Protein tyrosine phosphatase (PTP)-1B, encoded by the PTPN1 gene, inactivates the insulin signal transduction cascade by dephosphorylating phosphotyrosine residues in insulin signaling molecules. Due to its chromosomal location under a chromosome 20 linkage peak and the metabolic effects of its absence in knockout mice, it is a candidate gene for type 2 diabetes. Recent studies have associated com

Arthrodesis is usually performed with joint resection or at least with removal of cartilage. Our recent experience with successful fusion in all 11 rheumatoid ankles treated only with percutaneous fixation questions the necessity of debridement of the joint before arthrodesis. In this rabbit study we tested the hypothesis that joints fuse because of rigid fixation. 9 skeletally mature loop-ear dwa

Yrast states of Sb-106 have been investigated in the Fe-54(Ni-58, alpha pn) reaction using in-beam gamma-spectroscopic methods and in the Cr-50(Ni-58,pn) reaction performing delayed gamma and conversion electron studies. A new isomeric state was found at 103 keV with t(1/2) = 232(21) ns. The number of start's and transitions in the proposed level scheme have been doubled. The experimental results

Western civilization has no particular good track record of saving cultural heritage from destruction, but in recent centuries it has surrounded itself with a rather firm ideology of conservation and preservation. This paper is meant as a caution against a fundamentalist ideology of heritage-preservationism. I am discussing some inherent contradictions of how heritage is treated in the modern worl

Treatment of [(mu-H)Os-3(CO)(10)(mu-OMe)] (1) with dppm {dppm = bis(diphenylphosphino)methane} at 110 degrees C gave the known compound [Os-3(CO)(10)(mu(2)-eta(2)-dppm)] (2) and the new compound [(mu-H)Os-3(CO)(8)(mu-OMe)(mu(2)-eta(2)-dppm)] (3). A similar reaction of 1 with dppe {dppe=bis(diphenylphosphino)ethane} afforded two products, [(mu-H)Os-3(CO)(8)(mu-OMe)(mu(1)-eta(2)-dppe)] (5) and [(mu-

Glutathione peroxidase (GSHPx) activity, and total and soluble selenium content were compared in five bovine and porcine organs. The highest GSHPx activity in porcine tissues was found in the liver (35.0 U/g), spleen (29.3 U/g) and kidney (27.3 U/g) with much lower values in the heart (1.8 U/g) and diaphragm (0.8 U/g). A different pattern with lower inter-organ variation in GSHPx activity was obse

Studies of circular permutants have demonstrated that the folding reaction of S6 from Thermus thermophilus (S6(T)) is malleable and responds in an ordered manner to changes of the sequence separation between interacting residues: the S6(T) permutants retain a common nucleation pattern in the form of a two-strand-helix motif that can be recruited from different parts of the structure. To further te

Persistent organochlorine pollutants (POPs), such aspolychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), dichloro diphenyl trichloroethane (DDT) and its major metabolite 1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis (p-chlorophenyl)-ethylene (p,p' -DDE) have been associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in recent epidemiological studies. We have analysed 2,2',4,4',5,5' -hexachlorobiphenyl (C

Phosphodiesterase type 3B (PDE3B) has been shown to be activated and phosphorylated in response to insulin and hormones that increase cAMP. In order to study serine/threonine protein phosphatases involved in the regulation of rat adipocyte PDE3B, we investigated the phosphorylation and activation of PDE3B in vivo in response to phosphatase inhibitors and the dephosphorylation and deactivation of P

In this investigation, the modulating effects of non-immune human IgG and rheumatoid factors (RFs) on antigen-antibody complexations were studied. Non-immune human IgG, as well as RF, were found to inhibit the binding of antigen to specific antibodies of both human and rabbit origin. In addition, human immunoglobulins were also able to modify the composition of preformed antigen-antibody complexes

Autoimmune thyroid disease is common among women of childbearing age. Thyroid autoantibodies are predominantly of the immunoglobulin G (IgG)-type and pass the placental barrier from mother to child. Recent studies have suggested a pathogenetic role for transplacentally transmitted autoantibodies in the development of autoimmune disease. The aim of the present study was to investigate if children a

A typology of churched and unchurched religions is developed and then used to analyse the status of unchurched spirituality in the United States, Sweden, and Japan. In the United States, churched religions remain strong, while most of those who say they have no religious preference are quite religious, merely unchurched. In Sweden, the lack of participation in the state church seems to be more tha

OBJECTIVE: To assess the 2-yr costs of extremely low birthweight infants' (ELBWIs; birthweight, < 1000 g) care in relation to birthweight, outcome, and the costs of normal birthweight infants. DESIGN: Cost data were obtained from care-giving hospitals and by a parental questionnaire. Outcome data from the perinatal and neonatal periods and from the first 2 yrs for both ELBWIs and control infants h