Background Patients with severe asthma are often inadequately controlled on existing anti-asthma therapy, constituting an unmet clinical need. Objective This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial evaluated the ability of omalizumab, a humanized monoclonal anti-IgE antibody, to improve disease control sufficiently to enable inhaled corticosteroid reduction in patients with severe aller

The 14-3-3 proteins, once thought of as obscure mammalian brain proteins, are fast becoming recognized as major regulators of plant primary metabolism and of other cellular processes. Their presence as large gene families in plants underscores their essential role in plant physiology. We have examined the Arabidopsis thaliana 14-3-3 gene family, which currently is the largest and most complete 14-

After reactions of uranium atoms with NF3 and PF3 to form the N UF3 and P UF3 molecules, the analogous reaction with AsF3 produced the novel terminal arsenide As UF3. This first molecule with a uranium-arsenic bond was identified from matrix infrared spectra through comparison with spectra of the uranium nitride and phosphide species, with spectra using other metals, and with frequencies computed

The effect of some environmentally relevant factors including salinity, pH, and humic acids on the availability of bisphenol A (BPA) was evaluated by using the negligible-depletion solid-phase microextraction (nd-SPME) biomimetic method. With the variation of salinity (0-500 mM NaCl) and pH (5.0-8.5) of aqueous solutions, the partition coefficients of BPA between the nd-SPME fiber and the aqueous

Clinical trials of pharmaceuticals have been running in Russia for more than ten years and while it is an attractive location for research, it remains a largely untapped resource as researchers look to expand patient recruitment outside the Western world. While academic sites like Moscow, St Petersburg and Novosibirsk have all gained experience in clinical trials, smaller hospitals in peripheral

The novel properties of nanoparticulate materials (NPM) and the rapid development of NPM based products have raised many unanswered questions and concerns by different stakeholders over its consequences for the environment and human health. These concerns have led to an increasing discussion in both the US and Europe about possible regulatory policies for NPM. In this article a comparative study o

Adenoviral vector mediated gene delivery has been applied in clinical trials and mechanistic studies to explore new treatment approaches for lung cancers. The expression of coxsackievirus adenovirus receptor (CAR), the primary receptor for the most commonly used adenovirus serotype 5 (Ad5)-based vectors, predominantly determines the permissiveness of lung cancer cells. CAR expression is also sugge

To reduce the examination time for dark adaptometry, which including preadaptometry normally takes 30 minutes for an eye, a computerized adaptometer was constructed allowing monocular examination of both eyes simultaneously. The total examination time was thereby reduced from 60 to 30 minutes. This improvement was achieved by the use of electronically monitored transparent shutters that were alter

(.) In this study we investigated the effects of temperature on fungal growth and tested whether the differences in fungal growth were related to the effects of temperature on carbon movement to, or within, the fungus. (.) Growth curves and C uptake-transfer-translocation measurements were obtained for three arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) isolates cultured within a 6-30 degrees C temperature r

The nuclear DNA content of 148 high-grade soft tissue sarcomas of the extremities and trunk was determined by flow cytometry, using tumor material from paraffin-embedded tissue. The patients were part of a prospective randomized clinical trial on the efficacy of adjuvant single-agent chemotherapy with doxorubicin. Chemotherapy did not improve the metastasis-free survival (MFS). After a median foll

A new indole alkaloid, picranitine, has been-isolated from the seeds of Picralima nitida, along with five known, indole alkaloids picratidine, akuammine, pseudoakuammine, akuammicine and akuammidine previously identified from the same source. Structures were elucidated through exhaustive spectral studies including 1D. (H-1 and C-13 NMR) and 2D-NMR (HMQC, HMBC and NOESY).

The aroma compounds in broccoli stored in different modified atmospheres were studied. The packaging materials used were oriented polypropylene (OPP), poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC), and low-density polyethylene (LDPE) containing an ethylene-absorbing sachet. All samples were stored for either 1 week at a constant temperature of 10 degreesC or for 3 days at 4 degreesC, followed by 4 days at 10 degrees

The extracellular matrix molecule tenascin-R (TN-R) and the proteoglycans of the lectican family show an overlapping distribution in the developing brain, have been implicated in similar cellular processes and form a complex network of interactions. Previously, we have demonstrated that TN-R induces microprocesses along neurites and enlarged growth cones of tectal cells by interacting with the cel

This paper reports on acute posttraumatic reactions and forms of coping to the September 11 attack. We conducted a survey within three weeks of the attack on a nationwide, representative sample of individuals 13 years or older (N = 3,134). Measures included the Stanford Acute Stress Reaction Questionnaire (SASRQ), the brief version of the COPE, and questions about demographics and attitudes toward

The unique morphology of the toes of the great crested grebe (Podiceps cristatus), which are asymmetrically lobed with a narrower skin flap on the lateral side of the toe, enables these birds to swim very efficiently. Here we study video recordings of a diving grebe and stroboscopic pictures of its moving feet and conclude that the bird uses a hydrodynamically lift-based foot (power) stroke to pro

A digital image analysis technique for crack monitoring using a standard web-camera has been further developed to acquire continuous data sets on crack development in concrete dams. The method is based on an existing robust and straightforward non-contact method for experimental deformation analysis. It allows for the measurement of suspected serious cracks, identified from inspections, through a