Alcohol-Perturbed Self-Assembly of Tobacco Mosaic Virus Coat Protein

Self-assembly of Tobacco mosaic virus coat protein is significantly altered in alcohol-water mixtures. Alcohol cosolvents stabilize the disk aggregate and prevent formation of helical rods at low pH. High alcohol content favours stacked disk assemblies and large rafts, while low alcohol concentration favours individual disks and short stacks. These effects appear to be caused by the hydrophobicity of the alcohol additive, with isopropyl alcohol having the strongest effect, and methanol the weakest. We hypothesize that alcohols interact with the hydrophobic faces of TMV-cp disks, thereby disrupting the protein-protein interactions between disks that are necessary to form helical rods.

Relationships between Body Composition Parameters and Phase Angle as Related to Lifestyle among Young People

The aim of the study was to indicate which body composition parameters and which lifestyle components affect the phase angle (PA) value in young adults. Two-hundred-and-eighty-one students at Wroclaw Medical University participated in the study. A survey on respondent lifestyles was followed by anthropometric measurements, body composition analysis, and basal metabolic rate (BMR) calculation. The differences in the body composition of men and women corresponded to their sexual anatomy and physiology. Sex-dependent differences in lifestyle were also reported. The study revealed a relationship between PA and height, weight, BMR, BMI (body mass index), FFM (fat-free body mass), bone mass, water mass, muscle mass (r~0.4–0.7), ECW/ICW (extracellular water/intracellular water) and fat mass (r~−(0.4–0.6)) for the entire studied group. The relationship between PA values and lifestyle components concerned consumption of energy drinks, cola, alcohol, water, vegetables and fruits, meat, and also intervals between meals, time for physical exercises, and screen time (r~±0.2). The research shows that the PA value increases with an increase in positive body composition parameters. Following the principles of proper nutrition and physical activity increases PA values in most cases.

The Effect of PVA Binder Solvent Composition on the Microstructure and Electrical Properties of 0.98BaTiO3-0.02(Ba0.5Ca0.5)SiO3 Doped with Dy2O3

In this study, the effect of the polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) binder solvent composition on the electrical properties of sintered 0.98BaTiO3-0.02(Ba0.5Ca0.5)SiO3 ceramics doped with x wt.% Dy2O3 (0.0 ≤ x ≤ 0.3) was investigated. In the absence of the PVA binder, the specimens sintered at 1260 and 1320 °C for 1 h in a reducing atmosphere showed a single BaTiO3 phase with the perovskite structure. The relative densities of the specimens were higher than 90%, and the grain morphologies were uniform for all the solvent compositions. At 1 kHz, the dielectric constant of the specimens depended not only on their crystal structural characteristics, but also on their microstructural characteristics. The microstructural characteristics of the specimens with the PVA binder were affected by the ethyl alcohol:water ratio of the 10 wt.% PVA-111 solution. A homogeneous microstructure was observed for the 0.1 wt.% Dy2O3-doped specimens sintered at 1320 °C for 1 h when the ethyl alcohol/water ratio of the binder solution was 40/60. These specimens showed the maximum dielectric constant (εr = 2723.3) and an insulation resistance of 270 GΩ. The relationships between the microstructural characteristics and dissipation factor (tanδ) of the specimens were also investigated.

The Alkaline solvolysis of allyl bromide in alcohol-water solvents

<p>The rate of the alkaline solvolysis of allyl bromide has been measured in various ethanol-water and methanol-water mixtures. This has been found to increase with increase in solvent polarity. An attempt was made to explain this behaviour in terms of partial ionisation of the substrate. It has been suggested that in nucleophilic substitution the individual specific rate constants for attack by alkoxide or hydroxide ions are a better indication of solvent effects than the apparent overall rate constant.</p>

The Alkaline solvolysis of allyl bromide in alcohol-water solvents

<p>The rate of the alkaline solvolysis of allyl bromide has been measured in various ethanol-water and methanol-water mixtures. This has been found to increase with increase in solvent polarity. An attempt was made to explain this behaviour in terms of partial ionisation of the substrate. It has been suggested that in nucleophilic substitution the individual specific rate constants for attack by alkoxide or hydroxide ions are a better indication of solvent effects than the apparent overall rate constant.</p>