The hepatitis delta virus (HDV) is a human pathogen and satellite RNA of the hepatitis B virus. It utilizes a self-cleaving catalytic RNA motif to process multimeric intermediates in the double-rolling circle replication of its genome. Previous kinetic analyses have suggested that a particular cytosine residue (C(75)) with a pK(a) close to neutrality acts as a general acid or base in cleavage c...

BACKGROUND In vertebrates, non-lens betagamma-crystallins are widely expressed in various tissues, but their functions are unknown. The molecular mechanisms of trefoil factors, initiators of mucosal healing and being greatly involved in tumorigenesis, have remained elusive. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS A naturally existing 72-kDa complex of non-lens betagamma-crystallin (alpha-subunit) and trefoil fact...

We construct the first explicit example of a simplicial 3-ball B15,66 that is not collapsible. It has only 15 vertices. We exhibit a second 3-ball B12,38 with 12 vertices that is collapsible and not shellable, but evasive. Finally, we present the first explicit triangulation of a 3-sphere S18,125 (with only 18 vertices) that is not locally constructible. All these examples are based on knotted ...

The electromagnetic losses and shielding efficiency of shields for a buried three phase high voltage cable are studied for several shielding configurations. The shields are U-shaped gutters covered with plates, and the power cables are positioned either in trefoil or in flat configuration. The shielding efficiency and the losses are compared for shields with the same geometry but several shield...

We investigate the potential for the third-order aberrations coma and trefoil to provide a signed cue to accommodation. It is first demonstrated theoretically (with some assumptions) that the point spread function is insensitive to the sign of spherical defocus in the presence of odd-order aberrations. In an experimental investigation, the accommodation response to a sinusoidal change in vergen...

Trefoil factors, which bear a unique 3-loop trefoil domain, are a family of small secretory protease-resistant peptides (7-12 kDa) discovered in the 1980s. Trefoil factor 2 (TFF2) is a unique member of trefoil factors family that plays important roles in gastrointestinal mucosal defense and repair. However, few studies have characterized the miRNA expression patterns in TFF2 knock-out mice. In ...

PURPOSE To evaluate higher-order aberrations (HOAs) after implantation of Artiflex phakic intraocular lenses (pIOLs). SETTING Department of Ophthalmology, Academic Hospital Maastricht, Maastricht, The Netherlands. METHODS This retrospective comparative case series comprised 27 eyes (14 patients) that had Artiflex pIOL implantation and 22 eyes (13 patients) that had Artisan pIOL implantation...