Lysosomal accumulation of unesterified (free) cholesterol, following the phagocytic incorporation of cholesteryl oleate lipid droplets, was quantitatively characterized in a murine J774 macrophage foam cell model. The induction of phagocytic incorporation by the macrophages, using an inverted culture technique, allowed the rapid delivery of large amounts of cholesteryl ester droplets to the lys...

Permeation tubes are convenient analyte sources for generating standard gas mixtures (containing, in particular, volatile organic compounds) used in the calibration of analytical instruments. For small permeation rates, corresponding to trace levels of analytes, the calibration of permeation tubes is time-consuming. The use of thermogravimetry as a means to measure rapidly the weight loss at co...

Bose-Einstein condensates of rubidium atoms are stored in a two-dimensional periodic dipole force potential, formed by a pair of standing wave laser fields. The resulting potential consists of a lattice of tightly confining tubes, each filled with a 1D quantum gas. Tunnel coupling between neighboring tubes is controlled by the intensity of the laser fields. By observing the interference pattern...

BACKGROUND Several studies have consistently shown that soluble CD40 ligand (sCD40L) concentrations are increased in patients with acute coronary syndromes and can serve as a biomarker for risk stratification. However, few data are available on preanalytic conditions that impact sCD40L values. Thus, the aim of our prospective study was to evaluate the impact of sampling techniques and storage c...

Shielding the artificial ulcer that is left after endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) with a polyglycolic acid (PGA) sheet is a promising method to prevent postoperative complications such as bleeding, perforation, and postoperative stricture, especially in the esophagus [1–4]. The clip and pull method has enabled us to deliver a single undivided PGA sheet that is large enough to completely ...

We discuss the possibility of controlling biological systems, by exciting in the near infrared region hybrid metallic nanotube ropes, dressed with proteins and embedded in the biosystems. If one nanotube, in a double-tube rope, is filled with metallofullerenes and the other is empty, the two tubes change their opposite equilibrium charging during the irradiation. The resulting change of the loc...

Elastomeric polymer foam has been used widely in the automotive industry, especially for isolating unwanted vibrations. Such material is able to absorb unwanted vibration due to its combination of elastic and viscous properties. However, the ‘creep effect’, poor stress distribution and susceptibility to high temperatures are the main disadvantages of such a system. In this study, improvements i...