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Minocycline has been shown to be neuroprotective in ischemic and neurodegenerative disease models and could potentially be relevant for clinical use. We revisited the hypothesis that minocycline acts through direct inhibition of calcium-induced mitochondrial permeability transition (mPT) resulting in reduced release of cytochrome c (cyt c). Minocycline, at high dosage, was found to prevent calcium
The greater sensitivity of magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) compared with MRI to brain abnormalities in Rasmussen's encephalitis was demonstrated in a 3-year-old boy. The patient, with symptoms, signs and morphological findings consistent with Rasmussen's encephalitis, was followed with MRI and MRS over 30 months. That metabolic changes can be disclosed by MRS before the development of sympto
The ionizable amino acid side chains of proteins are usually located at the surface. However, in some proteins an ionizable group is embedded in an apolar internal region. Such buried ionizable groups destabilize the protein and may trigger conformational changes in response to pH variations. Because of the prohibitive energetic cost of transferring a charged group from water to an apolar medium,
Macrophages are involved in the pathological process underlying atherosclerosis and constitutively express the multifunctional protein osteopontin which has important exogenous effects on these cells. However, the effect of the endogenous osteopontin expression on macrophage function has been sparsely studied. To shed light on the importance of the endogenous osteopontin expression, RAW 264.7 macr
Recent investigations show that the pollen accumulation rate (PAR) of the common tree taxa is directly related to the biomass and, by inference, to the population size of the taxa around the study site. Fossil PAR records preserved in lakes provide therefore a potential proxy for quantitative biomass and population reconstructions. We use the high-resolution PAR records obtained from two accuratel
We have performed a comparison of ten models that predict the temporal behavior of laser-induced incandescence (LII) of soot. In this paper we present a summary of the models and comparisons of calculated temperatures, diameters, signals, and energy-balance terms. The models were run assuming laser heating at 532 nm at fluences of 0.05 and 0.70 J/cm(2) with a laser temporal profile provided. Calcu
Transplantation of allogeneic embryonic neural tissue is a potential treatment for patients with Parkinson's and Huntington's diseases. The supply of human donor tissue is limited, and alternatives such as the use of animal (e.g., porcine) donor tissue are currently being evaluated. Before porcine grafts can be used clinically, strategies to prevent neural xenograft rejection must be developed. Kn
Protein D is an immunoglobulin D-binding membrane protein exposed on the surface of the gram-negative bacterium Haemophilus influenzae. Results reported here indicate that protein D is a lipoprotein. The protein is apparently synthesized as a precursor with an 18-residue-long signal sequence modified by the covalent attachment of both ester-linked and amide-linked palmitate to the cysteine residue
Covalent attachment of heme to apocytochromes c in bacteria occurs on the outside of the cytoplasmic membrane and requires two reduced cysteinyls at the heme binding site. A constructed ResA-deficient Bacillus subtilis strain was found to lack c-type cytochromes. Cytochrome c synthesis was restored in the mutant by: (i) in trans expression of resA; (ii) deficiency in BdbD, a thioldisulfide oxidore
Arabidopsis MAP kinase 4 (MPK4) functions as a regulator of pathogen defense responses, because it is required for both repression of salicylic acid (SA)-dependent resistance and for activation of jasmonate (JA)-dependent defense gene expression. To understand MPK4 signaling mechanisms, we used yeast two-hybrid screening to identify the MPK4 substrate MKS1. Analyses of transgenic plants and genome
Geological evidence from the Late Cretaceous continental interior of the Vilui Basin, Siberia suggests a far wetter, warmer, and more equable annual climate than General Circulation Models (GCMs) can reproduce. The disparity cannot be bridged by the uncertainties inherent in either the models or the geological climate proxies. This implies the mismatch is genuine and that either 1) we have systema
Comparative analysis of expressed sequence tags is becoming an important tool in molecular ecology for comparing gene expression in organisms grown in certain environments. Additionally, expressed sequence tag database information can be used for the construction of DNA microarrays and for the detection of single nucleotide polymorphisms. For such applications, we present PHOREST, a web-based tool
Background. Primary care doctors see patients from diverse cultural backgrounds and communication plays an important role in diagnosis and treatment. Communication problems can arise when patient and doctor do not share the same cultural background. Objective. The aim of this study was to examine how consultations with immigrant patients are understood by GPs and how GPs manage these consultation
A four-year study of species composition of the zooplankton community was conducted at Lagoa Comprida, a coastal lagoon. Forty-two species of rotifers were recorded and illustrated. All rotifer species, except Lecane boettgeri Koste, 1986 and Macrochaetus kostei, Jose de Paggi, Branco & Kozlowsky-Suzuki, 2000, have already been found in other areas of Brazil. Some factors, which probably favor
Heme A, as a prosthetic group, is found exclusively in respiratory oxidases of mitochondria and aerobic bacteria. Bacillus subtilis CtaA and other heme A synthases catalyze the conversion of a methyl side group on heme 0 into a formyl group. The catalytic mechanism of heme A synthase is not understood, and little is known about the composition and structure of the enzyme. In this work, we have: (i
This article reviews the problem of bleeding in connection with epidural/spinal anaesthesia, with special emphasis on the use of low molecular weight heparins for thromboprophylaxis. There are methodological difficulties to studying the problem in a scientifically correct way because of the rarity of the complication. However, from the data in the literature there are no indications of an increase
Objective. Our hypothesis states that the reactivity of the cutaneous microcirculation is reduced in patients with hypertension compared with healthy subjects. The objective was to verify the hypothesis by measuring microvascular function in hypertensive patients. Design. The study was a controlled trial with two arms: 15 hypertensives and 15 normotensives were enrolled, aged 30-60 years, and in h
Here, a conceptual model is presented for the development of Phytophthora disease in pedunculate oak. The model is presented using the causal loop diagram tool and gives an overview of how various abiotic and biotic factors, such as soil moisture, nutrient availability and mycorrhizal colonization, may affect the reproduction and the infective capacity of soil-borne Phytophthora species, the susce
