Flower micelle of amphiphilic random copolymers in aqueous media.

The structure of the flower micelle formed by an amphiphilic random copolymer, sodium (2-acrylamido)-2-methylpropanesulfonate and N-dodecylmethacrylamide p(AMPS/C12), in 0.05 M aqueous NaCl was investigated by fully atomistic molecular dynamics simulation as well as by light scattering, and the results were compared with the flower micelle model of the minimum loop size, recently proposed by Kawata et al. [Macromolecules 2007, 40, 1174-1180].

Superantigenic exotoxin production by isolates of Staphylococcus aureus from the Kawasaki syndrome patients and age-matched control children.

Nineteen strains of Staphylococcus aureus were isolated from the throat or the tooth surfaces of 19 cases amongst 127 patients with Kawasaki syndrome (KS) during the acute phases and 11 S. aureus isolates were obtained from five of 17 diseased controls and six healthy controls. The production of exotoxins, particularly superantigenic toxic shock syndrome toxin-1 (TSST-1), coagulase serotype, pigment production, haemolytic activity and tryptophan auxotrophy of these isolates were compared.

Biologically active extracellular products of oral viridans streptococci and the aetiology of Kawasaki disease.

A bacteriological study of isolates from the oral cavity of patients with Kawasaki disease (KD), age-matched non-KD patients and healthy children, showed that over half the KD and control isolates had gram-positive, catalase-negative cocci. About 50% of these organisms were identified as viridans streptococci by means of an API Strep 20 kit. Further identification by fluorometric DNA-DNA hybridisation demonstrated that the predominant species were S.

Detection of antibodies against streptococcal peptidoglycan and the peptide subunit (synthetic tetra-D-alanyl-bovine serum albumin complex) in rheumatic-diseases.

Serum antibodies reactive with streptococcal cell wall peptidoglycan (PG) and its peptide subunit (synthetic tetra-D-alanine) were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA), osteoarthritis and acute rheumatic fever (RF) compared with healthy subjects. Using 'checkerboard' titrations, anti-PG antibody in human serum was detected at a concentration of PG antigen at 10 micrograms per well with serum dilutions of 1:1,000. For measurement of anti-tetra-D-alanine antibody, the antigen, (D-Ala4)31 was used at 0.