Aims/hypothesis: Inflammasome activation and subsequent IL-1β production is a driver of islet pathology in type 2 diabetes. Oligomers, but not mature amyloid fibrils, of human islet amyloid polypeptide (IAPP), which is co-secreted with insulin, trigger NOD-like receptor pyrin domain containing-3 (NLRP3) inflammasome activation. C4b-binding protein (C4BP), present in serum, binds to IAPP and affect

Many separate-sexed organisms have sex chromosomes controlling sex determination. Sex chromosomes often have reduced recombination, specialized (frequently sex-specific) gene content, dosage compensation and heteromorphic size. Research on sex determination and sex chromosome evolution has increased over the past decade and is today a very active field. However, some areas within the field have no

We examined the relationship between pulmonary density, measured with computerized tomography, and pulmonary mechanics (static pulmonary volume; pulmonary resistance) in 39 normal subjects (20 nonsmokers and 19 smokers). Pulmonary density decreased with increasing static elastic recoil pressure, and smokers consistently showed higher pulmonary density than nonsmokers. Pulmonary density, measured a

The structure and dynamics of nanostructure films formed by mixtures of soy phosphatidylcholine and glycerol dioleate at the silicon-aqueous interface were studied by grazing incidence neutron spin echo spectroscopy (GINSES), specular and off-specular neutron reflectometry, and small-angle X-ray diffraction. Reverse hexagonal (HII) and micellar cubic phase (Fd3m) layers at the solid-liquid interfa

The objective of the research presented in this paper was to investigate how different characteristics of whey protein microparticles (MWP) added to milk as fat replacers influence intermolecular interactions occurring with other milk proteins during homogenisation and heating. These interactions are responsible for the formation of heat-induced aggregates that influence the texture and sensory ch

Background: The activity-stat theory infers that total physical activity (PA) in children is constant, independent of environmental interventions. Methods: We conducted a 3-year prospective population-based controlled PA intervention study including, at baseline, 7- to 9-year-old children (66 boys, 40 girls in the intervention and 50 boys, 38 girls in the control group). PA was increased in the in

This paper aims to discuss street art as new form of art and activism of uncomissioned and unsanctioned artifacts including paintings, murals and various kinds of stencils, posters, and stickers applied in any public surface. As Bengtsen (2014) has argued street art is a sociocultural practice, which is performative, ephemeral, and site specific. Street art has much to tell us about the dialectics

Cet article explore une nouvelle théorie méta-éthique selon laquelle les jugements de valeur sont des expressions d’une sorte de croyance conditionnelle de celui qui émet ces jugements. Les jugements de valeur expriment la croyance que quelque chose est le cas à condition de que quelque chose d’autre soit le cas. L’objectif est ici de parvenir à une meilleure compréhension de ce point de vue. À ceThis paper explores a novel metaethical theory according to which value judgments express conditional beliefs held by those who make them. Each value judgment expresses the belief that something is the case on condition that something else is the case. The paper aims to reach a better understanding of this view and to highlight some of the challenges that lie ahead. The most pressing of these revo

We describe a series of microcalorimeter X-ray spectrometers designed for a broad suite of measurement applications. The chief advantage of this type of spectrometer is that it can be orders of magnitude more efficient at collecting X-rays than more traditional high-resolution spectrometers that rely on wavelength-dispersive techniques. This advantage is most useful in applications that are tradit

Introduction: Resistance to antiretroviral drugs can complicate the management of HIV-1 infection and impair control of its spread. The aim of the current study was to investigate the prevalence and transmission of HIV-1 drug resistance among 106 antiretroviral therapy (ART)-naïve patients diagnosed in Iceland (1996–2012).Methods: HIV-1 polymerase sequences were analysed using the Calibrated Popul

While comparative construal (categorization, analogy and metaphorization) has been the subject of considerable research in linguistics, psychology, and cognitive science, comparatively little attention has been given to its role in emotive and sensory knowledge transfer (Thagard & Shelley 2006: 27). This paper proposes an explanatory framework for comparative construal in the form of a three-d

In April 1998 Giles and Lawrence published an article in Science on the search engines' coverage of the WWW.Their result was that HotBot covered more webpages (34 %) than AltaVista (28 %). This doesn't correspond with the search engines' own data in respect to their size as well as with the experiences of the authors. The aim of this article is to compare the hit rates of both systems related to s

Background/Aim. Hirschsprung's disease (HD) has a skewed gender distribution, with a female to male ratio of 1 : 4. This study aims to examine differences between boys and girls with HD regarding preoperative features and postoperative treatment and outcome. Method. The first part of the study was conducted as a retrospective review of all HD patients who underwent transanal endorectal pull-throug

The sense of touch is fundamental for daily behavior. The aim of this work is to understand the neural network responsible for touch processing during a prolonged tactile stimulation, delivered by means of a mechatronic platform by passively sliding a ridged surface under the subject’s fingertip while recording the electroencephalogram (EEG). We then analyzed: (i) the temporal features of the Soma

Papillorenal syndrome (PAPRS; Mendelian Inheritance in Man [MIM] 120330) is an autosomal dominant disease characterised by the presence of congenital renal and optic nerve abnormalities associated with mutations of the PAX2 gene. In this article, the authors present four patients with PAPRS who are carriers of three new PAX2 mutations, as well as another patient with a possible non-pathogenic vari