In adipocytes, lipolysis is a highly regulated process involving hormonal signals, lipid droplet-associated proteins, and lipases. The discovery of new lipid droplet-associated proteins added complexity to the current model of lipolysis. In this study, we used cultured human adipocytes to demonstrate that fat-specific protein 27 (FSP27), an abundantly expressed protein in adipocytes, regulates bot

Insulin resistance results in compensatory increase in insulin secretion to maintain normoglycemia. Conversely, high insulin sensitivity results in reduced insulin secretion to prevent hypoglycemia. The mechanisms for this inverse adaptation are not well understood. We utilized highly insulin sensitive mice, due to adipocyte specific overexpression of the FOXC2 transcription factor, to study mecha

Collagen IX containing the N-terminal non-collagenous domain 4 (NC4) domain is unique to cartilage and a member of the family of fibril-associated collagens with both collagenous and non-collagenous domains. Collagen IX is located at the surface of fibrils formed by collagen II and a minor proportion of collagen XI, playing roles in tissue stability and integrity. The NC4 domain projects out from

The adsorption properties of water on the stoichiometric (101) surface of anatase TiO2 in the temperature range 160-400 K has been studied by synchrotron radiation core level photoelectron spectroscopy. O 1s spectra give clear evidence for the formation of a first layer of water that comprises both H2O and OH. The composition is 0.77 +/- 0.05 ML H2O and 0.47 +/- 0.05 ML OH. Decreasing the coverage

Combining pheromone trapping and genetic analyses can be useful whentrying to resolve complexes of closely related insect taxa that are difficult to distinguishbased on morphological characters. Nearctic and Palearctic populations of the spruceseed moth, Cydia strobilella L., have been considered taxonomically synonymoussince 1983, but more recent work revealing distinct sex pheromones for Canadia

The type I interferon system genes IKBKE and IFIH1 are associated with the risk of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). To identify the sequence variants that are able to account for the disease association, we resequenced the genes IKBKE and IFIH1. Eighty-six single-nucleotide variants (SNVs) with potentially functional effect or differences in allele frequencies between patients and controls dete

The forest, savanna, and grassland biomes, and the transitions between them, are expected to undergo major changes in the future due to global climate change. Dynamic global vegetation models (DGVMs) are very useful for understanding vegetation dynamics under the present climate, and for predicting its changes under future conditions. However, several DGVMs display high uncertainty in predicting v

A wide range of factors shapes irrigation institutions and collective action with regard to irrigation. They include the distribution of land across irrigation command areas and across classes, land tenure systems, access to new technology such as bore wells, the availability and cost of electricity and other energy sources for lifting groundwater, and, above all, state policies related to irrigat

Background: Terra preta do indio or 'dark earth' soils formed as a result of a long-term addition of organic matter by indigenous peoples in Amazonia. Aims: Here we report on the first study of productivity, allocation and carbon cycling from a terra preta plot in eastern Amazonia (Caxiuana, Para, Brazil), and contrast its dynamics with a nearby plot on infertile soil (ferralsols). Methods: We det

Background and purpose: The posterior soft tissue repair is 1 of the preventing factors for dislocation after total hip arthroplasty (THA). The aim of our study was to analyse THA patients with posterior soft tissue repair in terms of suture durability, time of suture failure and correlate the changes in leg length and offset postoperatively to suture durability. Methods: A total of 37 consecutive

Aromatic ring flips of Phe and Tyr residues are a hallmark of protein dynamics with a long history in molecular biophysics. Ring flips lead to symmetric exchange of nuclei between sites with distinct magnetic environments, which can be probed by NMR spectroscopy. Current knowledge of ring-flip rates originates from rare cases in which the chemical shift difference between the two sites is sufficie

Background: We present recommendations for revision of the diagnostic criteria for the Dissociative Disorders (DDs) for DSM-5. The periodic revision of the DSM provides an opportunity to revisit the assumptions underlying specific diagnoses and the empirical support, or lack of it, for the defining diagnostic criteria. Methods: This paper reviews clinical, phenomenological, epidemiological, cultur

To examine whether increasing fasting plasma glucose (FPG) levels were associated with worsening left ventricular (LV) diastolic function, independently of LV mass index (LVMI) in elderly, otherwise healthy subjects.

The structure of bulk liquid water was recently probed by x-ray scattering below the temperature limit of homogeneous nucleation (TH) of ∼232 K [J. A. Sellberg et al., Nature 510, 381-384 (2014)]. Here, we utilize a similar approach to study the structure of bulk liquid water below TH using oxygen K-edge x-ray emission spectroscopy (XES). Based on previous XES experiments [T. Tokushima et al., Che

OBJECTIVE: The brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) locus has been implicated in psychiatric and substance related disorders. Recent genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have shown strong associations between single nucleotide polymorphisms in BDNF, smoking behaviour and high body mass index (BMI). Our aim was to test whether genetic BDNF variation alters the risk of smoking related morbidit

Cancer gene fusions that encode a chimeric protein are often characterized by an intragenic discontinuity in the RNA\expression levels of the exons that are 5' or 3' to the fusion point in one or both of the fusion partners due to differences in the levels of activation of their respective promoters. Based on this, we developed an unbiased, genome-wide bioinformatic screen for gene fusions using A