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The degradation of extracellular matrix during cancer invasion results from the action of several protease and protease inhibitor systems. alpha(1)-Antitrypsin (AAT) is a serine proteinase inhibitor produced by various tumour cells, and its plasma concentration rises during inflammation, infection and malignant diseases. AAT is found in a native, inhibitory active form, but also in other, non-inhi

Various techniques are available for the conversion of lignocellulosics to fuel ethanol. During the last decade processes based on enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose have been investigated more extensively, showing good yield on both hardwood and softwood. The cellulase production of a filamentous fungi, Trichoderma reesei Rut C 30, was examined on carbon sources obtained after steam pretreatment o

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to validate the use of whole-blood samples in the determination of circulating forms of prostate-specific antigen (PSA). METHODS: Blood samples of hospitalized prostate cancer and benign prostatic hyperplasia patients were collected and processed to generate whole-blood and serum samples. Three different rapid two-site immunoassays were developed to measur

The purpose of this study was to assess the value of the ventilation study in the diagnosis of acute pulmonary embolism using a new automated method. Either perfusion scintigrams alone or two different combinations of ventilation/perfusion scintigrams were used as the only source of information regarding pulmonary embolism. A completely automated method based on computerised image processing and a

We discuss problems related to in silico studies of enzymes and show that accurate and converged free energy changes for complex chemical reactions can be computed if a method based on a thermodynamic cycle is employed. The method combines the sampling speed of molecular mechanics with the accuracy of a high-level quantum mechanics method. We use the method to compute the free energy barrier for a

The free energy of nonionic balanced microemulsions based on nonionic surfactants are analyzed using experimental data from (i) phase behavior, (ii) osmotic compressibility of the balanced microemulsion structure, which is obtained from small angle neutron scattering (SANS) experiments, and (iii) data on interfacial tensions obtained by T. Sottmann and R. Strey [J. Chem. Phys. 106 8606 (1997)]. Th

BACKGROUND: Traditionally oocytes have been exposed to sperm overnight, for 16-20 h. This long period of co-incubation, however, has been shown to create problems with high levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which may affect embryo viability and cause hardening of the zona pellucida. Recently, a positive effect of reducing the co-incubation time to 90-120 min was reported. The objective of t

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the leptin and TNF systems in relation to testosterone in insulin resistant myotonic dystrophy (DM1) subjects. DESIGN AND SUBJECTS: Fasting morning samples and diurnal sampling during 24 h. Forty-two DM1 subjects (20 women and 22 men; age 41.5 (28.5-58.7)y, body mass index (BMI) 23.3 (18.6-29.2)kg/m(2); median and 10th and 90th percentile, respectively). Fifty healthy vol

Advances in human islet transplant techniques are hampered by the inability to assess the quality of isolated islets. A flow culture system was developed to perifuse isolated pancreatic islets or cultured beta-cell lines in order to continuously and noninvasively assess cell function and viability with high kinetic resolution. Continuous perifusion of large amounts of islet tissue as isolated from

Abstract is not available

OBJECTIVE: Hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL) is a key enzyme in the mobilization of fatty acids from triglyceride stores in adipocytes. The aim of the present study was to investigate the role of the HSL gene promoter variant C-60G, a polymorphism which previously has been associated with reduced promoter activity in vitro, in obesity and type 2 diabetes. DESIGN: We genotyped two materials consisting

The effects of the Ca2+ sensitizer levosimendan and that of its stereoisomer dextrosimendan on the cardiac contractile apparatus were studied using skinned fibers obtained from guinea pig hearts. Levosimendan was found to be more effective than dextrosimendan in this model. The respective concentrations of levosimendan and dextrosimendan at EC50 were 0.3 and 3 muM. In order to explain the differen

BACKGROUND: The breaking strength of colonic anastomoses declines after operation to a minimum at days 3-4, with a subsequent risk of anastomotic dehiscence. The mechanism is thought to be collagen degradation by matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). This study examined the pathogenic role of MMPs on the mechanical strength of colonic anastomoses by giving the synthetic broad-spectrum MMP inhibitor BB

Background: A quantitative description of bleeding symptoms in type 1 von Willebrand disease (VWD) has never been reported. Objectives: The aim was to quantitatively evaluate the severity of bleeding symptoms in type 1 VWD and its correlation with clinical and laboratory features. Patients and methods: Bleeding symptoms were retrospectively recorded in a European cohort of VWD type 1 families, and

A subset of poorly differentiated carcinomas is characterized by the translocation t(15;19)(q13;p13), resulting in a BRD4/NUT fusion gene. Typically, this tumor affects children or young adults, with a predilection for midline head and neck or thoracic structures. The clinical course is invariably fatal, in spite of intensive chemotherapy and radiotherapy. We here present the successful treatment

The smaller the features on the stamp the more important are the interactions between stamp and polymer layer. A stamp rich in small structures will effectively show a surface area enlargement, which generally leads to adhesion of the polymer to the stamp. This makes a subsequent imprint impossible without troublesome and time-consuming cleaning. The anti-adhesion properties of Si- or SiO2-based s

OBJECTIVE: To describe the rate of perinatal transmission of hepatitis C virus (HCV). DESIGN: Follow-up study of newborn children of mothers with chronic HCV infection. SETTING: A university hospital in Sweden. PARTICIPANTS: Fourteen women with chronic HCV infection and their 21 newly born children. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Detection of HCV RNA in serum by the polymerase chain reaction and detection

Ripple-laminated sandy deposits at shallow water depths in four rivers on Jameson Land, East Greenland were sampled for optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating. Silt-sized grains have significantly higher equivalent doses (similar to 1.1 Gy) than sand grains (similar to 0.1 Gy). This suggests that coarse grain-size fractions are better bleached and more suitable than fine grains for OSL dat

Transforming growth factor-beta(1) (TGF-beta(1)) induces alpha-smooth muscle actin (alpha-SMA) and collagen synthesis in fibroblast both in vivo and in vitro and plays a significant role in tissue repair and the development of fibrosis. During these processes the fibroblasts differentiate into activated fibroblasts (so called myofibroblasts), characterized by increased alpha-SMA expression. Becaus