Stretch of the vascular wall is an important stimulus to maintain smooth muscle contractile differentiation that is known to depend on L-type calcium influx, Rho-activation and actin polymerization. The role of microRNAs in this response was investigated using tamoxifen-inducible and smooth muscle specific Dicer KO mice. In the absence of Dicer, which is required for microRNA maturation, smooth mu

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is the most frequently delivered psychological intervention for adults with chronic pain. The treatment yields modest effect sizes and the mechanisms of action remain understudied and unclear. Efforts are needed to identify treatment mediators that could be used to refine CBT and improve outcomes. The primary aim of this study is to investigate whether pain-relat

The enzymes in the nucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase (NPP) family have various substrates such as nucleotides, phospholipids, and sphingolipids. The substrate specificity in relation to their structures is largely unknown because no mammalian NPP complex has been crystallized. NPP7, also called alkaline sphingomyelinase (alk-SMase), is a NPP family member that may have important implica

The objective of this study was to investigate any association between infants' early development and PUFA concentrations in early breast milk and infants' plasma phospholipids at 44 weeks gestational age. Fifty-one premature infants were included. The quality of general movement was assessed at 3 months, and motor, mental and behavioral development at 3, 6, 10 and 18 months corrected age using Ba

Abstract in UndeterminedSeveral studies have shown strong educational homogamy in most Western societies, although the trends over time differ across countries. In this article, we study the connection between educational assortative mating and gender-specific earnings in a sample containing the entire Swedish population born 1960-1974; we follow this sample from 1990 to 2009. Our empirical strate

Background Pre- and perinatal adversities may increase the risk for schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Hypoxia-related obstetric complications (OCs) are associated with brain anatomical abnormalities in schizophrenia, but their association with brain anatomy variation in bipolar disorder is unknown. Method Magnetic resonance imaging brain scans, clinical examinations and data from the Medical Bir

Roasted and granulated cassava roots flour, known as 'rale' in the south of Mozambique, is a common meal in sub-Saharan Africa and is consumed reconstituted with hot or cold water. In this work, analysis of rale was carried out with the aim of understanding what determines the agglomeration properties. Rale is agglomerated roasted cassava flour with about 95% of starch gelatinized. The pre-gelatin

Parkinson's disease (PD) is mainly attributed to degeneration of dopamine neurons in the substantia nigra, but its etiopathogenesis also includes impaired protein clearance and axonal transport dysfunction, among others. The spread of α-synuclein (α-syn) aggregates from one neuron to another, in a prion-like manner, is hypothesized to contribute to PD progression. Axonal transport is likely to pla

This paper studies how covenants are included in contracts between venture capitalists (VCs) and entrepreneurs. I show that VCs hold covenanted veto rights even though they are shareholders who have access to other powerful governance solutions. Unlike bank loans and bonds, venture capital (VC) contracts exhibit considerable variation in their contractual designs. I exploit this variation to confi

Abstract in UndeterminedBACKGROUND: . This study examines inequalities in health in Laos. Because perception of health might affect ratings, we used both a global and a relative self-rated health (SRH) question. METHODS: . The study was based on the fourth Lao Expenditure and Consumption Survey, 2007-2008. The study population consisted of 24 162 individuals 20 years or older. Two single-question

Experientialist semantics has contributed to a broader notion of linguistic meaning by emphasizing notions such as construal, perspective, metaphor and embodiment, but has suffered from an individualist concept of meaning and has conflated experiential motivations with conventional semantics. We argue that these problems can be redressed by methods and concepts from phenomenology, through a case s

Despite the obvious (though as of yet unclear) relationship between economic growth and the persistence of autocratic regimes, there are only few studies that examine how innovation processes affect autocracies - and vice versa. Linking the scholarship on authoritarian consolidation with insights from the National Innovation Systems- and Science and Technology Studies literature, this article argu

To analyze the cervical screening history in women with cervical cancer and their outcome.

In recent years, ceria-based composites (CBCs) have been developed as electrolytes for low-temperature solid oxide fuel cells. These materials exhibit extremely high ionic conductivities at 400-600 degrees C. It has also been found that both oxide ion and proton can be conducted in the CBC electrolytes, which makes such co-ionic conducting fuel cell distinct from any other types of fuel cells. In

The β-lactamase genes of Haemophilus influenzae are commonly positioned on large integrative and conjugative elements, but a group of blaTEM-carrying small plasmids (4000-6000 bp) with a common structural backbone have recently been characterized. In this study we investigated the epidemiological significance and potential for transfer of this group of small plasmids.

More than 235 million patients undergo surgery every year worldwide, but less than 1% are enrolled in surgical clinical trials-few of which are international collaborations. Several levels of action are needed to improve this situation. International research collaborations in surgery between developed and developing countries could encourage capacity building and quality improvement, and mutually

Abstract in UndeterminedContext: Defect reporting is an important part of software development in-vivo, but previous work from open source context suggests that defect reports often have insufficient information for defect fixing. Objective: Our goal was to reproduce and partially replicate one of those open source studies in industrial context to see how well the results could be generalized. Met

The present study investigates the dental work in terms of time distribution and mechanical exposure in value-adding work (VAW) and non-VAW. Further rationalisation of dental work would typically involve an increase in the proportion of VAW. Information on mechanical exposure within the classes of VAW and non-VAW may be used to predict possible implications of rationalisation. Sixteen dentists wer