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Water exchange through the cell membranes is an important feature of cells and tissues. The rate of exchange is determined by factors such as membrane lipid composition and organization, as well as the type and activity of aquaporins. A method for noninvasively estimating the rate of water exchange would be useful for characterizing pathological conditions, e.g., tumors, multiple sclerosis, and is
The immune system represents a promising novel target for prevention of atherosclerosis. Several pilot vaccines that reduce atherosclerosis in experimental animals have been developed. The aluminum hydroxide adjuvant Alum has been shown to have antiatherogenic properties in itself, suggesting that it may be a suitable adjuvant in possible future atherosclerosis vaccines. To characterize the immune
Insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes are associated with decreased expression of genes that regulate oxidative phosphorylation in skeletal muscle. To determine whether this defect might be inherited or acquired, we investigated the association of genetic, epigenetic, and nongenetic factors with expression of NDUFB6, a component of the respiratory chain that is decreased in muscle from diabetic p
B cell homeostasis is regulated by multiple signaling processes, including nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB), BAFF-, and B cell receptor signaling. Conditional disruption of genes involved in these pathways has shed light on the mechanisms governing signaling from the cell surface to the nucleus. We describe a novel mouse strain that expresses solely and excessively a naturally occurring splice va
Aim: The study was undertaken to explore whether shortening of striated muscle during activity is associated with release of bound Ca2+ into the myofibrillar space as has previously been proposed in order to explain the depressant effect of active shortening. Methods: The experiments were carried out on single muscle fibres isolated from the anterior tibialis muscle of Rana temporaria. The fibres
Haemosporidian parasites (genera Plasmodium and Haemoproteus) are common blood parasites of birds transmitted by dipteran insect vectors. We analyzed blood samples from 329 individuals of 43 bird species in eastern Tennessee to better understand the relationship between the local community of birds and their blood parasites, including the distribution of parasites across hosts and the underlying e
We report on the study of six similar buildings built in an area of Gothenburg, Sweden,in 1971, which are now in urgent need of renovation. However, the owner of thebuildings - a municipal housing company did not achieve a financially viablerenovation of the pilot project. This meant that renovation on a similar basis for theremaining five buildings would not be possible. For this reason the housi
Recent studies of THAP1 (DYT6) have pointed out that late-onset focal dystonia can have a genetic basis. Familial late-onset primary dystonia has not been described in African- Americans. Six members of an African American family were affected by focal or segmental dystonia with a mean age at onset of 47 years (range, 45-50). Two additional individuals with milder clinical signs were classified as
Parasite proteases play key roles in several fundamental steps of the Plasmodium life cycle, including haemoglobin degradation, host cell invasion and parasite egress. Plasmodium exit from infected host cells appears to be mediated by a class of papain-like cysteine proteases called 'serine repeat antigens' (SERAs). A SERA subfamily, represented by Plasmodium falciparum SERA5, contains an atypical
Males should invest in mate attraction, mate guarding and paternal care in relation to the marginal fitness value of each of those behaviours. Since time and energy are limited, trade-offs between these activities are expected. This study demonstrates that monogamous male European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) decrease their paternal effort in response to increased opportunities to attract addition
OBJECTIVE-: The purpose of this study was to characterize a phosphorylation motif at serine 225 as a molecular switch that regulates the pressure-dependent activation of sphingosine kinase 1 (Sk1) in resistance artery smooth muscle cells. METHODS AND RESULTS-: In isolated hamster gracilis muscle resistance arteries, pressure-dependent activation/translocation of Sk1 by ERK1/2 was critically depend
This paper describes in depth the design and application considerations of a computer based measurement system enabling 1 MS/s simultaneous sampling of 47 hydrophones for cross sectional recordings of echolocation beams of toothed whales (Odontocetes). An earlier prototype version of the system has previously only been presented as a brief proof of principle that did not offer a complete descripti
Context Obesity in men is associated with low serum testosterone and both are associated with several diseases and increased mortality. Objectives Examine the direction and causality of the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and serum testosterone. Design Bi-directional Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis on prospective cohorts. Setting Five cohorts from Denmark, Germany and Sweden (Inte
Background: The Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R) is considered a first choice assessment tool in autism spectrum disorder. Nevertheless, despite its wide use in psychiatric practice and recommendations by various clinical guidelines, its interrater reliability has predominantly been confirmed in research settings by specially trained, research reliability interviewers. The reliability o
Background: The most concerning complication of video capsule endoscopy (VCE) is capsule retention (CR) in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract although clinical outcome and management of patients with CR are still uncertain in a large single center material. Objectives: The aim of this retrospective study was to investigate incidence, causes, risk factors, management and clinical outcomes of CR in a l
