Voltage-gated Na(+) channels in the brain are composed of a single pore-forming α subunit, one non-covalently linked β subunit (β1 or β3), and one disulfide-linked β subunit (β2 or β4). The final step in Na(+) channel biosynthesis in central neurons is concomitant α-β2 disulfide linkage and insertion into the plasma ...

The hemagglutinin (HA)-neuraminidase protein (HN) of paramyxoviruses carries out three discrete activities, each of which affects the ability of HN to promote viral fusion and entry: receptor binding, receptor cleaving (neuraminidase), and triggering of the fusion protein. Binding of HN to its sialic acid receptor on a target cell triggers ...

Professor Erik De Clercq, recent recipient of the International Society for Antiviral Research (ISAR) 'Outstanding Contributions to the Society Award', recounts 25 years of antiviral research collaborating with his colleagues and friends in Japan.

A high-throughput method for the production of solid-phase microextraction (SPME) sorbent coatings via ultraviolet (UV) photoinitiated copolymerization of IL monomers on a fused silica support is described. The copolymerization of monocationic and dicationic IL crosslinkers was performed "on-fiber" using UV initiated free radical polymerization. Mixtures comprised of various amounts of ...

Increased COX-2 expression and PGE(2) synthesis have been shown to be prerequisites for renal renin release after Na(+) deprivation. To answer the question whether EP4 receptor type of PGE(2) mediates renin regulation under low salt diet, we examined renin regulation in EP4(+/+), EP4(-/-) and in wild type mice treated with ...

A palladium-catalyzed tandem cyclization/C-H functionalization of two alkynes was accomplished to construct a series of polycyclic functionalized indoles. A range of internal alkynes bearing synthetically useful functional groups were tolerated. A good regioselectivity was observed when alkyl-substituted alkynes were introduced into the reaction system and a single product was obtained. ...

Epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM) has been proposed as a marker for cancer stem cells in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the function and clinical significance of EpCAM in HCC is largely unknown. We examined EpCAM expression and localization in 28 dysplastic nodules (DNs) and their corresponding cirrhotic nodules, 79 HCC tissue ...

Short DNA sequences, especially those that are repetitive or palindromic, can be used as the seeds for synthesis of long DNA by some DNA polymerases in an unusual manner. Although several elongation mechanisms have been proposed, there is no well-established model that explains highly efficient elongation under isothermal conditions. In ...

Store-operated Ca(2+) entry (SOCE) encoded by Orai1 proteins is a ubiquitous Ca(2+)-selective conductance involved in cellular proliferation and migration. We recently described up-regulation of Orai3 channels that selectively mediate SOCE in estrogen receptor α-expressing (ERα(+)) breast cancer cells. However, the connection between ERα and Orai3 and the role of Orai3 ...

PURPOSE: Delayed auditory feedback (DAF) is known to induce stuttering-like disfluencies and cause speech rate reductions in normally fluent adults, but the reason for speech disruptions is not fully known and individual variation has not been well characterized. Studying individual variation in susceptibility to DAF may identify factors that predispose ...

An important event during apoptosis is regulated cell condensation known as apoptotic volume decrease (AVD). Ion channels have emerged as essential regulators of this process mediating the release of K(+) and Cl(-), which together with osmotically obliged water, results in the condensation of cell volume. Using a Grade IV human ...

In this study we prepared blends of polystyrene (PS) and high-impact polystyrene (HIPS) with poly(styrene-ethylene-butylene) (SEBS) triblock copolymer. After sulfonation, blends were used to fabricate ion-exchange membranes by solvent-casting and subsequent thermal treatment to obtain homogeneous packing densities. The morphology and structure of the blends were investigated by scanning electron ...

The present work aims at the development of plant asparaginase-based asparagine biosensor for leukemia. It is a novel diagnostic for monitoring asparagine levels in patients suffering from acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Various immobilization strategies have been applied to improve the stability of the asparaginase. The latest and updated information including ...

