Filtyp
Nature contains an endless supply of natural products and has for long been a source of inspiration for the pharmaceutical industry. Many of the drugs currently in clinical use originate from natural products. Paclitaxel, the active substance in the anti cancer medicine Taxol, was first isolated from the Pacific yew tree (Taxus brevifolia) in the early 1960s during a screening program for novel an
Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate whether self-administered Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) lead to reduced pain perception, increased acceptance and coping ability, and better health-related quality of life in individuals with fibromyalgia. Methods: Eighty-six women, diagnosed with fibromyalgia and on sick leave for at least 3 months, were randomly assigned to a treatment gro
Heterologous genes for xylose utilization were introduced into an industrial Saccharomyces cerevisiae, strain A, with the aim of producing fuel ethanol from lignocellulosic feedstocks. Two transformants, A4 and A6, were evaluated by comparing the performance in 4-l anaerobic batch cultivations to both the parent strain and a laboratory xylose-utilizing strain: S. cerevisiae TMB 3001. During growth
The bacterial flora of the gastro intestinal (GI) tract may be involved in chronic inflammation and colon cancer and affected by antibiotics, cytotoxic drugs and radiotherapy, trauma and intensive care therapy. It is important to map the mucosa-associated flora in healthy individuals to clarify the pathogenic risk under stressed conditions. The aim was to achieve an overview of the mucosa-associat
The purpose of this study was to retrospectively evaluate the radiologic findings in young adults with dysphagia undergoing barium swallow and to compare these with the final clinical diagnosis. Clinical history, barium swallow, endoscopy (21 patients), manometry (18 patients), 24 h pH monitoring (4 patients), and outcome of treatments were studied and compared in 43 patients aged 14-30 years (mea
We examined the association between self-reported consumption of fruits and vegetables and prostate cancer risk in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC). Data on food consumption and complete follow-up for cancer incidence were available for 130,544 men in 7 countries recruited into EPIC between 1993 and 1999. After an average of 4.8 years of follow-up, there were
Background Cardiac fibrosis is thought to play a central role in the pathogenesis of atrial fibrillation (AF). Retrospective studies have suggested that circulating fibrosis biomarkers are associated with AF, but prospective studies are limited. Methods We measured circulating levels of 2 fibrosis biomarkers, procollagen type III, N-terminal propeptide (PIIINP) and transforming growth factor β1 am
Statins exert a number of anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects in vitro. However, the immunomodulatory effects in vivo are less clarified. In the present study, we investigated whether simvastatin treatment changed the levels of autoantibodies against specific oxidized LDL (oxLDL) antigens as well as their association with leukocyte activation markers. Eighty volunteers with mild-to-mode
Objectives: Knowledge of the societal costs of psoriasis is limited. This study estimated the cost of care, psoriasis area and severity index (PASI), and quality of life in a defined patient population in Sweden. Methods: A prevalence-based prospective recruitment of patients visiting two Swedish dermatology clinics between September and December 2009 was performed, collecting resource utilization
Abstract Aims Myelinated nerve fibre pathology has been demonstrated at wrist level in diabetic patients. We examined if quantification of intra-epidermal nerve fibre density (IENFD) in hairy and glabrous skin at wrist level could detect signs of subclinical small nerve fibre neuropathy. Methods In 35 diabetic patients who were age and gender matched with 31 non-diabetic patients, punch biopsies w
Pre-treatment of sisal pulp prior to its anaerobic digestion was investigated using an activated sludge mixed culture under aerobic conditions in batch bioreactors at 37 degrees C. The progression of aerobic pre-treatment of the residue in relation to the activities of some extracellular hydrolytic enzymes in the slurry was monitored. The highest activity of hydrolytic enzymes was obtained at 9 h
Responses to isotonic quick releases of rabbit urinary bladder strips and rat portal veins activated by AC-stimulation and K+-high medium were studied. The AC stimulation was adjusted to give the same tension as th K+-contractures. Releases were performed at peak of the contractions (which was attained after 1.5-4.5 s AC-stimulation or 2-3 min in K+-high solution). The length response consisted of
Background: Retinoids are vital for embryonic development; both excesses and deficiencies of vitamin A are known to give similar patterns of birth defects. Concentrations of retinol in newborns and in pregnant women have been investigated, but concentrations of the biologically active metabolite all-trans retinoic acid and its isomer 13-cis retinoic acid have not. Objective: We measured serum conc
The phase behavior over the entire concentration range for the system didodecyldimethylammonium bromide (DDAB)-sodium taurodeoxycholate (STDC)-water, at 25 degrees C, has been investigated, with emphasis on the DDAB-rich part. Polarizing microscopy, SAXS, H-2 NMR and H-1 self-diffusion NMR have been used in combination as probing techniques for phase behavior and microstructure. The system forms f
The Siberian Jay (Perisoreus infaustus) lives in resident, territorial family groups outside the breeding season, but does not breed cooperatively. Thereby it offers an opportunity to study the evolution of territorial group living, without confounding effects of reproductive cooperation. During a long-term study in Finland 1974-2000, we observed Siberian Jay group composition in autumn. Using mic
OBJECTIVE: To investigate markers of endothelial activation in muscle biopsies from rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients with and without extra-articular manifestations (ExRA). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Nine consecutive ExRA patients were compared with nine RA controls without ExRA, matched for age, sex and duration of RA. Muscle biopsies were obtained from the lateral vastus or anterior tibial muscle.
The objective was to study ambulatory blood pressure and heart rate variability between day and night in patients with type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus with different degrees of diabetic nephropathy, and to evaluate the influence of autonomic neuropathy and type of antihypertensive treatment. Twenty type 1 diabetic patients with diabetic nephropathy and antihypertensive treatment were
