The crystal structure of cyclic ADP-ribose.

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Calcium signalling in early embryos

The onset of development in most species studied is triggered by one of the largest and longest calcium transients known to us. It is the most studied and best understood aspect of the calcium signals that accompany and control development. Its properties and mechanisms demonstrate what embryos are capable of and thus how the less-understood calcium signals later in development may be generated. The downstream targets of the fertilization calcium signal have also been identified, providing some pointers to the probable targets of calcium signals further on in the process of development

A link between the antioxidant defense system and calcium: A proposal for the biochemical function of Bcl-2.

Tumorigenesis has long been viewed as a problem of perturbed regulation of cell proliferation. It has, however, become increasingly apparent during the last years that disturbance of the equilibrium between cell survival and cell death may equally contribute to the development of a tumor. Elimination of cells has first been described by morphologists as an important physiological process in developmental biology for which the term programmed cell death (PCD) or apoptosis has been coined, and has since then been recognized as a generally important phenomenon in many different areas of biology (Wyllie et al., 1980). Apart from morphological criteria, apoptosis is only poorly defined and discrimination from other forms of cell death is often difficult. Regardless of the definition of apoptosis, it is apparent that susceptibility versus resistance to toxic conditions or death inducing signals is an extremely important property of a cell determining its fate in its environmental context.   &nbsp

Experimental approaches to study the nutritional value of food ingredients for dogs and cats

This review covers methods that have been applied to study the nutrient value or quality of specific ingredients fed to dogs, cats and comparable species (i.e. foxes, minks, rats, etc.). Typically, the nutritional value or utilization of a specific ingredient is measured by total tract digestibility and has been expanded through the measurement of total nutrient balance (i.e. nitrogen or energy). However, to better understand digestion it is necessary to obtain a more accurate measurement of nutrients entering and leaving the small intestine. Accurate measurement of small intestinal digestion is crucial in dogs and cats because nutrient digestion and absorption occurs primarily in the small intestine. Measuring small intestinal digestibility requires access to digesta leaving the small intestine and can be obtained by placing a cannula at the terminal ileum. This approach also necessitates the use of markers (e.g. chromic oxide) to monitor flow of digesta. Specifically, this approach has been used for the direct measurement of intestinal digestion of carbohydrates and amino acids. It also permits a separate measurement of large intestinal digestion which is particularly useful for the study of fiber fermentation. Passage of foods through the gastrointestinal tract is also an important component of utilization and these methods are reviewed