Lipid bilayers containing 5% nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA) lipids supported on SiO2 have been used as a template for immobilization of oligohistidine-tagged single-chained antibody fragments (scFvs) directed against cholera toxin. It was demonstrated that histidine-tagged scFvs could be equally efficiently coupled to an NTA-Ni2+-containing lipid bilayer from a purified sample as from an expression s

The molecular interaction of secreted granzyme B-serglycin complexes with target cells remains undefined. Targets exposed to double-labeled granzyme B-serglycin complexes show solely the uptake of granzyme B. An in vitro model demonstrates the exchange of the granzyme from serglycin to immobilized, sulfated glycosaminoglycans. Using a combination of cell binding and internalization assays, granzym

Streptococcus pneumoniae (S. pneumoniae) may cause severe and lethal infections months and years following stem cell transplantation (SCT). In a prospective survey over a 3.5-year period, we assessed the incidence, risk factors and outcome for invasive pneumococcal infection (IPI) following SCT. Fifty-one episodes of IPI were reported: 43 episodes after bone marrow transplantation (BMT) and 8 afte

Objective. Because treatment with tumor necrosis factor (TNF) antagonists may increase the risk of tuberculosis (TB), and because knowledge of the risk of TB in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) not treated with biologics is scarce and of uncertain generalizability to low-risk populations, this study sought to determine the risk of TB among Swedish patients with RA. Methods. Using data from Swedish nation

During the breeding of our major crop plants for high yield and edibility, several desirable traits, including resistance to pest insects, have been lost (Gatehouse et al., 1991). Genetic engineering is now vigorously seeking to reinsert such genes into crop plants, making them toxic or less palatable for herbivorous pests. One class of inhibitors under study are protease/proteinase inhibitors. Th

Dodecin from Halobacterium salinarum is a dodecameric, hollow-spherical protein, which unspecifically adopts flavin molecules. Reduction of flavin dodecin holocomplexes induces dissociation into apododecin and free flavin. Unspecific binding and dissociation upon reduction were used as key properties to construct an electrochemically switchable surface, which was able to bind and release dodecin a

A simple method for the formation of molecular recognition sites in polymer nanofibers was developed. Electrospun nanofibers were prepared from a Solution mixture of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) and polyallylamine in the presence of a template molecule, 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D). The polyamine was used to provide functional groups that interact with the template during the elect

An integrated nanoelectronic circuit is fabricated from a high-mobility In0.75Ga0.25As/InP heterostructure. The manufactured device comprises two double in-plane gate transistors with a current channel of 1.1 mu m in length and 100 nm in width. The two transistors are coupled to each other in a configuration that the source of one transistor is directly connected with one in-plane gate of the othe

Reconstructions of solar activity prior to AD1600 rely on estimates of the past production rates of cosmogenic radionuclides in the Earth’s atmosphere. These rates are modulated by the strength of the solar magnetic field and the intensity of the Earth’s geomagnetic dipole. One of the largest uncertainties associated with these reconstructions originates from palaeointensity data and to show how e

Transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) proteins play important roles in morphogenesis of many cramofacial tissues; however, detailed biological mechanisms of TGF-beta action, particularly in vivo, are still poorly understood. Here, we deleted the TGF-beta type I receptor gene Alk5 specifically in the embryonic ectodermal and neural crest cell lineages. Failure in signaling via this receptor, e

The present study demonstrates that the secretion of azurophilic granules occurring during Fc receptor-mediated attachment and spreading of neutrophils is highly localized to the adhering region of the cell. In contrast, the secretion of specific granules occurs in a nonpolarized way. This implies that unique signals are involved in the regulation of azurophilic degranulation. Assembly of actin fi

The upper Tremadocian boundary beds at Cape Pakri, NW Estonia, consist of an extremely friable glauconitic sandstone, which presents a challenge to detailed biostratigraphy. A combination of sedimentological and biostratigraphical criteria has served to clarify the tempo and mode of the processes that formed the sandstone and explain its relationships to strata immediately below and above it. Apat

As part of a process-outcome study the development of the ward atmosphere over 5 years in a psychiatric day care unit on the basis of occupational therapy was investigated. The Community Oriented Programs Environment Scale (COPES) was administered to patients -about equal numbers of psychotic and non-psychotic—and staff on ten occasions, covering three phases. The ward atmosphere was distinguished

Objectives: This Study examines the initial course of the fibronlyalgia syndrome [FMS] and the influence of physical and psychosocial work-place factors on developing FMS. Methods: Patients with FMS were recruited to participate in a structured interview about pain and physical and psychosocial load. In addition, they participated in a clinical examination. Physical load in occupational life was a

To estimate the metabolic costs of regrowth of reproductive organs and formation of eggs, we compared the resting metabolic rate (RMR) of female great tits (Parus major) during the periods of ovarian recrudescence, egg laying, nestling feeding and during winter. We found RMR of individual females, as measured in an open circuit respirometer during night, to be significantly higher during all the b

The dynamics of the synthesis of a mesoporous silica material SBA-15 is followed using time-resolved in situ H-1 NMR and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Block copolymer-silica particles of two-dimensional hexagonal symmetry evolve from an initially micellar solution. The synthesis was carried out with the block copolymer Pluronic P123 (EO20-PO70-EO20) at 35 degreesC and using tetramethyl o

We examine an effectively repulsive Bose-Einstein condensate of atoms that rotates in a quadratic-plus-quartic trapping potential. We investigate the phase diagram of the system as a function of the angular frequency of rotation and of the coupling constant, demonstrating that there are phase transitions between multiply and singly quantized vortex states. We also show that states of different cir

Historical sediment nutrient concentrations and heavy metal distributions were studied in four estuaries in the Gulf of Finland, Baltic Sea to examine the response of these estuaries to temporal changes in human activities. Cores were collected using a 1-m Mackereth corer and dated using Pb-210 and (CS)-C-137. The cores were analyzed for total carbon (TC), total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP

Photochemical reactions rationalization is a key aspect for the understanding and setup of novel experiment and novel photoinitiated pathways. In this respect, the relationship between minimum energy paths over an excited-state and the intersection to lower potential energy surfaces is fundamental. In order to help the understanding of this relationship, in this study we present a novel kind of co