Search results

A rapid and simple approach of lactose analysis is proposed based on 3rd generation amperometric biosensors employing cellobiose dehydrogenase (CDH) from Trametes villosa or Phanerochaete sordida immobilised on screen-printed carbon electrodes (SPCEs). After optimisation of the working conditions of the biosensors - pH of the carrier buffer, flow rate and applied potential - the sensors were able

This study explored the role of secreted fibroblast-derived factors in prostate cancer growth. Analyses of matched normal and tumor tissue revealed up-regulation of CXCL14 in cancer-associated fibroblasts of a majority of prostate cancer. Fibroblasts overexpressing CXCL14 promoted the growth of prostate cancer xenografts, and increased tumor angiogenesis and macrophage infiltration. Mechanistic st

Apoptotic cells have been reported to down- regulate membrane-bound complement regulatory proteins ( m- C- Reg) and to activate complement. Nonetheless, most apoptotic cells do not undergo complement- mediated lysis. Therefore, we hypothesized that fluid phase complement inhibitors would bind to apoptotic cells and compensate functionally for the loss of m- C- Reg. We observed that m- C- Reg are d

Glycoprotein B (gB) is a major component in several vaccines that are under development for prevention of disease by cytomegalovirus. It contains multiple determinants that are targets for neutralizing antibodies. One of them is site I of antigenic domain 2 (AD-2). The epitope, defined by short peptides, is quite conserved between different isolates. However, it is poorly immunogenic in natural in

To measure the onset of mass transfer in eccentric binaries, we have developed a two-phase smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) technique. Mass transfer is important in the evolution of close binaries, and a key issue is to determine the separation at which mass transfer begins. The circular case is well understood and can be treated through the use of the Roche formalism. To treat the eccentric

Neuropathic pain is a common consequence of damage to the nervous system. We here report a genetic analysis of development of neuropathic pain-like behaviors after unilateral photochemically-induced ischemic sciatic nerve injury in a panel of inbred rat strains known to display different susceptibility to autoimmune neuroinflammation. Pain behavior was initially characterized in Dark-Agouti (DA; R

The anaphylatoxic peptide C3a is a pro-inflammatory mediator generated during complement activation, whose specific G protein coupled receptor is expressed on granulocytes, monocytes, mast cells, activated lymphocytes, and in the nervous tissue. We have generated RBL-2H3 cell clones stably expressing mutants of the human C3a-receptor (C3aR) with combined alanine (Ala) substitutions of ten C-termin

We model collisions between pre-main-sequence stars using a smoothed particle hydrodynamics method. Assuming that all collisions lead to simple mergers, we use derived merger cross-sections to calculate the time-scale to make a 50-M-circle dot star by collisions within the core of a stellar cluster as a function of stellar number density. We show that a 50-M-circle dot star may be produced in this

The Moraxella catarrhalis IgD-binding protein (MID) has a unique specificity for human IgD, and the sequence with maximal IgD binding is located within the amino acids MID962-1200. In the present paper, we examined the MID binding site on IgD using a series of recombinant Ig. Full-length IgD, IgD F(ab')(2), and an IgD F(ab') C290R mutant lacking the inter-heavy-chain cysteine 290 were manufactured

Objectives The purpose of this study was to validate existing 12-lead electrocardiographic (ECG) ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) criteria in the diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and the application of similar ST-segment depression (STEM I-equivalent) criteria with contrast-enhanced cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (ceMRI) as the diagnostic gold standard. Backgrou

To study which individual characteristics and environmental factors correlate with fear of moving outdoors and whether fear of moving outdoors predicts development of mobility limitation. Observational prospective cohort study and cross-sectional analyses. Community and research center. Seven hundred twenty-seven community-living people aged 75 to 81 were interviewed at baseline, of whom 314 took

Combretastatin A-4 disodiumphosphate (CA4P), a prodrug formulation of the natural product combretastatin A-4 (CA4), is currently in clinical investigation for the treatment of cancer. In vivo, CA4P is rapidly enzymatically converted to CA4, a potent inhibitor of tubulin polymerization (IC50 = 1-2 muM), and rapidly causes bloodflow shutdown in tumor tissues. A variety of alkyl and aryl di- and trie

BACKGROUND: We measured serum levels of human glandular kallikrein 2 (hK2) in patients treated with radical retropubic prostatectomy (rrP) for clinically localized prostate cancer (PCa) with a total PSA (tPSA)-level below 10 ng/ml to investigate whether hK2 can be applied to preoperatively distinguish organ-confined (pT2a/b) from nonorgan-confined (> or = pT3a)-PCa more accurately than total PSA.

The film of sIgA lining the intestinal epithelium plays a role in the regulation of the commensal microflora and prevention of pathogen invasion. We show that, in the absence of intentional immunization, all sIgA in the gut is produced by B-1a B cells. We also show that B-1a B cells and sIgA derive from lineage-negative precursors found in the fetal liver and located in the spleen after birth. The

Background: Few studies have examined how physicians perceive guidelines, much less their perceptions of an Internet presentation of such guidelines. This study assessed physicians' acceptance ofan Internet-based guideline on the appropriateness of colonoscopy. Methods: Gastroenterologists participating in an international observational study consulted an Internet-based guideline for consecutive p

TCR signaling is mediated by intracellular signaling molecules and nuclear transcription factors, which are tightly regulated by interaction with regulatory proteins such as Grb2 and SLAP. We reported recently that TCR stimulation induces the expression of cytokine-induced SH2 protein (CIS). The expression of CIS promotes TCR-mediated activation. We have now found specific interactions between CIS

The vehicle ingress and egress are important issues for the automotive industry, both for minimizing assembly work load and for maximizing end-users’ comfort. Digital human modeling tools are used for evaluating and visualizing these issues. The assembler and end-user are more or less performing the very same entering task if the vehicles have identical geometrical prerequisites. The major differe

In this thesis aspects of peripheral B lymphocyte differentiation were studied. Through in vitro experiments, B lymphocyte activation was assessed. B lymphocytes express immunoglobulin (Ig) specific for a certain antigen on the cell surface, and when surface Ig is crosslinked by an antigen, the cell is activated. Antigens giving rise to a T cell dependent immune response are internalized by the B