Abnormal alpha-synuclein-positive glial cytoplasmic inclusions are found in Parkinson's disease, multiple system atrophy and dementia with Lewy bodies. We have recently developed an in vitro model of alpha-synuclein-immunoreactive aggregations in U373 astrocytoma cells. We have additionally overexpressed wild-type and a C-terminally truncated form of alpha-synuclein in primary rat glial cells. Ast

We report a new strategy for on-fine monitoring of chemical reactions in ultrasonically levitated, nanoliter-sized droplets by Raman spectroscopy. A flow-through microdispenser connected to an automated flow injection system was used to dose picoliter droplets into the node of an ultrasonic trap. Taking advantage of the flow-through characteristics of the microdispenser and the versatility of the

Cyclosporine-A (CsA) is the primary anti-rejection drug used for organ and neural transplantation therapy. In addition to its immunosuppressive action, CsA has been recently shown to exert neuroprotective and neurotrophic effects in the central nervous system when able to cross the blood-brain barrier. Postulated mechanisms for these CsA-induced beneficial effects include the drug's powerful inhib

Background: Broader patient access to information, expanding clinical options and greater accommodation of patients' personal values makes clinical decision-processes increasingly complex. Given the challenges and implications of risk communication, it is important to explore what is happening when clinicians adopt different approaches to consultations. Aim: To perform an ethical analysis of perso

The suppressors of cytokine signaling ( SOCS) family is thought to act largely as a negative regulator of signaling by cytokines and some growth factors. Surprisingly, the SOCS-6 transgenics had no significant defects in the cytokine signaling and hematopoietic system but displayed significant improvements in glucose metabolism. Insulin stimulation of Akt/protein kinase B was also potentiated. Bio

The Scandinavian countries - Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Finland - have developed a particular model of welfare, employment and economic governance. It is based on universal access to tax-financed social services and social insurance, full employment secured by expansive macro-economic policies and active labour market policies, highly organized labour markets, corporatist interest mediation, and

Background: The nephrotoxic potential of anti-glomerular-basement-membrane (GBM) antibodies has been demonstrated in numerous animal experiments. However, it is not known to what extent the properties of circulating anti-GBM antibodies in human disease reflect the severity of the disease and predict the outcome. Methods: Clinical data were collected for 79 Swedish patients for whom a positive resu

Hypertension has been associated with increased case-fatality rates among individuals who subsequently suffer from acute coronary events. It is unknown whether inflammation modifies this relationship. This population-based study explored the effects of inflammation and hypertension on incidence of coronary event, and on the fatality of the future events. Blood pressure (BP) and five inflammation-s

Acrylamide exposure was investigated in subgroups of the EPIC study population (510 subjects from 9 European countries, randomly selected and stratified by age, gender, and smoking status) using hemoglobin adducts of acrylamide (HbAA) and its primary metabolite glycidamide (HbGA). Blood samples were analyzed for HbAA and HbGA by HPLC/MS/MS. Statistical models for HbAA and HbGA were developed inclu

Increased QT dispersion and loss of sinus rhythm were both associated with sudden cardiac death in patients with transposition of the great arteries after Mustard and Senning operations at the early and late postoperative periods. A combination of increased QT dispersion with loss of sinus rhythm increases the positive predictive value for sudden cardiac death in patients with transposition of the

The Homogeneous charge compression ignition (HCCI) principle holds promise to increase efficiency and to reduce emissions from internal combustion engines. As HCCI combustion lacks direct ignition timing control and auto-ignition depends on the operating condition, control of auto-ignition is necessary. Since auto-ignition of a homogeneous mixture is very sensitive to operating conditions, a fast

Simultaneous saccharification and fermentation of wood to ethanol has often been claimed to be less sensitive to infection than separate hydrolysis and fermentation. A previous study has shown that this was not the case. In the present study the influence of different parameters in SSF, such as cell concentration, nutrient composition and inclusion of the liquid from pretreatment, on the ethanol y

What is already known about this subject • The occurrence of idiosyncratic drug hepatotoxicity is a major problem in all phases of clinical drug development and the leading cause of postmarketing warnings and withdrawals. • Physical exercise can result in transient elevations of liver function tests. • There is no consensus in the literature on which forms of exercise may cause changes in liver

Host-related and environmental factors for tuberculosis have usually been investigated separately using different study designs. Joint investigation of the genetic, immunologic, and environmental factors at play in susceptibility to tuberculosis represents an innovative goal for obtaining a better understanding of the pathogenesis of the disease. In this paper, the authors describe methods being u

Objective: The proteoglycan decorin stabilizes collagen whereas biglycan and hyaluronan disrupt well-organized collagen. The aim was to compare hyaluronan and proteoglycans in human fetal membranes obtained before and after spontaneous labour at term. Study design: Prelabour samples of fetal membranes (N = 9) were obtained from elective caesarean sections and regionally sampled from over the cervi

Here we studied whether glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF), given as a single bolus injection before an intrastriatal 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) lesion, can protect the nigrostriatal dopamine neurons against the toxin-induced damage and preserve normal motor functions in the lesioned animals. GDNF or vehicle was injected in the striatum (25 microg), substantia nigra (25 microg) or

Central-place foraging insects such as desert ants of the genus Cataglyphis use both path integration and landmarks to navigate during foraging excursions. The use of landmark information and a celestial system of reference for nest location was investigated by training desert ants returning from an artificial feeder to find the nest at one of four alternative positions located asymmetrically insi