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This paper examines the role of mahalla as a “hybrid” institution in the process of revamping public administration in post-Soviet Uzbekistan. It argues that the mahalla system, which is anchored on Islamic principles, has now become an institutionalized feature of Uzbekistan’s public administration (through legislative codification and executive incorporation) and now operates partly on behalf of

Lewy bodies, which are a pathological hallmark of Parkinson's disease, contain insoluble polymers of alpha-synuclein (alphasyn). Among the different modifications that can promote the formation of toxic alphasyn species, C-terminal truncation is among the most abundant alterations in patients with Parkinson's disease. In vitro, C-terminal truncated alphasyn aggregates faster and sub-stoichiometric

The present article researches the mechanisms suggested for controlling the fulfillment of the EU sustainability criteria for transport biofuels that have been presented in the central legal framework in this area, which is Directive 2009/28/EC. The analysis is extended to the related EU policy documents of a non-binding explanatory and recommendatory character. Judging from the content of Directi

The region of North Africa (NA) represents a striking locality regarding migration with several migration patterns, namely emigration in the form of labour export to Europe and North America and, to a lesser extent, to the Arab Gulf area. The latter has increased enormously in the last decade because of the political instability in most of the NA countries. The aim of the present chapter was to ex

The aim of the current study was to evaluate the effect of pelvic floor muscle training in men with poststroke lower urinary tract symptoms. Thirty-one poststroke men, median age 68 years, were included in this single-blinded randomized controlled trial. Thirty participants, 15 in each group, completed the study. The intervention consisted of 3 months (12 weekly sessions) of pelvic floor muscle tr

Bacterial skin infections, such as erysipelas or cellulitis, are characterized by fever and a painful erythematous rash. Despite the high prevalence of these infections, little is known about the underlying pathogenic mechanisms. This is partly due to the fact that a bacterial diagnosis is often difficult to attain. To gain insight into the pathogenesis of erysipelas, we investigated the samples o

PURPOSE: To report an alternative to the fenestrated stent-graft for preserving blood flow to side branches in the sealing zones of aortic stent-grafts. TECHNIQUE: A covered stent is deployed parallel to the main aortic stent-graft, protruding somewhat proximally, like a chimney, to preserve flow to a vital side branch covered by the aortic stent-graft. Use of a chimney graft makes it possible to

Eighty basal cell carcinomas (BCCs) in 21 patients, 10 lesions of Bowen's disease in three patients, and four lesions of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma in two patients, were treated with photodynamic laser therapy (PDT), using topical application of the haem precursor delta-amino levulinic acid (ALA). The diagnoses were confirmed histologically prior to treatment. Fifty-five of the BCCs were superficia

Increased hematocrit (Hct) attributable to splenic contraction accompanies human apneic diving or apnea with face immersion. Apnea also causes heart rate reduction and peripheral vasoconstriction, i.e., a cardiovascular diving response, which is augmented by face immersion. The aim was to study the role of apnea and facial immersion in the initiation of the hematological response and to relate thi

We have analysed the thermionic current over a potential barrier between a hot and a cold metallic wire, in the absence of an externally applied electric field. Because of the quantum nature of the transmission probability and the temperature behaviour of the Fermi distribution function, under proper conditions the thermionic electric current reverses its direction. However, the heat current remai

Staphylococcal enterotoxin H (SEH) is a bacterial superantigen secreted by Staphylococcus aureus. Superantigens are presented on the MHC class II and activate large amounts of T cells by cross-linking APC and T cells. In this study, RT-PCR was used to show that SEH stimulates human T cells via the V domain of TCR, in particular V10 (TRAV27), while no TCR V-specific expansion was seen. This is in s

This study was performed to investigate the mechanisms responsible for the transport of albumin and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) across capillary walls in vivo. To separate transcytosis from passive, 'porous' transport, we tested the effects of the transcytosis inhibitors N-ethylmaleimide (NEM) and filipin given intraperitoneally on the peritoneal capillary clearance of LDL and albumin in anesthe

Culture of dispersed smooth muscle cells is known to cause rapid modulation from the contractile to the synthetic cellular phenotype. However, organ culture of smooth muscle tissue, with maintained extracellular matrix and cell-cell contacts, may facilitate maintenance of the contractile phenotype. To test the influence of culture conditions, structural, functional, and biochemical properties of r

Research suggests that hyperbaric oxygen therapy may have beneficial effects on ulcer healing and amputation rates in diabetic patients. This paper describes the design of a study that is evaluating its effects on chronic diabetic foot ulcers.

Background Chronic immune stimulation appears to be associated with lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma (LPL)-Waldenström macroglobulinemia (WM); however, available information is sparse. We conducted, to our knowledge, the most comprehensive study to date to evaluate associations between a personal or family history of many immune-related and/or inflammatory disorders and the subsequent risk of LPL-WM. Me