Binding of adenosine receptor ligands to brain of adenosine receptor knock-out mice: evidence that CGS 21680 binds to A1 receptors in hippocampus.

The adenosine receptor agonist 2-[ p-(2-carboxyethyl)phenylethylamino]-5'- N-ethylcarboxamidoadenosine (CGS 21680) is generally considered to be a selective adenosine A(2A) receptor ligand. However, the compound has previously been shown to exhibit binding characteristics that are not compatible with adenosine A(2A) receptor binding, at least in brain regions other than the striatum. We have examined binding of [(3)H]CGS 21680 and of antagonist radioligands with high selectivity for adenosine A(1) or A(2A) receptors to hippocampus and striatum of mice lacking either adenosine A(1) (A1R((-/-))) or A(2A) (A2AR((-/-))) receptors.

Immunological investments reflect parasite abundance in island populations of Darwin's finches.

The evolution of parasite resistance can be influenced by the abundance of parasites in the environment. However, it is yet unresolved whether vertebrates change their investment in immune function in response to variation in parasite abundance. Here, we compare parasite abundance in four populations of small ground finches (Geospiza fuliginosa) in the Galapagos archipelago.

Effects of biotic and abiotic constraints on the symbiosis between rhizobia and the tropical leguminous trees Acacia and Prosopis.

N2-fixing, drought tolerant and multipurpose Acacia and Prosopis species are appropriate trees for reforestation of degraded areas in arid and semiarid regions of the tropics and subtropics. Acacia and Prosopis trees form N2-fixing nodules with a wide range of rhizobia, for example African acacias mainly with Sinorhizobium sp. and Mesorhizobium sp.

Excessive use of rapid tests in respiratory tract infections in Swedish primary health care.

A 1-y retrospective study of problem oriented electronic patient records, for encounters concerning respiratory tract infection, was performed. The aim was to analyse the management of respiratory tract infections in primary health care in terms of diagnostic coding, tests and antibiotic treatment using data from electronic patient records. 12 primary health care centres with a registered population of 102,050 residents in 3 counties in southeast Sweden participated.

Evaluation of the Galega-Rhizobium galegae system for the bioremediation of oil-contaminated soil.

The bioremediation potential of a nitrogen-fixing leguminous plant, Galega orientalis, and its microsymbiont Rhizobium galegae was evaluated in BTX (benzene, toluene, xylene)-contaminated soils in microcosm and mesocosm scale. To measure the intrinsic tolerance of the organisms to m-toluate, a model compound representing BTX, G. orientalis and R.

A physical, enzymatic, and genetic characterization of perturbations in the seeds of the brownseed tomato mutants.

The brownseed mutants (bs(1), bs(2), and bs(4)) of tomato all possess dark testae and deleteriously affect seed germination speed and/or final percentage. Poor germination performance of the bs(1) but not the bs(4) mutant, was due to greater impediment to radicle egress. Testa toughening (bs(1)) was prevented by drying in N(2).

Acacia senegal and Prosopis chilensis-nodulating rhizobia Sinorhizobium arboris HAMBI 2361 and S. kostiense HAMBI 2362 produce tetra- and pentameric LCOs that are N-methylated, O-6-carbamoylated and partially sulfated.

Sinorhizobium arboris and S. kostiense are rhizobia that nodulate the tropical leguminous trees Acacia senegal and Prosopis chilensis. The lipochito-oligosaccharidic signalling molecules (LCOs) of S.

Data from electronic patient records are suitable for surveillance of antibiotic prescriptions for respiratory tract infections in primary health care.

Diagnoses and antibiotic treatments were analysed in relation to respiratory tract infections (RTI). A 1-y retrospective study was made of electronic patient records (EPR) for encounters concerning RTIs in primary health care in Sweden. The study covered a registered population of 102,050 individuals at 12 primary health care centres in 3 counties.

Lifestyle changes after a health dialogue. Results from the Live for Life health promotion programme.

Objective: To evaluate the effect of a health dialogue on lifestyle habits, and to relate the lifestyle changes to changes of biological risk markers for ischaemic heart disease.

Design: Cross-sectional study, intervention and follow-up.

Setting: The community of Habo, population 9500, located in Skaraborg, Sweden.

Persistence, population dynamics and competitiveness for nodulation of marker gene-tagged Rhizobium galegae strains in field lysimeters in the boreal climatic zone.

