Filetype
Human cystatin C, a protein with amyloidogenic properties and a potent inhibitor of papain-like mammalian proteases, has been produced in its full-length form by recombinant techniques and crystallized in two polymorphic forms: cubic and tetragonal. A selenomethionyl derivative of the protein, obtained by Escherichia coli expression and with complete Met→Se-Met substitution confirmed by mass spect
Tumor cells secreting IL-1 beta are invasive and metastatic, more than the parental line or control mock-transfected cells, and concomitantly induce in mice general immune suppression of T cell responses. Suppression strongly correlates with accumulation in the peripheral blood and spleen of CD11b(+)/Gr-1(+) immature myeloid cells and hematological alterations, such as splenomegaly, leukocytosis,
Chipped tobacco stalks were subjected to steam pretreatment at 205 degreesC for either 5 or 10 min before enzymatic hydrolysis. Glucose (15.4 - 17.1 g/l) and xylose (4.5-5.0 g/l) were the most abundant monosaccharides in the hydrolysates. Mannose, galactose and arabinose were also detected. The hydrolysate produced by pretreatment for 10 min contained higher levels of all sugars than the 5 min-pre
The processes of multiplication of electronic excitations (MEE), connected with the creation of secondary excitons or electron-hole (e-h) pairs by hot conduction electrons, are realized in wide-gap metal halides and oxides. In oxides, secondary e-h pairs can be also formed by 27-40 eV photons due to L 1 VV Auger transitions (with the participation of 2s oxygen holes). The excitation spectra of lum
BACKGROUND: Degranulation of eosinophils in target tissues is considered a key pathogenic event in major chronic eosinophilic diseases. However, because of a lack of appropriate methods, little is known about degranulation of eosinophils in common eosinophilic diseases. METHODS: Using transmission electron microscopic (TEM) analysis, a novel approach has been devised and validated to quantify eosi
1. Researchers are currently placing hundreds of geolocators on migratory animals. Return rates for some small birds carrying these devices have been lower than expected, potentially because geo- locators increase drag during flight. 2. We measured the drag of three different geolocators (1 2g BAS-MK10, 1 0 g SOI-GL10 09 and 0 5 g SOI-GL05 10) in backpack-style harnesses on two preserved bird bodi
Using protons in the MeV range as excitation source and a high resolution Si(Li) detector,X-ray emission spectroscopy is shown to be capable of analyzing many elements with Z > 15 simultaneously at the 10-12 g level. This work discusses a theoretical lower limit of detection at moderate proton energies and gives examples of possible applications: analysis of the elemental composition of air-borne
The aim of this work was to characterize the effect of experimental diabetes on neurotransmission in rat vagina. Female Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into two groups: non-diabetic controls (NDM, n=38) and diabetics (DM, n=38). DM was produced by intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin. Eight weeks later the animals were killed, the distal part of the vagina was removed, and smooth muscle st
The two cellular targets of interest in age-related macular degeneration (AMD) are the photoreceptors and the RPE. However, the mechanisms involved in AMD pathology are not yet fully understood. In the present report, we extend our previous studies on semenogelin proteins (Sgs) in normal human retina and compare these with the distribution in retinas from AMD donor eyes. Semenogelins I (SaI) and I
Sertoli-Leydig cell tumours are rare sex stromal tumours with an incidence of < 0.5% of all ovarian tumours. Most frequently this tumour occurs in young women with a history of amenorrhoea, hirsutism and lowered pitch. Here, we report on a woman with IRS, postmenopausal virilization and increased testosterone levels due to a Sertoli-Leydig cell tumour. This is the first case to suggest an associat
SETTING: Addis Ababa Tuberculosis Demonstration and Training Center, Ethiopia. OBJECTIVES: To determine the pattern of drug resistance among re-treatment cases of pulmonary tuberculosis (TB), to determine the risk factors associated with multi-drug resistant (MDR) TB, and to propose re-treatment regimens based on the patterns of susceptibility to first-line and alternative drugs. DESIGN: One hundr
Impaired survival of skin grafts has been noted in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infected patients, but the reason is not known. Alterations in inflammatory response, which might be recorded as an imbalance in cytokine production, have been implicated. The aim of this study was to determine the impact of HIV infection in patients with burn injuries by comparison of split skin graft survival,
To contribute to an understanding of the evolutionary processes that shape variation in immune responses, we compared several components of the innate and acquired arms of the immune system in five related, but ecologically diverse, migratory shorebirds (ruff Philomachus pugnax L., ruddy turnstone Arenaria interpres L., bar-tailed godwit Limosa lapponica L., sanderling Calidris alba Pallas and red
The influence of gender, age, residential area, and socioeconomic status on the blood and serum levels of 13 trace elements was studied in boys and girls living in two Swedish cities with different socioeconomic and environmental characters. The same groups of adolescents were sampled twice, at ages 15 (n = 372) and 17 (n = 294) years. All the investigated factors were shown to be of importance. A
Haptoglobin phenotypes have been shown in human medicine to be related to the prevalence of various diseases. Furthermore, abnormal glycosylation of haptoglobin has been reported as a consequence of liver disease, cancer and immunological disorders in man. To our knowledge, similar findings have not, so far, been reported in canine disease. The present paper describes a method for investigation of
