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Dynamic Properties (dynamic + property)
Selected AbstractsStructural, Dynamic Properties of Key Residues in A, Amyloidogenesis: Implications of an Important Role of Nanosecond Timescale DynamicsCHEMBIOCHEM, Issue 11 2007Kwang Hun Lim Prof. Dr. Flexibility exercise. NMR studies of the A,(1,40) and -(1,42) peptides demonstrated that structural, dynamic properties of soluble monomeric A, peptides are highly correlated to the amyloid fibril structure. In particular, fast-timescale dynamics were found to be an additional critical parameter in identifying the more crucial aggregation-prone segments of A, peptides (see figure). This method can be applied to investigate amyloidogenic and nonamyloidogenic properties of disordered states of proteins. [source] Synthesis, Structure, and Dynamic Properties of [Ni2Sn17]4- .CHEMINFORM, Issue 15 2006Emren N. Esenturk Abstract ChemInform is a weekly Abstracting Service, delivering concise information at a glance that was extracted from about 200 leading journals. To access a ChemInform Abstract, please click on HTML or PDF. [source] Fast structural dynamics in reduced and oxidized cytochrome cPROTEIN SCIENCE, Issue 3 2009Weixia Liu Abstract The sub-nanosecond structural dynamics of reduced and oxidized cytochrome c were characterized. Dynamic properties of the protein backbone measured by amide 15N relaxation and side chains measured by the deuterium relaxation of methyl groups change little upon change in the redox state. These results imply that the solvent reorganization energy associated with electron transfer is small, consistent with previous theoretical analyses. The relative rigidity of both redox states also implies that dynamic relief of destructive electron transfer pathway interference is not operational in free cytochrome c. [source] Growth Effects of Bubbles in an Endogenous Growth ModelTHE JAPANESE ECONOMIC REVIEW, Issue 2 2000Koichi Futagami This paper examines the possibility of the existence of bubbles and their effects on the growth rate by using an endogenous growth model. A necessary and sufficient condition for the existence of steady-state equilibrium with bubbles is provided. If non-zero rates of the useless asset supply are allowed, a steady-state equilibrium with bubbles exists even if the growth rate of the bubbleless equilibrium is lower than the market interest rate. The growth rate in the steady state with bubbles depends positively on the supply rate of the useless asset. Dynamic properties of bubbles are also analysed. JEL Classification Numbers: E52, O41, O42. [source] Early molecular events in the assembly of the focal adhesion-stress fiber complex during fibroblast spreadingCYTOSKELETON, Issue 3 2004Baruch Zimerman Cell adhesion to the extracellular matrix triggers the formation of integrin-mediated contact and reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton. Examination of nascent adhesions, formed during early stages of fibroblast spreading, reveals a variety of forms of actin-associated matrix adhesions. These include: (1) small (,1 ,m), dot-like, integrin-, vinculin-, paxillin-, and phosphotyrosine-rich structures, with an F-actin core, broadly distributed over the ventral surfaces of the cells; (2) integrin-, vinculin-, and paxillin-containing "doublets" interconnected by short actin bundles; (3) arrays of actin-vinculin complexes. Such structures were formed by freshly plated cells, as well as by cells recovering from latrunculin treatment. Time-lapse video microscopy of such cells, expressing GFP-actin, indicated that long actin cables are formed by an end-to-end lining-up and apparent fusion of short actin bundles. All these structures were prominent during cell spreading, and persisted for up to 30,60 min after plating. Upon longer incubation, they were gradually replaced by stress fibers, associated with focal adhesions at the cell periphery. Direct examination of paxillin and actin reorganization in live cells revealed alignment of paxillin doublets, forming long and highly dynamic actin bundles, undergoing translocation, shortening, splitting, and convergence. The mechanisms underlying the assembly and reorganization of actin-associated focal adhesions and the involvement of mechanical forces in regulating their dynamic properties are discussed. Cell Motil. Cytoskeleton 58:143,159, 2004. © 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Mineral soil surface crusts and wind and water erosionEARTH SURFACE PROCESSES AND LANDFORMS, Issue 9 2004Michael J. Singer Abstract The ,rst few millimetres of soil largely control the soil's response to the eroding forces of wind and water. The tendency of soils to form surface seals and crusts in,uences the processes of wind and water erosion differently. For wind, dry particle size distribution and particle organization determine the shear strength and threshold wind velocity necessary to initiate particle movement. In loams and clay loams, seals and