High levels of the triacylglycerol-rich lipoproteins, very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) and intermediate density lipoprotein (IDL) have been identified as independent risk factors for coronary heart disease, and inflammation is thought to contribute to atherosclerosis and its complications. To understand how dyslipidemia promotes inflammation, we have characterised the effects of VLDL treatment

We respond to the comments provided on our paper 'Principles help to analyse but often give no solution-secondary prevention after a cardiac event' by Simon Waltho, and highlight points of clarification.

The potential use of in vitro-expanded precursor cells or cell lines in brain repair includes transplantation of such cells for cell replacement purposes and the activation of host cells to provide 'self-repair'. Recently, it has been reported that the immortalized brain-derived cell line RN33B (derived from the embryonic rat medullary raphe) survive, integrate and differentiate after subretinal g

Serum methanol concentrations (SMC) exceeding 10 mg/l are highly suggestive of long-term alcohol intoxication and can be considered as marker for chronic alcohol abuse. Endogenously formed or consumed methanol is almost exclusively metabolized by alcohol dehydrogenase. As long as blood alcohol concentrations exceed 0.2-0.5 g/l methanol cannot be metabolized and accumulates. In a prospective study

Acoustic actuation can be used to perform several tasks in microfluidic systems. In this paper, we investigate an acoustic separator through micro-PIV analysis in stop-flow mode and numerical simulations, and a good agreement between the two is found. Moreover, we demonstrate that it is not sufficient only to characterize devices in flow-through mode, since in these systems much different resonant

Children with acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) commonly have recurrent infectious and noninfectious lung complications that ultimately end in death. To study the intensity of alveolar inflammation and to evaluate the clinical utility of bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) in children with HIV-1 infections, we retrospectively analyzed differential cell counts, lymphocyte subsets, and fibronectin

The purpose of this study was to develop an automated method for the segmentation of the heart in a 3-D cardiac scintigram. This is immediately useful for eliminating a manual step in a previous version of a decision support system. The automatic segmentation method uses a statistical 3D-model, inspired by Active Shape, which locates the base and apex automatically from a cardiac scintigram. Key f

The genetic basis of complete C4 deficiency in a patient with SLE was investigated. Previous studies have demonstrated that this patient has two different major histocompatibility complex (MHC) haplotypes that each contain a major deletion and a non-expressed C4 gene. In the present study, non-expression of the C4 genes was explained by the finding of two distinct C4 gene mutations. A previously d

A new optical-fibre radiation dosimeter system, based on radioluminescence and optically stimulated luminescence from carbon-doped aluminium oxide, was developed and tested in clinical photon beams. This prototype offers several features, such as a small detector (1 x 1 x 2 mm), high sensitivity, real-time read-out and the ability to measure both dose rate and absorbed dose. The measurements descr

The dinuclear species [(trispicMeen)(ClFeOFeCl)-O-III-Cl-III(trispicMeen)]Cl(OH)(H2O)(7) (1) (trispicMeen = N,N,N'-tris-(2-pyridylmethyl)-N'-methylethane- 1,2-diamine) was synthesized. It crystallizes in the monoclinic space group C2/c with a = 33.87(2) Angstrom, b = 17.42(2) Angstrom, c = 23.41(5) Angstrom, beta = 132.88(5)degrees, V = 10 121(25) Angstrom(3), and Z = 8. It contains an almost line

The purpose of this work was to compare technetium-99m-diphosphono-propanedicarboxylate (DPD) and iodine-123-metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) scans in the diagnosis and follow-up of neuroblastoma, and to study the role of histological differentiation in the uptake of MIBG. The uptake of MIBG and of DPD were studied retrospectively in 27 patients with neuroblastoma (primary, residual and recurrent tu

The two most frequently examined biomarkers in the diagnosis of dementia are cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) tau and beta-amyloid(1-42) (Abeta(1-42)). An assay for tau phosphorylated at threonine 181 (phospho-tau) has recently been developed. We studied these three markers in patients with possible Alzheimer's disease (AD; n = 23), probable AD (n = 50), AD with relevant cerebrovascular disease (AD with

Amplifications and gains involving 1q are common abnormalities in solid tumors. Recently, an amplicon originating from 1q21-23, containing the candidate oncogenes COAS1, COAS2 and COAS3 (Chromosome One Amplified Sequence) was identified. The presence, distribution and copy number level of extra COAS sequences were investigated in 48 bone and soft tissue tumor (BSTT) samples using metaphase FISH an

The two cellular targets of interest in age-related macular degeneration (AMD) are the photoreceptors and the RPE. However, the mechanisms involved in AMD pathology are not yet fully understood. In the present report, we extend our previous studies on semenogelin proteins (Sgs) in normal human retina and compare these with the distribution in retinas from AMD donor eyes. Semenogelins I (SaI) and I

Sheet-metal forming involves a complex distribution of strains throughout the part. The strains occur due to tension, compression and a mix of both. A geometry has been developed, the X-Die, in order to gain insight into the strain behavior of different materials. The X-Die enables strain paths far into the tension-compression region, thus creating the possibility to extend the experimental base b

We discuss how techniques from multiresolution analysis and phase space transforms can be exploited in solving a general class of evolution equations with limited smoothness. We have wave propagation in media of limited smoothness in mind. The frame that appears naturally in this context belongs to the family of frames of curvelets. The construction considered here implies a full-wave description

Cu(II) complexation at the water-goethite (alpha-FeOOH) interface was studied by XAFS, potentiometry, and sorption experiments. Thermodynamic data indicate that the initial Cu(II) sorption is not accompanied by release of a H+. As pH is raised, hydrolysis occurs, and a maximum of two H+ are released per sorbed ion. Sorption experiments also show that Cu(II) complexation is insensitive to variation