost universally employed for eye formation in bilaterian animals, despite widely different embryological origi

A missense mutation, FV-IIe359Thr (FV Liverpool), associated with thrombosis has recently been described. This mutation creates an additional potential N-linked glycosylation site (Asn-X-Ser/Thr) in factor V (FV) at Asn357 that could interfere with secretion and/or protein interactions. To investigate the molecular pathology of FV-IIe359Thr, the mutation was created by site-directed mutagenesis an

Objectives To assess the effect of montelukast versus salmeterol added to inhaled fluticasone propionate on asthma exacerbation in patients whose symptoms are inadequately controlled with fluticasone alone. Design and setting A 52 week, two period, double blind, multicentre trial during which patients whose symptoms remained uncontrolled by inhaled corticosteroids were randomised to add montelukas

AIMS: A method was developed and evaluated to simultaneously register intraabdominal pressure (IAP) and intravesical pressure (IVP) during cystometry in conscious rats. In addition, IAP and IVP were recorded in rats with experimental detrusor overactivity (DO). METHODS: Sprague Dawley rats (n = 24) were used. Six female rats were subjected to partial bladder outlet obstruction for 2 weeks. A cathe

Ten-a and Ten-m are the two Drosophila members of the newly discovered Ten-m family of dimeric type II transmembrane proteins. Here, we report complete cDNA cloning and protein expression patterns of Ten-a. The Ten-a protein, a dimeric receptor of about 500 kDa is mainly expressed on axons of the embryonic central nervous system and on muscle attachment sites.

Temperature and pressure dependent measurements have been performed on 3.5 nm ZnS:Mn2+ nanoparticles. As temperature increases, the donor-acceptor (DA) emission of ZnS:Mn2+ nanoparticles at 440 nm shifts to longer wavelengths while the Mn2+ emission (T-4(1)-(6)A(1)) shifts to shorter wavelengths. Both the DA and Mn2+ emission intensities decrease with temperature with the intensity decrease of the

This paper supplements a previous review of the Perrin process for steelmaking with the same focus on its principles, technology and economics. Metallurgically, Perrin's idea of emulsification as a means of achieving rapid reaction also applies to the production of ferro-alloys. However, the larger proportion of the amount of slag in relation to that of metal makes it necessary to use other proced

An increased interest in moisture buffering in the indoor environment and the development of more refined hygrothermal calculation tools call for a better understanding of the phenomenon. There are many materials indoors with potential to act as moisture buffers, ranging from traditional finishing materials as gypsum plaster to textiles. The objective of this study is to show that the interest in

A multiphase clock generator based on direct phase interpolation is presented. No feedback loop is required. A simple phase interpolation architecture is proposed, in which the two phase-adjacent signals are interpolated by using a series of resistors via inverters' discharging or charging slopes to generate multiphase outputs in a single stage. A phase error averaging circuit is used to correct i

As a preparatory study of electromagnetic pulse propagation in open waveguides, the modes of propagation of pulses in open slab waveguides are investigated systematically. Core and cladding both consist of simple (linear, homogeneous, isotropic), dispersive materials modeled by temporal convolution with physically sound susceptibility kernels. Under these circumstances, pulses cannot propagate alo

Trichomoniasis, the most common non-viral sexually transmitted disease, is caused by infection with the protist Trichomonas vaginalis. The clinical spectrum varies from an asymptomatic to a severe symptomatic state. However, the exact factors leading to varied symptomatology have not been well elucidated. The role of cytokines in the pathogenesis of many microbial diseases has been reported. The p

This study tests the reliability and validity of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) head and neck cancer module (QLQ-H&N35) and version 3.0 of the EORTC Core Questionnaire (QLQ-C30) in 622 head and neck cancer patients from 12 countries. The patients completed the QLQ-C30, the QLQ-H&N35 and a debriefing questionnaire before antineoplastic treatment or at

A description of the electronic structure of F(3)UCO, F(3)NdCO, F(4)UCO, and F(5)UCO has been obtained by Complete Active Space second-order perturbation theory CASPT2 calculations using a relativistic effective core potential. These multiconfigurational calculations have been compared to the DFT description combined with a quasi-relativistic ZORA scalar approach. Geometries have been optimized fo

Cystihalysites sp. from the Ludfordian Eke Formation on Gotland, Sweden, is the youngest halysitid coral found in Baltoscandia. Halysitids had earlier been considered as absent at this level and were thought to have disappeared in the Gorstian-lower Ludfordian Hemse Group. The new material indicates that at least one species survived the early parts of the Lau extinction event.

The authors report the results of an intercomparison of vertical column amounts of hydrogen chloride (HCl), hydrogen fluoride (HF), nitrous oxide (N(2)O), nitric acid (HNO(3)), methane (CH(4)), ozone (O(3)), carbon dioxide (CO(2)), and nitrogen (N(2)) derived from the spectra recorded by two ground-based Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometers operated side-by-side using the sun as a sourc

We have estimated the activation energy for hydrogen abstraction by compound I in cytochrome P450 for a diverse set of 24 small organic substrates using state-of-the-art density functional theory (B3LYP). We then show that these results can be reproduced by computationally less demanding methods, for example, by using small organic mimics of compound I with both B3LYP and the semiempirical AM1 met