Proteins frequently undergo covalent modification at the post-translational level, which involves the covalent attachment of chemical groups onto amino acids. This can entail the singular or multiple addition of small groups, such as phosphorylation; long-chain modifications, such as glycosylation; small proteins, such as ubiquitination; as well as the interconversion of chemical groups, such as the formation of pyroglutamic acid. These post-translational modifications (PTMs) are essential for the normal functioning of cells, as they can alter the physicochemical properties of amino acids and therefore influence enzymatic activity, protein localization, protein–protein interactions and protein stability. Despite their inherent importance, accurately depicting PTMs in experimental studies of protein structures often poses a challenge. This review highlights the role of PTMs in protein structures, as well as the prevalence of PTMs in the Protein Data Bank, directing the reader to accurately built examples suitable for use as a modelling reference.

An implementation of Slater-type spherical scattering factors for X-ray and electron diffraction for elements in the range Z = 1–103 is presented within the software Olex2. Both high- and low-angle Fourier behaviour of atomic electron density and electrostatic potential can thus be addressed, in contrast to the limited flexibility of the four Gaussian plus constant descriptions which are currently the most widely used method for calculating atomic scattering factors during refinement. The implementation presented here accommodates the increasing complexity of the electronic structure of heavier elements by using complete atomic wavefunctions without any interpolation between precalculated tables or intermediate fitting functions. Atomic wavefunctions for singly charged ions are implemented and made accessible, and these show drastic changes in electron diffraction scattering factors compared with the neutral atom. A comparison between the two different spherical models of neutral atoms is presented as an example for four different kinds of X-ray and two electron diffraction structures, and comparisons of refinement results using the existing diffraction data are discussed. A systematic but slight improvement in R values and residual densities can be observed when using the new scattering factors, and this is discussed relative to effects on the atomic displacement parameters and atomic positions, which are prominent near the heavier elements in a structure.

Archival still from the documentary "Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street"; Credit: HBO

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

The USGS is pleased to announce the release of new US Topo maps for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. These updated topographic maps offer valuable, current geographic information for residents, visitors, and professionals, providing essential resources for communities in these areas.

Actor Dwayne Johnson (L) and Simone Alexandra Johnson attend the People's Choice Awards 2017 at Microsoft Theater on January 18, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. ; Credit: Christopher Polk

When Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson debuted his Hollywood persona in World Wrestling Entertainment in 2003, he was two years removed from his first successful protagonist role in "The Scorpion King" and on the heels of more film success with roles in "The Rundown" and "Walking Tall." 

Little did anyone foresee that "Hollywood" Rock would buoy the overall representation for Asian and Pacific Islanders in popular film for the next 20 years.

Last week, the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative released a report documenting the prevalence of Asian and Pacific Islanders both on-and off-screen across the top-grossing films each year from 2007 to 2019.  Of the 1,300 films examined, only 44 featured API actors playing lead roles, nearly a third of which were played by Johnson. 

The report offers more staggering statistics:

• In 2019, over a quarter of API characters in the top-grossing films died. Most died by drowning, explosions, stabbing or suicides

• Of the over 51,000 speaking characters in the 1,300 films examined, only 6% were Asian, Asian American or Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islanders

• Only 50 of the 1,447 directors in the 1,300 films examined were of API heritage.

• In 2019, 67% of API characters played stereotyped roles

The release of this report comes at a time of rising anti-Asian hate crimes nationally, and the authors of the report believe the portrayal of Asian and Pacific Islanders in mass media contributes to that. Today on FilmWeek, we delve into the study's findings and discuss the history of API filmmakers and actors in Hollywood.

Guests: 

Nancy Wang Yuen, professor of sociology at Biola University in La Mirada; she is co-author of “The Prevalence and Portrayal of Asian and Pacific Islanders Across 1,300 Popular Films”; she tweets @nancywyeun

Justin Chang, film critic for the Los Angeles Times and NPR’s Fresh Air; he tweets @JustinCChang

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

Tim Cook, chief executive officer of Apple Inc., speaks during an event in 2018. Apple is one of 310 companies calling on the Biden administration to slash carbon emissions.; Credit: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images

More than 300 businesses have signed an open letter calling on the Biden administration to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the United States to at least half of 2005 levels by 2030. That would nearly double a previous target set by former President Barack Obama in 2015, who pledged a 25 to 28% reduction by 2025.

