Increasing Authenticity of the Laboratory through the MICRO Project: Analysis of Analytical Chemistry Laboratory Experiments for Their Level of Inquiry.

Inquiry-based laboratory experiments, in comparison to traditional "cookbook" style laboratory experiments, more accurately model the work scientists do and engage students in the skills they use. Students who participate in inquiry-based laboratory experiments engage in science practices and develop skills such as critical thinking and argumentation. Despite the abundance of literature surrounding the benefits of inquiry-based laboratory learning approaches, adoption of these instructional approaches has been slow.

Impact of Social Vulnerability, Race, and Urbanicity on Surgical Timing for Patients With Craniosynostosis.

Prior studies have linked the timing of craniosynostosis surgeries to several postoperative outcomes. However, less is known regarding the influence of sociodemographic factors on surgical timing for this population. This study investigates the influence of social vulnerability index (SVI), race, and urbanicity on the timing of craniosynostosis surgery.

Stability of the polarization agent AsymPolPOK in intact and lysed mammalian cells.

Dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) solid-state NMR enables detection of proteins at endogenous concentrations in cells through sensitivity enhancement from nitroxide biradical polarization agents. AsymPolPOK, a novel water-soluble asymmetric nitroxide biradical, offers superior sensitivity and faster build-up times compared to existing agents like AMUPol. Here, we characterize AsymPolPOK in mammalian HEK293 cells, examining its cellular distribution, reduction kinetics, and DNP performance.

Structural context modulates the conformational ensemble of the intrinsically disordered amino terminus of α-synuclein.

Regions of intrinsic disorder play crucial roles in biological systems, yet they often elude characterization by conventional biophysical techniques. To capture conformational distributions across different timescales, we employed a freezing approach coupled with solid-state NMR analysis. Using segmentally isotopically labeled α-synuclein (α-syn), we investigated the conformational preferences of the six alanines, three glycines, and a single site (L8) in the disordered amino terminus under three distinct conditions: in 8 M urea, as a frozen monomer in buffer, and within the disordered regions flanking the amyloid core.