Certain strains of group A streptococci are known to bind IgA and/or IgG via a cell surface receptor, which may act as a virulence factor. The distribution of such receptors among routine clinical isolates was studied, using a total of 225 strains and an assay based on the binding of radiolabelled immunoglobulins. Among 194 throat strains isolated during three different time periods in two differe

Six cysteine proteinase inhibitors were isolated from human urine by affinity chromatography on insolubilized carboxymethylpapain followed by ion-exchange chromatography and immunosorption. Physicochemical and immunochemical measurements identified one as cystatin A, one as cystatin B, one as cystatin C, one as cystatin S, and one as low molecular weight kininogen. The sixth inhibitor displayed im

Airway epithelial repair, by cell migration over a denuded, intact basement membrane, occurs rapidly in vivo. The present study examines microcirculation-derived factors in the reepithelialization process in the guinea pig. A well-defined tracheal zone was gently deepithelialized; no bleeding occurred and the basement membrane was left intact. Plasma exudation was visualized by use of iv colloidal

We compare weak- and strong-coupling theory of counterion-mediated electrostatic interactions between two asymmetrically charged plates with extensive Monte Carlo simulations. Analytical results in both weak- and strong-coupling limits compare excellently with simulations in their respective regimes of validity. The system shows a surprisingly rich structure in terms of interactions between the su

Animal models have been used extensively to understand the etiology and pathophysiology of human neurodegenerative diseases, and are an essential component in the development of therapeutic interventions for these disorders. In recent years, technical advances in imaging modalities such as positron emission tomography (PET) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) have allowed the use of these techniq

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES. Elevated intrabolus pressure above a pharyngeal narrowing has been postulated as an important finding in patients with cricopharyngeal bars. To elucidate the significance of intrabolus pressure around lumen narrowings in the pharynx, intraluminal pressure characteristics were evaluated in a laboratory model simulating upper esophageal sphincter narrowing. METHODS. Intralu

Purpose. The purpose of this study was to describe the development of the Motivation for Change Questionnaire (MCQ) and to test its intra-patient reliability on musculoskeletal pain patients in interdisciplinary rehabilitation as a basis for use in rehabilitation planning. Method. The MCQ questionnaire was developed from a literature search in the Medline, Cinahl and Psychlit databases concerning

Molecular profiling for classification and prognostic purposes has demonstrated that the genetic signatures of tumors contain information regarding biological properties as well as clinical behavior. This review highlights the progress that has been made in the field of gene expression profiling of human breast cancer. Breast cancer has become one of the most intensely studied human malignancies i

Phenyl S-galabiosides display altered conformational properties, as compared to phenyl O-galabiosides, characterised by a remote effect on the galabiose intersaccharidic glycoside bond by the phenyl aglycon, resulting in significantly lowered affinity for the PapG class II adhesin of uropathogenic E. coli.

Non-invasive documentation of historic façades with fluorescence lidar techniques can provide helpful information for the cultural heritage sector, especially when large areas outdoors are to be examined. This paper presents a case study on the Coliseum, Rome, where both cleaned and heavily soiled areas of the monument were scanned and analysed with two fluorescence lidar systems. Biodeterioration

Here we present a Zn transporter cDNA named MtZIP2 from the model legume Medicago truncatula. MtZIP2 encodes a putative 37 kDa protein with 8-membrane spanning domains and has moderate amino acid identity with the Arabidopsis thaliana Zn transporter AtZIP2p. MtZIP2 complemented a Zn-uptake mutant of yeast implying that the protein encoded by this gene can transport Zn across the yeast's plasma mem

Objective— Myocardial infarction (MI) is sometimes experienced by individuals without any traditional risk factor. This prospective study explored whether incidence of MI in nonsmoking, nondiabetic men with normal blood pressure and serum lipids is related to inflammation-sensitive plasma proteins (ISPs). Methods and Results— Five ISPs ({alpha}1-antitrypsin, haptoglobin, ceruloplasmin, fibrinogen

Background: Delayed enhancement magnetic resonance imaging depicts scar in the left ventricle which can be quantitatively measured. Manual segmentation and scar determination is time consuming. The purpose of this study was to evaluate a software for infarct quantification, to compare with manual scar determination, and to measure the time saved. Methods: Delayed enhancement magnetic resonance ima

Abstract in UndeterminedDiabetic foot complications result in huge costs for both society and the individual patients. Few reports on the health-economic consequences of diabetic foot infections have been published. In studies considering a wide societal perspective, costs of antibiotics were relatively low, whereas total costs for topical treatment were high relative to the total costs of foot in

BACKGROUND.: To evaluate the predictive value of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) in a population-based cohort, the authors analyzed relative survival in all men with localized prostate cancer who were registered in the Swedish National Prostate Cancer Register (NPCR) from 1996 to 2005. METHODS.: All men aged

Citral is a well known contact allergen and a contact irritant. Routine patch testing in the past may have been restricted because of possible irritant (IR) patch test responses. 586 consecutive patients, with hand eczema, were patch tested with a selection of fragrances including citral 2% petrolatum and the European standard series. 28 of the patients showed a positive patch test reaction (+ to