The United States is not currently on track to meet either goal.

The signatories include some of largest companies in the United States, including Walmart, Apple, McDonald's and Starbucks. "A bold 2030 target is needed to catalyze a zero-emissions future, spur a robust economic recovery, create millions of well-paying jobs, and allow the U.S. to 'build back better' from the pandemic," the letter said, echoing the president's economic recovery slogan.

A 50% reduction target would put the Biden administration in line with what groups such as the United Nations and National Academies of Science say is necessary to mitigate the worst impacts of climate change.

In a March statement calling for the same reductions target, the environmental advocacy group Natural Resources Defense Council said such a plan would "help pull the country out of the pandemic-induced recession by putting millions of Americans to work" and inspire more ambitious international climate action ahead of a major United Nations climate conference this November.

Like President Joe Biden's campaign promise to guide the United States to carbon-neutrality by the middle of the century, a 50% emissions reduction target would require steeper emissions cuts than the country has ever achieved.

In 2019, greenhouse gas emissions were approximately 13% below 2005 levels, a decrease of just 1.8% from the previous year.

The Biden administration has identified climate action as one of its top four priorities and has named prominent, experienced Washington insiders, including former Secretary of State John Kerry and former EPA administrator Gina McCarthy, to oversee climate policy efforts at the White House.

As NPR's Danielle Kurtzleben has previously reported, activists on the left are cautiously optimistic about the administration's climate plan after expressing doubts about Biden's climate record during the Democratic primary.

Sunrise Movement, a youth-led climate group that champions the Green New Deal, gave candidate Biden's initial climate plan an "F" grade. Now, the group's executive director Varshini Prakash is publicly celebrating his administration's latest climate-focused $2 trillion infrastructure bill — including its commitment to spend 40% of the infrastructure plan's money on disadvantaged communities and launch a jobs program called the Civilian Climate Corps.

New York Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez told NPR earlier this month that she feels that Biden has ultimately come around to the side of progressives on climate issues. She said: "As much as I think some parts of the party try to avoid saying 'Green New Deal' and really dance around and try to not use that term, ultimately, the framework I think has been adopted."

The emphasis on climate comes as a sharp departure from the Trump administration, which withdrew the United States from the Paris Agreement and set no emissions reductions targets.

Signatories to the Paris deal, which Biden rejoined on the day he was sworn into office, are all required to set these targets — formally known as nationally determined contributions, or NDCs.

The agreement also encourages nations to revise their goals every five years, in hopes that the proposals become more ambitious as the cost of environmental reform goes down.

Since the Paris agreement was first agreed to in 2015, though, just fifty of the deal's nearly 200 signatories have submitted revised targets. A recent U.N. analysis of international climate action found that many countries were doing far too little to reduce emissions for the world to avoid the worst effects of climate change.

So far, the White House has not indicated exactly how ambitious their plan will be. An announcement is expected in the coming days as the White House prepares for its Earth Day climate summit with world leaders, scheduled for Thursday, April 22.

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

Recipients of the 10th annual Communication Awards were announced today by the National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, and Institute of Medicine.

Historic legislation has been enacted to boost U.S. competitiveness and security, spur innovation, and make real progress on climate change and human health, said the National Academies’ presidents in a statement. “The National Academies stand ready to mobilize the broader science, engineering, and medical and health communities to help inform and implement solutions.”

Despite their benefits, awareness campaigns alone are not enough to encourage widespread adoption of cybersecurity best practices

Ever alert to fresh money-making opportunities, fraudsters are blending physical and digital threats to steal drivers’ payment details

Social media platform TikTok said it will slash hundreds of jobs, with a significant number of employees in Malaysia expected to be affected, as the company shifts to AI-assisted content moderation. Less than 500 jobs in Malaysia are expected to be affected by the move.

The new offering uses a combination of existing quantum computers, artificial intelligence and conventional high-performance computing systems.

Tesla's charging technology has been gathering momentum for weeks. Volvo Car on Tuesday joined General Motors, Ford and Rivian in embracing Tesla's charging design, shunning earlier efforts by the Biden administration to make the Combined Charging System (CCS) the dominant charging standard in the United States.

