Formation of α-synuclein aggregates in aqueous ethylammonium nitrate solutions.

The effect of adding ethylammonium nitrate (EAN), which is an ionic liquid (IL), on the aggregate formation of α-synuclein (α-Syn) in aqueous solution has been investigated. FTIR and Raman spectroscopy were used to investigate changes in the secondary structure of α-Syn and in the states of water molecules and EAN. The results presented here show that the addition of EAN to α-Syn causes the formation of an intermolecular β-sheet structure in the following manner: native disordered state → polyproline II (PPII)-helix → intermolecular β-sheet (α-Syn amyloid-like aggregates: α-SynA).

Compatibility Evaluation of Non-Woven Sheet Composite of Silk Fibroin and Polyurethane in the Wet State.

SF/polyurethane composite non-woven sheet was fabricated to evaluate the cardiovascular tissue engineering materials in the wet state. The compatibility and microstructure analyses were carried out on the fabricated SF/polyurethane composite non-woven sheet by thermal analysis and solid-state NMR analysis in the wet state. To evaluate the modulus of elasticity, a tensile test was performed and supported with dynamic viscoelasticity and mechanical analysis.