We propose a new optical sensor to characterize the solid-liquid phase transition in salted solutions. The probe mainly consists of a Raman spectrometer that extracts the vibrational properties from the light scattered by the salty medium. The spectrum of the O-H stretching band was shown to be strongly affected by the introduction of NaCl and the temperature change as well. A parameter SD defined as the ratio of the integrated intensities of two parts of this band allows to study the temperature and concentration dependences of the phase transition. Then, an easy and efficient signal processing and the exploitation of a modified Boltzmann equation give information on the phase transition. Validations were done on solutions with varying concentration of NaCl.
Glutamate (Glu) is a crucial excitatory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system that transmits brain information by activating excitatory receptors on neuronal membranes. Physiological studies have demonstrated that abnormal Glu metabolism in astrocytes is closely related to the pathogenesis of epilepsy. The astrocyte metabolism processes mainly involve the Glu uptake through astrocyte EAAT2, the Glu-glutamine (Gln) conversion, and the Glu release.
AbstractChanging climates are driving population declines in diverse animals worldwide. Winter conditions may play an important role in these declines but are often overlooked. Animals must not only survive winter but also preserve body condition, a key determinant of growing season success.
Nucleocapsid protein (N) of SARS-CoV-2 is a multivalent protein, which is responsible for viral replication, assembly, packaging and modulates host immune response. In this study, we report conformational measurements of N protein at different pH by observing transition in secondary and tertiary structural contents by biophysical and computational approaches. Spectroscopic measurements revealed that N protein loses its secondary and tertiary structure at extreme acidic pH while maintaining its native conformation at mild acidic and alkaline pH.
Objective: The aim of the study was to explore the correlation between short luteal phases and cycle irregularity in perimenopausal women.
Methods: In this feasibility pilot study, daily salivary-progesterone measurements from presumed perimenopausal women have been analyzed using the inne minilab-an at-home system for ovulation and cycle tracking. Data were collected between 2020 to August 2022 from 29 women from Germany and Austria from users over the age of 42 years.
Independent methods show that sub-microMolar concentrations of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), a member of the PFAS family of "forever chemicals", change the properties of DPPC vesicle bilayers. Specifically, calorimetry measurements show that PFOA at concentrations as low as 0.1 nM lowers DPPC's gel-liquid crystalline transition enthalpy by several J/g without changing the transition temperature (), and dynamic light scattering (DLS) data illustrate that PFOA markedly broadens the size distribution of DPPC vesicles.
