Bactericidal/permeability-inereasing protein (BPI) neutralizes the proinflammatory effects of lipopolysaccharide and is of potential clinical use in the treatment of fulminant Gram-negative infections. BPI is a cationic protein with antibacterial activity stored in azurophil (primary) granules of neutrophil granulocytes. However, the absence of BPI in patients with specific granule deficiency indi

Five parkinsonian patients were transplanted bilaterally into the putamen and caudate nucleus with human embryonic mesencephalic tissue from between seven and nine donors. To increase graft survival, the lipid peroxidation inhibitor tirilazad mesylate was administered to the tissue before implantation and intravenously to the patients for 3 days thereafter. During the second postoperative year, th

Accurate identification of lymph node involvement is critical for successful treatment of patients with colorectal carcinoma ( CRC). Real- time quantitative RT - PCR with a specific probe and RNA copy standard for biomarker mRNA has proven very powerful for detection of disseminated tumour cells. Which properties of biomarker mRNAs are important for identification of disseminated CRC cells? Seven

Factors affecting phase separation in water-salt solutions of polyelectrolyte complexes (PECs), formed by DNA and integral or pendant polycations with a quaternary amino group in every monomer unit, have been studied. When no salt was added, quantitative DNA precipitation occurred at a stoichiometric charge ratio, = [+]/[-] 1. In DNA mixtures with poly(N,N'-dimethyldiallylammonium chloride) (PDMDA

In nonequimolar solutions of a cationic and an anionic surfactant, vesicles bearing a net charge can be spontaneously formed and apparently exist as thermodynamically stable aggregates. These vesicles can associate strongly with polymers in solution by means of hydrophobic and/or electrostatic interactions. In the current work, we have investigated the rheological and microstructural properties of

Polystyrene (PS) blends containing a dispersed phase of either polyamide-6 (PA-6) or polyamide-12 (PA-12) were compatibilized by additions of 1, 3, or 5 wt % poly(styrene-graft-ethylene oxide). The graft copolymers were found to have a stabilizing effect on the domain sizes. Weight average radii of PA-6 domains in compression molded samples were reduced by a factor of 5 with 3 wt % graft copolymer

In making societal decisions concerning hazards with potentially disastrous consequences it is important to have soundly based knowledge of how people evaluate the seriousness of disasters. In the present study a group of students evaluated the seriousness of disasters described in terms of four basic attributes (and their ranges): number of fatalities (0-1000), number of serious injuries (0-4000)

Although scholars have long been aware of syntactical difficulties in Rom 1.1315, few have approached the problem by challenging the established punctuation. Readings of the text by some earlier interpreters, e.g. Origen of Alexandria, indicate that there may be good reasons to do so. In this article it is argued that current readings of Rom 1.1315 are based on inaccurate punctuation and syntax. A

It is proposed in this paper that many geometrical optical illusions, as well as illusory patterns due to motion signals in line drawings. are due to the statistics of visual computations. The interpretation of image patterns is preceded by a step where image features such as lines, intersections of lines, or local image movement must be derived. However, there are many sources of noise or uncerta

Objective: To collect data on the practices of molecular genetic testing (MGT) laboratories for the development of national and international policies for quality assurance (QA). Methods: A web-based survey of MGT laboratory directors (n = 827; response rate 63%) in 18 countries on 3 continents. QA and reporting indices were developed and calculated for each responding laboratory. Results: Laborat

The rat brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) gene consists of four short 5'-exons linked to separate promoters and one 3'-exon encoding the mature BDNF protein. Using in situ hybridization we demonstrate here that kindling-induced seizures, cerebral ischaemia and insulin-induced hypoglycaemic coma increase BDNF mRNA levels through insult- and region-specific usage of three promoters within the

Transverse momentum spectra of electrons from Au+Au collisions at roots(NN) = 130 GeV have been measured at midrapidity by the PHENIX experiment at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider. The spectra show an excess above the background from photon conversions and light hadron decays. The electron signal is consistent with that expected from semileptonic decays of charm. The yield of the electron sign

Antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) is one of the most common co-occurring disorders in substance abusers, characterized among other things by a high propensity for criminal actions. A cohort of 125 substance abusers were followed in a longitudinal design. Patients were diagnosed with ASPD at an index treatment episode, interviewed at five-year follow-up, and followed-up through the Swedish cri

Aqueous mixtures of oppositely charged polyelectrolytes undergo associative phase separation, resulting in coacervation, gelation, or precipitation. This phenomenon has been exploited in forming DNA gel particles by interfacial diffusion. We report here the formation of DNA gel particles by mixing solutions of double-stranded DNA with aqueous solutions containing two cationic proteins, lysozyme an

Background: Osteocalcin (OC) is produced by osteoblasts during bone formation, and circulating OC has been used in clinical investigations as a marker of bone metabolism. OC is excreted into urine by glomerular filtration and can be found in urine as midmolecule fragments. Methods: We developed and evaluated three immunoassays (U-MidOC, U-LongOC, and U-TotalOC) for the detection of various molecul

Objectives: The antibacterial activity of antimicrobial peptides is influenced by various factors such as salt content, pH and the presence of proteins. In this study, we explored the antibacterial action of the human cathelicidin LL-37 in physiologically relevant conditions, i.e. various human wound fluids, human plasma fractions and serum. Methods: Radial diffusion assays using Staphylococcus au