crusts decrease roughness but increase surface soil strength, generally decreasing wind erosion. Conversely, in sand and sandy loams, loose erodible sandy material may either deposit on the crust and is subject to erosion or it may disrupt the crust, accelerating the erosion process. For water erosion, particle size distribution and structure determine in,ltration rate, time to ponding, and energy required for soil particle detachment. Seals and crusts tend to decrease in,ltration rate and time to ponding thus increasing overland ,ow and soil erosion. This paper brie,y reviews how permanent and time-dependent soil properties in,uence surface seals and crusts and how these affect soil erosion by wind and water. The tendency of a soil to form a seal and crust depends to some degree on the time-dependent property of soil structural stability, which tends to increase with increasing clay content and smectitic mineralogy which are permanent properties. These permanent properties and their effect on structure are variable depending on dynamic properties of exchangeable sodium percentage and soil solution electrical conductivity. Antecedent water content prior to irrigation or rainfall, rate of wetting before an erosive event and aging, the time between wetting and an erosive event, greatly in,uence the response of soil structure to raindrop impact. The effect of these dynamic processes is further in,uenced by the static and dynamic properties of the soil. Weak structure will be less in,uenced by wetting rate than will a soil with strong structure. Process-based models of wind and water erosion need to consider the details of the interactions between soil static and dynamic properties and the dynamic processes that occur prior to erosive events. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Hybrid platform for vibration control of high-tech equipment in buildings subject to ground motion.EARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING AND STRUCTURAL DYNAMICS, Issue 8 2003Part 1: experiment Abstract This paper presents an experimental study, while a companion paper addresses an analytical study, to explore the possibility of using a hybrid platform to mitigate vibration of a batch of high-tech equipment installed in a building subject to nearby traffic-induced ground motion. A three-storey building model and a hybrid platform model are designed and manufactured. The hybrid platform is mounted on the building floor through passive mounts composed of leaf springs and oil dampers and controlled actively by an electromagnetic actuator with velocity feedback control strategy. The passive mounts are designed in such a way that the stiffness and damping ratio of the platform can be changed. A series of shaking table tests are then performed on the building model without the platform, with the passive platform of different parameters, and with the hybrid platform. The experimental results demonstrate that the hybrid platform is very effective in reducing the velocity response of a batch of high-tech equipment in the building subject to nearby traffic-induced ground motion if dynamic properties of the platform and control feedback gain are selected appropriately. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Hybrid platform for vibration control of high-tech equipment in buildings subject to ground motion.EARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING AND STRUCTURAL DYNAMICS, Issue 8 2003Part 2: analysis Abstract The experimental results of using a hybrid platform to mitigate vibration of a batch of high-tech equipment installed in a building subject to nearby traffic-induced ground motion have been presented and discussed in the companion paper. Based on the identified dynamic properties of both the building and the platform, this paper first establishes an analytical model for hybrid control of the building-platform system subject to ground motion in terms of the absolute co-ordinate to facilitate the absolute velocity feedback control strategy used in the experiment. The traffic-induced ground motion used in the experiment is then employed as input to the analytical model to compute the dynamic response of the building-platform system. The computed results are compared with the measured results, and the comparison is found to be satisfactory. Based on the verified analytical model, coupling effects between the building and platform are then investigated. A parametric study is finally conducted to further assess the performance of both passive and hybrid platforms at microvibration level. The analytical study shows that the dynamic interaction between the building and platform should be taken into consideration. The hybrid control is effective in reducing both velocity response and drift of the platform/high-tech equipment at microvibration level with reasonable control force. