We investigated the stability determinants and the unfolding characteristics of full-consensus designed ankyrin repeat proteins (DARPins) by NMR. Despite the repeating sequence motifs, the resonances could be fully assigned using (2)H,(15)N,(13)C triple-labeled proteins. To remove further ambiguities, we attached paramagnetic spin labels to either end of these elongated proteins, which attenuat...

The (13)C and (1)H isotropic chemical shift values computed at HF, BLYP, B3LYP, and MPW1PW91/6-311+G(2d,p) levels of theory, for the BLYP and B3LYP/6-31G(d,p) optimized geometries of adamantane, 2-adamantanone, and 2,4-methano-2,4-dehydroadamantane ([3.1.1] propellane) are reported and compared with the experimental data. Except for the "inverted" carbon atoms and some of their nearest neighbor...

Several reviews concerning the EPR of the paramagnetic transition-metal ions in crystals are now available, either as periodic reports published in the Magnetic Resonance Review, or in books [1,2,3] and review papers [4, 5]. Such paramagnetic centers are usually observed in the as grown crystals, the paramagnetic state being the normal valency state of the impurity in the crystal-host lattice. ...

An Allegretto Eye-Q laser platform (Wavelight GmbH, Erlangen, Germany) was used to study the effect of air-flow speed on the ablation of artificial polymer corneas used for testing refractive surgery patterns. Flat samples of two materials (PMMA and Filofocon A) were ablated at four different air flow conditions. The shape and profile of the ablated surfaces were measured with a precise non-con...

The detection of (41)Ca atoms in tooth enamel using accelerator mass spectrometry is suggested as a method capable of reconstructing thermal neutron exposures from atomic bomb survivors in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. In general, (41)Ca atoms are produced via thermal neutron capture by stable (40)Ca. Thus any (41)Ca atoms present in the tooth enamel of the survivors would be due to neutron exposure ...

The understanding and control of the magnetic properties of carbon-based materials is of fundamental relevance in applications in nano- and biosciences. Ring currents do play a basic role in those systems. In particular the inner cavities of nanotubes offer an ideal environment to investigate the magnetism of synthetic materials at the nanoscale. Here, by means of (13)C high resolution NMR of e...

Passive radiation shielding is one strategy to mitigate the problem of space radiation exposure. While space vehicles are constructed largely of aluminum, polyethylene has been demonstrated to have superior shielding characteristics for both galactic cosmic rays and solar particle events due to the high hydrogen content. A method to calculate the shielding effectiveness of a material relative t...