Research on the association between chronic bronchitis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbations has led to discordant results. Furthermore, the impact of chronic bronchitis on mortality in COPD subjects is unclear.Within the Rotterdam Study, a population-based cohort study of subjects aged ≥45 years, chronic bronchitis was defined as having a productive cough for ≥3 months...

After their discovery, the two known cannabinoid receptors, CB(1) and CB(2), have been the focus of research into the cellular signalling mechanisms of cannabinoids. The initial assessment, mainly derived from expression studies, was that cannabinoids, via G(i/o) proteins, negatively modulate cyclic AMP levels, and activate inward rectifying K(+) channels. Recent findings have complicated this ...

The trapezoidal ciliated band (CB) of the postgastrular sea urchin embryo surrounds the oral ectoderm, separating it from adjacent embryonic territories. Once differentiated, the CB is composed of densely arranged cells bearing long cilia that endow the larva with locomotion and feeding capability. The spatial pattern from which the CBwill arise is first evidenced during pregastrular stages bye...

Clostridium botulinum type C and D strains recently have been found to produce PLC on egg yolk agar plates. To characterize the gene, enzymatic and biological activities of C. botulinum PLCs (Cb-PLCs), the cb-plc genes from 8 strains were sequenced, and 1 representative gene was cloned and expressed as a recombinant protein. The enzymatic and hemolytic activities of the recombinant Cb-PLC were ...

Interleukin-15 (IL-15) is an important lymphokine regulating natural killer (NK) activity, T-cell proliferation, and T-cell cytotoxic activities. We hypothesized that the reduced expression and production of IL-15 from cord blood (CB) may contribute to the immaturity of CB immunity and potentially delay immune reconstitution after CB transplantation. We compared the expression and production of...

We demonstrate a powerful SERS-nanoreactor concept composed of self-assembled gold nanoparticles (AuNP) linked by the sub-nm macrocycle cucurbit[n]uril (CB[n]). The CB[n] functions simultaneously as a nanoscale reaction vessel, sequestering and templating a photoreaction within, and also as a powerful SERS-transducer through the large field enhancements generated within the nanojunctions that C...

Two to 10 /ig/ml cytochalasin B (CB) caused retraction of the first cleavage furrow in Triturus eggs, a spreading of the unpigmented surface from the furrow region and a flattening of the whole egg. CB appears to act against the contractility of the microfilamentous band at mid-cleavage so as to relax the furrow and also to weaken unpigmented surface to allow the egg to flatten. Uncleaved eggs ...

Chlorobenzene (CB), as a typical Volatile Organic Contaminants (VOC), is toxic, highly persistent and easily migrates in water, posing a significant risk to human health and subsurface ecosystems. Therefore, exploring effective approaches to remediate groundwater contaminated by CB is essential. As an enhanced micro-electrolysis system for CB-contaminated groundwater remediation, this study att...

It is known that adenosine and adenosine-5'-triphosphate (ATP) are excitatory mediators involved in carotid body (CB) hypoxic signaling. The CBs are peripheral chemoreceptors classically defined by O2, CO2, and pH sensors. When hypoxia activates the CB, it induces the release of neurotransmitters from chemoreceptor cells leading to an increase in the action potentials frequency at the carotid s...

UNLABELLED Recently, the somatostatin receptor subtype 2 (SSTR2) selective antagonist sst2-ANT was determined to have a high affinity for SSTR2. Additionally, 111In-1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7,10-tetraacetic acid-sst2-ANT showed high uptake in an SSTR2-transfected, tumor-bearing mouse model and suggested that radiolabeled SSTR2 antagonists may be superior to agonists for imaging SSTR2-...