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Closed-form solution for seismic response of adjacent buildings with linear quadratic Gaussian controllersEARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING AND STRUCTURAL DYNAMICS, Issue 2 2002Y. L. Xu Abstract Closed-form solution for seismic response of adjacent buildings connected by hydraulic actuators with linear quadratic Gaussian (LQG) controllers is presented in this paper. The equations of motion of actively controlled adjacent buildings against earthquake are first established. The complex modal superposition method is then used to determine dynamic characteristics, including modal damping ratio, of actively controlled adjacent buildings. The closed-form solution for seismic response of the system is finally derived in terms of the complex dynamic characteristics, the pseudo-excitation method and the residue theorem. By using the closed-form solution, extensive parametric studies can be carried out for the system of many degrees of freedom. The beneficial parameters of LQG controllers for achieving the maximum response reduction of both buildings using reasonable control forces can be identified. The effectiveness of LQG controllers for this particular application is evaluated in this study. The results show that for the adjacent buildings of different dynamic properties, if the parameters of LQG controllers are selected appropriately, the modal damping ratios of the system can be significantly increased and the seismic responses of both buildings can be considerably reduced. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Liquidity Constrained Markets Versus Debt Constrained MarketsECONOMETRICA, Issue 3 2001Timothy J. Kehoe This paper compares two different models in a common environment. The first model has liquidity constraints in that consumers save a single asset that they cannot sell short. The second model has debt constraints in that consumers cannot borrow so much that they would want to default, but is otherwise a standard complete markets model. Both models share the features that individuals are unable to completely insure against idiosyncratic shocks and that interest rates are lower than subjective discount rates. In a stochastic environment, the two models have quite different dynamic properties, with the debt constrained model exhibiting simple stochastic steady states, while the liquidity constrained model has greater persistence of shocks. [source] Machine Tools With Metal Foams,ADVANCED ENGINEERING MATERIALS, Issue 9 2006R. Neugebauer Abstract Machine tool construction calls for subassemblies with reduced weight while retaining excellent dynamic properties. Modern frame components do always meet required static stiffness but often display oscillation problems due to low component wall thicknesses. Breaking down solid steel structure into wide-area sandwich designs such as steel-aluminum foam-steel panels results in good static properties to be combined with excellent properties since these sandwiches have 30 to 40 times the flexural strength. This is due to their major geometrical moment of inertia in relation to adequate-mass steel sheet metals. In addition, the foam core dampens oscillations. Studies on foamed steel sections indicate that 2 to 3 times higher damping is likely in relation to unfoamed steel sections. These benefits were the motivation for the Chemnitz Metal Foam Center to accelerate development of extremely large-format sandwiches with dimensions of 1,500,×,1,000,mm2. [source] Dynamic Magnetic Properties of Ferroic Films, Multilayers, and Patterned ElementsADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS, Issue 15 2010Robert L. Stamps Abstract Modification and control of material properties through careful manipulation of geometry on nano- and sub-nanometer length scales is a cornerstone of modern materials science and technology. An exciting area in which these concepts have provided exceptional advances has been magnetoelectronics and nanomagnetism. Important scales in magnetic metals are conduction spin diffusion lengths and distances over which local moments correlate. Advanced techniques now allow for the creation of structures patterned on these length scales in three dimensions. The focus of this article is on magnetic structures whose dynamic properties can be strongly modified by ion bombardment and lithographic patterning. Examples are given of how microwave frequency properties can be tuned with external fields, how factors controlling magnetic switching can be controlled, and how manipulation of magnetic domain walls can be used to reveal new and surprising phenomena. [source] Structural consequences of site-directed mutagenesis in flexible protein domainsFEBS JOURNAL, Issue 8 200156)S mutant of RhoGDI, NMR characterization of the L(5 The guanine dissociation inhibitor RhoGDI consists of a folded C-terminal domain and a highly flexible N-terminal region, both of which are essential for biological activity, that is, inhibition of GDP dissociation from Rho GTPases, and regulation of their partitioning between membrane and cytosol. It was shown