Definition of relative partition functions

The relevant partition function consists of the contributions of both the protein systems and the buffer and is composed of the product of the individual partition functions 

the enthalpy Hp of the protein-macrosystem can be obtained, if the enthalpy of the protein solution, H, and the enthalpy of the pure buffer, Hb, can be determined. The enthalpy value Hp corresponds to an ensemble average of the protein-macrosystem. Due to ergodicity the value is also equivalent to the time average behaviour the single protein-microsystem [19]. Therefore we may drop the differentiation between the 

The partition function Vp( 0,p) for the simple two-state equilibrium N D, is given by the expression 

The partition function Vp consists in such a case of the sum of the contributions Yi of all states 

If the enthalpy of the protein-system H is formulated relative to the enthalpy //n of the fraction of proteins in the native state N one obtains the relation 

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