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Many Gram-positive bacteria express surface proteins that bind human plasma proteins. These bacterial proteins, and derivatives of them, are of interest for analysis of bacterial pathogenesis and as immunochemical tools. Well-characterized examples include the IgG-binding reagents staphylococcal protein A and streptococcal protein G, and the recently described streptococcal IgA-binding peptide Sap

The thermal elimination reaction that appears in some polycarbonates has been studied by density functional theory (DFT) and ab initio methods of different levels. This work has been focused in the elimination process of ethyl formate, as a good model of this kind of reaction. Different minima and the transition state have been found to characterize the thermal elimination reaction, and the activa

Purpose Randomized clinical trials can provide strong evidence regarding effective treatment options. The quality of reporting and the type of outcome measures used are important when judging whether results justify change in clinical practice. The aim of this study was to assess the quality of reporting of randomized clinical trials related to treatment of upper-extremity disorders, published in

We describe a novel method for determining weak association constants of oligomeric protein complexes formed transiently under equilibrium conditions. This type of equilibrium process is recognized as being biologically important, but generally hard to study. Heteronuclear spin relaxation rates measured at multiple protein concentrations are analyzed using relaxation rates predicted from hydrodyna

Binding properties of staphylococcal protein A (SpA) to different human immunoglobulins have been investigated. In this analysis, intact SpA as well as SpA-derived fragments containing one to five IgG-binding domains of different compositions, were used. The affinity binding constants of the different proteins to human polyclonal IgG, IgA, IgM and F(ab')2-fragments as well as their binding capacit

In both collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) and rheumatoid arthritis, T cells recognize a galactosylated peptide from type II collagen (CII). In this study, we demonstrate that the CII259-273 peptide, galactosylated at lysine 264, in complex with Aq molecules prevented development of CIA in mice and ameliorated chronic relapsing disease. In contrast, nonglycosylated CII259-273/Aq complexes had no suc

A 12-year-old girl with multifocal skeletal sclerosis has been investigated. She was BCG vaccinated at birth and developed regional lymphadenitis in her left groin at two months of age. She was healthy until approximately 10 years of age, after which deficient height and weight gain occurred. BCG-itis was diagnosed in skeleton lesions. No evidence of immunodeficiency was found in the patient. Afte

In addition to acting as a physical barrier against microorganisms, the skin produces antimicrobial peptides and proteins. After wounding, growth factors are produced to stimulate the regeneration of tissue. The growth factor response ceases after regeneration of the tissue, when the physical barrier protecting against microbial infections is re-established. We found that the growth factors import

Properties of nonionic triblock copolymers of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) and poly(propylene oxide) (PPO) (EOnPOmEOn) in aqueous solution and their interaction with the ionic surfactants sodium dodecyl sulfate and hexadecyltrimethylammonium chloride have been investigated by static and dynamic light scattering, high sensitivity differential scanning, and isothermal titration calorimetry. The studie

We present a first time-resolved deuterium NMR study on wormlike micelles under shear. For the investigation, a micellar system made of soybean phosphatidylcholine (lecithin), D2O, and cyclohexane was studied in the concentrated regime, in the vicinity of the isotropic/nematic transition but positioned in the equilibrium isotropic phase. The D2O dispersed in the micellar core was used as a probe t

The kinetic response of an L-3 (sponge) phase formed in the C12E5-n-decane-brine system is studied using the Joule-heating temperature jump (JHTJ) technique. The equilibrium state of the spongelike membrane is instantaneously perturbed, and the kinetic response is monitored using a multi-angle light scattering setup. These measurements yield a time-dependent scattering intensity as a function of t

The aqueous self-assembly of a novel lysine-derived surfactant with a gemini-like architecture, designated here as 12-Lys-12, has been experimentally investigated for the amphiphile alone in water and in a mixture with dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide (DTAB). The neat surfactant forms interesting micrometer-sized rigid tubules in the dilute region, resulting in very viscous solutions. For the cata

We report on the first time-resolved small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) study of the structural relaxation from a shear-induced aligned state back to the isotropic state in a system of giant wormlike reverse micelles. The micelles are formed by lecithin and small amounts of water in cyclohexane. A liquid sample with the micellar volume fraction phi = 0.3 was exposed to a steady shear of (gamma)

The lamellar mesophase formed by surfactant 1,4-bis(2-ethylhexyl) sodium sulfosuccinate (AOT) in deuterated water is mixed with poly(dimethylacrylamide) (PDMAA) polymers of low molecular weight ((M) over bar (n) = (2-20) x 10(3)). The mixtures separate into microphases (lamellar plus isotropic polymer solution). Their microstructures are studied by microscopy, small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS),

Peptidoglycan from Staphylococcus aureus mobilized CD66b in human neutrophils but did not upregulate surface activation markers in eosinophils. In addition, Toll-like receptor 2, implicated in the recognition of peptidoglycan, was detected on the surface of resting neutrophils but not on eosinophils. These findings suggest roles for neutrophils but not eosinophils in innate recognition of peptidog

The Fra a I allergen in strawberry (Fragaria ananassa) is homologous to the major birch pollen allergen Bet v 1, which has numerous isoforms differing in terms of amino acid sequence and immunological impact. To map the extent of sequence differences in the Fra a I allergen, PCR cloning and sequencing was applied. Several genomic sequences of Fra a 1, with a length of either 584, 591 or 594 nucleo