Thermal denaturation of Escherichia coli maltodextrin glucosidase was studied by differential scanning calorimetry, circular dichroism (230 nm), and UV-absorption measurements (340 nm), which were respectively used to monitor heat absorption, conformational unfolding, and the production of solution turbidity. The denaturation was irreversible, and the thermal transition recorded at scan rates of 0.5–1.5 K/min was significantly scan-rate dependent, indicating that the thermal denaturation was kinetically controlled. The absence of a protein-concentration effect on the thermal transition indicated that the denaturation was rate-limited by a mono-molecular process. From the analysis of the calorimetric thermograms, a one-step irreversible model well represented the thermal denaturation of the protein. The calorimetrically observed thermal transitions showed excellent coincidence with the turbidity transitions monitored by UV-absorption as well as with the unfolding transitions monitored by circular dichroism. The thermal denaturation of the protein was thus rate-limited by conformational unfolding, which was followed by a rapid irreversible formation of aggregates that produced the solution turbidity. It is thus important to note that the absence of the protein-concentration effect on the irreversible thermal denaturation does not necessarily means the absence of protein aggregation itself. The turbidity measurements together with differential scanning calorimetry in the irreversible thermal denaturation of the protein provided a very effective approach for understanding the mechanisms of the irreversible denaturation. The Arrhenius-equation parameters obtained from analysis of the thermal denaturation were compared with those of other proteins that have been reported to show the one-step irreversible thermal denaturation. Maltodextrin glucosidase had sufficiently high kinetic stability with a half-life of 68 days at a physiological temperature (37°C).

Summary In the present work, we have used the first principles approach combined with semi classical Boltzmann Transport equations to calculate the structural, mechanical, electronic, and thermoelectric properties of LiTiCoX (X = Si, Ge). These materials are indirect band gap semiconductors with band gap 1.22 eV for LiTiCoSi and 1.09 eV for LiTiCoGe, respectively. Both materials are mechanically and dynamically stable. At room temperature, the value of Seebeck coefficient is 2016 μV/K (1799 μV/K) for LiTiCoSi (LiTiCoGe) and the electrical conductivity is in the order of 106 S/m for both materials. The highest value of figure of merit recorded is 0.14 (LiTiCoGe) and 0.10 (LiTiCoSi) for p‐type doping at 700 K temperature in both the materials. Hence, the theoretical results can be the compelling evidences to investigate the present materials experimentally in future.