The psychophysiological influence of exertion and affect on sport-specific cognitive and physical performance.

Objectives: The purpose of the present study was to examine differences in cognitive and physical performance, affective states, perceived exertion, and physiological responses between trials with cognitive, physical, or combined cognitive and physical load.

Design: Randomised cross-over trial.

Methods: Highly trained competitive orienteers (n = 15 men; n = 10 women) completed three randomised trials comprised of: (1) sport-specific cognitive tests; (2) 35-minute cycling time trial; and (3) combined sport-specific cognitive tests and 35-minute cycling time trial.

Optimizing diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging for evaluation of lung tumors: A comparison of respiratory triggered and free breathing techniques.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to compare respiratory-triggered (RT) and free breathing (FB) diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) techniques regarding apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) measurements and repeatability in non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) measuring the total tumor volume.

Material And Methods: A total of 57 magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examinations were analyzed. DWI was obtained by a single-shot spin-echo echo-planar imaging sequence, and for each MRI examination 2 consecutive RT and 2 consecutive FB DWI sequences were performed.

Variability in prostate and seminal vesicle delineations defined on magnetic resonance images, a multi-observer, -center and -sequence study.

Background: The use of magnetic resonance (MR) imaging as a part of preparation for radiotherapy is increasing. For delineation of the prostate several publications have shown decreased delineation variability using MR compared to computed tomography (CT). The purpose of the present work was to investigate the intra- and inter-physician delineation variability for prostate and seminal vesicles, and to investigate the influence of different MR sequence settings used clinically at the five centers participating in the study.

Generation of mice transgenic for human CYP2C18 and CYP2C19: characterization of the sexually dimorphic gene and enzyme expression.

CYP2C19 is an important enzyme for human drug metabolism, and it also participates in the metabolism of endogenous substrates, whereas the CYP2C18 enzyme is not expressed in human liver despite high mRNA expression. Mice transgenic for the human CYP2C18 and CYP2C19 genes were generated. Quantitative mRNA analysis showed CYP2C18 and CYP2C19 transcripts in liver, kidneys, and heart to be expressed in a sexually dimorphic manner, with male mice having 2- to 100-fold higher levels.

Cartilage oligomeric matrix protein protects cells against death by elevating members of the IAP family of survival proteins.

Cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP) is a component of cartilage, synovium, ligament, and tendon, yet its normal function is largely unknown. To identify its function we have expressed it in 293 and HeLa cell lines and in primary human chondrocytes. We find that COMP protects these cells against death, either in the presence or absence of tumor necrosis factor alpha and is able to block activation of caspase 3, a critical effector caspase.

Knowledge transfer between researchers and practitioners in SUCOZOMA.

A primary aim of the SUCOZOMA research program has been the transfer of knowledge from the scientific community to research users. This paper describes the intentions and ambitions regarding knowledge transfer within the program, reflecting the aim of its financier, the Swedish Foundation of Strategic Environmental Research, but also a general trend within research policy. The study investigates the areas in which SUCOZOMA has actively tried to transfer knowledge, reaching out to management and different practitioners.

The SUCOZOMA program: results and challenges.

The research program Sustainable Coastal Zone Management (SUCOZOMA), which was started in 1996 by the Swedish Foundation of Strategic Environmental Research, was motivated by the recognition of increasingly severe global, regional and national coastal problems. The program approached the complex issues of coastal eutrophication, fishing practices, and overexploited coastal resources, with a concerted effort involving multidisciplinarity, stakeholder cooperation, and a focus on the problems perceived as most serious by the public and decision-makers. As the program was concluded in 2004 it had resulted in the completion or near-completion of 22 doctoral dissertations and approximately one hundred publications.

Differential regulation of osteogenic marker gene expression by Wnt-3a in embryonic mesenchymal multipotential progenitor cells.

