C4b-binding protein (C4BP) is an important plasma inhibitor of the classical pathway of complement activation. Several bacterial pathogens bind C4BP, which may contribute to their virulence. In the present report we demonstrate that isolated type IV pili from Neisseria gonorrhoeae bind human C4BP in a dose-dependent and saturable manner. C4BP consists of seven identical alpha-chains and one beta-c

Leaders make decisions every day of their lives, but how they do it changes dramatically over the course of their careers. At lower levels, the job is to get widgets out the door; action is at a premium. At higher levels, the job involves decisions about which widgets to offer and how to develop them. To climb the corporate ladder and be effective in new roles, managers need to change the way they

Glycoprotein B (gB) of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is the dominating protein in the envelope of this virus and gives rise to virus-neutralizing antibodies in most infected individuals. We have previously isolated a neutralizing human antibody specific for antigenic domain 2 (AD-2) on gB, a poorly immunogenic epitope, which nevertheless is capable of eliciting potent neutralizing antibodies. In or

Detrusor smooth muscle contains muscarinic receptors of the M-2 (approximate to2/3) and M-3 (approximate to1/3) subtypes. M-3 receptors are mainly responsible for normal micturition contraction, whereas, the role Of M-2 receptors has not yet been clarified. In certain disease states, M-2 receptors may also contribute to bladder contraction. Different muscarinic receptor subtypes can contribute to

The medicinal plant Eupatorium arnottianum can be found in the Northeast and center of Argentina and the South of Bolivia. From plant material collected in Argentina an endophytic Phomopsis was isolated. The fungus was identified by microscopic features and analysis of its ITS sequence. Cultures yielded, besides mellein and nectriapyrone, a novel depsidone derivative for which we propose the name

The design and some properties of a new general-purpose isothermal microcalorimeter are reported. The instrument is a twin thermopile heat conduction calorimeter, which is designed for use up to 200 degreesC. The calorimetric units and surrounding heat sink are suspended inside a hollow aluminium construction, which is thermostated. Above that unit a second thermostated block is positioned and the

This study investigated the chronic effect of enterostatin on body weight and some of the associated changes in postprandial metabolism. Rats were adapted to 6 h of food access/day and a choice of low-fat and high-fat (HF) food and then given enterostatin or vehicle by an intraperitoneally implanted minipump delivering 160 nmol enterostatin/h continuously over a 5-day infusion period. Enterostatin

In this thesis we characterize the effect of mesenchymal progenitor cells (MPCs) on tumour growth, and show that MPCs can have inhibitory effects on tumour development. We developed a method to subcutaneously transplant tumour cells, cultured in vitro in a pre-formed gelatin matrix, that made it possible to study the early phases of tumour development. Using this method we inoculated rats with gel

Among flowering plants, animals commonly act as pollinators. We showed that fertile moss shoots attract springtails and mites, which in turn carry moss sperm, thereby enhancing the fertilization process. Previously, fertilization of mosses was thought to depend on the capacity of individual sperm to swim through a continuous water layer. The role of microarthropods in moss fertilization resembles

Fifty knees scheduled for a total knee prosthesis were randomized in two groups. Both groups had a noncemented fixation of the porous-coated implants but one group received a prosthesis with ceramic coating on the porous surface of the implant. The knees were evaluated with RSA technique regarding micromotion the first two years. There were less micromotion in the coated group. The results indicat

The melanocyte activity was studied by analysis of the urinary excretion of indolic and cysteinyldopa compounds. One eumelanin marker, 5,6-dihydroxy-indole-2-carboxylic acid was identified and quantified in normal urine. However, its low concentration and sensitivity to oxidation made it less suitable for clinical studies. A methylated derivative of this substance, 6-hydroxy-5-methoxyindole-2-carb

Fibronectin performs essential roles in embryonic development and is prominently expressed during tissue repair. Two forms of fibronectin have been Identified: plasma fibronectin (pFn), which Is expressed by hepatocytes and secreted In soluble form into plasma; and cellular fibronectin (cFn), an insoluble form expressed locally by fibroblasts and other cell types and deposited and assembled into t

Purpose: To assess the intra- and interobserver agreement of ultrasound assessment of clubfoot patho-anatomy in early childhood. Material and Methods: Seventeen clubfeet in 12 children were sequentially scanned by 2 examiners and repeat assessments were carried out independently. Three well-defined imaging planes were chosen to evaluate navicular displacement: the medial malleolus-navicular (MM-N)

Popular Abstract in Swedish Syftet med denna avhandling är att bidra till vår förståelse för vårdutnyttjande och dess förklaringsfaktorer i utvecklingsländer, speciellt i sub-sahariska Afrika. Detta görs genom att fokusera på sjukvårdsutgifter och dess förklaringsfaktorer, samt valet att söka vård för att bota åkomman. Datamaterialete som används kommer från en hushållsundersökning från 1998 omfatThe aim of this thesis is to contribute to our understanding of health care utilisation and its determinants in developing countries, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. This is done by explicitly focusing on health care expenditures and its determinants as well as the choice to seek health care to cure the illness. Firstly, the focus is on a household’s expenditures for health care. The aim of this