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The present communication highlights aspects on the aetiology, diagnosis and therapy of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and some allied infections in which sexual transmission is regarded as possible. The aetiology of many genital infections is still unknown or rather, an aetiological relationship between a given agent and a clinical manifestation is in some infections still debated. The pa

The addition of serotonin to preparations of 32P-labelled human platelets resulted in a time- and dose-dependent hydrolysis of [32P]phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2) and formation of [32P]phosphatidic acid (PA). This response was inhibited by the serotonin2 receptor antagonist ritanserin, indicating that the stimulation was mediated via the serotonin2 receptor. The addition of 50-150 mM

The human brm (hbrm) protein (homologue of the Drosophila melanogaster brahma and Saccharomyces cervisiae SNF-2 proteins) is part of a polypeptide complex believed to regulate chromatin conformation. We have shown that the hbrm protein is cleaved in NB4 leukemic cells after induction of apoptosis by UV-irradiation, DNA damaging agents, or staurosporine. Because hbrm is found only in the nucleus, w

alpha-Dystroglycan is a highly glycosylated peripheral protein forming a complex with the membrane-spanning beta-dystroglycan and establishing a connection between the extracellular matrix and the cytoskeleton. In skeletal muscle, as part of the larger dystrophin-glycoprotein complex, dystroglycan is believed to be essential for maintaining the structural and functional stability of muscle fibers.

BACKGROUND: The role of long-acting, inhaled beta2-agonists in treating asthma is uncertain. In a double-blind study, we evaluated the effects of adding inhaled formoterol to both lower and higher doses of the inhaled glucocorticoid budesonide. METHODS: After a four-week run-in period of treatment with budesonide (800 microg twice daily), 852 patients being treated with glucocorticoids were random

We investigated patterns of isozyme variation and the hierarchic structure of genetic diversity in 25 Scandinavian populations of the lilioid herb, Anthericum liliago. Isozyme data suggest that tetraploid A. liliago has an allopolyploid origin and that A. ramosum may be one of its diploid progenitors. Two populations contained known or suspected hybrids between A. liliago and A. ramosum. Isozymes

This study compares the vasodilating effect of endothelium-derived relaxing factors (EDRFs) in free arterial grafts with that in their normal control vessels. The infrarenal aorta of Sprague-Dawley rats was transplanted into the same position in other inbred recipient rats. A Krebs buffer solution (4 degrees C) served as the preservation solution. The ischemic time for the grafts (n = 8) was 42 +/

Recent controversy about the role of populated intermediates in protein folding emphasizes the need to better characterize other events on the folding pathway. A complication is that these involve high-energy states which are difficult to target experimentally since they do not accumulate kinetically. Here, we explore the energetics of high-energy states and map out the shape of the free-energy pr

It was long held as an axiom that new neurons are not produced in the adult human brain. More recent studies have identified multipotent cells whose progeny express glial or neuronal markers. This discovery may lead to new therapeutic strategies for CNS disorders, either by stimulating neurogenesis in vivo or by transplanting multipotent progenitor cells (MPCs) that have been propagated and differ

The name 'Acinetobacter venetianus' has been used previously to designate three marine hydrocarbon-degrading Acinetobacter strains, of which strain RAG-1 (=ATCC 31012) has industrial applications for the production of the bioemulsifier emulsan. However, to date, the name of this taxon has not been validly published. In this study, five strains were examined to corroborate the delineation of this t

The receptor tyrosine kinase c-Kit plays a critical role in hematopoiesis and gain-of-function mutations of the receptor are frequently seen in several malignancies, including acute myeloid leukemia (AML), gastrointestinal stromal tumors and testicular carcinoma. The most common mutation of c-Kit in these disorders is a substitution of the aspartic acid residue in position 816 to a valine (D816V),

OBJECTIVE: To explore the hypothesis of an association between current wheeze and other health problems in adolescence and to investigate any sex differences. METHODS: N=8817 adolescents aged 13-19 years completed a self-administered questionnaire including questions on health and lifestyle in Norway (1995-1997). RESULTS: All subjective health problems were significantly more prevalent in current

Lead (Pb) is one of the most important models for biomonitoring of exposure, with the blood Pb concentration as a predominant choice in practice and in epidemiology. In this article the alternatives for biomarkers to blood are reviewed. This overview focuses on a number of different qualities that are of importance in the evaluation of a biomarker's usefulness and performance. The qualities scruti

In this paper, we study the mechanical degradation and changes in conformation of a branched ultrahigh molar mass biomacromolecule, hydrophobically modified starch, as caused by high-pressure homogenization. The characterization was performed with asymmetrical flow field-flow fractionation (AsFlFFF) with multiangle light scattering (MALS) and refractive index detection. The starch which had been c

Participants in an international conference on the management of haemophilia patients with inhibitors developed a jointly authored summary of the findings and conclusions of the conference. Current knowledge of the genetic and immunologic mechanisms underlying inhibitor development was briefly summarized. Concerning the purported treatment-related risk factors, conference participants commented on

Remains of late Campanian and earliest Maastrichtian mosasaurs from southern Sweden are illustrated and briefly described. Plioplatecarpus sp. and Prognathodon sp. have been identified from strata of middle late Campanian age, while earliest Maastrichtian deposits contain remains of Mosasaurus cf. lemonnieri and Plioplatecarpus cf. primaevus. Available data suggest that the mosasaur group increase

Hepatitis G virus (HGV) infection is more common than hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and is frequently found in healthy individuals. Although parenteral spread of HGV is well recognized, other routes of transmission probably occur as well. In a prospective study of mother-to-infant transmission of hepatitis viruses, 69 pregnant women with antibodies to HCV and their 81 newborn children were inc