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PURPOSE: to test whether a laparoscopically-placed external band around the infrarenal aorta could stop vessel dilatation and prevent stent-graft detachment from the aortic wall. METHODS: in 13 growing pigs Gianturco-based stent-grafts were placed in the infrarenal aorta. In eight pigs, an external PTFE band (1 cm width) was placed laparoscopically around the infrarenal aorta. The remaining five p
In spite of the continuous development of production systems work-related musculoskeletal disorders is still a large problem. One reason might be the difficulties in quantifying the ergonomic effects of interventions. In this paper ergonomic consequences of technical and organisational changes were quantified in a plant for producing slats for parquet flooring. Muscle activity, work postures and m
Two flavones, 4',5,7-trihydroxy-6-methoxy flavone (dinatin) and 4',5-dihydroxy-6, 7-dimethoxy flavone (skrofulein), were extracted from Artemisia herba alba L. Dinatin and skrofulein inhibited the binding of [methyl-3H]diazepam to rat brain membranes in vitro with IC50 of 1.3 and 23 mumol.L-1, respectively. The GABA-ratios (the ratio of IC50 values in the absence/presence of GABA in the binding as
Objective: The hemodynamic effects of vacuum-assisted closure therapy in cardiac surgery are debated. The aim of the present study was to quantify cardiac output and left ventricular chamber volumes after vacuum-assisted closure using magnetic resonance imaging, which is known to be the most accurate method for quantifying these measures. Methods: Six pigs had median sternotomy followed by vacuum-
The light response of a BGO crystal has been measured for particles Z = 1-8, A = 1-16 in the energy range similar to2-60 A MeV. The reaction products are identified by a DeltaE(Si) - E(Sci/PD) telescope, The position of the jump in the value of the signal from the PD at the punch-through points is used to calibrate both the DeltaE(Si) and E(Sci/PD) scales in MeV. The dependence of the light output
In apparently monogamous or polygynous birds, sperm from several males may compete to fertilize the eggs laid by one female. In this study we evaluate sperm competition in the European starling (Sturnus vulgaris) by means of a mate-switching experiment. Already-mated males were removed between 1-7 d before their mates started egg-laying, resulting in the female remating with a new male. The origin
Ripley's K-function was used to investigate the changes in spatial pattern among trees in a semi-natural mixed deciduous forest in Denmark over 50 years, from 1948 to 2001. Trees larger than 10 cm diameter in breast height (dbh) were mapped at 10-year intervals in 16 blocks within two former compartments. At the start of the observation, trees were found to be regularly distributed at distances le
Objective Hand Mobility in Scleroderma (HAMIS) is a new hand function test developed for adults who have systemic sclerosis. HAMIS consists of 9 items designed to measure all movements assessed in an ordinary range of motion (ROM)-measured hand test. The aim of this study was to examine the reliability of the test. Methods Two observers (one occupational therapist and one physiotherapist) perform
We present measurements of the potential profile of etched GaInAs/InP billiards and show that their energy gradients are an order of magnitude steeper than those of surface-gated GaAs/AlGaAs billiards. Previously observed in GaAs/AlGaAs billiards, fractal conductance fluctuations are predicted to be critically sensitive to the billiard profile. Here we show that, despite the increase in energy gra
Background: Oral contraceptive use has been associated with an increase in the risk of breast cancer in young women. We examined whether this association is seen in women at high risk of breast cancer because they carry a mutation in one of two breast cancer susceptibility genes, BRCA1 and BRCA2. Methods: We performed a matched case-control study on 1311 pairs of women with known deleterious BRCA1
Purpose: Retigabine is a novel anticonvulsant drug that not only augments gamma-aminobutyric acid mechanisms, but also opens voltage gated K+ channels (KCNQ). In this study we investigated the effects of retigabine on detrusor activity in rats. Materials and Methods: To conscious, female Sprague-Dawley rats undergoing continuous cystometry retigabine was given intravenously (0.5, 1 and 5 mg/kg(-1)
It has been previously suggested that leukotriene-induced Ca2+ signalling is mediated through a Rho-dependent process, but neither direct activation of Rho nor a mechanism underlying such signalling has been reported. Accordingly, we used the Rhotekin binding assay to assess RhoA activation in intestinal epithelial cells and observed that RhoA was activated by leukotriene D4 (LTD4). We also found
OBJECTIVES: Long-term, low-dose macrolide therapy is effective in the treatment of chronic rhinosinusitis. It is believed that macrolide antibiotics produce this benefit through an anti-inflammatory effect. In this study, the effect of clarithromycin treatment on the expression of transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta and the key pro-inflammatory nuclear transcription factor, NF-kappa B, was exami
1 In the present study, the inhibitory effects of the selective beta 2-adrenoceptor agonists, salmeterol, formoterol and salbutamol, have been investigated on contractions of ferret trachea induced both by endogenous and exogenous acetylcholine. The aim of the study was to evaluate quantitative and/or qualitative differences in response which may indicate both pre-and post-junctional sites of acti
This work introduces a novel analytical method for the detection and study of GAD65 autoantibodies, which have been implicated in the onset of type 1 diabetes. There is a clinical need for a rapid and automated assay for GAD65 autoantibodies. Therefore, this method was designed to exploit the advantages of bead injection (BI) analysis for enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA). BI ELISA is a m
