Macroporous polyacrylamide gels (MPAAGs) with unique elastic morphology and open porous structure are prepared at subzero temperatures. The porous structure of MPAAGs consisting of large, 1 - 100 mu m-sized interconnected pores, is controlled by the freezing temperature, the content of the initiator system ( ammonium persulfate and N,N,N',N'-tetramethyl-ethylenediamine) in the initial reaction mix

To improve the well-being of adolescents with epilepsy, research is needed on how adolescents cope. In this study, Lazarus' model of stress and coping and Antonovsky's Theory of Sense of Coherence were used as the theoretical framework. The aim was to describe the lived experience of adolescents with epilepsy and their coping skills. The participants were 13-19 years old with an epilepsy diagnosis

Background: This study examined how interpersonal relationships, specifically marital quality and adequacy of social support, are associated with depressive symptoms among women. Methods: A sample of 326 female monozygotic and dizygotic twin pairs and their spouses was drawn from the Swedish Twin Registry. Associations among the three variables were evaluated by comparing similarities among monozy

Objective. Transforming growth factor 13 (TGF)3) plays a key role in the onset and resolution of autoimmune diseases and chronic inflammation. The aim of this study was to delineate the precise function of TGF beta signaling in salivary gland inflammation. Methods. We impaired TGF beta signaling in mouse salivary glands by conditionally inactivating expression of TGF beta receptor type I (TGF beta

Aqueous mixtures of hydrophobically modified hydroxyethyl cellulose (HMHEC) or unmodified hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC), with amylose (AM) or potato amylopectin (PAP), have been investigated by rheology, turbidity, and H-1 NMR measurements. It is concluded that the AM molecules cross-link HMHEC chains by forming helical inclusion complexes with the hydrophobic side chains of HMHEC, leading to therm

The role of sphingosine kinase (SphK) on basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF)-induced proliferation of cerebral, aortic and coronary smooth muscle cells (SMC) was addressed using D-erythro-N,N-dimethylsphingosine (DMS), an inhibitor of SphK which blocks conversion of sphingosine to sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P). DMS concentration-dependently reduced the bFGF-induced proliferation of rat cerebral

BACKGROUND: Global haemostatic tests are often abnormal in critically ill patients, secondary to activation or consumption of coagulation factors or inhibitors. Methods for analysing plasma levels of these factors are, however, not widely available, and the predictive value of global tests is not known. We examined the clinical applicability to predict the outcome of the global haemostatic tests u

The one-photon absorption (OPA) properties of donor-pi-bridge-acceptor-pi-bridge-donor (D-pi-A-pi-D)-type 2,1,3-benzothiadiazoles (BTD) were studied with two dimensional (2D) site and three dimensional (3D) cube representations. The 2D site representation reveals the electron-hole coherence on electronic state transitions from the ground state. The 3D representation shows the orientation of transi

The extent of ice, thickness and dynamics of the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) ice sheets in the Antarctic Peninsula region, as well as the pattern of subsequent deglaciation and climate development, are not well constrained in time and space. During the LGM, ice thickened considerably and expanded towards the middle-outer submarine shelves around the Antarctic Peninsula. Deglaciation was slow, occur

Using an 11-year panel of 156 Norwegian and Swedish patients with severe haemophilia, and including retrospective case-book data from birth, we compared the differences in the haemophilia-related resource use between on-demand and prophylactic treatment. Patients treated on-demand had more surgery (arthrodeses, prostheses implantations and synovectomies) and more days lost from work. Median annual

Background Stent implantation is an effective method for treatment of atherosclerotic disease. Factors predisposing to in-stent restenosis are still largely unknown. Contact allergy to metal ions eluted from the stent has been suggested to be a risk factor. Objectives To explore whether there is a possible induction of contact allergy to metals used in stents among patients with a stainless steel

Oocytes obtained from 85 women undergoing IVF/intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) treatment were randomly selected for culture in media containing either human serum albumin (HSA), (n = 42) or recombinant human albumin (rHA), (n = 43). At the time of transfer, the two embryos with the overall best morphology were selected on day 2, 3 or 5. Comparable rates of fertilization, cleavage, blastocys

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.

Recent findings in adult rodents have provided evidence for the formation of new striatal neurons from subventricular zone (SVZ) precursors following stroke. Little is known about which factors determine the magnitude of striatal neurogenesis in the damaged brain. Here we studied striatal neurogenesis following an excitotoxic lesion to the adult rat striatum induced by intrastriatal quinolinic aci

A growing body of evidence points out the potential role of inflammatory mechanisms in the pathophysiology of brain damage in dementia. In previous studies, we have demonstrated intrathecal production of the proinflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor (TNF)alpha in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). The aim of the present study was to investigate the downstream products of TNF-alpha expres

BACKGROUND: Cervico-isthmic pregnancy is a rare occurrence and until the use of current ultrasonographic techniques was associated with a disastrous outcome for women desiring to maintain their fertility. CASE REPORT: A 39-year-old woman was diagnosed at 12 weeks of amenorrhoea with an intra-uterine non-viable pregnancy and a low implantation of the gestational sac. Medical management of this situ

Sugarcane bagasse is a potential lignocellulosic feedstock for ethanol production, since it is cheap, readily available, and has a high carbohydrate content. In this work, bagasse was subjected to steam explosion pretreatment with different impregnation conditions. Three parallel pretreatments were carried out, one without any impregnation, a second with sulfur dioxide, and a third with sulfuric a