Islet function is regulated by a number of different signals. A main signal is generated by glucose, which stimulates insulin secretion and inhibits glucagon secretion. The glucose effects are modulated by many factors, including hormones, neurotransmitters and nutrients. Several of these factors signal through guanine nucleotide-binding protein (G protein)-coupled receptors (GPCR). Examples of is

A synthesis inversion based on the atmospheric zoom model TM5 is used to derive top-down estimates of CH4 emissions from individual European countries for the year 2001. We employ a model zoom over Europe with 1 degrees x 1 degrees resolution that is two-way nested into the global model domain (with resolution of 6 degrees x 4 degrees). This approach ensures consistent boundary conditions for the

The colorimetric variations induced upon changes in interfacial refractive index of nanoscale noble metal structures exhibiting localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) provides a convenient means of label-free, affinity-based detection of biomolecular recognition reactions. However, despite being similar in nature to conventional SPR, LSPR has so far suffered from significantly lower data quali

Differences in hormonal and constitutional parameters between women with at least one first and/or second degree relative with breast cancer (RBC) and women without such affected relatives were studied in a group of healthy, nulligravid women aged 19-25 years. Present oral contraceptive (OC) users were analysed separately. In women not presently exposed to OCs we found significant correlations bet

Growth hormone (GH) has been used as anabolic therapy to treat catabolic patients. In a recent study, however, administration of high doses of GH to critically ill adults was associated with an increase in morbidity and mortality. Preponderance of septic shock and uncontrolled infections as causes of death in these patients suggests an immuno-modulatory effect of GH. Our hypothesis was that GH tre

The influence of molecular characteristics on the mutual interaction between peptides and nonionic surfactants has been investigated by studying the effects of surfactants on amphiphilic, random copolymers of alpha-L-amino acids containing lysine residues as the hydrophilic parts. The hydrophobic residues were either phenylalanine or tyrosine. The peptide-surfactant interactions were studied by me

The structure of calerythrin, a prokaryotic 20 kDa calcium-binding protein has been determined by solution NMR spectroscopy. Distance, dihedral angle, J coupling, secondary chemical shift, residual dipolar coupling and radius of gyration restraints reveal four EF-hand motifs arranged in a compact globular structure. A tight turn in the middle of the amino acid sequence brings the two halves, each

Aim: Obesity is associated with increased levels of inflammatory mediators. The objective of this study was to evaluate changes in the leucocyte derived inflammatory mediators tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), interleukin 6 (IL-6) and the isoprostane 8-epi-prostaglandin (PG) F2alpha during BMI lowering with orlistat (Xenical®, Roche) or placebo. Methods: TNF-alpha, IL-6, and 8-epi PGF2alp

Pictorial visualization is expected to facilitate communication between industrial professionals when planning working environments and production systems. This hypothesis was investigated by studying how 24 participants including managers, supervisors, machine operators, and occupational health and safety officials, judged three types of computer animated visualization varying in dimensional view

Nine species of hyoliths are described based on material collected in Skane, southern Sweden, during the first half of the last century. The material derives from the middle Cambrian (Cambrian provisional Series 3) Exsulans Limestone Bed at Almbacken east of Lund and the Upper Ordovician (Katian-Hirnantian) Lindegard Formation at Tommarp west of Simrishamn. The Almbacken assemblage consists of thr

Study objective: This didactical essay is directed to readers disposed to approach multilevel regression analysis (MLRA) in a more conceptual than mathematical way. However, it specifically develops an epidemiological vision on multilevel analysis with particular emphasis on measures of health variation (for example, intraclass correlation). Such measures have been underused in the literature as c

Study of the Swedish film Arn in relation to marketing, tourism and adaptation.

In this paper, which was prepared as part of IEA Bioenergy Task XV (“Greenhouse Gas Balances of Bioenergy Systems”), we outline a standard methodology for comparing the greenhouse gas balances of bioenergy systems with those of fossil energy systems. Emphasis is on a careful definition of system boundaries. The following issues are dealt with in detail: time interval analysed and changes of carbon

The genus Helicobacter has expanded at a rapid pace and no fewer than 31 species have been named since the proposal of the genus in 1989. Of these 31 species, 22 are principally associated with extragastric niches and there is increasing interest in the role of these taxa in diseases of humans and animals. Substantial evidence attests to certain species playing a role in the pathogenesis of enteri

In this paper we consider a Black and Scholes economy and investigate two approaches to hedging contingent claims. We show that the general Malliavin calculus approach can generate the classical Delta-hedging formula under weaker conditions.

Here we present a study of the electronic structure of epitaxial ferromagnetic Mn5Ge3(0001) films on Ge(111) by means of x-ray absorption spectroscopy, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and spin-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy. Spin-polarization (P) value of +(15 +/- 5)% at the Fermi energy (E-F) is measured with a photon energy of h nu = 21.2 eV. Our findings are in contrast to recent band st

The effects of Collembola grazing activities on the ectomycorrhizal symbiosis were studied in laboratory microcosms. Pinus contorta seedlings in association with Paxillus involutus were grown in a sandy soil and the Collembola Onychiurus armatus was added in different densities. To study effects on nutrient uptake by the extramatrical mycorrhizal mycelium, cups containing 15NH4+ and phytin amended

To investigate the effect of exposure to tobacco smoke (TS) on the development of irradiation-induced pneumonitis in rats, five groups of animals were investigated including controls (C), tobacco smoke exposed (S), irradiated (RNS) and irradiated and tobacco smoke exposed (RS). An additional group (RS/NS) was exposed to tobacco before irradiation but not afterwards. Rats were exposed to diluted ma