The underwater silk of an aquatic casemaking caddisfly larvae (Hesperophylax occidentalis) is viscoelastic, and displays distinct yield behaviour, large strain cycle hysteresis and near complete recovery of its initial strength and stiffness when unloaded. Yield followed by a stress plateau has been attributed to sequential rupture of serial Ca(2+)-cross-linked phosphoserine (pS) β-domains. Spo...

Protein and RNA enzymes that catalyze phosphoryl transfer reactions frequently contain active site metal ions that interact with the nucleophile and leaving group. Mechanistic models generally hinge upon the assumption that the metal ions stabilize negative charge buildup along the reaction coordinate. However, experimental data that test this assumption directly remain difficult to acquire. We...

We propose a characterization of zero-temperature phases in disordered superconductors on the basis of the nature of quasiparticle transport. In three-dimensional systems, there are two distinct phases in close analogy to the distinction between normal metals and insulators: the superconducting ‘‘metal’’ with delocalized quasiparticle excitations and the superconducting ‘‘insulator’’ with local...

using uv-vis spectrophotometric method, the formation constant for interaction of fe2+(aq) ion with l-alaninewas experimentally studied at ph = 4.1 ± 0.01 (50mm of potassium hydrogen phthalate buffer), ionic strengthof 0.1m potassium nitrate and at 5 different temperatures 15,20, 25,30 and 35 t. the optical absorption spectraof mixtures containing considered cation and l-alanine were analyzed b...

the trace element contents on the surface originated from mineralization would depend to the thickness of the calcrete layer above the ore deposit on the surface. a very thick layer of calcrete may not allow for much dispersion of the elements of interest in the surface. these elements may be concentrated in non-magnetic and magnetic part of calcrete. based on the current research, mineralogica...

Transition metal dichalcogenides (TMD), analogue of graphene, could form various dimensionalities. Similar to carbon, one-dimensional (1D) nanotube of TMD materials has wide application in hydrogen storage, Li-ion batteries, and supercapacitors due to their unique structure and properties. Here we demonstrate the feasibility of tungsten disulfide nanotubes (WS2-NTs)/graphene (GS) sandwich-type ...

Metal ions are crucial for protein function. They participate in enzyme catalysis, play regulatory roles, and help maintain protein structure. Current tools for predicting metal-protein interactions are based on proteins crystallized with their metal ions present (holo forms). However, a majority of resolved structures are free of metal ions (apo forms). Moreover, metal binding is a dynamic pro...

GTPases are critical molecular switches involved in a wide range of biological functions. Recent phylogenetic and genomic analyses of the large, mostly uncharacterized COG0523 subfamily of GTPases revealed a link between some COG0523 proteins and metal homeostasis pathways. In this report, we detail the bioinorganic characterization of YjiA, a representative member of COG0523 subgroup 9 and the...