Nylon-3 polymers (poly-β-peptides) have been investigated as synthetic mimics of host-defense peptides in recent years. These polymers are attractive because they are much easier to synthesize than are the peptides themselves, and the polymers resist proteolysis. Here we describe in vitro analysis of selected nylon-3 copolymers against Clostridium difficile, an important nosocomial pathogen tha...

Fungal infections are a major challenge to human health that is heightened by pathogen resistance to current therapeutic agents. Previously, we were inspired by host-defense peptides to develop nylon-3 polymers (poly-β-peptides) that are toxic toward the fungal pathogen Candida albicans but exert little effect on mammalian cells. Based on subsequent analysis of structure-activity relationships ...

Synthetic versions of human derived kairomones can be used as baits when trapping host seeking mosquitoes. The effectiveness of these lures depends not only on their attractiveness to the mosquitoes but also on the medium from which they are dispensed. We report on the development and evaluation of nylon strips as a method of dispensing odorants attractive to the malaria vector, Anopheles gambi...

Due to the recent development of wearable electronic textiles and smart textiles, the conductive fabrics and electrically heated garments have been extensively studied and applied in many fields. In this work an electric heating fabric was fabricated by sewing silver coated nylon yarn over the polyester fabric. In order to minimize the power consumption, instead of heating whole garment surface...

Dot and slot blotting are simple techniques for immobilizing bulk unfractionated DNA on a nitrocellulose or nylon membrane. Hybridization analysis can then be carried out to determine the relative abundance of target sequences in the blotted DNA preparations. Dot and slot blots differ only in the geometry of the blot, a series of spots giving a hybridization pattern that is amenable to analysis...

The electrostatic charge on nylon, polypropylene (PP), and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) after rubbing against stainless steel and against each other was examined using a newly developed rubbing device with automated features. It is observed that the charge generated on PTFE and PP increases as the contact force increases, while the charge generated on nylon is not affected by the contact forc...

We have measured the radon di!usion, solubility and permeability coe$cients of various foils being of interest for the Borexino experiment. The applied methods and instrumentation are described and the mathematical model for di!usion of Rn, including its decay, is outlined. A very strong in#uence of water on the Rn di!usion through nylon foils was found. The rather low Rn permeability for dry n...

When the mycoparasitic, biocontrol fungus Trichoderma harzianum was allowed to grow on nylon fibers treated with concanavalin A or Sclerotium rolfsii lectin, it coiled around the nylon fibers and produced hooks in a pattern similar to that observed with the real host hyphae. The incidence of interaction between T. harzianum and S. rolfsii lectin-treated fibers was significantly higher than that...

To The Editor: To elucidate the mechanism of granulocyte damage during FL, studies have been reported of the interaction between nylon-wool fibers and isolated granulocytes suspended in protein free media,’2 in 5% plasma,2 or in 1% human serum albumin.3 In FL, however, heparinized whole blood is passed through a nylon-wool filter, resulting in plasma protein coating of the fibers within seconds...