Ecological and evolutionary change is generated by variation in individual performance. Biologists have consequently long been interested in decomposing change measured at the population level into contributions from individuals, the traits they express and the alleles they carry. We present a novel method of estimating individual contributions to population growth and changes in distributions of

This paper presents a study of the pre-history and evolution of a regional innovation system initiative supporting activities at the intersection of traditional food production and modern biotechnology. Drawing on established ideas on the triple helix of industry, university and government and its impact on innovative capacity (as they are formulated in the regional innovation systems approach) an

Objective: To summarize recent knowledge on the small molecular weight protein cystatin C (cys-C) and its use as a marker of the glomerular filtration rate (GFR). Methods: A multinational expert meeting was held in April 2002 in Marburg, Germany. Contributors summarized their main findings. Conclusions: Cys-C is at least equal if not superior to serum creatinine as a marker of GFR. The independenc

The impact on tablet friability caused by the loss-on-drying of the granulation, the granule-size distribution, the lubricant concentration, the compression force, and the pre-compression was scrutinized in a factorially designed experiment. A reduction of friability was obtained by reducing the deviation of the granulation loss-on-drying from approximately 4.6%; by decreasing the lubricant concen

Infantile malignant osteopetrosis (IMO) is a fatal disease caused by lack of functional osteoclasts, and the only available treatment is hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) transplantation. In the majority of patients, the TCIRG1 gene, coding for a subunit of a proton pump essential for bone resorption, is mutated. Oc/oc mice have a deletion in the homologue gene (tcirg 1) and die at 3 to 4 weeks, but c

Ursolic acid (UA) is a pentacyclic triterpenoid, with anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory properties. Sphingomyelin (SM) hydrolysis generates lipid messengers regulating cell survival. Earlier studies showed that UA has anti-proliferative and apoptotic effects on HT29 cells, accompanied by a rapid increase in alkaline sphingomyelinase (Alk-SMase) activity. This study examines the effect of orally ad

The non-obese diabetic (NOD) mouse spontaneously develops diabetes and sialadenitis. The sialadenitis is characterized by histopathological changes in salivary glands and functional deficit similar to Sjögren's syndrome. In humans, Sjögren's syndrome could be associated with other connective tissue disorders, such as rheumatoid arthritis. In the present study the genetic control of sialadenitis in

BACKGROUND: We have performed a prospective qualitative investigation of the ICU syndrome/delirium; the main parts of which have recently been published. The aim of the present study was to explore the relationship between the ICU syndrome/delirium and age, gender, length of ventilator treatment, length of stay and severity of disease, as well as factors related to arterial oxygenation and the amo

Peripheral T cell lymphopenia (lyp) in the BioBreeding (BB) rat is linked to a frameshift mutation in Ian5, a member of the Immune Associated Nucleotide (Ian) gene family on rat chromosome 4. This lymphopenia leads to type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus (T1DM) at rates up to 100% when combined with the BB rat MHC RT1 u/u genotype. In order, to better study the lymphopenia phenotype withou

The present study investigated effects of short-term administration of adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) on blood lipid profile and renal function in kidney transplant patients. Six patients who had kidney transplantations 2 to 10 years earlier received ACTH intramuscularly (1 mg/d) for 4 days. We analyzed serum levels of lipids, lipoproteins, apolipoproteins, blood creatinine, and other paramet

Earlier studies have shown different effects on cell proliferation and weight characteristics by sulfated cholecystokinin-8 (CCK-8S) in the rat pancreas when the peptide has been administered continuously rather than intermittently. The aim of this study was as follows: (i) to compare the effect of continuous infusion and of intermittent injections of CCK-8S on cell proliferation, weight gain, and

BACKGROUND. Recently, the gene for cysteine-rich secretory protein 3 (CRISP-3) was reported to be highly upregulated in prostate cancer (PCa) compared to benign prostatic tissue. The current aims were to investigate diagnostic use of tissue expression and immunodetection in serum of CRISP-3 for detection or monitoring of PCa. METHODS. Radical prostatectomy specimens and tissue microarrays from tra

On 30 October 2003, an ongoing geomagnetic superstorm knocked down a part of the high- voltage power transmission system in southern Sweden. The blackout lasted for an hour and left about 50,000 customers without electricity. The incident was probably the most severe geomagnetically induced current ( GIC) failure observed since the well- known March 1989 Quebec blackout. The " three- phase'' storm

Background: Electrocardiogram-derived grades of ischemia at the time of patient presentation with acute myocardial infarction have proved useful in predicting the salvageability by reperfusion therapy, final infarct size, severity of left ventricular dysfunction, and short- and long-term prognosis. Subjects and Methods: The Sclarovsky-Birnbaum Ischemia Grading System based on the relation between

We model an interface layer connecting two parts of a solid body by N parallel elastic springs connecting two rigid blocks. We load the system by a shear force acting on the top side. The springs have equal stiffness but are ruptured randomly when the load reaches a critical value. For the considered system, we calculate the shear modulus G as a function of the order parameter phi describing the s

We have investigated various modes of adherence of Helicobacter pylori to the human gastric epithelium, using transmission electron microscopy, in biopsies from nine patients with peptic ulcer disease and from four patients with chronic active gastritis. H. pylori was demonstrated in abundance in all cases within the surface mucous layer. In all ulcer- and in one out of four gastritis patients H.

Objectives: A phase I safety and efficacy study with granulocyte colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) mobilization of bone marrow stem cells to induce vasculogenesis in patients with severe ischemic heart disease (IHD) was conducted. Design, patients and results: 29 patients with IHD participated in the study. Thirteen patients were treated with G-CSF for 6 days and 16 patients served as controls. G-

Inhibition of dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) is currently explored as a novel therapy of type 2 diabetes. The strategy has been shown to improve glycemia in most, but not all, rodent forms of glucose intolerance. In this study, we explored the effects of DPP-4 inhibition in mice with [beta-cell overexpression of human islet amyloid polypeptide (IAPP). We therefore administered the orally active an