14,198 research outputs found
Hypoxia and HIF signaling: One axis with divergent effects
The correct concentration of oxygen in all tissues is a hallmark of cellular wellness, and the negative regulation of oxygen homeostasis is able to affect the cells and tissues of the whole organism. The cellular response to hypoxia is characterized by the activation of multiple genes involved in many biological processes. Among them, hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) represents the master regulator of the hypoxia response. The active heterodimeric complex HIF α/β, binding to hypoxia-responsive elements (HREs), determines the induction of at least 100 target genes to restore tissue homeostasis. A growing body of evidence demonstrates that hypoxia signaling can act by generating contrasting responses in cells and tissues. Here, this dual and controversial role of hypoxia and the HIF signaling pathway is discussed, with particular reference to the effects induced on the complex activities of the immune system and on mechanisms determining cell and tissue responses after an injury in both acute and chronic human diseases related to the heart, lung, liver, and kidney
An exploratory study on internet addiction, somatic symptoms and emotional and behavioral functioning in school-aged adolescents
Objective: In the last two decades there has been a significant transformation regarding the use of new technologies. Despite growing acknowledgement concerning the different activities and functions of digital technologies, there remains a lack of understanding on how technology overuse may negatively impact both physical and psychosocial well-being. Although researchers have begun to explore the meaning and implications of excessive Internet use in non-clinical populations of children and adolescents, there is still little consistent knowledge on the topic. This study aimed to extend existing knowledge on the excessive use of the Internet among school-aged adolescents, focusing on its association with recurrent somatic symptoms, depressive risk and behavioral and emotional problems. Method: Two hundred and forty adolescents (51.9% females) aged between 10 and 15, participated in this study. Data was collected using the Children’s Somatization Inventory, the Internet Addiction Test, the Children’s Depression Inventory, the Youth Self Report and the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire. Structural Equation Model analysis was used to analyse the data. Results: Approximately 21.8% of participants reported excessive Internet use based on Young’s criteria. Higher levels of Internet use were associated with somatic and depressive symptoms as well as emotional and behavioral problems. Depressive Symptoms predicted both Internet Addiction (b = 0.304, p < 0.001) and Internalizing (b = 0.542, p <0.001) and Externalizing problems (b = 0.484, p < 0.001). Internet Addiction also significantly predicted both Internalizing (b = 0.162, p = 0.02) and Externalizing problems (b = 0.183, p = 0.02). Finally, Structural Equation Modeling showed that the indirect effect of Depressive Symptoms (via Internet Addiction) on Internalizing or Externalizing problems were significant. Conclusions: Longitudinal studies are needed to confirm these findings and to identify the mechanisms linking Internet use, somatic symptoms and adaptive functioning
¿Modifican el PSA los licopenos de la dieta y exógenos?
El objetivo del presente artículo es describir la historia alimentaria y la composición corporal de pacientes con alto
riesgo de padecer cáncer de próstata (CAP) y observar la influencia de la
suplementación con licopeno sobre el PSA de la misma población.Fil: López Laur, José Daniel.
Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Facultad de Ciencias MédicasFil: López Fontana, C..
Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Facultad de Ciencias MédicasFil: López Fontana, G..
Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Facultad de Ciencias MédicasFil: López Fontana, R..
Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Facultad de Ciencias Médica
About Superluminal motions and Special Relativity: A Discussion of some recent Experiments, and the solution of the Causal Paradoxes
Some experiments, performed at Berkeley, Cologne, Florence, Vienna, Orsay,
Rennes, etc., led to the claim that something seems to travel with a group
velocity larger than the speed c of light in vacuum. Various other experimental
results seem to point in the same direction: For instance, localized wavelet-
type solutions to Maxwell equations have been found, both theoretically and
experimentally, that travel with superluminal speed. [Even muonic and
electronic neutrinos [it has been proposed] might be "tachyons", since their
square mass appears to be negative]. With regard to the first-mentioned
experiments, it was recently claimed by Guenter Nimtz that those results with
evanescent waves (or tunneling photons) imply superluminal signal and impulse
transmission, and therefore violate Einstein causality. In this note we want to
stress that, on the contrary, all such results do not place relativistic
causality in jeopardy, even if they referred to actual tachyonic motions: In
fact, Special Relativity can cope even with superluminal objects and waves. For
instance, it is possible (at least in microphysics) to solve also the known
causal paradoxes, devised for faster than light motion, although this is not
widely recognized yet. Here we show, in detail and rigorously, how to solve the
oldest causal paradox, originally proposed by Tolman, which is the kernel of
many further tachyon paradoxes (like J.Bell's, F.A.E.Pirani's, J.D.Edmonds' and
others'). The key to the solution is a careful application of tachyon
mechanics, as it unambiguously follows from special relativity. At Last, in one
of the two Appendices, we propose how to evaluate the group-velocity in the
case of evanescent waves. [PACS nos.: 03.30.+p; 03.50.De; 41.20.Jb; 73.40.Gk;
84.40.Az; 42.82.Et ]Comment: LaTeX file: 26 pages, with 5 Figures (and two Appendices). The
original version of this paper appeared in the Journal below
Digital electric field induced switching of plasmonic nanorods using an electro-optic fluid fiber
We demonstrate the digital electric field induced switching of plasmonic
nanorods between 1 and 0 orthogonal aligned states using an electro-optic fluid
fiber component. We show by digitally switching the nanorods, that thermal
rotational diffusion of the nanorods can be circumvented, demonstrating an
approach to achieve submicrosecond switching times. We also show, from an
initial unaligned state, that the nanorods can be aligned into the applied
electric field direction in 110 nanoseconds. The high-speed digital switching
of plasmonic nanorods integrated into an all-fiber optical component may
provide novel opportunities for remote sensing and signaling applications
Evidences for Paleo-Gas Hydrate Occurrence: What We Can Infer for the Miocene of the Northern Apennines (Italy)
The occurrence of seep-carbonates associated with shallow gas hydrates is increasingly
documented in modern continental margins but in fossil sediments the recognition of gas hydrates
is still challenging for the lack of unequivocal proxies. Here, we combined multiple field and
geochemical indicators for paleo-gas hydrate occurrence based on present-day analogues to
investigate fossil seeps located in the northern Apennines. We recognized clathrite-like structures such
as thin-layered, spongy and vuggy textures and microbreccias. Non-gravitational cementation fabrics
and pinch-out terminations in cavities within the seep-carbonate deposits are ascribed to irregularly
oriented dissociation of gas hydrates. Additional evidences for paleo-gas hydrates are provided by
the large dimensions of seep-carbonate masses and by the association with sedimentary instability
in the host sediments. We report heavy oxygen isotopic values in the examined seep-carbonates up
to +6h that are indicative of a contribution of isotopically heavier fluids released by gas hydrate
decomposition. The calculation of the stability field of methane hydrates for the northern Apennine
wedge-foredeep system during the Miocene indicated the potential occurrence of shallow gas
hydrates in the upper few tens of meters of sedimentary column
ISM studies of GRB 030329 with high resolution spectroscopy
We present a series of early UVES/VLT high resolution spectra of the
afterglow of GRB 030329 at redshift z=0.16867+-0.00001. In contrast to other
spectra from this burst, both emission and absorption lines were detected. None
of them showed any temporal evolution. From the emission lines, we determine
the properties of the host galaxy which has a star formation rate (SFR) of
0.198 M_solar yr^-1 and a low metallicity of 1/7 Z_solar. Given the low total
stellar host mass M_star=10^7.75+-0.15 M_solar and an absolute luminosity
m_V=-16.37, we derive specific SFRs (SSFR) of log SFR/M = -8.5 yr^-1 and SFR/L
= 14.1 M_solar yr^-1 L_*^-1. This fits well into the picture of GRB hosts as
being low mass, low metallicity, actively star forming galaxies. The MgII and
MgI absorption lines from the host show multiple narrow (Doppler width b=5-10
km/s) components spanning a range of v about 260 km/s, mainly blueshifted
compared to the redshift from the emission lines. These components are likely
probing outflowing material of the host galaxy, which could arise from former
galactic superwinds, driven by supernovae from star forming regions. Similar
features have been observed in QSO spectra. The outflowing material is mainly
neutral with high column densities of log N(MgII)=14.0+-0.1 cm^-2 and log
N(MgI)=12.3+-0.1 cm^-2.Comment: 11 pages, 4 figures, submitted to Ap
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