Little is know about whether the conditions experienced during ontogeny affect resistance to parasites later in life in wild animals. Here, we used a population of blue tits (Cyanistes caeruleus (L., 1758)) to investigate to what extent conditions experienced during the nestling stage could explain the ability to control blood parasite (Haemoproteus majoris (Laveran, 1902)) infections 1 year later

Cystatins are natural inhibitors of papain-like (family C1) and legumain-related (family C13) cysteine peptidases. Cystatin D is a type 2 cystatin, a secreted inhibitor found in human saliva and tear fluid. Compared to its homologues, cystatin D presents an unusual inhibition profile with a preferential inhibition cathepsin S > cathepsin H > cathepsin L, and no inhibition of cathepsin B or pig leg

A novel disposable high-density matrix assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) target plate made either from polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) or polycarbonate (PC) is presented where thousands (1200-1600) of samples can be deposited and subsequently, analyzed by MALDI-time of flight (TOF) mass spectrometry. Good reproducibility, was obtained across the plate regardless of position on the target

Macroporous monolithic hydrogels (cryogel monoliths; rods 12.5 mm x 7.1 mm diameter) are elastic, sponge-like materials with large (10-100 mu m), interconnected pores. Phenyl- and IMAC-(Me(II)-iminodiacetic acid)-cryogel monoliths were inserted into the open-ended wells of a standard 96-well plate, forming a system of 96 drainage-protected minicolumns, and were used in a parallel assay of hydropho

Green turtles (Chelonia mydas) that shuttle between their Brazilian feeding grounds and nesting beaches at Ascension Island in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean are a paradigmatic case of long-distance oceanic migrants. It has been suggested that they calculate their position and the direction of their target areas by using the inclination and intensity of the earths magnetic field. To test this hy

Vertex-reinforced random walk is a random process which visits a site with probability proportional to the weight w k of the number k of previous visits. We show that if w k ∼ k α, then there is a large time T 0 such that after T 0 the walk visits 2, 5, or ∞ sites when α < 1, = 1, or > 1, respectively. More general results are also proven.

The safe and accurate delivery of the prescribed absorbed dose is the central function of the dose monitoring and beam stabilization system in a medical linear accelerator. The absorbed dose delivered to the patient during radiotherapy is often monitored by a transmission ionization chamber. Therefore it is of utmost importance that the chamber behaves correctly. We have noticed that the sensitivi

Many crustaceans use pheromones to find mates and induce mating behaviours. If pollutants impair the ability to detect chemosensory cues and respond to pheromone signals, they could profoundly affect mating. In a series of laboratory experiments, the effect of copper (0, 0.1 or 0.5 mg Cu(II) per litre for 5 days) on specific components of the mating behaviour of male shore crab Carcinus maenas was

Objectives. To study x-ray development and clinical effects, tolerability and safety after 2 years treatment of RA patients with Reumacon (CPH82) or methotrexate (MTX). Patients and methods. This study is a 74 week open continuation of a 24 week double blind comparison of 100 patients with early RA (disease duration less than 2 years) treated either with Reumacon or MTX. Results. The mean Larsen s

To study the effects of elevated ozone concentration on methane dynamics and a sedge species, Eriophorum vaginatum, we exposed peatland microcosms, isolated by coring from an oligotrophic pine fen, to double ambient ozone concentration in an open-air ozone exposure field for four growing seasons. The field consists of eight circular plots of which four were fumigated with elevated ozone concentrat

Gitelmans syndrome (GS) is an inherited recessive disorder caused by homozygous or compound heterozygous loss of function mutations of the NaCl cotransporter (NCCT) gene encoding the kidney-expressed NCCT, the pharmacological target of thiazide diuretics. An observational study estimated the prevalence of GS to 19/1 000 000, in Sweden, suggesting that similar to 1% of the population carries one mu

Operative treatment for distal radius fractures continues to evolve, but small-fragment fixation has some advantages compared with previous methods. We assessed two groups of patients. Group 1 was an initial series of patients treated with small-fragment fixation at a large institution in the United States, and Group 2 was a review of patients treated in Lund, Sweden. The first group was evaluated

The purpose of the present study is to assess QT-interval measurements from the EASI 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) as compared with the standard 12-lead ECG. The QT interval was automatically determined in simultaneously recorded standard and EASI 12-lead ECGs, using a validated wavelet-based delineator. The agreement between the 2 sets of measurements was quantified both on a lead-by-lead basis

We present the results from a thorough investigation of the bond strength between the photo-polymer SU-8 and Au. The data were obtained by pull-test experiments, below the glass transition temperature of the polymer. The different aspects that we investigated were: (i) the effect of using different adhesion promoters between the SU-8 and Au; (ii) the influence of the processing sequence, keeping e

Rogen moraine is widely distributed in the core areas of the former Scandinavian and Laurentide ice sheets. It is generally agreed upon that these gently arched, ice-How transverse ridges call be used in reconstructions of paleo-ice-flow patterns and that they indicate a melted-bed or poly-thermal basal ice regime. However, the processes of ridge generation have been contentious. This study propos

BACKGROUND: The house dust mite (HDM) Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus is an important source of allergens, which can cause allergic conditions. The cysteine protease activity of Der p 1 may enhance the potency of this major mite allergen through cleavage of CD23 and CD25 from the surface of immune cells, IgE independent mast cell activation, increases in epithelial cell permeability and inactivatio