ß -carotene is a human nutrient found in plants or animals. It is also can be synthesized chemically. It is lipid-soluble, and is yellow, orange or red in color. ß-Carotene can be cleaved into vitamin A in vivo. The most abundant form of ß-carotene in human serum is trans isomer; cis isomers such as 9-cis ß-carotene, 13-cis ß-carotene, and 15-cis ß-carotene are only present in trace amounts. ß-...

.............................................................................6 ORIGINAL PAPERS....................................................................7 ABBREVIATIONS.....................................................................8 INTRODUCTION.......................................................................9 The structure of a pancreatic islet................................

Although many endo-ß-1,4-glucanases have been isolated in invertebrates, their cellulolytic systems are not fully understood. In particular, gastropod feeding on seaweed is considered an excellent model system for production of bioethanol and renewable bioenergy from third-generation feedstocks (microalgae and seaweeds). In this study, enzymes involved in the conversion of cellulose and other p...

This paper examines an infinite family of proximity drawings of graphs called open and closed ß-drawings, first defined by Kirkpatrick and Radke [15, 21] in the context of computational morphology. Such proximity drawings include as special cases the well-known Gabriel, relative neighborhood and strip drawings. Complete characterizations of those trees that admit open /^-drawings for 0 < ß < iz...

Wound healing is a complex process that relies on proper levels of cytokines and growth factors to successfully repair the tissue. Of particular interest are the members of the transforming growth factor family. There are three TGF-ß isoforms-TGF- ß 1, 2, and 3, each isoform showing a unique expression pattern, suggesting that they each play a distinct function during development and repair. Pr...

Microdialysis sampling of lipophilic molecules in human tissues is challenging because protein binding and adhesion to the membrane limit recovery. Hydroxypropyl-ß-cyclodextrin (HP-ß-CD) forms complexes with hydrophobic molecules thereby improving microdialysis recovery of lipophilic molecules in vitro and in rodents. We tested the approach in human subjects. First, we determined HP-ß-CD influe...

Self-assembly makes metallo-interlocked architectures attractive targets, but being in equilibrium with smaller species means that they can suffer from dilution effects. We show a junctioned system gives rise to [Pd4(L)2]8+ trefoil entangled tetrahedron irrespective of concentration. Heating the sample reversibly shifts knot an isomeric non-interlocked dual metallo-cycle, demonstrating thermody...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES This study examined the association of physical activity and sedentarism with tobacco and alcohol consumption, and adherence to the Mediterranean diet in teenagers of both genders. METHODS A total number of 1897 Spanish teenagers (12-16 year-olds) took part in the present cross-sectional study. The variables were measured by means of questionnaires previously validat...

The fungus Penicillium purpurogenum was found to produce intracellular ß-glucosidase. Maximum activity of ß-glucosidase was observed on sucrose. Various cultural parameters of cultivation of P. purpurogenum for production of ß-glucosidase were optimized. Maximum enzyme content was observed after 96 hours of cultivation at 30°C. Addition of amino acids histidine and cysteine induced ß-glucosidas...