Distinct from template-directed biosynthesis of nucleic acids and proteins, the enzymatic synthesis of heterogeneous polysaccharides is a complex process that is difficult to study using common analytical tools. Therefore, the mode of action and processivity of those enzymes are largely unknown. Dermatan sulfate epimerase 1 ( DS-epi1) is the predominant enzyme during the formation of iduronic acid

The epidemiology, the fracture pattern and the clinical relevance of prevalent vertebral fractures in old men are debated wherefore we set out to clarify these issues.

Simulations of climate over the Last Millennium (850-1850 CE) have been incorporated into the third phase of the Paleoclimate Modelling Intercomparison Project (PMIP3). The drivers of climate over this period are chiefly orbital, solar, volcanic, changes in land use/land cover and some variation in greenhouse gas levels. While some of these effects can be easily defined, the reconstructions of sol

The clustering processes of monohydric alcohols (from methanol to hexanol) were investigated by FTIR spectroscopy using the isolation in an argon matrix technique. The transformation of the FTIR bands of the free O-H groups (3600-3800 cm(-1)) into diffuse bands (3000-3600 cm(-1)), which were assigned to the stretching vibrations of the H-bonded O-H groups in various clusters, was monitored in its

A new strategy for controlling substrate feed in the exponential growth phase of aerated fed-batch fermentations is presented. The challenge in this phase is typically to maximize specific growth rate while avoiding the accumulation of overflow metabolites which can occur at high substrate feed rates. In the new strategy, regular perturbations to the feed rate are applied and the proximity to over

The redissolution of water-insoluble polyion-surfactant ion complexes by added excess of surfactant has systematically been investigated in experimental and theoretical phase equilibrium studies. A number of stoichiometric polyion-surfactant ion "complex salts" were synthesized and they consisted of akyltrimethylammonium surfactant ions of two different alkyl chain lengths (C(12)TA(+) and C(16)TA(

The resolution of the phylogenetic relationships within the order Teloschistales (Ascomycota, lichen-forming-fungi), with nearly 2000 known species and outstanding phenotypic diversity, has been hindered by the limitation in the resolving power that single-locus or two-locus phylogenetic studies have provided to date. In this context, an extensive taxon sampling within the Teloschistales with more

Abstract in UndeterminedSignal detection algorithms providing likelihood informationfor coded spatial-multiplexing multiple-input multipleoutput(MIMO) wireless communication system pose a criticaldesign challenge due to their prohibitively high computationalcomplexity. In this paper, we present a low-complexity soft-outputdetection algorithm by adopting four implementation-friendlyalgorithm-level

Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) can be used as antibody mimics to develop robust chemical sensors. One challenging problem in using MIPs for sensor development is the lack of reliable conjugation chemistry that allows MIPs to be fixed on transducer surface. In this work, we study the use of epoxy silane to immobilize MIP nanoparticles on model transducer surfaces without impairing the functi

Following reports in the late 1950s of a correlation between the effects of psychotropic drugs on monoamine metabolism and on affective states, it became generally accepted that brain monoaminergic systems contributed to the pathophysiology of depression. After this, psychiatric researchers continued to pursue the neurochemical effects of antidepressants, hoping to gain novel insights into the bio

Climate changes have profound effects on the distribution of numerous plant and animal species(1-3). However, whether and how different taxonomic groups are able to track climate changes at large spatial scales is still unclear. Here, we measure and compare the climatic debt accumulated by bird and butterfly communities at a European scale over two decades (1990-2008). We quantified the yearly cha

A novel lab-on-a-chip nanotree enzyme reactor is demonstrated for the detection of acetylcholine. The reactors are intended for use in the RISFET (regional ion sensitive field effect transistor) nanosensor, and are constructed from gold-tipped branched nanorod structures grown on SiN(x)-covered wafers. Two different reactors are shown: one with simple, one-dimensional nanorods and one with branche

For financial risk management it is of vital interest to have good estimates for the correlations between the stocks. It has been found that the correlations obtained from historical data are covered by a considerable amount of noise, which leads to a substantial error in the estimation of the portfolio risk. A method to suppress this noise is power mapping. It raises the absolute value of each ma

Nucleic acids are well recognized targets for platinum-based anticancer drugs, with RNA and DNA being kinetically comparable. In the case of RNA, previous studies have shown that the reaction between small duplex RNAs (dsRNAs) and monoaquated cisplatin (cis-Pt(NH3)2Cl(OH2)(+), ) can be followed by the metal induced hyperchromicity occurring directly after addition of to e.g. microRNA mimics. In th

Modelling and simulation nowadays permeate virtually any engineering activity, requiring tools capable of managing complex models efficiently. Nonetheless, whereas modern modelling languages and tools allow to construct such models even on lightweight platforms (e.g., a laptop), the same is not true when it comes to numerically integrate those models. For the latter purpose, modellers usually purs

An ultra-wideband, non-dispersive leaky lens antenna system for impulse applications has been designed, fabricated and characterized. An in-house wavelet generator is connected to the antenna to transmit 100 ps-long square pulses with center frequencies at 45, 60 and 75 GHz. It is shown that the leaky lens antenna has negligible distortion and preserves the pulse shape generated by the millimeter-

The authors examine the observed heterogeneity in self-assessed health (SAH) among the aged in India using data on health and living conditions of the elderly in India from the 60th Round of National Sample Survey (2004-2005). Results indicate that almost one fourth of the old in India rate their health as poor, and there exists considerable interstate variations in SAH ratings. Based on hypothese

Immunotherapy has shown effectiveness against experimental malignant brain tumors, but the clinical results have been less convincing most likely due to immunosuppression. Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2 ) is the key immunosuppressive product of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and increased levels of PGE2 and COX-2 have been shown in several tumor types including brain tumors. In the current study, we report enha

Acidification and N-deposition are continuous processes that alter the composition of plant communities. We investigated vegetation transitions in sandy grasslands and tested two hypotheses: (1) a shift from vegetation dominated by Koeleria glauca to one dominated by Corynephorus canescens is due to acidification and (2) a shift from vegetation dominated by K. glauca to one dominated by Arrhenathe