The interaction of DNA with amino-functionalized polystyrene particles has been studied by using a dynamic light scattering (DLS) technique. In 10 mM NaBr solution the particles have a hydrodynamic radius of 76 nm and the DNA macromolecule investigated (double stranded) has a hydrodynamic radius of 107 nm. At very low DNA concentrations, DNA adopts a flat conformation on the particle surface. If t

Delayed gadolinium-enhanced MRI of cartilage (dGEMRIC) is a new imaging technique to estimate joint cartilage glycosaminoglycan content by T1-relaxation time measurements after penetration of the hydrophilic contrast agent Gd-DTPA2-. This study compares dGEMRIC in age-matched healthy volunteers with different levels of physical activity: Group 1 (n = 12): nonexercising individuals; Group 2 (n = 16

Characterization of the count-rate performance of scintillation cameras should include not only the specification of count losses. At high count rates, there is also an image distortion due to the mispositioning of pile-up events. In this paper a simple and clinically relevant procedure to quantify this distortion is presented. The images of a square uniform technetium-99m phantom at high and low

OBJECTIVE: Several studies have shown that plasma total homocysteine (tHcy) concentration is elevated in Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, it is not clear whether elevated plasma tHcy is a primary cause or a consequence of AD. METHOD: To elucidate this question, we have analysed plasma homocysteine and its determinants in patients with early (EOAD)- and late-onset AD (LOAD) and compared the findi

A method for modelling reflectionless conductive dispersive media is presented. The media are either half-spaces or finite dispersive slabs with a spatially varying impedance. The problem of finding reflectionless media for plane waves at normal incidence is formulated as an inverse problem where the constitutive relation is to be determined as a function of depth given a reflection kernel which i

Culture of intact arteries is a frequently employed experimental model for investigating the mechanisms governing the regulation of vascular endothelin receptors. Endothelin type A (ETA) and type B (ETB) receptors on vascular smooth muscle cells are up-regulated in organ culture and the enhanced vasoconstriction mimics the changes that occur in cardiovascular disease. The effect of organ culture o

Regional levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor protein were measured in the rat brain using enzyme immunoassay following seizures evoked by hippocampal kindling stimulations. One stimulation, which induced a brief, single episode of epileptiform activity in hippocampus and piriform cortex but not in parietal cortex or striatum, gave rise to a transient increase of brain-derived neurotrophic

Objective. Infliximab, an anti-tumor necrosis factor alpha (anti-TNF alpha) antibody, is effective in the treatment of several immunoinflammatory diseases. However, many patients experience primary or secondary response failure, suggesting that individualization of treatment regimens may be beneficial. This study was undertaken to investigate whether serologic monitoring of infliximab bioavailabil

Objectives: The antibacterial activity of antimicrobial peptides is influenced by various factors such as salt content, pH and the presence of proteins. In this study, we explored the antibacterial action of the human cathelicidin LL-37 in physiologically relevant conditions, i.e. various human wound fluids, human plasma fractions and serum. Methods: Radial diffusion assays using Staphylococcus au

The hottest developments in the fields of cancer research, neuroscience, genomics and proteomics, anti-virals and more, with a pick of the key research papers in these areas.

Purpose – This paper seeks to investigate the role of leadership styles in the implementation of evidence-based treatment methods (EBP) for drug abuse and criminal behaviour. Design/methodology/approach – The paper employs a triangulation approach through mail questionnaires to 112 treatment personnel (49 per cent response rate), interviews with 65 employees and managers, observations and feedbac

Objectives: The purpose of the study is to quantitatively analyze the role of health insurance in the determinants of catastrophic health payments in a low-income country setting. Methods: The study uses the most recent publicly available household level data from Zambia collected in 1998 containing detailed information on health care utilization and spending and on other key individual, household

Evidence for the importance of genetic factors in male fertility is accumulating. In the literature and the Mendelian Cytogenetics Network database, 265 cases of infertile males with balanced reciprocal translocations have been described. The candidacy for infertility of 14 testis-expressed transcripts (TETs) were examined by comparing their chromosomal mapping position to the position of balanced

Objective: The aim of this study was to increase the understanding of stroke survivors' thoughts and experiences from returning to work after stroke. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were carried out with twelve persons, based on a thematic interview guide. A qualitative content analyse were performed. Results: The main theme; was Striving for optimal function at work creates mixed feelings of