Ligand-Mediated Mechanical Enhancement in Protein Complexes at Nano- and Macro-Scale.

Protein self-assembly plays a vital role in a myriad of biological functions and in the construction of biomaterials. Although the physical association underlying these assemblies offers high specificity, the advantage often compromises the overall durability of protein complexes. To address this challenge, we propose a novel strategy that reinforces the molecular self-assembly of protein complexes mediated by their ligand.

Interprofessional education on autism and intellectual disabilities: Program description and initial evaluation.

Project INTERprofessional Autism Collaborative Training (INTERACT) is an interprofessional education program designed to prepare graduate students in psychology, special education, and speech-language pathology to work with autistic children with moderate to severe intellectual disabilities. The rising prevalence of autism, coupled with increased appreciation for interprofessional approaches to service delivery, indicates the need for university training programs to prepare graduate students to work interprofessionally with this population; yet descriptions of such programs and their effectiveness are not reported in the literature. In this article, we explain the process through which an interprofessional faculty team developed Project INTERACT, describe the sequence of coursework and team-based clinical experiences that comprise the program, and present preliminary data regarding its effectiveness.

Adult-onset epilepsy and hippocampal pathology in a California sea lion (Zalophus californianus): A case study of suspected in utero exposure to domoic acid.

Domoic acid (DA) is a naturally occurring marine neurotoxin produced by Pseudo-nitzschia diatoms. Adult California sea lions (Zalophus californianus) can experience multiple post-exposure syndromes, including acute toxicosis and chronic epilepsy. Additionally, a delayed-onset epileptic syndrome is proposed for California sea lions (CSL) exposed in utero.

Non-Covalently Associated Streptavidin Multi-Arm Nanohubs Exhibit Mechanical and Thermal Stability in Cross-Linked Protein-Network Materials.

Constructing protein-network materials that exhibit physicochemical and mechanical properties of individual protein constituents requires molecular cross-linkers with specificity and stability. A well-known example involves specific chemical fusion of a four-arm polyethylene glycol (tetra-PEG) to desired proteins with secondary cross-linkers. However, it is necessary to investigate tetra-PEG-like biomolecular cross-linkers that are genetically fused to the proteins, simplifying synthesis by removing additional conjugation and purification steps.

Not Just Down and Out: Oculomotor Nerve Pathologic Spectrum.

The purpose of this article is to understand the complex pathologic spectrum of oculomotor nerve palsy. We review the detailed anatomy and function of the oculomotor nerve and demonstrate how the location of a lesion can drive the differential diagnosis. Lastly, we review atypical presentations of oculomotor nerve palsy to include oculomotor synkinesis and oculomotor nerve hyperactivity.