Magnetoconductivity and Terahertz Response of a HgCdTe Epitaxial Layer.

An epitaxial layer of HgCdTe-a THz detector-was studied in magnetotransmission, magnetoconductivity and magnetophotoconductivity experiments at cryogenic temperatures. In the optical measurements, monochromatic excitation with photon frequency ranging from 0.05 THz to 2.

Visualisation of the extent of damage in a rat spinal cord injury model using MR microsopy of the water diffusion tensor.

Magnetic Resonance Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) of the control and traumatic injured spinal cord of a rat in vitro is reported. Experiments were performed on excised spinal cords from 10 Wistar rats, using a home-built 6.4 T MR microscope.

Prokinetic effect of indoramin, an alpha-adrenergic antagonist, on human gall-bladder.

Background: The effects of alpha- and beta-adrenergic agents on gall-bladder motility remain undefined.

Aim: To determine the effects of alpha- and beta-antagonists on gall-bladder motility in healthy humans.

Methods: In this single, blind, three-way crossover study, a slow-release formulation of propranolol 80 mg (beta-antagonist), indoramin 25 mg (post-synaptic alpha1-antagonist) and placebo were administered to 10 healthy volunteers on three separate days 8 h before the assessment of gall-bladder volumes by ultrasonography.

Biological significance of MAPK, AKT and JAK-STAT protein activation by various erythropoietic factors in normal human early erythroid cells.

The aim of this study was to identify signal transduction pathways activated by erythropoietin (EpO) and erythropoietin co-stimulatory factors (kit ligand), insulin-like growth factor, thrombopoietin, interleukin 3 and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor) in normal human bone marrow CD34(+) cells and d 11 erythroid burst forming unit derived glycophorin+ cells. The activation of these signal transduction pathways was further correlated with various biological effects such as (i) cell proliferation, (ii) inhibition of apoptosis, (iii) activation of adhesion and (iv) secretion of the matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) MMP-9 and MMP-2, and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). We found that in human CD34(+) cells and erythroblasts erythropoietic factors may activate similar but different signalling pathways, and that activation of each of the JAK-STAT, MAPK p42/44 or PI-3K-AKT axes alone is not sufficient either to stimulate cell proliferation or inhibit apoptosis, suggesting that these processes are regulated by orchestrated activation of multiple signalling cascades.

Biomarkers of carcinogenesis in humans exposed to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.

The frequencies of micronuclei (MN) in cytokinesis-blocked lymphocytes of 91 steel foundry workers were analysed. On the basis of ambient PAH levels at the work stands and 1-hydroxypyrene concentrations in the urine, the coke-oven workers were the most exposed as compared to the rollers reference group. The difference in results for the two groups studied was not statistically significant, although MN were slightly higher for coke-oven workers.