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Early treatment response markers, for example, improvement in forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) and St George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) total score, may help clinicians to better manage patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). We investigated the prevalence of clinically important improvements in FEV1 and SGRQ scores after 2-month budesonide/formoterol or form

We report on a search for gravitational waves from coalescing compact binaries using LIGO and Virgo observations between July 7, 2009, and October 20, 2010. We searched for signals from binaries with total mass between 2 and 25M(circle dot); this includes binary neutron stars, binary black holes, and binaries consisting of a black hole and neutron star. The detectors were sensitive to systems up t

PURPOSE: Previous studies of neighborhood deprivation and mental disorders have yielded mixed results, possibly because they were based on different substrata of the population. We conducted a national multilevel study to determine whether neighborhood deprivation is independently associated with psychiatric medication prescription in a national population. METHODS: Nationwide outpatient and inpat

The key step in the reaction mechanism of multicopper oxidases (MCOs)-the cleavage of the O-O bond in O-2-has been investigated using combined quantum mechanical and molecular mechanical (QM/MM) methods. This process represents a reaction pathway from the peroxy intermediate after it accepts one electron from the nearby type-1 Cu site to the experimentally-observed native intermediate, which is th

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We used in vivo amperometry to monitor changes in synaptic dopamine (DA) release in the striatum induced by overexpression of human wild-type α-synuclein in nigral DA neurons, induced by injection of an adeno-associated virus type 6 (AAV6)-α-synuclein vector unilaterally into the substantia nigra in adult rats. Impairments in DA release evolved in parallel with the development of degenerative chan

The spatial distribution of predators and their prey is affected by their joint use of space. While the formation of such spatial patterns may be driven by density-dependent and -independent factors our knowledge on the contribution of different land-use activities on the formation of spatial patterns between predators and prey remains very limited. Agriculture is one of the most prevailing land-u

While Botswana since independence has experienced impressive economic growth and development this progress has not been accompanied by economic diversification and endogenous growth. In this article we focus on the colonial period and investigate to what extent the formal sector of Bechuanaland Protectorate (colonial Botswana) had the potential to constitute the basis for a diversification of the

Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is the most common type of cancer in the adult kidney, and the prognosis of metastatic ccRCC remains poor with high mortality. In ccRCC, microRNAs (miRs) differentially expressed in tumour tissue have been identified and have been proposed to predict prognosis. The purpose of this study was to evaluate candidate miR markers identified from analysis of The Ca

We investigate a Gibbs (annealed) probability measure defined on Ising spin configurations on causal triangulations of the plane. We study the region where such measure can be defined and provide bounds on the boundary of this region (critical line). We prove that for any finite random triangulation the magnetization of the central spin is sensitive to the boundary conditions. Furthermore, we show

Treatment with azathioprine within 3 months of remission induction with cyclophosphamide is a common treatment strategy for patients with ANCA-associated vasculitis. This study comprised patients undergoing long-term follow-up who were randomly allocated to azathioprine after 3-6 months or after 12 months of cyclophosphamide treatment.DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, & MEASUREMENTS: Patients fro

Among the parameters to take into account in the design of a proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC), the energy conversion efficiency and material cost are very important. Understanding in deep the behavior and properties of functional layers at the microscale is helpful for improving the performance of the system and find alternative materials. The functional layers of the PEMFC, i.e., the ga

In veal calf production, growth promoters are still illicitly used. Surveillance of misuse of such molecules is necessary to preserve human health. Methods currently adopted for their analysis are based on liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry, but their efficacy can be affected by undetectable residual concentrations in biological matrices due to treatments at low-dosage or based on unkn

In a typical fish eye, the crystalline lens is the only refractive element. It is spherical in shape and has high refractive power. Most fish species have elaborate color vision and spectral sensitivity may range from the near-infrared to the near-ultraviolet. Longitudinal chromatic aberration exceeds depth of focus and chromatic blur is compensated for by species-specific multifocality of the len

Background: Psychotic illness can have a substantial economic burden not only on the patient and society in general, but also on family members providing informal care (i.e. those not subject to a market wage). While informal caregiving confers benefits for the patient and society, time spent providing informal care is diverted from other activities such as work or leisure. Relatives and caregiver

Welders are at risk for cardiovascular disease. Recent studies linked tobacco smoke exposure to hypomethylation of the F2RL3 (coagulation factor II (thrombin) receptor-like 3) gene, a marker for cardiovascular disease prognosis and mortality. However, whether welding fumes cause hypomethylation of F2RL3 remains unknown.

Here we will briefly describe the commissioning of the Double ElectroStatic Ion Ring ExpEriment (DESIREE) facility at Stockholm University, Sweden. This device uses purely electrostatic focussing and deflection elements and allows ion beams of opposite charge to be confined under extreme high vacuum and cryogenic conditions in separate "rings" and then merged over a common straight section. This a

The escape process from the native valley for proteins subjected to a constant stretching force is examined using a model for a beta barrel. For a wide range of forces, the unfolding dynamics can be treated as one-dimensional diffusion, parametrized in terms of the end-to-end distance. In particular, the escape times can be evaluated as first passage times for a Brownian particle moving on the pro

Memory T cells present a unique challenge in transplantation. Although memory T cells express robust immune responses to invading pathogens. they may be resistant to the effects of immunosuppressive therapies used to prolong graft survival. In previous studies, we found that compound K. the synthesized analogue of highly unsaturated fatty acids from Isatis tinctoria L., reduced acute cardiac allog

In this Monte Carlo simulation study we use mesoscopic modeling to show that beta-casein, an unstructured milk protein, adsorbs to surfaces not only due to direct electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions but also due to structural rearrangement and charge regulation due to proton uptake and release. beta-casein acts as an amphiphilic chameleon, changing properties according to the chemical envir