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Summary: In recent years, studies have shed light on the physiological role of plant glutamate receptor‐like channels (GLRs). However, the mechanism by which these channels are activated, and in particular, what is the physiological role of their binding to amino acids, remains elusive. The first direct biochemical demonstration that the Arabidopsis thaliana GLR3.3 isoform binds glutamate and other amino acids in a low micromolar range of concentrations was reported only recently. The first crystal structures of the ligand‐binding domains of AtGLR3.3 and AtGLR3.2 isoforms also have been released. We foresee that these new experimental pieces of evidence provide the basis for a better understanding of how GLRs are activated and modulated in different physiological responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unilateral trade preferences are one of the most important instruments offered by developed countries to foster developing country exports. This paper analyzes the impact of unilateral trade preferences on developing countries by focusing on the experience of Mozambique. In this paper, we analyze whether unilateral preferences offered by the EU are "valuable" for Mozambican exporters based on the impact on preferential margins, utilization rates, and export prices. We use a detailed dataset with cif unit values at HS8-digits level covering the period 2000-2007. Our findings indicate that (i) for a large number of product lines, export margins are zero; (ii) utilization rates are generally high; however, (iii) this does not translate into a positive price margins captured by Mozambican exporters compared to MFN competitors. These findings cast doubts on the "value" of preferences and their potential impact on developing country exports. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) ruptures account for 1% to 44% of all acute ligament injuries of the knee. In this paper we wanted to try out a system for femural fixation. Hamstring tendons are harvested and standard tibial tunnel is prepared using the transtibial PCL guide; by identifying the PCL footprint, the femoral half tunnel 27 to 30 mm with in-out technique is performed. The femoral rod of a curve cross-pin system is inserted into the anterolateral access within the femoral half tunnel. The guide block is placed 2.5 cm anterior (in a coronal plane) and 2.5 cm proximal to the lateral epicondyle. The arc attachment is assembled and the bone stock assessed with the bone gauge pin in contact with the cortex of the medial femoral condyle. Then the first sleeve over trocar is assembled, and the graft is passed through the tunnel and fixed on the femur with the pins and on the tibia with interferential screw. After biomechanical studies we obtained a maximum load at 930.95 N and maximum stiffness at 58.92 N/mm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: High-throughput methods to produce a large number of soluble recombinant protein variants are particularly important in the process of determining the three-dimensional structure of proteins and their complexes. Here, we describe a collection of protein expression vectors for ligation-independent cloning, which allow co-expression strategies by implementing different affinity tags and antibiotic resistances. Since the same PCR product can be inserted in all but one of the vectors, this allows efficiency in versatility while screening for optimal expression strategies. We first demonstrate the use of these vectors for protein expression in Escherichia coli, on a set of proteins belonging to the ubiquitin specific protease (USP) Family. We have selected 35 USPs, created 145 different expression constructs into the pETNKI-His-3C-LIC-kan vector, and obtained 38 soluble recombinant proteins for 21 different USPs. Finally, we exemplify the use of our vectors for bacterial co-expression and for expression in insect cells, with USP4 and USP7 respectively. We conclude that our ligation-independent cloning strategy allows for high-throughput screening for the expression of soluble proteins in a variety of vectors in E. coli and in insect cells. In addition, the same vectors can be used for co-expression studies, at least for simple binary complexes. Application in the family of ubiquitin specific proteases led to a number of soluble USPs that are used for functional and crystallization studies. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]