Background: Research about interactions between family members and staff are sparse, although family members’ needs and experiences in intensive care units are well researched areas. Aim: The aim was to describe and interpret interactions between family members and staff in intensive care units. Methods: Interviews (n=24) with family members and repeated observations of interactions of family me

A short wavelength approximation of a boundary integral operator for two-dimensional isotropic and homogeneous elastic bodies is derived from first principles starting from the Navier-Cauchy equation. Trace formulas for elastodynamics are deduced connecting the eigenfrequency spectrum of an elastic body to the set of periodic rays where mode conversion enters as a dynamical feature.

A structure determination in combination with a kinetic study of the steroid converting isozyme of horse liver alcohol dehydrogenase, SS-ADH, is presented. Kinetic parameters for the substrates, 5β-androstane-3β,17β-ol, 5β-androstane-17β-ol-3-one, ethanol, and various secondary alcohols and the corresponding ketones are compared for the SS- and EE-isozymes which differ by nine amino acid substitut

Decorin belongs to the small leucine-rich repeat proteoglycan family, interacts with fibrillar collagens, and regulates the assembly, structure, and biomechanical properties of connective tissues. The decorin-collagen type I-binding region is located in leucine-rich repeats 5–6. Site-directed mutagenesis of this 54-residue-long collagen-binding sequence identifies Arg-207 and Asp-210 in leucine-ri

Background: A reason for the digestive problems that often occur around early weaning in piglets could be that the pancreas is not yet fully developed and the enzymes required for degradation of the solid food are not secreted in enough amounts. Objectives: The aim of the study was to investigate the possibility of inducing pancreas maturation with enhanced enzyme secretion. Methods: 10-day-old su

Objective: To establish whether children with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1D) with signs of pronounced beta-cell-specific autoimmunity as reflected by high autoantibody titers or positivity for several beta-cell-specific autoantibodies show a different pattern of month of birth (MOB) compared with children with T1D and low beta-cell autoimmunity and that of the general population. Research design a

The mitochondrial permeability transition (mPT) is considered to be an important mediator of apoptosis and necrosis, and is specifically blocked by cyclosporin A (CsA). CsA has been shown to exert a potent neuroprotective action in vivo when allowed to cross the blood–brain barrier in various animal models of acute neurological insults and neurodegenerative disease. The neuroprotective effect of C

New cancer treatments should aim to destroy tumor cells without disturbing normal tissue. HAMLET (human a-lactalbumin made lethal to tumor cells) offers a new molecular approach to solving this problem, because it induces apoptosis in tumor cells but leaves normal differentiated cells unaffected. After partial unfolding and binding to oleic acid, α-lactalbumin forms the HAMLET complex, which enter

In recent decades, the dominant planning discourse has undergone a great change from a previous top-down approach towards collaborative and communicative planning. Instead of merely planning for the people in a technocratic and positivist approach, planners are increasingly expected to pay attention to the voices of the citizens. However, within this new participatory approach there is a growing p

This paper presents measured moisture diffusivities for sedimentary calcareous sandstone, lime silica bricks, bricks, and autoclaved, aerated concrete. The moisture diffusivities were calculated from the relation between the water sorption coefficients and the initial water content in the specimen before testing. The method used is based on Boltzmann transformation. The relation between the water

The influence of temperature and salt concentration on the properties of solid polymer electrolytes based on lithium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide (LiTFSI) complexed by combshaped polyethers has been studied. The combshaped polyethers consisted of styrenic backbone polymers carrying pendant poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) or poly(ethylene oxide-co-propylene oxide) (PEOPO) side chains terminated by

A wide set of biochemical and spirometrical parameters was applied to a group of 41 welders. The obtained parameters were analyzed by the pattern recognition method: principal-components analysis (PCA) and mutual contribution analysis (MCA). The aim of the investigation was to find out which of 23 parameters had an influence on the pulmonological indices of COPD. It was found that PCA gave a subst

The purpose of our study was to develop specific, sensitive, objective assays for early detection of disseminated tumour cells in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC). Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and cytokeratin 20 (CK20) were chosen as markers because they are selectively expressed in epithelial cells with maintained expression in CRC. Real-time quantitative RT-PCR assays with RNA copy standa

Although many studies have examined the effects of male size on attractiveness and mating behaviour, few have taken genetic background into consideration. Phenotypic manipulation permits the experimental adjustment of morphological traits while keeping genetic background constant. Here, male guppies, Poecilia reticulata, an ideal model for this type of manipulation, were raised at different temper

BACKGROUND: Studies suggest that the dopaminergic system is involved in the pathogenesis of major depression, Axis II disorders, and suicidal behavior. Depressed suicide attempters constitute a heterogenous group and important differences may exist between depressed suicide attempters with or without Axis II disorders. Therefore, we compared demographic and clinical parameters, and cerebrospinal f