Objective: The etiology of secretory otitis media (SOM) is multifactorial. The main factors discussed are infection and tuba[ dysfunction. This study aimed to detect poor tuba[ function and tympanic membrane pathology in young adults after extremely long-standing SOM. Methods: Thirty-four patients, 16-25 years old, with previous chronic SOM persisting at least 6 years (mean 11.2 years, range 6.2-1

The LIDAR technique is an efficient tool in monitoring the distribution of atmospheric species of importance. We study the concentration of atmospheric atomic mercury in an Italian geothermal field and discuss the possibility of using recent results from local polynomial kernel regression theory for the evaluation of the derivative of the DIAL curve. A MISE-optimal bandwidth selector, which takes

in vitro models are often used to investigate pathophysiological mechanisms of brain cell injury as they occur for instance during cerebral ischemia. To analyze the efficacy of potential neuroprotective compounds, cell physiological experiments were performed in a recently improved culture system of human model neurons. The postmitotic neurons were generated from the human NT-2 teratocarcinoma cel

Numerous lineages of avian malaria parasites of the genus Plasmodium have been deposited in GenBank. However, only 11 morphospecies of Plasmodium have been linked to these lineages. Such linking is important because it provides opportunities to combine the existing knowledge of traditional parasitology with novel genetic information of these parasites obtained by molecular techniques. This study l

Purpose: A scale assessing primary care physicians' priorities for genetic education (The Gen-EP scale) was developed and tested in five European countries. The objective of this study was to determine its factor structure, to test scaling assumptions and to determine internal consistency. Methods: The sample consisted of 3686 practitioners (general practitioners, gyneco-obstetricians, pediatricia

We present a new approach for the accurate reconstruction of three-dimensional skeletal positions using roentgen single-plane photogrammetric analysis (RSPA). This technique uses a minimum of three markers embedded in each segment which allow continuous, real-time, internal skeletal movement to be measured from single-plane images, provided that the precise distance between the markers is known. A

Abstract is not available

Macroporous polyacrylamide gels (MPAAG) with iminodiacetic acid (IDA) functionality were prepared by (i) chemical modification of polyacrylamide gel, (ii) co-polymerization of acrylamide with allyl glycidyl ether (AGE) and N,N' metylene-bis(acrylamide) (MBAAm) followed by coupling IDA ligand or (iii) by copolymerization of acrylamide and MBAAm with functional monomer carrying IDA-functionality (1-

RAT dopamine D2short receptors expressed in CHO cells were characterized by activation of [35S]GTPgammaS binding. There were no significant differences between the maximal effects seen in activation of [35S]GTPgammaS binding caused by dopaminergic agonists, but the effects of 5-HT, 8OH-DPAT and 5-methoxytryptamine amounted to 47 +/- 7%, 43 +/- 5% and 70 +/- 7% of the dopamine effect, respectively.

Objectives. This research was conducted to demonstrate the effectiveness of reflective photoelasticity as an in vivo technique for monitoring the strain/stress distribution in prosthetic devices during function. Methods. Seven subjects were selected for this study and divided into three groups according to the design of the prostheses. The buccal surfaces of the experimental prostheses were coated

For most species, it is currently not known whether individual characteristics and population parameters affecting dispersal distances within the local population are also affecting dispersal of individuals emigrating longer distances. We evaluated this in the great reed warbler Acrocephalus arundinaceus by analysing data of natal dispersal distances within (1) the local hatching area in southern

A variety of pathways for electron and carbon flow in the soil bacterium Bacillus subtilis are differentially expressed depending on whether oxygen is present in the cell environment. This study characterizes the regulation of the respiratory oxidase cytochrome bd and the NADH-linked fermentative lactate dehydrogenase, (LDH). Transcription of the cydABCD operon, encoding cytochrome bd, is highly r

Bacterial endotoxin has been suggested as responsible for the development of subjective symptoms and transient or chronic lung function impairment seen after exposure to organic dusts in cotton mills, poultry houses, swine confinement buildings and saw mills. Animal experiments have demonstrated bronchoalveolar neutrophilia being the most prominent cell response in animals following bacterial lipo

Protein D is a surface-exposed lipoprotein of the gram-negative bacterium Haemophilus influenzae with affinity for human immunoglobulin D myeloma protein. The gene encoding protein D (hpd) in a serotype b strain of H. influenzae was cloned. Escherichia coli carrying the hpd gene bound human myeloma immunoglobulin D. Nucleotide sequence analysis identified an 1,092-bp open reading frame that was mo

OBJECTIVES: When clinical data were initially gathered from the Alaskan Eskimos in the 1950's, diabetes mellitus was noted to be quite rare. The prevalence of diabetes has increased significantly since that time, with rates of 10% reported recently in some Alaska native populations. Our goal was to understand the pathogenesis of diabetes among these groups, with the hypothesis that Alaskan Eskimos

Nuclear and chloroplast microsatellite markers were used to study population structure and gene flow among seven Cretan populations of the Aegean endemic plant species Brassica cretica (Brassicaceae). Both nuclear and chloroplast markers revealed exceptionally high levels of population differentiation (overall FST = 0.628 and 1.000, respectively) and relatively little within-population diversity (

TNP-470, a semisynthetic derivative of fumagillin, is an acknowledged angiogenesis inhibitor, presently undergoing clinical trials. It exerts an anti-proliferative effect directed against endothelial cells. This effect is known to be based on cell cycle inhibition effected by the p53/p21 pathway. We observed short-term toxicity of TNP-470 in the B16F10 murine melanoma cell line in vitro and invest

Objectives: To delineate the use of various drugs particularly pertaining to allergy and upper gastrointestinal problems in relation to hormone status in middle aged women. Methods: An analysis from a population-based study on women born between 1935 and 1945 and lived in the Lund area southern Sweden. Of 10766 women, 6917 provided complete data sets; in turn 5673 were assessed for the use of medi