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- Armesto, N., et al.
(författare)
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Heavy-ion collisions at the LHC-Last call for predictions
- 2008
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Ingår i: Journal of Physics G. - : IOP Publishing. - 0954-3899 .- 1361-6471. ; 35:5, s. 054001-
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- This writeup is a compilation of the predictions for the forthcoming Heavy Ion Program at the Large Hadron Collider, as presented at the CERN Theory Institute 'Heavy Ion Collisions at the LHC - Last Call for Predictions', held from 14th May to 10th June 2007.
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| 3. |
- Dupin, N., et al.
(författare)
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Using first-principles results to calculate finite-temperature thermodynamic properties of the Nb-Ni mu phase in the Bragg-Williams approximation
- 2006
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Ingår i: Philosophical Magazine. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1478-6435 .- 1478-6443. ; 86:12, s. 1631-1641
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Results of first-principles (FP) total energy calculations for 32 different configurations of the mu phase in the binary system Nb-Ni are used in the compound energy formalism (CEF) to model finite-temperature thermodynamic properties. A comparison with Cluster Expansion Hamiltonian-Cluster Variation Method (CEH-CVM) calculations indicates that the CEF describes temperature-dependent site occupancies as well as the CEH-CVM within the temperature range of interest for applications. This suggests that the Bragg-Williams-Gorsky approximation (BWGA) used in the CEF is sufficient to describe site occupancies and thermodynamics of the mu phase. A phase diagram is calculated using the mu phase description derived in the present work together with a previous Calphad description for the other phases of this system. The FP-CEF approach significantly improves the description of the thermodynamic properties as a function of composition compared to the Calphad procedure generally used up to now.
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| 4. |
- Forteza, Rosanna, et al.
(författare)
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TSG-6 Potentiates the Antitissue Kallikrein Activity of Inter-{alpha}-inhibitor through Bikunin Release
- 2007
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Ingår i: American Journal of Respiratory Cell and Molecular Biology. - 1044-1549 .- 1535-4989. ; 36:1, s. 20-31
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- TSG-6 (the protein product of TNF-stimulated gene-6), an inflammation-associated protein, forms covalent complexes with heavy chains (HCs) from inter-alpha-inhibitor and pre-alpha-inhibitor and associates noncovalently with their common bikunin chain, potentiating the antiplasmin activity of this serine protease inhibitor. We show that TSG-6 and TSG-6(.)HC complexes are present in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid from patients with asthma and increase after allergen challenge. Immunodetection demonstrated elevated TSG-6 in the airway tissue and secretions of smokers. Experiments conducted in vitro with purified components revealed that bikunin.HC complexes (byproducts of TSG-6.HC formation) release bikunin. Immunoprecipitation revealed that bikunin accounts for a significant proportion of tissue kallikrein inhibition in bronchoalveolar lavage after allergen challenge but not in baseline conditions, confirming that bikunin in its free state, but not when associated with HCs, is a relevant protease inhibitor in airway secretions. In primary cultures of differentiated human airway epithelial and submucosal gland cells, TSG-6 is induced by TNF-alpha and IL-1 beta, which suggests that these cells are responsible for TSG-6 release in vivo. Bikunin and HC3 (i.e., pre-alpha-inhibitor) were also induced by TNF-alpha in primary cultures. Our results suggest that TSG-6 may play an important protective role in bronchial epithelium by increasing the antiprotease screen on the airway lumen.
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| 8. |
- Wicher, Krzysztof B., 1976-
(författare)
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Haptoglobin: Biosynthesis and Evolution
- 2006
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Haptoglobin (Hp) is a serum protein known for its ability to form a tight complex with hemoglobin (Hb) and thereby inhibiting the oxidative activity of Hb. Mammalian Hp is synthesized as a precursor (proHp) that undergoes proteolytic cleavage by a previously unidentified enzyme in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). In this study, a proHp-cleaving enzyme was isolated from human serum and identified as complement C1r-like protein (C1rLP). Co-expression of C1rLP with proHp in mammalian cells resulted in cleavage of the latter protein in the ER. Mutation of either the active site serine residue in C1rLP or the arginine residue in the cleavage site of Hp abolished the cleavage of proHp by C1rLP. RNAi studies in mammalian cells identified the proHp-cleaving enzyme as C1rLP.Hp has been found in all mammals studied to date but its presence in non-mammalian species has not been unambiguously shown. By searching currently available genomic DNA and cDNA sequence databases, a gene orthologous to mammalian Hp was found in bony fish. Hp-like protein expressed from this gene was demonstrated to be a major Hb protein in fish serum. Surprisingly, no Hp-like gene was found in the genomes of either frog or chicken. In chicken, a protein previously described as Hp was identified as PIT54, a member of a scavenger receptor cysteine-rich family of proteins. Interestingly, ostrich serum seemed to contain two Hb-binding proteins; one similar to PIT54 and one to mammalian Hp. We are not aware of any other case where the function of one gene has been taken over by another, completely unrelated geneFish Hp (fHp) is composed of a serine proteinase-related domain preceded by an extension consisting of several aminoa acids and a signal peptide. The extension contains a consensus motif for cleavage by subtilisin-like proprotein convertases (SPCs). fHp was found to be cleaved by SPCs in the Golgi complex.Collectively, this thesis presents evidence that Hp has undergone significant changes during evolution with respect to its molecular organization and to the mechanism of its proteolytic cleavage.
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