The immunoregulatory plasma protein alpha 1-microglobulin (alpha 1-m) and the proteinase inhibitor alpha 1-inhibitor-3 (alpha 1I3) form a complex in rat plasma. In the present work, it was demonstrated that the alpha 1I3.alpha 1-m complex has no inhibitory activity, the bait region was not cleaved by low amounts of proteinases, and it was unable to covalently incorporate proteinases. The results a

In order to identify the importance of different areas for nitrogen retention in the Lagoon of Venice, Italy, undisturbed sediment cores of different origin were collected in late April 1998. The cores were transferred to the laboratory and incubated for denitrification activity using the method of 'nitrogen isotope pairing'. The sampled sediments were collected in a freshwater stream (Stn A)I an

Changes in the structure and chemistry of -lactoglobulin (-LG) play an important role in the processing and functionality of milk products. In model -LG systems, there is evidence that the aggregates of heated -LG are held together by a mixture of intermolecular non-covalent association and heat-induced non-native disulfide bonds. Although a number of non-native disulfide bonds have been identifie

Objectives: The conformation of tissue transglutaminase might influence the performance of immunoassays to detect autoantibodies from patients with celiac disease. The present study investigated how the exposure of tissue transglutaminase kept in a liquid phase and fixed to a solid support affected the binding of immunoglobulin (Ig)A and IgG autoantibodies in children with untreated and treated ce

Aberrations in the GI-S transition have been observed in several malignancies, suggesting that cell cycle defects are linked to the activation of oncogenes and inactivation of suppressor genes involved in the transformation process. The frequency of GI/S aberrations in human renal cell carcinoma (RCC) has not been fully clarified. We have therefore analyzed the cyclin E content, using Western blot

The brain is the exclusive or almost exclusive site of formation of 24S-hydroxycholesterol and we have shown that the circulating level of 24S-hydroxycholesterol is dependent upon the relation between cerebral production and hepatic clearance. In the present work we determined plasma levels of 24S-hydroxycholesterol in patients with various neurological diseases. Eleven subjects with brain death o

Although up to 30% of babies born with haemophilia do not have a family history of the disorder, the remaining 70% are born in families where haemophilia has been diagnosed. It has been estimated that for each male with haemophilia, there are five potential female carriers. Such women will benefit from knowledge of both their genetic (mutation present or not) and phenotype (level of plasma factor

Osteoporosis-related fractures constitute a major health concern not only in women but also in men. To study the predictive role of serum sex steroids for fracture risk in men, serum sex steroids were analyzed by the specific gas chromatography-mass-spectrometry technique at baseline in older men (n = 2639; mean, 75 yr of age) of the prospective population-based MrOS Sweden cohort. Fractures occur

Highly efficient removal of endocrine-disrupting compounds (EDCs) such as 17beta-estradiol (E2), 4-nonylphenol (NP) and atrazine from water was achieved using a novel macroporous adsorption medium. The medium consisted of a macroporous poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) cryogel with molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) particles embedded in it. The MIP was prepared using E2, NP and atrazine as templates. Th

A recently proposed two-dimensional H-2 NMR experiment is used to measure the H-2 (spin I=1) quadrupolar and paramagnetic shift anisotropy interactions in powdered CuCl2 center dot 2D(2)O as a function of temperature. The principal components of the quadrupolar and paramagnetic shift anisotropy tensors and the Euler angles describing the orientations of the tensors in the molecular frame are deter

A polyether containing Lewis acidic boron atoms in its branched chain architecture was synthesised by a condensation reaction of boron trioxide, triethylene glycol monomethyl ether and poly(ethylene glycol), the latter having a molecular weight of 300 g/mol. Electrolytes based on this polymer and several different alkali metal salts were prepared and investigated. The state of the ions in the elec

An impedance spectroscopic study of the interaction between thiol-modified Au electrodes and Saccharomyces cerevisiae of strain EBY44 revealed that the cells formed an integral part of the interface, modulating the capacitive properties until a complete monolayer was obtained, whereas the charge transfer resistance ( R ct) to the redox process of [Fe(CN)6] (3-/4-) showed a linear relationship to t