Location of divalent ion sites in acyl carrier protein using relaxation perturbed 2D NMR

AbstractThe T1-accordion COSY experiment has been applied to acyl carrier protein (ACP) to locate the divalent ion binding sites in the protein using the paramagnetic ion, Mn2+, as a substitute for Ca2+. Replacement with Mn2+ leads to an enhancement of proton spin-lattice (T1) relaxation rates. These enhancements have a l/r6, distance dependence that makes them extremely useful in structural analyses. Ion-proton distances ranging from 3.0 to 9.0 Å have been obtained from this experiment and subsequently used as constraints in the molecular mechanics module of AMBER to refine a protein structure

A Magnetic Resonance Realization of Decoherence-Free Quantum Computation

We report the realization, using nuclear magnetic resonance techniques, of the first quantum computer that reliably executes an algorithm in the presence of strong decoherence. The computer is based on a quantum error avoidance code that protects against a class of multiple-qubit errors. The code stores two decoherence-free logical qubits in four noisy physical qubits. The computer successfully executes Grover's search algorithm in the presence of arbitrarily strong engineered decoherence. A control computer with no decoherence protection consistently fails under the same conditions.Comment: 5 pages with 3 figures, revtex4, accepted by Physical Review Letters; v2 minor revisions to conten

Comparison of photo- and thermally initiated polymerization-induced self-assembly : a lack of end group fidelity drives the formation of higher order morphologies

Polymerization-induced self-assembly (PISA) is an emerging industrially relevant technology, which allows the preparation of defined and predictable polymer self-assemblies with a wide range of morphologies. In recent years, interest has turned to photoinitiated PISA processes, which show markedly accelerated reaction kinetics and milder conditions, thereby making it an attractive alternative to thermally initiated PISA. Herein, we attempt to elucidate the differences between these two initiation methods using isothermally derived phase diagrams of a well-documented poly(ethylene glycol)-b-(2-hydroxypropyl methacrylate) (PEG-b-HPMA) PISA system. By studying the influence of the intensity of the light source used, as well as an investigation into the thermodynamically favorable morphologies, the factors dictating differences in the obtained morphologies when comparing photo- and thermally initiated PISA were explored. Our findings indicate that differences in a combination of both reaction kinetics and end group fidelity led to the observed discrepencies between the two techniques. We find that the loss of the end group in photoinitiated PISA drives the formation of higher order structures and that a morphological transition from worms to unilamellar vesicles could be induced by extended periods of light and heat irradiation. Our findings demonstrate that PISA of identical block copolymers by the two different initiation methods can lead to structures that are both chemically and morphologically distinct

'Heaven starts at your parents' feet' : adolescent bowing to parents and associated spiritual attitudes

In a quantitative survey of religious attitudes and practices in a multi-religious sample of 369 school pupils aged between 13 and 15 in London, the practice of bowing to parents was found widespread in 22% of adolescents spanning several religious affiliations and ethnicities – especially Buddhists, Hindus and those of Indian, African and ‘Other Asian’ ethnicity. Whether an adolescent bowed correlated significantly with spiritual attitudes such as wanting to abstain from alcohol, hearing religious stories, being inspired by religious festivals and liking the idea of seeing God in everything. Findings suggest bowing to parents can have religious significance on all three levels of Jackson’s Interpretive Approach and therefore cannot be regarded as a ‘cultural accretion’ of religion. Study of bowing to parents could form a unifying exercise in shared values for study of religion in the plural classroom and facilitate community cohesion in certain religious membership groups

Measuring attitude toward theistic faith : assessing the Astley-Francis Scale among Christian, Muslim and secular youth in England

Empirical research within the social scientific study of religion in general and within the psychology of religion in particular remains very conscious of the complex nature of its subject matter. Empirical research in this field needs to take cognisance of the many forms in which religion is expressed (say, Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, and Sikhism) and the many facets within the forms (say, beliefs, behaviours and affiliation). Working in the 1970s, Francis (1978a; 1978b) advanced the view that the attitudinal dimension of religion offered a particularly fruitful basis for coordinating empirical enquiry into the correlates, antecedents and consequences of religiosity across the life span

Dispersity effects in polymer self-assemblies : a matter of hierarchical control

Advanced applications of polymeric self-assembled structures require a stringent degree of control over such aspects as functionality location, morphology and size of the resulting assemblies. A loss of control in the polymeric building blocks of these assemblies can have drastic effects upon the final morphology or function of these structures. Gaining precise control over various aspects of the polymers, such as chain lengths and architecture, blocking efficiency and compositional distribution is a challenge and, hence, measuring the intrinsic mass and size dispersity within these areas is an important aspect of such control. It is of great importance that a good handle on how to improve control and accurately measure it is achieved. Additionally dispersity of the final structure can also play a large part in the suitability for a desired application. In this Tutorial Review, we aim to highlight the different aspects of dispersity that are often overlooked and the effect that a lack of control can have on both the polymer and the final assembled structure

