Atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome (aHUS) is a disorder characterized by hemolytic anemia, thrombocytopenia, and acute renal failure. Mutations, polymorphisms, and copy number variation in complement factors and inhibitors are associated with aHUS. In this study, we report the first functional non-synonymous polymorphism in the complement inhibitor C4b-binding protein (C4BP) alpha-chain (c.719G>A;

1986 antog den Kinesiska Folkrepubliken an avtalslag tillämplig på externa handelsförbindelser. Lagen var ett viktigt steg i kinas normalisering efter en synnerligen turbulent period. För en återkommande besökare framstår dock tendenserna som tydliga. Övergången från ett hårt centralstyrt samhälle till en modernisering av ekonomi och samhällsliv är tydliga. Reformeringstakten är hög. Mot bakgrund

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Hip dislocation after arthroplasty for femoral neck fractures remains a serious complication. The aim of our study was to investigate the dislocation rate in acute femoral neck fracture patients operated with a posterior approach with cemented conventional or dual articulation acetabular components. METHODS: We compared the dislocation rate in 56 consecutive patients operated

The European Union (EU) has laid down very clear objectives for the reduction of greenhouse gases in the hope that it will prevent or mitigate climate change. Political incentives are used to make the power industry adopt changes in order to reach these EU targets. In this thesis, some solutions that could help power companies meet the EU objectives are evaluated. Thermodynamic models have been de

Laminin-211 is a cell-adhesion molecule that is strongly expressed in the basement membrane of skeletal muscle. By binding to the cell surface receptors dystroglycan and integrin α7β1, laminin-211 is believed to protect the muscle fiber from damage under the constant stress of contractions, and to influence signal transmission events. The importance of laminin-211 in skeletal muscle is evident fro

In both open and private communication the participants face potential threats from a malicious enemy who has access to the communication channel and can insert messages (impersonation attack) or alter already transmitted messages (substitution attack). Authentication codes (A-codes) have been developed to provide protection against these threats. In this paper we introduce a new distance, called

We examined the transcriptional expression and functional effects of receptors for the extracellular pyrimidines uridine triphosphate (UTP) and uridine diphosphate (UDP), on insulin and glucagon secretion in isolated mouse pancreatic islets and purified beta-cells. Using real-time PCR, the UDP receptor P2Y(6) was found to be highly expressed in both whole islets and beta-cells purified by repeated

The concept of personality is scrutinized as used both in common parlance and in more sophisticated frames of reference. Current multidimensional models are criticized for their reliance on self-descriptive questionnaires and for their lack of a hierarchical dimension, differentiating more or less decisive determinants of behavior. A possible psychoanalytic model is viewed with more benevolence bu

The IGHG (ImmunoGlobulin constant Heavy G chain) genes are situated close to the IGHE gene on chromosome 14q32, 5'mu, delta, gamma3, gamma1, alpha1, gamma2, gamma4, epsilon, alpha2, 3', in linkage disequilibrium. The polymorphism of gamma3, gamma1 and gamma2 genes, is investigated as alternative allotypes. They are inherited in a Mendelian fashion and are expressed randomly in allelic exclusion. T

Ischemic stroke affecting the adult brain causes increased progenitor proliferation in the subventricular zone (SVZ) and generation of neuroblasts, which migrate into the damaged striatum and differentiate to mature neurons. Meteorin (METRN), a newly discovered neurotrophic factor, is highly expressed in neural progenitor cells and immature neurons during development, suggesting that it may be inv

The atrioventricular (AV) node plays a crucial role during atrial fibrillation (AF). The aim of this study is to present an AV node model which can be fitted to short-term ECG recordings in order to infer certain AV node characteristics. The proposed model is characterized by: i) the arrival rate of atrial impulses; ii) two different refractory periods, corresponding to dual AV nodal paths; iii) t