We review recent advances in the methodology of pulsed time-resolved photoacoustics and its application to studies of photosynthetic reaction centers and membrane receptors such as the G protein-coupled receptor rhodopsin. The experimental parameters accessible to photoacoustics include molecular volume change and photoreaction enthalpy change. Light-driven volume change secondary to protein co...

The thermochemical properties for selected hydrogenated silicon clusters (Si(x)H(y), x = 3-13, y = 0-18) were calculated using quantum chemical calculations and statistical thermodynamics. Standard enthalpy of formation at 298 K and standard entropy and constant pressure heat capacity at various temperatures, i.e., 298-6000 K, were calculated for 162 hydrogenated silicon clusters using G3//B3LY...

We study the dynamics of DNA hairpin formation using oxDNA, a nucleotide-level coarse-grained model of DNA. In particular, we explore the effects of the loop stacking interactions and non-native base pairing on the hairpin closing times. We find a nonmonotonic variation of the hairpin closing time with temperature, in agreement with the experimental work of Wallace et al. (Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci...

Thermodynamic parameters for prediction of RNA duplex stability are reported. One parameter for duplex initiation and 10 parameters for helix propagation are derived from enthalpy and free-energy changes for helix formation by 45 RNA oligonucleotide duplexes. The oligomer sequences were chosen to maximize reliability of secondary structure predictions. Each of the 10 nearest-neighbor sequences ...

the thermodynamic functions such as enthalpy (h), gibbs free energy (g) and entropy (s) of serineand threonine amino acids were theoretically studied at different condition (solvents andtemperatures) by using gussian o3, software. first, the structural optimization of isolated serine andthreonine were done in the gas phase by using the hartree-fock (hf) level of theory with 3-21g, 6-31g and 6-3...

We report a thermodynamic and structural analysis of six extensively simplified bovine pancreatic trypsin inhibitor (BPTI) variants containing 19-24 alanines out of 58 residues. Differential scanning calorimetry indicated a two-state thermal unfolding, typical of a native protein with densely packed interior. Surprisingly, increasing the number of alanines induced enthalpy stabilization, which ...

In the present work, the solidification process was simulated in both macroscopic and microscopic scales. Two-dimensional heat transfer equation for conduction was applied for macroscopic modeling using enthalpy formulation and finite element method. In order to decrease execution time and/or memory capacity in finite analysis, skyline mathematical technique was adapted. The microenthalpy metho...

The activation energy to reaction is a key quantity that controls catalytic activity. Having used ab inito calculations to determine an extensive and broad ranging set of activation energies and enthalpy changes for surface-catalyzed reactions, we show that linear relationships exist between dissociation activation energies and enthalpy changes. Known in the literature as empirical Brønsted-Eva...

Interactions of cationic tetrakis (N, N', N″, N‴- tetramethyltetra-3, 4-pyridinoporphyrazinatozinc (II) (Zn (tmtppa)) with synthetic polynucleotides, poly (G-C) and poly (A-T), and calf thymus DNA have been characterized in 7.5 mM phosphate buffer of pH 7.2 by UV-Vis absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy. The appearance of hypochromicity more than 30% in UV-Vis spectra of porphyrazine due to...