Search results for "dynamics"
showing 10 items of 9782 documents
Visual category representations in the infant brain
2021
SUMMARYVisual categorization is a human core cognitive capacity1,2that depends on the development of visual category representations in the infant brain3–7. However, the exact nature of infant visual category representations and their relationship to the corresponding adult form remains unknown8. Our results clarify the nature of visual category representations from electroencephalography (EEG) data in 6- to 8-month-old infants and their developmental trajectory towards adult maturity in the key characteristics of temporal dynamics2,9, representational format10–12, and spectral properties13,14. Temporal dynamics change from slowly emerging, developing representations in infants to quickly e…
Management diversity begets biodiversity in production forest landscapes
2022
How to manage forest for biodiversity conservation is an ongoing debate. We argue that maximizing biodiversity in managed forest landscapes requires a diversity of forest management regimes in space and time. This will generate high levels of habitat heterogeneity at a landscape scale, which in turn will support various groups of forest species. Based on concepts from landscape ecology, we formulate five hypotheses on how management diversity, i.e. combining various management approaches can benefit overall biodiversity across a production forest landscape. First, management diversity will increase habitat diversity and, therefore, beta diversity (the habitat diversity hypothesis). Second, …
Uncertainty on w from large-scale structure
2012
We find that if we live at the center of an inhomogeneity with total density contrast of roughly 0.1, dark energy is not a cosmological constant at 95% confidence level. Observational constraints on the equation of state of dark energy, w, depend strongly on the local matter density around the observer. We model the local inhomogeneity with an exact spherically symmetric solution which features a pressureless matter component and a dark-energy fluid with constant equation of state and negligible sound speed, that reaches a homogeneous solution at finite radius. We fit this model to observations of the local expansion rate, distant supernovae and the cosmic microwave background. We conclude …
Tracking Changes in Protonation and Conformation during Photoactivation of a Phytochrome Protein
2016
Phytochromes are photosensor proteins in plants and bacteria. The biological response is mediated by structural changes that follow photon absorption in the protein complex. The initial step is the photoisomerization of the biliverdin chromophore. How this leads to large-scale structural changes of the whole complex is, however, poorly understood. In this work, we use molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to investigate the structural changes after isomerization. In particular, we perform MD simulations at constant pH, using a recently developed method, to explore the effect of chromophore isomerization on the protonation (pKa) of nearby residues. In addition, we use a hybrid quantum mechanic…
A Derivation of the Vlasov-Stokes System for Aerosol Flows from the Kinetic Theory of Binary Gas Mixtures
2016
In this short paper, we formally derive the thin spray equation for a steady Stokes gas, i.e. the equation consists in a coupling between a kinetic (Vlasov type) equation for the dispersed phase and a (steady) Stokes equation for the gas. Our starting point is a system of Boltzmann equations for a binary gas mixture. The derivation follows the procedure already outlined in [Bernard-Desvillettes-Golse-Ricci, arXiv:1608.00422 [math.AP]] where the evolution of the gas is governed by the Navier-Stokes equation.
Specific Zn(II)-binding site in the C-terminus of Aspf2, a zincophore from Aspergillus fumigatus
2022
Abstract Aspergillus fumigatus, one of the most widespread opportunistic human fungal pathogens, adapts to zinc limitation by secreting a 310 amino acid Aspf2 zincophore, able to specifically bind Zn(II) and deliver it to a transmembrane zinc transporter, ZrfC. In this work, we focus on the thermodynamics of Zn(II) complexes with unstructured regions of Aspf2; basing on a variety of spectrometric and potentiometric data, we show that the C-terminal part has the highest Zn(II)-binding affinity among the potential binding sites, and Ni(II) does not compete with Zn(II) binding to this region. The 14 amino acid Aspf2 C-terminus coordinates Zn(II) via two Cys thiolates and two His imidazoles and…
Full and Partial Agonism of Ionotropic Glutamate Receptors Indicated by Molecular Dynamics Simulations
2011
Ionotropic glutamate receptors (iGluRs) are synaptic proteins that facilitate signal transmission in the central nervous system. Extracellular iGluR cleft closure is linked to receptor activation; however, the mechanism underlying partial agonism is not entirely understood. Full agonists close the bilobed ligand-binding domain (LBD), while antagonists prevent closure; the transmembrane ion channel either opens or stays closed, respectively. Although some bulky partial agonists produce intermediate iGluR-LBD closure, the available crystal structures also imply that the cleft can be shut with certain partial agonists. Recently, we have shown that the iGluR-LBD closure stage can be recreated b…
Zinc Binding Sites Conserved in Short Neuropeptides Containing a Diphenylalanine Motif
2019
A diphenylalanine motif in peptides plays a crucial role in supramolecular systems. The current work represents a novel strategy in which a diphenylalanine motif in the central domain of neuropeptides conserves the specific Zn2+ binding site and prevents "hopping" of the Zn2+ ion between alternative metal binding sites. Alternative metal binding sites may also include carboxylic atoms in the terminal domains of a peptide. Therefore, one needs to design a peptide in which the metal will not bind the carboxylic groups in the terminal domains. Herein, we propose that engineering and designing peptides with a diphenylalanine motif in the central domain may yield excellent metal chelators.
Computation of Unstable Binodals Not Requiring Concentration Derivatives of the Gibbs Energy
1998
The equilibrium of three liquid phases in a binary mixture implies the existence of tie lines and binodals that are different from the normal experimentally observable ones. First of all, there are the metastable extensions of the binodal built up by S/S tie lines. These S/S tie lines fulfill the equilibrium condition of the minimum of the Gibbs energy of the entire two-phase system. Both coexisting phases are located within the meta(stable) region. There are two additional types of tie lines: U/U (maximum of the Gibbs energy; both end points within the unstable area) and U/S tie lines (saddle point; one end point within the (meta)stable, the other within the unstable region). All types of…
Thermodynamic study on phase equilibrium of epoxy resin/thermoplastic blends
2008
Abstract The experimental phase diagrams (cloud point curves) of three series of epoxy/thermoplastic blends, namely, epoxy/polystyrene (PS), epoxy/poly(ether sulfone) (PES), and epoxy/poly(ether imide) (PEI) as a function of molar mass and composition have been analysed from a thermodynamic point of view. A model based on the Flory–Huggins lattice theory considering the concentration dependence of the interaction parameter as predicted by Koningsveld was employed to determine the equilibrium compositions, and concentration and temperature dependent interaction parameters. Binodal, spinodal, and critical point data have been computed and show good agreement with experimental data.