Objectives: To assess the prevalence of pharyngeal and oesophageal symptoms and dysmotility in patients with primary Sjogren's syndrome ( pSS) and relate these to autonomic nervous function. Methods: Twenty consecutive pSS patients, according to the American - European Consensus Criteria ( AECC), and 30 age- and sex- matched controls from the Swedish general population registry were studied. All s

In vivo studies on rats have demonstrated that considerable amounts of iodide are transported from the bloodstream into the gastric lumen. The mechanisms for and functional significance of this transport are poorly understood. Active (driven by Na+/K+-ATPase) iodide transport into thyroid follicular cells is mediated by the sodium-iodide symporter (NIS), which is also abundantly expressed in gastr

Genetic engineering has been used for fusion of peptides, with different length and composition, on a protein to study the effect on partitioning in an aqueous two-phase system. The system was composed of dextran and the thermoseparating ethylene oxide-propylene oxide random copolymer, EO30PO70. Peptides containing tryptophan, proline, arginine or aspartate residues were fused at the C-terminus of

Rhes is a small GTP-binding protein prominently localized in the striatum. Previous findings obtained in cell culture systems demonstrated an involvement of Rhes in cAMP/PKA signalling pathway, at a level proximal to the activation of heterotrimeric G-protein complex. However, its role in the striatum has been, so far, only supposed. Here we studied the involvement of Rhes in dopaminergic signalli

A comparative study of light pf shell nuclei using cranked Nilsson-Strutinsky model and the spherical shell model indicates that some of the signature splitting between the partner bands in odd-A nuclei originates from a gradual decrease in the contents of the pairing energy as spin increases.

The 'buck-passing' account equates the value of an object with the existence of reasons to favour it. As we argued in an earlier paper, this analysis faces the 'wrong kind of reasons' problem: there may be reasons for pro-attitudes towards worthless objects, in particular if it is the pro-attitudes, rather than their objects, that are valuable. Jonas Olson has recently suggested how to resolve thi

Two native grasses, Festuca ovina of dry and Agrostis stolonifera mainly of moist habitats of calcareous grasslands, were studied in an experiment with the objective of elucidating the effect of soil moisture level on soil solution chemistry, biomass production and shoot mineral nutrients. Eight levels of moisture, corresponding to 30-100% of the water-holding capacity (WHC) of the soil, were test

OBJECTIVE: Congestive heart failure (CHF) is accompanied by impaired peripheral blood flow and endothelial dysfunction with decreased release of nitric oxide (NO). Strong evidence supports the existence of another vasodilatory substance, endothelium derived hyperpolarising factor (EDHF), which has not previously been studied in CHF. METHOD: CHF was induced by left coronary artery ligation resultin

Amphiphilic graft copolymers consisting of methacrylate backbones carrying approximately 48 wt.% of ethylene oxide [(EO)(9) or (EO)(23)] side chains as ionophilic groups and fluorocarbon or hydrocarbon side chains as ionophobic groups were prepared. Solid polymer electrolytes based on the copolymers and lithium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide (LiTFSI) were characterized by DSC and the impedance

Maternal hormones can have substantial phenotypic effects in the progeny of many vertebrates. It has been proposed that mothers adaptively adjust hormone levels experienced by particular young to optimize their reproductive output. In birds, systematic variation in egg hormone levels has been related to different female reproductive strategies. Because in many bird species prospects of the offspri

To describe lifetime mental disorders among perpetrators of severe inter-personal crimes and to identify the problem domains most closely associated with aggression and a history of repeated violent criminality, we used structured interviews, clinical assessments, analyses of intellectual functioning, medical and social files, and collateral interviews in 100 consecutive subjects of pretrial foren

Background. The use of left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) is established as a bridge to heart transplantation. Methods. All Swedish patients on the waiting list for heart transplantation, treated with LVAD since 1993 were retrospectively collected into a database and analyzed in regards to risk factors for mortality and morbidity. Results. Fifty-nine patients (46 men) with a median age of 49

Somatostatin (SST) is a peptide hormone active in the regulation of the endocrine system via different somatostatin receptors subtypes. It inhibits the release of multiple secondary peptide hormones, affecting neurotransmission and cell proliferation. SST has a high therapeutic potential in the treatment of disease, such as acromegali, acute pancreatitis and gastroenteropathic endocrine tumors. Ho

Distraction osteogenesis is used both for leg lengthening and for bone transportation in the treatment of fractures and nonunions. The main problem with this method is that the time until full recovery may be up to a year, partly because of the time needed for the new formed bone to consolidate and become strong enough for weight bearing. We have studied whether intermittent parathyroid hormone (P

Fragrance allergy and hand eczema are both common among dermatological patients. Fragrance mix (FM) and its constituents have a recognized relevance to exposure to fine fragrances and cosmetic products. Based on extensive chemical analysis and database search, a new selection of fragrances was established, including 14 known fragrance allergens present in products to which hand exposure would occu

Human cystatin D is a novel member of the cystatin superfamily of cysteine proteinase inhibitors present in saliva and tears. Two alleles of the cystatin D gene (CST5), encoding protein variants with either Cys or Arg as residue 26 in their 122-residue polypeptide chains, are present in the population. Expression of the two alleles was investigated by immunochemical analyses of the secreted cystat

We consider the conditions necessary for the development of an inverted population among the energy levels of free atoms in a medium exposed to radiation in spectral non- equilibrium. In particular, we focus on monochromatic radiation occurring as a result of an accidental wavelength coincidence between a pumping emission line and a pumped absorption line in two different elements. We examine espe