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Lipids have been shown to play a dual role in pancreatic beta-cells - a lipid-derived signal appears to be necessary for glucose-stimulated insulin secretion, whereas lipid accumulation causes impaired insulin secretion and apoptosis. The ability of the protein perilipin to regulate lipolysis prompted an investigation of the presence of perilipin in the islets of Langerhans. In this study evidence

To contribute to an understanding of the evolutionary processes that shape variation in immune responses, we compared several components of the innate and acquired arms of the immune system in five related, but ecologically diverse, migratory shorebirds (ruff Philomachus pugnax L., ruddy turnstone Arenaria interpres L., bar-tailed godwit Limosa lapponica L., sanderling Calidris alba Pallas and red

This study presents results from a multidisciplinary assessment of ten Swedish children with severe language disorder, aged 4;4-10;0. The children underwent an extensive medical examination. They were also tested by a clinical child psychologist. A thorough neurolinguistic examination was done as well as detailed linguistic analyses of the children's speech production. The results of our study rev

The objective of this research was to examine the effects of chemical compounds with possible P2 receptor modulating effects and to characterize the potentiating effects of 2,2'-nitrophenylisatogen (NPI) on P2X(1) receptors in vitro and in vivo. Chemical compounds were tested in an in vitro pharmacological assay using vascular segments from the rat mesenteric artery stimulated by P2 receptor-speci

With grand canonical simulations invoking a configurationally weighted scheme, we have calculated interactions between charged surfaces immersed in a polyelectrolyte, solution. In contrast to previous simulations of such systems, we have imposed full equilibrium conditions (i.e., we have included diffusive equilibrium with a bulk solution). This has a profound impact on the resulting interactions:

Objective: To study the achievability of device weaning in patients receiving left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) as a bridge to transplantation. Methods: Eighteen consecutive patients receiving a LVAD between September 1997 and June 2002 were included in the study. During a four-month follow-up, patients were repeatedly evaluated with right heart catheterization and echocardiography and, if f

The human hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL) gene encodes a 786-aa polypeptide (85.5 kDa). It is composed of nine exons spanning approximately 11 kb, with exons 2-5 clustered in a 1.1-kb region. The putative catalytic site (Ser423) and a possible lipid-binding region in the C-terminal part are encoded by exons 6 and 9, respectively. Exon 8 encodes the phosphorylation site (Ser551) that controls cAMP-m

The formation of acrylamide in potato crisps was fitted by empirical mathematical models. Potato slices were fried under the same experimental conditions for different times. Besides the content of precursors in the raw potato slices, acrylamide and water content in the potato crisps were quantified after predetermined times (2-6 min). The temperature developments in the surrounding oil and outer

Laboratory and field experiments were used to investigate how different marking procedures, with 23 mm PIT (passive integrated transponders) – tags, affected mortality, body condition and tag expulsion in small roach Rutilus rutilus and rudd Scardinus erythrophthalmus (117 to 163 mm total length). In a laboratory experiment mortality was low (≤ 6%) and only occurred among fishes that had their inc

BACKGROUND Previous inconsistent results suggest that menstrual cycles may be disturbed by exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and 1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis (p-chlorophenyl)-ethylene (DDE). METHODS Information on menstrual cycle characteristics were obtained by questionnaires, and PCB and DDE were measured in serum samples from a total of 1494 women from Greenland, Swedish fishermen's wives, a

In the present study, we evaluated whether a low glycemic index (GI) breakfast with lactic acid bread had an effect on glucose tolerance and insulinemia at a subsequent high GI lunch meal. A barley bread containing lactic acid and a reference barley bread were consumed in the morning after an overnight fast in random order by 10 healthy men and women. Four hours after the breakfasts, the subjects

The tumor suppressor PTEN antagonizes phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), which contributes to tumorigenesis in many cancer types. While PTEN mutations occur in some melanomas, their precise mechanistic consequences have yet to be elucidated. We sought to identify novel downstream effectors of PI3K using a combination of genomic and functional tests. Microarray analysis of 53 melanoma cell lines

Background and objectives In accordance with clinical findings, myringoscterosis develops after otitis media (OM) and paracentesis in an experimental setting. The pathogenesis of this phenomenon of calcification is poorly understood. As the calcification process and the sclerotic plaques of the drum mimics features of bone tissue, this study explores tympanic membrane calcium deposition in associa

The Scandinavian countries - Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Finland - have developed a particular model of welfare, employment and economic governance. It is based on universal access to tax-financed social services and social insurance, full employment secured by expansive macro-economic policies and active labour market policies, highly organized labour markets, corporatist interest mediation, and

Background: The nephrotoxic potential of anti-glomerular-basement-membrane (GBM) antibodies has been demonstrated in numerous animal experiments. However, it is not known to what extent the properties of circulating anti-GBM antibodies in human disease reflect the severity of the disease and predict the outcome. Methods: Clinical data were collected for 79 Swedish patients for whom a positive resu

A case study of congenital esophageal stenosis is reported. Light microscopic examination revealed extensive disorganization of the inner circular muscle layer, with partial absence of the muscularis mucosae.