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Slipped-strand mispairing at sites containing so-called coding repeats (CRs) can lead to phase variation of surface proteins in Gram-negative bacteria. This mechanism, believed to contribute to virulence, has so far not been identified in a Gram-positive bacterium. In the genome of the Gram-positive human pathogen Streptococcus pyogenes, we identified pentanucleotide CRs within a putative signal s
This paper provides a description of a cost-benefit analysis applied to determine the cost effectiveness, or otherwise, of nine management strategies potentially applicable to forests contaminated with Cs-137. Th management strategies were considered singly and in a number of likely combinations. A management strategy was considered to be cost-effective if it resulted in a lower overall monetary d
As much attention has devoted to the proteome research during the last years, biomarker discovery has become an increasingly hot area, potentially enabling the development of new assays for diagnosis and prognosis of severe diseases. This is the field of research interest where efforts originating from both academic and industrial groups should jointly work on solutions. In this paper we would lik
BACKGROUND: Cobalamin/folate deficiency is common in elderly subjects and may lead to psychiatric symptoms, but even more often it increases the severity of other organic and non-organic mental diseases. It is therefore of importance to evaluate the optimal use of different markers of cobalamin/folate status in a psychogeriatric population. METHODS: We measured serum cobalamin, blood folate, plasm
Non-typable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi) is an important human-specific respiratory pathogen colonizing the mucosa of the upper respiratory tract. The bacterium is a common cause of acute otitis media in children and exacerbations in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). An immunoglobulin (Ig) D-lambda myeloma protein was found to detect a 16kDa surface protein that we desig
We investigate the coalescence of two DNA bubbles initially located at weak domains and separated by a more stable barrier region in a designed construct of double-stranded DNA. In a continuum Fokker-Planck approach, the characteristic time for bubble coalescence and the corresponding distribution are derived, as well as the distribution of coalescence positions along the barrier. Below the meltin
Purpose We have recently presented a decision support system for interpreting myocardial perfusion scintigraphy (MPS). In this study, we wanted to evaluate the system in a separate hospital from where it was trained and to compare it with a quantification software package. Methods A completely automated method based on neural networks was trained for the interpretation of MPS regarding myocardial
Two-dimensional SIDS-PAGE gel electrophoresis using post-run staining is widely used to measure the abundances of thousands of protein spots simultaneously. Usually, the protein abundances of two or more biological groups are compared using biological and technical replicates. After gel separation and staining, the spots are detected, spot volumes are quantified, and spots are matched across gels.
We have studied the degree of genetic variation at a variable Mhc class II beta gene in four populations of Atlantic salmon Salmo salar by using RFLPs. The class II beta gene encodes the part of the Mhc class II molecule that contains the antigen binding region and is therefore essential for disease resistance. There was extensive genetic variation in all four populations; the expected heterozygos
In an experimental clinical study, 25 implants of pure titanium were inserted into the proximal tibia of 11 volunteer patients, four with rheumatoid arthritis and seven with osteoarthritis. The implants were removed from five weeks to 24 months later and detailed histological analysis was performed. The implants generally healed with direct bone-metal contact, showing so-called osseointegration. O
Two patients with long-term (35 years) survival on hemodialysis are described. Kidney replacement therapy for these patients was initiated by a pioneer in hemodialysis, Nils Alwall, in 1968 and 1971, respectively. Kidney transplantation was attempted twice in both patients; however, the dialysis-free interval was less than 18 months in both patients. These patients represent two of the longest kno
The standard method for measuring the it umber of infectious phages in solution has traditionally been the plaque forming assay. An alternative method is described where the number of lytic, infectious phages is determined in an endpoint titration assay adapted for a microplate system. In this model system, susceptible Escherichia coli 136 at a density of 4 x 10(7) cells/ml, were mixed with an equ
Background: alpha 1-antitrypsin (AAT) serves primarily as an inhibitor of the elastin degrading proteases, neutrophil elastase and proteinase 3. There is ample clinical evidence that inherited severe AAT deficiency predisposes to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Augmentation therapy for AAT deficiency has been available for many years, but to date no sufficient data exist to demonstrate its
The microarray technique requires the organization and analysis of vast amounts of data. These data include information about the samples hybridized, the hybridization images and their extracted data matrices, and information about the physical array, the features and reporter molecules. We present a web-based customizable bioinformatics solution called BioArray Software Environment (BASE) for the
The demand for highly purified plasmids in gene therapy and plasmid-based vaccines requires large-scale production of pharmaceutical-grade plasmid. Plasmid DNA was selectively precipitated from a clarified alkaline lysate using the polycation poly(N,N'-dimethyldiallylammonium) chloride which formed insoluble polyelectrolyte complex (PEC) with the plasmid DNA. Soluble PECs of DNA with polycations h
The use of an organic solvent can allow to increase the mass transfer, and thereby biodegradation, of hydrophobic gaseous pollutants. The biodegradation of hexane by a Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain was thus optimized in a two phase partitioning bioreactor (TPPB). Silicone oil was first selected among various organic solvents based on its biocompatibility and resistance to R aeruginosa and its high
Objectives The aim of this study was to identify risk factors for cardiovascular malformation. Methods In a case-referent study prospectively collected data were obtained from original medical records. The study included 277 woman who had infants with a severe cardiac defect, and for each case two referents (medical records study) were included. Data on parental age, maternal reproductive history,
The influence of temperature on cost and energy consumption during nanofiltration has been evaluated. The effect of temperature on pressure drop, fouling, concentration polarisation and changes in the membrane performance were evaluated experimentally and theoretically. Nanofiltration experiments using pure solutions and wastewater from the meat industry were performed at 25 and 55 °C with an Alfa
1. Climbing fibres were activated by peripheral nerve stimulation at 'high' frequencies (greater than 3 Hz) for 15-25 s and then at 0.9 Hz for about 1 min. The high frequency activation induced a post-conditioning inhibition, lasting up to about 1 min, of climbing fibre responses recorded from the cerebellar surface. 2. Electrolytic lesions were made in the superior cerebellar peduncle (brachium c