Abstract A non-indigenous wild-type strain Rhizobium galegae HAMBI 540, which specifically nodulates perennial goat's rue (Galega orientalis), and its marker gene-tagged derivatives R. galegae HAMBI 2363(luc), R. galegae HAMBI 2368(gusA21) and R.

A new non-invasive ultrasonic method for simultaneous measurements of longitudinal and radial arterial wall movements: first in vivo trial.

During recent years, the radial movement of the arterial wall has been extensively studied, and measurements of the radial movement are now an important tool in cardiovascular research for characterizing the mechanical properties of the arterial wall. In contrast, the longitudinal movement of vessels has gained little or no attention as it has been presumed that this movement is negligible. With modern high-resolution ultrasound, it can, however, be seen that the intima-media complex of the arterial wall moves not only in the radial direction, but also in the longitudinal direction during pulse-wave propagation.

Discordant phylogenies within the rrn loci of Rhizobia.

It is evident from complete genome sequencing results that lateral gene transfer and recombination are essential components in the evolutionary process of bacterial genomes. Since this has important implications for bacterial systematics, the primary objective of this study was to compare estimated evolutionary relationships among a representative set of alpha-Proteobacteria by sequencing analysis of three loci within their rrn operons. Tree topologies generated with 16S rRNA gene sequences were significantly different from corresponding trees assembled with 23S rRNA gene and internally transcribed space region sequences.

Determinants of hospitalisation rates: does primary health care play a role?

Objective: To analyse the influence of rates of general practitioner visits on rates of hospitalisations.

Design: Ecological cross-sectional study of factors influencing hospitalisation rates. Aggregated data on primary care centre area level.

Towards a learning organization: the introduction of a client-centered team-based organization in administrative surveying work.

Within administrative surveying work in Sweden, a transition to a client-centered team-based organization was made during 1998. The aim of this study was to describe the employees' perceptions and expectations of job and organizational practices when working as a generalist in a client-centered team-based organization; job and organizational practices and well-being and effectiveness measures were examined when introducing a team-based organization. Interventions such as courses in how to cope with the role of a generalist, how to increase service to clients, education in technology, law and economics, as well as computer information support, were ongoing at the time of the study.

Activation of the nodA promoter by the nodD genes of Rhizobium galegae induced by synthetic flavonoids or Galega orientalis root exudate.

Rhizobial nodD genes produce transcriptional regulators that, together with appropriate inducer compounds, activate the other symbiotic nodulation (nod) genes and initiate the nodule formation process. Two nodD homologues, nodD1 and nodD2, are present in the Rhizobium galegae strain HAMBI 1174. In this work we analysed their ability to induce the nodA promoter with synthetic inducers known to activate nod genes in other rhizobia.

Symbiotic and genetic diversity of Rhizobium galegae isolates collected from the Galega orientalis gene center in the Caucasus.

This paper explores the relationship between the genetic diversity of rhizobia and the morphological diversity of their plant hosts. Rhizobium galegae strains were isolated from nodules of wild Galega orientalis and Galega officinalis in the Caucasus, the center of origin for G. orientalis.

[The use of AFLP technique for the study of genetic diversity in peanut bradyrhizobia].

A total of 146 bradyrhizobial strains including 133 peanut bradyrhizobia isolated from different regions and 13 reference strains representing B. japonicum and B. elkanii were studied for their genetic diversity by use of AFLP marker technique.

Time for a "vision zero" concerning premature death from ischaemic heart disease?

Objective: To study the trend in premature mortality (before 75 years of age) from ischaemic heart disease (IHD) in a Swedish primary health care district compared to communities of similar demographic situation and all Sweden.

Design: Mortality from IHD in men and women was compared between the community of Habo and other Swedish communities of similar size and all Sweden for the period 1984-96.

Setting: The community of Habo in Sweden with about 9600 inhabitants.

Frequency dependence of speckle in continuous-wave ultrasound with implications for blood perfusion measurements.

Speckle in continuous wave (CW) Doppler has previously been found to cause large variations in detected Doppler power in blood perfusion measurements, where a large number of blood vessels are present in the sample volume. This artifact can be suppressed by using a number of simultaneously transmitted frequencies and averaging the detected signals. To optimize the strategy, statistical properties of speckle in CW ultrasound need to be known.