When exposed to intermediate glucose concentrations (6-16 mol/l), pancreatic beta-cells in intact islets generate bursts of action potentials (superimposed on depolarised plateaux) separated by repolarised electrically silent intervals. First described more than 40 years ago, these oscillations have continued to intrigue beta-cell electrophysiologists. To date, most studies of beta-cell ion channe

Polythiophenes (PTs), particularly regioregular poly(3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl) (rr-P3HT), are important materials in photo-voltaics. The photophysical properties of PTs are still poorly understood, because of their aggregation tendency and formation of interchain species which can be avoided by insulating the conjugated backbone via self-threading. We investigated two polymers, rr-P3HT and its in

Contemporary psychological research has shown that if we are judged by the standards of classical models of rationality our decision-making abilities can be seriously questioned. We are more or less irrational. The article investigates how this 'fact of irrationality' affects the way normative ethical theories should be formulated and the extent to which currently dominant ethical theories can be

Computed tomography angiography (CTA) is today the primary method for the detection of intracranial aneurysms. The technique has evolved considerably during the last decade, and it is important to establish criteria for high image quality, especially with regard to improving the diagnosis of small aneurysms.

Taking a global perspective this paper sets out to theoretically and empirically identify prosperity patterns for four groups of countries at different levels of economic development. It conceptualizes ‘prosperity’ in terms of ecological sustainability, social inclusion, and the quality of life and contextualizes this definition in global perspective. Subsequently, it operationalizes and measures

Next-generation sequencing technologies are making it possible to study the role of rare variants in human disease. Many studies balance statistical power with cost-effectiveness by (a) sampling from phenotypic extremes and (b) utilizing a two-stage design. Two-stage designs include a broad-based discovery phase and selection of a subset of potential causal genes/variants to be further examined in

The study explores the constructs of cognitive restructuring and acceptance using items from well-established measures of the respective constructs in order to determine what subcategories or conceptual nuances that could be empirically detected, and examines these factors’relationship to each other and to positive and negative emotionality, quality of life and clinical status. The design of the s

Vital statistics, published by the National Statistics Institute in Spain, are a highly important source for the study of perinatal health nationwide. However, the process of data collection is not well-known and has implications both for the quality and interpretation of the epidemiological results derived from this source. The aim of this study was to present how the information is collected and

Genetic studies have implicated the neuronal ubiquitin C-terminal hydrolase (UCH) protein UCH-L1 in Parkinson's disease (PD) pathogenesis. Moreover, the function of UCH-L1 may be lost in the brains of PD and Alzheimer's disease patients. We have previously reported that the UCH-L1 polymorphic variant S18Y, potentially protective against PD in population studies, demonstrates specific antioxidant f

Multi-coincidence experiments with detection of both electrons and ions from decay of core-excited and core-ionized states of CO2 confirm that O2 (+) is formed specifically in Auger decay from the C1s-π* and O1s-π* resonances. Molecular rearrangement occurs by bending in the resonant states, and O2 (+) is produced by both single and double Auger decay. It is suggested that electron capture by C(+)

We report on temperature dependence on the drive current as well as long-term effects of annealing in vertical InAs nanowire Field-Effect Transistors. Negatively charged traps in the HfO2 gate dielectric are suggested as one major factor in explaining the effects observed in the transistor characteristics. An energy barrier may be correlated with an un-gated InAs nanowire region covered with HfO2

P>At least one climate model predicts severe reductions of rainfall over Amazonia during this century. Long-term throughfall exclusion (TFE) experiments represent the best available means to investigate the resilience of the Amazon rainforest to such droughts. Results are presented from a 7 yr TFE study at Caxiuana National Forest, eastern Amazonia. We focus on the impacts of the drought on tree m

Introduction: The purpose of this research was to study the influence of cigarette smoking and alcohol consumption on immune response to heptavalent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, immunoglobulin levels (Ig) and markers of systemic inflammation in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) or spondylarthropathy (SpA). Methods: In total, 505 patients were vaccinated. Six pre-specified groups were enro

To circumvent antiandrogen resistance in prostate cancer, antiandrogens effective for both the androgen receptor (AR) and AR mutants are required. The AR antagonists in this study originate from previous findings, which showed that subtle differences in substitution pattern lead to a conformational change that alters the ligand activity, rendering an agonist to an antagonist. We have identified sm

Risk factors for breast cancer vary according to breast cancer subtype. This study analyzes the impact of potential risk factors in breast cancer by androgen receptor (AR) status.

The Triassic-Jurassic (Tr-J) boundary marks a major extinction event, which (similar to 200 Ma) resulted in global extinctions of fauna and flora both in the marine and terrestrial realms. There prevail great challenges in determining the exact location of the terrestrial Tr-J boundary, because of endemism of. : and the scarcity of fossils in terrestrial settings leading to difficulties in linking

Uncertainty, insufficient information or information of poor quality, limited cognitive capacity and time, along with value conflicts and ethical considerations, are all aspects that make risk management and risk communication difficult. This paper provides a review of different risk concepts and describes how these influence risk management, communication, and planning in relation to forest ecosy

In clinical practice as well as research situations, it is of great importance to get reliable information about a patient's alcohol consumption. The aim of the study was to investigate the correlation of alcohol biomarkers (phosphatidylethanol [PEth], carbohydrate-deficient transferrin [CDT], γ-glutamyltransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, and alanine aminotransferase) to retrospective as well

Perceptual decision-making performance depends on several cognitive and neural processes. Here, we fit Ratcliff's diffusion model to accuracy data and reaction-time distributions from one numerical and one verbal two-choice perceptual-decision task to deconstruct these performance measures into the rate of evidence accumulation (i.e., drift rate), response criterion setting (i.e., boundary separat