ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: The endoglycosidase EndoS and the cysteine proteinase SpeB from the human pathogen Streptococcus pyogenes are functionally related in that they both hydrolyze IgG leading to impairment of opsonizing antibodies and thus enhance bacterial survival in human blood. In this study, we further investigated the relationship between EndoS and SpeB by examining their in vitro temporal

An increased incidence of infections by Haemophilus influenzae type f (Hif) has recently been suggested, but such infections have mainly been regarded as opportunistic. We present here a dramatic case of Hif necrotizing myositis and septic shock. A subsequently diagnosed IgG3 and mannose-binding lectin deficiency possibly contributed to the severe outcome.

High-precision isotope-dilution U-Pb (zircon) dating was conducted on three volcanic ash fall (bentonite) samples from the Swedish island of Gotland, and on a fourth bentonite from the West Midlands, England. Zircons from the Ireviken, Grotlingbo, Djupvik (Gotland), and Wren's Nest Hill-15 (West Midlands) bentonites yielded weighted mean Pb-206/U-238 ages of 431.83 +/- 0.23/0.67 Ma, 428.45 +/- 035

The aim of this study was to evaluate how the fixed furniture dimensions match with students' anthropometry and to describe head, upper back and upper limbs postures and movements. Evaluation was performed in 48 students from a Brazilian state school. Furniture dimensions were measured with metric tape, movements and postures by inclinometers (Logger Tecknologi, Akarp, Sweden). Seat height was hig

Physicians caring for the critically ill are now expected to acquire competence in echocardiography. It has become an indispensable diagnostic and monitoring tool in acute care settings where it is generally accepted to have therapeutic impact. There are a number of indications for a critical care echocardiographic study, and the most important queries include those pertaining left and right ventr

Isothermal (heat conduction) calorimetry is a general technique to study processes through the thermal power they produce. This paper deals with operational issues concerning isothermal calorimeters. In this paper it is shown that steady-state and pulse calibrations give the same result; that the use of mobile heaters (placed in the reaction ampoule) give more accurate results than fixed heaters (

An important factor for a user of web sites on the Internet is the duration of time between the request of a web page until an answer has been returned. If this response time is too long, the user is likely to abandon the web site and search for other providers of the service. To avoid this loss of users, it is important for the web site operator to assure that users are treated sufficiently fast.

In this paper is described the preparation of patterned cell dishes to be used in studies of low dose irradiation effects on living cells. Using a droplet microdispenser, an 8 mu m thick polypropylene cell substrate, to which cells do not naturally adhere, was coated in a matrix pattern with the cell adhesive mussel protein Cell-Tak. Cells were shown to adhere and grow on the protein-coated spots,

A number of specific chromosomal abnormalities define the subgroups of multiple myeloma. In a meta-analysis of two genome-wide association studies of multiple myeloma including a total of 1,661 affected individuals, we investigated risk for developing a specific tumor karyotype. The t(11;14)(q13;q32) translocation in which CCND1 is placed under the control of the immunoglobulin heavy chain enhance

Mobile Business Intelligence (m-BI) enhances the capabilities of organizations to take decisions 'on-the-move'. M-BI emerged as an extension of BI and many companies have or are considering implementing it. Being an innovation, m-BI reflects an organizing vision, created by a broad community, which is prominent during the comprehension process of this innovation. Little is known how the organizing

Idrott kan ses som en av det moderna samhällets viktigaste globala sfärer. Det är ett område som engagerar människor över nations-, klass-, köns- och åldersgränser, likväl som det upprätthåller dessa gränser. Idrott är i sig en enorm ekonomisk sektor och syns dagligen i media. Det är ett område som har ett stort inflytande på litteratur, film och andra konstformer (Karen & Washington 2010:1ff)

Background: The incidence of breastfeeding of preterm infants is affected by the support provided at the hospital and in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). However, policies and guidelines promoting breastfeeding vary both nationally and internationally. Objectives: The aim of this survey was to describe breastfeeding support in Danish NICUs, where approximately 98% of mothers initiate lacta

Few studies have directly compared the ability of the most commonly used models of frailty to predict mortality among community-dwelling individuals. Here, we used a frailty index (FI), frailty phenotype (FP), and FRAIL scale (FS) to predict mortality in the EMAS. Participants were aged 40-79 years (n = 2929) at baseline and 6.6% (n = 193) died over a median 4.3 years of follow-up. The FI was gene

L-DOPA-induced dyskinesia is a common side effect developed after chronic treatment with 3,4-dihydroxyphenyl-L-alanine (L-DOPA) in Parkinson's disease. The biological mechanisms behind this side effect are not fully comprehended although involvement of dopaminergic, serotonergic, and glutamatergic systems has been suggested. The present study utilizes in vivo amperometry to investigate the impact

S100A4 and S100A9 proteins have been described as playing roles in the control of tumor growth and metastasis. We show here that a chemical probe, oxyclozanide (OX), selected for inhibiting the interaction between S100A9 and the receptor for advanced glycation end-products (RAGE) interacts with both S100A9 and S100A4. Furthermore, we show that S100A9 and S100A4 interact with RAGE and TLR4; interac

Measurements based on a large number of red giant stars suggest a broad metallicity distribution function (MDF) for the Galactic bulge, centered on [Fe/H] approximate to -0.1. However, recently, a new opportunity emerged to utilize temporary flux amplification (by factors of similar to 100 or more) of faint dwarf stars in the Bulge which are gravitationally lensed, making them observable with high