previously that the double mutation L55S/L56S in the flexible region of RhoGDI drastically decreases its affinity for Rac1. In the present work we study the effect of this double mutation on the conformational and dynamic properties of RhoGDI, and describe the weak interaction of the mutant with Rac1 using chemical shift mapping. We show that the helical content of the region 45,56 of RhoGDI is greatly reduced upon mutation, thus increasing the entropic penalty for the immobilization of the helix, and contributing to the loss of binding. In contrast to wild-type RhoGDI, no interaction with Rac1 could be identified for amino-acid residues of the flexible domain of the mutant RhoGDI and only very weak binding was observed for the folded domain of the mutant. The origins of the effect of the L55S/L56S mutation on the binding constant (decreased by at least three orders of magnitude relative to wild-type) are discussed with particular reference to the flexibility of this part of the protein. [source] Anisotropic Self-Assembly of Photoluminescent Oligo(p -Phenylenevinylene) Derivatives in Liquid Crystals: An Effective Strategy for the Macroscopic Alignment of , -GelsADVANCED MATERIALS, Issue 40 2009Yuki Hirai Aligned photoluminescent fibers are formed by the self assembly of an oligo-(p-phenylenevinylene) derivative (OPV) in oriented liquid crystals (see figure). The aligned fibers of OPV show polarized yellow emission in the direction of the long axis of fibers. New types of electro-optical and photonic systems can be visualized in the future as the polarized luminescence of these fibers is combined with the dynamic properties of the liquid crystals. [source] Stratum corneum keratin structure, function and formation , a comprehensive reviewINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF COSMETIC SCIENCE, Issue 6 2006L. Norlén Synopsis A comprehensive review on stratum corneum keratin organization, largely based on the recently published cubic rod-packing and membrane templating model [J. Invest. Dermatol., 123, 2004, 715], is presented. Keratin is the major non-aqueous component (wt/wt) of stratum corneum. As 90,100% of the stratum corneum water is thought to be located intracellularly one may presume that keratin also is a major factor (together with filaggrin-derived free amino acids) determining stratum corneum hydration level and water holding capacity. This water holding capacity depends in turn on the structural organization of the corneocyte keratin intermediate filament network. The cubic rod-packing model for the structure and function of the stratum corneum cell matrix postulates that corneocyte keratin filaments are arranged according to a cubic-like rod-packing symmetry. It is in accordance with the cryo-electron density pattern of the native corneocyte keratin matrix and could account for the swelling behaviour and the mechanical properties of mammalian stratum corneum. The membrane templating model for keratin dynamics and for the formation of the stratum corneum cell matrix postulates the presence in viable epidermal cellular space of a highly dynamic small lattice parameter (<30 nm) membrane structure with cubic-like symmetry, to which keratin is associated. It further proposes that membrane templating, rather than spontaneous self-assembly, is responsible for keratin intermediate filament formation and dynamics. It is in accordance with the cryo-electron density patterns of the native keratinocyte cytoplasmic space and could account for the characteristic features of the keratin network formation process, the dynamic properties of keratin intermediate filaments, the close lipid association of keratin, the insolubility in non-denaturating buffers and pronounced polymorphism of keratin assembled in vitro, and the measured reduction in cell-volume and hydration level between stratum granulosum and stratum corneum. Résumé, La kératine est le composant majeur anhydre de la couche cornée. Etant donné que l'on considère que 90 à 100% de l'eau de la couche cornée est localisée à l'intérieur des cellules, on peut penser que la kératine joue également un rôle important (en association avec les acides aminés libres dérivés de la filagrine) dans le niveau d'hydratation de la couche cornée et sa capacité de rétention de l'eau. Cette capacité de rétention de l'eau dépend elle-même de l'organization structurelle du réseau de filaments intermédiaires de la kératine des cornéocytes. Le modèle de cylindre en réseau cubique appliquéà la structure et aux fonctions de la matrice des cellules de la couche cornée stipule que les filaments de la kératine des cornéocytes sont disposés symétriquement, les paquets de fibrilles formant une structure cubique. Ceci est conforme au modèle de densité cryo-électronique de la matrice kératinique des cornéocytes natifs et pourrait expliquer le comportement de gonflement et les propriétés mécaniques de la couche cornée des mammifères. Le modèle d'assemblage membranaire appliquéà la dynamique de la kératine