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We investigate the Ca(2+)-triggered fusion of lipid vesicles site-selectively tethered to a DNA-modified supported lipid bilayer array, with the DNA strands designed such that hybridization occurs in a zipperlike fashion. Prior to the addition of Ca(2+), which is observed to induce docking and subsequent fusion (within 200 ms), the vesicles display lateral mobility determined by the number of teth
Seawater intrusion in coastal aquifers is a widespread and serious problem in many parts of the world. Groundwater degradation due to seawater intrusion is often accentuated in small island aquifers due to overpumping or limited replenishing amounts of precipitation. Seawater intrusion and groundwater dynamics in a small limestone aquifer on Yoron Island, Japan, were investigated. Observations in
Although Scandinavia is arguably peripheral in the global literary system, it nevertheless holds a surprisingly prominent position in the field of translation, Swedish and Danish being among the ten most translated languages in the world (Lindqvist, 2015). What literature is selected for translation and introduction into new linguistic contexts is not a coincidence, but has to do with economic fac
Glutamate is an important factor in the mechanisms of neuronal damage following cerebral ischemia. Blockade of one type of glutamate receptor, the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor, decreases brain infarct size in experimental models of permanent focal ischemia, but protection in models of transient reversible ischemia is ambiguous. We investigated the effect of the noncompetitive NMDA receptor
The purpose of this thesis is to study the behavior of macro-systems through their micro-parameters. In particular, we are interested in finding critical scaling in various models.Paper I investigates the influence of discrete-time collisions on particle dynamics. By analyzing two models — one involving external forces and friction, and another incorporating collisions with lighter particles — a n
We investigate the tetragonal phase of the binary transition metal oxide CuO (t-CuO) within the context of cellular dynamical mean-field theory. Due to its strong antiferromagnetic correlations and simple structure, analysing the physics of t-CuO is of high interest as it may pave the way towards a more complete understanding of high-temperature superconductivity in hole-doped antiferromagnets. In
ELT science drivers stress aperture, Strehl ratio, PSF definition andstability, field of view, wavelength range, flexibility, lowpolarisation and thermal emittance, auxiliary instruments, site andinfrastructure. Applicable science categories are planets and planetarysystems, stars and stellar systems, galaxies and galaxy clusters, andcosmology. ELT observations are needed for our own and other pla
The proteolytic caspase cascade plays a central role in the signaling and execution steps of apoptosis. This study investigated the activation of different caspases in apoptosis induced by MAL (a folding variant of human alpha-lactalbumin) isolated from human milk. Our results show that the caspase-3-like enzymes, and to a lesser extent the caspase-6-like enzymes, were activated in Jurkat and A549
This study investigated the ability of Zen meditators and non-meditators to sustain attention during an ongoing task. We hypothesized that meditators (n = 15) would sustain attention more efficiently than non-meditators (n = 19) by responding faster to task stimuli, making fewer commission errors, and reporting fewer interfering thoughts in the sustained attention to response task (SART). Their mo
Motivational internalism postulates a necessary connection between moral judgments and motivation. In arguing for and against internalism, metaethicists traditionally appeal to intuitions about cases, but crucial cases often yield conflicting intuitions. One way to try to make progress, possibly uncovering theoretical bias and revealing whether people have conceptions of moral judgments required f
The phylogenetic relationships of the lichenised ascomycete family Stereocaulaceae were investigated with partial beta-tubulin, partial glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) and SSU rDNA sequence data. Due to the marked length variation in the SSU rDNA sequences, the analyses were performed with direct optimization. The combined analysis of the beta-tubulin, GAPDH and SSU rDNA sequences
The exposure to Th-232 from TIG welding with thoriated electrodes has been determined at five different workshops. Welding with both alternating and direct current was investigated. The exposure levels of Th-232 were generally below 10 mBq m(-3) in the breathing zone of the welders. Two samples from AC welding showed significant higher exposure levels, probably due to maladjustment of the TIG weld
Polyploidization, often accompanied by hybridization, has been of major importance in flowering plant evolution. Here we investigate the importance of these processes for the evolution of the tetraploid crucifer Capsella bursa-pastoris using DNA sequences from two chloroplast loci as well as from three nuclear low-copy genes. The near-absence of variation at the C. bursa-pastoris chloroplast marke
The electric field gradient components for the tin nucleus of 34 tin compounds of experimentally known structures and Sn-119 Mossbauer spectroscopy parameters were computed at the scalar relativistic density functional theory level of approximation. The theoretical values of the electric field gradient components were used to determine a quantity, V, which is proportional to the nuclear quadrupole
Climate change poses a serious challenge to sustainable urban development, placing many cities at risk. Climatic conditions are changing to such an extent that the capacity of urban institutions and associated governance systems to deal with climatic extremes and variability is being reduced. New approaches for urban climate change adaptation are thus urgently needed. There is an increasing conse
BACKGROUND: Earlier studies have found that transthyretin (TTR) is reduced in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from patients with major depressive disorder and that levels correlate negatively with suicidal ideation. The purpose of this study was to examine CSF-TTR in a cohort of suicide attempters with different psychiatric diagnoses and to further assess the relationship between CSF-TTR and suicidal be
Small soluble oligomers, as well as dimers in particular, of the amyloid β-peptide (Aβ) are believed to play an important pathological role in Alzheimer's disease. Here, we investigate the spontaneous dimerization of Aβ42, with 42 residues, by implicit solvent all-atom Monte Carlo simulations, for the wild-type peptide and the mutants F20E, E22G and E22G/I31E. The observed dimers of these variants
A search is conducted for non-resonant new phenomena in dielectron and dimuon final states, originating from either contact interactions or large extra spatial dimensions. The LHC 2012 proton-proton collision dataset recorded by the ATLAS detector is used, corresponding to 20 fb(-1) at root s = 8 TeV. The dilepton invariant mass spectrum is a discriminating variable in both searches, with the cont
