Some strains of the bacterial pathogen Streptococcus pyogenes secrete protein SIC (streptococcal inhibitor of complement), including strains of the clinically relevant M1 serotype. SIC neutralizes the effect of a number of antimicrobial proteins/peptides and interferes with the function of the host complement system. Previous studies have shown that some S. pyogenes proteins bind and modulate coag

Importance: Geographic atrophy (GA) is a progressing atrophy of the neuroretina with no treatment option. Background: Age-related malfunction of retinal microglia amplifies response towards age-related tissue stress in age-related macular degeneration. Here, we investigated monocyte CD200 expression – the circulating middleman negotiating retinal microglial activity – in a poorly understood subtyp

The mechanism of how patatin-like phospholipase domain-containing protein 3 (PNPLA3) variant M148 is associated with increased risk of development of hepatic steatosis is still debated. Here, we propose a novel role of PNPLA3 as a key player during autophagosome formation in the process of lipophagy. A human hepatocyte cell line, HepG2 cells, expressing recombinant I148 or 148M, was used to study

With a commitment to a relational ontology, scholars from within the feminist care tradition of animal ethics have been able to theorize how our moral significance - as well as our moral obligations to others - arise from the metaphysical and empathetic 'entanglements. Independent of species, gender and the like, we exist as embodied beings. Sharing a position that originates in nonwestern culture

Glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) are essential polysaccharides in normal physiology and disease. However, understanding of the contribution of specific GAG structures to specific biological functions is limited, largely because of the great structural heterogeneity among GAGs themselves, as well as technical limitations in the structural characterization and chemical synthesis of GAGs. Here we describe a

A typical approach when designing a bio-inspired robot is to simplify an animal model and to enhance the functionality of interest. For hexapod robots, this often leads to a need of supplementary mechanics to become multifunctional. However, a preferable solution is to employ the embodied multifunctional capabilities of the animal as inspiration for robot design. Using this approach, we present a

Exposure to UV light triggers the rapid generation and accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in skin cells, with consequent increase in oxidative stress and thus in photoaging. Exogenous supplementation with dietary antioxidants and/or skin pretreatment with antioxidant-based lotions before sun exposure might be a winning strategy against age-related skin pathologies. In this context, plan

In recent years biorefineries using lignocellulosic biomass such as wood and agricultural residuals as raw material have gained significant interest since they avoid competition with food production. One of the key development areas of these lignocellulosic based biorefinery concepts is the integration low energy and high selective separation processes. Thus, membrane processes either as stand-alo

Searchable symmetric encryption (SSE) schemes are commonly proposed to enable search in a protected unstructured documents such as email archives or any set of sensitive text files. However, some SSE schemes have been recently proposed in order to protect relational databases. Most of the previous attacks on SSE schemes have only targeted its common use case, protecting unstructured data. In this

DLE (Dry Low Emission) techniques are widely used today to reduce the harmful NOx emissions associated with high combustion temperatures. In many DLE systems the fuel and air are premixed which effectively keep the flame temperature as low as possible, ideally equal to the turbine inlet temperature. By using premixing stability issues such as flash back and combustion driven dynamics may occur. Op

This work visualized water-silicone oil two-phase flow patterns both at the inlet cross-junction and in the main square microchannel with a channel width of 400 µm. Tubing/threading, dripping and jetting were identified at the inlet junction while annular, slug and droplet flows were categorized in the main microchannel at 50 mm downstream of the junction. Flow patterns were represented in terms o

This work aims to explore possible ways of improving the precision of ignition measurements in the cone calorimeter. Both inherent repeatability of parts of the testing equipment and operator-dependent variations are considered. Inherent repeatability is indicated to be slightly improved if the test samples used are circular rather than square. Operator-dependent variation is discussed in terms of