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The anti-atherosclerosis mechanisms of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitors (statins) occur via both cholesterol-dependent and cholesterol-independent mechanisms. The present study used aortic and cerebral vascular smooth muscle cells (SMC) from rat to investigate whether atorvastatin and mevastatin affect basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF)-induced SMC proliferation and th

We measured the serum levels of phylloquinone (vitamin K1) and of the menaquinones, MK-7 and MK-8, in a group of 51 women with a mean age of 81 years who were studied within a few hours after a hip fracture. A group of 38 healthy age-matched women randomly chosen from the same population served as controls. Patients with hip fracture had a marked reduction in serum vitamin K1 (336 +/- 302 versus 5

Background: According to a few case reports, kissing can induce symptoms due to food allergy. Objective: We wanted to investigate the occurrence of kiss-induced allergic symptoms and other social inconveniences among patients with self-reported food hypersensitivity. Methods: A questionnaire was answered by 1139 patients (1-84 years old, mean age 29 years, 393 males and 746 females) who considered

Protein C inhibitor (PCI) is a multifunctional serpin with wide ranging protease inhibitory functions, unique cofactor binding activities, and potential non-inhibitory functions akin to the hormone-transporting serpins. To gain insight into the molecular mechanisms utilized by PCI we developed a robust expression system in Escherichia coli and solved the crystal structure of PCI in its native stat

CD40 is a member of the tumor necrosis factor receptor super-family and has been suggested to play a role in the metabolism of beta-amyloid (Abeta) in Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, the role of CD40-signalling in incipient AD has not yet been studied. We investigated the plasma levels of soluble CD40 (sCD40) and the soluble CD40 ligand (sCD40L) at baseline in 136 subjects with mild cognitive i

The emulsification in a high pressure homogenizer was studied using a dynamic simulation model based on the population balance equation. The model includes fragmentation, recoalescence and adsorption of macromolecular emulsifier and uses a simple flow model in order to link the hydrodynamics in the homogenizer to the three physical processes mentioned above. A computer model offers an interesting

A polyphasic identification approach was used to investigate the taxonomic position of Campylobacter-like isolates recovered from barnacle geese (Branta leucopsis) and Canada geese (Branta candensis). Seven strains were selected from a collection of 21 isolates and analyzed by extensive phenotypic testing; four strains were characterized by 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis. The results clearly iden

The structural properties and thermodynamics of one- and two-component solutions of charged colloidal particles with explicit counterions have been investigated by Monte Carlo simulation. A boot-strap Poisson-Boltzmann (BSPB) theory has been developed to interpret these results and the accuracy of its predictions is compared with other existing theories. The BSPB was also used to predict the gas-l

Purpose: To study pharmacokinetics of levetiracetam (LEV) during pregnancy, delivery, lactation, and in the neonatal period. Methods: Fourteen women with epilepsy receiving LEV treatment during pregnancy and lactation contributed with 15 pregnancies to this prospective study in which LEV concentrations in plasma and breast milk were determined. Trough maternal plasma samples were collected each tr

OBJECTIVE: In heart failure, digitalis increases exercise capacity and reduces morbidity, but has no effect on survival. This raises the suspicion that the inotropic benefits of digitalis may be counteracted by serious adverse effects. Patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) were studied to clarify this. DESIGN: In the Stroke Prevention using an ORal Thrombin Inhibitor in atrial Fibrillation (SPORT

Degeneration of smooth muscle cells in the fibrous cap of atherosclerotic lesions is an important factor in plaque rupture. Recent studies have suggested that many plaque cells are in a process of apoptosis as determined by positive deoxyribonucleotide-transferase-mediated dUTP end labeling. In this study, we demonstrate the existence of a colocalization between deoxyribonucleotide-transferase-med

Background: The national programs for the harmonization of hemoglobin (Hb)A(1c) measurements in the US [National Glycohemoglobin Standardization Program (NGSP)], Japan [Japanese Diabetes Society (JDS)/Japanese Society of Clinical Chemistry (JSCC)], and Sweden are based on different designated comparison methods (DCMs). The future basis for international standardization will be the reference system

For disease-free postmenopausal women with hormone-responsive breast cancer, a risk for relapse remains following 5 years of adjuvant therapy with tamoxifen. Additional therapy with tamoxifen beyond 5 years is not indicated due to a demonstrated lack of efficacy beyond this time frame. Thus, there is a need for other endocrine therapy options in the period beyond 5 years. The third-generation arom

Sertraline and paroxetine are frequently prescribed SSRIs for long-term treatment of major depression. Nevertheless, continuous follow-ups of drug concentrations prevailing in patients during the whole treatment period are not available. Hence, in a large phase IV clinical trial, a total of 353 patients with major depression were enrolled for a 6-month comparison of sertraline (50-150 mg daily) an

The concentrations of dioxins in fish oil and fish meal were determined with accelerated solvent extraction, using a novel integrated carbon fractionation extraction cell followed by a miniturized multilayer silica column and bioanalysis on a recently-developed chemically-activated fluorescent gene expression cell bioassay. The developed method allows for simultaneous gravimetric lipid weight dete

The PDE3 enzymes or "low Kin cGMP-inhibited phosphodiesterases" have long been established as important mediators of cellular physiology, and synthetic PDE3 inhibitors have been critical to the delineation of the enzymes' roles. Yet despite decades of progress on the biology of these enzymes, the medicinal chemistry landscape relating to PDE3 inhibitors has remained essentially unchanged since the

Chemo-enzymatic epoxidation of oleic acid (OA) and its methyl ester has been performed using hydrogen peroxide and immobilized lipase from Candida antarctica (Novozym(R) 435). The purpose of the study was to characterize the reaction under solvent-free conditions. The reaction temperature had a significant impact on epoxidation of OA. At lower temperatures, the substrate conversion was hindered by

The authors show a magnetoresistive effect that appears in a lithographically shaped, three-arm nanostructure fabricated from ferromagnetic (Ga,Mn)As layers. The effect, related to a rearrangement of magnetic domain walls between different pairs of arms in the structure, is revealed as a dependence of zero-field resistance on the direction of the previously applied magnetic field. This effect coul

This study investigates whether intravitreal administration of glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) enhances survival of NeuN positive retinal cells in a porcine model of retinal ischemia. 16 pigs were subjected to an ischemic insult where intraocular pressure was maintained at 5 mmHg below mean arterial blood pressure for 2 h. The mean IOP during the ischemic insult was 79.5 mmHg (s