We discuss the performance of two widely used nuclear mean-field models, the relativistic mean–field theory (RMF) and the non-relativistic Skyrme–Hartree–Fock approach (SHF), with particular emphasis on the description of superheavy elements (SHE). We provide a short introduction to the SHF and RMF, the relations between these two approaches and the relations to other nuclear structure models, ...

Transcriptional regulation in a tissue-specific and quantitative manner is essential for developmental events, including those involved in cardiovascular morphogenesis. Tbx1 is a T-box-containing transcription factor that is responsible for many of the defects observed in 22q11 deletion syndrome in humans. Tbx1 is expressed in the secondary heart field (SHF) and is essential for cardiac outflow...

Retinoic acid (RA), the active derivative of vitamin A, has been implicated in various steps of cardiovascular development. The retinaldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (RALDH2) enzyme catalyzes the second oxidative step in RA biosynthesis and its loss of function creates a severe embryonic RA deficiency. Raldh2(-/-) knockout embryos fail to undergo heart looping and have impaired atrial and sinus venosus...

We evaluated the expression of MSTN and ActRIIB mRNA in muscle and adipose tissue in diet-induced obesity and insulin resistance in rats subjected to exercise. There was no difference in the expression of MSTN between exercised and sedentary high-fat fed rats in muscle after swimming training. The expression of ActRIIB mRNA in muscle was not significantly different among the groups. In BAT, MST...

Second heart field (SHF) progenitors exhibit continued proliferation and delayed differentiation, which are modulated by FGF4/8/10, BMP and canonical Wnt/β-catenin signaling. PTEN-Akt signaling regulates the stem cell/progenitor cell homeostasis in several systems, such as hematopoietic stem cells, intestinal stem cells and neural progenitor cells. To address whether PTEN-Akt signaling is invol...

Insight into the mechanisms underlying congenital heart defects and the use of stem cells for cardiac repair are major research goals in cardiovascular biology. In the early embryo, progenitor cells in pharyngeal mesoderm contribute to the rapid growth of the heart tube during looping morphogenesis. These progenitor cells constitute the second heart field (SHF) and were first identified in 2001...

Objective: To evaluate insulin resistance and systemic inflammation in older patients with systolic (SHF) or diastolic heart failure (DHF). Patients: 52 non-diabetic patients (. 70 and , 90 years old) with chronic heart failure (CHF) and hospitalised within the previous six months for heart failure were studied, together with a control group of older healthy volunteers (n = 26). On the basis of...

BACKGROUND The prognostic benefits of beta-blockers (BB) in patients with systolic heart failure (SHF) are known but despite this, in patients with diabetes they are underutilized. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of beta-blockers (BB) on glycaemic control in patients with Type 2 Diabetes (T2DM) and systolic heart failure (SHF) stratified to beta-1 selective (Bisoprolol) vs. nonse...

BACKGROUND The importance of patient participation and involvement is now widely acknowledged; in the past, few systematic health-care institution policies existed to establish sustainable co-operation. In 2004, in Germany, the initiative 'Self-Help Friendliness (SHF) and Patient-Centeredness in Health Care' was launched to establish and implement quality criteria related to collaboration with ...