The concentrations of gamma-trace and beta2-microglobulin in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and plasma were determined in 64 individuals of various ages without signs of organic disorder in the central nervous system (CNS). A strong connection was found between the CSF level of gamma-trace and the age of the individual, with the CSF level of newborns being 3--4 times that of adults. A similar, but less

The alkaline extract of group A streptococci type 4 was separated by electrophoresis and diffused against 27 normal human sera. One of the precipitates appeared with 85% of the sear. Addition of purified IgA myeloma protein or sera containing IgA M-components to the extract changed the electrophoretic mobility of the precipitate anodically. Purified IgG Fc-fragments or sera containing IgG M-compon

A low molecular weight glycoprotein which completely inhibited trypsin at a 1 : 1 molar ratio was isolated from human urine. It was generated from a precursor molecule which in turn derived from plasma inter-alpha-trypsin inhibitor. It had one polypeptide chain with a molecular weight of about 20 000 and a high content of half-cystine residues. Its amino-terminal amino-acid sequence was Val-Thr-Gl

Various procedures to improve the sensitivity and precision of antigen quantitation by immunocapillarymigration are investigated. The best results are obtained when using porous strips of cellulose acetate with covalently attached antibodies and when enzyme-labeled antibodies are used to expose the antigen-covered areas of the strips. Such a system has a sensitivity of 0.15 mg/liter and a precisio

A simple modification of Greiner electronics selective analyser G300 allowing direct transference of serum samples to the process tubes is described. The modified instrument permitted use of pediatric and capillary blood samples. Eight different capillary analyses were tested on the modified instrument and the results agreed with those obtained by the ordinary analytical macroprocedures of the ins

An IgG Fc-binding protein was isolated from alkaline extracts of group A streptococci type 15 by ion-exchange chromatography and immunosorption on an IgG column. Ample use of protease inhibitors was necessary to achieve successful isolation. 600 micrograms protein was obtained from 60 g bacteria (wet weight). The protein appeared homogeneous on agarose gel and sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide

Production of red blood cells relies on proper mitochondrial function, both for their increased energy demands during differentiation and for proper heme and iron homeostasis. Mutations in genes regulating mitochondrial function have been reported in patients with anemia, yet their pathophysiological role often remains unclear. PGC1β is a critical coactivator of mitochondrial biogenesis, with incr

Våra röda blodkroppar lever i genomsnitt 120 dagar och bryts därefter ner avmakrofagerna, immunsystemets medfödda städare av både främmande och egnaceller. De röda blodkropparnas uppgift är att transportera syre från lungorna tillkroppens olika vävnader och föra tillbaka koldioxid. Men vad händer om de rödablodkropparna bryts ner ovanligt snabbt eller helt enkelt inte produceras i tillräckligtsnabRed blood cells are are plentiful, flexible and essential. They are the most abundant cell in our body and their mainobject is to carry oxygen, which is essential for cellular respiration. The formation of red blood cells is callederythropoiesis. Erythropoiesis is intimately coupled to cell division and mitochondrial function. Aberrations in thesetwo processes are often associated with red blood c

We propose and experimentally demonstrate a self-calibrating detector of Cooper pair depairing in a superconductor based on a mesoscopic superconducting island coupled to normal metal leads. On average, exactly one electron passes through the device per broken Cooper pair, independent of the absorber volume, device, or material parameters. The device operation is explained by a simple analytical m

Pancreatic cancer, despite being the most dreadful among gastrointestinal cancers, is poorly diagnosed, and further, the situation has been aggravated owing to acquired drug resistance against the single known drug therapy. While previous studies have highlighted the growth inhibitory effects of older generation fluoroquinolones, the current study aims to evaluate the growth inhibitory effects of

De novo lipogenesis, a hallmark for cancers is required for cellular transformation. Further it is believed that resistance to apoptosis and epithelial-to-mesenchymal-transition(EMT) facilitates metastasis via over-expression of anti-apoptotic Bcl-2. Previously we demonstrated that hsa-miR-195 targets BCL2, induces apoptosis and augmented the effect of etoposide in breast cancer cells. However, th

Chaperones protect other proteins against misfolding and aggregation, a key requirement for maintaining biological function. Experimental observations of changes in solubility of amyloid proteins in the presence of certain chaperones are discussed here in terms of thermodynamic driving forces. We outline how chaperones can enhance amyloid solubility through the formation of heteromolecular aggrega

The earless, nose-horned agamid lizard Pseudocophotis sumatrana is only represented by a few specimens in collections worldwide. We discovered a historical publication from 1855 by van der Hoeven where the species was described as Calotes nasicornis before the currently accepted original description by Hubrecht in 1879. In order to uphold nomenclatural stability, we provide proof that Calotes nasi

Lipid rafts are dynamic assemblies of proteins and lipids that harbour many receptors and regulatory molecules and so act as a platform for signal transduction. They float freely within the liquid-disordered bilayer of cellular membranes and can cluster to form larger ordered domains. Alterations in lipid rafts are commonly found to be associated with the pathogenesis of several human diseases and

Allochthonous subsidies to marine ecosystems have mainly focused on biogeochemical cycles, but there has also been recent interest in how terrestrial carbon (C) influences marine food webs. In the Baltic Sea, pine (Pinus sylvestris) pollen is found in large amounts in shallow bays in early summer. Pollen is a significant C-source in freshwater ecosystems and may also be important in coastal food w

Chlorophenols are a class of chemicals commonly used in preservatives, disinfectants, algaecides, herbicides and pesticides. However, there is a growing evidence that these compounds are a threat to human health. This is alarming as many chlorophenols are common pollutants found in the global environment at potentially biohazardous levels. Despite chlorophenols being abundant, widely used and pois

Genetic diversity is the basis for evolutionary adaptation and selection under changing environmental conditions. Phytoplankton populations are genotypically diverse, can become genetically differentiated within small spatiotemporal scales and many species form resting stages. Resting stage accumulations in sediments (seed banks) are expected to serve as reservoirs for genetic information, but so