To investigate the role of apoM in high density lipoprotein (HDL) metabolism and atherogenesis, we generated human apoM transgenic (apoM-Tg) and apoM-deficient ( apoM(-/-)) mice. Plasma apoM was predominantly associated with 10-12-nm alpha-migrating HDL particles. Human apoM overexpression (11-fold) increased plasma cholesterol concentration by 13-22%, whereas apoM deficiency decreased it by 17-21

The objective of this study was to isolate fibrotic cells from human lung biopsies taken from different central pulmonary locations. A comparison was made of cell morphology, proteoglycan- and protein-expression in mesenchymal cell cultures obtained from human bronchial biopsies from patients with asthmatic-like disorders. We isolated viable cells from 10 out of the 12 biopsies. The fibroblast-lik

The picture superiority effect, i.e. better memory for pictures than for corresponding words, has been variously ascribed to a conceptual or a perceptual processing advantage. The present study aimed to disentangle perceptual and conceptual contributions. Pictures and words were tested for recognition in both their original formats and translated into participants´ second language. Multinomial Pro

The copolymer of N-isopropylacrylamide and 3-(acrylamido)phenylboronic acid (82:18, (M) over bar (n)=47000 g. mol(-1)) was prepared by free radical polymerization. The copolymer showed typical thermal precipitation behavior in aqueous solutions, its precipitation temperature (T-P) being increased from 23 to 32degreesC by increasing the pH from 6.5 to 9.7, because of ionization of the phenylboronat

The process simulator ASPEN PLUS was used for simulation of an ethanol production process based on enzymatic hydrolysis of lignocellulosic materials. The effect of water recycling, necessary to reduce the amount of waste water and to increase the ethanol concentration in the feed to the distillation, was investigated. For a process based on 20 t/h raw material, the amount of waste water can be red

The prognosis of HIV-1-infected patients has dramatically improved but progression to liver failure occurs now frequently in subjects coinfected with hepatitis C virus (HCV). This has raised the issue of organ transplantation, but the knowledge about the effect of concomitant antiretroviral and immunosuppressive therapy is limited. The objective of the study was to describe viral and immunological

Failure to account for non-climatic changes to water systems, such as design and operation, within climate change impact assessments leads to misconceptions because these activities buffer the human built enviroment from bio-physical impacts. Urban drainage in cold regions, which is dominated by snowmelt, is especially vulnerable to climate change and is investigated in this paper within the conte

The detailed mechanisms which can explain the inherent radiosensitivity of salivary glands remain to be elucidated. Although DNA is the most plausible critical target for the lethal effects of irradiation, interactions with other constituents, such as cell membrane and neuropeptides, have been suggested to cause important physiological changes. Moreover, mast cells seem to be closely linked to rad

Carotenoids are, along with chlorophylls, crucial pigments involved in light-harvesting processes in photosynthetic organisms. Details of carotenoid to chlorophyll energy transfer mechanisms and their dependence on structural variability of carotenoids are as yet poorly understood. Here, we employ femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy to reveal energy transfer pathways in the peridinin-chl

We show that arrays of nanopit structures etched in a nanoslit can control the positioning and conformation of single DNA molecules in nanofluidic devices. By adjusting the spacing, organization and placement of the nanopits it is possible to immobilize DNA at predetermined regions of a device without additional chemical modification and achieve a high degree of control over local DNA conformation

Disturbances in intestinal metabolism and perfusion during SIRS can be direct effects of toxic substances, and/or effects secondary to hypovolemia. An attempt to evaluate the significance of hypovolemia for intestinal disturbances during SIRS was made in the present study on feline by evaluating the degree to which the intestinal alterations following endotoxin infusion were restored by a clinical

Reverse micelle formation of the poly(ethylene oxide)/poly(propylene oxide) block-copolymer (EO)(13)(PO)(30)(EO)(13) (L64) in p-xylene was investigated as a function of water content and copolymer content, using small-angle neutron scattering (SANS). PEO/PPO block-copolymers are generally soluble in xylene but without forming aggregates. However, the effective block segregation increases dramatica

Motivation: CoGenT++ is a data environment for computational research in comparative and functional genomics, designed to address issues of consistency, reproducibility, scalability and accessibility. Description: CoGenT++ facilitates the re-distribution of all fully sequenced and published genomes, storing information about species, gene names and protein sequences. We describe our scalable imp

BACKGROUND: Pulsation in the flow velocity waveform in the umbilical vein is related to perinatal mortality but the flow velocity waveform in the fetal vein of Galen is normally even and without fluctuation. OBJECTIVES: To establish whether blood flow velocity pulsations in the vein of Galen in high-risk pregnancies are related to outcome. STUDY DESIGN: The vein of Galen was located by colour Dopp

Motivation: Genome-wide gene expression measurements, as currently determined by the microarray technology, can be represented mathematically as points in a high-dimensional gene expression space. Genes interact with each other in regulatory networks, restricting the cellular gene expression profiles to a certain manifold, or surface, in gene expression space. To obtain knowledge about this manifo

BACKGROUND: Little is known about the induction and the morphology of epithelial damage, and of the ensuing epithelial restitution processes in allergic airways. OBJECTIVE: To examine epithelial damage and restitution in allergen challenged guinea-pig trachea. METHODS: Whole-mount techniques, transmission and scanning electron microscopy, cryosectioning, and histochemical staining were used. Cell

Mutations in the hepatocyte nuclear factor 1-alpha gene (HNF-1 alpha, now known as the transcription factor 1 gene [TCF1]) cause the most common monogenic form of diabetes, MODY3, but it is not known if common variants in HNF-1a are associated with decreased transcriptional activity or phenotypes related to type 2 diabetes, or whether they predict future type 2 diabetes. We studied the effect of f

Background: Laparoscopic herniorrhaphy has emerged as a recognized operative method for inguinal hernia repair. This study compared the short-term results of two tension-free methods of repair: totally extraperitoneal (TEP) laparoscopic patch repair and the open Lichtenstein mesh technique. Methods: A total of 1513 men from 11 hospitals who presented with a primary unilateral inguinal hernia were