Background: It was previously shown that the activity of a serine protease from a moderately halotolerant Bacillus aquimaris VITP4 strain is active in a wide range of pH and temperatures and could be modulated by the presence of the divalent metal ions.  Objectives: In the present study, a quantitative analysis was done in order to explore the parameters that are contributing to the protease a...

The hemolytic activity of fibrous asbestos varieties and of fibrous or granular silica dust can be markedly reduced by adsorption of polymers. Polyanions exert a specific action on asbestos, particularly chrysotile, whereas silica is inactivated by nonionic polymers. A high degree of reduction of the lytic action by comparatively small amounts of the antagonistic polymers can be demonstrated af...

Following the recent observation of a large second-harmonic intensity difference from a monolayer of chiral molecules with left and right circularly polarized light, the scattering theory is generalized and extended to predict linear and circular intensity differences for the more versatile sum-frequency spectroscopy. Estimates indicate that intensity differences should be detectable for a typi...

The electron donating properties, surface acidity/basicity and catalytic activity of lanthana for various dopaut concentrations of strontium are reported at two activation temperatures. The catalytic activity has been correlated with electron donating properties and surface acidity/basicity of the oxide.

Efforts to record evidence of electrical activity from the body surface originating in the His bundle or bundle branches have been reported since 1973. Almost exclusively, these techniques have required digital averaging of 50-100 sequential cardiac cycles. For immediate diagnostic, therapeutic and prognostic application, recording on an every-beat basis is highly desirable. This is especially ...

Induction of acute pulmonary edema in anesthetized dogs causes a large fall in compliance. out of proportion to lung volume (1), and a sharp increase in venous admixture that can be reversed by forcible inflation of the lungs (2). This pattern of abnormal function suggested alveolar closure (1, 2). Since alveolar stability depends in large measure on the presence of normal pulmonary surface pro...

We have previously observed that the hydrophobic polyeleclyte poly(2-ethylacryfic aad) solubilizes lipid mnembranes in a pH-dependent manner, and we have explited this phenomenon to prepare lipid vesicles that release their contents in response to pH, light, or glucose (Thomas, J. L., and D. A. Tirrell. Acc. Chem. Res. 25:336-342, 1992.) The physical basis for the interacfion between poly(2-eth...

Recent identification of a mutation in the EGF gene that causes isolated recessive hypomagnesemia led to the finding that EGF increases the activity of the epithelial magnesium (Mg2+) channel transient receptor potential M6 (TRPM6). To investigate the molecular mechanism mediating this effect, we performed whole-cell patch-clamp recordings of TRPM6 expressed in human embryonic kidney 293 (HEK29...

We previously found that reduced glutathione (GSH) or a mixture of GSH/glutathione disulfide (GSSG) potentiated platelet aggregation. We here report that GSSG, when added to platelets alone, also potentiates platelet aggregation. Most of the GSSG was converted to GSH by a flavoprotein-dependent platelet surface mechanism. This provided an appropriate redox potential for platelet activation. The...

Advances in hardware and software have made possible the reconstruction of brain activity from non-invasive electrophysiological measurements over a large part of the brain. The appreciation of the information content in the data is enhanced when relevant anatomical detail is also available for visualization. Different neuroscientific questions give rise to different requirements for optimal su...