et à la formation de la matrice cellulaire du stratum cornéum postule la présence dans l'espace cellulaire viable de l'épiderme d'une structure membranaire hautement dynamique présentant un petit paramètre de maille (<30 nm) et une organization en forme de cube, à laquelle la kératine est associée. D'autre part, ce modèle suggère qu'un assemblage membranaire plutôt qu'un auto-assemblage spontané puisse être à l'origine de la formation des filaments intermédiaires de kératine et de leur dynamique. Ceci concorde avec les modèles de densité cryo-électronique du cytoplasme des kératinocytes natifs et pourrait expliquer les caractéristiques du processus de formation du réseau kératinique, les propriétés dynamiques des filaments intermédiaires de kératine, l'association de la kératine avec les lipides, l'insolubilité dans les tampons non dénaturants, le polymorphisme caractéristique de la kératine assemblée in vitro, ainsi que la diminution mesurée du volume cellulaire et du niveau d'hydratation entre le stratum granulosum et le stratum corneum. [source] Persistence of business cycles in multisector real business cycle modelsINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC THEORY, Issue 3-4 2006Jess Benhabib E00; E3; O40 In this paper we explore whether the changing composition of output in response to technology shocks can play a significant role in the propagation of shocks over time. For this purpose we study two multisector real business cycle models, with two and three sectors. We find that, although the two-sector model requires a high intertemporal elasticity of substitution of consumption to match the various dynamic properties of US macroeconomic data, the three-sector model has a strong propagation mechanism under conventional parameterizations, as long as the factor intensities in the three sectors are different enough. [source] Stability and instability of the unbeatable strategy in dynamic processesINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC THEORY, Issue 1 2006Fuhito Kojima C72; C73 A strategy is unbeatable if it is immune to any entrant strategy of any size. This paper investigates static and dynamic properties of unbeatable strategies. We give equivalent conditions for a strategy to be unbeatable and compare it with related equilibrium concepts. An unbeatable strategy is globally stable under replicator dynamics. In contrast, an unbeatable strategy can fail to be globally stable under best response dynamics even if it is also a unique and strict Nash equilibrium. [source] Production externalities and local dynamics in discrete-time multi-sector growth models with general production technologiesINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC THEORY, Issue 4 2005Kazuo Nishimura D90; O41 The present paper examines the dynamic properties of discrete-time, multi-sector growth models in the presence of sector-specific externalities. It extends the literature by allowing for multiple capital good sectors with general social constant returns production technologies. We establish conditions for the steady-state equilibrium to be locally determinate or locally indeterminate, depending crucially on the ratios of the social to private marginal products and the number of capital good sectors. We show that when the ratios of the social to private marginal products are uniform across all sectors, the steady state is always locally determinate in a two-sector model, although local indeterminacy might still arise when the economy features more than two sectors. [source] Modeling zinc sulfhydryl bonds in zinc fingersINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF QUANTUM CHEMISTRY, Issue 3-4 2001Johan Bredenberg Abstract Molecular dynamics simulations have been carried out employing three different model descriptions of the zinc sulfhydryl interactions in class II fingers. One bonded and two nonbonded models were studied. Two variant structures of the glucocorticoid receptor DNA-binding domain and a NMR structure from a fragment of methionyl-tRNA synthetase were subjected to long-time MD simulations with these models. Our analysis is focused on comparison with experimental and quantum mechanical data, concerning the local Zn-finger and overall structural and dynamic properties for these models. All models performed well, but the nonbonded models appeared to reproduce the protein dynamics in better agreement with experimental data than does the bonded description. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Quant Chem 83: 230,244, 2001 [source] Simultaneous light and small-angle neutron scattering on aggregating concentrated colloidal suspensionsJOURNAL OF APPLIED CRYSTALLOGRAPHY, Issue 1 2003Sara Romer A new sample environment has been developed in order to perform light and small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) simultaneously on colloidal systems. The combination of SANS and diffusing wave spectroscopy (DWS) is of particular use in the high-concentration regime. DWS provides information on the local dynamic properties of the individual particles, whereas SANS gives access to the structural properties on similar length scales. The combination of both methods thus allows one to obtain structural and dynamic information over a very large range of length and time scales. Using this new setup, the onset of aggregation and the sol,gel transition in concentrated destabilized polystyrene sphere suspensions have been investigated. At the gel point, a dramatic change of the particle dynamics from diffusion to a subdiffusive arrested motion is observed. However, while the DWS measurements indicate that dramatic changes in the local dynamics occur over a long period, the SANS pattern quickly reaches its final appearance. The SANS experiments thus indicate that a fluid-like structure is arrested in the course of the gel formation. The data are found to be in good qualitative agreement with computer simulations. [source] Highlight of a compensation effect between filler morphology and loading on dynamic properties of filled rubbersJOURNAL OF APPLIED POLYMER SCIENCE, Issue 5 2010Franck Sosson Abstract This investigation highlighted the equivalence between carbon black (CB) loading and structure influences on dynamic mechanical properties in the linear behavior of several filled synthetic rubber compounds. Different morphologies (specific surface area and structure) of CB incorporated at different loadings were formulated to modulate the filler-rubber matrix interphase content, usually named "tightly bound rubber." Both reinforcement level and tightly bound rubber content were measured on each compound by dynamic mechanical analysis (DMTA) and by Soxhlet extraction and thermogravimetry (TGA) respectively. Then, a systematic description of their evolution was made against CB loading and morphology. These evolutions were attributed to the hydrodynamic effect which could be evaluated by the effective filler volume fraction. A new parameter , is defined, representing the effective filler volume fraction for each compound and it was calculated on the basis of experimental parameters. Results show good correspondences between , included both the hydrodynamic effects of the filled carbon black rubbers and dynamic mechanical properties. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010 [source] Effects of ultraviolet irradiation on the static and dynamic properties of neoprene rubbersJOURNAL OF APPLIED POLYMER SCIENCE, Issue 5 2008Hsoung-Wei Chou Abstract Rubbers deteriorate when they are exposed to ultraviolet irradiation for long periods of time. By conducting a series of hardness measurements and simple tension tests, the static properties of neoprene rubbers before and after exposure to various durations of ultraviolet irradiation were first measured. It is found that the Shore A hardness and tensile modulus of neoprene rubbers after exposure to ultraviolet irradiation are increased but their elongation at break, tensile strength, and energy to break are significantly decreased. On the basis of a complex spring model of a vibration system, the dynamic shear properties of neoprene rubbers before and after exposure to different durations of ultraviolet irradiation were then determined from the experimental results of dynamic transmissibility tests. It is also found that the storage modulus, loss modulus, and loss factor of neoprene rubbers are drastically affected by the duration of ultraviolet irradiation they experienced. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008 [source] The structure and dynamic properties of nitrile,butadiene rubber/poly(vinyl chloride)/hindered phenol crosslinked compositesJOURNAL OF APPLIED POLYMER SCIENCE, Issue 1 2008Ping Xiang Abstract In this article, a new nitrile,butadiene rubber (NBR) crosslinked composites containing poly(viny chloride) (PVC) and hindered phenol (AO-80 and AO-60) was successfully prepared by melt-blending procedure. Microstruture and dynamic mechanical properties of the composites were investigated using SEM, DSC, XRD, and DMTA. Most of hindered phenol was dissolved in the NBR/PVC matrix and formed a much fine dispersion. The results of DSC and DMTA showed that strong intermolecular interaction was formed between the hindered phenol and NBR/PVC matrix. The NBR/PVC/AO-80 crosslinked composites showed only one transition with higher glass transition temperature and higher tan , value than the neat matrix, whereas for the NBR/PVC/AO-60 crosslinked composites, a new transition appeared above the glass transition temperature of matrix, which was associated with the intermolecular interaction between AO-60 and PVC component of the matrix. Both AO-80 and AO-60 in the crosslinked composites existed in amorphous form. Furthermore, the chemical crosslinking of composites resulted in better properties of the materials, e.g., considerable tensile strength and applied elastic reversion. