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In this paper we prove the local existence of complex-valued harmonic morphisms from any compact semisimple Lie group and their non-compact duals. These include all Riemannian symmetric spaces of types II and IV. We produce a variety of concrete harmonic morphisms from the classical compact simple Lie groups SO(n), SU(n), Sp(n) and globally defined solutions on their non-compact duals SO(n, C)/SO(

Inhibition of dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) is currently explored as a novel therapy of type 2 diabetes. The strategy has been shown to improve glycemia in most, but not all, rodent forms of glucose intolerance. In this study, we explored the effects of DPP-4 inhibition in mice with [beta-cell overexpression of human islet amyloid polypeptide (IAPP). We therefore administered the orally active an

Ectomycorrhizal mycelial systems were grown in unsterile soil using specially designed growth chambers, and the respiratory activity of the mycelium was measured before and after its excision from the host roots. Approximately 30% of the total respiration in the intact system was attributable to the mycorrhizal mycelium in the soil. Severance of mycelial connections at the roots lead to a greater

The aim of this study was to assess the role of videofluoroscopy in the detection of structural abnormalities of the pharynx and esophagus in patients with different symptoms of impaired deglutition. Dynamic radiographic recording of deglutition was performed in 3193 consecutive patients (1578 men, 1615 women; mean age 54 years) suffering from dysphagia, suspicion of aspiration, globus sensation,

We consider propagation models that describe the spreading of an attribute, called “damage,” through the nodes of a random network. In some systems, the average fraction of nodes that remain undamaged vanishes in the large system limit, a phenomenon we refer to as exhaustive percolation. We derive scaling law exponents and exact results for the distribution of the number of undamaged nodes, valid

ventilation/perfusion scintigraphy (V/P-SCAN) was the procedure of choice for studying patients with suspected pulmonary embolism (PE) until the prospective evaluation of V/P imaging in the study known as PIOPED I revealed high number of non diagnostic findings. This has challenged development of computed tomography (CT) during 1990s. Since beginning of 2000, multidetector CT (MDCT) is widely appl

Optical pump-terahertz probe spectroscopy has become a widely used experimental tool for the investigation of the ultrafast far-infrared response of polar systems. In this paper the authors present an analytical method of calculating the propagation of ultrashort terahertz pulses in photoexcited media. The transient terahertz wave form transmitted through the sample is equal to a product of the in

The aggregating proteoglycans (aggrecan, versican, neurocan, and brevican) are important components of many extracellular matrices. Their N-terminal globular domain binds to hyaluronan, but the function of their C-terminal region containing a C-type lectin domain is less clear. We now report that a 90-kDa protein copurifies with recombinant lectin domains from aggrecan and versican, but not from t

Antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) is one of the most common co-occurring disorders in substance abusers, characterized among other things by a high propensity for criminal actions. A cohort of 125 substance abusers were followed in a longitudinal design. Patients were diagnosed with ASPD at an index treatment episode, interviewed at five-year follow-up, and followed-up through the Swedish cri

Aqueous mixtures of oppositely charged polyelectrolytes undergo associative phase separation, resulting in coacervation, gelation, or precipitation. This phenomenon has been exploited in forming DNA gel particles by interfacial diffusion. We report here the formation of DNA gel particles by mixing solutions of double-stranded DNA with aqueous solutions containing two cationic proteins, lysozyme an

Background: Osteocalcin (OC) is produced by osteoblasts during bone formation, and circulating OC has been used in clinical investigations as a marker of bone metabolism. OC is excreted into urine by glomerular filtration and can be found in urine as midmolecule fragments. Methods: We developed and evaluated three immunoassays (U-MidOC, U-LongOC, and U-TotalOC) for the detection of various molecul

Objectives: The antibacterial activity of antimicrobial peptides is influenced by various factors such as salt content, pH and the presence of proteins. In this study, we explored the antibacterial action of the human cathelicidin LL-37 in physiologically relevant conditions, i.e. various human wound fluids, human plasma fractions and serum. Methods: Radial diffusion assays using Staphylococcus au

Aims/hypothesis Increased glucagon secretion predicts deterioration of glucose tolerance, and high glucagon levels contribute to hyperglycaemia in type 2 diabetes. Inhibition of glucagon action may therefore be a potential novel target to reduce hyperglycaemia. Here, we investigated whether chronic treatment with a glucagon receptor antagonist (GRA) improves islet dysfunction in female mice on a h

Abstract in German Das systemische klinische Bild der Patienten mit SS kann auf eine Disposition vieler Zellarten zurückgeführt werden, bei einer Konfrontation mit Stressreizen überzureagieren. Dies beeinflusst die elementaren zellulären Vorgänge wie Apoptose und Acethylcholine-Rezeptor-Signalvermittlung. Diese Hyperreaktivität des Gewebes kann auch die beobachteten autoimmunogenen Eigenschaften eThe systemic clinical picture of SS patients can be traced back to a disposition of many cell types to over-react when confronted with stress stimuli. This will influence basic cellular processes such as apoptosis and acetylcholine receptor signaling. This tissue hyper-reactivity may also explain the observed autoimmune features, and may constitute a major aetiopathogenetic determinant in SS.

Aims/Hypothesis: To test the usefulness of the new WHO criteria for clinical staging of diabetes in the characterization of 1977 diabetic patients. Methods: The following clinical stages were used: patients on diet and/or oral antidiabetic agents 2 years after diagnosis were considered as non-insulin requiring (NIR; n = 711) and patients who required insulin therapy after 1 year as insulin requiri

The recent identification of fragile X-associated tremor ataxia syndrome (FXTAS) associated with premutations in the FMR1 gene and the possibility of clinical overlap with multiple system atrophy (MSA) has raised important questions, such as whether genetic testing for FXTAS should be performed routinely in MSA and whether positive cases might affect the specificity of current MSA diagnostic crite