We have isolated a novel bradykinin B(2)-receptor antagonist peptide, kinestatin, from toad (Bombina maxima) defensive skin secretion. Mass spectroscopy established a molecular mass of 931.56 Da and a provisional structure: pGlu-Leu/Ile-Pro-Gly-Leu/Ile-Gly-Pro-Leu/Ile-Arg.amide. The unmodified sequence, -QIPGLGPLRG-, was located at the C-terminus of a 116-amino-acid residue open-reading frame f...

The aim of the present study was to evaluate antihyperglycemic activity of methanol extract of Citrus maxima leaf (MECM) in streptozotocin (STZ; 65 mg/kg b.w.) induced diabetic rats. Three days after STZ induction, diabetic rats received MECM orally at a dose of 200 and 400 mg kg-1 body weight daily for 15 days. Glibenclamide (0.5 mg kg-1 p.o.) was used as a reference drug. Blood glucose levels...

Based on the mechanism for chromophore formation in red fluorescent proteins, we developed three mCherry-derived monomeric variants, called fluorescent timers (FTs), that change their fluorescence from the blue to red over time. These variants exhibit distinctive fast, medium and slow blue-to-red chromophore maturation rates that depend on the temperature. At 37 degrees C, the maxima of the blu...

This paper presents an ECG data compression technique by the multiscale peak analysis. We define the multiscale peak analysis as the wavelet maxima representation of which the basic wavelet as the second derivative ofa symmetric smoothing function. The wavelet transform of an ECG shows maxima at the start, peak and stop points of five transient waves P through T. The number of wavelet maxima is...

The fine structure of Sarcina maxima and S. ventriculi was studied by electron and phase-contrast microscopy. The two organisms differ mainly with respect to their cell surface. A thick cellulose layer present on the cell wall of S. ventriculi was not observed on the surface of S. maxima. Carbon replication indicated that the outer surface of S. ventriculi is rough in contour, probably as the r...