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Protein H, a molecule expressed at the surface of some strains of Streptococcus pyogenes, has affinity for the constant (IgGFc) region of immunoglobulin (Ig) G. In absorption experiments with human plasma, protein H-sepharose could absorb not only IgG but also albumin from plasma. The affinity constant for the reaction between albumin and protein H was 7.8 x 10(9) M-1, which is higher than the aff

The central complement inhibitor factor I (FI) degrades activated complement factors C4b and C3b in the presence of cofactors such as C4b-binding protein, factor H, complement receptor 1 and membrane cofactor protein. FI is a serine protease composed of two chains; the light chain comprises the serine protease domain, while the heavy chain contains several domains: the FI and membrane attack compl

Although the accounts confirming that we are in the midst of an ecological crisis are undeniable, the transformative action necessary to address climate change remains elusive. Capitalist norms of economic growth, self-interest and denialism obstructs paths towards sustainability. This research illustrates how embodied engagements with the ecological crisis through artistic practices can foster mo

Aims of the study: Neurological impairment after resuscitated cardiac arrest (CA) remains a significant unmet medical need. Brain ischemia associated with CA and subsequent reperfusion is evident as two fundamentally different types of damage on neuropathological examination: frank necrosis (involving all cell types) and selective eosinophilic neuronal death (SEND). These types of damage are not o

The Ordovician Lockne impact structure is located in central Sweden. The target lithology consisted of limestone and black unconsolidated shale overlaying a Precambrian crystalline basement. The Precambrian basement is uranium-rich, and the black shale is both uranium- and organic-rich. This circumstance makes Lockne a good candidate for testing the occurrence of U-Th-rich bitumen nodules in an im

GTP hydrolysis is a biologically crucial reaction, being involved in regulating almost all cellular processes. As a result, the enzymes that catalyze this reaction are among the most important drug targets. Despite their vital importance and decades of substantial research effort, the fundamental mechanism of enzyme-catalyzed GTP hydrolysis by GTPases remains highly controversial. Specifically, ho

Prekallikrein, a glycoprotein involved in contact phase activation, circulates in plasma in the form of a binary complex with high molecular weight kininogen (H-kininogen). The binding to H-kininogen is mediated by the prekallikrein heavy chain consisting of four repetitive domains, A1-A4. To define more precisely the region(s) involved in kininogen binding, we have employed an affinity cross-link

The TCIRG1 gene encodes a component of the osteoclast vacuolar proton pump and previous work has shown that inactivating mutations of the TCIRG1 cause autosomal recessive osteopetrosis. In order to determine whether allelic variation in TCIRG1 contributes to the regulation of bone mineral density (BMD) in normal individuals, we studied the relationship between polymorphisms of TCIRG1 and BMD in a

The X-ray structures of dUTPase from equine infectious anaemia virus (EIAV) in unliganded and complexed forms have been determined to 1.9 and 2.0 A resolution, respectively. The structures were solved by molecular replacement using Escherichia coli dUTPase as search model. The exploitation of a relatively novel refinement approach for the initial model, combining maximum likelihood refinement with

Background - Although effective coverage of challenging coronary lesions has warranted the use of overlapping drug-eluting stents, the histopathological response to stent overlap is unknown. Methods and Results - The arterial reaction to overlapping Cypher or Taxus drug-eluting stents was examined in rabbits with bare metal stents, BxVelocity or Express, serving as controls. Single iliac artery ba

We performed ultrasound measurements (QUS) of the calcaneus in a population-based setting on 280 healthy children, aged 11-16 years, from a small urban area in southern Sweden. The results are compared with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) measurements in the total body, the lumbar spine and the hip, as well as single-energy X-ray absorptiometry (SXA) of the forearm. Normative data and corre

Integrity of cartilage fails in joint disease. The current work aimed to identify candidate active proteinases in joint diseases using an in vitro model for cartilage degradation induced by interleukin-1. A critical event in the process of cartilage destruction in joint disease is the failure of the collagen fiber network to maintain integrity. Proteins binding to the surface of the fibers are lik