This paper presents a highly sensitive differential soil moisture sensor (DSMS) using microstrip line loaded with triangular two-turn resonator (T2-SR) and complementary of the rectangular spiral (CR2-SR), simultaneously. Volumetric Water Content (VWC) or permittivity sensing is conducted by loading T2-SR side dielectric samples. Two transmission notches are observed for identical loads relatin...

The structural gene for membrane cofactor protein (MCP), a widely distributed C3b/C4b binding regulatory glycoprotein of the complement system, has been mapped to the same locus as the structural genes for CR1, CR2, DAF, and C4bp. The order of the genes within an approximately 800-kb DNA fragment on the long arm of chromosome 1 is MCP-CR1-CR2-DAF-C4bp. Further, the MCP gene maps to within 100 k...

The biplanar crossing number cr2(G) of a graph G is min{cr(G1)+ cr(G2)}, where cr is the planar crossing number and G1 ∪ G2 = G. We show that cr2(G) ≤ (3/8)cr(G). Using this result recursively, we bound the thickness by Θ(G) − 2 ≤ Kcr2(G) log2 n with some constant K. A partition realizing this bound for the thickness can be obtained by a polynomial time randomized algorithm. We show that for an...

Although no enzymatic function has been attributed to CRP, a recent study by Hokama et a!. (10) demonstrated the occur rence of common antigenic components in purified prepara tions of CR2 and human liver and erythrocyte catalases. Since antigenic similarities exist between CRP and catalases, the logical contention would be to assess concurrently the relationship of CR2 and liver catalase in an...

To dissect the influence of CD21/CD35 and FcgammaRIIB in antigen retention and humoral memory, we used an adoptive transfer model in which antigen-primed B and T lymphocytes were given to sublethally irradiated wild-type mice or mice deficient in CD21/CD35 (Cr2(-/-)) or FcgammaRIIB receptors (FcgammaRIIB(-/-)). Cr2(-/-) chimeras showed impaired memory as characterized by a decrease in antibody ...

Besides its vital role in immunity, the complement system also contributes to the shaping of the synaptic circuitry of the brain. We recently described that soluble Complement Receptor 2 (sCR2) is part of the nerve injury response in rodents. We here study CR2 in context of multiple sclerosis (MS) and explore the molecular effects of CR2 on C3 activation. Significant increases in sCR2 levels we...

In the i.r. emission of ZnS:Cr crystals, a zero-phonon doublet at 5211 and 5216 cm -1 and a number of vibronie bands are resolved at r « 4 K. The Td symmetry of the crystal field at the Cr2+ ion on a Zn lattice site is reduced to J>2(1 by a static Jahn-Teller effect. Differences in the vibronie structures of absorption and emission indicate prevalence of quasi-local vibrations in the spectra. A...

Electrostatic effects are ubiquitous in protein interactions and are found to be pervasive in the complement system as well. The interaction between complement fragment C3d and complement receptor 2 (CR2) has evolved to become a link between innate and adaptive immunity. Electrostatic interactions have been suggested to be the driving factor for the association of the C3d:CR2 complex. In this s...

Complement receptor (CR) type 2 (CR2/CD21) is normally expressed only during the immature and mature stages of B cell development. In association with CD19, CR2 plays an important role in enhancing mature B cell responses to foreign Ag. We used a murine Vlambda2 promoter/Vlambda2-4 enhancer minigene to develop transgenic mice that initiate expression of human CR2 (hCR2) during the CD43(+)CD25(-...

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is a highly immunotropic human herpesvirus with oncogenic potential and is involved in numerous pathologies. EBV utilizes its major envelope glycoprotein gp350 to bind to its receptor CR2/CD21 on target cells for initiating the infection. We have previously shown that EBV is able to modulate transcription and translation of a number of cytokine genes via its gp350-media...