Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) promotes the degradation of the hepatic low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDL-R) and is therefore a prominent therapeutic target for reducing LDL-cholesterol. The C-terminal domain of PCSK9 is unlikely to be involved in a direct extracellular interaction with the LDL-R. We probed the importance of the C-terminus for the degradation of the LDL-R

An artificial key to the 122 Caloplaca species presently known for the Australian continent is provided.

Landscape patchiness creates aerodynamic transition zones that affect the exchange of nutrients and pollutants between the atmosphere and vegetation. Using an artificially-generated NaCl aerosol (mass-versus-particle-size distribution with aerodynamic mean particle diameter 1.6 mu m; geometric standard deviation 1.9), we investigated the forest-edge effect on aerosol deposition within a model oak

The exchange of carbohydrates and mineral nutrients in the arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis must be controlled by both partners in order to sustain an evolutionarily stable mutualism. Plants down-regulate their carbon flow to the fungus when nutrient levels are sufficient, while the mechanism controlling fungal nutrient transfer is unknown. Here we show that the fungus accumulates nutrients when c

The Swedish Family-Cancer Database has been the major source of population-based prospective data on familial risks on most cancers, including prostate cancer. In the present review, I focus on three lines of family studies with novel results. The covered studies originate from the same database with publication dates spanning a period of somewhat over 3 years. Age-specific hazard ratios (HRs) of

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is the most common childhood myopathy, characterized by muscle loss and cardiorespiratory failure. While the genetic basis of DMD is well established, secondary mechanisms associated with dystrophic pathophysiology are not fully clarified yet. In order to obtain new insights into the molecular mechanisms of muscle dystrophy during earlier stages of the disease, we

Background: In a screening study for silent atrial fibrillation (AF), which is a frequent source of cardiac emboli with ischemic stroke, the proportion of non-participants was considerable and their clinical profile differed from the participants' profile. We intended to geo-map the target population and non-participation in an attempt to understand factors related to screening uptake and, thereby

A comparative in vitro survey of physiologically relevant human and microbial proteinases defined a number of enzymes that induced specific hinge domain cleavage in human IgG1. Several of these proteinases have been associated with tumor growth, inflammation, and infection. A majority of the identified proteinases converted IgG to F(ab')(2), and a consistent feature of their action was a transient

Particle formation events were analysed from aerosol number size distribution data collected at a background station in southern Sweden between February 2001 and May 2004. Events occurred on about 36% of all days and were favoured by high global radiation values. The clearest events (class I, 20% of all days) were observed when the formation rate of activated hypothetical clusters around 1 nm diam

The protein kinase C (PKC) family of serine/threonine kinases consists of 10-15 members. The PKC isoforms have central roles in many essential cellular processes, including proliferation, apoptosis, differentiation, cytoskeletal changes, and migration. The PKC family can be subgrouped into classical, novel and atypical isoforms depending on structure and sensitivity to the activators diacylglycero

Popular Abstract in English In an organism the DNA contains the entire biological information that is needed to be able to exist and function. Those segments, also known as DNA sequences are a genetic code, which is further packaged into units called genes. The entity of all genes is called genome. Today we know, that only a small proportion of genes encode for proteins, which are responsible for More than 90% of DNA does not code for proteins and for a long time these sequences were referred to as “junk DNA” due to their unknown purpose. With the advent of new technologies it is now known, that the non-coding part of the genome is of great importance for regulating gene expression and is therefore indispensable. Transposable elements comprise about 50% of the genome and co-exist as symbio

Abstract in UndeterminedThe aim of this article is to explore how young women with physical impairments make use of technology in their identity construction, drawing on the metaphor of the cyborg as well as on science and technology studies and disability research. In addition to participant observation, semi-structural interviews were conducted and video diaries were kept of the women playing sl

This paper investigates a time interval within the Late Ludfordian (Late Silurian), involving changes in faunal composition (the Lau Event), a major positive carbon isotope excursion (CIE), and contemporaneous sea-level changes in remote palaeo-basins. Based on the Silurian strata of Gotland (Sweden), we integrate sequence stratigraphy, carbon isotope stratigraphy, and platform-scale palaeoecologi

This paper presents investigations on the limitations of intensified CCD (ICCD) cameras when performing quantitative 2D temperature measurements using thermographic phosphors. The temperature is evaluated using a two-color ratio technique, which demands high signal linearity of the detector. However, this work shows that the ICCD cameras used suffer from nonlinearity at levels of irradiance that d