Tetrameric peptide-MHC class I complexes ("tetramers") are proving invaluable as reagents for characterizing immune responses involving CTLs. However, because the TCR can exhibit a degree of promiscuity for binding peptide-MHC class I ligands, there is potential for cross-reactivity. Recent reports showing that the TCR/peptide-MHC interaction is dramatically dependent upon temperature led us to...

Sialic acid synthase (NeuB) encoded by the neuB gene catalyzes the condensation of N-acetylmannosamine and phospho(enol)pyruvate to form N-acetylneuraminic acid. The enzyme is essential for the biosynthesis of polysialic acid, a capsular sugar polymer functioning as a virulent factor and antiphagocytic barrier. This report demonstrates the first characterization on the quaternary structure of N...

In the print version of the article listed above, the following sentence should have appeared in the Acknowledgments section: " The authors thank the NIH Tetramer Core Facility for supplying them with the IGRP-tetramer. " The online version reflects these changes.

Catalytic cracking of butene to propylene was carried out in a continuous-flow fixed-bed reactor over HZSM-5 catalysts modified by nickel and phosphorus. The structure and acidity of catalysts were measured by N2 adsorption, NH3-TPD and XPS. The results revealed that surface area and strong acid sites both decreased with increasing phosphorus loadings. The increment of phosphorus loadings reduc...

Peptidoglycan deacetlyase (HP0310, HpPgdA) from the gram-negative pathogen Helicobacter pylori, has been indicated as the enzyme responsible for a peptidoglycan modification that counteracts the host immune response. HpPgdA has been cloned, purified and expressed in good yield in E. coli. It has been crystallized, its structure determined and activity tests in vitro performed. The enzyme, which...

A series of 8 new complexes of titanium and zirconium with diamido ligands bearing an ethylene and propylene bridge between the two amido groups were synthesized and tested for ethylene polymerization. Titanium complexes bearing an ethylene bridge between the two amido groups showed higher activities than the derivatives with a propylene bridge. In the case of the zirconium complexes, the p...

A model is developed that describes temperature and pressure dependence of dielectric relaxation, ionic conductivity, and viscosity of glass-forming liquids near the glass transition temperature. The expressions for ionic conductivity are compared with experimental results for two polymer electrolytes. Those for dielectric relaxation are compared with data for poly(propylene oxide) and poly(vin...

Experimental solubilities of four antiepileptic drugs, that is, lamotrigine, diazepam, clonazepam, and phenobarbital in propylene glycol + water mixtures at 298.15 K were reported. The solubility of drugs was increased with the addition of propylene glycol, and the maximum values are observed in neat propylene glycol. The Jouyban-Acree model was used to fit the experimental data, and the solubi...

1285 The world’s neglected tropical diseases (NTDs; Table 1) are becoming less neglected. Many millions of dollars and drugs are now committed to their control, and an open-access journal dedicated to NTDs, PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, has been launched (http://www.plosntds.org/). NTDs are characterised by their prevalence in rural areas of low-income countries and fragile states, their te...