Pulmonary epithelia of air-breathing vertebrates are covered by a thin, fluid layer that is essential for immune defense and gas diffusion. The composition of this layer is maintained by ion transport mechanisms, including Cl(-) transport. The present study focuses on the function of basolateral Cl(-) channels in Xenopus pulmonary epithelia, since knowledge concerning this issue is limited. The...

The Olfactomedin-like 3 (OLFML3) gene has matrix-related function involved in embryonic development. MicroRNA-155 (miR-155), 21- to 23-nucleotides (nt) noncoding RNA, regulated myogenesis by target mRNA. Our LongSAGE analysis suggested that OLFML3 gene was differently expressed during muscle development in pig. In this study, we cloned the porcine OLFML3 gene and detected its tissues distributi...

The specific role of different parietal regions to episodic retrieval is a topic of intense debate. According to the Attention to Memory (AtoM) model, dorsal parietal cortex (DPC) mediates top-down attention processes guided by retrieval goals, whereas ventral parietal cortex (VPC) mediates bottom-up attention processes captured by the retrieval output or the retrieval cue. This model also hypo...

Since medical care expenses have been increasing rapidly with the ageing of the population, reducing the length of hospital stay (LOS) has become an important political issue in Japan. A new inclusive payment system based on the diagnosis procedure combination (DPC) was introduced in 82 special functioning hospitals in April 2003. Since April 2004, use of the DPC system has been gradually exten...

The gene defective in cystic fibrosis encodes a Cl- channel, the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR). CFTR is blocked by diphenylamine-2-carboxylate (DPC) when applied extracellularly at millimolar concentrations. We studied the block of CFTR expressed in Xenopus oocytes by DPC or by a closely related molecule, flufenamic acid (FFA). Block of whole-cell CFTR currents by b...

In mammals, embryo implantation is an essential step in reproduction. Implantation is a phenomenon that involves crosstalk between the blastocyst and the maternal endometrium. However, the molecular basis of the connections between the blastocyst and endometrium is not yet fully understood. Amphiregulin is a member of the epidermal growth factor family and is known to be expressed in the lumina...

Indolicidin is a cationic, 13-residue antimicrobial peptide (ILPWKWPWWPWRR-NH(2)) which is unusually rich in tryptophan and proline. Its antimicrobial action involves the bacterial cytoplasmic membrane. Fluorescence and circular dichroism spectra demonstrated the structural similarity of indolicidin in complexes with large unilamellar phospolipid vesicles and with detergent micelles. The struct...

<p>The work presents the dual-rotor wind energy conversion system (DRWECS) with a direct driven doubly-fed induction generator (DFIG). The consists of turbine (DRWT) DFIG, grid side converter (GSC), and machine (MSC). To command MSC, power (DPC) based on genetic algorithm (GA) classical pulse width modulation (PWM) has been applied. achieve maximum from DRWT, powe point tracking (MPPT) te...

The Prospective Payment System (PPS) based on a patient’s diagnosis procedure combination (DPC) was introduced in 82 technologically advanced hospitals nationwide in Japan in April 2003. This system was later expanded to private general hospitals that offer acute care, bringing the number of participating institutions to 1557 in fiscal year 2009. As a top vendor in the healthcare system market,...

BACKGROUND Delayed primary (DPC) and primary (PC) wound closures have been applied in ruptured appendicitis, but results were controversial. This study aims at comparing the rate of superficial surgical site infection (SSI) in ruptured appendicitis between DPC and PC. METHODS A retrospective cohort of ruptured appendicitis was conducted between October 2006 and November 2009. Demographic, ope...