Predictive state representations use probabilities of future events as the state of a partially observable system, as opposed to most classical models, which use probabilistic statements about latent variables as state. We present a new version of the predictive linear-Gaussian model (PLG), a predictive state representation that models discrete-time dynamical systems with real-vector-valued act...

BACKGROUND Excess fibrin in blood vessels is cleared by plasmin, the key proteolytic enzyme in fibrinolysis. Neurological disorders and head trauma can result in the disruption of the neurovasculature and the entry of fibrin and other blood components into the brain, which may contribute to further neurological dysfunction. OBJECTIVES While chronic fibrin deposition is often implicated in neu...

A novel polyamine microsphere, prepared from the water-in-oil emulsion of polyethylenimine, was characterized. The investigation of scanning electron microscopy showed that the polyamine microsphere is a regular ball with a smooth surface. The diameter distribution of the microsphere is 0.37-4.29 μm. The isoelectric point of the microsphere is 10.6. The microsphere can adsorb proteins through t...

Homozygous plasminogen-deficient (Plg-/-) mice had a significantly reduced thrombolytic capacity toward intravenously injected 125I-fibrin labeled plasma clots prepared from Plg-/- murine plasma (9% +/- 3% lysis after 8 hours; (mean +/- SEM, n = 6), as compared with 82% +/- 8% in wild-type mice; P < .0001). Bolus injection of 1 mg purified murine plasminogen in 10- to 17-week-old Plg-/- mice in...

Leptospira interrogans is the etiological agent of leptospirosis, a zoonotic disease of human and veterinary concern. The identification of novel proteins that mediate host-pathogen interactions is important for understanding the bacterial pathogenesis as well as to identify protective antigens that would help fight the disease. We describe in this work the cloning, expression, purification and...

Plasmin, the primary fibrinolytic enzyme, has a broad substrate spectrum and is implicated in biologic processes dependent upon proteolytic activity, such as tissue remodeling and cell migration. Active plasmin is generated from proteolytic cleavage of the zymogen plasminogen (Plg) by urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) and tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA). Here, we have investiga...

The plasminogen (Plg) protein is the inactive proenzyme form of plasmin that dissolves fibrin thrombi by a process called fibrinolysis. It has been shown that homozygous or compound-heterozygous deficiency of this protein is a major cause of a rare inflammatory disease affecting mainly mucous membranes found in different body sites. In this study, five individual Turkish patients and nine Turki...

Ability of different adjuvants to promote cell mediated immune responses towards 30 kDa secretory protein of Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Ra was monitored by assessing the lymphocyte proliferation and IgG1/IgG2a subclass profile in mouse model. Six formulations, viz. poly lactide-co-glycolide (PLG) microspheres, dimethyldioctadecyl ammoniumbromide (DDA), liposomes, liposomes containing monopho...

A novel polypeptide hydrogel has been synthesized by crosslinking poly(L-glutamic acid) (PLG) with poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG). The PLG-PEG hydrogel was shown to be highly hydrophilic, and the extent of swelling varied with pH, increasing at higher ionization of the PLG. Aside from electrostatic effects, such as ion-ion repulsion and internal ion osmotic pressure, circular dichroism studies sho...

The current study examined the impact of agency on college students’ emotions and learning during gameplay with CRYSTAL ISLAND, a game-based learning environment designed to foster microbiology learning. 96 undergraduate students (59% female) from a large North American university participated in the study. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three experimental conditions (i.e., full ...