Older participants were significantly more likely to develop new plaques. Independent of age, the relative risks of developing
new plaques associated with heavy smoking and family history of atherosclerosis were 1.7 (95% CI 1.5-1.9) and 1.9 (95% CI 1.2-3.1), respectively.Participants with high (> 3 mu g/mL) and moderate (>= 1 and <= 3 mu g/mL) CRP levels had a relative risk of 2.2 (95% CI 1.9-2.6) and 1.9 (95% CI 1.6-2.3) respectively, when compared with subjects with low (<1 mu g/mL) CRP levels. Surprisingly, risk factors such as hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia and overweight/obesity were not significant predictors of the ABT-888 supplier development of new carotid artery plaques.
Conclusions: High CRP levels independently predict the development of new plaques in older persons with carotid arteries free from atherosclerotic lesions. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.”
“We have studied the magnetoresistance (MR) of locally modified Cu(20 nm)/AlO(x)(1 nm)/NiFe (20 nm)/AlO(x)(1 check details nm)/Cu(3 nm) on a Si substrate. The local modification was performed by irradiating Cu ion beams
on a photoresist wire-covered film. After irradiation, the hysteresis loop shows step-like behavior at a specific ion dose, which is caused by the difference in the switching fields of the irradiated and unirradiated region of the film. Because of this, plateau-like behavior is observed in the transverse MR measurement of the film with 1 x 10(16) ions/cm(2). A cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy image shows the irradiation induced intermixing of the magnetic layer with nonmagnetic find more layers. (C) 2011
American Institute of Physics. [doi:10.1063/1.3563070]“
“Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) and its derivative nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADP) are indispensable co-factors in broad-spectrum metabolic events for the maintenance of cellular homeostasis in all living organisms. In this study, the cellular expression levels of NAD biosynthesis genes in Arabidopsis were investigated. A very high expression of nicotinate/nicotinamide mononucleotide adenyltransferase (NMNAT) was observed in the differentiated stomatal guard cells of the leaf surface. Transcriptional analysis confirmed that several genes in the biosynthesis pathway were also highly expressed in stomatal guard cells. In fact, NAD and NADP metabolisms were investigated during stomatal movement. Importantly, the generation of phytohormone ABA-induced reactive oxygen species, which acts as a signal for stomatal closure, was accompanied by markedly decreased levels of NAD. The ABA-induced oxidative stress caused stomatal cell death in the nmnat mutant. Furthermore, stomata partially lost their ability to close leading to drought susceptibility. The stomata were less responsive to opening cues as well.