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This paper analyses the potential biomass Supply in the 15 EU countries (EU15), 8 new member states and 2 candidate countries (ACC10), plus Belarus and the Ukraine. The objective of this study is to make a more detailed assessment of the potential in Europe than previously undertaken. For this purpose five scenarios were designed to describe the short-, medium- and long-term potential of biomass f
BACKGROUND: Activated mast cells can produce and release a number of inflammatory mediators involved in the pathophysiology of acute conditions. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the role of activated tissue mast cells in the pathogenesis of multiple organ dysfunction syndrome following acute pancreatitis (AP). METHODS: AP was induced by the intraductal infusion of 5 per cent sodium tau
The lasting effects of a recruitment maneuver (RM) in the injured lung are not well characterized. We speculated that the reduction in respiratory elastance (H) after a deep inflation (DI) is transient in nature and should be sustained longer at higher positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP). Thirteen ventilated mice were given 2 DIs at various levels of PEEP before and after saline lavage. Forced
Recently, a new class of copolymers, so-called protein-like copolymers has been predicted theoretically by computer simulation. In these copolymers. the conformation of the copolymer determines the exposure of certain comonomer units to the outer solution. Depending on the conformation, copolymer molecules with essentially the same comonomer composition could have pronouncedly different properties
Disturbances in swallowing are common in neurologic disease but difficult to evaluate in the clinical setting. Fundamental variables such as bolus volume, swallow capacity (volume ingested over time), and the relation between ingestion and time for important events in oral and pharyngeal swallowing have not been sufficiently studied. We therefore employed a composite method for monitoring oral and
Activated Lactococcus lactis beta-phosphoglucomutase (beta PGM) catalyzes the conversion of beta-D-glucose 1-phosphate (beta G1P) derived from maltose to beta-D-glucose 6-phosphate (G6P). Activation requires Mg2+ binding and phosphorylation of the active site residue Asp8. Initial velocity techniques were used to define the steady-state kinetic constants k(cat) = 177 +/- 9 s(-1), K-m = 49 +/- 4 mu
The existence and nature of indirect genetic benefits to mate choice remain contentious. Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) genes, which play a vital role in determining pathogen resistance in vertebrates, may be the link between mate choice and the genetic inheritance of vigour in offspring. Studies have shown that MHC-dependent mate choice can occur in mammal and fish species, but little wor
New immobilized biocatalysts based on polypeptides containing N- or C-terminal polyhistidine sequences and possessing organophosphorus hydrolase activity were investigated for detoxification of organophosphorous neurotoxic compounds in the flow systems. The biocatalysts were revealed to have a high catalytic activity within wide pH and temperature ranges 7.5-12.5 A degrees C and 15-65 A degrees C,
This article is based on a keynote presentation at the 12th Nordic Congress in General Practice in Trondheim, Norway in September 2002. The aim was to demonstrate the strengths and limitations of evidence-based medicine (EBM) in a primary healthcare setting. The presentation comprised two separate lectures discussing an authentic case history from everyday practice that had been presented to the a
Recent results on the 102 residue protein U1A show that protein aggregation is not always slow and irreversible but may take place transiently in refolding studies on a millisecond time scale. In this study we observe a similar aggregation behavior with the classical two-state protein CI2. Since both U1A and CI2 appear to fold directly from the coil at low protein concentrations, it is likely that
The rd1 mouse is a relevant model for studying the mechanisms of photoreceptor degeneration in retinitis pigmentosa. Treatment with ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) in combination with brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is known to rescue photoreceptors in cultured rd1 retinal explants. To shed light on the underlying mechanisms, we studied the effects of 9 days (starting at postnatal day
Annual and seasonal variation in reproductive timing and performance were studied in a population of the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos minor over 10 years in southern Sweden. The median laying; date of the first egg varied by up to 17 days between years, being generally larger than the variation of laying dates within years. Neither clutch size, brood size in successful nests, fledging suc
BACKGROUND: The aim of the study was to investigate the value of percutaneous fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) in the diagnosis and management of liver tumours. METHODS: FNAC followed by histopathological examination was carried out in 216 patients with suspected liver tumours. The final diagnosis was primary liver cancer in 106, colorectal metastases in 51, non-colorectal metastases in 46,
Properties of polyelectrolyte gels in equilibrium with a reservoir of salt solution described within the primitive model have been investigated using Monte Carlo simulations. The polyelectrolyte gel was modeled as a charged defect-free three-dimensional network of diamondlike topology with explicit simple ions. The deswelling upon addition of salt was investigated for gels with different charge de
The Ebf (O/E) family of helix-loop-helix transcription factors plays a significant role in B lymphocyte and neuronal development. The three primary members of this family, Ebf1, 2, and 3, are all expressed in adipocytes, and Ebf1 promotes adipogenesis when overexpressed in NIH 3T3 fibroblasts. Here we report that these three proteins have adipogenic potential in multiple cellular models and that p
Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) increases beta-cell function and growth through protein kinase A- and phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3-K)/protein kinase B, respectively. GLP-1 acts via a G protein-coupled receptor, and PI3-K gamma is known to be activated by G(beta gamma). Therefore, the role of PI3-K gamma in the chronic effects of GLP-1 on the beta-cell was investigated using PI3-K gamma knock
