Publications by authors named "M Charlotte Kruger"

Fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS) are key cells promoting cartilage damage and bone loss in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). They are activated to assume an invasive and migratory phenotype. While mechanisms of FLS activation are unknown, evidence suggests that pre-damaged extracellular matrix (ECM) of the cartilage can trigger FLS activation.

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Hibernating brown bears, due to a drastic reduction in metabolic rate, show only moderate muscle wasting. Here, we evaluate if ATPase activity of resting skeletal muscle myosin can contribute to this energy sparing. By analyzing single muscle fibers taken from the same bears, either during hibernation or in summer, we find that fibers from hibernating bears have a mild decline in force production and a significant reduction in ATPase activity.

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Article Synopsis
  • Impaired calcium (Ca) handling in heart cells is a key feature of heart failure (HF), leading to issues like weakened heart contractions and irregular heartbeats.
  • The study used transgenic mice with a mutation affecting a calcium regulator (phospholamban) to understand how defects in calcium cycling contribute to HF, noting that these mice experience severe and fast-progressing heart failure.
  • Early treatment aimed at correcting calcium cycling using Raf kinase inhibitor protein (RKIP) was found to delay heart cell damage and improve overall health of the mice, indicating that addressing Ca dynamics early on could be crucial for preventing further complications in heart failure.
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Attosecond observations of coherent electron dynamics in molecules and nanostructures can be achieved by combining conventional scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) with ultrashort femtosecond laser pulses. While experimental studies in the subcycle regime are under way, a robust strong-field theory description has remained elusive. Here we devise a model based on the strong-field approximation.

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The transition from breastmilk to solid foods (weaning) is a decisive stage for the development of the colonic microbiota. However, little is known about how complementary foods influence the composition and function of the colonic microbiota in infants. This systematic review collected evidence of the effect of individual foods on the fecal microbiota of weaning infants (4-12 months old) using five databases: PubMed, CENTRAL, Scopus, Web of Science, and ScienceDirect.

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