Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are expressed in various living organisms as first-line host defenses against potential harmful encounters in their surroundings. AMPs are short polycationic peptides exhibiting various antimicrobial activities. The principal antibacterial activity is attributed to the membrane-lytic mechanism which directly interferes with the integrity of the bacterial cell membr...

A pressure chamber was used to measure matric potentials of frozen and thawed leaves. Significant matric potentials were demonstrated in sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.), yew (Taxus cuspidata Sieb. and Zucc.), and rhododendron (Rhododendron roseum Rehd.). Matric potentials were particularly negative in rhododendron and were correlated with the amount of cell wall present and with the volume of ...

Recent studies in mammalian hearts show that left ventricular wall thickening is an important mechanism for systolic ejection and that during contraction the cardiac muscle develops significant stresses in the muscular cross-fiber direction. We suggested that the collagen network surrounding the muscular fibers could account for these mechanical behaviors. To test this hypothesis we develop a m...

Intracellular Chlamydiaceae do not need to resist osmotic challenges and a functional cell wall was not detected in these pathogens. Nevertheless, a recent study revealed evidence for circular peptidoglycan-like structures in Chlamydiaceae and penicillin inhibits cytokinesis, a phenomenon known as the chlamydial anomaly. Here, by characterizing a cell wall precursor-processing enzyme, we provid...

Since 1960, Schindler and Schuhardt have reported several studies on a unique substance which rapidly and specifically lyses staphylococci but has no effect on bacteria of other genera.`' This agent, termed lysostaphin, contains at least two enzymes, a peptidase and an N-acetyl-glucosaminidase.' The specific antistaphylococcal effect is thought to be due to the peptidase which cleaves genus-spe...

This study examines the burgeoning phenomenon of Facebook memorial pages and how this research about online social networking environments can contribute to the existing literature related to Klass, Silverman, and Nickman (1996) continuing bonds thesis. I argue that memorial pages constitute a new ritualized and public space for maintaining these continued bonds and that individuals exhibit sev...

A nonlinear theory which considered the convective accelerations of blood and the nonlinear elastic behavior and taper angle of the vascular wall was used to study the nature of blood flow in the descending thoracic aorta of living dogs under a wide range of pressures and flows. Velocity profiles, wall friction, and discharge waves were predicted from locally measured input data about the press...

The generation of a living protective layer at the luminal surface of cardiovascular devices, composed of an autologous functional endothelium, represents the ideal solution to life-threatening, implant-related complications in cardiovascular patients. The initial evaluation of engineering strategies fostering endothelial cell adhesion and proliferation as well as the long-term tissue homeostas...

The authors conducted a population-based incident case-control study to assess the relations between different types of interior surface materials and recent renovations at home and at work and the risk of asthma in adults. The authors systematically recruited all new cases of asthma during a 2.5-year study period (1997–2000) and randomly selected controls from a source population consisting of...

This study reports the first direct, high-resolution physical and structural evidence of wall changes during hyphal tip growth, visualized by atomic force microscopy (AFM) in Aspergillus nidulans. Images from AFM and cryo-scanning electron microscopy provided comparable information, but AFM was also able to image and physically probe living cells. AFM images showed changes in the surface ultras...