1. Ions with the opposite sign of charge as that of a protein ion diminish the swelling, osmotic pressure, and viscosity of the protein. Ions with the same sign of charge as the protein ion (with the exception of H and OH ions) seem to have no effect on these properties as long as the concentrations of electrolytes used are not too high. 2. The relative depressing effect of different ions on th...

Suramin was previously shown to bind to the EV-A71 capsid through its naphthalenetrisulfonic acid groups, thereby reducing virus-cell binding and inhibiting viral replication. Here, we identify VP1-145 as the critical amino acid that accounts for the differential sensitivity of EVA-71 viruses to suramin. A single Q or G to E substitution at VP1-145 results in an approximately 30-fold shift of I...

BACKGROUND/AIMS Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) has enhanced cognition, positive emotion, and immunity in younger and middle-aged samples; its benefits are less well known for older persons. Here we report on a randomized controlled trial of MBSR for older adults and its effects on executive function, left frontal asymmetry of the EEG alpha band, and antibody response. METHODS Older...

1. At equal hydrogen ion concentration the rate of pepsin digestion of gelatin, egg albumin, blood albumin, casein, and edestin is the same in solutions of hydrochloric, nitric, sulfuric, oxalic, citric, and phosphoric acids. Acetic acid diminishes the rate of digestion of all the proteins except gelatin. 2. There is no evidence of antagonistic salt action in the effect of acids on the pepsin d...

One of the most striking peculiarities of enzyme action is the fact that the activity of the enzyme is limited to a definite range of acidity. If the solution is more or less acid than this the enzyme is practically inactive. SSrensen 1 showed that for a number of enzymes the determiuing factor was the hydrogen ion concentration and not the total acidity of the solution. In attempting to accoun...

In this Opinion piece, we take mindfulness as an example of mind-body practice to explore the question of how mind-body practice works based on recent neuroimaging evidence. Mind-body practice encompasses a family of complex practices such as mindfulness meditation, Tai Chi, Yoga, andQi Gong. Of these practices, mindfulness meditation has received themost attention in the field of psychology an...

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) NS3-NS4A protease is an attractive target for anti-HCV agents because of its important role in replication. In this work, we demonstrated that the ethyl acetate extract of the endophytic fungus Penicillium chrysogenum exhibited a potent activity against HCV NS3-NS4A protease with an IC50 value of 20 microg/ml. The fungus was isolated from the red alga Liagora viscida and...