Solution Structure of a TBP–TAFII230 Complex Protein Mimicry of the Minor Groove Surface of the TATA Box Unwound by TBP

AbstractGeneral transcription factor TFIID consists of TATA box–binding protein (TBP) and TBP-associated factors (TAFIIs), which together play a central role in both positive and negative regulation of transcription. The N-terminal region of the 230 kDa Drosophila TAFII (dTAFII230) binds directly to TBP and inhibits TBP binding to the TATA box. We report here the solution structure of the complex formed by dTAFII230 N-terminal region (residues 11–77) and TBP. dTAFII23011–77 comprises three α helices and a β hairpin, forming a core that occupies the concave DNA-binding surface of TBP. The TBP-binding surface of dTAFII230 markedly resembles the minor groove surface of the partially unwound TATA box in the TBP–TATA complex. This protein mimicry of the TATA element surface provides the structural basis of the mechanism by which dTAFII230 negatively controls the TATA box–binding activity within the TFIID complex

The Social and Political Dimensions of the Ebola Response: Global Inequality, Climate Change, and Infectious Disease

The 2014 Ebola crisis has highlighted public-health vulnerabilities in Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea – countries ravaged by extreme poverty, deforestation and mining-related disruption of livelihoods and ecosystems, and bloody civil wars in the cases of Liberia and Sierra Leone. Ebola’s emergence and impact are grounded in the legacy of colonialism and its creation of enduring inequalities within African nations and globally, via neoliberalism and the Washington Consensus. Recent experiences with new and emerging diseases such as SARS and various strains of HN influenzas have demonstrated the effectiveness of a coordinated local and global public health and education-oriented response to contain epidemics. To what extent is international assistance to fight Ebola strengthening local public health and medical capacity in a sustainable way, so that other emerging disease threats, which are accelerating with climate change, may be met successfully? This chapter considers the wide-ranging socio-political, medical, legal and environmental factors that have contributed to the rapid spread of Ebola, with particular emphasis on the politics of the global and public health response and the role of gender, social inequality, colonialism and racism as they relate to the mobilization and establishment of the public health infrastructure required to combat Ebola and other emerging diseases in times of climate change

Optimising outcomes of exercise and corticosteroid injection in patients with subacromial pain (impingement) syndrome: a factorial randomised trial

Objectives: To compare the clinical effectiveness of (1) physiotherapist-led exercise versus an exercise leaflet, and (2) ultrasound-guided subacromial corticosteroid injection versus unguided injection for pain and function in subacromial pain (formerly impingement) syndrome (SAPS).Methods: This was a single-blind 2×2 factorial randomised trial. Adults with SAPS were randomised equally to one of four treatment groups: (1) ultrasound-guided corticosteroid injection and physiotherapist-led exercise, (2) ultrasound-guided corticosteroid injection and an exercise leaflet, (3) unguided corticosteroid injection and physiotherapist-led exercise and (4) unguided corticosteroid injection and an exercise leaflet. The primary outcome was the Shoulder Pain and Disability Index (SPADI), collected at 6 weeks, 6 and 12 months and compared at 6 weeks for the injection interventions and 6 months for the exercise interventions by intention to treat.Results: We recruited 256 participants (64 treatment per group). Response rates for the primary outcome were 94% at 6 weeks, 88% at 6 months and 80% at 12 months. Greater improvement in total SPADI score was seen with physiotherapist-led exercise than with the exercise leaflet at 6 months (adjusted mean difference -8.23; 95% CI -14.14 to -2.32). There were no significant differences between the injection groups at 6 weeks (-2.04; -7.29 to 3.22), 6 months (-2.36; -8.16 to 3.44) or 12 months (1.59; -5.54 to 8.72).Conclusions: In patients with SAPS, physiotherapist-led exercise leads to greater improvements in pain and function than an exercise leaflet. Ultrasound guidance confers no additional benefit over unguided corticosteroid injection

The internal consistency reliability of the Santosh-Francis Scale of Attitude toward Hinduism among students in India

The Santosh–Francis Scale of Attitude toward Hinduism was originally developed and tested among Hindus in the UK as part of a programme designed to assess religious affect across faith traditions. The present study tests the internal consistency reliability and construct validity of the instrument among 149 students in Karnatak University Dharwad (74 males and 75 females), India. The data demonstrated an alpha coefficient of .90, suggesting a high level of internal consistency reliability and commending the instrument for further application within Hindu communities