Background and aims: Activation of pancreatic proteases is considered to be a crucial event in the early phase of acute pancreatitis but the cause of this activation is not known. Most cases of acute pancreatitis can be attributed to either gallstone disease or alcohol abuse. However, little is known about other risk factors. The aim of this thesis is to investigate the mechanisms involved in the

The plant respiratory chain contains a complex setup of non-energy conserving NAD(P)H dehydrogenases, the physiological consequences of which are highly unclear. An expression construct for the potato (Solanum tuberosum L., cv. Desiree) ndb1 gene, a homologue of bacterial and fungal type II NAD(P)H dehydrogenases, was introduced into Nicotiana sylvestris. Transgenic lines with high transcript and

The title compound, [ Pt( NO3)(2)( C2H6S)(2)], crystallizes in the P2(1)/ n space group ( Z' = 2), with pseudo- square- planar coordination geometry. The complex forms dimers with pseudosymmetry C-i arranged in columns along the b- axis direction, with Pt center dot center dot center dot Pt distances of 6.3056 ( 3) and 4.2382 ( 2) angstrom ( at 150 K). Each column is surrounded by six other column

The aim of this study was to produce flours from the edible portion of cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) roots, treat them by heat in different forms (normal and pressure cooking, in limited and excess water conditions, and in the presence or absence of NaCl) and characterize them in their chemical composition, physical and functional properties. The flour preparation procedure affected both the

Primary hyperparathyroidism (pHPT) is associated with an increased fracture risk, and decreased bone density thus has been considered an indication for surgery. However, many pHPT patients have a multifactorial risk profile for osteoporosis and bone fractures. The aim of the present study was to evaluate variables associated with fracture risk within the group of pHPT patients. A series of 203 con

The algorithmic content of adaptive ODE/DAE software is dominated by a considerable amount of control structures, support algorithms and logic. The control logic has been largely heuristic and lacking support by analysis. In this thesis we study adaptive time-stepping based on control theory, combined with other carefully selected control strategies. Thus we argue that ODE/DAE software can be cons

Vesicles composed of an anionic and a cationic surfactant, with a net negative charge, associate strongly with a hydrophobically modified polycation (LM200) and with an unmodified polycation with higher charge density (JR400), forming viscoelastic gel-like structures. Calorimetric results show that in these gels, LM200 induces a rise of the chain melting temperature (T-m) of the vesicles, whereas

Proteins and peptides in bovine milk and colostrum were separated by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE). The proteins were separated in the first dimension by isoelectric focusing in the pH ranges 4-7 and 6-11, and in the second dimension by sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis on 12.5% T homogeneous gels. The peptides were separated in the pH range 3-10 in the first

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether methylhexahydrophthalic acid (MHHP acid) in urine and plasma can be used as a biomarker for exposure to methylhexahydrophthalic anhydride (MHHPA). METHODS: MHHPA in air was sampled by Amberlite XAD-2 and analysed by gas chromatography (GC) with flame ionisation detection. MHHP acid in urine and plasma was analysed by GC with mass spectrometric detection. Workers o

Objective. We recently showed that plasma concentration of N-terminal atrial natriuretic peptide (Nt-proANP) is strongly directly related to salt sensitivity. The aims of the present study were to test (i) whether plasma concentration of N-terminal brain natriuretic peptide (Nt-proBNP) is related to salt sensitivity and (ii) whether Nt-proANP, as a marker of salt sensitivity, differs between type

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotypes, determined by polymerase chain reaction with type-specific primers, were studied in 5 already HCV-infected patients receiving kidneys from HCV-infected cadaver donors. Three patients were investigated retrospectively using stored pre- and posttransplantation sera and followed 18-28 months after transplantation. Two recipients with HCV genotype 2b infection had re

The aim of this study was to establish the influence of alpha-ketoglutarate (AKG), administered to pregnant sows from the 91(SI) d of pregnancy to farrowing, and then to piglets from birth to the 30(th) d of life, on lysozyme and ceruloplasmin activity, serum total protein content, and the WBC counts in blood of piglets, at the age of the 14(th) and 30(th) d of their postnatal life. The sows were