The detrusor smooth muscle is the main muscle component of the urinary bladder wall. Its ability to contract over a large length interval and to relax determines the bladder function during filling and micturition. These processes are regulated by several external nervous and hormonal control systems, and the detrusor contains multiple receptors and signaling pathways. Functional changes of the de

Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDSs) are a group of hematopoietic stem cell disorders characterized by ineffective hernatopoiesis and peripheral blood cytopenias. Lenalidomide has dramatic therapeutic effects in patients with low-risk MDS and a chromosome 5q31 deletion, resulting in complete cytogenetic remission in >60% of patients. The molecular basis of this remarkable drug response is unknown. To

We calculate the linear chirp rates of high-order harmonics in argon, generated by intense, 810 nm laser pulses, and explore the dependence of the chirp rate on harmonic order, driving laser intensity, and pulse duration. By using a time-frequency representation of the harmonic fields we can identify several different linear chirp contributions. to the plateau harmonics. Our results, which are bas

Background: Few studies have examined how physicians perceive guidelines, much less their perceptions of an Internet presentation of such guidelines. This study assessed physicians' acceptance ofan Internet-based guideline on the appropriateness of colonoscopy. Methods: Gastroenterologists participating in an international observational study consulted an Internet-based guideline for consecutive p

Preventing fractures in elderly people is a priority, especially as it has been predicted that in 20 years almost a quarter of people in Europe will be aged over 65. This article describes the factors contributing to fracture, interventions to prevent fracture, and the various treatments

Deficit sialylation of vascular endothelium, circulating cells and macromolecules has been associated with the development of atherosclerosis. On the other hand, an elevated serum level of sialic acid is a long-lasting marker of atherosclerosis and complications from atherosclerosis. One may speculate that the inverse associations with atherosclerosis risk are due to some common underlying cause.

BACKGROUND. Patients with the familial syndrome hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal carcinoma (HNPCC) exhibit air increased risk for several tumor types, of which the greatest lifetime risk is for colorectal and endometrial carcinoma. HNPCC is caused by a germline mutation in one of several identified mismatch repair (MMR) genes and typically presents with microsatellite instability (MSI) and frequ

Platelets contain growth factors that are believed to stimulate early fracture repair. Autologous platelets can be sequestered, concentrated, and mixed with thrombin to yield a so-called autologous growth factor gel, which might enhance bone repair or bone graft incorporation. The effect of this platelet concentrate on total tissue and bone ingrowth into porous coralline hydroxyapatite was studied

Recent evidence for efficient delivery of macromolecules, such as peptides and nucleic acids, from the cell exterior to the nucleus offers the interesting possibility of developing novel treatments directed at intranuclear targets. The findings should also stimulate the search for physiological ligands that utilize similar transport mechanisms to regulate pathobiological processes. Cytokines, grow

BACKGROUND: Obesity has, in a number of studies, been found to correlate to disability and mortality, primarily due to diseases of the circulatory and musculoskeletal systems. In addition, an excess mortality among underweight subjects has been observed in previous studies. METHODS: Five complete birth-year cohorts (1926-1930) of male residents in Malmo (n = 7697) were invited to the survey at the

Biodegradable macroporous cryogels with highly open and interconnected pore structures were produced from dextran modified with oligo L-lactide bearing hydroxyethylmethacrylate (HEMA) end groups in moderately frozen solutions. Tissue responses to these novel scaffolds were evaluated in rats after dorsal subcutaneous implantation, iliac submuscular implantation, auricular implantation, or in calvar

Core excitation from terminal oxygen O-T in O-3 is shown to be an excitation from a localized core orbital to a localized valence orbital. The valence orbital is localized to one of the two equivalent chemical bonds. We experimentally demonstrate this with the Auger-Doppler effect which is observable when O-3 is core excited to the highly dissociative O(T)1S(-)17a(1)(1) state. Auger electrons emit

Human C4b-binding protein (C4BP) protects host tissue, and those pathogens able to hijack this plasma glycoprotein, from complement-mediated destruction. We now show that the first two complement control protein (CCP) modules of the C4BP alpha-chain, plus the four residues connecting them, are necessary and sufficient for binding a bacterial virulence factor, the Streptococcus pyogenes M4 (Arp4) p

In this paper we shall concentrate on Gaussian (or close to Gaussian) loads acting on a structure. The goal is to compute a measure of risk for fatigue of a component during a specific time period and the so called "safety index" will be used to combine different types of uncertainties. The presented methodology can be applied in a more general situation of environmental loads which properties may

Costs of sperm production may lead to prudence in male sperm allocation and also to male mate choice. Here, we develop a life history-based mutual mate choice model that takes into account the lost-opportunity costs for males from time out in sperm recovery and lets mate competition be determined by the prevailing mate choice strategies. We assume that high mating rate may potentially lead to sper

Background: To improve dosing consistency and product features, budesonide inhalation powder delivered via a dry powder inhaler (DPI) (DPI-A* 200 mu g) was redesigned to include lactose, a newly shaped mouthpiece, and a new dose indicator (DPI-B dagger). Budesonide CPI-B is available in two strengths (90 mu g, 180 mu g). Objective: To compare the relative rate and extent of the systemic availabili