The gap between theory and practice in social work continues to be great, and research results seem to live a life of their own, far from the field they were intended to improve. This article considers research information as a useful contribution to the practice of social work with elderly demented people and to qualitative methods used in the area of social scientific research. Arising out of a

A new type of agarose bead, superporous agarose, was used as a gel support for immobilization of human red blood cells (RBCs) mediated by wheat germ lectin. The number of immobilized cells was similar to that obtained with commercial wheat germ lectin–agarose but the cell stability appeared to be superior. This allowed improved frontal affinity chromatographic analyses of cytochalasin B (CB)-bindi

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is associated with significant improvement of motor complications in patients with severe Parkinson's disease after some 6-12 months of treatment. Long-term results in a large number of patients have been reported only from a single study centre. We report 69 Parkinson's disease patients treated with bilateral DBS of the subthalamic nucleus (STN, n = 49) or globus pall

The aim of our retrospective study was to determine the extent to which diffusion- and perfusion- weighted MRI combined with conventional MRI could be helpful in the evaluation of intensive care unit (ICU) patients who have unknown or unclear cerebral pathology underlying a serious clinical condition. Twenty-one ICU patients with disparity between the findings on brain CT scan and their clinical s

Programmes driving ELT design are discussed. The nature and evolution of circum-stellar shells and planetary discs are attractive, while the small angular sizes place basic properties, asymmetry and warps, beyond VLT capability. An ELT is neeed to reveal the conversion processes shell - disc - planets, planetary systems, Earth-like planets, habitability and life signatures. Formation and evolution

A magnetic particle-based immuno-supported liquid membrane assay (m-ISLMA) based on chemiluminescence detection of a horseradish peroxidase-labeled hapten tracer that allows sample cleanup, analyte enrichment, and detection in a single analysis unit has been developed. Antibodies were immobilized on magnetic beads, and their position in the acceptor was controlled by two alternating opposing elect

Most structured latex particles are formed in the nonequilibrium state as a result of the reaction kinetics proceeding faster than the phase separation kinetics. Of the many factors controlling such morphologies, the polarity and glass transition temperature (Tg) of the seed polymer are important. In order to study the direct effect of the seed polymer Tg on morphology, we produced a series of pol

The in vitro effects of angiotensin II (Ang II) in human vessels are not well studied. The development of specific Ang II-receptor antagonists has made it possible to delineate more carefully the receptor mechanisms involved. The objective of this study was twofold: to investigate the effect of Ang II on human coronary arteries and to study the effects of angiotensin II type 1 receptor blockade wi

Studies have shown that the decrease in ischemic heart disease mortality over the past decades was paralleled by an increase in socioeconomic disparities. Using two large Swedish cohorts defined in 1986 and 1996, the authors examined whether the effect of neighborhood socioeconomic position on ischemic heart disease mortality strengthened over the period and whether the relative contribution of in

Eukaryote gene expression is mediated by a cascade of RNA functions that regulate, process, store, transport, and translate RNA transcripts. The RNA network that promotes this cascade depends on a large cohort of proteins that partner RNAs; thus, the modern RNA world of eukaryotes is really a ribonucleoprotein (RNP) world. Features of this "RNP infrastructure" can be related to the high cytosolic

It has been reported in earlier in vitro studies that soft tissue trauma and endotoxin-induced shock causes pulmonary platelet trapping (PPT). This paper describes a noninvasive in vivo technique for dynamic studies of PPT in rabbits. Autologous platelets were labeled with 111In and reinfused into the animals. The following day, the rabbits were anesthetized and placed in a supine position under a

Background: A European concerted action (the EuroNatal study) investigated differences in perinatal mortality between countries of Europe. This report describes the methods used in the EuroNatal international audit and discusses the validity of the results. Methods: Perinatal deaths between 1993 and 1998 in regions of ten European countries were identified. The categories of death chosen for the s

AIMS/BACKGROUND: Patients with primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) often have osteoporosis of the high-turnover type, suggesting that estrogen could have a beneficial effect. However, the cholestatic potential of estrogen could imply a risk of increased cholestasis in a disease characterized by cholestasis. The aim of the present study was to test whether hormone replacement therapy (HRT) could be use

The Gram-positive bacterium Streptococcus pyogenes is a major human pathogen causing substantial morbidity and mortality in society. S. pyogenes has evolved numerous molecular mechanisms to avoid the various actions of the human immune system and has established means to modulate both adaptive and innate immune responses. S. pyogenes produces and secretes proteolytic enzymes, which have an importa

Kraft black liquor lignin is a biofuel that is separated from the cellulose during kraft pulping. Improved technology and energy integration in paper mills have led to an energy surplus at many mills. It is therefore of great interest to extract the lignin from the pulp mill and sell it as fuel to replace fossil fuel in other furnaces. The fractionation of kraft black liquor with a total dry matte

Learning of classically conditioned eyeblink responses depends on mechanisms within the cerebellum. It has been suggested that climbing fibres from the inferior olive transmit the unconditioned stimulus signal to the cerebellum. We have previously shown that the pathway from the deep cerebellar nuclei to the inferior olive inhibits olivary activity. It is known that repeated presentation of the co

Four different ways to detect Kraft and soluble pine lignin using either soluble or immobilised Trametes hirsuta laccase have been investigated. In the first, the concentration of lignin was measured using laccase in homogeneous medium with a Clark electrode. In the second, laccase immobilised onto aminated porous glass beads was used in a reactor submerged into the lignin containing solution and

It is becoming increasingly evident that single-locus effects cannot explain complex multifactorial human diseases like cancer. We applied the multi-factor dimensionality reduction (MDR) method to a large cohort study on gene-environment and gene-gene interactions. The study (case-control nested in the EPIC cohort) was established to investigate molecular changes and genetic susceptibility in rela