The human pathogen Haemophilus influenzae causes respiratory tract infections and is commonly associated with prolonged carriage in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Production of outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) is a ubiquitous phenomenon observed in Gram-negative bacteria including H. influenzae. OMVs play an important role in various interactions with the human host; from neutr

Bacteria regulate FtsZ protein levels through transcriptional and translational mechanisms for proper cell division. A cis-antisense RNA, StfZ, produced from the ftsA-ftsZ intergenic region, was proposed to regulate FtsZ level in Escherichia coli. However, its structural identity remained unknown. In this study, we determined the complete sequence of StfZ and identified the isoforms and its promot

We have studied a method for making microbial cells transparent by immersing them in a solution with a high refractive index (RI). When the RI of the solution was matching that of the cells, light scattering was greatly diminished (by a factor of up to about 100) and the cell suspension became transparent, facilitating the spectrophotometric determination of intracellular compounds such as hemoglo

Background Severe alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency (AATD), phenotype PiZZ, is a risk factor for pulmonary emphysema and liver disease, but its effect on cancer risk is unknown. Our aim was to evaluate the risk and the risk factors for incident cancer in PiZZ individuals compared with the general population with known smoking habits. Methods A longitudinal study of PiZZ individuals (n=1595) from the

(1) Background: HIV-1 sub-subtype A1 is common in parts of Africa, Russia, former Soviet Union countries, and Eastern Europe. In Pakistan, sub-subtype A1 is the predominant HIV-1 subtype. Preliminary evidence suggests that distinct strains of HIV-1 sub-subtype A1 are circulating in Pakistan; however, an in-depth molecular phylogenetic characterization of HIV-1 sub-subtype A1 strains in Pakistan ha

Historically, companies have communicated taxes as a burden, as the benefits provided by governments are not perceived to be in proportion to their payments. With sustainable development becoming central in many policy areas, new discourses including ‘fair’ or ‘sustainable’ tax have become omnipresent in public talk on taxes. This paper analyzes tax discourses in corporate annual reports within thHistorically, companies have communicated taxes as a burden, as the benefits provided by governments are not perceived to be in proportion to their payments. With sustainable development becoming central in many policy areas, new discourses including ‘fair’ or ‘sustainable’ tax have become omnipresent in public talk on taxes. This paper analyzes tax discourses in corporate annual reports within th

Excessive fat accumulation in the liver has become a major health threat worldwide. Unresolved fat deposition in the liver can go undetected until it develops into fatty liver disease, followed by steatohepatitis, fibrosis, cirrhosis, and eventually hepatocellular carcinoma. Lipid deposition in the liver is governed by complex communication, primarily between metabolic organs. This can be mediated

Introduction and Objectives: To compare pilot cohorts of men scheduled for radical prostatectomy imaged with novel antibody conjugates: Cohort 1 (111In-J591) single photon emission tomography (SPECT) or Cohort 2 (89Zr-J591) positron emission tomorgraphy (PET).Methods: 1) Cohort 1: Eight patients with abnormal digital rectal exam and biopsy proven prostate cancer were injected intravenously with tw

Andfåddhet är en subjektiv upplevelse och utgör ett ospecifikt, vanligt och potentiellt allvarligt symtom som tidigt bör utredas strukturerat tills orsaken är klarlagd, med fokus på att utesluta allvarliga differentialdiagnoser.Ökad medvetenhet om allvarlighetsgraden av andfåddhet kan minska fördröjning till diagnos samt förbättra prognosen, inte minst vid sällsynta sjukdomar såsom PAH (pulmonell Dyspnea is a common distressing symptom which may be a sign of a critically threatening condition and has been linked with increased hospitalizations, reduced exercise tolerance and increased mortality. The current neuropsychological model suggests that dyspnea arises due to an imbalance between respiratory drive and achieved ventilation. Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and chronic thromboem

We consider a nonlinear vertex-reinforced jump process (VRJP(w)) on Z with an increasing measurable weight function w : [1, ∞) → [1, ∞) and initial weights equal to one. Our main goal is to study the asymptotic behaviour of VRJP(w) depending on the integrability of the reciprocal of w. In particular, we prove that if (Equation presented). then the process is recurrent, that is, it visits each vert

(1) Background: Villous atrophy is an indication for small bowel capsule endoscopy (SBCE). However, SBCE findings are not described uniformly and atrophic features are sometimes not recognized; (2) Methods: The Delphi technique was employed to reach agreement among a panel of SBCE experts. The nomenclature and definitions of SBCE lesions suggesting the presence of atrophy were decided in a core gr

Vocabulary experts recommend first language (L1) translation equivalents for establishing form–meaning mappings for new second language (L2) words, especially for lower proficiency learners. Empirical evidence to date speaks in favor of L1 translation equivalents over L2 meaning definitions, but most studies have investigated bi- rather than multilingual learners. In our study, we investigated ins

Background: There are no evidence-based recommendations on the optimal time point to initiate non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs) after acute ischemic stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation. We aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of early versus delayed initiation of NOAC in these patients. Methods: TIMING (Timing of Oral Anticoagulant Therapy in Acute Ischemic Strok

The present study uses large-eddy simulations (LES) to identify the underlying mechanism that governs the ignition and stabilization mechanisms of ECN Spray A flame for different injection pressures (Pinj) and ambient temperatures (Tam). Two Pinj of 50 MPa and 150 MPa, as well as two Tam of 750 K and 900 K are considered. The numerical model is validated against the experimental fuel penetration,

This article analyses the creation of a new template for pedagogical scholars during the early decades of the nineteenth century in Sweden, encased in the tragic persona of Carl Ulric Broocman. Broocman, one of the most influential pedagogical scholars of his time, died at the peak of his career and was posthumously cast as a perfect teacher and scholar in his obituary. On closer inspection, the o

This is the second component of a two-part paper dealing with a unification of characteristic mode decomposition. This second part addresses modal tracking, interpolation, the role of ohmic losses, and presents several numerical examples for surface-based method-of-moment formulations. A new tracking algorithm based on algebraic properties of the transition matrix is developed, achieving excellent

Healthy regeneration of tissue relies on a well-orchestrated release of growth factors. Herein, we show the use of synthetic glycosaminoglycans for controlled binding and release of growth factors to induce a desired cellular response. First, we screened glycosaminoglycans with growth factors of interest to determine kon (association rate constant), koff (dissociation rate constant), and Kd (equil

Pulse transformer size is fundamentally linked to application pulselength, pulse power and pulse rise time. In considering long-pulse high-power applications, it has earlier been demonstrated that the large voltage-time integral associated with long-pulse operation in combination with the severe pulse rise time required to ensure high pulse efficiency strictly limits the number of transformer wind

Participation in clinical work is important for medical students’ professional development. However, students often report that they experience a passive observer role, and further research on contextual factors that influence student participation is needed. The theory of practice architectures contributes a new perspective to this challenge by elucidating how cultural-discursive, material-econom

Aims/hypothesis: The aim of this study was to explore the utility of islet autoantibody (IAb) levels for the prediction of type 1 diabetes in autoantibody-positive children. Methods: Prospective cohort studies in Finland, Germany, Sweden and the USA followed 24,662 children at increased genetic or familial risk of developing islet autoimmunity and diabetes. For the 1403 who developed IAbs (523 of