AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: γ-Aminobutyric acid (GABA) is a signalling molecule in the interstitial space in pancreatic islets. We examined the expression and function of the GABA signalling system components in human pancreatic islets from normoglycaemic and type 2 diabetic individuals. METHODS: Expression of GABA signalling system components was studied by microarray, quantitative PCR analysis, immunohi

Molecular characterization of malignant plasma cells is increasingly important for diagnostic and therapeutic stratification in multiple myeloma (MM). However, the malignant plasma cells represent a relatively small subset of bone marrow cells, and need to be enriched prior to analysis. Currently, the cell surface marker CD138 (SDC1) is used for this enrichment, but has an important limitation in

Genome wide association studies (GWAS) for fasting glucose (FG) and insulin (FI) have identified common variant signals which explain 4.8% and 1.2% of trait variance, respectively. It is hypothesized that low-frequency and rare variants could contribute substantially to unexplained genetic variance. To test this, we analyzed exome-array data from up to 33,231 non-diabetic individuals of European a

Background: The US Environmental Protection Agency voluntary phased-out residential use of chlorpyrifos in 2001. In contrast, in Costa Rica, chlorpyrifos-treated bags are increasingly used to protect banana and plantain fruits from insects and to fulfill product standards, even in populated areas. Objectives: To evaluate children's exposure to chlorpyrifos in villages situated nearby banana planta

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) may be emitted from surfaces indoors leading to compromised air quality. This study scrutinized the influence of relative humidity (RH) on VOC concentrations in a building that had been subjected to water damage. While air samplings in a damp room at low RH (21-22 %) only revealed minor amounts of 2-ethylhexanol (3 μg/m(3)) and 2,2,4-trimethyl-1,3-pentanediol diis

The Review summarizes much of particle physics and cosmology. Using data from previous editions, plus 3,283 new measurements from 899 Japers, we list, evaluate, and average measured properties of gauge bosons and the recently discovered Higgs boson, leptons, quarks, mesons, and baryons. We summarize searches for hypothetical particles such as heavy neutrinos, supersymmetric and technicolor particl

The notion of omnipotence has proved to be quite recalcitrant to analysis. Still, during the last three decades or so, there has resurfaced a clever argument to the effect that, whatever omnipotence is, it cannot be exemplified in God: an allegedly impeccable and all-perfect being. Scrutinizing this argument, however, I find it less than convincing. Moreover, and more importantly, I venture a posi

Abstract is not available

Malignant Hyperthermia (MH) related mutations have been identified in the ryanodine receptor type 1 gene (RYR1) and in the dihydropyridine gene (CACNA1S), but about half of the patients do not have causative mutations in these genes. We wanted to study the contribution of other muscle genes to the RYR1 phenotypes.

Context. Development of safety-critical systems is mostly governed by process-heavy paradigms, while increasing demands on flexibility and agility also reach this domain. Objectives. We wanted to explore in more detail the industrial needs and challenges when facing this trend. Method. We launched a qualitative survey, interviewing engineers from four companies in four different industry domains.

The thermal decomposition of BaC2O4 center dot 3.5H(2)O and BaC2O4 center dot 0.5H(2)O was investigated using in situ synchrotron X-ray and neutron powder diffraction. The decomposition routes for the barium oxalate hydrates were observed to depend on the applied heating rate. Thermal decomposition of BaC2O4 center dot 0.5H(2)O showed transformation to alpha-BaC2O4 and to beta-BaC2O4 prior to the

The first experimental and theoretical evidence of the surface-catalyzed reaction of p,p'-dimercaptoazobenzene (DMAB) produced from para-aminothiophenol (PATP) by local surface plasmons was reported in 2010, and since that time a series of investigations have supported these findings using different experimental and theoretical methods. Recent work has also found that local plasmons can drive a su

The purpose of this paper was to compare the effects of different data reduction procedures on the values of variables characterizing the time pattern of trapezius muscle activity during full work shifts. Surface electromyography (EMG) of the right and left upper trapezius muscles were obtained from 40 young subjects in different occupations, mainly electricians, hairdressers and students. The tar

OBJECTIVE: To study patient reported physical activity in patients with spondyloarthritis (SpA) and possible differences in physical activity patterns between the SpA subtypes and genders. METHODS: In 2009 a questionnaire including questions concerning physical activity was sent to patients with a SpA diagnosis (n=3711). The WHO "Global recommendations of physical activity for health" requirin

BACKGROUND Individual corrected QT interval (QTc) may vary widely among carriers of the same long QT syndrome (LOTS) mutation. Currently, neither the mechanism nor the implications of this variable penetrance are well understood. OBJECTIVES To hypothesize that the assessment of QTc variance in patients with congenital LOTS who carry the same mutation provides incremental prognostic information on

In clinical practice, blood volume flow (BVF) is typically calculated assuming a perfect parabolic and axisymmetric velocity distribution. This simple approach cannot account for the complex flow configurations that are produced by vessel curvatures, pulsatility and diameter changes and, therefore, results in a poor estimation. Application of the Womersley model allows compensation for the flow di

In terms of consumer resistance and marketplace ideologies, consumer researchers have called for a more nuanced conceptualization of consumption moralism in order to avoid the simplistic trope of inside/outside the marketplace (e.g. Arnould, 2007; Luedicke et al., 2010; Penaloza and Price, 1993; Thompson, 2004). With the aim of contributing to this quest, this article brings together two originall

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is one of most common viral infections worldwide. While chronic HBV infection has been shown consistently to be associated with hepatocellular carcinoma, data on associations with cancers at other sites are limited. In this study a total of 10,197 patients were diagnosed with chronic HBV infection in Sweden, and they were retrieved from the nationwide Swedish Hosp

Why does the rate of population growth decline in the face of economic growth? We show that growing product variety may induce a permanent reduction in the demand for children and a continuous rise in income and consumption. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.