It has been suggested that horizontal gene transfer (HGT) is the "essence of phylogeny." In contrast, much data suggest that this is an exaggeration resulting in part from a reliance on inadequate methods to identify HGT events. In addition, the assumption that HGT is a ubiquitous influence throughout evolution is questionable. Instead, rampant global HGT is likely to have been relevant only to pr

Objective. To investigate the incidence of noncardiac vascular disease in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and its relationship to systemic extraarticular disease in a community-based cohort. Methods. A retrospective medical record review of 609 patients with incident RA diagnosed during 19551994 was carried out in Olmsted County, Minnesota. Patients were followed up from 1955 to 2000 (medi

OBJECTIVE: To obtain knowledge about factors that could influence women's informed choice and extent of prenatal diagnosis, her feelings when implementing it, and her satisfaction. METHOD: A questionnaire including Visual Analogue Scale was given to 823 women and replies received from 662 (80.4%). Ease of choice was the basis for the statistical analysis. RESULTS: The factors that most often influ

Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is a necessary cause of cervical cancer and cervical dysplasia. Accurate and sensitive genotyping of multiple oncogenic HPVs is essential for a multitude of both clinical and research uses. We developed a modified general primer (MGP) PCR system with five forward and five reverse consensus primers. The MGP system was compared to the classical HPV general primer

Antibodies to Helicobacter pylori, Chlamydia spp. and Mycobacterium bovis were determined in patients with coronary heart disease, H. pylori-related dyspepsia, and tuberculosis, and healthy controls. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was conducted with a glycine extract and CagA protein of H. pylori, chlamydial lipopolysaccharide and mycobacterial heat shock protein Hsp65. The prevalence of anti-g

Zirconocene precatalysts with sterically bulky alkyl groups were designed as model systems for the propagating species in zirconocene-catalyzed alkene polymerization. Specialty alkyllithium reagents Li(CH2CEt3) and Li(CH2CMe2CH2Ph) were prepared and utilized in the synthesis of dialkyl and methyl-alkyl zirconocenes of the form CpCp*ZrR2, Cp2Zr(CH3)(R), and CpCp*Zr(CH3)(R) (Cp = (5-C5H5); Cp* = (5-

The conformational entropy of proteins can make significant contributions to the free energy of ligand binding. NMR spin relaxation enables site-specific investigation of conformational entropy, via order parameters that parameterize local reorientational fluctuations of rank-2 tensors. Here we have probed the conformational entropy of lactose binding to the carbohydrate recognition domain of gale

In this study, we developed a microdispenser technique in order to create protein patterns for guidance of neurites from cultured adult mouse dorsal root ganglia (DRG). The microdispenser is a micromachined silicon device that ejects 100 picolitre droplets and has the ability to position the droplets with a precision of 6-8 mu m. Laminin and bovine serum albumin (BSA) was used to create adhesive a

Screening serum levels of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) is now a major strategy for early detection of prostate cancer (PC). Quantification of the lead time thus obtained is important both for understanding the development of PC and for evaluating the advantages and disadvantages of widespread screening. In our study, 1,233 randomly selected men living in Stockholm in 1988 were invited to partic

This article presents an experimental investigation of cite heat transfer characteristics between the confined impinging slot jets and a fat surface. During the experiments, single slot, multiple slots with cross flow effects, and multiple slots with symmetrical exhaust ports between neighboring jets are tested The exhaust ports are manufactured to eliminate the cross-flow effects from the upstrea

Glucagon release upon hypoglycemia is an important homeostatic mechanism utilized by vertebrates to restore blood glucose to normal. Glucagon secretion itself is triggered by Ca2+ influx through voltage-gated ion channels, and the gene inactivation of R-type Ca2+ channels, with Ca(v)2.3 as the ion conducting subunit, has been shown to disturb glucose homeostasis. To understand how glucagon release

The relationships and the zoogeography of the three extant pinniped families, Otariidae (sea lions and fur seals), Odobenidae (one extant species, the walrus), and Phocidae (true seals), have been contentious. Here, we address these topics in a molecular study that includes all extant species of true seals and sea lions, four fur seals and the walrus. Contrary to prevailing morphological views the

Development of type-II collagen (CII)-induced arthritis (CIA) is dependent on activation of CII-reactive T cells. Dendritic cells (DCs) are believed to play a crucial role in antigen-specific priming of T cells but it is still unclear how the CII-reactive T cells are primed since Langerhans cells (LCs) are poor antigen-presenting cells for CII. In the present study we show that LCs, treated with c

In an attempt to identify subtypes of breast cancer and pinpoint patterns of cell cycle regulatory defects associated with clinical behaviour, proliferation and other transformation associated events, a multitude of cell cycle regulatory proteins were analysed in a material of 113 primary breast cancers. Increased proliferation was observed in two different scenarios; (1) with high cyclin D1 and e

There are considerable biomass resources in the European Union (EU) and mature conversion technologies to exploit the potentials of bioenergy. The challenge confronting the EU and member states is how to accelerate the implementation of bioenergy systems. This paper contributes to the identification, analysis, and discussion of barriers for bioenergy in the EU. Adopting an innovative methodology i

Background: Thrombin-activatable fibrinolysis inhibitor (TAFI) is a 56-kDa procarboxypeptidase. Proteolytic enzymes activate TAFI into TAFIa, an inhibitor of fibrinolysis, by cleaving off the N-terminal activation peptide (amino acids 1-92), from the enzyme moiety. Activated TAFI is unstable, with a half-life of approximately 10 min at 37 degrees C. So far, it is unknown whether the activation pep