cAMP signaling is important for the regulation of insulin secretion in pancreatic beta-cells. The level of intracellular cAMP is controlled through its production by adenylyl cyclases and its breakdown by cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterases (PDEs). We have previously shown that PDE3B is involved in the regulation of nutrient-stimulated insulin secretion. Here, aiming at getting deeper functional

A parametric study is reported where a femtosecond prepulse is used to change the target properties before the interaction with a multi-terawatt laser pulse which accelerates protons from a foil target. The proton spectrum as function of the prepulse delay and intensity, up to 1.5 ns and up to 3x106 W/cm2, respectively, shows a global decrease of the maximum proton energy with delay and intensity.

Semiconductor quantum dots are often charged due to accumulation from a doped host material. Using low-temperature photoluminescence, we have studied the charging of single self-assembled InP dots in structures designed to control the electron population in a weakly n-type environment. By using designed heterostructures to position the Fermi level of the structure, not requiring electric fields or

Vision (both using one-dimensional and two-dimensional retina) is useful for the autonomous navigation of vehicles. In this paper the case of a vehicle equipped with multiple cameras with non-overlapping views is considered. The geometry and algebra of such a moving platform of cameras are considered. In particular we formulate and solve structure and motion problems for a few novel cases of such

Two transcription associated estrogen receptor (ER) subtypes have been identified and named ERα and ERβ. In the present study we investigate the expression of these ER subtypes in cultured human periodontal ligament (PDL) cells by immunocytochemistry. ERβ immunoreactivity was observed in the nuclei of about 40% of the PDL cells, while no ERα immunoreactivity was detected. In human breast cancer MC

BACKGROUND/AIM: Vasopressin and oxytocin are closely related peptides, and both exert effects on the gastrointestinal function. In the present study, we wanted to map the expression of vasopressin receptor mRNAs (V1a, V1b/V3, and V2) in nontumorous tissue biopsy specimens of human gastrointestinal tract and surrounding tissues. METHODS: Total and polyA+ RNAs were isolated from human tissue biopsy

The surface structure and chemical composition of annealed Ga0.96Mn0.04As(1 0 0) have been studied by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), auger electron spectroscopy (AES) and low energy electron diffraction (LEED). The samples were As capped and subsequently transferred in-air from the MBE system to the STM chamber. After annealing to 600 K it is found that the Mn segregates to the surface and f

Background: Becoming critical ill or severely injured leads to a process of worry, anxiety and pain. Patients in intensive care sometimes have strange and frightening experiences and may show symptoms of acute confusion or delirium. CAM-ICU, the confusion assessment method for the intensive care unit, was based on the DSM IV, the Diagnostic and Statistic Manual of Mental Disorders IV, and today, h

The spontaneous formation of vesicles by the salt-free surfactant hexadecyltrimethylammonium octylsulfonate (TASo) and the features of an unusual vesicle-micelle transition are investigated in this work. In a previous work, we have shown that this highly asymmetric catanionic surfactant displays a rare lamellar miscibility gap in the concentrated regime. Here, we analyze in detail the aggregation

Bulk screen-printed electrodes (bSPEs) modified with zirconium phosphate (ZrP) and Meldola blue (MB) and by electrochemical deposition of a Reineckate film (bMBZrPRs-SPEs) have been constructed and used as NADH sensors. Cyclic voltammetric investigation of these bulk electrochemically modified screen-printed electrodes revealed stable catalytic activity in oxidation of the reduced form of the coen

BACKGROUND: Is cancer related to hypertension and blood pressure? Do antihypertensive drugs promote cancer? Do antihypertensive drugs protect against cancer? We previously analysed the frequency of cardiovascular mortality and morbidity in elderly people who participated in the Swedish Trial in Old Patients with Hypertension 2 (STOP-Hypertension-2). We have also looked at the frequency of cancer i

Opinions differ widely on the various treatment protocols for sustained increase in intracranial pressure (ICP). This review focuses on the physiological volume regulation of the intracranial compartments. Based on these mechanisms we describe a protocol called 'volume-targeted' ('Lund concept') for treatment of increased ICP. The driving force for transcapillary fluid exchange is determined by th

This paper, the first in a series on the automatic generation of detailed hydrocarbon mechanisms for hydrocarbons, describes how generalized reaction types, specifically the 25 types outlined by Curran et al. for heptane and isooctane combustion, can be translated into general reaction classes. Each type description from Curran et al. ranges from specific, such as differentiating among 1degrees, 2

The 1,3-bis[di(4-methoxyphenyl)amino]azulene 1 and 1,3-bis[di(4-methoxyphenyl)amino]azulene-2-carboxylic acid methyl ester 2 were synthesized and investigated by spectroscopic and electrochemical methods in order to estimate the electronic coupling between the attached amine redox centers. We found that the electronic coupling V which is mediated by a nonalternant 1,3-azulene bridge in the radical

In this study we investigated the neurocognitive processes underlying the control of memory retrieval. In a Think/No-Think paradigm, adopted for the use in an event-related potential (ERP) experiment, participants learned word pairs and were subsequently presented with cue words and asked to either suppress or to recall the target word. During final cued recall tests for all initially learned targ

Copper are generally bound to proteins, e.g. the prion and the amyloid beta proteins. We have previously shown that copper ions are required to nitrosylate thiol groups in the core protein of glypican-1, a heparan sulfate-substituted proteoglycan. When S-nitrosylated glypican-1 is then exposed to an appropriate reducing agent, such as ascorbate, nitric oxide is released and autocatalyzes deaminati

This study was performed to evaluate the alterations of glomerular filtration barrier characteristics following acute renal ischemia-reperfusion (I/R). Ischemia was induced in anesthetized rats by unilateral renal artery occlusion for either 20 or 60 min, followed by reperfusion during 20 or 60 min, respectively, with the contralateral kidney serving as control. Sieving coefficients (theta) were o