Objective. Previous population studies have suggested that both rheumatoid factor (RF) production and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) may be declining in occurrence, and. both secular and birth-cohort influences have been implicated. Since Pima Indians have a very high incidence of RA and also have shown recent evidence or a decline in RA, this study evaluated the relative contributions of age, secular,

We have studied GaP/GaAs/GaP and GaAsxP1-x/GaAs/GaAsxP1-x double-barrier resonant tunnelling diodes grown by metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy. We find that GaP tensile strained barriers in GaP/GaAs/GaP diodes may be grown with a barrier thickness below the critical thickness of about 12 monolayers. However, a corrugation of the strained barrier is observed by transmission electron microscopy. This

Distributions of phylogenetically related protein domains (fold superfamilies), or FSFs, among the three Superkingdoms (trichotomy) are assessed. Very nearly 900 of the 1200 FSFs of the trichotomy are shared by two or three Superkingdoms. Parsimony analysis of FSF distributions suggests that the FSF complement of the last common ancestor to the trichotomy was more like that of modern eukaryotes th

Hydroxyl radicals formed from hydrogen peroxide during an inflammatory response are potent agents for cellular deterioration. The behaviour of implanted material in terms of its ability to sustain or stop free radical formation may be therefore very important. In vitro studies of titanium which is known to be biocompatible and osseointegrates into human bone were carried out. In our model studies,

Denitrification is a critical process that can alleviate the effects of excessive nitrogen availability in aquatic ecosystems subject to eutrophication. An important part of denitrification occurs in benthic systems where bioturbation by meiofauna (invertebrates

Continuous implementation of new operative methods for correction and stabilization of spinal deformities in young patients with AIS demands a detailed morphological analysis of the vertebral column. CT spine according to protocols available in daily clinical practice means high radiation dose to these young individuals. All examinations included in this thesis were performed on a 16-slice CT scan

S100A4 and S100A9 proteins have been described as playing roles in the control of tumor growth and metastasis. We show here that a chemical probe, oxyclozanide (OX), selected for inhibiting the interaction between S100A9 and the receptor for advanced glycation end-products (RAGE) interacts with both S100A9 and S100A4. Furthermore, we show that S100A9 and S100A4 interact with RAGE and TLR4; interac

Measurements based on a large number of red giant stars suggest a broad metallicity distribution function (MDF) for the Galactic bulge, centered on [Fe/H] approximate to -0.1. However, recently, a new opportunity emerged to utilize temporary flux amplification (by factors of similar to 100 or more) of faint dwarf stars in the Bulge which are gravitationally lensed, making them observable with high

Migration has evolved as a strategy to maximise individual fitness in response to seasonally changing ecological and environmental conditions. However, migration can also incur costs, and quantifying these costs can provide important clues to the ultimate ecological forces that underpin migratory behaviour. A key emerging model to explain migration in many systems posits that migration is driven b

To fully exploit the environmental benefits of the biogas process, the digestate should be recycled as biofertiliser to agriculture. This practice can however be jeopardized by the presence of unwanted compounds such as heavy metals in the digestate. By using two-stage digestion, where the first stage includes hydrolysis/acidification and liquefaction of the substrate, heavy metals can be transfer

Abstract is not available

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of alpha-ketoglutarate on redox state parameters and arterial elasticity in elderly mice. Mice in the control group were fed with standard diet, while the experimental animals received the diet supplemented either with calcium (Ca-AKG) or sodium salt of alpha-ketoglutarate (Na-AKG). The experimental animals were divided into 4 groups with 10 i

The aim of this study was to evaluate how the fixed furniture dimensions match with students' anthropometry and to describe head, upper back and upper limbs postures and movements. Evaluation was performed in 48 students from a Brazilian state school. Furniture dimensions were measured with metric tape, movements and postures by inclinometers (Logger Tecknologi, Akarp, Sweden). Seat height was hig

Popular Abstract in Swedish Det har diskuterats huruvida mäns spermiekoncentration minskat och missbildningar i pojkars könsorgan ökat under den senare delen av 1900-talet. Med säkerhet har dock testikelcancer ökat flerfaldigt under samma tidsperiod. Målet med denna avhandling var dels att undersöka huruvida skånska mäns spermakvalitet hade förändrats under det förra årtiondet, dels att studera saA decrease in male reproductive function, including sperm counts, during the second half of the 20th century, has been postulated. During this period, testicular cancer has increased several-fold. Environmental and lifestyle-related factors have been proposed as explanations for a possible negative trend in male reproductive function. One important lifestyle factor is smoking. However, smoking dur

The aim of this study was to explore the variation and regulation of bacterial carbon processing at a coastal oligotrophic site of the Island of Majorca in the Mediterranean Sea. In situ bacterial production (BP), respiration (BR), growth efficiency, and carbon demand in relation to environmental parameters were studied over an annual cycle. In addition, the response of bacterial carbon processing