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Random Arrangement (random + arrangement)
Selected AbstractsA Random Sequential Adsorption Model for Protein Adsorption to Surfaces Functionalized with Poly(ethylene oxide)ADVANCED MATERIALS, Issue 16 2009Parag Katira A random sequential adsorption model for the adsorption of proteins to surfaces functionalized with poly(ethylene oxide)/poly(ethylene glycol) at a range of molecular weights and grafting densities is presented. An excellent fit of the model predictions to experimental results suggests that the random arrangement of polymer chains leading to polymer-free "bald" spots is a critical factor in primary protein adsorption. [source] Structural characterization of a neurotoxic threonine-rich peptide corresponding to the human prion protein ,2-helical 180,195 segment, and comparison with full-length ,2-helix-derived peptides,JOURNAL OF PEPTIDE SCIENCE, Issue 10 2008Luisa Ronga Abstract The 173,195 segment corresponding to the helix 2 of the globular PrP domain is a good candidate to be one of the several ,spots' of intrinsic structural flexibility, which might induce local destabilization and concur to protein transformation, leading to aggregation-prone conformations. Here, we report CD and NMR studies on the ,2-helix-derived peptide of maximal length (hPrP[180,195]) that is able to exhibit a regular structure different from the prevalently random arrangement of other ,2-helix-derived peptides. This peptide, which has previously been shown to be affected by buffer composition via the ion charge density dependence typical of Hofmeister effects, corresponds to the C -terminal sequence of the PrPC full-length ,2-helix and includes the highly conserved threonine-rich 188,195 segment. At neutral pH, its conformation is dominated by ,-type contributions, which only very strong environmental modifications are able to modify. On TFE addition, an increase of ,-helical content can be observed, but a fully helical conformation is only obtained in neat TFE. However, linking of the 173,179 segment, as occurring in wild-type and mutant peptides corresponding to the full-length ,2-helix, perturbs these intrinsic structural propensities in a manner that depends on whether the environment is water or TFE. Overall, these results confirm that the 180,195 parental region in hPrPC makes a strong contribution to the chameleon conformational behavior of the segment corresponding to the full-length ,2-helix, and could play a role in determining structural rearrangements of the entire globular domain. Copyright © 2008 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Structure, stability and electronic properties of composite Mo1,xNbxS2 nanotubesPHYSICA STATUS SOLIDI (B) BASIC SOLID STATE PHYSICS, Issue 8 2006V. V. Ivanovskaya Abstract The effect of Mo , Nb substitution on the electronic structure of MoS2 nanotubes has been investigated using the density functional tight binding method (DFTB). It has been found that composite Mo1,xNbxS2 nanotubes (with Nb contents of 5, 10 and 25 at%) are more stable than the corresponding pure tubes, especially for larger tube diameters. The defect-formation energy indicates that the most stable dopant arrangement is a NbS2 stripe along the tube direction. However, entropy effects may favor a random arrangement of Nb dopant atoms at high temperatures in the tubes with a larger diameter. All of the studied Mo1,xNbxS2 nanotubes have metallic properties, independent of their chirality, diameters and ordering type of substitutional atoms. (© 2006 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim) [source] The statistics of the highest E valueACTA CRYSTALLOGRAPHICA SECTION A, Issue 4 2007Grzegorz Chojnowski In a previous publication, the Gumbel,Fisher,Tippett (GFT) extreme-value analysis has been applied to investigate the statistics of the intensity of the strongest reflection in a thin resolution shell. Here, a similar approach is applied to study the distribution, expectation value and standard deviation of the highest normalized structure-factor amplitude (E value). As before, acentric and centric reflections are treated separately, a random arrangement of scattering atoms is assumed, and E -value correlations are neglected. Under these assumptions, it is deduced that the highest E value is GFT distributed to a good approximation. Moreover, it is shown that the root of the expectation value of the highest `normalized' intensity is not only an upper limit for the expectation value of the highest E value but also a very good estimate. Qualitatively, this can be attributed to the sharpness of the distribution of the highest E value. Although the formulas were derived with various simplifying assumptions and approximations, they turn out to be useful also for real small-molecule and protein crystal structures, for both thin and thick resolution shells. The only limitation is that low-resolution data (below 2.5,Å) have to be excluded from the analysis. These results have implications for the identification of outliers in experimental diffraction data. [source] Stereological comparison of 3D spatial relationships involving villi and intervillous pores in human placentas from control and diabetic pregnanciesJOURNAL OF ANATOMY, Issue 2 2000TERRY M. MAYHEW In human placenta, 3D spatial relationships between villi and the maternal vascular bed determine intervillous porosity and this, in turn, influences haemodynamics and transport. Recently-developed stereological methods were applied in order to examine and quantify these relationships. Placentas were collected after 37 wk from control pregnancies and those associated with maternal diabetes mellitus classified according to duration and severity (White classification scheme). Two principal questions were addressed: (1) are normal spatial arrangements maintained in well-controlled diabetes mellitus? and (2) do arrangements vary between diabetic groups? To answer these questions, tissue sections cut at random positions and orientations were generated by systematic sampling procedures. Volume densities of villi (terminal+intermediate), intervillous spaces and perivillous fibrin-type fibrinoid deposits were estimated by test point counting and converted to global volumes after multiplying by placental volumes. Design-based estimates of the sizes (volume- and surface-weighted volumes) of intervillous ,pores' were obtained by measuring the lengths of point- and intersection-sampled intercepts. From these, theoretical numbers of pores were calculated. Model-based estimates (cylinder model) of the hydraulic diameters and lengths of pores were also made. Second-order stereology was used to examine spatial relationships within and between villi and pores and to test whether pair correlation functions deviated from the value expected for ,random' arrangements. Estimated quantities did not differ significantly between diabetic groups but did display some departures from control values in non-insulin-dependent (type 2) diabetic placentas. These findings support earlier studies which indicate that essentially normal microscopical morphology is preserved in placentas from diabetic subjects with good glycaemic control. Therefore, it is likely that fetal hypoxia associated with maternal diabetes mellitus is due to metabolic disturbances rather than abnormalities in the quantities or arrangements of maternal vascular spaces. [source] | ||||||||||