Antibody evolution in vivo proceeds mainly by stepwise improvements, accomplished by single base pair substitutions. Lately, receptor revision, i.e. exchange of large parts of the V gene for another sequence, has been suggested to provide a complementary route for affinity maturation. By employing a receptor revision like evolution process in vitro using combinatorial libraries and phage display s

VAX/VMS programs for predicting protein hydropathy from amino acid sequence with several parameters are described. The hydropathy propensities of amino acids were normalised to make the different scales and predictions comparable. Another program package can be used to study similarity on the secondary structural level by comparing, for example, hydropathy predictions. These methods can provide va

The PHENIX experiment at RHIC has observed a large enhancement of baryon and anti-baryon production at p(T) approximate to 2-5 GeV/c, compared to expectations from jet fragmentation. While a number of theoretical interpretations of the data are available, there is not yet a definitive answer to the "baryon puzzle". We investigate the centrality dependence of phi-meson production at mid-rapidity in

This article outlines an experimental and numerical study of self-desiccation and chemical shrinkage in Portland cement mortars, with or without silica fume. For this purpose 9 different cement mortars were cast in 90 pycnometers (study of chemical shrinkage and hydration) or 180 glass flasks (study of self-desiccation and hydration). Chemical shrinkage was observed for 14 days and self-desiccatio

The article discusses different approaches to Gerhard Richter's use of surface in his paintings.

Agarose gels have long been known to produce exceptionally large enhancements of the water H-1 and H-2 magnetic relaxation rates. The molecular basis for this effect has not been clearly established, despite its potential importance for a wide range of applications of agarose gels, including their use as biological tissue models in magnetic resonance imaging. To resolve this issue, we have measure

In this study of the transfer function of copies of the Vienna-type differential mobility analyser (DMA) it was found that three, supposedly identical, DMAs exhibited distinct differences with respect to the width of the transfer function. This means that the transfer function of a DMA needs to be determined on an individual basis in order to obtain accurate results from DMA measurements. The size

Aims The main aim of this study was to describe the age at which pathological aortic root dilation occurs in patients with Marfan's syndrome (MFS). Methods and results A total of 160 patients with MFS attending a regional cardiac centre were reviewed retrospectively. Dilation of the ascending aorta was diagnosed by comparing the maximum aortic sinus measurement with control data from the literatur

A preliminary systematic position of the genus Cetrariella based on sequences from the ITS region is discussed. Cetrariella delisei and C. fastigiata appear as not very closely related species. Both species form a monophyletic sister group to Cetraria and should presumably stay as a separate segregate. The evidences from morphological data and data from secondary chemistry, however, strongly suppo

As carotid endarterectomy is a prophylactic procedure, it would seem particularly important to analyze complications with an aim to avoiding them. All carotid endarterectomies in Sweden are registered, and all serious complications (death and permanent neurological deficit) are analyzed in detail, classified and discussed within the profession. During the period 1994-1996 the frequency was 4.3 per

This article aims to illuminate the complexities involved in efforts to influence China's energy future. It brings forth three observations. First: China's authoritarian appearance is deceptive. Second: learning about concealed but pivotal actors and their motivations is not easy but important. Third: technology diffusion is obstructed by differences in expectations. Three summarising messages con