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Pathogenic bacteria have developed complex and diverse virulence mechanisms that weaken or disable the host immune defense system. IdeS (IgG-degrading enzyme of Streptococcus pyogenes) is a secreted cysteine endopeptidase from the human pathogen S. pyogenes with an extraordinarily high degree of substrate specificity, catalyzing a single proteolytic cleavage at the lower hinge of human IgG. This p

Solifluction movement rates from 1952 to 2008 for the Abisko region, northern Sweden, have been compiled and analysed through correlation tests and multiple regression. The temporal analysis is based on two datasets (Lobe11 & gridAB and Line B) from Karkevagge. The dataset Lobe11 & gridAB show a strong correlation between movement rates and mean annual air temperature (MAAT) and MAAT is al

Researchers of work-related musculoskeletal disorders are increasingly asked about the evidentiary base for mechanical exposure reductions. Mixed messages can arise from the different disciplinary cultures of evidence, and these mixed messages make different sets of findings incommensurate. Interventions also operate at different levels within workplaces and result in different intensities of mech

Here we report on the structure, expression and function of a novel cartilage-specific gene coding for a 17 kDa small, highly charged and secreted protein that we termed Ucma (Unique Cartilage Matrix Associated protein). The protein is processed by a furin-like protease into an N-terminal peptide of 37 amino acids and a C-terminal fragment (Ucma-C) of 74 amino acids. Ucma is highly conserved betwe

Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine the fisk of first-ever stroke in relation to use of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) among middle-aged and older Swedish women. Materials: A total of 16,906 women, 45-73 years old, from the 'Diet and Cancer' study in Malmo, Sweden were examined. Women were considered as HRT users if they took systemic hormone therapy regularly. Incidence of stro

A quantitative evaluation of the hydrolysis of wheat starch using Termamyl, a thermostable alpha-amylase (endo-l,4-alpha-D-glucan, glucanohydrolase; EC 3.2.1.78), is reported. Data from the monitoring of the hydrolysis of wheat starch indicated that, after 1 h, glucose and maltooligosaccharides up to DP 7 were the main hydrolysis products and thus enabled optimization of a liquefication step durin

The relationship between the North Atlantic oscillation (NAO) and winter temperature and precipitation over northern Europe has long been known. However, its strength is variable within this region. In this paper, an analysis of the regional variability of the influence of the NAO on winter precipitation in northern Europe is developed using empirical orthogonal function analysis, cluster analysis

A hallmark of the afflicted nervous tissue in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is the presence of protein aggregates which to a large extent contain the intermediate filament protein peripherin. Here we show that activation of protein kinase C (PKC) or overexpression of PKCe induces the aggregation of peripherin in cultured neuroblastoma cells with elevated amounts of peripherin. The formation of agg

An action spectrum for photosensitivity in sponge larvae published by Leys et al. [J. Comp. Physiol., A, 2002, 188, 199–202] was interpreted by the authors as being due to a combination of light absorption by flavin or carotenoid in the blue region, and another pigment such as pterin in the long-wavelength region. Here we show here that their action spectrum closely matches the absorption spectrum

Two alkaline protease producing alkaliphilic bacterial strains, designated as AL-20 and AL-89, were isolated from a naturally occurring alkaline habitat. The two strains were identified as Nesternkonia sp. and Bacillus pseudofirmus, respectively. Both strains grew and produced alkaline protease using feather as the sole source of carbon and nitrogen. Addition of 0.5% glucose to the feather medium

To determine whether drying of nerve grafts can affect axonal outgrowth and proliferation of non-neuronal cells, nerve segments dried for 0-60 min were used as nerve grafts to bridge a gap in transected rat sciatic nerves. Axonal outgrowth was measured by pinch reflex test and confirmed by immunocytochemical staining of neurofilaments. The proliferation of non-neuronal cells was measured by incorp

We studied host selection and exploitation, two crucial aspects of parasite ecology, in Achrysocharoides parasitoid wasps, which show remarkable host specificity and unusual offspring sex allocation. We estimated a molecular phylogeny of 15 Achrysocharoides species and compared this with host (plant and insect) phylogenies. This tri-trophic phylogenetic comparison provides no evidence for cospecia

Acetohydroxyacid synthase (AHAS) is the target enzyme for a number of herbicides. A S653N mutation in the AHAS gene results in an increased tolerance to imidazolinone herbicides. We have investigated the use of the mutated gene as selection gene for potato transformation. This resulted in a transformation system with a very high transformation frequency and low rate of escapes. The mutated AHAS ge

Joining chain (J-chain) is well known as an integrated component of dimeric immunoglobulin A (IgA) and pentameric IgM. We show here that the J-chain protein is also expressed in a subset of CD11c+ dendritic cells (DC) in C57BL/6 mice. J-chain knockout mice (J−/− mice) had a reduced fraction of CD4−/CD8α+ and mPDCA-1+ DC in the spleen. J−/− mice also had reduced levels of RNA for the immunoregulato

Timely regulation of phosphatidylinositol-3,4-bisphosphate [PI(3,4)P2] and phosphatidylinositol-3,4,5-trisphosphate [PI(3,4,5)P3] abundance in cells is essential for the control of cellular homeostasis. The concentrations of these lipids are low in quiescent cells but rapidly and transiently increase following growth factor receptor (GFR) stimulation, which triggers cellular metabolic changes, pro

Based on a nanometer-scale semiconductor channel with an intentionally broken geometric symmetry, we have realized a type of memory device that consists of only two terminals, rather than the minimum of three terminals in conventional semiconductor memories. The charge retention time is at least 10 h at cryogenic temperatures and a few minutes at room temperature. Furthermore, the simplicity of th

The development of metal tolerance in soil bacterial communities exposed to different heavy metals was examined under laboratory conditions. An agricultural soil amended with different Zn concentrations was studied most intensively, and measurements were made over a 28-month incubation period by means of the thymidine incorporation technique. Tolerance levels were not affected by metal concentrati