The inaugural 'Symposium for the Next Generation of Stem Cell Research' (SY-Stem) was held on February 22-24 at the Vienna BioCenter in Austria. The meeting focused on having young researchers as speakers, and the program was of an impressively high quality. Here, we summarise key findings from this meeting, which brought together emerging leaders to discuss various topics, including pluripotency,

In order to investigate new materials for metal cutting applications, cubic boron nitride, cutting tools with different amounts of binder phase were sintered in HPHT toroid type apparatus under 7.7 GPa and in temperature range of 1450-2450°C. Initial mixtures of three composition were chosen with 50, 60, 65 vol. % of cBN, 5 vol. % of Al was added to mixture to prevent oxidation. Phase composition,

Structural characterization of glycosaminoglycans remains a challenge but is essential for determining structure-function relationships between glycosaminoglycans and the biomolecules with which they interact and for gaining insight into the biosynthesis of glycosaminoglycans. We have recently reported that xyloside-primed chondroitin/dermatan sulfate derived from a human breast carcinoma cell lin

The application of conventional organic solvents has been essential in several steps of bioprocesses in order to achieve sufficient economic efficiency. The use of organic solvents is frequently used either to partly or fully replace water in the reaction medium or as a process aid for downstream separation. Nowadays, manufacturers are increasingly requested to avoid and substitute solvents with h

The stadion of Labraunda is situated south-west of the sanctuary, above the Sacred Way down to Mylasa. As the terrain is not well suited for a stadion the ends had to be elongated by the addition of built-up 'towers'; nevertheless the racecourse was rather short at 172 metres. It is situated on a slight slope, and in the middle of the northern side there are cuttings in the rock that may have been

Background: The Global Burden of Disease, Injuries, and Risk Factor study 2013 (GBD 2013) is the first of a series of annual updates of the GBD. Risk factor quantification, particularly of modifiable risk factors, can help to identify emerging threats to population health and opportunities for prevention. The GBD 2013 provides a timely opportunity to update the comparative risk assessment with new

The breast cancer risk variants identified in genome-wide association studies explain only a small fraction of the familial relative risk, and the genes responsible for these associations remain largely unknown. To identify novel risk loci and likely causal genes, we performed a transcriptome-wide association study evaluating associations of genetically predicted gene expression with breast cancer

Improved understanding of the nutritional ecology of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi is important in understanding how tropical forests maintain high productivity on low-fertility soils. Relatively little is known about how AM fungi will respond to changes in nutrient inputs in tropical forests, which hampers our ability to assess how forest productivity will be influenced by anthropogenic chang

Background: Cardiovascular homografts are used for right ventricular outflow tract reconstruction. The procedure has excellent survival rates, but many homografts degenerate and require reintervention. Studies analyzing risk factors for reintervention most often focus on recipient and homograft characteristics, with identification of risk factors such as young recipient age and the use of aortic h

There exists a tremendous potential for learning and creativity in the moment of confluence, when musicians from distant musical cultures meet. Intercultural exchanges in music can offer indelible lessons in musical practice and intercultural understanding, foster cultural renewal and development, establish creative partnerships, and open up exciting new paths in creative music-making. This book c

Background: Parkinson's disease (PD) is one of the most common neurodegenerative diseases, neuropathologically characterized by misfolded protein aggregation, called Lewy bodies and Lewy neurites. PD is a slow-progressive disease with colonic dysfunction appearing in the prodromal stage and lasting throughout the course of the disease. Methods: In order to study PD pathology in the colon, we exami

Due to water scarcity challenges around the world, it is essential to think about non-conventional water resources to address the increased demand in clean freshwater. Environmental and public health problems may result from insufficient provision of sanitation and wastewater disposal facilities. Because of this, wastewater treatment and recycling methods will be vital to provide sufficient freshw

Tumors are phenotypically heterogeneous and include subpopulations of cancer cells with stemlike properties. The natural product salinomycin, a K+-selective ionophore, was recently found to exert selectivity against such cancer stem cells. This selective effect is thought to be due to inhibition of the Wnt signaling pathway, but the mechanistic basis remains unclear. Here, we develop a functionall

Thinking about task-unrelated matters (mind wandering) is related to cognition and well-being. However, the relations between mind wandering and other psychological variables may depend on whether the former commence spontaneously or deliberately. The current two studies investigated the psychometric properties of the Spontaneous and Deliberate Mind Wandering Scales (SDMWS; Carriere, Seli, & S

Deficient expression of SATB1 hampers thymocyte development and results in inept T-cell lineages. Recent data implicate dysregulated SATB1 expression in the pathogenesis of mycosis fungoides, the most frequent variant of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. Here, we report on a disease stage-associated decrease of SATB1 expression and an inverse expression of STAT5 and SATB1 in situ. STAT5 inhibited SATB1 e

Background: Abdominal obesity is on the increase worldwide and ethnic minority groups are at high risk. However, studies of the underlying causes are scarce. The aims of this study were to investigate the prevalence of abdominal obesity and to identify metabolic, lifestyle and socio-demographic risk factors associated with abdominal obesity in male and female residents of Malmö, a city in southern