When an excess of human cystatin C or chicken cystatin was mixed with papain, an enzyme-inhibitor complex was formed immediately. The residual free cystatin was then progressively converted to a form with different electrophoretic mobility and chromatographic properties. The modified cystatins were isolated and sequenced, showing that there had been cleavage of a single peptide bond in each molecu

In bacterial meningitis, chemokines lead to recruitment of polymorphonuclear leucocytes (PMN) into the CNS. At the site of infection in the subarachnoid space, PMN release reactive oxygen species, reactive nitrogen intermediates (RNI) and interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta). Although these immune factors assist in clearance of bacteria, they also result in neuronal injury associated with meningitis. Tr

* The ectomycorrhizal fungus Laccaria bicolor has the largest genome of all fungi yet sequenced. The large genome size is partly a result of an expansion of gene family sizes. Among the largest gene families are protein kinases and RAS small guanosine triphosphatases (GTPases), which are key components of signal transduction pathways. * Comparative genomics and phylogenetic analyses were used to e

In cooperative, breeding vertebrates, indirect fitness benefits would be maximized by subordinates that accurately assess their relatedness to group offspring and preferentially help more closely related kin. In the Seychelles warbler (Acrocephalus sechellensis), we found a positive relationship between subordinate-nestling kinship (determined using microsatellite marker genotypes) and provisionin

We assessed the presence/absence and population size of a threatened beetle, Osmoderma eremita, inhabiting hollow oaks (Quercus robur). Population sizes varied widely between trees (10% of the hollow trees hosted two thirds of the individuals), and increased with the volume of wood mould (= loose material of dead wood) and the height of the entrances. Population density (number of adult beetles pe

The aim of this study was to examine whether CAG/GGN repeats are significant modulators of serum concentrations of total and free testosterone (T) as well as of luteinizing hormone (LH) in elderly men. Sixty-nine 60- to 80-year-old men with subnormal T levels (

The effect of a magnetic field on the energy spectrum of a hydrogenic impurity is investigated using a basis expansion technique. Several excited impurity states, of which some are resonant, are found. Lifetimes are calculated and, by including an electric field, we are able to explain forbidden but experimentally observed optical transitions. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Using [C-14]methylamine as an analogue of ammonium, the kinetics and the energetics of NH: transport were studied in the ectomycorrhizal fungus, Paxillus involutus (Batsch) Fr. The apparent half-saturation constant (K-m) and the maximum uptake rate (V-max) for the carrier-mediated transport derived from the Eadie-Hofstee transformation were 180 mu M and 380 nmol (mg dry wt)(-1) min(-1,) respective

Animal foraging and reproductive behaviour is influenced by other simultaneous demands such as predator avoidance. The trade-offs between these demands may depend on sex or mating experience. This study demonstrates that the olfactory-mediated foraging and mate-seeking behaviours in the silver Y moths, Autographa gamma, are affected by auditory cues mimicking their bat predators. Both males and fe

This paper investigates the effect of chlorine and silver ion solutions on the survival of Bacillus cereus (vegetative phase) and Staphylococcus aureus in batch cultures, representing dishwater. Dishwater contains organic matter and bacteria and bacterial activities are partly reduced by high pH (11-12) and temperature (55-65 degrees C) in professional and domestic dishwashers. in manual dishwashi

ABSTRACT We examine the effects of environmental noise on populations that are parts of simple two-species food webs. We assume that the species are strongly interacting and that one or the other population is affected by the noise signal. Further assuming that a stable equilibrium with positive population densities exists, we are able to perform a complete frequency analysis of the system. If onl

Almost 5 decades after the first clinical transplantations, delayed immune reconstitution remains a considerable hurdle in bone marrow transplantation, and the mechanisms regulating immune reconstitution after transplantation remain to be established. Whereas adult fms-like tyrosine kinase 3 ligand-deficient (FL-/-) mice have reduced numbers of early Band T-cell progenitors, they sustain close to

The balance between sexual and asexual propagule production is studied in an evolutionary model where plants produce the two kinds of propagules in genetically determined proportions. The male function of plants producing asexual propagules can be varied, and the sexual and asexual propagules carry different probabilities to turn into new reproductive individuals. These fitnesses may vary over yea

Aims/Hypothesis. This study aims to determine the prevalence of anti-pericyte autoantibodies in Type 2 diabetes and to characterize these autoantibodies as new markers of disease activity in diabetic retinopathy. Methods. A total of 299 patients with Type 2 diabetes participated in this study. Retinopathy was assessed by 7-field stereo fundus photography and was graded according to the ETDRS scale

OBJECTIVE: The primary aim was to explore patients' knowledge of heart failure and their attitudes toward medical information (prognostic information in particular) and to assess different patient-related factors that might hamper the improvement of patients' knowledge. Moreover, taking the data obtained into account, we analyzed ethical aspects of information disclosure to patients with heart fai

Objective. To evaluate the performance of biochemical and traditional markers in predicting radiographic progression in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Methods. One hundred thirty-two patients with early RA were treated with nonbiologic therapies for 2 years and studied longitudinally. Genomic DNA was analyzed for presence of the shared epitope. Levels of matrix metalloproteinases (matrix metalloprotei