Binding interactions of Peptide Aptamers

Peptide aptamers are short amino acid chains that are capable of binding specifically to ligands in the same way as their much larger counterparts, antibodies. Ligands of therapeutic interest that can be targeted are other peptide chains or loops located on the surface of protein receptors (e.g., GCPR), which take part in cell-to-cell communications either directly or via the intermediary of hormones or signalling molecules. To confer on aptamers the same sort of conformational rigidity that characterises an antibody binding site, aptamers are often constructed in the form of cyclic peptides, on the assumption that this will encourage stronger binding interactions than would occur if the aptamers were simply linear chains. However, no formal studies have been conducted to confirm the hypothesis that linear peptides will engage in stronger binding interactions with cyclic peptides than with other linear peptides. In this study, the interaction of a model cyclic decamer with a series of linear peptide constructs was compared with that of a linear peptide with the same sequence, showing that the cyclic configuration does confer benefits by increasing the strength of binding

A new efficient method for determining weighted power spectra: detection of low-frequency solar p-modes by analysis of BiSON data

We present a new and highly efficient algorithm for computing a power spectrum made from evenly spaced data which combines the noise-reducing advantages of the weighted fit with the computational advantages of the Fast Fourier Transform (FFT). We apply this method to a 10-year data set of the solar p-mode oscillations obtained by the Birmingham Solar Oscillations Network (BiSON) and thereby uncover three new low-frequency modes. These are the l=2, n=5 and n=7 modes and the l=3, n=7 mode. In the case of the l=2, n=5 modes, this is believed to be the first such identification of this mode in the literature. The statistical weights needed for the method are derived from a combination of the real data and a sophisticated simulation of the instrument performance. Variations in the weights are due mainly to the differences in the noise characteristics of the various BiSON instruments, the change in those characteristics over time and the changing line-of-sight velocity between the stations and the Sun. It should be noted that a weighted data set will have a more time-dependent signal than an unweighted set and that, consequently, its frequency spectrum will be more susceptible to aliasing.Comment: 11 pages, 7 Figures, accepted for publication in MNRAS, Figure 6 had to be reduced in size to upload and so may be difficult to view on screen in .ps versio

Some data on the inheritance of horns in sheep, Bulletin, no. 160

The Bulletin is a publication of the New Hampshire Agricultural Experiment Station, College of Life Sciences and Agriculture, University of New Hampshire, Durham, New Hampshire

Feeding sheep and lambs: clover hay v. native hay; turnips v. dry ration, Bulletin, no. 152

The Bulletin is a publication of the New Hampshire Agricultural Experiment Station, College of Life Sciences and Agriculture, University of New Hampshire, Durham, New Hampshire

THE PSOCOPTERA OF THE KRAKATAU ISLANDS, INDONESIA

At least 80 species of Psocoptera are represented in recent collections from the Krakatau Islands, Sunda Strait. They represent 15 families, and 29 species are described tu new. Twenty four species are known only from the Krahataus but. others are widespread in nearby regions of Sumatra and Java and a few are known to be more broadly distributed. Numbers of species recorded from each of the Krahatau Islands are : Rakata 58, Panjang 48, Sertung 27, Anak Krakatau 27

Pseudo-global Fitting of Gapped Helioseismic Data

Mode fitting or "peak-bagging" is an important procedure in helioseismology allowing one to determine the various mode parameters of solar oscillations. We have recently developed a new "pseudo-global" fitting algorithm as a way of reducing the systematic bias in the fits of certain mode parameters that are seen when using "local" fitting techniques to analyse "sun-as-a-star" p-mode data. This new algorithm has been designed specifically to gain the advantages of fitting the entire power spectrum, while retaining the efficiency of local fitting techniques. Using simulated data with a full fill we have previously shown that the pseudo-global routine reduces the bias in estimates of the frequencies and asymmetries and in the estimates of the solar background when compared with a traditional fitting technique. Here we present results that show that the pseudo-global routine is also effective in reducing bias in the parameter estimates when the time-series has significant gaps. As such we are now able to employ the routine in order to fit ground based helioseismic data such as that collected by the Birmingham Solar Oscillations Network (BiSON).Comment: 6 pages, 3 figures, to be published in the proceedings of GONG 2008/SOHO XX

Inspection of commercial fertilizers for 1923, Bulletin, no. 210

The Bulletin is a publication of the New Hampshire Agricultural Experiment Station, College of Life Sciences and Agriculture, University of New Hampshire, Durham, New Hampshire

Marketing New England poultry, Station Bulletin, no.484

The Bulletin is a publication of the New Hampshire Agricultural Experiment Station, College of Life Sciences and Agriculture, University of New Hampshire, Durham, New Hampshire