In the article “Multi-parameter MR Imaging in the 6-OPRI Variant of Inherited Prion Disease,” featured in this issue, De Vita et al evaluate a particular mutation of human prion disease, thereby making an essential contribution to our understanding of the clinical and radiologic spectrum of this disorder. The surprising results suggest that the 6-octapeptide repeat insertion (6-OPRI) mutation d...

The emergence of antibiotic-resistant microbial strains has become a public health issue and there is an urgent need to develop new anti-infective molecules. Although natural antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) can exert bactericidal activities, they have not shown clinical efficacy. The limitations of native peptides may be overcome with rational design and synthesis. Here, we provide evidence that ...

The outer membrane protein F gene (oprF) of Pseudomonas aeruginosa was recently shown by us to protect mice from P. aeruginosa chronic pulmonary infection when used as a DNA vaccine administered by three biolistic (gene gun) intradermal inoculations given at 2-week intervals. In the present study, we used two different strategies to improve the protective efficacy of the DNA vaccine. In the fir...

ii DEDICATION First of all, I would like to thank Marvin for allowing me, back in January 2008, to work in his lab. This experience has enriched my undergraduate career by bringing textbook concepts to life. I am also grateful for the opportunity to have met and worked with such a great group of people. Thanks for this project go out to: Aimee Wessel, for her overall guidance and support (and c...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Inherited prion diseases represent over 15% of human prion cases and are a frequent cause of early onset dementia. The purpose of this study was to define the distribution of changes in cerebral volumetric and microstructural parenchymal tissues in a specific inherited human prion disease mutation combining VBM with VBA of cerebral MTR and MD. MATERIALS AND METHODS VBM ...

The 12-oxo-phytodienoic acid reductases (OPRs) are classified into the two subgroups OPRI and OPRII. The latter proteins participate in jasmonic acid synthesis, while the function of the former ones is as yet unclear. We describe here the characterization of the OPRI gene TaOPR1, isolated from the salinity-tolerant bread wheat (Triticum aestivum) cultivar SR3. Salinity stress induced a higher l...

Addition of lithium aryl(tetraisopropoxy)titanates [ArTi(OPri)4 Li ] to , -unsaturated ketones proceeded with high enantioselectivity (up to 99% ee) in the presence of an excess amount of chlorotrimethylsilane and a rhodium catalyst (3 mol % Rh), generated from [RhCl(C2H4)2]2 and (S)-binap, in tetrahydrofuran at 20°C to give high yields of the corresponding silyl enolates as 1,4-addition produc...