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The authors examined Swedish judges', lay judges', and police officers' beliefs about factors that may complicate or facilitate children's reports of sexual abuse. Participants (N = 562) rated potential complicating and facilitating factors and freely reported which criteria they considered important when assessing the reliability of child witnesses. The groups had similar opinions regarding which

Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory disease associated with certain HLA-DR4 subtypes. The target autoantigen(s) is unknown, but type II collagen (CII) is a candidate, with a single immunodominant DR4-restricted 261-273 T cell epitope (CII(261273)). In the present study, we have prepared HLA-DR4:CII(261-273) tetramers and analyzed peripheral blood, lymph node, and synovial fluid cells fr

In acetonitrile, polyisoprene-b-poly(methyl methacrylate) (PI−PMMA) diblock copolymers form starlike micelles with a dense core of the insoluble PI blocks and a soft solvent-swollen corona of the soluble PMMA blocks. Static and dynamic light scattering experiments in combination with viscosity measurements show that these micelles behave hydrodynamically as hard spheres. The block copolymers are l

The identification of genes underlying quantitative-trait loci (QTL) for complex diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, is a challenging and difficult task for the human genome project. Through positional cloning of the Pia4 QTL in rats, we found that a naturally occurring polymorphism of Ncf1 (encoding neutrophil cytosolic factor 1, a component of the NADPH oxidase complex) regulates arthritis s

A role for regulatory lymphocytes has been demonstrated in the pathogenesis of type I diabetes in the NOD mouse but the nature of these cells is debated. CD1d-restricted NKT lymphocytes have been implicated in this process. Previous reports of reduced diabetes incidence in NOD mice in which the numbers of NKT cells are artificially increased have been attributed to the enhanced production of IL-4

This thesis is focused on natural killer (NK) T cells. NKT cells recognize lipids and glycolipids, rather than peptides, in the contents of the antigen presenting molecule CD1d. NKT cells have a surface phenotype reminiscent of memory cells, and have been shown to rapidly produce large amounts of cytokines, such as IL-4 and IFN-gamma, upon activation. Because of their rapid response to activation,

Streptococcus pneumoniae is an important cause of upper and lower respiratory tract infections, meningitis, peritonitis, bacterial arthritis, and sepsis. Here we have studied a novel immune evasion mechanism of serotype 3 pneumococci, which are particularly resistant to phagocytosis. On their surfaces the bacteria express the factor H-binding inhibitor of complement (Hie), a protein of the pneumoc

Yeast-derived zymosan beads are among the classical agents used to induce sterile inflammatory responses in experimental animals and macrophage activation in cell culture. In macrophages the cytosolic phospholipase A2 becomes activated, leading to mobilization of arachidonate and the generation of prostaglandins and leukotrienes. Although zymosan can interact with several receptors it has not been

The near-infrared electronic spectrum of AuO1 has been re-examined in light of the new microwave data on the nu = 0 and nu = 1 vibrations of the X-2 Pi(3/2) state of AuO. The two observed bands in the spectrum, with red-degraded bandheads located at 10726 and 10665 cm(-1), have been reanalyzed. New theoretical work on AuO clarifies the electronic structure, and the bands in the infrared are now as

Abstract in UndeterminedThe primary aim of the present study is to reveal the creative awakening of Michalis Ganas, Maria Kirtzaki, Tzeni Mastoraki and Kostas Papageorgiou, four poets of the Greek 1970s Generation. All four poets were born during the decade of the 1940s. The thesis approaches the poets entire authorship from their debut, end of 1960s beginning of 1970s, until the present day, to d

Specific granule protein of 28 kDa (SGP28), also termed cysteine-rich secretory protein 3 (CRISP-3), is a glycoprotein that belongs to a family of cysteine-rich secretory proteins (CRISPs). SGP28 was originally discovered in human neutrophils, but transcripts are widely distributed in exocrine glands (salivary glands, pancreas, and prostate) and also found at lower levels in epididymis, ovary, thy

In this paper, we present theory and implementation of the first method which combines coupled cluster and molecular mechanics (CC/MM) theory. By introducing the interactions between the solute (QM) and the solvent (MM) molecules into a coupled cluster Lagrangian, we calculate interaction and solvation energies of condensed phase molecules. Also, we derive a hierarchy in the coupling between the t

We present measurements of isothermal DNA-hexadecyltrimethylammonium (DNACTA) complex and pure DNA hydration at 25 degreesC using a sorption microcalorimeter. This calorimeter provides simultaneous measurement of (i) water activity (sorption isotherms) and (ii) the partial molar enthalpy of water as a function of water uptake. For pure DNA, hydration is exothermic over the studied concentration ra

Immunoglobulins (Ig), particularly IgE, are believed to be crucially involved in the pathogenesis of asthma and, equally, in allergic models of the disease. To validate this paradigm we examined homozygous mutant C57BL/6 mice, which are B cell deficient, lacking all Ig. Mice were immunized intraperitoneally with 10 micrograms ovalbumin (OVA) plus alum, followed by daily (day 14-20) 30 min exposure