The human DUSP15 gene encodes an uncharacterized 235-amino acid member of the subfamily of small dual specificity protein phosphatases related to the Vaccinia virus VH1 phosphatase. Similar to VHR-related MKPX (VHX) (DUSP22), the predicted protein has an N-terminal myristoylation recognition sequence, and we show here that both are indeed modified by the attachment of a myristate to Gly-2. In reco

The aim of this study was, first, to investigate the quality of life and sense of coherence for acute leukaemia and malignant lymphoma patients at the start of treatment and over 2 years. A second aim was to compare questionnaire responses with patients' statements in open-ended interviews. A consecutive sample of 16 patients responded to the Quality of Life Questionnaire (QLQ-C30), Lund Gerontolo

Water from lakes and tundra ponds on Banks, Melville, Ellef-Ringnes, Ellesmere and Devon Island (74 - 79 degreesN, 82 - 116 degreesW) in the Canadian high Arctic was studied in batch culture experiments to test whether nitrogen, phosphorus or organic carbon limited bacterial growth and biomass accumulation. Water samples containing indigenous bacteria were amended with carbon ( glucose), nitrogen

In this article a method to estimate the mean upcrossing intensity, mu(u), of a stochastic process is proposed. It is assumed that the stochastic process is a sum of a Gaussian process and a second-order correction term. The method is based on the two-dimensional Saddlepoint approximation. The accuracy of the method is tested on processes having analytical solutions for mu(u). Numerical examples a

To investigate the human introduction of the common vole Microtus arvalis onto the Orkney islands, the complete cytochrome b gene was sequenced in 41 specimens from both Orkney (four localities) and elsewhere in their range (26 localities). Orkney voles belonged to the same phylogenetic lineage, 'Western', as individuals from France and Spain indicating southwestern Europe as the most likely sourc

The hottest developments in the fields of cancer research, neuroscience, genomics and proteomics, anti-virals and more, with a pick of the key research papers in these areas.

As increased nutrient availability due to drainage is considered a major cause of eutrophication in wetlands rewetting of drained wetlands is recommended as a restoration measure. The effect of soil drying and rewetting on the contribution of various nutrient release or transformation processes to changed nutrient availability for plants is however weakly understood. We measured effects of soil dr

The effects of intracameral injections of CGRP(8-37) and CGRP(32-37) on pupil diameter and blood-aqueous barrier have been investigated in rabbits. The rabbits, which were pretreated with indomethacin and a muscarinic antagonist (biperiden), responded with miosis to both CGRP fragments. CGRP(8-37) was much more potent than CGRP(32-37) but one order of magnitude less potent than substance P. Nerve

Lidar (light detection and ranging) is a laser based tool for remote measurement of several atmospheric species of importance. We consider the analysis of a field, consisting of several consecutive measurements, in which the concentrations are proportional to the derivatives in the directions of the light paths. Inference is based on local polynomial kernel regression, both for estimation of the d

AIM: To investigate the expression of gastrin-releasing peptide (GRP) and GRP-receptor mRNA in non-tumor tissues of the human esophagus, gastrointestinal tract, pancreas and gallbladder using molecular biology techniques. METHODS: Poly A(+) mRNA was isolated from total RNA extracts using an automated nucleic acid extractor and, subsequently, converted into single-stranded cDNA (ss-cDNA). PCR ampli

Nuclear chirality is a novel manifestation of spontaneous symmetry breaking resulting from an orthogonal coupling of angular momentum vectors. In triaxial nuclei with an odd number of protons and neutrons three perpendicular angular momenta provided by the valence particles and collective rotation can form two systems of opposite handedness. The electromagnetic properties of the resulting doublet

Mammalian leukotriene A4 (LTA4) hydrolase is a bifunctional zinc metalloenzyme possessing an Arg/Ala aminopeptidase and an epoxide hydrolase activity, which converts LTA4 into the chemoattractant LTB4. We have previously cloned an LTA4 hydrolase from Saccharomyces cerevisiae with a primitive epoxide hydrolase activity and a Leu aminopeptidase activity, which is stimulated by LTA4. Here we used a m

Interaction between cultural development and the natural environment is generally accepted. Holocene climate change is described as one of the main environmental factors behind a step-wise development of the cultural landscape in Northwest Europe. Seven periods of human impact changes-5900, 5500, 4500, 3800, 3000-2800, 1500 and 1100 cal. BP-are defined and compared with reconstructed climatic scen

When radio-iodine was first used in the treatment of metastasized thyroid carcinoma in 1943, its success in terms of tumour response, quality of life improvement and survival was considered a 'miracle', as in those days metastatic cancer was generally fatal. Inspired by this, many efforts have been made to apply radioisotope therapy to other tumours. Radionuclide therapy uses radioactive isotopes

Delayed hydride cracking (DHC) velocity was determined at 203,227,250 and 283 degrees C using 17 mm width curved compact toughness specimens machined from an unirradiated Zr-2.5 wt.% Nb pressure tube spool, gaseously charged with 60 ppm of hydrogen by weight. Single CT specimen was used to determine DHC velocity at a constant temperature for a range of stress intensity factor (K-1) obtained by loa

Sixty-five patients who were primary or secondary refractory to melphalan/prednisone or other type of chemotherapy, or relapsed within 6 months after high dose chemotherapy with stem cell support, were given thalidomide at a dose of 200 mg/d escalating to 800 mg. The patients were followed for a median of 2 years and 22 weeks. Response was evaluated according to M-protein reduction combined with i