Background: Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is a late complication in both type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) and T2DM. Already at an early stage of DN morphological changes occur at the cell surface and in the extracellular matrix where the majority of the proteins carry N-linked glycosylations. These glycosylated proteins are highly important in cell adhesion and cell-matrix processes but not much is kno

The discovery of topological insulators, materials with bulk band gaps and protected cross-gap surface states in compounds such as Bi2Se3, has generated much interest in identifying topological surface states (TSSs) in other classes of materials. In particular, recent theoretical calculations suggest that TSSs may be found in half-Heusler ternary compounds. If experimentally realizable, this would

Metallic transition-metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) are benchmark systems for studying and controlling intertwined electronic orders in solids, with superconductivity developing from a charge-density wave state. The interplay between such phases is thought to play a critical role in the unconventional superconductivity of cuprates, Fe-based and heavy-fermion systems, yet even for the more moderately

The 2.5 km deep scientific COSC-1 borehole (ICDP 5054-1-A) was successfully drilled with nearly complete core recovery during spring and summer of 2014. Downhole and on-core measurements through the targeted Lower Seve Nappe provide a comprehensive data set. An observed gradual increase in strain below 1700 m, with mica schists and intermittent mylonites increasing in frequency and thickness, is h

Unique electronic properties of semiconductor heterostructured nanowires make them useful for future nano-electronic devices. Here, we present a study of the band bending effect at the heterointerface of GaAs/InAs core/shell nanowires by means of synchrotron based X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Different Ga, In, and As core-levels of the nanowire constituents have been monitored prior to and af

RNA sequencing of human pancreatic islets has provided important insights into the islet transcriptome but little information on the specific cells. In this issue, Segerstolpe et al. (2016) and Xin et al. (2016b) report on the transcriptome of single pancreatic cells from non-diabetic and type 2 diabetic donors.

We analysed the long-term variations in grain-size distribution in sediments from Gåsfjärden, a fjordlike inlet in the southwestern Baltic Sea, and explored potential drivers of the recorded changes in the sediment grain-size data. Over the last 5.4 thousand years (ky) in the study region, the relative sea level decreased 17 m, which was caused by isostatic land uplift. As a consequence, Gåsfjärde

Introduction: This study was aimed to determine the association between PSA levels and biomarkers of subclinical systemic inflammation based on data from 119 middle-aged healthy men from the general population. Materials and Methods: Serum levels of PSA and biomarkers of systemic inflammation (CRP and fibrinogen) were measured. Demographic data were also collected. Subjects were divided into two g

Butterfly eyes are random mosaics built of three ommatidia types, each with a different set of photoreceptors and pigments. What defines the combined features in each ommatidium? A new study has solved the puzzle.

This article presents per capita GDP and income distribution estimates for preindustrial Poland. It is based on a social table for the Voivodeship of Cracow in 1578. Our evidence indicates that income in Poland was distributed more equally than in contemporary Holland. However, the extraction rate was much higher than in the North Sea area. Furthermore, income inequality in the countryside of the

Objective The objectives of this study were to measure socio-economic inequalities in self-reported health (SRH) and healthcare visits and to identify factors contributing to health inequalities among older people aged 50-plus years. Study design This study is based on a population-based, cross-sectional survey. Methods We accessed data of 7150 older adults from the World Health Organization's Stu

Given the current scale of global displacement, in particular from Syria, and the rising death toll of individuals crossing the Mediterranean, the European Union has emphatically stressed the need to work on an effective asylum and immigration policy, through more robust forms of cooperation between Member States. Following the Agenda on Migration in May 2015, a set of new measures and proposals t

This paper examines how governance structures found in the trucking industry impact the coordination between a forwarder and its carriers, including three cases: no forwarder coordination (direct contracting with shippers), investor-owned coordination (price-only contract), and carrier-cooperative coordination (revenue-sharing contract). The carriers are engaged in a Cournot competition, where the

Post-quantum cryptography for resisting possible attacks from malicious quantum adversaries has become one of the key topics in recent cryptographic research. Its ultimate goal is to search for efficient and secure primitives replacing the factoring- and discrete log-based schemes in service that will be broken in polynomial time by Shor’s algorithm. It is now an urgent task to complete this repla

Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies) present an unparalleled insect model to integrate evolutionary genomics with ecology for the study of insect evolution. Key features of Odonata include their ancient phylogenetic position, extensive phenotypic and ecological diversity, several unique evolutionary innovations, ease of study in the wild and usefulness as bioindicators for freshwater ecosystems w

This article focuses on the El Sistema programme, which started up in Sweden in 2010 with the objective to deal with segregation problems typical for Swedish urban areas. The purpose of the article is to examine how promoting integration through music and music education is constructed within El Sistema as a way to help children growing up in multi-ethnic suburbs participate in Swedish society. Th

In this paper we have investigated the dynamics of photo-generated charge carriers in a series of aerotaxy-grown GaAs nanowires (NWs) with different levels of Zn doping. Time-resolved photo-induced luminescence and transient absorption have been employed to investigate radiative (band edge transition) and non-radiative charge recombination processes, respectively. We find that the photo-luminescen

PURPOSE: To describe clinical, optical coherence tomography (OCT) and fundus autofluorescence (FAF) findings in patients with intraocular tumors and determine if OCT and FAF could be helpful in the differential diagnosis and management of different choroidal tumors.METHODS: Forty-nine patients with untreated, macular, midperipheral, and extrapapillary intraocular tumors were included. All patients