Background: Cholesterol-lowering medications such as statins have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, which may be beneficial for treating depression and improving mood. However, evidence regarding their effects remains inconsistent, with some studies reporting links to mood disturbances. We aimed to conduct a meta-analysis to determine the impact of statins on psychological wellbeing of

Human adipocytes express high levels of two distinct lipid droplet proteins, fat specific protein 27 (FSP27; also called CIDEC), a member of the CIDE family, and perilipin1 (PLIN1), a member of the PAT family. Both proteins play a role in fat metabolism in adipocytes, but how they interact is not known. Our present study demonstrates that FSP27 and PLIN1 co-localize and interact in cultured human

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) and type 2 (HIV-2) are both causative agents of AIDS, with similar pathogenic characteristics. However, the rate of disease progression is highly variable both within and between HIV-1 and HIV 2, but the mechanisms involved in modulating the rate of disease progression remain poorly understood. Host genetics account for some of the variation within each

α1-Microglobulin (A1M) is a reductase and radical scavenger involved in physiological protection against oxidative damage. These functions were previously shown to be dependent upon cysteinyl-, C34, and lysyl side-chains, K(92, 118,130). A1M binds heme and the crystal structure suggests that C34 and H123 participate in a heme binding site. We have investigated the involvement of these five residue

There are all sorts of consumer electronics in a home environment. Using ”apps” to interact with each device is neither feasible nor practical in an ubicomp future. Prototyping and evaluating interaction concepts for this future is a challenge. This paper proposes four concepts for device discovery and device interaction implemented in a virtual environment. The interaction concepts were compared

We demonstrate a method for elemental mercury detection based on correlation spectroscopy employing UV laser radiation generated by sum-frequency mixing of two visible multimode diode lasers. Resonance matching of the multimode UV laser is achieved in a wide wavelength range and with good tolerance for various operating conditions. Large mode-hops provide an off-resonance baseline, eliminating int

OBJECTIVE: Preterm birth is associated with asthma-like symptoms in childhood and possibly in adolescence, but the longer-term risk of asthma is unknown and increasingly relevant as larger numbers of these individuals enter adulthood. Our objective was to evaluate whether those who were born preterm are more likely to be prescribed asthma medications in young adulthood than those who were born ter

We have previously reported that liver X receptor (LXR) agonist, TO901317, could significantly inhibit hepatic apolipoprotein M (apoM) expression. It has been reported that TO901317 could activate the ATP-binding cassette transporter A1 (ABCA1) that mediates cholesterol efflux to the lipid-poor apoA1, which is an essential step for the high-density lipoprotein (HDL) formation. It is unknown if ABC

Abstract in ArabicThis report is the primary outcome from Part II of the project “An extended producer responsibility (EPR) system and new business models to increase reuse and recycling of textiles in the Nordic region” initiated by the Nordic waste group (NAG). The full project – comprising Part I and II – is part of the Nordic Prime Minister’s green growth initiative, The Nordic Region – leadin

A novel strategy is presented for designing peptides with specific metal-ion chelation sites, based on linking computationally predicted ion-specific combinations of amino acid side chains coordinated at the vertices of the desired coordination polyhedron into a single polypeptide chain. With this aim, a series of computer programs have been written that 1) creates a structural combinatorial libra

There is often a perceived tension between dialogue on the one hand and conversion on the other hand. This article suggests that this tension may be related to religious conviction and religious belonging being seen as monolithic. A basic idea of this article is that there are suggestive empirical findings and relevant conceptual arguments about double religious belonging in a large sense, which l

The (-938C > A) polymorphism in the promoter region of the BCL-2 gene was recently associated with inferior time to treatment and overall survival in B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) patients displaying the-938A/A genotype and may thus serve as an unfavorable genetic marker in CLL. Furthermore, the-938A/A genotype was associated with increased expression of Bcl-2. To investigate this furt

The Mifflin meteorite fell on the night of April 14, 2010, in southwestern Wisconsin. A bright fireball was observed throughout a wide area of the midwestern United States. The petrography, mineral compositions, and oxygen isotope ratios indicate that the meteorite is a L5 chondrite fragmental breccia with light/dark structure. The meteorite shows a low shock stage of S2, although some shock-melte

Pheromone monitoring could provide unique spatial and temporal information about rare and threatened insect species for conservation purposes. Pheromone traps may be especially valuable in detecting fluctuations and declines in vulnerable species, if trap catch can be related to population density. We exploited the pheromone-kairomone system of the hermit beetle Osmoderma eremita and its predator,

X-ray emission spectroscopy (XES) is a powerful element-selective tool to analyze the oxidation states of atoms in complex compounds, determine their electronic configuration, and identify unknown compounds in challenging environments. Until now the low efficiency of wavelength-dispersive X-ray spectrometer technology has limited the use of XES, especially in combination with weaker laboratory X-r

Bile duct injury is an important unsolved problem of laparoscopic cholecystectomy, occurring with unacceptable frequency even in the hands of experienced surgeons. This suggests that a systemic predisposition to the injury is intrinsic to cholecystectomy and indicates that an analysis of the psychology and heuristics of surgical decision-making in relation to duct identification may be a guide to