Abstract Phagocytosis and killing of microorganisms are complex processes that involve tightly regulated membrane traffic events. Because many signaling molecules associate with membrane rafts and because these structures can be found on azurophilic granules, we decided to investigate raft recruitment and the signaling requirements for azurophilic granule secretion during phagosome maturation. At

PURPOSE From 1995 to 2003, 603 adult patients from Sweden and Norway with metastatic testicular nonseminomatous germ cell tumor (NSGCT) were included prospectively in a population-based protocol with strict guidelines for staging, treatment, and follow-up. Patients with extragonadal primary tumor or previous treatment for contralateral testicular tumor were excluded. The basic strategy was to indi

Circulating tumor cells (CTC) are shed in peripheral blood at advanced metastatic stages of solid cancers. Surface-marker-based detection of CTC predicts recurrence and survival in colorectal, breast, and prostate cancer. However, scarcity and variation in size, morphology, expression profile, and antigen exposure impairs reliable detection and characterization of CTC. We have developed a nonconta

BACKGROUND: The medical programme at Lund University, Sweden, has undergone curricular reform over several stages, which is still ongoing. Students have been somewhat negative in their evaluations of the education during this time. AIM: To find out how the students perceived the educational climate using the Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure (DREEM), and to compare the findings taken at t

BACKGROUND: As cardiovascular disease (CVD) is one of the most common causes of mortality worldwide, much interest has been focused on reliable methods to predict cardiovascular risk. DESIGN: A cross-sectional, population-based screening study with 17-year follow-up in Southern Sweden. METHODS: We compared a non-laboratory, consultation-based risk assessment method comprising age, sex, present smo

Carotenoids are involved in a variety of biological functions, yet the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood, in part because of the long-standing difficulty in assigning the location of the first excited (S-1) state. Here, we present a method for determining the energy of the forbidden S-1 state, on the basis of ultrafast spectroscopy of the short lived level. Femtosecond transient absorpti

BACKGROUND: The optimal management of a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) of the knee is unknown. METHODS: We conducted a randomized, controlled trial involving 121 young, active adults with acute ACL injury in which we compared two strategies: structured rehabilitation plus early ACL reconstruction and structured rehabilitation with the option of later ACL reconstruction if needed. The primar

Bifidobacterium breve 46, Bifidobacteriumlactis 8:8 and Bifidobacteriumlongum 6:18 and three reference strains B. breve CCUG 24611, B. lactis JCM 10602, and Bifidobacteriumpseudocatenulatum JCM 1200 were examined for acid and bile tolerance, prebiotic utilization and antimicrobial activity against four Clostridium difficile (CD) strains including the hypervirulent strain, PCR ribotype NAP1/027. B.

The molecular and electronic surface structure of a triarylamine based hole-conductor (HC) molecule evaporated onto rutile TiO2(110) single crystal is investigated by means of synchrotron light based photoelectron spectroscopy and x-ray absorption spectroscopy in combination with calculations based on density functional theory. Different amounts of the HC molecule was evaporated spanning the monol

IgG antibodies against Clostridium difficile toxins A and B were followed in controls and patients with an initial C. difficile infection (CDI). Of the 50 CDI patients, 38 were cured and 12 developed recurrence. Compared to controls, patients had significantly lower anti-toxin A and B IgGs at inclusion, but the subsequent levels rose slightly regardless of clinical outcome. The results imply that

Embryogenesis of the retina is a complex event orchestrated by a multitude of physical and biochemical signals. To study the impact of intrinsic developmental cues, the retinal tissue can be isolated in culture which also enables modulation of normal development for other purposes, i.e. transplantation of specific neuronal cell types. In the present experiment, cell type development of immature po

Moraxella catarrhalis is a human-restricted commensal that over the last two decades has developed into an emerging respiratory tract pathogen. The bacterial species is equipped with various adhesins to facilitate its colonization. Successful evasion of the human immune system is a prerequisite for Moraxella infection. This strategy involves induction of an excessive proinflammatory response, inte

In this study we retrieved the spatial distribution of mid-afternoon clouds under various synoptic regimes across the Iberian Peninsula and the Balearic Islands for the warm/convective-season, from May to October. Accurate daily cloud masks were derived by applying a daytime over land multispectral convective cloud detection algorithm spanning 15 years (1997–2011) of Advanced Very High Resolution

The remarkable advancements in basic stem cell research with implications for several central nervous system disorders have so far not been translated into clinically effective therapies. Here I discuss some of the underlying problems and how they could be overcome.

OBJECTIVE:: Emerging evidence suggests that women with vasomotor menopausal symptoms (VMS) may have an adverse cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk profile. We investigated whether VMS are related to an increased risk of future coronary heart disease (CHD) and whether possible associations can be explained by CVD risk factors. METHODS:: Data used were from a Dutch and Swedish population-based sample

Vascular smooth muscle cells (SMC) endothelin type B (ET(B)) receptor upregulation results in strong vasoconstriction and reduction of local blood flow. We hypothesizes that the underlying molecular mechanisms involve transcriptional factor nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) pathway. ET(B) receptor upregulation and activation of NF-kappaB were studied at functional contraction (in vitro myograph),