OBJECTIVES. Females develop cardiovascular diseases and abdominal aortic aneurysms later in life than males. In this study we investigated the diameter and compliance of the distal abdominal aorta in healthy females of varying ages. The results were compared with those obtained previously from healthy males in order to assess potential sex-related differences in the aging process of the abdominal

A key question for understanding the mechanisms of pulsatile insulin release is how the underlying beta-cell oscillations of the cytoplasmic Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+](i)) are synchronized within and among the islets in the pancreas. Nitric oxide has been proposed to coordinate the activity of the beta-cells by precipitating transients of [Ca2+](i). Comparing ob/ob mice and lean controls, we have

Acoustic driving techniques can produce luminescence in semiconductors quite efficiently. A mixture of grain particles, for example, emits light when driven by sufficiently intense acoustic fields. This effect is therefore particularly interesting for exploring the dynamics of granular solids. By applying this novel technique, further insight is gained when monitoring the driving-induced evolution

Oxo transfer reactions from [MoO2(mnt)2]2– [mnt2– = 2,3-disulfanylmaleonitrile dianion (1,2-dicyanoethylenedithiolate)] to the abiological oxygen acceptors PPh3–xEtx (x = 0–3) have been studied spectrophotometrically in acetonitrile. The pseudo-first-order rate constants depend linearly on the concentration of the oxo acceptors. The sequence of reactivity is PEt3 > PEt2Ph > PEtPh2 > PPh3, reflecti

The main purpose of the pursued research is to increase knowledge of the effects of knots in structural timber so that characteristics of weaker timber may be determined and applied to improve current grading techniques. In the process, a three-dimensional fiber paradigm was established, which describes variations of local principle material axes in timber containing knots. The adaptability of the

To clarify the relationships between islet antibodies (islet cell antibody [ICA], GAD antibody [GADA], and IA-2 antibody [IA-2A]) versus the progression of beta-cell dysfunction, we have followed a group of diabetic patients from their diagnosis at 21-73 years of age. Patients with ICA had high levels of GADA and/or IA-2A at diagnosis and a more severe beta-cell dysfunction 5 years after diagnosis

Abstract is not available

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: In a randomized study of hemiparetic stroke patients with a median age of 75 years, functional recovery was significantly better in those who received additional sensory stimulation (n = 38), including electrostimulation, than in control patients (n = 40) given the same physiotherapy and occupational therapy; group differences for balance, mobility, and activities of daily

Mucosal pathogens differ from normal flora constituents in that they provoke a host response that upsets mucosal integrity. We investigated whether the elaboration of discrete adherence factors is sufficient to break the inertia of the mucosal barrier. PapG-mediated adherence was selected as an example, because P fimbrial expression characterizes uropathogenic Escherichia coli and because adherenc

Eddy correlation measurements of methane exchange were conducted during a period of 43 days covering the summer season in high-arctic, NE Greenland. Measurements were carried out over a fen area and showed fluxes ranging from no exchange in the early part of the campaign to 120 mg m(-2) d(-1) during midsummer. The emission showed a clear variation related to soil temperatures and water table level

Previous results have shown that severe, prolonged hypoglycemia leads to neuronal cell damage in, among other structures, the cerebral cortex and the hippocampus but not the cerebellum. In order to study whether or not this sparing of cerebellar cells is due to preservation of cerebellar energy stores, hypoglycemia of sufficient severity to abolish spontaneous EEG activity was induced for 30 and 6

The aim of the present study was to test the hypothesis that temporal differences in food chain composition affect lower trophic levels not only directly, by predation and grazing, but also indirectly, by inducing avoidance behavior. In a field study, the recruitment rate from the sediments to water of two algal species (Gonyostomum semen and Peridinium sp.) was higher at low than at high biomass