Aims/hypothesis Type 2 diabetes is characterised by progressive loss of pancreatic beta cell mass and function. Therefore, it is of therapeutic interest to identify factors with the potential to improve beta cell proliferation and insulin secretion. Bone morphogenetic protein 4 (BMP4) expression is increased in diabetic animals and BMP4 reduces glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS). Here, we

Background. According to EU legislation, 26 fragrance substance allergens must be labelled on cosmetic products. For 12 of them, the optimal patch test concentration/dose has not been evaluated. Objectives. To establish the optimal patch test doses in mg/cm(2) for the 12 fragrance substances that are not included in fragrance mix I or II in the European baseline patch test series. Materials and Me

We study reduced fusion systems from the point of view of their essential subgroups, using the classification by Goldschmidt and Fan of amalgams of prime index to analyze certain pairs of such subgroups. Our results are applied here to study reduced fusion systems over -groups of order at most 64, and also reduced fusion systems over -groups having abelian subgroups of index two. More applications

In this study a new way to produce supermacroporous protein structures was investigated. Enzyme-mediated crosslinking of gelatin or casein was performed in a partly frozen state, which yielded stable, protein-based cryogels. The reaction kinetics for the formation of cryogels were found to be fairly slow, most likely due to the low temperature (-12 °C) used or due to an increased viscosity owing t

We present quantitative reconstructions of regional vegetation cover in north-western Europe, western Europe north of the Alps, and eastern Europe for five time windows in the Holocene [around 6k, 3k, 0.5k, 0.2k, and 0.05k calendar years before present (bp)] at a 1 degrees x1 degrees spatial scale with the objective of producing vegetation descriptions suitable for climate modelling. The REVEALS m

Specular reflection infrared microspectroscopy was used for chemical imaging of cross-sectioned urinary stones to determine their chemical composition and morphology simultaneously. Absorption spectral bands were recovered from reflection spectra by Kramers-Kronig transform. FUse of far-infrared radiation provides high-contrast images and allows more precise constituent distribution determinations

The aim of this paper is to explore the complexity of the concept of the victim within the context of organ trading. By examining the intricate phenomenon of organ trade, we show how prevailing notions of victimhood form the basis of concrete social practices. The empirical basis for this exploration comprises in-depth interviews conducted during fieldwork in South Africa and Kosovo. We also draw

Since the time of its ratification in 1992, the Cambrian GSSP, 23 m above the base of Member 2A (Quaco Road Member) of the Chapel Island Formation, Fortune Head section, Newfoundland, Canada, has been challenged as posing an ambiguous correlation level. Difficulties have been encountered in precisely correlating the horizon coinciding with the GSSP to strata on most paleocontinents, but especially

Aim Spatial evolutionary and ecological vicariance analysis (SEEVA) is a simple analytical method that evaluates environmental or ecological divergence associated with evolutionary splits. It integrates evolutionary hypotheses, phylogenetic data, and spatial, temporal, environmental and geographical information to elucidate patterns. Using a phylogeny of Prepusa Mart. and Senaea Taub. (Angiosperma

The aim was to use repeat delayed gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging of cartilage (dGEMRIC) to estimate glycosaminoglycan (GAG) content in reparative cartilage after osteochondral autogenous transfer (OAT). The study group comprised 7 knees of 7 patients that were examined three times by dGEMRIC, at 3, 6, and 12 months using a 1.5 Tesla MRI system in both OAT operated and nonoperated c

Establishing the clinical relevance of contact allergy to dental materials in patients with oral lichen lesions (OLL) may be difficult, and tests are often read only on day 3 or day 4; also, concentration of the tested allergens may vary. Several studies on dermatitis patients have shown that additional positive patch test reactions can be found after day 4. Therefore, the aim of the present study

Here we demonstrate the existence of two distinct regimes for tuning crystal structure in GaAs nanowires from zinc blende to wurtzite using a single process parameter: V/III-ratio, or variation of the group V precursor flow. Extensive previous studies have shown that crystal structure is sensitive to V/III-ratio, and even that it is possible to change structure entirely using this single parameter

This paper describes a modelling study where five new benchmark plant design configurations for biological nutrient removal (A(2)/O, UCT, JHB, MUCT and BDP-5 stage) are simulated and evaluated under different model assumptions. The ASM2d including electron dependent decay rates is used as the reference model (A1). The second case (A2) adds nitrite as a new state variable, describing nitrification

The free energy of interaction between parallel charged platelets with divalent counterions has been calculated using Monte Carlo simulations to investigate the electrostatic effects on aggregation. The platelets are primarily intended to represent clay particles. With divalent counterions, the free energy for two platelets or two tactoids (clusters of parallel platelets) shows a minimum at a shor

Objective. We studied the prevalence and effect on disease activity of ever having had second-hand exposure to tobacco smoke in Swedish rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients who had never smoked. Methods. Between 1992 and 2005, 2,800 patients were included in the BARFOT early-RA study in Sweden. Disease Activity Score 28 joints (DAS28), C-reactive protein (CRP), Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ),

Systematically modified octyl galactosides and octyl N-acetyllactosamines were assessed as inhibitors of, and substrates for, T. cruzi trans-sialidase (TcTS) in the context of exploring its acceptor substrate binding site. These studies show that TcTS, which catalyses the alpha-(2 -> 3)-sialylation of non-reducing terminal beta-galactose residues, is largely intolerant of substitution of the galac