Helicobacter pylori is a major factor for the development of gastric cancer. The aim of this study was to define serum antibody patterns associated with H. pylori infection in patients with gastric cancer using a Western blot technique. Serum samples collected from 115 patients with gastric cancer and 110 age- and gender-matched patients without gastrointestinal diseases were tested for IgG antibo

Little attention has been paid to a possible relationship between lysosomal function and stimulation of secretory processes in endocrine cells. The last few years it has become increasingly evident that the secretion of insulin from the pancreatic beta-cell is the result of a very complex cascade of events, the details of which are far from elucidated and indeed may include the participation of th

Aqueous solutions of lactose and polyethylene glycol (PEG) were spray dried in a Buchi Model 191 spray dryer with the aim to investigate the effect of PEG on the crystallinity of the composite. A PEG concentration of 10.7% by weight of solids was studied for PEG 200, 600, 1500, 4000 and 8000. For PEG 200 and 4000 additional concentrations from 1.5-19.3% to 1.5-32.4%, respectively, were investigate

METHOD AND RESULTS: A standardized histopathological protocol has been designed, in which different histological characteristics of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) are reported: nuclear grade (ng), growth pattern according to Andersen et al., necrosis, size of the lesion, resection margins and focality. Using this protocol a re-evaluation of a population-based consecutive series of 306 cases of DC

This study aimed to determine the effects of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) on endothelial cytoskeleton morphology and permeability, and to detect the underlying signaling mechanisms involved in these responses. Cultured endothelial cells (ECs) were exposed to AGE-modified human serum albumin (AGE-HSA), and EC cytoskeletal changes were evaluated by observing fluorescence of F-actin followi

We have developed automatic methods to calculate multipoles and anisotropic polarizabilities for all atoms and bond centers in a protein and to include such a model in the calculation of electronic properties at any level of quantum mechanical theory. This approach is applied for the calculation of the electronic spectra of retinal in rhodopsin at the CASPT2//CASSCF level (second-order multiconfig

The need for ad hoc networks arises when a number of mobile nodes gather in one particular location and form autonomous networks. Ad hoc networks can be adjoined to the Internet, introducing routing and addressing issues that require new features from ad hoc networking protocols. The Internet Gateway can offer global addressability and bidirectional Internet connectivity to every node in the ad ho

This paper addresses the inverse problem of reconstructing a medium’s instantaneous, nonlinear response to electromagnetic excitation. Using reflection and transmission data for an almost arbitrary incident field on a homogeneous slab, we are able to obtain the nonlinear constitutive relations for both electric and magnetic fields, with virtually no assumptions made on the specific form of the rel

PCR-based methods have been increasingly used in diagnosis of parasitic diseases. Over 40 morphospecies of avian malaria parasites of the genus Plasmodium have been described. However, only nine of them have been identified on the level of their mitochondrial cytochrome b (cyt b) gene lineages, which are frequently used in molecular biology studies of avian blood haemosporidian parasites. In this

The extent to which an individual’s (or a group’s) creative potential is expressed depends considerably on the environment in which that individual (or group) works. To understand scientific and technological creativity, one needs to analyze the interactions between individuals or groups and their environment. We put forward the concept of a creative knowledge environment (CKE) to examine the envi

In this study, laccase from Cerrena unicolor as a highly active enzyme was adsorptively immobilized on the surface of graphite electrode. The electrode inserted into flow-injection system served as a biosensor for detection of polyphenols, including flavonoids. We used catechin hydrate, epicatechin, epicatechin gallate, prodelphinidin, and caffeic acid as a target compounds in determination. The p

It is known that the overall charge of a protein can change as the molecule approaches a charged object like another protein or a cell membrane. We have formalized this mechanism using a statistical mechanical framework and show how this rather overlooked interaction increases the attraction between protein molecules. From the theory, we can identify a unique property, the protein charge capacitan

Melt mixed blends of ethylene-propylenerubber (EPR) and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) were studied with regard to the composition dependence of the dynamic viscoelastic properties in relation to their morphology. Differential scanning calorimetry, scanning electron microscopy, and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) were used together with theoretical predictions to characterize the blends. The invest

Shells of Arctica islandica collected between 1884 and 2004 from A-resund, Kattegat and Skagerrak (Swedish West Coast) were used to monitor local climate variations and the influence of human activities on the local environment. For this purpose, we analysed the growth, structure and chemical composition of these shells and compared them with shells collected from Kiel Bay, Norway and Iceland. The

Tanzania has come a long way in her market-oriented reforms of the past fifteen years, but the performance of agriculture has been less than satisfactory. This paper estimates supply elasticities for individual crops as well as for commodity aggregates (cash and food crops) in order to investigate whether this performance is due to a lack of response on the part of farmers or on other factors. The

BACKGROUND : Recruitment and activation of eosinophils have been studied intensely in asthma and other allergic diseases. Less is known about the infiltration and behaviour of eosinophils during gastric ulcer healing. AIM : To examine the tissue infiltration and activation of eosinophils in the ulcer margin at different time points after ulcer induction (days 1-15). METHODS : Eosinophil peroxidase

Background-To explore potential interrelationships between lipoprotein-associated phosholipase A2 (Lp-PLA(2)), the metabolic syndrome (MetS), and incident cardiovascular disease (CVD). Methods and Results-MetS was defined by the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult treatment Panel III criteria in 4480 nondiabetic Malmo Diet and Cancer Study subjects without history of CVD. Incidence of fir

Insulin resistance has been proposed to be the underlying disorder of the so-called metabolic or insulin resistance syndrome, which represents the clustering in the same individual of several cardiovascular risk factors, such as type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension, abdominal obesity, elevated triglycerides and low high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol. As far as the connection of insulin resista