Announcing Design Resonance in an Age of Crisis News Release sysadmin 1 June 2020

London Design Biennale and Chatham House announce Design Resonance in an Age of Crisis, which calls for action by designers around the world to create radical design solutions to critical problems across four key areas: Health, Environment, Society and Work.

Design In An Age of Crisis - Open Call News Release sysadmin 21 July 2020

Chatham House and London Design Biennale announce full details of 'Design In An Age of Crisis,' a global Open Call for radical design thinking.

Design in an Age of Crisis Launches News Release jon.wallace 13 January 2021

Design open call receives 500 submissions from over 50 countries across six continents.

RNA-protein interfaces control key replication events during the HIV-1 life cycle. The viral trans-activator of transcription (Tat) protein uses an archetypal arginine-rich motif (ARM) to recruit the host positive transcription elongation factor b (pTEFb) complex onto the viral trans-activation response (TAR) RNA, leading to activation of HIV transcription. Efforts to block this interaction have stimulated production of biologics designed to disrupt this essential RNA-protein interface. Here, we present four co-crystal structures of lab-evolved TAR-binding proteins (TBPs) in complex with HIV-1 TAR. Our results reveal that high-affinity binding requires a distinct sequence and spacing of arginines within a specific β2-β3 hairpin loop that arose during selection. Although loops with as many as five arginines were analyzed, only three arginines could bind simultaneously with major-groove guanines. Amino acids that promote backbone interactions within the β2-β3 loop were also observed to be important for high-affinity interactions. Based on structural and affinity analyses, we designed two cyclic peptide mimics of the TAR-binding β2-β3 loop sequences present in two high-affinity TBPs (KD values of 4.2 ± 0.3 and 3.0 ± 0.3 nm). Our efforts yielded low-molecular weight compounds that bind TAR with low micromolar affinity (KD values ranging from 3.6 to 22 μm). Significantly, one cyclic compound within this series blocked binding of the Tat-ARM peptide to TAR in solution assays, whereas its linear counterpart did not. Overall, this work provides insight into protein-mediated TAR recognition and lays the ground for the development of cyclic peptide inhibitors of a vital HIV-1 RNA-protein interaction.

The peptide hormone ghrelin is produced in cardiomyocytes and acts through the myocardial growth hormone secretagogue receptor (GHSR) to promote cardiomyocyte survival. Administration of ghrelin may have therapeutic effects on post–myocardial infarction (MI) outcomes. Therefore, there is a need to develop molecular imaging probes that can track the dynamics of GHSR in health and disease to better predict the effectiveness of ghrelin-based therapeutics. We designed a high-affinity GHSR ligand labeled with ¹⁸F for imaging by PET and characterized its in vivo properties in a canine model of MI. Methods: We rationally designed and radiolabeled with ¹⁸F a quinazolinone derivative ([¹⁸F]LCE470) with subnanomolar binding affinity to GHSR. We determined the sensitivity and in vivo and ex vivo specificity of [¹⁸F]LCE470 in a canine model of surgically induced MI using PET/MRI, which allowed for anatomic localization of tracer uptake and simultaneous determination of global cardiac function. Uptake of [¹⁸F]LCE470 was determined by time–activity curve and SUV analysis in 3 regions of the left ventricle—area of infarct, territory served by the left circumflex coronary artery, and remote myocardium—over a period of 1.5 y. Changes in cardiac perfusion were tracked by [¹³N]NH₃ PET. Results: The receptor binding affinity of LCE470 was measured at 0.33 nM, the highest known receptor binding affinity for a radiolabeled GHSR ligand. In vivo blocking studies in healthy hounds and ex vivo blocking studies in myocardial tissue showed the specificity of [¹⁸F]LCE470, and sensitivity was demonstrated by a positive correlation between tracer uptake and GHSR abundance. Post-MI changes in [¹⁸F]LCE470 uptake occurred independently of perfusion tracer distributions and changes in global cardiac function. We found that the regional distribution of [¹⁸F]LCE470 within the left ventricle diverged significantly within 1 d after MI and remained that way throughout the 1.5-y duration of the study. Conclusion: [¹⁸F]LCE470 is a high-affinity PET tracer that can detect changes in the regional distribution of myocardial GHSR after MI. In vivo PET molecular imaging of the global dynamics of GHSR may lead to improved GHSR-based therapeutics in the treatment of post-MI remodeling.

Nov. 6, 2024 — Harnessing the power artificial intelligence (AI) and the world’s fastest supercomputers, a research team led by the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory has developed […]

The post Argonne Team Breaks New Ground in AI-driven Protein Design appeared first on HPCwire.

