The incidence of invasive Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) disease has significantly decreased since the introduction of an efficient vaccine against Hib. However, in contrast to Hib, infections caused by H. influenzae serotype f (Hif) are emerging. We recently did a whole genome sequencing of an invasive Hif isolate, and reported that Hif interacts with factor H by expressing protein H (PH). I

We hypothesized that the plasmid of urogenital isolates of Chlamydia trachomatis would modulate infectivity and virulence in a mouse model. To test this hypothesis, we infected female mice in the respiratory or urogenital tract with graded doses of a human urogenital isolate of C.trachomatis, serovar F, possessing the cognate plasmid. For comparison, we inoculated mice with a plasmid-free serovar

Complex formation between [Pd(H2O)(4)](2+) and oxalate (ox = C2O42-) has been studied spectrophotometrically in aqueous solution at variable temperature, ionic strength and pH. Thermodynamic parameters at 298.2 K and 1.00 mol dm(-3) HCIO4 ionic medium for the complex formation [Pd(H2O)(4)](2+) + H(2)ox (sic) Pd(H2O)(2)(ox)] + 2H(3)O(+) with equilibrium constant K-1H (in mol dm(-3)) are logio K-1,K

Carbon particle structures containing only a few graphene layers have been collected from a Bunsen (propane) diffusion flame in the low particle concentration pale yellow luminous regions close to the soot inception. These particles were sampled directly on transmission electron microscopy grids for structural and elemental analysis. They were found to be several hundreds of nanometers in size. Su

UV-B (280-315 nm) is an integral part of solar radiation and can act either as a stress inducer or as a developmental signal. In recent years, increasing attention has been paid to the low-fluence UV-B-induced photomorphogenic response and several key players in this response have been identified, which include UVR8 (a UV-B-specific photoreceptor), COP1 (a WD40-repeat-containing RING finger protei

It has been hypothesized that aquaporin-9 (AQP9) is part of the unknown route of hepatocyte glycerol uptake. In a previous study, leptin receptor-deficient wild-type mice became diabetic and suffered from fasting hyperglycemia whereas isogenic AQP9(-/-) knock-out mice remained normoglycemic. The reason for this improvement in AQP9(-/-) mice was not established before. Here, we show increased gluco

We show that the centrosome- and microtubule-regulating protein γ-tubulin interacts with E2 promoter binding factors (E2Fs) to modulate E2F transcriptional activity and thereby control cell cycle progression. γ-Tubulin contains a C-terminal signal that results in its translocation to the nucleus during late G(1) to early S phase. γ-Tubulin mutants showed that the C terminus interacts with the tran

Given the highly variable behavior and clinical course of prostate cancer (PCa) and the multiple available treatment options, a personalized approach to oncologic risk stratification is important. Novel genetic approaches offer additional information to improve clinical decision making.

The effect of future climate scenarios on surface and groundwater resources was simulated using a model- ing approach for an artificial recharge area in arid southern Iran. Future climate data for the periods of 2010–2030 and 2030–2050 were acquired from the Canadian Global Coupled Model (CGCM 3.1) for scenarios A1B, A2, and B1. These scenarios were adapted to the studied region us- ing the delta-

When searching for resources in heterogeneous environments, animals must rely on their abilities to detect the resources via their sensory systems. However, variation in the strength of the sensory cue may be mediated by the physical size of the resource patch. Patch detection of insects are often predicted by the scaling of sensory cues to patch size, where visual cues has been proposed to scale

The solvation of alkali-halides in water clusters at nanoscale is studied by photoelectron spectroscopy using synchrotron radiation. The Na 2p, K 3p, Cl 2p, Br 3d, and I 4d core level binding energies have been measured for salt-containing water clusters. The results have been compared to those of alkali halide clusters and the dilute aqueous salt solutions. It is found that the alkali halides dis

Ectomycorrhizal fungi are thought to have a key role in mobilizing organic nitrogen that is trapped in soil organic matter (SOM). However, the extent to which ectomycorrhizal fungi decompose SOM and the mechanism by which they do so remain unclear, considering that they have lost many genes encoding lignocellulose-degrading enzymes that are present in their saprotrophic ancestors. Spectroscopic an

This article contributes to debates about ethical and methodological dilemmas experienced in international development studies. It departs from a research experience based on a longitudinal study, the Reality Check Approach, that puts intimacy, immersion and consensus at its core. These concepts signify an ethically motivated approach that aims to give voice' to people living in poverty. They also

This REgional Carbon Cycle Assessment and Processes regional study provides a synthesis of the carbon balance of terrestrial ecosystems in East Asia, a region comprised of China, Japan, North and South Korea, and Mongolia. We estimate the current terrestrial carbon balance of East Asia and its driving mechanisms during 1990-2009 using three different approaches: inventories combined with satellite

Surface plasmons, the quanta of the collective oscillations of free electrons at metal surface, can be easily tuned by changing the surrounding dielectric materials, which is well known for metal nanoparticles and metal surfaces, but less is known for one-dimensional metal nanowires. Here, we find an extremely large tunability of surface plasmons on Ag nanowires with a beat period of the near-fiel

Objectives: To explore reasons for institutionalization of people with dementia according to informal caregivers as well as variation in reasons between countries. Design: An explorative cross-sectional study was conducted in 8 European countries. Setting: Per country, a minimum of 3 long term care facilities, offering care and accommodation as a package, participated in this study. Participating

The presence of Muslim populations in Western European societies is a relatively new phenomenon which begs the question how these societies treat religious minorities. This article on the Swedish case begins with a brief history of the historical development of Sweden from a religious state based on the Lutheran faith to today’s secular state in which state and religion are officially separated. T

This paper presents a flow that is suitable to estimate energy dissipation of digital standard-cell based designs which are determined to be operated in the sub-threshold regime. The flow is applicable on gate-level netlists, where back-annotated toggle information is used to find the minimum energy operation point, corresponding maximum clock frequency, as well as the dissipated energy per clock

In lumbar disc herniation surgery, dural lesions seem to be the most common complication today. Studies on incidence of and outcome after a dural lesion are mainly based on retrospective studies. In a prospective study within the framework of the Swedish Spine Register, 4,173 patients operated on for lumbar disc herniation were evaluated using pre- and 1-year postoperative protocols and complicati

Background: The spectrum of disorders of the brain is large, covering hundreds of disorders that are listed in either the mental or neurological disorder chapters of the established international diagnostic classification systems. These disorders have a high prevalence as well as short- and long-term impairments and disabilities. Therefore they are an emotional, financial and social burden to the