The performance of quantum dots-in-a-well infrared photodetectors (DWELL IPs) has been studied by means of interband and intersubband photocurrent measurements as well as dark current measurements. Using interband photocurrent measurements, substantial escape of electrons from lower lying states in the DWELL structure at large biases was revealed. Furthermore, a significant variation in the escape

Dynamic nuclear polarization has enabled hyperpolarization of nuclei such as C-13 and N-15 in endogenous substances. The resulting high nuclear polarization makes it possible to perform subsecond C-13 MRI. By using the dynamic nuclear polarization hyperpolarization technique, 10% polarization was obtained in an aqueous solution of 100 mM C-13-labeled urea, ready for injection. The in vivo T, relax

The advent of multiplexing technologies has raised the possibility that disease states can be defined using discrete genomic and proteomic patterns or signatures. However this emerging area has been limited by the 'content problem', arising from the uncertainty of which molecules to focus on. The human cluster of differentiation (CD) antigens are expressed on cells of the human immune system (leuk

Chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) is a malignant clonal disorder of the haematopoietic stem cell. Treatment of CML patients with interferon alpha (IFN-alpha) has induced haematological and cytogenetic remission. Interferons transcriptionally activate target genes through the JAK-STAT and interferon regulated factors (IRFs) family pathways. Interferon regulated factor-1 (IRF-1) is a transcriptional a

Aim: To investigate the prevalence of high levels of sperm DNA damage among men from infertile couples with both normal and abnormal standard semen parameters. Methods: A total of 350 men from infertile couples were assessed. Standard semen analysis and sperm chromatin structure assay (SCSA) were carried out. Results: Ninety-seven men (28% of the whole study group) had a DNA fragmentation index (D

To detect effects of Cu pollution, the Cu tolerance of soil bacterial communities extracted from several vineyards located in NW Spain was measured. Bacterial community tolerance was estimated by means of the thymidine (TdR) and leucine (Leu) incorporation techniques using either IC50 values (the log of the metal concentration that reduced incorporation to 50%) or the percentage of activity at one

The study of sexually antagonistic (SA) traits remains largely limited to dioecious (separate sex), mobile animals. However, the occurrence of sexual conflict is restricted neither by breeding system (the mode of sexual reproduction, e. g. dioecy or hermaphroditism) nor by sessility. Here, we synthesize how variation in breeding system can affect the evolution and expression of intra- and inter-lo

Risk minimization is no longer a sufficient survival strategy for poor people in livelihood systems increasingly exposed to frequent extreme events. This calls for comprehensive adaptation to climate change. Within the climate change regime, adaptation is as central as mitigation but needs to be much more explicitly addressed at local, national and global levels. There is also a need for policy re

Multiple cardiac rhabdomyomas are frequently associated with tuberous sclerosis. However, very few cardiac malformations have been described with tuberous sclerosis. We report an unusual case of tuberous sclerosis with cerebral and renal lesions associated with dextrotransposition of the great arteries, pulmonary atresia, patent ductus arteriosus, multiple ventricular septal defects, and parachute

In order to evaluate three common human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA tests for key performance indices in population-based cervical screening, we sampled 12,527 women aged 3238 years who attended invitational, population-based screening and followed them for 4 years with comprehensive registry linkages. Three different HPV DNA tests (GP5+/6+general primer PCR (using either AmpliTaq or AmpliTaq Gold DN

A modification of the constrained geometry optimization method by Anglada and Bofill (Anglada, J. M.; Bofill, J. M. J. Comput. Chem. 1997, 18, 992-1003) is designed and implemented. The changes include the choice of projection, quasi-line-search, and the use of a Rational Function optimization approach rather than a reduced-restricted-quasi-Newton-Raphson method in the optimization step. Furthermo

Object-oriented classification approaches offer an alternative to per-pixel methods for assessment of land use and land cover. Combining object-oriented approaches with very high resolution imagery may provide enhanced possibilities for applications requiring land use and land cover data. The aim of this study is to evaluate the application of object-oriented classification of panchromatic very hi

This study maps reactions activated in peacekeeping personnel by life-threatening situations and explores how these reactions affect psychological functioning. In-depth interviews were carried out with 30 informants from the Swedish peacekeeping force serving in Bosnia between 1993 and 1995. All participants had experienced shooting incidents or other highly threatening events. Two models were for

The progeny of spontaneous interspecific hybrid sporophytes of Sphagnum were used to analyse the inheritance of cytoplasmic DNA. The analysis showed that only the female parent donated chloroplasts and mitochondria in Sphagnum hybrids. Thus, this is the first study demonstrating maternal cytoplasmic inheritance in a nonvascular land plant. This finding has important implications for phylogenetic r

We report a case of a patient who suffered generalized urticaria, chest tightness, wheezing, nausea, vomiting, hypotension, and loss of consciousness. Two hours earlier she had taken Eulitop Retard following lunch. She had tolerated all the implicated food after the reaction. Allergy evaluation revealed intense positive responses to intradermal tests with bezafibrate active component and Eulitop R

Neurohormonal changes in congestive heart failure (CHF) include an enhanced peripheral sympathetic nerve activity which results in increased release of noradrenaline, neuropeptide Y and ATP. To examine if such changes in CHF would modulate peripheral pre- and postsynaptic receptors of ATP and its degradation product adenosine, experiments were performed in a rat model of ischaemic CHF. In this mod