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In this paper, we present the development of a new potential blood pool contrast agent for magnetic resonance imaging applications (MRA/MRI) based on gadolinium complexes containing amphiphilic supramolecular aggregates. A novel amphiphilic unimer, containing the DTPAGlu chelating agent covalently bound to two C18 alkylic chains, has been synthesized. DTPAGlu is a well-known chelating agent for a

A new method of estimating the mixing time in industrial Rushton turbine-agitated reactors under aerated conditions is presented—called the analogy mixing-time model. It is based on the hypothesis of the analogy at the same turbine agitation speed between the mixing time in single liquid phase and that in two gas–liquid phases. This assumption is validated for production tanks equipped with two, t

We use a linear autoregressive model to describe the movement of a soil-living insect, Protaphorura armata (Collembola). Models of this kind can be viewed as extensions of a random walk, but unlike a correlated random walk, in which the speed and turning angles are independent, our model identifies and expresses the correlations between the turning angles and a variable speed. Our model uses data

The apposition compound eye of the nocturnal polistine wasp Apoica pallens shows, in comparison to the closely related diurnal wasp Polistes occidentalis, specific adaptations to vision at low light intensities. When considering recent work on nocturnal and diurnal bees, general principles for dim-light vision in hymenopterans become evident: The rhabdom diameters in nocturnal bees and wasps are 4

Environmental fluctuations have been proposed to enhance the coexistence of competing phenotypes. Evaluations are here presented on the effects of prey density and short-term temporal clumping of prey availability on the relative foraging success of unequal interferers in social forager groups of juvenile brown trout Salmo trutta feeding on drifting invertebrate prey (frozen chironomids). Groups o

In this paper we use a simulation approach to explore the effect of variation in taxon parameters and landscape patterning on relevant source area of pollen. We use the Prentice-Sugita model, assume constant atmospheric conditions and basin morphology, and take a reductionist approach to explore the behaviour of pollen dispersal and deposition in a simple landscape scenario. Individual factors wit

Gene transfer offers a substantial promise for the therapy of degenerative ocular diseases. Lentiviral vectors have the ability to efficiently transduce murine photoreceptors during the first days of life, but they are poorly effective on photoreceptors during adulthood. Here, we studied whether a physical barrier was responsible for this impairment. Previous studies have described the capacity of

The competitive adsorption at the water-goethite interface between phosphate and a carboxylic acid, either oxalate, citrate, 1,2,3,4-butanetetracarboxylic acid (BTCA), mellitate or Suwannee River Standard Fulvic Acid 1S101F (FA), was investigated over a wide pH range (3-9) by means of batch experiments and attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy. The quantit

Low-density polethylene disks with smooth or course surfaces were implanted in the abdominal wall of rats, and the tissue response was evaluated after 1, 6, or 12 weeks. Cell damage was detected by two different methods. Cells with increased membrane permeability could be identified using fluorescence microscopy by injection of propidium iodide prior to the killing of the rats. Second, cell death

Huntington's disease (HD) is a devastating neurodegenerative disorder caused by an expanded CAG repeat in the gene encoding huntingtin, a protein of unknown function. Mutant huntingtin forms intracellular aggregates and is associated with neuronal death in select brain regions. The most studied mouse model (R6/2) of HD replicates many features of the disease, but has been reported to exhibit only

Leukotrienes are inflammatory mediators that bind to seven transmembrane, G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). Here we examine residues from transmembrane helices 3 and 5 of the leukotriene B-4 (LTB4) receptor BLT1 to elucidate how these residues are involved in ligand binding. We have selected these residues on the basis of (1) amino acid sequence analysis, (2) receptor binding and activation stu

Little is know about whether the conditions experienced during ontogeny affect resistance to parasites later in life in wild animals. Here, we used a population of blue tits (Cyanistes caeruleus (L., 1758)) to investigate to what extent conditions experienced during the nestling stage could explain the ability to control blood parasite (Haemoproteus majoris (Laveran, 1902)) infections 1 year later

Asporin, a novel member of the leucine-rich repeat family of proteins, was partially purified from human articular cartilage and meniscus. Cloning of human and mouse asporin cDNAs revealed that the protein is closely related to decorin and biglycan. It contains a putative propeptide, 4 amino-terminal cysteines, 10 leucine-rich repeats, and 2 C-terminal cysteines. In contrast to decorin and biglyca

A Monte Carlo model of an Elekta Precise linear accelerator has been built and verified by measured data for a 6 and 10 MV photon beam running with and without a flattening filter in the beam line. In this study the flattening filter was replaced with a 6 mm thick copper plate, provided by the linac vendor, in order to stabilize the beam. Several studies have shown that removal of the filter impro