Semiconducting Overoxidized Polypyrrole Nano-Particles for Photocatalytic Water Splitting.

Capturing sunlight to fuel the water splitting reaction (WSR) into O and H is the leitmotif of the research around artificial photosynthesis. Organic semiconductors have now joined the quorum of materials currently dominated by inorganic oxides, where for both families of compounds the bandgaps and energies can be adjusted synthetically to perform the Water Splitting Reaction. However, elaborated and tedious synthetic pathways are necessary to optimize the photophysical properties of organic semiconductors.

Backbone Hydration of -Helical Peptides: Hydrogen-Bonding and Surface Hydrophobicity/Hydrophilicity.

The stability of proteins and small peptides depends on the way they interact with the surrounding water molecules. For small peptides, such as -helical polyalanine (polyALA), water molecules can weaken the intramolecular hydrogen-bonds (HB) formed between the peptide backbone O and NH groups which are responsible for the -helix structure. Here, we perform molecular dynamics simulations to study the hydration of polyALA, polyserine (polySER), and other homopolymer peptide -helices at different temperatures and pressures.

Application of the 6-SNP elevated LDL-cholesterol polygenic risk score in individuals with familial hypercholesterolemia phenotype from an Argentine population.

Introduction: LDL-cholesterol greater than 190 mg/dL indicates severe hypercholesterolemia (HS) of monogenic and/or polygenic origin. Genetic risk scores (GRS) evaluate potential polygenic causes.

Objective: we applied a GRS of 6-SNP (GRS-6) in HS individuals.

Evaluation of a nanostructured CpG-ODN/ascorbyl palmitate as a safe and effective adjuvant for anticrotalic PLA2 serum.

Background: The WHO states that antivenom is the only safe and effective treatment to neutralize snake venom. Snakebite antivenom typically involves horse hyperimmunization with crude venom and Freund's adjuvant.

Methods: In the current work, we analyzed the ascorbyl palmitate liquid crystal structure with snake protein or PLA2, the carrier charge capacity, and we evaluated the immune response induced by the enzyme P9a(Cdt-PLA2) formulated in a nanostructure using CpG-ODN, determining the titer of IgG antibodies.

How Dopamine Enables Learning from Aversion.

Dopamine is heavily studied for its role in reward learning, but it is becoming increasingly appreciated that dopamine can also enable learning from aversion. Dopamine neurons modulate their firing and neurotransmitter release patterns in response to aversive outcomes. However, there is considerable heterogeneity in the timing and directionality of the modulation.