Search results

The presence of acid groups with different pK(a) values in the anionic copolymer poly(4-styrene sulfonic acid-co-maleic acid), P(SS-Ma), allowed the preparation of complex salts with a variable fraction of anionic groups neutralized by cationic surfactant in the copolymer via controlled titration with hexadecyltrimethylammonium hydroxide, C(16)TAOH. Two new complex salts were selected for detailed

The disaccharide trehalose stabilizes proteins against unfolding, but the underlying mechanism is not well understood. Because trehalose is preferentially excluded from the protein surface, it is of interest to examine how trehalose modifies the structure and dynamics of the solvent. From the spin relaxation rates of deuterated trehalose and (17)O-enriched water, we obtain the rotational dynamics

Fodor is infamous for his radical conceptual nativism, McDowell likewise well-known for suggesting that concepts extend “all the way out” into the world and arguing against what he calls (per Sellars) The Myth of the Given: the idea that non-conceptual percepts justify conceptual frameworks. One need not go so far as either researcher, however, in allowing merit to their arguments. It seems we are

The penetration of financialization into the biocultural geographies of islands builds upon processes of commodification and privatization of environments, entailing enclosures of resource commons, environmental destruction and displacement of people, their livelihoods, knowledge and practices, with implications for sustainability. Against this background I critique the growing literature on acron

We present a fast algorithm for the calculation of elastostatic fields in locally isotropic composites. The method uses an integral equation approach due to Sherman, combined with the fast multipole method and an adaptive quadrature technique. Accurate solutions can be obtained with inclusions of arbitrary shape at a cost roughly proportional to the number of points needed to resolve the interface

Unlike most ordered molecular systems, globular proteins exhibit a temperature of maximum stability, implying that the structure can be disrupted by cooling. This cold denaturation phenomenon is usually linked to the temperature-dependent hydrophobic driving force for protein folding. Yet, despite the key role played by protein−water interactions, hydration changes during cold denaturation have no

Superantigens are immune-stimulatory toxins produced by Staphylococcus aureus, which are able to interact with host immune receptors to induce a massive release of cytokines, causing toxic shock syndrome and possibly death. In this article, we present the x-ray structure of staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB) in complex with its receptors, the TCR and MHC class II, forming a ternary complex. The st

Psychiatric, physical and biological aspects of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) may be associated with dysfunctions in several cellular processes including nitric oxide (NO) production. NO is synthesized from arginine in a reaction carried out by NO synthase (NOS) enzymes. The recently introduced "global arginine bioavailability ratio" (GABR; ratio of arginine to [ornithine+ citrulline]) has

Diabetes is a much more heterogeneous disease than the present subdivision into types 1 and 2 assumes; type 1 and type 2 diabetes probably represent extremes on a range of diabetic disorders. Both type 1 and type 2 diabetes seem to result from a collision between genes and environment. Although genetic predisposition establishes susceptibility, rapid changes in the environment (ie, lifestyle facto

Due to the recent European legislations posing a ban of animal tests for safety assessment within the cosmetic industry, development of in vitro alternatives for assessment of skin sensitization is highly prioritized. To date, proposed in vitro assays are mainly based on single biomarkers, which so far have not been able to classify and stratify chemicals into subgroups, related to risk or potency

Generative product design systems used in the context of mass customization are required to generate diverse solutions quickly and reliably without necessitating modification or tuning during use. When such systems are employed to allow for the mass customization of product form, they must be able to handle mass production and engineering constraints that can be time-consuming to evaluate and diff