The HIV-1 envelope mutates rapidly to evade recognition and killing, and is a major target of humoral immune responses and vaccine development. Identification of common epitopes for vaccine development have been complicated by genetic variation on both virus and host levels. We studied HIV-1 envelope gp120 evolution in 12 Chinese former plasma donors infected with a purportedly single founder viru

3D-macroporous chitosan-based scaffolds (cryogels) were produced via growth of metal-polymer coordinated complexes and electrostatic interactions between oppositely charged groups of chitosan and metal ions under subzero temperatures. A mechanism of reduction of noble metal complexes inside the cryogel walls by glutaraldehyde is proposed, which produces discrete and dispersed noble metal nanoparti

Monitoring of the molecular motions and secondary structures of gliadin (Gli) and glutenin (Glu) in blends with 10, 20, 30, and 40% glycerol was performed by solid-state (SS) and time domain (TD) NMR spectroscopy. Increasing the glycerol content increased the relative amount of β-sheets and disordered structures, while decreasing α-helices in Gli/Glu–glycerol blends studied by 13C CPMAS NMR. For ≥

The Ordovician biodiversification has been recognized since the 1960s; the term ‘The Great Ordovician Biodiversification Event’, abbreviated by many as the ‘GOBE’, has been used for the past 20 years. The conceptual development and terminology applied to this crucial episode in marine life signify its considerable complexity. The GOBE includes successive biodiversity phases of the pelagic and bent

A dense nerve plexus in the clear outer window of the eye, the cornea, can be imaged in vivo to enable non-invasive monitoring of peripheral nerve degeneration in diabetes. However, a limited field of view of corneal nerves, operator-dependent image quality, and subjective image sampling methods have led to difficulty in establishing robust diagnostic measures relating to the progression of diabet

Treatment of migraine is on the cusp of a new era with the development of drugs that target the trigeminal sensory neuropeptide calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) or its receptor. Several of these drugs are expected to receive approval for use in migraine headache in 2018 and 2019. CGRP-related therapies offer considerable improvements over existing drugs as they are the first to be designed s

A versatile mobile remote sensing system for multidisciplinary environmental monitoring tasks on the Chinese scene is described. The system includes a 20 Hz Nd:YAG laser-pumped dye laser, optical transmitting/receiving systems with a 30 cm and a 40 cm Newtonian telescope, and electronics, all integrated in a laboratory, installed on a Jiefang truck. Results from field experiments on atomic mercury

Fluvial geomorphology provides the basis for characterizing complex river networks and evaluating biophysical processes within watersheds. Understanding the spatial organization of morphological features, their influencing processes, and resultant geomorphic diversity in stream networks are important for efficient restoration, river health assessment, and improving our knowledge of the resilience

Subacute thyroiditis is a common inflammatory disorder of the thyroid gland, possibly of viral etiology, that typically presents with neck pain, fever and tenderness on palpation of the thyroid gland. Graves’ disease is an autoimmune thyroid disorder caused by stimulation of the thyroid gland by thyrotropin receptor antibodies (TRAb). The development of Graves´ disease and subacute thyroiditis sim

Many bridges are approaching or have already passed their expected service life. For steel bridges, fatigue is often the decisive degradation phenomenon that theoretically puts restrictions on a continued use. At the same time, fatigue is also afflicted with large uncertainties on the resistance side as well as on the action effect side. An accurate assessment of the service life will require meas

Unexpected clustering in the orbital elements of minor bodies beyond the Kuiper belt has led to speculations that our Solar system actually hosts nine planets, the eight established plus a hypothetical 'Planet Nine'. Several recent studies have shown that a planet with a mass of about 10 Earth masses on a distant eccentric orbit with perihelion far beyond the Kuiper belt could create and maintain

Engineering optical absorption in nanowires, over a desire range of wavelengths is of importance to design high-performance nanowire-based photovoltaics. To this end, we integrate the nanowires with distributed Bragg reflectors to enhance absorption spectra of the nanowires and relate the consequent enhancement to increasing the optical path lengths of the modes.

We reconsider the variational problem of finding the shape of a vertically hanging rope such that its elongation, due to the rope’s own weight and that of a load attached at its lower end, is minimum. The known solution is recalled and the missing proof of optimality is supplied.

Water evaporation from complex aqueous solutions leads to the build-up of structure and composition gradients at their interface with air. We recently introduced an experimental setup for quantitatively studying such gradients and discussed how structure formation can lead to a self-regulation mechanism for controlling water evaporation through self-assembly. Here, we provide a detailed theoretica

Purpose: To analyze risk factors for refractive error after cataract surgery and provide a benchmark for refractive outcomes after standard cataract surgery. setting: One hundred cataract surgery clinics from 12 European countries. Design: Multicenter database study. Methods: Data on consecutive cataract extractions reported to the European Registry of Quality Outcomes for Cataract and Refractive

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients are characterized by the presence of high levels of DNA damage, and a poor response to ionizing radiation. In this study, we proposed that variants in GST genes could explain this fact. One-hundred twenty seven CKD patients and one-hundred forty five controls constituted the studied groups. Micronuclei (MN) frequency was determined in peripheral blood lymphocy

The precise age of the Winneshiek Shale, a recently discovered Konservat-Lagerstätte located in a very unusual depositional setting inside the Decorah impact structure, has remained uncertain in the absence of biostratigraphically highly diagnostic fossils. This chemostratigraphical study, based on δ13Corg data from 36 drill core samples through the shale, shows that the age ranges from the upper