Recognizing the possible beneficial effect of prebiotics in food, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) convened a Technical meeting to start work on the evaluation of the functional and health properties of prebiotics. A group of international experts agreed on guidelines, recommended criteria, and methodology for conducting a systematic approach for the evaluation of

The attachment of primary rat hepatocytes and fibroblasts to collagen type I is mediated by non-RGD-dependent beta 1 integrin matrix receptors. In this report we describe a novel 96-well microtiter plate assay for the quantification of fibroblast-mediated contraction of floating collagen type I gels. Fetal calf serum and platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), but not transforming growth factor-bet

The hottest developments in the fields of cancer research, neuroscience, genomics and proteomics, anti-virals and more, with a pick of the key research papers in these areas.

We present QSim, a program for simulation of NMR experiments. Pulse sequences are implemented and analyzed in QSim using a mouse driven interface. QSim can handle almost any modern NMR experiment, using multiple channels, shaped pulses, mixing, decoupling, phase-cycling and pulsed field gradients. Any number of spins with any spin quantum number can, in theory, be used in simulations. Relaxation i

Objective. Two simulation models were developed to analyze the cost-effectiveness of new treatments that affect the progression of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Methods. We used data from 2 cohorts of. patients with early RA who had been followed up since disease onset (up to 15 years). In the Swedish study, 183 patients were followed up for a mean of 11.3 years. In the UK study, 916 patients were fo

Sub-micrometer atmospheric aerosol particles were studied in the Amazon region, 125 km northeast of Manaus, Brazil (-1degrees55.2'S, 59degrees28.1'W). The measurements were performed during the wet-to-dry transition period, 4-28 July 2001 as part of the LBA (Large-Scale Biosphere Atmosphere Experiment in Amazonia) CLAIRE-2001 (Cooperative LBA Airborne Regional Experiment) experiment. The number si

Implantation of cells genetically modified to express therapeutic genes into the brain has been proposed as a potential treatment for neurodegenerative diseases. In the current study embryonic rat-derived astrocytes were cultured and transduced with a lentiviral vector expressing the reporter gene green fluorescent protein (GFP) and subsequently grafted into the adult rat brain. The proportion of

BACKGROUND: Serum creatinine is the most commonly used marker for estimation of glomerular filtration rate (GFR). To compensate for its drawbacks as a GFR marker, several prediction equations including several parameters are being used, with the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD), Schwartz, and Counahan-Barratt equations being the ones most widely accepted for estimation of relative GFR

Abstract not available

A study relating the properties of haematite (alpha-Fe2O3) produced by thermal oxidation of pyrite and marcasite (both FeS2) in air for 1 h at temperatures between 200 and 650 degreesC, to the iron disulphide polymorph and grain size of the sample is reported. Comparisons feature crystallite sizes of haematite from pyrite and marcasite oxidation, and the 125-250 and 710-1000 mum fractions. The cry

Objective Primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) is associated with heart disease. The aims of the present study were to evaluate how cardiac function and secretion of N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) correlate in patients with mild PHPT, and how the plasma level of NT-proBNP is influenced by cure of the parathyroid disease. Design and patients Forty-two patients with PHPT without

Blood coagulation factor IX is composed of discrete domains with an NH2-terminal vitamin K-dependent gamma-carboxyglutamic acid (Gla)-containing region, followed by two domains that are homologous with the epidermal growth factor (EGF) precursor and a COOH-terminal serine protease part. Calcium ions bind to the Gla-containing region and to the NH2-terminal EGF-like domain. To be able to determine

This study evaluated a routine psychiatric outpatient unit that admitted a variety of diagnoses and was staffed with a multi-professional team. The aim was to describe the problem severity among patients of a routine psychiatric outpatient unit in Sweden and to evaluate the statistical and clinical effectiveness of routine care assessed at the termination of treatment. Newly admitted patients were

Elevated blood pressure has been implicated as a risk factor for renal cell carcinoma (RCC), but prospective studies were confined to men and did not consider the effect of antihypertensive medication. The authors examined the relation among blood pressure, antihypertensive medication, and RCC in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC). Blood pressure was measured i

As part of a systematic palaeohydrological reconstruction of lake level fluctuations during the Last Glacial Maximum, a transect of cores from ancient Lake Xinias in centra Greece has already been studied with respect to pollen, sediment and mineral magnetic analyses. The chronology was based on C-14 AMS dating of terrestrial plant macrofossil remains from peat and clayey peat (Palaeogeog. Palaeoc

Using Markov chain Monte Carlo methods for statistical inference is often troublesome in practice, because performance of the algorithm may hugely depend on the observed data, and what works well for one dataset may fail miserably for another. In this article, for spatial generalized linear mixed models (GLMMs), we discuss problems with algorithms previously used, and we construct an algorithm wit

Empirical research on the knowledge dynamics of biotechnology demonstrates a dual local-global knowledge flow pattern. The sector is characterised by strong spatial concentration around nodes of excellence that are interconnected through a global network. This requires a specification of the notion of proximity as a facilitator of learning processes which emphasises its multifaceted configuration.