Loss of retinoschisin (RS1) in Rs1 knock-out (Rs1-KO) retina produces a post-photoreceptor phenotype similar to X-linked retinoschisis in young males. However, Rs1 is expressed strongly in photoreceptors, and Rs1-KO mice have early reduction in the electroretinogram a-wave. We examined light-activated transducin and arrestin translocation in young Rs1-KO mice as a ...

The biologically and nanotechnologically important heme protein cytochrome b(562) was reconstructed with zinc and copper porphyrins, leading to significant changes in the spectral, redox and electron transfer properties. The Cu form shifts the redox potential by +300 mV and exhibits high electron transfer, while the Zn form is redox inert.

HHQ and PQS are involved in the regulation of virulence factor production and biofilm formation in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. PqsD is a key enzyme in the biosynthesis of these signal mole-cules. In a ligand based approach we identified the first class of PqsD inhibitors. Simplification and rigidisation led to fragments with ...

Enterovirus 71 (EV71) is now recognized as an emerging neurotropic virus in Asia and with Coxsackie virus (CV) it is the other major causative agent of hand-foot-mouth diseases (HFMD). Effective medications and/or prophylactic vaccines against HFMD are urgently needed. From a scientific (the feasibility of bioprocess, immunological responses and potency ...

BackgroundVolumes and sizes of dislodged coronary microemboli vary during PCI so their effects at the left ventricular (LV) and cellular levels cannot be quantified. Furthermore, biopsy for tissue characterization is not an option in PCI patients.PurposeTo characterize and validate microinfarct size, LAD territory where microinfarct were found using multidetector computed ...

Abstract Conclusion:Utricular dysfunction in patients with posterior canal benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (pBPPV) was supported by findings for ocular vestibular evoked myogenic potential (oVEMP). Objective:To evaluate the utricular and saccular function in patients with pBPPV. Methods:This study focused on 12 patients definitively diagnosed with pBPPV showing typical nystagmus by Dix-Hallpike ...

Thymic atrophy is a frequent consequence of infection with bacteria, viruses, and parasites and is considered a common virulence trait between pathogens. Multiple reasons have been proposed to explain this atrophy, including premature egress of immature thymocytes, increased apoptosis, or thymic shutdown to prevent tolerance to the pathogen from developing. ...

Baculoviruses in the family Baculoviridae are insect specific double-stranded DNA viruses that have been used in biological control of insect pests in agriculture and forestry as well as in research and pharmaceutical protein expression in insect cells and larvae. Autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (AcMNPV) is the type species of Baculoviridae. ...

Background: Screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment for substance use depends on reliable identification. The goal of this study was to determine the rate of detection of unhealthy substance use by physicians on teaching and nonteaching medical services at a community teaching hospital. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted ...

Abstract Conclusions: The present study showed that elevation of bone-conduction (BC) thresholds at low frequencies might be a characteristic audiometric finding in cases with otitis media with effusion (OME) with high pepsinogen (PG) concentrations. Objective: The objective of this study was to investigate whether there is any characteristic audiometric finding ...

PURPOSE: (1) Determine whether phonatory airflows and estimated subglottal pressures (est-P(sub)) for women with primary muscle tension dysphonia/aphonia (MTD/A) differ from those for healthy speakers; (2) identify different aerodynamic profile patterns within the MTD/A patient group; and (3) determine whether results suggest new understanding of pathogenesis in MTD/A. METHOD: Retrospective ...

Kinetics of transesterification of the RNA model substrate 2-hydroxypropyl 4-nitrophenyl phosphate promoted by Mg2+ and Ca2+, most common biological metals acting as cofactors for nuclease enzymes and ribozymes, as well as by often employed as mechanistic probes, Co(NH3)63+, Co(en)33+, Li+ and Na+ cations, was studied in 80% vol. (50% mol) ...

