We have developed a model system for membrane fusion that utilizes lipidated derivatives of a heterodimeric coiled-coil pair dubbed E3 (EIAALEK)3 and K3 (KIAALKE)3. In this system, peptides are conjugated to a lipid anchor via a poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) spacer, and this contribution studies the influence of the PEG spacer length, coupled with the type of lipid anchor, on liposome-liposome fu...

The RNA sequences boxA, boxB and boxC constitute the nut regions of phage lambda. They nucleate the formation of a termination-resistant RNA polymerase complex on the lambda chromosome. The complex includes E. coli proteins NusA, NusB, NusG and NusE, and the lambda N protein. A complex that includes the Nus proteins and other factors forms at the rrn leader. Whereas RNA-binding by NusB and NusE...

OBJECTIVE To compare the costs and effectiveness of albuterol by metered dose inhaler (MDI) and spacer versus nebulizer in young children with moderate and severe acute asthma. DESIGN Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in an emergency department at a children's hospital. The participants were children 1 to 4 years of age with moderate to severe acute asthma. Patients assigned ...

Knowledge about the elution from antibiotic-loaded cement spacers is an indispensable premise for guarantee of clinical success. A systematic literature search was performed through PubMed. Search terms were "antibiotic elution" and "antibiotic release" in combination with "spacer," "hip spacer," and "knee spacer," respectively. A total of 11 studies could be identified. Seven studies reported ...

The phase behavior of a series of carbohydrate-based gemini surfactants with varying spacer lengths was studied using static and dynamic light scattering between pH 2 and 12. Cryo-electron microscopy pictures provide evidence for the different morphologies present in solution. The spacer length of the gemini surfactants was varied from two to 12 methylene units. At near neutral pH, spherical ve...

STUDY OBJECTIVES To determine the efficacy of albuterol by metered-dose inhaler (MDI) and spacer compared to a nebulizer. DESIGN A prospective, open-label study. SETTING Large urban emergency department (ED). PATIENTS All consecutive adult asthma patients over a 2.5-year period. INTERVENTIONS ED personnel used a standardized treatment algorithm, which included albuterol administered by ...

OBJECTIVE To determine if administration of albuterol by a metered-dose inhaler with a spacer device is as efficacious as administration of albuterol by nebulizer to treat wheezing in children aged 2 years and younger. DESIGN Double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial. SETTING Pediatric emergency department. PATIENTS From a convenience sample of wheezing children aged 2 t...

PURPOSE Our purpose was to compare 2 methods of treatment of chronic infection in hip arthroplasties--with or without an antibiotic-loaded cement spacer. METHODS In a prospective study, we treated 68 infected hip arthroplasties with discharging sinuses and bone loss, comparing 30 patients treated in 2 stages without the use of a spacer (control group) and 38 patients treated with a vancomycin...

The clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat - CRISPR-associated genes (CRISPR-Cas) system is used by bacteria and archaea against invading conjugative plasmids or bacteriophages. Central to this immunity system are genomic CRISPR loci that contain fragments of invading DNA. These are maintained as spacers in the CRISPR loci between direct repeats and the spacer composition in a...