The transcription factor NFAT (nuclear factor of activated T-cells) plays a central role in mediating Ca(2+)-dependent gene transcription in a variety of cell types. Sustained increases in intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca(2+)]i) are presumed to be required for NFAT dephosphorylation by the Ca(2+)/calmodulin-dependent protein calcineurin and its subsequent nuclear translocation. Here, we pr

We introduce and study a class of model prototype hybrid systems comprised of a microscopic stochastic surface process modeling adsorption/desorption and/or surface di.usion of particles coupled to an ordinary di.erential equation (ODE) displaying bifurcations excited by a critical noise parameter. The models proposed here are caricatures of realistic systems arising in diverse applications rangin

Background: Dysfunction and damage of the human central nervous system can be detected with biochemical markers, and protein S-100B is the best-established such marker. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the protein is stable during longterm storage, to establish reference values for the new Elecsys((R)) S100 test and to compare this new method with the Liaison((R)) Sangtec((R)) 100 tes

Metabolically-active fungal biomass determined by fluorescein diacetate (FDA) staining, was studied during a 27-month period in three horizons of a podzolized pine-forest soil. Recurrent biomass peaks were registered in autumn and early spring. Biomass increase was also noted during the winter with soil temperatures below 0 deg C. Only a minor fraction (2.4-4.3%) of the total fungal biomass was ac

DNA compaction can be caused by multivalent ions as condensing agents. Both discontinuous (all-or-none) and continuous (pearl-necklace structure) transitions have been observed in experiments as the concentration of the condensing agent was increased. We have investigated the DNA transition by analytical calculations in the infinite-chain limit. A mechanism for pearl-necklace structures could be a

Based on an original data set of elections in Africa, this article addresses the orthodoxy of theoretical hypotheses regarding the effects of electoral systems. While Africanists assume that context make a significant difference, the empirical analysis points to very similar effects of electoral institutions in Africa as in established democracies; regarding reductive effects, effects on the party

We report here the characteristics of noncollinear sum frequency generation in nonlinear KDP crystals by ultrashort (80 fsec) IR pulses irradiated by the intense Ti:Sapphire laser and their behavior in single shot auto-crosscorrelator (ACC) configuration. In particular we study the case where one of the beams is very weak. Our aim is develop a procedure to provide delay time signal between light p

Background: Improved asthma control by combinations of inhaled glucocorticosteroids (GCs) and long-acting beta(2)-agonists (LABAs) includes a reduced frequency and severity of exacerbations. In view of the association of exacerbations with increased airway inflammation, the question has arisen as to whether LABAs are able to complement the known anti- inflammatory activity of GCs. To address this,

The respiratory tract deposition of particles from two types of biomass combustion was measured for 10 healthy subjects. The aerosol was extensively characterised. Model calculations of the deposition were made based on the particle properties. The results show that particle water absorption has substantial impact on deposition. The particles from biomass combustion obtained a size in the respirat

Abstract: Studies reported in this paper indicate the Presence of a relation between NOAA/AVHRR data and crop biomass in Sweden. Conclusions so far, however, are that NOAA/AVHRR at the present time can not be successfully applied for operational crop biomass estimation in Sweden. Investigations are now in progress aiming at the practical use of this remotely sensed data for the determination of bi

We investigated the ability of the ichthyotoxic haptophyte Prymnesium parvum to use sewage-originated nutrients applying stable carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) isotope techniques. P. parvum was cultured under N and phosphorus (P) sufficient and deficient conditions in either sewage effluent-based medium or in a nitrate- and phosphate-based control. Cell densities and toxicities were monitored and stab

The paper studies optimal dimensioning problems associated with the notion of “proportional fairness” (PF) considered for packet networks carrying elastic (greedy) traffic, i.e. the traffic streams that can use up, perhaps within certain assumed bounds, any bandwidth that is assigned to them. We give effective, simple and explicit solutions to the introduced optimisation tasks based on the dual op

Analysis of individual particles by analytical electron microscopy as well as quantitative analysis using particle-induced X-ray emission (PIXE) and particle elastic scattering analysis (PESA) were carried out on samples collected from a flight at 10 km altitude between 50 degrees N and 30 degrees S as part of the Civil Aircraft for Regular Investigation of the atmosphere Based on an Instrument Co

L-DOPA-induced dyskinesia (abnormal involuntary movements) is one of the most debilitating complications of chron-ic L-DOPA pharmacotherapy in Parkinson's disease. It is generally agreed that dyskinesia arises as a consequence of pulsatile dopamine-receptor stimulation in the brain, causing downstream changes in genes and proteins. Advance in our understanding of such changes is critically depende

The bacteriocin, sakacin P was produced by the bacteriocin-producing strain Lactobacillus sakei CCUG 42687 at 20 degrees C without pH control. The bacteriocin was captured directly from the fermentation broth using macroporous octyl- and phenyl-monolith columns. The large size of the interconnected macropores (up to 100 mu m) in the macroporous monolith allowed for direct fermentation broth proces

Leukotriene B-4 (LTB4) is a potent pro-inflammatory mediator that has been implicated in the pathogenesis of multiple diseases, including psoriasis, inflammatory bowel disease, multiple sclerosis and asthma. As a method to decrease the level of LTB4 and possibly identify novel treatments, inhibitors of the LTB4 biosynthetic enzyme, leukotriene A(4) hydrolase (LTA(4)-h), have been explored. Here we

Neoglycoconjugates were prepared from mannan isolated from yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae and activated by periodate oxidation to create aldehyde groups. Various degrees of oxidation introduced 11-28 aldehyde groups per mannan molecule and simultaneously resulted in a molar mass decrease from 46 to 44.5-31 kDa. The activated mannans were subsequently conjugated with bovine serum albumin forming ne

Clusterin is suggested to be involved in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease. Clusterin expression is increased in brain tissue in affected regions of Alzheimer patients, and intense clusterin staining is found in both senile plaques and in neuronal and glia cells. In contrast, the cerebrospinal fluid level of clusterin in Alzheimer patients has, thus far, been found unchanged. Clusterin is a