Different simple methods for evaluating the diffusivity from a sorption measurement are presented and tested when there is a surface resistance (a limited mass transfer coefficient), a non-perfect step in relative humidity or non-Fickian effects. It is concluded that the different methods have different qualities and it is impossible to give a general recommendation on which method to use. The bes

Transmembrane receptors with intrinsic serine/threonine or tyrosine kinase domains regulate vital functions of cells in multicellular eukaryotes, e.g., differentiation, apoptosis, and proliferation. Here, we show that bone rnorphogenetic protein type II receptor (BMPR-II)which has a serine/threonine kinase domain, and stem cell factor receptor (c-kit) which contains a tyrosine kinase domain form a

The moisture-induced warping of three-layered cross-laminated solid wood panels made of Norway spruce was studied. The panels were exposed to different climate conditions at 65% and 100% relative humidity at the two panel faces. The results showed increasing cup deformation with an increasing relative thickness of the outer layers. The annual growth ring orientation was found to have a significant

BACKGROUND: Endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide, LPS) up-regulates inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in blood vessels during septic shock. This promotes the production of nitric oxide (NO), leading to dilation of the vessels. The aim of the study was to investigate the effects of the LPS-binding endogenous antibiotic bactericidal/permeability-increasing protein (BPI) on the action of LPS on the blo

The laterally and mutually constrained inversion (LCI and MCI) techniques allow for the combined inversion of multiple geophysical datasets and provide a sensitivity analysis of all model parameters. The LCI and MCI work with few-layered models, and are restricted to quasi-layered geological environments. LCI is used successfully for inversion of surface wave (SW) seismic data and MCI for combined

This study presents an analysis of how the media reported the 2007 elections in Turkey. Past research on election campaign media coverage, particularly newspapers, suggests that the media can play an important role in informing voters. However, much of the research on campaign media coverage has focused on Western democracies with little attention paid to how features of the media system such as p

We have evaluated if any differences in tumor radiosensitization exist between the two adenosine diphosphate ribosyl transferase (ADPRT) inhibitors nicotinamide and benzamide at fractionated low doses. A significant radiosensitizing effect with nicotinamide at a 10 mg/kg per day dose was found in the tumor model used. We found, however, no radiosensitizing effect with benzamide given according to

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the efficacy and safety of oral desmopressin in the treatment of nocturia in men. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Men aged >/=18 years with verified nocturia (>or=two voids/night) and nocturnal urine production greater than their maximum functional bladder capacity were recruited. A 3-week dose-titration phase established the optimum desmopressin dose (0.1, 0.2 or 0.4 mg). After a

We show that collisions with stellar-mass black holes can partially explain the absence of bright giant stars in the Galactic Centre, first noted by Genzel et al. We show that the missing objects are low-mass giants and asymptotic giant branch stars in the range 1-3 M-circle dot. Using detailed stellar evolution calculations, we find that to prevent these objects from evolving to become visible in

We present a new density functional theory of ideal polymer fluids, assuming nearest-neighbor bonding constraints. The free energy functional is expressed in terms of end site densities of chain segments and thus has a simpler mathematical structure than previously used expressions using multipoint distributions. This work is based on a formalism proposed by Tripathi and Chapman [Phys. Rev. Lett.

A dominant notion that homosexuality and heterosexuality give meaning to bisexuality already exists. But no one has explored the meaning that bisexuality might accrue with regard to monosexuality. Because bisexuals were never fully recognized within queer theory, the homosexual-heterosexual binary opposition continues to be the primary understanding of difference. Further, within queer theory, the

A myoelectric control system for prostheses was developed and evaluated on six healthy subjects. These were able to control a computer-animated hand in real-time with a 20 Hz update rate. A data glove, equipped with joint angle sensors, was used to train the system and to evaluate the continuous predictions of joint angles. A linear envelop filter was used for EMG signal pre-processing and the rec

We present a capacitance-voltage study for arrays of vertical InAs nanowires. Metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) capacitors are obtained by insulating the nanowires with a conformal 10 nm HfO2 layer and using a top Cr/Au metallization as one of the capacitor's electrodes. The described fabrication and characterization technique enables a systematic investigation of the carrier density in the nanowire

Simulations with the Explicit Microphysics Model (EMM) of a case of lightly precipitating, glaciated stratiform cloud are presented. This frontal cloud was observed by the UK Met Office C-130 aircraft and the dual-polarization radar at Chilbolton in southern England. The Hallett-Mossop (H-M) process was found to cause extremely high number concentrations of crystal columns of up to almost 1000 1(-

Background: The 65-kD isoform of glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) is a major autoantigen in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus. This trial assessed the ability of alum-formulated GAD (GAD-alum) to reverse recent-onset type 1 diabetes in patients 10 to 18 years of age. Methods: We randomly assigned 70 patients with type 1 diabetes who had fasting C-peptide levels above 0.1 nmol per liter (0.3

Phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3 kinase) has been implicated in G protein-coupled receptor regulation of pancreatic ß-cell growth and glucose-stimulated insulin secretion. The G protein-activated p110{gamma} isoform of PI3 kinase was detected in insulinoma cells, mouse islets, and human islets. In 7- to 10-wk-old mice, knockout of p110{gamma} reduced the plasma insulin response to ip glucose injecti

During sympatric and parapatric speciation the diverging populations maintain geographical contact throughout the speciation process. In theoretical models an isolating mechanism, such as assortative mating, is usually needed to obtain genetic separation of populations in contact. We simplified the visual appearance of the crows that occur in the crow hybrid zone in Europe, the carrion crow, Corvu

Histamine may play a role in many of the events occurring in the ovarian tissue and leading to ovulation. To elucidate the histaminergic influence on the ovarian vasculature, the mechanical response of the isolated rat ovarian artery to histamine and histamine agonists was investigated. Histamine relaxed the precontracted vessel segments in a concentration-dependent way, amounting to 82.7 +/- 4.3%