Supramolecular surfaces for protein immobilisation.

Protein immobilisation represents nowadays one of the most challenging fields in science, and many technologies have been developed based on this idea. Biosensors, using the interaction of the protein with glucose, DNA, or antibody are only a few examples of the massive amount of applications related to the concept of protein immobilisation. Despite many signs of progress that have been made in this field, the best method to immobilise protein on the surface is still not well defined. The immobilisation of proteins on the surface is nowadays obtained mostly through chemical or physical adsorption. Both methods, even considering the considerable amount of applications that are possible to find nowadays, still present some disadvantages. The supramolecular chemistry has the potential to overcome all these problems in a very elegant, fast and straightforward way, implying the host-guest interaction between a scaffold molecule and a protein. According to this, the development of a protein immobilising technique on the surface represents one of the most challenging tasks nowadays. This work is focused on the study of supramolecular complex proteins-scaffold and on the conditions to reach a well-packed self-assembled monolayer of these scaffolds on a surface. This method, with better control of its physiological conditions, can be used for a deeper study on protein activity for the development of highly accurate biochips

On an Umbral Point of View of the Gaussian and Gaussian-like Functions

The theory of Gaussian functions is reformulated using an umbral point of view. The symbolic method we adopt here allows an interpretation of the Gaussian in terms of a Lorentzian image function. The formalism also suggests the introduction of a new point of view of trigonometry, opening a new interpretation of the associated special functions. The Erfi ( x ) , is, for example, interpreted as the “sine” of the Gaussian trigonometry. The possibilities offered by the Umbral restyling proposed here are noticeable and offered by the formalism itself. We mention the link between higher-order Gaussian trigonometric functions, Hermite polynomials, and the possibility of introducing new forms of distributions with longer tails than the ordinary Gaussians. The possibility of framing the theoretical content of the present article within a redefinition of the hypergeometric function is eventually discussed

On an Umbral point of view to the Gaussian and Gaussian like functions

In this note we review the theory of Gaussian functions by exploiting a point of view based on symbolic methods of umbral nature. We introduce quasi-Gaussian functions, which are close to Gaussian distribution but have a longer tail. Their use and their link with hypergeometric function is eventually presented

'Divided they stand, divided they fail': opposition politics in Morocco

The literature on democratization emphasises how authoritarian constraints usually lead genuine opposition parties and movements to form alliances in order to make demands for reform to the authoritarian regime. There is significant empirical evidence to support this theoretical point. While this trend is partly visible in the Middle East and North Africa, such coalitions are usually short-lived and limited to a single issue, never reaching the stage of formal and organic alliances. This article, using the case of Morocco, seeks to explain this puzzle by focusing on ideological and strategic differences that exist between the Islamist and the secular/liberal sectors of civil society, where significant opposition politics occurs. In addition, this article also aims to explain how pro-democracy strategies of the European Union further widen this divide, functioning as a key obstacle to democratic reforms

Chronic Endometritis

Chronic endometritis is a persistent inflammation of the inner lining of the uterine cavity. Several studies have demonstrated that it is a condition frequently associated with repeated unexplained implantation failure at in vitro fertilization, recurrent miscarriage, as well as poor obstetric outcomes such as preterm labor