Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) NS4B protein has many roles in HCV genome replication. Recently, our laboratory (Q. Han, J. Aligo, D. Manna, K. Belton, S. V. Chintapalli, Y. Hong, R. L. Patterson, D. B. van Rossum, and K. V. Konan, J. Virol. 85:6464-6479, 2011) and others (D. M. Jones, A. H. Patel, P. Targett-Adams, and J. McLauchlan, J. Virol. 83:2163-2177, 2009; D. Paul, I. Romero-Brey, J. Gouttenoir...

OBJECTIVE To examine the antidepressant efficacy of a dual-acting antidepressant (mirtazapine) in patients with post-myocardial infarction (MI) depressive disorder. Antidepressants used in post MI trials with a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled design have been restricted to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Antidepressant effects have been limited. METHODS In a pros...

BACKGROUND Recent evidence suggests that a low carbohydrate (LC) diet may be equally or more effective for short-term weight loss than a traditional low fat (LF) diet; however, less is known about how they compare for weight maintenance. The purpose of this study was to compare body weight (BW) for participants in a clinical weight management program, consuming a LC or LF weight maintenance die...

The nucleotide sequence encoding the crystalline bacterial cell surface (S-layer) protein SbpA of Bacillus sphaericus CCM 2177 was determined by a PCR-based technique using four overlapping fragments. The entire sbpA sequence indicated one open reading frame of 3,804 bp encoding a protein of 1,268 amino acids with a theoretical molecular mass of 132,062 Da and a calculated isoelectric point of ...

This article is part of a Minifocus on the ESCRT machinery. For further reading, please see related articles: ‘No strings attached: the ESCRT machinery in viral budding and cytokinesis’ by Bethan McDonald and Juan Martin-Serrano (J. Cell Sci. 122, 2167-2177) and ‘How do ESCRT proteins control autophagy?’ by Tor Erik Rusten and Harald Stenmark (J. Cell Sci. 122, 2179-2183). The endosomal sorting...

INTRODUCTION The risk of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) associated with dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitor (DPP-4i) use is unclear. This study assesses the RA risk associated with DPP-4i use among a diabetic cohort initiating second-line therapy. METHODS This was a nested case-control study, using the adult diabetic population starting second-line antidiabetic therapy from IMS LifeLink Plus® databas...

BACKGROUND As a low-cost and easily operated treatment, the use of professionally applied topical fluoride was approved for preventing dental caries and remineralising early enamel caries or white spot lesions. It is also used to arrest dentine caries. The aim of this study is to investigate the clinical efficacy of professional fluoride therapy in remineralising and arresting caries in childre...

N-type calcium (Ca2+) channels play a critical role in synaptic function, but the mechanisms responsible for their targeting in neurons are poorly understood. N-type channels are formed by an alpha(1B) (Ca(V)2.2) pore-forming subunit associated with beta and alpha2delta auxiliary subunits. By expressing epitope-tagged recombinant alpha1B subunits in rat hippocampal neuronal cultures, we demonst...

INTRODUCTION Worldwide incidence of thyroid cancer has increased in recent decades. OBJECTIVE To provide evidence of the diagnostic and care efficiency of a monographic thyroid nodule clinic integrating clinical examination, ultrasound examination, and cytology with on site evaluation. PATIENTS AND METHODS Patients attending the monographic thyroid nodule clinic from January 2004 to June 20...

Background and objectives The primary objective of drilling at Site U1341 (BOW-14B) was to study high-resolution Plio-Pleistocene paleoceanography in the southern part of Bering Sea at a western flank location of the Bowers Ridge. Previous DSDP coring (Site 188) and other piston core studies in the region documented relatively high sedimentation rates of 100 to 138 m/m.y., respectively, and pre...