Vasopressin regulates transport across the collecting duct epithelium in part via effects on gene transcription. Transcriptional regulation occurs partially via changes in phosphorylation of transcription factors, transcriptional coactivators, and protein kinases in the nucleus. To test whether vasopressin alters the nuclear phosphoproteome of vasopressin-sensitive cultured mouse mpkCCD cells, we used ...

Abstract Conclusion: Prostanoid receptors (EP1, EP2, EP3, and EP4) are expressed in the olfactory epithelium (OE), and the EP4 prostanoid receptor may play an important role in the OE. Objective: The purpose of the present study was to investigate the expression and localization of the four types of prostanoid receptors ...

Normal aging has been associated with an increased propensity to wait for rewards. When this is tested experimentally, rewards are typically offered at increasing delays. In this setting, persistent responding for delayed rewards in aged rats could reflect either changes in the evaluation of delayed rewards or diminished learning, perhaps ...

The design of a bioactive surface with appropriate wettability for effective protein immobilization has attracted much attention. Previous experiments showed that the adsorption of hydrophobic protein HFBI onto a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) substrate surface can reverse the inherent hydrophobicity of the surface, hence making it suitable for immobilization of a secondary ...

Eosinophils are the major cellular effectors of allergic inflammation and represent an important therapeutic target. Whilst the genesis and activation of eosinophils has been extensively explored, little is known about their intravascular kinetics or physiological fate. This study was designed to determine the intravascular lifespan of eosinophils, their partitioning between ...

In many invertebrate and vertebrate species, cell fates are assigned through the cellular inheritance of differentially localized maternal determinants. Whether mammalian embryogenesis is also regulated by deterministic mechanisms is highly controversial. The caudal domain transcription factor CDX2 has been reported to act as a maternal determinant regulating cell fate decisions ...

A recent report concluded that magnetoencephalographic (MEG) signals of neural activity associated with memory based on the recollection process are independent from signals associated with memory based on the familiarity process. These data can be interpreted equally well, however, as indications of memory aggregated from both processes and showing that ...

PURPOSE: The current study attempted to validate that English proficiency ratings predict bilinguals' recognition of English words as reported in Shi (2011) and explore whether relative proficiency ratings (English versus first language) improves prediction. METHOD: One hundred and twenty-four participants in Shi (2011) and an additional set of 145 participants ...

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate serum levels of 25(OH) vitamin D in patients with idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIM) (polymyositis (PM), dermatomyosistis (DM), inclusion body myositis (IBM) and juvenile DM (JDM)) and to compare these with healthy controls. METHODS: Serum samples from 149 patients with IIM and 290 healthy controls matched for gender ...

Formal synthesis of mycothiol has been developed via nickel-catalyzed α-glycosylation of the C(1)-hydroxyl group of d-myo-inositols with C(2)-N-substituted benzylideneamino N-phenyl trifluoroacetimidate donors. The pseudo-oligosaccharides were obtained in good yield and with excellent α-selectivity. Removal of the C(2)-N-2-trifluoromethylphenyl-benzylidene group under mild conditions provides a pseudo-disaccharide, completing the formal synthesis of mycothiol.

We describe a septic loosening of a hip prosthesis in a 71-year-old woman caused by Gardnerella vaginalis. Infection was confirmed by culture and molecular identification of this bacterium. The patient was treated by one-step exchange of prosthesis and antibiotic therapy combining trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole and rifampin, with favourable evolution.

In the retina information decoding is dependent on excitatory neurotransmission and is critically modulated by AMPA glutamate receptors. The Src-tyrosine kinase has been implicated in modulating neurotransmission in CNS. Thus, our main goal was to correlate AMPA-mediated excitatory neurotransmission with the modulation of Src activity in retinal neurons. Cultured retinal ...

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection causes not only intrahepatic diseases but also extrahepatic manifestations, including type 2 diabetes. We previously reported that HCV replication suppresses cellular glucose uptake by downregulation of cell surface expression of glucose transporter 2 (GLUT2) (D. Kasai et al., J. Hepatol. 50:883-894, 2009). GLUT2 mRNA levels ...

