Curcumin has been shown to inhibit cell growth and induce apoptosis in colon cancer cells. The metabolism of sphingomyelin has implications in the development of colon cancer. We examined whether curcumin affects the enzymes that hydrolyse sphingomyelin in Caco-2 cells. The cells were cultured in both monolayer and polarized conditions and stimulated with curcumin. The activities of sphingomyelina

Background. Microembolism during cardiopulmonary bypass has been suggested as being the predominant cause of neurocognitive disorders after cardiac surgery. Shed blood, normally retransfused into the patient during cardiopulmonary bypass, is a major source of lipid microemboli in the brain capillaries. A newly developed technique based on acoustic standing-wave separation of particles in fluid in

A condensed shale from the middle Silurian of Gotland (Sweden) is herein described with regard to its biotic and environmental significance. The fauna is characterised by an overall low diversity and anomalous abundance patterns, notably a mass-occurrence of scolecodonts. Other elements include abundant chitinozoans, dendroid and graptoloid graptolites, conodonts, eurypterids, and the brachiopod L

Biochemical and morphological differentiation in reaggregating mouse-brain cell cultures after low-dose radiation (0.5 Gy) in vitro was studied. Cells were irradiated on culture day 2, corresponding to embryonic day 15-16, and different glial and neuronal markers were followed through development to postnatal day 40. The shape and size of irradiated aggregates were more irregular and smaller compa

Binding of adenosine to the thermosensitive copolymer of N-isopropylacrylamide and 3-(acrylamido)aminophenylboronic acid (82:18, m ($) over bar (n)=47000 g center dot mol(-1)) was studied by equilibrium dialysis at 22 degrees C and 37 degrees C, in a 0.1 m glycine buffer containing 0.1 m NaCl at pH 9.2. The copolymer exhibited a the phase transition temperature (T-p) of 26.5 degrees C under the ab

Using human peripheral blood CD14(+) osteoclast precursors, we show that testosterone directly inhibits osteoclast formation and bone resorption at physiological concentrations. Instead, estrogen has no direct effects, whereas its action seems to be mediated through osteoblasts by producing osteoprotegerin. Both estrogen and testosterone acts through their cognate receptors.

There is no generally accepted standard chemotherapy in treatment of advanced and recurrent endometrial carcinoma. Cisplatin and doxorubicin with or without cyclophosphamide are widely used. Response rates have improved with combination chemotherapy compared with single-agent therapy. A platinum analog seems to be an important part of the chemotherapy regimen. Since few patients are cured from the

The current article deals with the problem of distinguishing between relapse and reinfection of genital chlamydial infections due to the chronic character of such infections. The problem of detecting and treating chlamydial pelvic inflammatory disease is considered. Factors that may affect the clinical presentation of such infections, such as hormonal therapy, are also highlighted. Observations on

The purpose of this study was to investigate the combustion characteristics of soot deposits from diesel-powered engines. The soot deposits were collected in the exhaust stream from diesel engines at Volvo Truck Corporation in Gothenburg, Sweden. The combustion experiments were performed in a flow reactor in the presence of 2–10% O2 and 0 or 7% H2O. The temperature was increased at a rate of 10°C/

A miniaturized supported liquid membrane device has been developed for sample preparation and connected on-line to a packed capillary liquid chromatograph. The device consists of hydrophobic polypropylene hollow fiber, inserted and fastened in a cylindrical channel in a Kel-F piece. The pores of the fiber are filled with an organic solvent, in this study 6-undecanone, thus forming a liquid membran

Estimates of species extinction risk under climate change are generally based on differences in present and future climatically suitable areas. However, the locations of potentially suitable future environments (affecting establishment success), and the degree of climatic suitability in already occupied and new locations (affecting population viability) may be equally important determinants of ris

The "Coordination Action" ProDaC (Proteomics Data Collection) - funded by the EU within the 6(th) framework programme - was created to support the dissemination, utilization and publication of proteomics data. Within this international consortium, standards are developed and maintained to support extensive data collection by the proteomics community. An important part of ProDaC are workshops organ

Plastic wave propagation is studied during progressive plastic buckling of elastic viscoplastic slabs. The numerical results of the buckling behaviour are studied using two recent approaches for monitoring the plastic wave propagation. One method is a direct geometrical monitoring of the waves using a sequence of smooth approximations (geo-plot). The other method is a contour plot method (q-plot)

An examination of speech articulator movement used a video-based system for tracking & recording movement in three dimensions - the MacReflex(R). The system is noninvasive with no hazardous radiation or electromagnetic field, & no wires to impede movement. The facility is currently used at the Depts of Clinical Neurophysiology & Clinical Oral Physiology, U of Umea, to study strategies

Parks, remnants of natural habitats and other green areas are important for preserving biodiversity in urban areas. Here, we investigate the relative importance of habitat type and connectivity for butterfly species richness in the city of Malmo, Sweden. Further, we compare species richness and composition in the urban habitats with that in the surrounding agricultural landscape using previously p

To study the associations between intake of various types of fat and risk of prostate cancer (PCa) in a population-based cohort. We have studied 10,564 initially cancer-free men of the Malmo Diet and Cancer cohort, aged 45-73 years. Diet was assessed by a modified diet history method. Cases and clinical characteristics were ascertained via national and regional registry data. During a mean follow-

rECH1, a recently identified rat cDNA (FitzPatrick, D. R., Germain-Lee, E., and Valle, D. (1995) Genomics 27, 457-466) encodes a polypeptide belonging to the hydratase/isomerase superfamily, We modeled the structure of rECH1 based on rat mitochondrial 2-enoyl-CoA hydratase 1, The model predicts that rECH1p has the hydratase fold in the core domain and two domains for interaction with other subunit