Studies on the mechanism of the DNA nicking property of amyloid-β40: implications in Alzheimer's disease.

Amyloid-β peptide is presumably a key etiological factor involved in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD), and several hypotheses exist on the possible ways Aβ contributes to the progression of the disease. There are reports on the nuclear localization of Aβ and very limited evidence on its DNA binding property. The present study provided the mechanism of Aβ enantiomers binding to DNA and showed that Aβ40L induces ψ-DNA, while Aβ40D causes only altered B-DNA.

Hermaphroditus in Greco-Roman myth: lessons and hypotheses for intersex today.

This discussion reviews the Greco-Roman mythic origins of the eponymic Hermaphroditus. It reviews the two major tales, one Greek, the other from Ovid, regarding the origins of the sexual and gender predicament of Hermaphroditus. It explains the genealogy of Hermaphroditus in Greek mythology, and includes a discussion of Ovid's text on Hermaphroditus.