A cursory glance at grocery store shelves confirms: meeting consumer expectations for “clean” food labeling is here to stay.

Havoc's new lineup includes Fiery Lime Flavored Rolled Tortilla Chips, Smoky Nacho Twisted Corn Chips, and Bulgogi Blaze Flavored Potato Chips.

Lead contamination in drinking water poses serious health risks, and even low levels of lead exposure can cause permanent cognitive, academic and behavioral difficulties in children.

The industrial gas safety series will further provide partners and customers with the ability to protect employees and their facilities when working near both toxic and hazardous gases.

Employees were using a forklift to take stone slabs off a storage rack when the slab became unsecured and struck the worker. OSHA investigators find it could have been prevented. 

POWERADE announced the addition of two new flavors to its sports drink portfolio: Island Burst and Strawberry Smash Zero.

Perricone Farms announced its acquisition of Natalie’s Orchid Island Juice Co. The merger unites two high-quality, trusted names in the juice industry, strengthens both brands, and enhances the ability to serve customers with excellence in quality and customer service coast-to-coast, it says.

As plastic caps and closures rise in demand, companies continue to innovate, improving on the performance and sustainability of beverage packaging, driving more adoption of recyclability and reusability.

Retta Slavik Chandler earns prominent placement in Millennium Magazine's Sixteenth Edition

Patrick Slade Sartain, NRP, is a distinguished expert in emergency medicine and lifesaving services

David G. Anderson is lauded for his distinguished tenure in education, public service, and political engagement

Blue Faery announces its annual Love Your Liver campaign will continue in May 2024. This will be the third consecutive year of this life-saving, award-winning, culturally and linguistically relevant program.

Want to be a VIP? Join Club Krystal for the inside scoop

Elizabeth A. Sargent, FASLA, celebrated for over 30 years in historical landscape architecture and design

New U.S. Virgin Islands Insurance CE Requirements Can be Satisfied Through WebCE

Marlon J. Tesla is honored for his achievements in subsea engineering as the president of Tesla Solutions Inc.

Queens County Locksmith, a fully licensed and insured locksmith, garage door & door company servicing the New York City metro area and all of Nassau County Long Island, proudly announces its comprehensive range of services

Dr. Ray Islam serves as an adjunct professor at George Mason University

Robert T. Slater III, MD, MPH, ABFM, ABOIM, is an associate professor at the University of the Incarnate Word

Kelly Montanye of Bethpage Equestrian Center Celebrates Three Consecutive Wins in Long Island's Business Hall of Fame

We are encouraged to see movement on this critical piece of legislation

New Book Exposes Dysfunction of Student Loan System

South Carolina author Joan Doucette's debut novel, "The Phantom Wore Red Pajamas," hit bookstores this week, promising to captivate mystery lovers with its unique blend of suspense, humor, and Lowcountry charm.

Miroslav Lozinsky lends years of expertise to his work with Allight Solutions LLC

Internationally acclaimed celebrity event designer and Beauty Founder Diann Valentine proudly introduces SLAYYY Hair, a revolutionary hair brand committed to providing safer and healthier alternative to toxic traditional synthetic braiding hair.

Spending Bill Contained At Least Two Anti-Second Amendment Provisions

In Haltom City, similar legislative action would help reoccupy older vacant buildings.

BrainVentures, founded in 2020, uses AI to automate webtoon translation and typesetting, cutting costs by 60%. Expanding to Japan and North America, the company partners with major platforms to improve global competitiveness in the webtoon industry.

Slaterock uses functional web design, ai SEO, and business automation to power small businesses and sales teams

Revolutionize Your Tesla's Shine with Transhine: The Premier Paint Protection Professionals in the Los Angeles Area

Tesla Model Y owners, do you want your vehicle to stand out? Now, there's a secret weapon that can make your Tesla stand out from the crowd. Experience TESERY's latest Aero Wheel Covers and make your Tesla truly unique!

TESEVO Unveils Elite Team to Revolutionize Tesla Model Y and Model 3 Accessories Market

The Grant Honors College of Charleston's First Black Woman Graduate, Linda Gadson