We report a new determination of [O/Fe, the relative logarithmicabundance of O/Fe with respect to the Sun, for the very metal-poor starBD+23 3130 ([Fe/H=-2.6). The value was derived from the forbidden line[O I at 630 nm and from six weak Fe II lines, with a S/N ratiosubstantially larger than those obtained before, thanks to theefficiency of the VLT-UVES instrument at Paranal. We obtain[O/Fe=0.71+/

Aim: To investigate patients' psychological distress in relation to memory and stressful experiences in the intensive care unit (ICU), and to identify early predictors for the development of high levels of acute post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)-related symptoms. Methods: A prospective cohort study was performed over 18 months in two general ICUs, including 313 intubated mechanically ventilate

We investigated here the effect of the novel glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF)-family member neurturin (NTN) on transplanted fetal dopamine (DA) neurons. Three groups of rats with complete unilateral 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) lesions of the nigrostriatal DA system received intrastriatal grafts of embryonic ventral mesencephalic tissue. Following transplantation animals received r

Huntington's disease is an autosomal dominant hereditary neurodegenerative disorder characterized by severe striatal cell loss. Dopamine (DA) has been suggested to play a role in the pathogenesis of the disease. We have previously reported that transgenic mice expressing exon 1 of the human Huntington gene (R6 lines) are resistant to quinolinic acid-induced striatal toxicity. In this study we show

The incorporation of caproic acid in the sn-1 position of phosphatidylcholine (PC) catalyzed by lipase from Rhizopus oryzae was investigated in a water activity-controlled organic medium. The reaction was carried out either as esterification or transesterification. A comparison between these two reaction modes was made with regard to product yield, product purity, reaction time, and byproduct form

Lichen symbiosis has been traditionally treated as a model case of mutualism in which both partners, the fungus and the photobiont. gain benefits reciprocally. Some recent evidence, however, supports an alternative view that lichen symbiosis may represent an association largely controlled by the commensal or even parasitic fungal partner. The latter gains photosynthates from the photobiont (algae

Background: Staphylococcus aureus is one of the most common bacteria in human sepsis, a condition in which the activation of blood coagulation plays a critical pathophysiological role. During severe sepsis and septic shock microthrombi and multiorgan dysfunction are observed as a result of bacterial interference with the host defense and coagulation systems. Objectives: In the present study, staph

Melatonin is produced in the dark by the pineal gland and is a key regulator of circadian and seasonal rhythms. A low melatonin level was reported in individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), but the underlying cause of this deficit was unknown. The ASMT gene, encoding the last enzyme of melatonin synthesis, is located on the pseudo-autosomal region 1 of the sex chromosomes, deleted in sev

The classic kinetic model for cellulose hydrolysis is often referred to as pseudo-homogeneous, a term revealing the insight that the process is actually heterogeneous. During the past 10-15 yr, the shortcomings of this model have been demonstrated in various studies and the interest in the heterogeneous aspects has increased. The present work presents a simplistic model in which the intrinsic, het

Two new carboxylate-containing polydentate ligands have been synthesized, the symmetric ligand 2,6-bis[N-(N-(carboxylmethyl)-N-((1-methylimidazol)methyl)amine)methyl]-4-methylphenolate (BCIMP) and the corresponding asymmetric ligand 2-(N-isopropyl-N-((1-aminomethyl)-4-methylphenol (ICIMP). The ligands have been used to prepare model complexes for the active site of the dinuclear nickel enzyme urea

BACKGROUND: Different P-wave morphologies during sinus rhythm as displayed on standard ECGs have been postulated to correspond to differences in interatrial conduction. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the hypothesis by comparing P-wave morphologies using left atrial activation maps. METHODS: Twenty-eight patients (mean age 49 +/- 9 years) admitted for ablation of paroxysmal at

OBJECTIVES: To compare two patient populations with assumed cultural differences undergoing radical cystectomy and orthotopic bladder substitution to determine whether these translate into differences in the answers to self-report instruments. METHODS: The questionnaires Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Bladder Cancer (FACT-BL), consisting of a general version (FACT-G) and a bladder cancer

The aims of this paper are to investigate both older people's views about ways In which to finance health-care costs and their willingness to pay for treatment themselves, along with variations in these views by age and gender. The data are from the Good Ageing in Sk (a) over circle ne (GAS) prospective longitudinal cohort study in Sweden, which involved medical examinations and a survey of living

In several cases, inorganic salts have been used to induce partly structured states in protein folding. But what is the nature of these states: Do they represent key stepping stones in the folding process, or are they circumstantial pitfalls in the energy landscape? Here we report that, in the case of the two-state protein S6, the salt-induced collapsed state is off the usual folding routes in the

Objectives: To assess the extent and pattern of irreversible organ damage in patients with Wegener's granulomatosis (WG), microscopic polyangiitis (MPA), polyarteritis nodosa (PAN), and Churg-Strauss syndrome (CSS) by a cross-sectional point prevalence study within a defined geographical area. Methods: The Vasculitis Damage Index (VDI) was recorded for 86 prevalent cases, classified as 46 patients