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Objective: To explore the role of MTNR1B rs10830963 and G6PC2 rs560887 variants in the pathogenesis of impaired fasting glucose (IFG) in obese adolescents. Methods: A total of 346 Caucasians, 218 African-Americans, and 217 Hispanics obese children and adolescents underwent an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) and 518 underwent the evaluation of insulin secretion by the oral minimal model (OMM). A
Expression of fibroblast growth factor 8 (FGF-8) is increased in several forms of hormonal cancer. It was previously shown to regulate expression of thrombospondin 1 (TSP-1), an inhibitor of angiogencsis, in S115 breast cancer cells. Here, we studied the FGF-8-activated signalling pathways mediating TSP-1 repression in S115 cells and in non-tumorigenic MCF10A cells. Inhibition of FGF receptors or
Personalized medicine requires the identification of unambiguous prognostic and predictive biomarkers to inform therapeutic decisions. Within this context, the management of lymph node-negative breast cancer is the subject of much debate with particular emphasis on the requirement for adjuvant chemotherapy. The identification of prognostic and predictive biomarkers in this group of patients is cru
Urothelial carcinoma (UC) aggressiveness is determined by tumor inherent molecular characteristics, such as molecular subtypes, as well as by host reactions directed toward the tumor. Cell types responsible for the host׳s response include tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) and tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs). The aim of the present investigation was to explore the immunological response in
High-resolution, angle-resolved resonant Auger electron spectra of the NO molecule in the regions of both N and O 1s --> 2pi core electron excitations are presented. A large number of vibrational final states are resolved due to high energy resolution. Calculations based on lifetime vibrational interference (LVI) theory neglecting interference between different electronic intermediate states and b
1. Using data from a 9-year study of the great reed warbler Acrocephalus arundinaceus L. carried out in Sweden, I tested the main assumption of the polygyny threshold model (that there is a cost of polygyny) and the main prediction (that this cost is compensated for). The main question was whether a female that chose a mated male (secondary females) experienced the same fitness as a female that at
The hydrolysis of sphingomyelin generates key molecules regulating cell growth and inducing apoptosis. Data from animal cancer models support an inhibitory role for this pathway in the malignant transformation of the colonic mucosa. In the intestinal tract, a sphingomyelinase with an optimum alkaline pH has been identified. We recently found that the activity of alkaline sphingomyelinase is signif
It is widely assumed that there is a natural, prelinguistic conceptual domain of time whose linguistic organization is universally structured via metaphoric mapping from the lexicon and grammar of space and motion. We challenge this assumption on the basis of our research on the Amondawa (Tupi Kawahib) language and culture of Amazonia. Using both observational data and structured field linguistic
Retinoic acid (RA) is an important morphogen that regulates many biological processes, including the development of the central nervous system (CNS). Its synthesis from vitamin A (retinol) occurs in two steps, with the second reaction - catalyzed by retinal dehydrogenases (RALDHs) - long considered to be crucial for tissue-specific RA production in the embryo. We have recently identified the Xenop
BACKGROUND: To elucidate the mechanism by which local delivery of 3-morpholino-sydnonimine (SIN-1) affects intimal hyperplasia after percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA). METHODS: Porcine coronary arteries were treated with PTCA and immediately afterwards locally treated for 5 minutes, with a selective cytosolic guanylate cyclase inhibitor, 1 H-(1,2,4)oxadiazole(4,3-alpha)quinox
OBJECTIVE: We tested whether two single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (rs2383207 and rs10757278), previously strongly associated with myocardial infarction, are independently associated with stroke and coronary events in patients with hypertension. METHODS: The Nordic Diltiazem study compared the effects of calcium antagonist and beta-blocker or diuretic-based antihypertensive treatment on cardi
The small heat shock proteins (sHsps) possess a chaperone-like activity which prevents aggregation of other proteins during transient heat or oxidative stress. The sHsps bind, onto their surface, molten globule forms of other proteins, thereby keeping them in a refolding competent state. In Hsp21, a chloroplast-located sHsp in all higher plants, there is a highly conserved region forming an amphip
Background: The number of new cases of type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) has increased substantially in recent years and it is now one of the most common long-term endocrine disorders in childhood. In Sweden the child and family are hospitalised in accordance with the national guidelines for one to two weeks at diagnosis. The purpose of this study was to describe parents' perceptions of the educatio
Preeclampsia (PE) complicates 3-8% of all pregnancies and manifests clinically as hypertension and proteinuria in the second half of gestation. The pathogenesis of PE is not fully understood but recent studies have described the involvement of cell-free fetal hemoglobin (HbF). Hypothesizing that PE is associated with prolonged hemolysis we have studied the response of the cell-free Hb- and heme de
Inherited mutations in the tumor suppressor genes BRCA1 and BRCA2 predispose carriers to breast and ovarian cancer. The authors have identified a mutation in BRCA2, 7845+1G > A (c.7617+1G > A), not previously regarded as deleterious because of incorrect mapping of the splice junction in the originally published genomic reference sequence. This reference sequence is generally used in many laborator
This thesis examines a water management conflict resulting from land-use change and export-oriented agricultural intensification in a geography where water is the absolute lifeline to the sustainability of a social-ecological system: the Doñana in southwestern Andalusia, in Spain. Social-ecological systems (SES) approach is the theoretical base of this research, where the Doñana SES is scrutinized
