We injected technetium-labeled albumin (at a concentration similar to that of the pleural fluid) in the costal region of anesthetized dogs (n = 13) either breathing spontaneously or apneic. The decay rate of labeled activity at the injection site was studied with a gamma camera placed either in the anteroposterior (AP) or laterolateral (LL) projection. In breathing animals (respiratory frequency a

Liquefaction of human semen involves proteolytic degradation of the seminal coagulum and release of motile spermatozoa. Several members of human kallikrein-related peptidases (KLKs) have been implicated in semen liquefaction, functioning through highly regulated proteolytic cascades. Among these, KLK3 (also known as prostate-specific antigen) is the main executor enzyme responsible for processing

Diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed with a high-resolution segmented echo-planar imaging technique, which provided images with substantially less susceptibility artifacts than images obtained with single-shot echo-planar imaging (EPI). Diffusion imaging performed with any multishot pulse sequence is inherently sensitive to motion artifacts and in order to reduce motion artifac

The loop region of chymotrypsin inhibitor 2 from barley has been employed as a scaffold for testing the intrinsic propensity of a peptide fragment to form a secondary structure. The helix formation of the nine amino acid residue segment Lys-Gln- Ala-Val- Asp- Asn- Ala-Tyr-Ala of helix E from subtilisin Carlsberg has been studied by the construction of a hybrid consisting of chymotrypsin inhibitor

The interest in phasor measurement technology has reached a peak in recent years, as the need for the best estimate of the power system's state is recognized to be a crucial element in improving its performance and its resilience in the face of catastrophic failures. In most countries installing the phasor measurement units (PMUs) and getting to know the PMU system behavior through continuous obse

The aim of this study was to develop, adjust and test two different methods for the estimation of drainage area and potential wetness in ridged fields. The methods were applied to a gridded digital elevation model (DEM) of a potato field in central Sweden. Elevation data were registered by a global positioning system (GPS) receiver. A high-precision real time kinematic (RTK) system was used to rec

Small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) measurements are reported on a sterically stabilized, coreshell colloidal system using contrast variation. Aqueous dispersions of polystyrene particles bearing grafted poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) have been studied over a large range of particle concentrations and two different solvent conditions for the PEG polymer. SANS data are analyzed quantitatively by mod

Objective: Five double-blind, randomized, saline-controlled trials (RCTs) were included in the United States marketing application for an intra-articular hyaluronan (IA-HA) product for the treatment of osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee. We report an integrated analysis of the primary Case Report Form (CRF) data from these trials. Method. Trials were similar in design, patient population and outcome

Climate change resulting from the enhanced greenhouse effect together with the direct effect of increased atmospheric CO2 concentrations on vegetation growth are expected to produce changes in the cycling of carbon in terrestrial ecosystems. Impacts will vary across Europe, and regional-scale studies are needed to resolve this variability. In this study, we used the LPJ-GUESS ecosystem model drive

Gitelman's syndrome is an autosomal recessive disorder characterized by electrolyte disturbances and low blood pressure. The disease is caused by homozygous or compound heterozygous inactivating mutations in the thiazide-sensitive NaCl-cotransporter gene leading to reduced renal sodium reabsorption. We report 4 patients with Gitelman's syndrome from southern Sweden, all in whom we identified compo

Ca2+ sensitivity of smooth muscle contraction is modulated by several systems converging on myosin light chain phosphatase (MLCP). Rho-Rho kinase is considered to inhibit MLCP via phosphorylation, whereas protein kinase C (PKC) induced sensitization has been shown to be dependent on phosphorylation of the inhibitory protein CPI-17. We have explored the interaction of cGMP-dependent protein kinase

Strong upconversion luminescence of both Mn2+ and Eu3+ is observed in ZnS:Mn2+, Eu3+ codoped nanoparticles. Laser power dependencies and spectroscopic data show that the upconversion emission is due to two-photon excitation of each specific dopant ion. The relative differences in two-photon excitation cross section result in different relative intensities for the Eu3+ and Mn2+ upconversion at diff

Identification of the causes of past climate change requires detailed knowledge of one of the most important natural factors-solar forcing. Prior to the period of direct solar observations, radionuclide abundances in natural archives provide the best-known proxies for changes in solar activity. Here we present two independent reconstructions of changes in solar activity during the last 1000 yr, wh