A description of mesoscopic fluctuations of the pairing gap in finite-sized quantum systems based on periodic orbit theory is presented. The size of the fluctuations are found to depend on quite general properties. We distinguish between systems where corresponding classical motion is regular or chaotic, and describe in detail fluctuations of the BCS gap as a function of the size of the system. Th

Bird flight occurs over a range of Reynolds numbers (Re; 104Re105, where Re is a measure of the relative importance of inertia and viscosity) that includes regimes where standard aerofoil performance is difficult to predict, compute or measure, with large performance jumps in response to small changes in geometry or environmental conditions. A comparison of measurements of fixed wing performance a

A theoretical analysis of the microdialysis ethanol technique in skeletal muscle is presented, and a model governing the transport of ethanol from the microdialysis probe to the capillaries in the muscle tissue is proposed. The model is derived under the assumption of a steady-state situation, and an analytical solution is found for the outflow-to-inflow ratio of ethanol in the perfusate. Theoreti

ZnWO4, ZnWO4 : Fe and ZnWO4 : Mo crystals were investigated by the methods of time-resolved spectroscopy in the temperature range of 4.2-300 K. It is shown that the Mo and Fe impurities significantly reduce the light yield of ZnWO4. The main 2.5 eV emission of ZnWO4 and the 1.77 eV emission band of ZnWO4 : Mo are shown to originate from the triplet excited state of the WO6 and MoO6 complex, respec

Scattered vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP)-immunoreactive nerves were found in the striated muscle of the hind limb of the cat, where they usually were associated with small blood vessels. VIP-immunoreactive nerves were also demonstrated in the sciatic nerve; after ligation an abundance of intensely immunoreactive VIP fibres were seen proximal to the ligation. Intraarterial infusion of VIP

Pressure changes were registered with videomanometry (simultaneous manometry and barium swallow) in the pharynx and in the pharyngoesophageal segment (PES) during swallowing. A considerable longitudinal asymmetry was found. Peak pressure was highest in the PES, lower in the inferior constrictor area, and lowest at the level of the tongue base. The rate of pressure rise was highest at the level of

Binding of the class II PapG adhesin, found at the tip of filamentous pili on Escherichia coli, to the carbohydrate moiety of globoseries glycolipids in the human kidney is a key step in development of pyelonephritis, a severe form of urinary tract infection. An assay based on surface plasmon resonance for quantification of the binding of the class II PapG adhesin to oligosaccharides has been deve

Mismatch negativity (MMN) is a negative component of auditory event-related potential (ERP), reflecting the brain's automatic change detection process. In the present study we investigated the development of the pitch change detection, as indexed by the MMN, in the same infants from birth until 12 months of age. The MMN was identified in approximately 75% of infants at each age, being relatively s

According to an influential tradition in value analysis, to be valuable is to be a fitting object of a pro-attitude. If it is fitting to favor an object for its own sake, then, on this view, the object has final value, that is, it is valuable for its own sake. If it is fitting to have a pro-attitude toward an object for the sake of its effects, then its value is instrumental. And so on. Disvalue i

Multiangle light scattering (MALS) is a well-established technique used to determine the size of macromolecules and particles. In this study, different extrapolation procedures used in MALS were investigated with regard to accuracy and robustness in the obtained molar mass and rms radius. Three different mathematical transformations of the light scattering function referred to as the Debye, Zimm,

Objective. Type 11 collagen (01) is a candidate autoantigen implicated in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Posttranslational glycosylation of CII could alter intracellular antigen processing, leading to the development of autoimmune T cell responses. To address this possibility, we studied the intracellular processing of CII for presentation of the arthritogenic glycosylated epitope

Background. Topical negative pressure (TNP) therapy has been adopted as a first-line treatment for wound healing. One of the mechanisms by which TNP improves healing is by stimulating blood flow to the wound edge. Among patients with ischemic heart disease, it is of great importance to improve the microvascular blood flow in the myocardium during episodes of ischemia to protect the myocardium from

Background: Dendritic cells (DCs) are central in allergy as regulators of the Th1/Th2 balance. We have recently demonstrated a unique transcriptional profile of DCs in patients with ongoing allergy compared with healthy subjects and shown that crosstalk between DCs and memory T cells affects the transcriptional profile of T cells. However, the transcriptional profile of DCs educated by T cells in

he voluminous tax competition literature suggests that increased economic integration leads to reduced tax rates and suboptimal levels of government spending as countries compete for mobile factors of production. Integration may influence not only the size of the government but also the structure of public spending. Comprehensive studies analyzing the effect of integration on the overall structure

From an extract of the stem bark of Xymalos monospora, a bis-benzylisoquinoline alkaloid (1), three benzylisoquinoline alkaloids (mollinedine, 1-(p-methoxybenzyl)-6,7-methylenedioxyisoquino-line, doryafranine), and an aporphine alkaloid (N-methyllaurotetanine) were isolated. These compounds were tested for growth inhibitory activity against bloodstream forms of three strains of African trypanosome

Needle stimulation (acupuncture) has recently been shown to increase blood flow in the tibialis anterior muscle and overlying skin in healthy subjects (HS) and patients with fibromyalgia (FM). The aim of the present study was to examine the effect of needle stimulation on local blood flow in the trapezius muscle and overlying skin in HS and two groups of patients suffering from chronic pain in the

We report on adaptive feedback control of photoinduced barrierless isomerization of 1,1'-diethyl-2,2'-cyanine in solution. We compare the effect of different fitness parameters and show that optimal control of the absolute yield of isomerization (photoisomer concentration versus excitation photons) can be achieved, while the relative isomerization yield (photoisomer concentration versus number of

In attempting to restore the chronic phase (CP) of chronic myelogenous leukaemia (CML), the Swedish CML group utilized an intensive chemotherapy protocol for 83 patients (aged 16-79 years) in accelerated (AP, n = 22) or blastic phase (BC, n = 61). Most patients received a combination of mitoxantrone (12 mg/m(2) /d) and etoposide (100 mg/m(2) /d) together with cytosine arabinoside (1 g/m(2) b.i.d)

Background A previously reported randomized clinical trial showed treatment of Bowen's disease using photodynamic therapy (PDT) with topically applied delta -aminolaevulinic acid (ALA) to be at least as effective as cryosurgery and to be associated with fewer adverse effects. Objectives To compare ALA-PDT and cryotherapy in the treatment of histopathologically verified basal cell carcinomas (BCCs)