BACKGROUND: The outcome of less intensive case management services, such as the strengths model, is still inconclusive, which suggests a need for more controlled studies. The aim of the present study was to investigate the outcome of a strengths model of case management service (SCM) compared to standard care. METHODS: Seventy-seven clients with a mental illness and a serious impairment in functio

We present a software solution that enables faster and more accurate data analysis of 2DE/MALDI TOF MS data. The software supports data analysis through a number of automated data selection functions and advanced graphical tools. Once protein identities are determined using MALDI TOF MS, automated data retrieval from online databases provides biological information. The software, called 2DDB, redu

It has been proposed that hyaluronan-binding proteoglycans play an important role as guiding cues during neural crest (NC) cell migration, but their precise function has not been elucidated. In this study, we examine the distribution, structure and putative role of the two major hyaluronan-binding proteoglycans, PG-M/versicans and aggrecan, during the course of avian NC development. PG-M/versicans

Cardiac index, systemic and pulmonary arterial pressures, carbon dioxide elimination and ventilation of each lung were studied during thoracotomy. Seventeen patients, placed in the full lateral position, were ventilated mechanically through a Carlens' tube to moderate hypocapnia. Mean cardiac index increased by 12% as the pleura was opened (P less than 0.05), with no further change during surgery

Six healthy volunteers were exposed to gaseous hexahydrophthalic anhydride (HHPA) concentrations of 10, 40, or 80 micrograms.m-3 (65, 260 or 520 nmol.m-3, respectively) for 8 h. The respiratory uptake of the inhaled HHPA was almost complete. Rapid increases in plasma and urinary levels of hexahydrophthalic acid (HHP acid) were seen. During the first 4 h after the end of exposure, the half-time of

Depending on the balance between sink and source processes for C, drained organic forest soil ecosystems can be in balance or act as net sinks or sources of CO2 to the atmosphere. In order to study the effect of groundwater level and soil temperature on C-flux, the CoupModel was calibrated (climate data, groundwater levels, soil CO2 flux, net ecosystem fluxes of CO2-exchange, sensible heat flux an

Vehicle technology is currently facing a transition period in which vehicles equipped with alternative powertrains, such as battery powered electric vehicles, hybrid vehicles or fuel cell vehicles, are being developed for future markets. An assessment of the competitiveness of vehicles using alternative powertrains has been made here. Previous studies estimating future costs and the technical perf

The antral hormone gastrin and its intestinal relative, cholecystokinin (CCK), are pivotal in the regulation of gastric functions. Other gastric hormones like ghrelin, peptide YY (PYY), and islet amyloid polypeptide (IAPP), however, also contribute to the regulation of acid secretion, motility, and feeding. Because gastrin and CCK are crucial for gastric homeostasis, we examined how loss of gastri

The introduction of exchange-traded credit default swap (CDS) index futures is eminent and this development in the credit market is the subject of this article. A theoretically appealing and practically implementable approach to computing accurate futures margins based on extreme value theory is suggested. The approach is then exemplified with a study of the increasingly popular iTraxx Europe CDS

We have determined the solution structure of an albumin binding domain of protein G, a surface protein of group C and G streptococci. We find that it folds into a left handed three-helix bundle similar to the albumin binding domain of protein PAB from Peptostreptococcus magnus. The two domains share 59% sequence identity, are thermally very stable, and bind to the same site on human serum albumin.

In most environmental models of Parkinson's disease (PD), a single neurodegenerative agent is introduced to cause nigrostriatal clopamine depletion. However, cell loss in human PD often might derive, at least in part. from multiple toxins or vulnerabilities, any one of which alone does not inevitably lead to chronic dopamine depletion. In the present research, male C57BL/6J mice were systemically

Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) is a non-Hodgkin lymphoma with poor prognosis. Its hallmark is the translocation t(11:14)q (13;32), leading to overexpression of cyclin D1, a positive regulator of the cell cycle. As cyclin D1 up-regulation is not sufficient for inducing malignant transformation, we combined DNA microarray and RNA interference (RNAi) approaches to identify novel deregulated genes involve

The fission probability and the angular distribution of the associated fission fragments have been measured for the U-235(d,pf)U-236 reaction slightly above the top of the inner fission barrier with the aim of disclosing new hyperdeformed states lying in the third minimum of the fission potential. The results are analyzed together with the data obtained from the literature for U-234. The experimen

The aim of this study was to evaluate a new approach to inhibit complement activation triggered by biomaterial surfaces in contact with blood. In order to inhibit complement activation initiated by the classical pathway (CP), we used streptococcal M protein-derived peptides that specifically bind human C4BP, an inhibitor of the CP. The peptides were used to coat polystyrene microtiter wells which

We have studied a phosphate rock plant which produces dicalcium phosphate (DCP), used as a source of calcium and phosphorus for domestic animals. A by-product in the manufacturing process is calcium chloride which is used in the oil industry, the food industry and as road-salt. The objectives of our study were to describe the fluxes of radionuclides from the U-238 decay series and to estimate the

Human blood coagulation Factor V(FV) is a plasma protein with little procoagulant activity. Limited proteolysis at Arg(709), Arg(1018), and Arg(1545) by thrombin or Factor Xa (FXa) results in the generation of activated FV, which serves as a cofactor of FXa in prothrombin activation. Both thrombin exosites I and II have been reported to be involved in FV activation, but the relative importance of