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Inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) therapy such as fluticasone propionate (FP) is effective in moderate-to-severe asthma, but for patients on ICS who still experience symptoms, treatment guidelines recommend either increasing the dose of ICS or adding a long-acting beta2-agonist such as salmeterol or formoterol. Several studies have now shown that adding salmeterol provides greater clinical benefit than
Various examinations of sealant joints show that there are many problems with leakage, even in fairly new buildings. Two main reasons have been that the sealant properties are overrated and that the joint design or workmanship is poor due to lack of knowledge about the basic requirements and the material properties. The failure mechanism of an elastic sealant is described. This serves as a basis
A novel insertion device for electron storage rings called the MAX-Wiggler has been constructed at MAX-lab. The MAX-Wiggler is a cold bore superconducting wiggler magnet with 47 3.5-T poles and. a period length of 61 mm aimed for the production of X-rays at the 1.5-GeV electron storage ring MAX-II at MAX-lab. The MAX-Wiggler consists of 98 racetrack coils connected in series in the superconducting
In 131I SPECT, image quality and quantification accuracy are degraded by object scatter as well as scatter and penetration in the collimator. The characterization of energy and spatial distributions of scatter and penetration performed in this study by Monte Carlo simulation will be useful for the development and evaluation of techniques that compensate for such events in 131I imaging. METHODS: Fi
Diethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) is widely used as a plasticizer in consumer products and is known to disturb the development of the male reproductive system in rats. The mechanisms by which DEHP exerts these effects are not yet fully elucidated, though some of the effects are related to reduced fetal testosterone production. The present study investigated the effects of four different doses of DEHP
Neutrophil apoptosis occurs both in the bloodstream and in the tissue and is considered essential for the resolution of an inflammatory process. Here, we show that p38–mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) associates to caspase-8 and caspase-3 during neutrophil apoptosis and that p38-MAPK activity, previously shown to be a survival signal in these primary cells, correlates with the levels of cas
Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP) is a group of uncured retinal diseases with the world wide incidence of about 1/3500. In spite of the huge efforts in past years, the mechanisms underlying this type of hereditary blindness has not been elucidated and nor any effective treatment available. The rd1 mouse strain carries a mutation in ?-subunit of phosphodiesterase gene which hydrolyzes the cGMP and is need
A systematic review of radiation therapy trials in several turnout types was performed by The Swedish Council of Technology Assessment in Health Care (SBU). The procedures for evaluation of the scientific literature are described separately (Acta Oncol 2003; 42: 357-365). This synthesis of the literature on radiation therapy for head and neck cancer is based on data from 39 randomized trials and I
Purpose: We tested the biocompatibility of nitinol, a nickel titanium alloy, and stainless steel (SS) as bladder implant materials. Materials and Methods: Rats received a nitinol implant, an SS implant or were sham controls. Two, 3, 6 and 8 weeks following implantation 24-hour voiding behavior studies were per-formed to investigate bladder irritation. All animals were sacrificed 8 weeks after impl
Current views on the mechanism of the formation of nodular graphite in cast iron are examined with respect to their explanatory power. The aim of this review is to find, if possible, a rationale for further studies. Arguments are presented in favour of a comprehensive model, encompassing the characteristics of both the nucleation and the growth of the graphite. A plea is made for focusing on the m
Popular Abstract in Swedish Parkinsons sjukdom beror på att de dopamin-producerande cellerna i hjärnan dör. Detta leder till minskad rörlighet, svårigheter i att påbörja och avsluta en rörelse, balanssvårigheter och darrningar (tremor) hos de drabbade patienterna. Varför dopamincellerna dör är oklart och i nulägat kan man inte bota Parkinsons sjukdom, men man kan lindra symptomen med mediciner. PaParkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder where the midbrain dopaminergic neurons are lost. Presently there is no cure for PD, and the most common treatment is to replace the lost dopamine pharmacologically by administration of the dopamine precursor L-DOPA. This works very well during the initial treatment period, but unfortunately a majority of the patients develop abnormal involu
Hypersecretion of airway mucus is a characteristic feature of chronic airway diseases like cystic fibrosis (CF) and leads via impairment of the muco-ciliary clearance and bacterial superinfection to respiratory failure. The major components of the mucus matrix forming family of mucins in the airways are MUC5AC and MUC5B. To investigate the expression of these glycoproteins in CF, immunohistochemis
Purpose The diagnostic value and cost-efficiency of MR imaging were compared with US before endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) in patients with clinically suspected biliary tract disease. Material and Methods: In a prospective study of 219 patients, 85 were examined with both MR and US before ERCP. Results: To find the correct diagnosis in the jaundiced patients the sensitivity
A series of mono and bis -amino alcohols derived from phenylalanine were synthesised and their application as chiral catalysts in the asymmetric ethylation of aromatic aldehydes in the presence of diethylzinc investigated.
The aims of this study were to evaluate the oral health status and nutritional status in a group of geriatric rehabilitation patients, and to analyse the relationship between these two parameters. Nurses at the ward performed structured assessments of oral and nutritional status using the Revised Oral Assessment Guide and the Subjective Global Assessment form in 223 newly admitted patients. Most o
The efficient in vitro inhibition of hepatitis B virus DNA polymerase by trisodium phosphonoformate (PFA, INN: foscarnet sodium) and its low toxicity suggested that PFA could be used as a therapeutic agent for hepatitis B infection. PFA was also found to inhibit woodchuck hepatitis virus (WHV) DNA polymerase in vitro. As a model to test PFA's eventual effect, chronically WHV infected woodchucks we
Limitations of the pulse-shape discrimination (PSD) technique - a promising method to identify the charged particles stopped in planar Si-detectors - have been investigated. The particle resolution turned out to be basically determined by resistivity fluctuations in the bulk silicon which cause the charge-collection time to depend on the point of impact. Detector maps showing these fluctuations ha
