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Huntington's disease (HD) is a devastating neurodegenerative disorder caused by an expanded CAG repeat in the gene encoding huntingtin, a protein of unknown function. Mutant huntingtin forms intracellular aggregates and is associated with neuronal death in select brain regions. The most studied mouse model (R6/2) of HD replicates many features of the disease, but has been reported to exhibit only
The preferences of some woodland understorey species for ammonium and nitrate were investigated by measuring the potential nitrification (conversion of ammonium to nitrate) in the rhizosphere compared with the bulk soil. Less acid-tolerant species, which usually prefer nitrate or a mixture of ammonium and nitrate in hydroponic culture, should have a higher potential nitrification in the rhizospher
A general expression for the distribution of the fluctuating 2(l)-pole moment M(l) of a spherical sample of dielectric material is derived on the basis of dielectric theory combined with statistical mechanics. The formulas are compared with results from computer simulations of a weakly coupled Stockmayer fluid and the agreement is shown to be excellent. Furthermore, we calculate the size of the co
Every nite group acts as the full isometry group of some compact hyperbolic 3-manifold. In this paper we study those nite groups which act maximally, that is when the ratio jIsom+(M)j=vol(M)is maximal among all such manifolds. In two dimensions maximal symmetry groups are called Hurwitz groups, and arise as quotients of the (2,3,7){triangle group. Here we study quotients of the minimal co-volume l
An atomic protein model with a minimalistic potential is developed and then tested on an α-helix and a β-hairpin, using exactly the same parameters for both peptides. We find that melting curves for these sequences to a good approximation can be described by a simple two-state model, with parameters that are in reasonable quantitative agreement with experimental data. Despite the apparent two-stat
We studied a ca 200 ha large forest site that holds an exceptionally large number of red-listed saproxylic beetles. We conducted pollen, charcoal and dendroecological analyses to reveal the long-term stand-level history of the site. We also investigated which of the red-listed saproxylic beetles recorded at the site are probably dependent on forest fires or structures that are created by fires. Po
Aims To characterize the absorption kinetics and bioavailability of an inhaled hydrophilic solute deposited at various sites within the airways. Methods Nine healthy nonsmokers received one intravenous, one oropharyngeal and two pulmonary doses of technetium-99 m-labelled diethylene triamine pentaacetic acid (Tc-99m-DTPA) in an open and crossover fashion. Pulmonary doses were administered as nebul
Purpose: The purpose of this study was to measure total levels of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases (TIMP-1) by ELISA in plasma from blood donors, patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and patients with cancer and to correlate the results to patient diagnosis. Experimental Design: Total TIMP-1 plasma levels were measured by ELISA in blood samples from two different blood donor popul
Differences in growth conditions during early ontogeny have been suggested to cause permanent effects on the morphology and quality of birds. Yearly variation in growth conditions could thus result in morphological and quality differences between cohorts. In this study, we investigated the effect of small differences in the dietary protein content of captive ring-necked pheasants (Phasianus colchi
A fundamental assumption of theories of the ecology and evolution of inducible defences is that protective responses to attacks by parasites or predators should not only have benefits, but also costs. The vertebrate immune system is by far the best studied example of an inducible defence, yet little is known about the costs of an immune response, especially in natural populations. To test: if an i
Background: Free and total human kallikrein 2 (hK2) might improve the discrimination between prostate cancer and benign prostatic hyperplasia. Concentrations of hK2 are 100-fold lower than concentrations of prostate-specific antigen (PSA); therefore, an hK2 assay must have a low detection limit and good specificity. Methods: PSA- and hK2-specific monoclonal antibodies were used in solid-phase, two
The accurate quantitative analysis of high resolution ultraviolet spectra of ultra-sharp-lined early-type, chemically peculiar stars, obtained with the Goddard High Resolution spectrograph on the Hubble Space Telescope, has been made possible by the synergism between state-of-the-art astro-physics and state-of-the-art atomic spectroscopy. We illustrate this with several examples, including the dis
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a complex systemic autoimmune disease caused by both genetic and environmental factors. Genome scans in families with SLE point to multiple potential chromosomal regions that harbor SLE susceptibility genes, and association studies in different populations have suggested several susceptibility alleles for SLE. Increased production of type I interferon (IFN) an
The use of antibiotic prophylaxis is an accepted and widely practiced feature of modern surgery. The prevention and control of infection is a priority in healthcare worldwide, and the emergence of antibiotic resistance is a global phenomenon. Hence, rational use of antibiotics is essential. We discuss the guidelines published with regard to endourologic procedures and review the limited evidence c
The structures of films of SP-B and mixtures of SP-B and DPPC at the air/water interface have been studied by neutron reflectometry (NR) and Langmuir film balance methods. From the film balance studies we observe that at very high pressures the isotherms of pure DPPC and SP-B/DPPC mixtures very nearly overlay one another, suggesting that the SP-B is being excluded from the film. The use of multipl
