Alteration of the transforming growth factor beta (TGFB) signalling pathway is important in pancreatic carcinogenesis, as shown by the frequent inactivation of the downstream target SMAD4. We recently analysed a series of pancreatic carcinoma cell lines with respect to alterations of five SMAD genes involved in TGFB signalling, and showed that SMAD4 was structurally rearranged in 42% of these. Thi

The calcium-releasing second messenger inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate is involved in the regulation of stomatal aperture by ABA. In other signalling pathways, inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate is generated by the action of phospholipase C. We have studied the importance of phospholipase C in guard cell ABA-signalling pathways. Immunolocalisation of a calcium-activated phospholipase C confirmed the presen

Wei G, Bergquist A, Broome U, Lindgren S, Wallerstedt S, Almer S, Sangfelt P, Danielsson A, Sandber-Gertzen H, Loof L, Prytz H, Bjomsson E (Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg; Karolinska University Hospital, Huddinge, Stockholm; University Hospital MAS, Malmo; University Hospital, Linkoping; University Hospital, Uppsala; University Hospital, Umea; University Hospital, Orebro; Central Hosp

Rapid anthropogenic climate change is already affecting species distributions and ecosystem functioning worldwide. We applied niche-based models to analyse the impact of climate change on tree species and functional diversity in Europe. Present-day climate was used to predict the distributions of 122 tree species from different functional types (FT). We then explored projections of future distribu

We have investigated the Au-catalyzed GaAs B whisker growth under low-pressure metal-organic vapour phase epitaxy conditions. By varying the growth temperature we found a maximum in the whisker growth rate at about 450-475degreesC. With increasing temperature the growth rate decreases due to competing growth at the (111) substrate surface and at the {I 101 whisker side facets, which leads to sign

Background The national hip registers of the Nordic countries provide an opportunity to compare age- and sex-standardized annual incidence of primary total hip replacement (THR) and types of implants used for primary hip osteoarthritis (OA) in Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden. Methods The data on THR were from the national total hip replacement registries, and population data were from

The aim of the study was to establish the influence of dexamethasone and/or alpha-ketoglutarate (AKG) on the growth, mineralization, geometric and mechanical properties of ribs as a methodological model. The experiment was conducted during the final 24 days of prenatal life and first 14 days of neonatal life. The volumetric bone density of the trabecular and cortical bone was determined separately

Fibrosarcoma of bone is a rare malignant tumor accounting for less than 5% of all primary malignant bone neoplasms. There is very limited knowledge regarding the molecular genetics of this tumor, and there are no cytogenetic data available. In the present study, a fibrosarcoma deriving from the left iliac bone of a 10-year-old girl was characterized using cytogenetics, fluorescence in situ hybridi

A report on the long-term follow up of the first cooperative Scandinavian Sarcoma Group study in Ewing's sarcoma of bone is presented. Fifty-two previously untreated patients entered the study between 1984 and 1990. Half of the tumors were located in the extremities and one quarter in the pelvis. The combined modality treatment consisted of 5 cycles of chemotherapy--including vincristine, methotre

The free fatty acid receptor, GPR40, has been coupled with insulin secretion via its expression in pancreatic beta-cells. However, the role of GPR40 in the release of glucagon has not been studied and previous attempts to identify the receptor in alpha-cells have been unfruitful. Using double-staining for glucagon and GPR40 expression, we demonstrate that the two are expressed in the same cells in

In this paper balanced truncation of linear time-varying systems is studied in discrete and continuous time. Based on relatively basic calculations with time-varying Lyapunov equations/inequalities we are able to derive both upper and lower error bounds for the truncated models. These results generalize well-known time-invariant formulas. The case oftime-varying state dimension is considered. Inpu

The authors studied the temperature-induced unfolding of ubiquitin by all-atom Monte Carlo simulations. The unfolding behavior is compared with that seen in previous simulations of the mechanical unfolding of this protein, based on the same model. In mechanical unfolding, secondary-structure elements were found to break in a quite well-defined order. In thermal unfolding, the authors saw somewhat

In conjugated polymers the concept of spectroscopic units belonging to different spatial segments of the chain, which are responsible for the spectroscopic properties of the polymer, has been used to explain the spectral heterogeneity and the excitation migration by (Forster type) hopping transfer. In the present work we study the possible mechanism of segmentation of polythiophene into spectrosco

Several studies have tried to link southern oscillation index (Sol) and observed precipitation in Korea and Japan. However, so far no clear relationship between the Sol and the precipitation in the area has been found. In the present study, categorized Sol are used to reveal quantitative and statistically significant influence on monthly precipitation at Busan in Korea and at Fukuoka in Japan. Mon

Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) development in different soil types, and the influence of AM fungal hyphae on their original soil were investigated. Plantago lanceolata, which can grow in soils of a very wide pH range, was grown in two closely related limestone soils and an acid soil from rock habitats. Plants were colonised by the indigenous AM fungal community. The use of compartmented systems allow

Purpose: To our knowledge we report the first long-term use of desmopressin for nocturia. Patients previously responding to desmopressin in short-term studies were enrolled in this long-term open label study. Materials and Methods: Patients received treatment for 10 or 12 months with the optimal desmopressin dose (0.1, 0.2 or 0.4 mg orally at bedtime). Patients were followed a further month withou