PITTSBURGH, June 19, 2024 — Ansys today announced that it is adopting NVIDIA Omniverse application programming interfaces (APIs) to offer 3D-IC designers valuable insights from Ansys’ physics solver results through […]

The post Ansys Enables 3D Multiphysics Visualization of Next-Gen 3D-IC Designs with NVIDIA Omniverse appeared first on HPCwire.

What if solving poverty, caring for nature and fostering well-being were the ultimate goals of the economy, instead of growth for its own sake? Environmentalist and economist Gaya Herrington proposes a shift in thinking from "never enough" to "enough for each," asking us to contemplate whether the end of exponential growth on a finite planet will come by design — or disaster.

Alexandria Area High School was created to accommodate changes in education and technology.

Three sites in China - an ancient tea-producing area, a nomadic livestock-rearing region and a rain-fed stone terrace farming system - were formally recognised  as Globally Important Agricultural Heritage [...]

Rome - Two new sites in Japan - an inland fisheries and associated paddy farming system centred on the country’s largest lake and a traditional fruit-growing area  believed to have been the [...]

We're over here making podcasts, and you're over there listening. Let's bridge that gap! We want to know more about you, like: why you're listening, what your favorite topics are, and what Smithsonian magazine can do to make "There's More to That" even better. Tell us what you think at  smithsonianmag.com/podcastsurvey (https://www.smithsonianmag.com/podcastsurvey) .

More on biomimicry: http://j.mp/RI3OOB Scientists believe the iridescent wings of the morphos butterfly could be used in technology to benefit humans.

An increasing number of people in France espouse a clothing-free lifestyle

The apartment once occupied by the author of Les Miserables is now a museum dedicated to his life and to 19th century Paris

The City of Charlottetown is honouring veterans with three freshly painted crosswalks near the cenotaph where Remembrance Day ceremonies will be held on Monday.

CRISPR–Cas9 has revolutionized gene editing for traditional and nontraditional model organisms alike. This tool has opened the door to new mechanistic studies of basic mosquito biology as well as the development of novel vector control strategies based on CRISPR–Cas9, including gene drives that spread genetic elements in the population. Although the promise of the specificity, flexibility, and ease of deployment CRISPR is real, its implementation still requires empirical optimization for each new species of interest, as well as to each genomic target within a given species. Here, we provide an overview of designing and testing single-guide RNAs for the use of CRISPR-based gene editing tools.

Knee replacement doesn’t have to be ‘total’

With 3D CAD, Company Reduces Design Cycle from Three Weeks to Three or Four Days

Quick design turnaround and easy documentation process help UK-based company move products to market faster

Austrian manufacturer also optimizes creation of assembly documentation and related bills of material

Eliminates the Cost and Complexity of Maintaining Online Parts Catalogs; Improves Search, Navigation, and Communication for Engineers Seeking 3D Part Models

Solutions Catch Problems Early and Drive Cost Out of Designs

Vault Structures Saves $150,000 in Prototyping Costs, Cuts Development Time by 70 Percent Using SolidWorks Software

Leading elevator components supplier implements 550 licenses of the SolidWorks PDM solution

Non-Profit Cooperative Assembled Virtual Team to Prove $1,000 Incubator Was Possible, Safe, and Reliable

Engineers Use 3D CAD and Simulation To Customize Products With Quick Modifications, Testing, and Demonstrations

Curventa and RuRoc Adapt Original Design for Formula One Pit Crew Safety Wear

World Cup Champion Noelle Pikus-Pace Turns To Local Metal Shop – And Her Husband – For Innovative New Sled

New Solution Helps Designers Calculate and Reduce the Environmental Impact of Their Materials, Production Methods

‘Let’s Go Design’ TV Debuts Today

Donates $1 for Each Download of SolidWorks SustainabilityXpress Solution to Hybrid Auto Design Competition

With SolidWorks Enterprise PDM Software, DECOLAV Accelerates and Coordinates Global Design of Luxury Bathrooms

Formula SAE and Formula Student teams increasingly demand SolidWorks software for its ease of use and integrated design analysis

U.K.

SolidWorks provides the industry's most comprehensive list of partner product solutions

World's largest stainless steel residential sink maker standardizes on SolidWorks, cuts new product line design time in half

Company cites ease of use, localized languages, and data management capabilities in software

SolidWorks 3D mechanical design and COSMOS design analysis software play key roles in developing regulator that reached more than 1,000 feet deep

Design that Matters wins for contribution to humanity in education category

New design increases user leverage and mobility, and keeps hands clean

Andergauge and National Oilwell are the latest of more than 300 petroleum industry companies to streamline product development and delivery

Electronics air filter manufacturer sees dramatic 30 percent increase in Web site traffic, reduces customer product development by two months

Design tables automate wide range of configurations;

Software's assembly features and interoperability with 2D files