Decompression illness (DCI) is an illness affecting divers subjected to reductions in ambient pressure. Besides a mechanical explanation to DCI, an inflammatory mechanism has been suggested. In this study, levels of interleukin (IL)-8, IL-6, IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra), secretory leukocyte protease inhibitor (SLPI), and neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalcin (NGAL) were measured in dive

Although the assembly of a ternary complex between the SNARE proteins syntaxin-1, SNAP25 and VAMP2 is known to be crucial for insulin exocytosis, the mechanisms controlling this key event are poorly understood. We found that pancreatic beta-cells express different isoforms of tomosyn-1, a syntaxin-1-binding protein possessing a SNARE-like motif. Using atomic force microscopy we show that the SNARE

We solve a nonequilibrium statistical-mechanics problem exactly, namely, the single-file dynamics of N hard-core interacting particles (the particles cannot pass each other) of size Delta diffusing in a one-dimensional system of finite length L with reflecting boundaries at the ends. We obtain an exact expression for the conditional probability density function rho T(yT,t vertical bar yT,0) that a

This paper examines the significance of the schematic domain of BOUNDEDNESS in adjectives. It is proposed that boundedness in adjectives is a fundamental characteristic associated with gradability. Cross-categorial correspondences are made to nouns and verbs, where boundedness is a feature of countability and aktionsart respectively. Two basic types of gradable adjectives are distinguished: those

The Bacillus subtilis aprE leader is a determinant of extreme mRNA stability. The authors examined what properties of the aprE leader confer stability on an mRNA. The secondary structure of the aprE leader mRNA was analysed in vitro and in vivo, and mutations were introduced into different domains of an aprE leader-lacZ fusion. The half-lives of the corresponding transcripts were determined and be

The second messenger cAMP mediates potentiation of glucose-stimulated insulin release. Use of inhibitors of cAMP-hydrolyzing phosphodiesterase (PDE) 3 and overexpression of PDE3B in vitro have demonstrated a regulatory role for this enzyme in insulin secretion. In this work, the physiological significance of PDE3B-mediated degradation of cAMP for the regulation of insulin secretion in vivo and glu

Software process improvement often lacks strong links to project management and control activities, which are concerned with identifying the need of process change and triggering improvement initiatives. Project management, on the other hand, often fails at selecting appropriate software engineering methods and technology that help to ensure project success. This paper proposes a model that guides

Proton-detected NMR diffusion and P-31 NMR chemical shifts/bandwidths measurements were used to investigate a series of liposomal formulations where size and PEGylation extent need to be controlled for ultrasound mediated drug release. The width of the P-31 line is sensitive to aggregate size and shape and self-diffusion H-1 NMR conveys information about diffusional motion, size, and PEGylation ex

The breakup of 12Be into 6He+6He and 4He+8He has been studied using a 378 MeV 12Be beam inelastically excited by 12C and (CH2)n targets. The measurements indicate that breakup occurs from rotational states in the 10 to 25 MeV excitation energy interval, with spins in the range of 4ħ to 8ħ. The inferred moment of inertia is consistent with the cluster decay of an exotic molecular structure in 12Be,

The mechanical properties of polystyrene/polyamide-6 (50/50 wt/wt) blends were improved by additions of small amounts of poly(styrene-g-ethylene oxide) (SEO) during compounding by extrusion. Tensile testing of injection-molded samples revealed that the blends developed a yield point after addition of 1 wt % SEO. The elongation at break increased by almost a factor of 6, and the impact strength inc

We analysed five data sets of night directions of migrating arctic waders ill relation to,winds, recorded by tracking radar and optical range finder, in order to find out if these birds compensate for wind drift, or allow themselves to be drifted by winds. Our purpose was to investigate whether arctic waders use adaptive wind drift strategies or not. The data sets were collected in Siberia (two se

Objective: Evaluation of colposcopic and histopathological findings in women screened for cervical human papillomavirus deoxyribonucleic acid persistence. Study design: A total of 12527 women, aged 32 to 38 years old, attending the population-based cervical cancer screening program in Sweden were randomized 1:1 to mock testing or human papillomavirus deoxyribonucleic acid testing by general primer

Objective. To investigate the prevalence of current and chronic pain and their relationship to pain intensity, sex, age, income, employment status, citizenship, marital status, urban residence, occupational activity, and healthcare-seeking based on a representative sample from a Swedish county. Methods. A cross-sectional survey using a postal questionnaire was sent to a representative sample (n =

Previous studies on patients with breast cancer, who received postsurgical irradiation, displayed a markedly suppressed inflammatory response in the lung of smoking patients compared to nonsmokers. The aim of the present study was to investigate further the effect of exposure to tobacco smoke on the development of irradiation-induced pneumonitis in the rat. Four groups of animals were used: contro

The hallmark of severe haemophilia, defined as a circulating level of factor (F) VIII (haemophilia A cases) or FIX (haemophilia B cases) of < 1%, is recurrent bleeding into muscles and joints (haemarthroses) from an early age of life. The inevitable result of such bleeding is progressive joint damage, leading to disabling arthritis that is typically evident within the first 2 decades of life in pe