he present study investigated the unique contribution of learning approaches to academic performance, also taking gender differences into account. The participant sample consisted of 476 school pupils (53% girls and 47% boys) from two upper secondary schools in Sweden who completed two self-reported measures related to personality and learning approaches and one cognitive ability test. A series of

Mice genetically deficient in the glucagon receptor (Gcgr(-/-)) show improved glucose tolerance, insulin sensitivity and α-cell hyperplasia. In addition, Gcgr(-/-) mice do not develop diabetes after chemical destruction of β-cells. Since fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) has insulin independent glucose lowering properties we investigated whether FGF21 was contributing to diabetes resistance in i

To understand the molecular basis of sequential N-dealkylation by cytochrome P450 2B enzymes, we studied the binding of amidopyrine (AP) as well as the metabolites of this reaction, desmethylamidopyrine (DMAP) and aminoantipyrine (AAP), using the X-ray crystal structure of rabbit P450 2B4 and two nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) techniques: saturation transfer difference (STD) spectroscopy and lon

Epigenetic mechanisms are implicated in gene regulation and the development of different diseases. The epigenome differs between cell types and has until now only been characterized for a few human tissues. Environmental factors potentially alter the epigenome. Here we describe the genome-wide pattern of DNA methylation in human adipose tissue from 23 healthy men, with a previous low level of phys

This paper explores recovery-promoting care as experienced by persons with concomitant severe mental illness and substance misuse. Sixteen in-depth interviews, based on an interview guide concerning their experiences of health, life situation and care, were held with eight participants in an outpatient treatment programme. The analysis aimed to identify themes reflecting the diversity and complexi

The entrapment of bacterial cells within inorganic silica materials was reported almost 20 years ago. However, almost all studies to date have shown that these entrapped cells are unable to divide and thus should be expected to have reduced promoter activity. In view of the importance of bacteria as model systems for both fundamental and applied biological studies, it is crucial that immobilized c

We present the design and performance characteristics of a platelet analysis platform based on a microfluidic impedance cytometer. Dielectrophoretic focusing is used to centre cells in a fluid stream, which then forms the core of a two-phase flow (dielectric focusing). This flow then passes between electrodes for analysis by differential impedance spectroscopy at multiple frequencies from 280 kHz

P>Genes introduced by gene replacements and other types of horizontal gene transfer (HGT) represent a significant presence in many archaeal and eubacterial genomes. Most alien genes are likely to be neutral or deleterious upon arrival and their long-term persistence may require a mechanism that improves their selective contribution. To examine the fate of inter-species gene replacements, we exchan

Landscapes influence precipitation via the water vapor and energy fluxes they generate. Biologically active landscapes also generate aerosols containing microorganisms, some being capable of catalyzing ice formation and crystal growth in clouds at temperatures near 0 degrees C. The resulting precipitation is beneficial for the growth of plants and microorganisms. Mounting evidence from observation

The design and verification of built structures requires structural engineers to consider accidental loading situations. The accidental loading situation investigated in this paper is heavy-goods vehicle (HGV) collisions with roadside structures; focus is on the design of bridge-supporting structures. The impact loads were determined from Monte Carlo simulations of a probabilistic model in which h

The toll-like receptors, TLR5 and TLR7, have recently been proposed in asthma immunopathogenesis. While supporting data come from animal or in vitro studies, little is known about TLR5 and TLR7 expression in human asthmatic airways.

Objectives: Capillary abnormalities, such as the enlargement and/or disappearance of capillary loops, occur early in the majority of patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc). The aim of this study was to compare three capillaroscopic methods of determining the capillary density in patients with SSc. Methods: Two of the three methods involved stereo-zoom microscopy at a magnification of 20 times, u

In dynamic renal scintigraphy, the main interest is the radiopharmaceutical redistribution as a function of time. Quality control (QC) of renal procedures often relies on phantom experiments to compare image-based results with the measurement setup. A phantom with a realistic anatomy and time-varying activity distribution is therefore desirable. This work describes a pharmacokinetic (PK) compartme

Estimating the change in groundwater recharge from an introduced artificial recharge system is important in order to evaluate future water availability. This paper presents an inverse modeling approach to quantify the recharge contribution from both an ephemeral river channel and an introduced artificial recharge system based on floodwater spreading in arid Iran. The study used the MODFLOW-2000 to

The aim of this study was to compare the conventional combination of three-dimensional dosimeter (nPAG gel) and readout method (MRI) with other combinations of three-dimensional dosimeters (nPAG gel/Presage (TM)) and readout methods (optical CT scanners). In the first experiment, the dose readout of a gel irradiated with a four field-box technique was performed with both an Octopus IQ scanner and

Previous research suggests that time-based working memory limits of 2-3 s constrain the integration of verbal information, and that speakers tend to parse sentences into prosodic phrases that do not extend beyond this time window. The present study used Event-Related Potentials (ERPs) to investigate how time-driven implicit prosodic phrasing influences the syntactic processing of embedded clauses.

Smooth muscle comprises a key functional component of both the airways and their supporting vasculature. Dysfunction of smooth muscle contributes to and exacerbates a host of breathing-associated pathologies such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and pulmonary hypertension. These diseases may be marked by airway and/or vascular smooth muscle hypertrophy, proliferation and hyper-reac