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Alzheimer's disease (AD) and age-related cataract, disorders characterized by protein aggregation causing late-onset disease, both involve oxidative stress. We hypothesize that common variants of NFE2L2 and KEAP1, the genes encoding the main regulators of the Nrf2 system, an important defence system against oxidative stress, may influence risk of AD and/or age-related cataract. This case-control s

Obestatin is a 23-amino acid peptide encoded by the ghrelin gene. We have investigated the effect of obestatin on intestinal contractility in rats ranging from the suckling period till adolescence. Duodenal and middle jejunum whole-thickness preparations from neonatal and adult rats were studied in an organ bath, for isometric recording under treatment with obestatin (1 mu mol L-1) in the presence

We determined A/H1N1-HA antibodies in relation to HLA-DQ genotypes and islet autoantibodies at clinical diagnosis in 1141 incident 0.7-18 years old type 1 diabetes patients diagnosed April 2009 - December 2010. Antibodies to (35) S-methionine-labeled A/H1N1 hemagglutinin were determined in a radiobinding assay in patients diagnosed before (n=325), during (n=355) and after (n=461) the October 2009

Compassion may be directed at a broad range of targets. The present study investigated interrelations among other-directed compassion, self-compassion and environmental compassion in early adolescence (age 12-14; N = 256) and examined how the different manifestations of compassion related to age and sex during this age period. Dispositional compassion directed at different targets was assessed thr

We hypothesized that priming of the skin with ultraviolet radiation (UVR) before being injured would enhance wound healing. Four groups, each comprising 20 immunocompetent hairless mice, were exposed to simulated solar irradiation in escalating UVR doses; 0 SED (standard erythema dose) = control, 1 SED, 3 SED and 5 SED. Twenty-four h after UV irradiation, inflammation was quantified by skin reflec

Study Design. A multicenter, randomized, controlled, cost-effectiveness analysis. Objective. To assess the cost-effectiveness of balloon kyphoplasty (BKP) compared with standard medical treatment (control) in patients with acute/subacute (<3 months) vertebral compression fracture (VCF) due to osteoporosis. Summary of Background Data. Patients with a VCF due to osteoporosis are common and will incr

Ancestral background, specifically African descent, confers higher risk for development of inhibitory antibodies to factor VIII (FVIII) in haemophilia A. It has been suggested that differences in the distribution of FVIII gene (F8) haplotypes, and mismatch between endogenous F8 haplotypes and those comprising products used for treatment could contribute to risk. Data from the Hemophilia Inhibitor

The chromosomal location of six barley genes was determined by Southern blot experiments using wheat strains which contained the short or long arm from one of the seven barley chromosomes. The genes analysed encode enzymes that are required for chlorophyll and heme synthesis. Glutamyl-tRNAGlu synthetase, glutamate 1-semialdehyde 2,1-aminotransferase and glutamyl-tRNAGlu reductase are common to bot

Following administration of surfactant a marked depression in aEEG activity occurs for about 10 minutes; the mechanism of this depression is unknown. In view of this, twenty-nine preterm infants were investigated with near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) to evaluate rapid changes in total cerebral haemoglobin concentration and cerebral oxyhaemoglobin concentration during rescue treatment with natural

The hydrophilic/hydrophobic properties of the membrane material have an important influence on the membrane flux reduction when treating solutions containing hydrophobic solutes. Different methods of measuring the hydrophobic properties of membranes have been evaluated; measurement of the contact angle being the most commonly used method. In this investigation the flux reduction of eight membranes

Recent investigations of the DNA interactions with cationic surfactants and catanionic Mixtures are reviewed. Several techniques have been used such as fluorescence microscopy, dynamic light scattering, electron microscopy, and Monte Carlo simulations. The conformational behaviour of large DNA molecules in the presence of cationic surfactant was followed by fluorescence microscopy and also by dyna

A method based on computational fluid dynamics (CFD) for the characterization of static mixers using the Z factor, helicity and the rate of striation thinning is presented. These measures were found to be well-suited for the characterization of static mixers as they reflect the pressure drop, the formation of secondary flow, i.e. vortices, and their effect on the mixing process. Two commercial sta

Background: The electrophysiological mechanisms underlying atrial fibrillation (AF) are incompletely understood. Experimental studies have shown that remodelling of the atrial myocardium is linked to the occurrence and perpetuation of AF. Interatrial conduction disturbances and also delayed conduction at the posteroparaseptal region have also been reported as potential arrhythmogenic substrates. H

Ionizing radiation is a well-known risk factor for sarcoma development. To investigate whether radiation-associated sarcomas are characterized by chromosome aberrations that distinguish them from de novo sarcomas, we identified those patients in our series of more than 500 cytogenetically abnormal sarcomas that fulfilled the following criteria: (1) each patient should have been irradiated for anot

Background: Gastrectomy, specifically the removal of the acid-producing part of the stomach (fundectomy), is known to cause osteopenia. This effect has been ascribed to the elimination of a hypothetical osteotropic peptide hormone, presumably produced in the oxyntic mucosa. Since osteopenia is due to a disturbed balance between bone formation and resorption, we assessed the effect of gastrectomy o

Clay minerals cannot only give information on sedimentary depositional environment but also the climate regime under which sediment was weathered. The successions of non-marine to marine Middle and Late Jurassic strata of the East European Platform show upwards increasing contents of smectite and decreasing contents of kaolinite. There is also an increasing smectite vs. kaolinite ratio laterally,

A new technique for two-dimensional temperature measurements of burning surfaces is presented. Laser-induced phosphorescence from a thermographic phosphor material applied to a surface of investigation was measured with a fast framing camera. The phosphor was excited by the 4th harmomic from a pulsed Nd:YAG operating at 10 Hz. The phosphorescence images measured by eight consecutively gated CCD de

BACKGROUND: The common ABO allele sequences are known, but little or no genetic information is available on the rare but important A subgroups. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Blood group ABO polymorphism was analyzed in genomic DNA from 45 rare subgroup A individuals by sequence-specific primer polymerase chain reaction and amplified fragment length polymorphism investigating exons VI and VII in the AB

Objective: To monitor changes in serum concentrations of cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP) during a 24-h period to determine any diurnal variation, and to estimate the half life of COMP in the circulation in patients with symptomatic knee osteoarthritis and in those with rheumatoid arthritis. Methods: Serum samples were drawn every 4 h (7 samples/patient over 24 h) in 10 patients with kne

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Amerindians are blood group O, but the distribution of the various O alleles is unknown. Their ABO genotypes were compared with samples from other Brazilian ethnic groups. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Genomic DNA was examined by PCR-RFLP analysis, PCR-SSP and direct sequencing. RESULTS: An unusual allele distribution was found, with 91% of the O alleles being O1variant. Almost