Cigarette smoke-induced emphysema is thought to involve reduction of antielastolytic capacity, resulting in elevated elastase activity and lung tissue damage. Peripheral lavage collected from ten asymptomatic subjects immediately before and 20 min after smoking two high tar cigarettes was analysed for neutrophil elastase (NE) inhibitory capacity (IC), alpha 1-proteinase inhibitor (PI) function,...

Several strategies are being developed to minimize nitrogen (N) pollution from poultry waste in areas with high concentrations of commercial poultry operations. This study focus on the effect of feeding reduced protein (CP) diets on laying hens housed under commercial conditions. The experiment was carried out using 144 Hy-Line W-36 hens which were randomly assigned to one of four dietary treat...

Parkinson's disease (PD) is characterized by a steady loss of dopamine neurons through apoptotic, inflammatory and oxidative stress processes. In that line of view, the pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP), with its ability to cross the blood-brain barrier and its anti-apoptotic, anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative properties, has proven to offer potent neuroprotection in...

Contrast enhanced dynamic studies of malignant tumors performed by computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are increasingly applied to characterize tumor microcirculation for the prediction of therapy outcome. The aim of our study was to correlate perfusion index (PI) values determined in primary rectal carcinoma before chemoradiation with therapy outcome. In 17 patients with cl...

BACKGROUND Inspiratory muscle strength in patients with neuromuscular disorders can be assessed using sniff inspiratory nasal pressure (Pn(sn)) and maximum inspiratory mouth pressure (PI(max)). However, the relative merits of Pn(sn) against PI(max) are not known in patients with severe neuromuscular disease. OBJECTIVE To investigate whether severity of disease modifies the relation between Pn...

PURPOSE The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of pharmacologic mydriasis and Peripheral Iridotomy (PI) on ocular biometry and anterior chamber parameters in primary angle closure suspects. METHODS In this prospective interventional case series, 21 primary angle closure suspects were enrolled. Intraocular pressure, refraction, ocular biometry (Lenstar, LS900), and anterior chamber ...

Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid was obtained from 24 sequentially studied patients with adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) for assessment of potential activating and mediating factors. Proteolytic activity of the fluids was observed by measuring cleavage of radiolabeled proteins of the contact (Hageman factor) and complement systems. Proteolytic activity was observed in 17 of 24 (71%...

Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus (BVDV) is a Pestivirus of the Flaviviviridaefamily that infects cattle, and its widespread distribution can cause substantial economic losses worldwide. The aims of this study were: (1) to estimate the prevalence of animals persistently infected (PI) with BVDV in industrial dairy cattle herds in suburb of Mashhad- Iran; and (2) to compare the occurrence of persistent...

bovine viral diarrhea virus (bvdv) is a pestivirus of the flaviviviridaefamily that infects cattle, and its widespread distribution can cause substantial economic losses worldwide. the aims of this study were: (1) to estimate the prevalence of animals persistently infected (pi) with bvdv in industrial dairy cattle herds in suburb of mashhad- iran; and (2) to compare the occurrence of persistent...

0.1.3 Unique Factorization Theorem If a is an integer, not 0 or ±1, then (1) a can be written as a product p1 · · · pn of primes. (2) If a = p1 · · · pn = q1 · · · qm, where the pi and qj are prime, then n = m and, after renumbering, pi = ±qi for all i. [We allow negative primes, so that, for example, −17 is prime. This is consistent with the general definition of prime element in an integral d...