Vertebrate eyes are of the simple or camera type with a single optical system that creates an image on the retina in the back of the eye. There, the visual information is encoded as nervous signals by photoreceptors, processed by retinal neurons, and then sent to the brain via the optic nerve. Surprisingly at first sight, the retinal neurons are located between the lens and the light-sensitive par

Meristems continually supply new cells for post-embryonic plant development and coordinate the initiation of new organs, such as leaves and flowers. Meristem function is regulated by a large and interconnected dynamic system that includes transcription networks, intercellular protein signalling, polarized transport of hormones and a constantly changing cellular topology. Mathematical modelling, in

A fragment-based development of 3C-triazol-1-yl-O-galactopyranosyl aldoximes led to the discovery of highly selective and high affinity (K(d) down to 11 microm) small monosaccharide based inhibitors of galectin-3. Galectin-7, 8 N-terminal CRD, and 9 N-terminal CRD bound the inhibitors only weakly. The galectin-3 selectivity was hypothesized to stem from interaction of the aldoxime moiety with a si

Escherichia coli 83972 is a clinical asymptomatia bacteriuric isolate that is able to colonize the human urinary bladder without inducing an immune response. Here we demonstrate that one of the mechanisms by which this strain has become attenuated is through the mutation of its genes encoding type I and P fimbriae.

Background The European Randomized Study of Screening for Prostate Cancer was initiated in the early 1990s to evaluate the effect of screening with prostate-specific-antigen (PSA) testing on death rates from prostate cancer. Methods We identified 182,000 men between the ages of 50 and 74 years through registries in seven European countries for inclusion in our study. The men were randomly assigned

The 4th annual European League Against Rheumatism congress, held in Lisbon, 18–21 June 2003, had a record turnout of more than 8600 delegates and the abstract submissions increased to 2600. A heat wave and a somewhat substandard venue hampered some of the activities, notably the poster sessions. The scientific program was comprehensive and of a high class, and it was organized in 10–12 parallel se

The platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) ß receptor mediates mitogenic and chemotactic signals. Like other tyrosine kinase receptors, the PDGF ß receptor is negatively regulated by protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTPs). To explore whether T-cell PTP (TC-PTP) negatively regulates the PDGF ß receptor, we compared PDGF ß receptor tyrosine phosphorylation in wild-type and TC-PTP knockout (ko) mouse em

Background: Bisphosphonates are effective agents for the management of osteoporosis. Their low bioavailability and low potency necessitate frequent administration on an empty stomach, which may reduce compliance. Gastrointestinal intolerance limits maximal dosing. Although intermittent intravenous treatments have been used, the optimal doses and dosing interval have not been systematically explore

Huntington’s disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disorder caused by expansion of a polyglutamine tract in a protein called huntingtin. The inducible form of heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) has been shown to reduce polyglutamine-induced toxicity. To investigate if overexpression of Hsp70 can affect disease progression in a mouse model of HD, we crossed R6/2 mice, expressing exon 1 of the HD gene with

The influence of the severity of dilute sulfuric acid hydrolysis of spruce (softwood) on sugar yield and on the fermentability of the hydrolysate by Saccharomyces cerevisiae (Baker's yeast) was investigated. Fermentability was assessed as the ethanol yield on fermentable sugars (mannose and glucose) and the mean volumetric productivity (4 h). The hydrolysis conditions, residence time, temperature,

Introduction: Identification of suitable candidates for cardioversion currently is not based on individual electrical and mechanical atrial remodeling. Therefore, this study analyzed the meaning of atrial fibrillatory rate obtained from the surface ECG (as a measure of electrical remodeling) and left atrial size (as measure of mechanical remodeling) for prediction of early atrial fibrillation (AF)

Secretory type 2 cystatins, like cystatins C, E/M and F, are thought to be involved in many pathobiological processes, including vascular amyloidosis, rheumatoid arthritis, Alzheimers disease, osteoporosis, viral and bacterial infections, inflammatory disorders and tumour invasion and metastasis. In order to define the levels of cystatins C, E/M, and F in pleural effusions and to investigate wheth

We have fabricated InAs dots on the surface of InP, determined their structure, and measured the optical transition energy. This energy was found to be in excellent agreement with theoretical calculations, where no free parameters have been used. The calculations were performed using eight-band k center dot p theory in the envelope function approximation. We conclude that this theory is adequate t

The sensitivity to frost in the living inner bark of trees have been hypothesised to be influenced by acid rain and N deposition through changes in nutrient balance and carbon metabolism. At the Skogaby experimental site, situated in southern Sweden, Norway spruce in control plots, plots fertilized with ammonium sulphate and plots fertilized with mineral nutrients except N were compared in this re