Gut barrier function is essential in critical illness and contributes to the systemic inflammatory response. Failure of the gut barrier includes both changes in microbial ecology, permeability and potential translocation, as well as local gut inflammatory response. The present review summarizes experiences made from acute pancreatitis, including pathophysiological mechanisms and ways of interventi

This study examines fuel use and metabolism in a group of long-distance migrating birds, red knots Calidris canutus (Scolopacidae), flying under controlled conditions in a wind tunnel for up to 10 h. Data are compared with values for resting birds fasting for the same time. Plasma levels of free fatty acids, glycerol and uric acid were elevated during flight, irrespective of flight duration (1-10h

The amount of large and old trees has decreased in the boreal forests during the last centuries of forestry. Such trees are important habitats for epiphytic lichens and there is a growing concern for lichen species that are associated with large and old trees. However, only little is known about the relative importance of tree size versus age as determinants of lichen diversity. Here we have deter

Array Close Information Database is an online database for information about microarray cDNA clones. For each clone, the database contents include assigned UniGene cluster(s), location in the full-length transcript, assigned gene ontology terms and position in the genome assembly.

New data on the levels and long-range transport of plutonium in the Arctic Ocean, recorded in the course of two expeditions to this zone in, 1994 and 1996, are discussed in this paper. Specifically, approximately 100 plutonium measurements in surface and sub-surface water sampled at 58 separate stations throughout the Kara, Laptev and East Siberian Seas, as well as along latitudinal transects acro

Tapasin is a subunit of the transporter associated with antigen processing (TAP). It associates with the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I. We show that tapasin interacts with beta- and gamma-subunits of COPI coatomer. COPI retrieves membrane proteins from the Golgi network back to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). The COPI subunit-associated tapasin also interacts with MHC class I mole

Aerosols affect precipitation by modifying cloud properties such as cloud droplet number concentration (CDNQ. Aerosol effects on CDNC depend on aerosol properties such as number concentration, size spectrum, and chemical composition. This study focuses on the effects of aerosol chemical composition on CDNC and, thereby, precipitation in a mesoscale cloud ensemble (MCE) driven by deep convective cl

Enteral exposure of suckling rats to phytohaemagglutinin (PHA) has been shown to induce growth and precocious functional maturation of the gastrointestinal tract. The aim of the present study was to explore the mechanism of this action. Suckling rats, 14 d old, were fed a single dose of PHA (0.05 mg/g body weight) or saline. The binding of PHA to the gut epithelium and its effect on the morphology

We investigated the smooth muscle contraction in response to noradrenaline (NA), endothelin-1 (ET) and 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) in the omental artery and vein segments from a 67-year-old woman with idiopathic orthostatic hypotension. The blood vessels were obtained during the abdominal surgery and investigated in vitro. Noradrenaline, endothelin-1 and 5-hydroxytryptamine all induced a contractio

A novel technique for measuring droplet temperatures has been demonstrated. Laser-induced phosphorescence from thermographic phosphors, seeded to distilled water and iso-octane, was used to measure temperatures of single falling droplets. The phosphors were excited by the fourth and third harmonies of a Nd:YAG laser. The subsequent emission was evaluated by spectral and temporal investigations of

Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is genetically characterized by the presence of the reciprocal translocation t(9;22)(q34;q11), resulting in a BCR/ABL gene fusion on the derivative chromosome 22 called the Philadelphia (Ph) chromosome. In 2-10% of the cases, this chimeric gene is generated by variant rearrangements, involving 9q34, 22q11, and one or several other genomic regions. All chromosomes hav

Porous network structures were prepared by in situ polymerisation of a mixture of N-phenylmaleimide and 1, 1'-(methylenedi-4,1-plienylene)bismaleimide (95:5 w/w) in poly(vinylidene difluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) (PVDH). The mixture of the maleimide monomers was found to form thermoreversible gels with PVDH. Thermodynamic analysis of the gelation process using calorimetry data indicated the for

This paper focuses on older peoples’ needs as pedestrians by examining their perceptions of the outdoor environment in both bare-ground and snow/ice conditions. Qualitative and quantitative methods are used, including focus group interviews, participant observations, and questionnaires. The results show that older people consider accessibility/usability issues as very important and that the import

The effects from thermal shock loading on pre-existing microcracks within thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) have been investigated through a finite element based fracture mechanical analysis. The TBC system consists of a metallic bond coat and a ceramic top coat. The rough interface between the top and bond coats holds an alumina oxide layer. Stress concentrations at the interface due to the interfa

High-level quantum-chemical methods show that the binding in the inclusion complex of hexamethylbenzene (HMB) in 6-cycloparaphenitacetylene (6-CPPA) cannot be explained only in terms of electrostatic interactions-caused by the polarization associated to curved a-conjugated systems-and the inclusion of dispersion forces is definitely needed. The theoretical description of van der Wools interactions

Linkage maps are lacking for many highly influential model organisms in evolutionary research, including all passerine birds. Consequently, their full potential as research models is severely hampered. Here, we provide a partial linkage map and give novel estimates of sex-specific recombination rates in a passerine bird, the great reed warbler (Acrocephalus arundinaceus). Linkage analysis of genot

We present several attacks against the Achterbahn stream cipher, which was proposed to the eSTREAM competition. We can break the reduced and the full version with complexity of 2 55 and 2 61 steps. Extensions of our attacks are also described to break modified versions of the Achterbahn stream cipher, which were proposed following the publication of preliminary cryptanalysis results. These attacks