The Wnt family of secreted glycoproteins plays an integral role in embryonic development and differentiation. To explore the role of Wnt's in one aspect of differentiation, namely osteogenesis, we employed a retroviral gene transfer approach to express Wnt-3a in the multipotent murine embryonic mesenchymal cell line C3H10T1/2. We found that expression of Wnt-3a in these cells had a significant, positive effect on cell growth in serum-containing medium, in that the cells grew to very high densities compared to the control cells.

Effect of cartilage oligomeric matrix protein on mesenchymal chondrogenesis in vitro.

Objective: Cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP) mutations have been identified as responsible for two arthritic disorders, multiple epiphyseal dysplasia (MED) and pseudoachondroplasia (PSACH). However, the function of COMP in chondrogenic differentiation is largely unknown. Our investigation focuses on analyzing the function of normal COMP protein in cartilage biology.

Efficient chondrogenic differentiation of mesenchymal cells in micromass culture by retroviral gene transfer of BMP-2.

The multipotential murine embryonic C3H10T1/2 mesenchymal cell line is able to undergo chondrogenesis in vitro, in a high density micromass environment, following treatment with soluble human bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2). To enhance this process, the human BMP-2 cDNA was cloned into a retroviral expression vector and a high titer, infectious retrovirus (replication defective) was generated. Infection of C3HIOT1/2 cells with this retroviral construct resulted in an infection efficiency of 90-95% and was highly effective in converting cells in micromass culture to a chondrocyte phenotype, as assessed by positive Alcian blue staining for extracellular matrix proteoglycans, increased sulfate incorporation, increased expression of the cartilage marker genes collagen type II and aggrecan, and decreased expression of collagen type I.

Regulation of scleraxis function by interaction with the bHLH protein E47.

Scleraxis is a basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) protein whose function has been postulated to be preconfigurative of sclerotomal mesenchymal patterning during early embryonic development by regulating expression of differentiation-specific genes, particularly those involved in chondrogenesis. To gain understanding of the molecular action of scleraxis we test the hypothesis that it heterodimerizes with another bHLH protein to activate gene expression. Transient coexpression of scleraxis and E47, a candidate bHLH protein, showed that scleraxis dimerizes with E47 in vivo and that this complex binds to a classic E-box DNA sequence better than either factor alone.

Tumor necrosis factor and gamma-interferon repress transcription from the c-myc P2 promoter by reducing E2F binding activity.

Transcription of the c-myc gene in HeLa cells has been shown to be repressed by the combined action of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and gamma-interferon (gamma-INF). Shown here, these two cytokines inhibit proliferation of Hela cells with a coordinate inhibition of c-myc gene expression. It was found that these two cytokines exert their effects on the more proximal region of the c-myc P2 promoter.

Intragenic suppressors of mutant DNA topoisomerase I-induced lethality diminish enzyme binding of DNA.

Eukaryotic DNA topoisomerase I (Top1p) catalyzes changes in DNA topology and is the cellular target of the antitumor drug camptothecin (Cpt). Mutation of several conserved residues in yeast top1 mutants is sufficient to induce cell lethality in the absence of camptothecin. Despite tremendous differences in catalytic activity, the mutant proteins Top1T722Ap and Top1R517Gp cause cell death via a mechanism similar to that of Cpt, i.

Patient satisfaction and design of treatment. Results from a study of two different ways of treating hypertension.

Objective: To compare patients' experiences of two different treatments of hypertension (non-pharmacological and pharmacological) and study to what extent seven specified factors of treatment differ between the two groups and the impact of these factors on patient satisfaction.

Design: Postal questionnaire with structured and open questions concerning the treatment.

Setting: Ten health centres in mid-Sweden.

Patient satisfaction in primary health care. A comparative study of two modes of treatment for hypertension.

The object of this study was to compare patients' experiences of two different treatments of hypertension (one mainly non-pharmacological and one pharmacological) and study the degree of patient satisfaction and experiences of treatment in general. The 165 patients in the non-pharmacological group participated in a two-year-long study of non-pharmacological treatment of hypertension (NPTH) at eight health centres in mid-Sweden. In addition to regular visits to the same doctor at the health centre, patients received monthly check-ups by a nurse at the health centre and participated in information programmes and group activities.