Polyamines are organic cations, which are considered essential for normal cell cycle progression. This view is based on results from numerous studies using a variety of enzyme inhibitors or polyamine analogues interfering with either the metabolism or the physiological functions of the polyamines. However, the presence of non-specific effects may be hard to rule out in such studies. In the present

The condensation of DNA by poly(amido amine) dendrimers of generation 1, 2, and 4 has been followed by time-resolved cryogenic transmission electron microscopy (cryo-TEM). The recorded images show that significant morphological rearrangement occurs for DNA condensed with the lower generation dendrimers leading to the formation of toroidal aggregates. Higher charge density dendrimers, on the other

The dynamics of particle formation were investigated for a diffusion-like ethylene flame containing a cooling metal plate on which particles condensed. Small-angle and wide-angle X-ray scattering techniques were combined to follow size- and structural changes of the soot particles using a new detector. The high dynamic range allowed continuous monitoring from the gas to the condensed phase of the

Diamond-Blackfan anemia (DBA) typically presents with red blood cell aplasia that usually manifests in the first year of life. The only gene currently known to be mutated in DBA encodes ribosomal protein S19 (RPS19). Previous studies have shown that the yeast RPS19 protein is required for a specific step in the maturation of 40S ribosomal subunits. Our objective here was to determine whether the h

Excited states have been observed in the N=Z-2 odd-odd nucleus Mn-48 for the first time. Through comparison with the structure of V-48, a first high-spin study of an odd-odd mirror pair has been achieved. Differences between the T=1 analogue states in this pair have been interpreted in terms of Coulomb effects, with the aid of shell-model calculations in the full pf valence space. Unlike other mir

Reception of partially correlated fields by two closely coupled electrical dipoles is discussed as a function of load impedances and open-circuit correlations. Two local maxima of the power may be achieved for two different load impedances, but in those cases the output correlations are high. Choosing the loads to give zero output correlations is possible for almost any real-valued open-circuit co

Light is both the energy source and the dominant signalling input for photosynthetic organisms. Accordingly, up to 30–50% of the genes expressed in plant leaves are directly or indirectly regulated by light, and virtually all aspects of plant metabolism support photosynthesis, depend upon the products of photosynthesis or are affected by photosynthesis-related changes in metabolite levels. Though

Muscarinic receptor stimulation and activation of protein kinase C cause an increase in fosB and junB transcripts in human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells. In this study, the effect of long-term ethanol exposure on these events was investigated. Carbachol-stimulated fosB and junB expression was elevated in ethanol-exposed cells compared with control cells. The potentiation was time- and dose-dependent

This paper introduces a new algorithmic technique for solving certain problems in geometric computer vision. The main novelty of the method is a branch-and-bound search over rotation space, which is used in this paper to determine camera orientation. By searching over all possible rotations, problems can be reduced to known fixed-rotation problems for which optimal solutions have been previously g

A synthesis of well-dated high-resolution pollen records suggests a spatial structure in the 8200 cal yr BP event in northern Europe. The temperate, thermophilous tree taxa, especially Corylus, Ulmus, and Alnus, decline abruptly between 8300 and 8000 cal yr BP at most sites located south of 61 degrees N, whereas there is no clear change in pollen values at the sites located in the North-European t

This paper analyzes three forms of low-income housing finance implemented in Central America: up-front and targeted state subsidies for mortgage finance to access new housing; small repeated loans for incremental housing improvements; and co-financing methods for the introduction of infrastructure and basic services. It shows that technical assistance for self-help construction, when combined with

Objective: There is a growing view that inherited or acquired thrombophilia may predispose a woman towards an adverse pregnancy outcome. The aim of this study was to investigate whether risk factors for placental abruption because of such thrombophilias (such as carriership of factor V Leiden (FVL), prothrombin G20210A gene mutation and homozygous MTHFR C677T) might be used as a predictor for plac

The aim of this study was to explore how very old people consider and arrive at decisions on relocation, with specific attention to housing and health relationships during the process of ageing. The sample included 13 very old participants of an 11-year longitudinal study of relationships between housing and health. Applying a mixed-methods approach, data from qualitative interviews and quantitati

Discharges of the nuclides I-129, Cs-137 and Tc-99 from the nuclear reprocessing facilities at Sellafield (UK) and La Hague (France) are very useful as oceanic tracers. On the basis of I-129/I-127, Cs-137 and Tc-99 measurements in archived seaweeds,the ratios of I-129/I-127, I-129/Cs-137 and I-129/Tc-99 have been estimated in seawater at two locations (Utsira and Kiberg) in the Norwegian Coastal C

Background Many patients who are discharged from the hospital without receiving a clear-cut diagnosis of their chest pain continue to consume health care because of disabling physical and psychological symptoms. By identifying their experiences and concerns following hospitalization, an empirical basis for discussions on ways of improving the care of these particular patients will be obtained. Me