BACKGROUND: Mouse models are extensively used to study genetic and immunological mechanisms of potential importance to inflammatory airway diseases, e.g. asthma. However, the airway pathophysiology in allergic mice has received less attention. For example, plasma extravasation and the ensuing tissue-deposition of plasma proteins, which is a hallmark of inflammation, has not been examined in allerg

CTLA4Ig and anti-LFA-1 are members of a new generation of immunomodulatory drugs which inhibit important signaling pathways in T cell activation. Both substances target molecules which have pivitol functions in the activation of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells and have been theorized to have an interdependent relationship. These drugs have been used independently in various treatment regimens and have shown

J/psi production in p+p collisions at root s=200 GeV has been measured by the PHENIX experiment at the BNL Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider over a rapidity range of -2.2 < y < 2.2 and a transverse momentum range of 0 < p(T)< 9 GeV/c. The size of the present data set allows a detailed measurement of both the p(T) and the rapidity distributions and is sufficient to constrain production models. The to

Sexual selection may take place before or after mating and may involve a large number of different mechanisms, for example, overt male aggression, mate choice, sperm competition and cryptic female choice. In most species, males show similar reproductive tactics and, hence, achieve their reproductive success in the same or a similar way. Sometimes, however, males evolve alternative reproductive tac

The most prominent of the two major global delta C-13 excursions in the Ordovician, the Hirnantian delta C-13 excursion (HICE), which is previously recorded from the uppermost Ordovician in a few sections in Nevada, Quebec, Arctic Canada, Baltoscandia, Scotland and China, is documented for the first time from the North American Midcontinent. Samples through the Girardeau Limestone and Leemon Forma

This study investigated the profile of long-term blood pressure (BP)-lowering medication in a population-based cohort, and whether treatment effects on BP control or risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) differed between the types or patterns of BP-lowering regimes. In treated hypertensive patients, only 11.3% had a BP < 140/90 mm Hg. Inadequate drug combination and underestimation of global risk s

The core protein of glypican-1, a glycosylphosphatidylinositol-linked heparan sulfate proteoglycan, can bind Cu(II) or Zn(II) ions and undergo S-nitrosylation in the presence of nitric oxide. Cu(II)-to-Cu(I)-reduction supports extensive and permanent nitrosothiol formation, whereas Zn(II) ions appear to support a more limited, possibly transient one. Ascorbate induces release of nitric oxide, whic

Collagen induced arthritis (CIA) is the most studied animal model for rheumatoid arthritis and is associated with the MHC class II molecule A(q). T-cell recognition of a peptide from type II collagen, C11256-270, bound to A(q) is a requirement for development of CIA. Lysine 264 is the major T-cell recognition site of C11256-270 and CIA is in particular associated with recognition of lysine 264 aft

Familial defective apolipoprotein B100 (FDB) is a genetic disorder in which low density lipoproteins (LDL) bind defectively to the LDL receptor, resulting in hypercholesterolemia and premature atherosclerosis. FDB is caused by a mutation (R3500Q) that changes the conformation of apolipoprotein (apo) B100 near the receptor-binding site. We previously showed that arginine, not simply a positive char

An inappropriate host response to invading bacteria is a critical parameter that often aggravates the outcome of an infection. Staphylococcus aureus is a major human Gram-positive pathogen that causes a wide array of community- and hospital-acquired diseases ranging from superficial skin infections to severe conditions such as staphylococcal toxic shock. Here we find that S aureus induces inflamma

AIMS: To investigate the effects of parenteral administration of MgSO4, and glucose, insulin, and potassium (GIK), on the dominant atrial cycle length during chronic atrial fibrillation (CAF). METHODS AND RESULTS: The length of the dominant atrial cycle (DACL) in the power-frequency spectrum of the QRST-suppressed lead V1 ECG was identified before and after intravenous administration of MgSO4 alon

This study was undertaken to find a strict, unbiased epidemiological delineation of the VATER non-random association of congenital malformations and, based on registry information, to identify a group of probable VATER association infants suitable for etiological analyses. Information on 5,260 infants with multiple malformations was collected from four large registers of congenital malformations.

A laboratory study on the sublethal effects of malathion on the net-spinning behavior of the caddisfly larvae Hydropsyche slossonae was conducted in order to assess the potential of net anomalies as an indicator of chronic exposure to organophosphorus insecticides. Two anomalies were identified after chronic exposure to 0.01, 0.05, 0.1, 0.5 and 1.0 μg l−1 malathion. The first was a distortion of t

A survey was carried out of Swedish neonatal end-of-life regarding practice before birth, at birth, during dying and after death using a descriptive questionnaire with close-ended questions and individual comments The practice in 32 of 38 neonatal units, as described by the head nurse or the registered nurses, was largely similar. Respectful treatment of both the neonate and the parents during ne

To better handle situations where additional resources are available to carry out a task, many problems from the manufacturing industry involve "optimally" dividing a task into k smaller tasks. We consider the problem of partitioning a given set S of n points (in the plane) into k subsets, S1,...,Sk that max 1leqslant i leqslant k |MST(Si) | is minimized. A variant of this problem arises in the sh

Hollow fibre (HF) membrane modules were applied in continuous mode for equilibrium sampling through membranes (ESTM) of polar organic pollutants. Phenolic compounds (chlorophenols, cresols and phenol) served as model substances and ESTM was tuned towards the measurement of freely dissolved concentrations (C(free)). HF membrane modules were constructed using thin-walled membrane, 1-m module length

The human autosomal-dominant disorder Axenfeld-Rieger syndrome presents with defects in development of the eyes, teeth, and umbilicus. The eye manifests with iris ruptures, irido-corneal adhesions, cloudy corneas, and glaucoma. Transcription factors such as PITX2 and FOXC1 have been found to carry point mutations, causing the disorder. However, for approximately 40% of the cases, the pathogenesis

Objectives. Our aim was to identify a group of patients with clinical signs of tonsillitis to whom antibiotics could be prescribed without further diagnostic actions, and to compare the outcome of clinical assessment with the result of an antigen detection test using culture as the gold standard. Methods. During two winter months, patients aged >=4 years attending for sore throat at three primary

Humans are unique among animals in cooperating in large groups of unrelated individuals, with a high degree of resource sharing. These features challenge traditional evolutionary theories built on kin selection or reciprocity. A recent theoretical model by Gavrilets and colleagues takes a fresh look at the 'egalitarian revolution' that separates humans from our closest relatives, the great apes. T

Activated protein C (APC) has potent anticoagulant and antiinflammatory properties that are mediated in part by its interactions with its cofactor protein S and the endothelial cell protein C receptor (EPCR). The protein C/APC Gla domain is implicated in both interactions. We sought to identify how the protein C Gla domain enables specific protein-protein interactions in addition to its conserved