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008 [source] Effect of silica reinforcement on natural rubber and butadiene rubber vulcanizates by a sol,gel reaction with tetraethoxysilaneJOURNAL OF APPLIED POLYMER SCIENCE, Issue 6 2008Kyong-Hwan Chung Abstract The effect of silica reinforcement was studied for natural rubber (NR) and butadiene rubber (BR) vulcanizates by a sol,gel reaction with tetraethoxysilane at different temperatures. The formation of silica in the rubber vulcanizates was investigated analytically with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray analysis. The variations of the mechanical and dynamic properties were measured in the NR and BR vulcanizates with silica filling. The hardness of the rubber vulcanizates increased with silica filling in the rubber matrix. The tensile strength and elongation at break decreased with silica filling in the NR vulcanizates. The moduli at 50, 100, and 300% elongation increased with silica filling in the rubber matrix. The storage modulus of silica-filled rubber vulcanizates became higher than that of pure rubber vulcanizates. The temperature dependence of the loss modulus also increased with silica filling. The temperature dependence of the loss tangent was maintained, regardless of silica filling in the BR vulcanizates. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 2008 [source] Effects of cyclic compression and thermal aging on dynamic properties of neoprene rubber bearingsJOURNAL OF APPLIED POLYMER SCIENCE, Issue 3 2008Hsoung-Wei Chou Abstract The dynamic properties of rubber bearings frequently used as isolators in structures could be significantly deteriorated because of the change of microstructure in rubber caused by cyclic compression and thermal aging. As a result, a catastrophic failure of bridges and buildings unexpectedly occurs when they are subjected to earthquake attack. Here, the dynamic properties of neoprene rubber bearings before and after different cycles of compressive loading or various periods of thermal aging were first measured and compared to each other. On the basis of the experimental results, the effects of cyclic compression and thermal aging on the stiffness, energy absorption, and equivalent viscous damping coefficient of neoprene rubber bearings are investigated. It is found that the deterioration of dynamic properties of neoprene rubber bearings caused by either cyclic compression or by thermal aging is significant and should be taken into account in designing rubber bearings. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. JAppl Polym Sci, 2008 [source] Novel 3D collagen scaffolds fabricated by indirect printing technique for tissue engineeringJOURNAL OF BIOMEDICAL MATERIALS RESEARCH, Issue 2 2008C. Z. Liu Abstract This article reports the mechanical properties and in vitro evaluation of a collagen scaffold fabricated using an indirect 3D printing technique. Collagen scaffolds, featuring predefined internal channels and capillary networks, were manufactured using phase change printing. It was observed that the collagen scaffolds featured internal channels and a hierarchical structure that varied over length scales of 10,400 ,m. In vitro evaluation using hMSCs demonstrated that the resultant collagen based scaffolds have the ability to support hMSC cell attachment and proliferation; cells can migrate and survive deep within the structure of the scaffold. The cell numbers increased 2.4 times over 28 days in culture for the lysine treated scaffolds. The cells were spread along the collagen fibers to form a 3D structure and extracellular matrix was detected on the surface of the scaffolds after 4 weeks in culture. The crosslinking treatment enhanced the biostability and dynamic properties of the collagen scaffolds significantly. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 2008 [source] The Role of Cardiac Tissue Alignment in Modulating Electrical FunctionJOURNAL OF CARDIOVASCULAR ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY, Issue 12 2007CHIUNG-YIN CHUNG M.S. Introduction:,Most cardiac arrhythmias are associated with pathology-triggered ion channel remodeling. However, multicellular effects, for example, exaggerated anisotropy and altered cell-to-cell coupling, can also indirectly affect action potential morphology and electrical stability via changed electrotonus. These changes are particularly relevant in structural heart disease, including hypertrophy and infarction. Recent computational studies showed that electrotonus factors into stability by altering dynamic properties (restitution). We experimentally address the question of how cell alignment and connectivity alter tissue function and whether these effects depend on the direction of wave propagation. Methods and Results:,We show that cardiac cell arrangement can alter electrical stability in an in vitro cardiac tissue model by mechanisms both dependent and independent of the direction of wave propagation, and local structural remodeling can be felt beyond a space constant. Notably, restitution of action potential duration (APD) and conduction velocity was significantly steepened in the direction of cell alignment. Furthermore, prolongation of APD and calcium transient duration was found in highly anisotropic cell networks, both for longitudinal and transverse propagation. This is in contrast to expected correlation between wave propagation direction and APD based on electrotonic effects only, but is consistent with our findings of increased cell size and secretion of atrial natriuretic factor, a hypertrophy marker, in the aligned structures. Conclusion:,Our results show that anisotropic structure is a potent modulator of electrical stability via electrotonus and molecular signaling. Tissue alignment must be taken into account in experimental and computational models of arrhythmia generation and in designing effective treatment therapies. [source] Retrieval of spectral and dynamic properties from two-dimensional infrared pump-probe experimentsJOURNAL OF COMPUTATIONAL CHEMISTRY, Issue 9 2008Riccardo Chelli Abstract We have developed a fitting algorithm able to extract spectral and dynamic properties of a three level oscillator from a two-dimensional infrared spectrum (2D-IR) detected in time resolved nonlinear experiments. Such properties go from the frequencies of the ground-to-first and first-to-second vibrational transitions (and hence anharmonicity) to the frequency-fluctuation correlation function. This last is represented through a general expression that allows one to approach the various strategies of modeling proposed in the literature. The model is based on the Kubo picture of stochastic fluctuations of the transition frequency as a result of perturbations by a fluctuating surrounding. To account for the line-shape broadening due to pump pulse spectral width in double-resonance measurements, we supply the fitting algorithm with the option to perform the convolution of the spectral signal with a Lorentzian function in the pump-frequency dimension. The algorithm is tested here on 2D-IR pump-probe spectra of a Gly-Ala dipeptide recorded at various pump-probe delay times. Speedup benchmarks have been performed on a small Beowulf cluster. The program is written in FORTRAN language for both serial and parallel architectures and is available free of charge to the interested reader. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Comput Chem, 2008 [source] Modern protein force fields behave comparably in molecular dynamics simulationsJOURNAL OF COMPUTATIONAL CHEMISTRY, Issue 11 2002Daniel J. Price Abstract Several molecular dynamics simulations were performed on three proteins,bovine apo-calbindin D9K, human interleukin-4 R88Q mutant, and domain IIA of bacillus subtilis glucose permease,with each of the AMBER94, CHARMM22, and OPLS-AA force fields as implemented in CHARMM. Structural and dynamic properties such as solvent-accessible surface area, radius of gyration, deviation from their respective experimental structures, secondary structure, and backbone order parameters are obtained from each of the 2-ns simulations for the purpose of comparing the protein portions of these force fields. For one of the proteins, the interleukin-4 mutant, two independent simulations were performed using the CHARMM22 force field to gauge the sensitivity of some of these properties to the specific trajectory. In general, the force fields tested performed remarkably similarly with differences on the order of those found for the two independent trajectories of interleukin-4 with CHARMM22. When all three proteins are considered together, no force field showed any consistent trend in variations for most of the properties monitored in the study. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Comput Chem 23: 1045,1057, 2002 [source] Multiresolution analysis on identification and dynamics of clusters in a circulating fluidized bedAICHE JOURNAL, Issue 3 2009Tung-Yu Yang Abstract A new wavelet-threshold criterion was developed to distinguish the cluster and the void phases from the transient solids holdup/concentration fluctuation signals when measured in a 108 mm-i.d. × 5.75 m-high circulating fluidized bed with FCC particles (dp = 78 ,m, ,p = 1,880 kg/m3). An appropriate level of approximation subsignal was systematically specified as a threshold for cluster identification, based on multiresolution analysis (MRA) of wavelet transformation. By the established threshold, the dynamic properties of clusters including the appearance time fraction of clusters Fcl, average cluster duration time ,cl, cluster frequency fcl, and local average solids holdup in clusters ,sc, at different radial and axial positions were determined under the turbulent, transition and fast fluidization flow regimes. The results also describe the dynamic properties of clusters and flow patterns in the splash zone along with the dense bottom region of the circulating fluidized beds. © 2009 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2009 [source] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||