1. In single frog skeletal muscle fibres, we utilized supercharging voltage clamp command pulses to boost the rate of depolarization in the transverse tubular system (T-system) such that 95 % of steady-state potential is achieved in < 2 ms (as indicated by fluorescent potentiometric dye signals detected from a global illumination region). Signals detected near the edge of muscle fibres indicate...

Bars in gas-rich spiral galaxies are short-lived. They drive gas inflows through their gravity torques, and at the same time self-regulate their strength. Their robustness has been subject of debate, since it was thought that only the resulting central mass concentrations (CMCs) were weakening bars, and only relatively rare massive CMCs were able to completely destroy them. Through numerical si...

Advanced tooth wear was restored with direct resin-based composites (RBCs) in 17 patients, and with indirect ceramo-metal crowns (CMCs) and full gold crowns in 8 other patients. The mean patient age was 64.9 (8.6 SD) years, with each patient having a mean of 13.8 (5.4) restorations. In this retrospective case series study, the mean restoration age was 5.0 (3.0) years for the direct and 5.9 (2.6...

A major concern for transdermal drug delivery systems is the low bioavailability of targeted drugs primarily caused by the skin’s barrier function. The resistance to the carrier matrix for the diffusion and transport of drugs, however, is routinely ignored. This study reports a promising and attractive approach to reducing the resistance to drug transport in the carrier matrix, to enhance drug ...

UNLABELLED The objective of this study was to evaluate the correlation between multiple cardiovascular risk factors (MCRFs) and circulating mononuclear cells (CMCs) in asymptomatic coronary artery disease patients. DESIGN AND METHODS 126 subjects (54 male), aged 48 to 62 years, with asymptomatic coronary artery disease (CAD) documented previously with angiography, and 25 healthy volunteers we...

Oxidative stress has been implicated in the pathogenesis of various cardiovascular diseases, including ischemic heart disease and heart failure. The peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) agonist improves insulin sensitivity and limits tissue inflammation and cellular apoptosis, but there are few data on the relationship between the PPARγ agonist, rosiglitazone (RSG), and the ...

The miscibility of carboxymethyl chitosan/polyethylenimine (CMCS/PEI) blends was analyzed by FT-IR, TGA and SEM. Defect-free CMCS/PEI blend membranes were prepared with polysulfone (PSf) ultrafiltration membranes as support layer for the separation of CO(2)/N(2) mixtures. The results demonstrate that the CMCS/PEI blend is miscible, due to the hydrogen bonding interaction between the two targete...

Human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) derived cardiomyocytes (iCMCs) would provide an unlimited cell source for regenerative medicine and drug discoveries. The objective of our study is to generate functional cardiomyocytes from human iPSCs and to develop a novel method of measuring contractility of CMCs. In a series of experiments, adult human skin fibroblasts (HSF) and human umbilical ...

Carboxymethyl chitosan (CMCS) microparticles are a potential candidate for hemostatic wound dressing. However, its low swelling property limits its hemostatic performance. Poly(γ-glutamic acid) (PGA) is a natural polymer with excellent hydrophilicity. In the current study, a novel CMCS/PGA composite microparticles with a dual-network structure was prepared by the emulsification/internal gelatio...