Background: The South Swedish Pneumococcal Intervention Project (SSPIP) was started in 1995 with the aim of limiting the spread of penicillin-non-susceptible pneumococci (PNSP) in Skåne County, Sweden. As part of the SSPIP, eradication therapy with rifampicin in combination with 1 more antibiotic was considered on a social indication after prolonged ...

Ca-activated K channels (BK), which are stimulated by high distal nephron flow, are utilized during high-K conditions to remove excess K. Because BK predominantly reside with BK-β4 in acid/base-transporting intercalated cells (IC), we determined whether BK-β4 knockout mice (β4KO) exhibit deficient K excretion when consuming a high-K alkaline diet (HK-alk) ...

Video games capture the rapt attention of an individual player's mind and body, providing new opportunities for personalized health care. An example of therapeutic interactive technologies is an incentive-based video game that translates physical exercise into mental empowerment via motivational metaphoric visualization in order to help patients psychologically overcome cancer. ...

ABSTRACT: IIntroduction: Gastric cancer relapse occurs in about 30% of the patients treated with gastrectomy and D2-lymphadenectomy, mainly as distant or peritoneal metastases. Hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) has been associated with an improvement in survival and lower peritoneal recurrence, albeit with increased morbidity. The aim of this study is to ...

MicroRNAs have emerged as key posttranscriptional regulators of gene expression during vertebrate development. We show that the miR-200 family plays a crucial role for the proper generation and survival of ventral neuronal populations in the murine midbrain/hindbrain region, including midbrain dopaminergic neurons, by directly targeting the pluripotency factor Sox2 and ...

When penetrating the soil during germination, dicotyledonous plants protect their shoot apical meristem through the formation of an apical hook. Apical hook formation is a dynamic process that can be subdivided into hook formation, maintenance and opening. It has previously been established that these processes require the transport and signaling ...

Lipopolysaccharide α-1,4-galactosyltransferase C (LgtC) from Neisseria meningitidis is responsible for a key step in lipooligosaccharide biosynthesis involving the transfer of α-galactose from the sugar donor UDP-galactose to a terminal acceptor lactose. Crystal structures of the complexes of LgtC with Mn2+ and the sugar donor analog UDP-2-deoxy-2-fluoro-galactose in the absence and ...

Encephalitis is generally diagnosed by clinical symptoms, cerebrospinal fluid examination, and imaging studies including CT, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and perfusion single photon emission tomography (SPECT). However, the role of positron emission tomography (PET) in diagnosis of encephalitis remains unclear. A 49-year-old woman presenting with coma and elevated inflammatory reaction ...

OBJECTIVE: In this case report we describe a successful interdisciplinary approach (including flow redirection and endovascular occlusion) applied to a patient with a continuously growing extracranial giant aneurysm of the right internal carotid artery (ICA) due to known Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. CASE PRESENTATION: A 42-year-old man with a continuously growing extracranial ...

Transesterification catalysts based on stereochemically defined, modular, functionalized ladder-molecules (named spiroligozymes) were designed using the "inside-out" design strategy, and mutated synthetically to improve catalysis. A series of stereochemically and regiochemically diverse bifunctional spiroligozymes were first synthesized to identify the best arrangement of a pyridine as a general base catalyst and ...

Oxacillin-susceptible, mecA positive Staphylococcus aureus create a treatment challenge for the clinician. We describe two cases of bacteremia from isolates that carried the mecA gene but were susceptible to oxacillin (OS-MRSA). DNA microarray analysis was used to characterize these isolates as mecA positive, Clonal Complex 5, Pediatric strain and mecA ...

A Lewis acid promoted tandem semipinacol-type 1,2-carbon migration/aldol reaction of trimethylsilane-protected vinylogous α-ketols with aldehyde or dimethyl acetals is reported. This reaction provides a direct and rapid way for the construction of 6-substituted spiro[4.5]decanes which extensively exist in Daphniphyllum alkaloids. By the use of this method, further construction of a ...