A thermostable, alkaline active xylanase was purified to homogeneity from the culture supernatant of an alkaliphilic Bacillus halodurans S7, which was isolated from a soda lake in the Ethiopian Rift Valley. The molecular weight and the pI of this enzyme were estimated to be around 43 kDa and 4.5, respectively. When assayed at 70 degrees C, it was optimally active at pH 9.0-9.5. The optimum tempera

A new approach for obtaining an estimate of the effective size of the free neutral clusters is proposed. The approach relies on an experimental measure of the surface and interior or "bulk" cluster atoms provided by the x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and on a model for the attenuation of photoelectrons ejected from the bulk of the cluster as the result of the ionizing irradiation. The experiment

Alzheimer's disease (AD) and age-related macular degeneration (AMD) share several epidemiological and biochemical features. The present study aimed to assess the possible influence of the AMD-associated complement factor H (CFH) Y402H (1277T > C) polymorphism on the risk of AD. Caucasian subjects (n=800) meeting the criteria for probable (n = 717) or definite (n = 83) AD and Caucasian non-demented

In this study we show that proteins can be partitioned and separated in a novel aqueous two-phase system composed of only one polymer in water solution. This system represents an attractive alternative to traditional two-phase systems which uses either two polymers (e.g., PEG/dextran) or one polymer in high-salt concentration (e.g., PEG/salt). The polymer in the new system is a linear random copol

Kinetics and equilibria for the formation of a 1:1 complex between palladium(II) and chloroacetate were studied by spectrophotometric measurements in 1.00 mol . dm(-3) HClO4 at 298.2 K. The equilibrium constant, K, of the reaction Pd2+ + HL reversible arrow PdL+ + H+ was determined from multi-wavelength absorbance measurements of equilibrated solutions at variable temperatures as log(10)K (298.2K)

Cationic methyl- and phenylzirconocene species readily undergo insertion of CO2 into the zirconium-carbon bond, giving the corresponding dimeric carboxylato complexes 12 and 13 in quantitative yield. 12 was structurally characterized, displaying a bridging acetate ligand.

Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), including COBRA-FISH, was used to characterize 11 salivary gland tumors that had been investigated by banding analysis. Five cases were pleomorphic adenoma (PA), three were adenoid cystic carcinoma, and one case each was mucoepidermoid carcinoma, carcinoma ex-pleomorphic adenoma (CaPA), and adenocarcinoma. All 11 cases were selected on the basis that they

Leaching of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) from the O layer is important for the carbon cycling of forest soils. Here we study the role of the Oi, Oe and Oa horizons in DOC leaching from the forest floor in field manipulations carried out in a Norway spruce forest stand in southern Sweden. The manipulations involved the addition and removal of litter and the removal of Oi, Oe and Oa horizons. Our

The presence of inhibitory antibodies to clotting factors complicates the treatment of bleeding in haemophilia patients. For patients with high-titre inhibitors, bypassing agents are essential to haemostatic management. To determine optimal treatment practices, an international panel of physicians convened to develop a systematic treatment approach for problem bleeds (i.e. bleeds that are unrespon

A well-established effect of animated agents in educational and other contexts is their potential to motivate and engage. "Increased motivation in users" is also one of the more frequent answers given to the question, "What is gained by adding an animated pedagogical agent to an intelligent tutoring system?" To further develop and exploit this potential, there are, however, several issues that nee

IS1294, found on the ColD-like resistance plasmid pUB2380, is IS91-like. It is an active 1.7-kb insertion sequence that lacks terminal inverted repeats, displays insertion-site specificity, and does not generate direct repeats of the target site. The element has one large open reading frame, tnp(1294), encoding a transposase of 351 amino acids, related to members of the REP family of replication p

A V2O5 catalyst was used in the ammoxidation of 3-picoline to nicotinonitrile. It was observed that the selectivity for the formation of CO2 as a function of temperature passed through a minimum. This is explained to be due to the existence of weakly bonded electrophilic oxygen species at low temperatures, and an increasing degradation involving O2− at high temperatures. A comparison of two differ

We report a new strategy for on-fine monitoring of chemical reactions in ultrasonically levitated, nanoliter-sized droplets by Raman spectroscopy. A flow-through microdispenser connected to an automated flow injection system was used to dose picoliter droplets into the node of an ultrasonic trap. Taking advantage of the flow-through characteristics of the microdispenser and the versatility of the

Background The role of non-specific inflammation in beta-cell loss in type 1 diabetes is unclear. in the present study, inflammatory markers were determined in patients with newly diagnosed disease and related to beta-cell function, glycemic control and autoimmunity. Methods Ninety-seven adult patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus (80% islet antibody positives, ab(+)) were examined at diagnosis a

Cyclosporine-A (CsA) is the primary anti-rejection drug used for organ and neural transplantation therapy. In addition to its immunosuppressive action, CsA has been recently shown to exert neuroprotective and neurotrophic effects in the central nervous system when able to cross the blood-brain barrier. Postulated mechanisms for these CsA-induced beneficial effects include the drug's powerful inhib

Prophylactic mastectomy is an effective risk-reducing option in women with hereditary increased risk of breast cancer. It may be combined with immediate reconstruction, with the intention of improving aesthetic outcome and health-related quality of life. Sixty-one women underwent prophylactic mastectomy and immediate breast reconstruction in Malmö, Sweden, between 1995 and 2003. Forty women under

Background: Broader patient access to information, expanding clinical options and greater accommodation of patients' personal values makes clinical decision-processes increasingly complex. Given the challenges and implications of risk communication, it is important to explore what is happening when clinicians adopt different approaches to consultations. Aim: To perform an ethical analysis of perso

Background/Aims: Severe acute pancreatitis ( SAP) is associated with a high morbidity and mortality. The aim was to evaluate treatment, risk factors and outcome in SAP in a centre with a restrictive attitude to surgery. Methods: All cases of acute pancreatitis admitted 1994 - 2003 were analysed retrospectively. SAP was defined as organ failure and/or hospital stay > 7 days together with one or mor