Sökresultat

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

The interaction between three triblock copolymers of poly(ethylene oxide) and poly(propylene oxide), EOnPOmEOn, and the ionic surfactants sodium dodecyl sulfate, SDS, and hexadecyltrimethylammonium chloride, CTAC, has been studied in dilute aqueous solution using differential scanning calorimetry, DSC, and isothermal titration calorimetry. The length of the PPO block was the same in all three copo

With the human genome in a first sequence draft and several other genomes being finished this year, the existing information gap between genomics and proteomics is becoming increasingly evident. The analysis of the proteome is, however, much more complicated because the synthesis and structural requirements of functional proteins are different from the easily handled oligonucleotides for which a f

The B10.RIII mouse strain (H-2r) develops chronic experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) upon immunization with the myelin basic protein 89–101 peptide. EAE was induced and studied in a backcross between B10.RIII and the EAE-resistant RIIIS/J strain (H-2r), and a complete genome scan with microsatellite markers was performed. Five loci were significantly linked to different traits and cli

The Eae2 locus on mouse chromosome 15 controls the development of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE); however, in this study we show that it also controls collagen-induced arthritis (CIA). To find the smallest disease-controlling locus/loci within Eae2, we have studied development of CIA in 676 mice from a partially advanced intercross. Eae2 congenic mice were bred with mice congenic

A recently developed, simple immunological method, diffusion-in-gel ELISA, has been adapted for class-specific determination of rheumatoid factor (RF). Evidence was obtained of an analytical error due to interaction between RF and antigenic determinants on the Fc part of the indicator immunoglobulin (Ig) molecules used. This was eliminated by replacing the usual indicator reagent, complete Ig mole

Leflunomide is a low molecular weight immunosuppressive drug which inhibits the enzymes dehydroorotate dehydrogenase and protein tyrosine kinase, both of which are important components in the immune response. As the mechanisms of action of leflunomide and tacrolimus are different, we postulated an additive or synergistic effect of the two drugs and investigated the effects of leflunomide alone, or

Dendritic cells (DC) undergo complex developmental changes during maturation. The MHC class H (MHC H) molecules of immature DC accumulate in intracellular compartments, but are expressed at high levels on the plasma membrane upon DC maturation. It has been proposed that the cysteine protease inhibitor cystatin C (CyC) plays a pivotal role in the control of this process by regulating the activity o

Flow cytometry provides accurate relative cellular quantitation (percent abundance) of cells from diverse samples, but technical limitations of most flow cytometers preclude accurate absolute quantitation. Several quantitation standards are now commercially available which, when added to samples, permit absolute quantitation of CD4+ T cells. However, these reagents are limited by their cost, techn

Informal settlements often appear chaotic, seeming perhaps to have emerged without any planning. Evidence suggests however that many slum areas are in fact the result of organized, structured processes carried out with discipline and precision. Formal and informal settlements coexist parallel to one another without significant interaction, and governments and informal planners rarely understand ea