Spectrin domains,characterized by a distinctive triple helix structure,are crucial in physiological processes,particularly in maintaining membrane shape and crosslinking cytoskeletons.Previous research on the 16th dom...Spectrin domains,characterized by a distinctive triple helix structure,are crucial in physiological processes,particularly in maintaining membrane shape and crosslinking cytoskeletons.Previous research on the 16th domain of a-spectrin repeats(R16)has yielded conflicting results:bulk experiments showed an unfolding rate approximately two orders of magnitude faster than the zero-force result extrapolated from single-molecule force spectroscopy experiments using atomic force microscopy(AFM).To address this discrepancy,we investigated the folding and unfolding rates of R16 across a broader range of forces using magnetic tweezers(MT).Our findings reveal that AFM results at higher forces cannot be directly extrapolated to the low-force regime due to a nonlinear relationship between force and the logarithm of the unfolding rate.We demonstrated that two-dimensional model,structural-elastic model,and two-pathway model can all effectively explain the experimental data when they capture the core physics of the short unfolding distance at low forces.Our study provides a more comprehensive understanding of the unfolding dynamics of the spectrin domain,resolves previous contradictory experimental results,and highlights the common basis of different theoretical models.展开更多
Morphing aircraft are designed to adaptively adjust their shape for changing flight missions,which enables them to improve their flight performance significantly for future applications.The folding wingtips represent ...Morphing aircraft are designed to adaptively adjust their shape for changing flight missions,which enables them to improve their flight performance significantly for future applications.The folding wingtips represent a key research aspect for morphing aircraft,since they can lead to potential improvements in flight range,maneuverability,load alleviation and airport compatibility.This paper proposes a hinge mechanism design for folding wingtips based on the shape memory alloy torsion tube,aiming to achieve successful folding using the actuation effect of the shape memory alloy.The proposed design employs a shape memory alloy torsion tube as the actuator for the active folding of the wingtip,which is motivated by the characteristics of the tube,enabling a simplified structure for the integration with high energy density.Through numerical simulation and testing of the folding wingtip structure,the concept is verified,which shows its potential as an actuator for folding wingtips.展开更多
Two types of bound states in continuum(BICs),symmetry-protected and Brillouin zone folding driven,are identified in hollow Si nanorod arrays.By modulating the direction and distance of the air holes from the center of...Two types of bound states in continuum(BICs),symmetry-protected and Brillouin zone folding driven,are identified in hollow Si nanorod arrays.By modulating the direction and distance of the air holes from the center of the nanorods,it is possible to achieve either a single quasi-BIC or three quasi-BICs.The transmission spectra exhibit ultra-narrow lines,and the quasi-BICs demonstrate ultra-high Q factors.Additionally,efficient third-harmonic generation occurs at low pump intensities.The results indicate that the proposed nanostructures of two types of BICs with a flexible modulation hold great potential applications for nonlinear photonic devices.展开更多
In an attempt to realize a flapping wing micro-air vehicle with morphing wings, we report on improvements to our previousfoldable artificial hind wing.Multiple hinges, which were implemented to mimic the bending zone ...In an attempt to realize a flapping wing micro-air vehicle with morphing wings, we report on improvements to our previousfoldable artificial hind wing.Multiple hinges, which were implemented to mimic the bending zone of a beetle hind wing, weremade of small composite hinge plates and tiny aluminum rivets.The buck-tails of rivets were flared after the hinge plates wereassembled with the rivets so that the folding/unfolding motions could be completed in less time, and the straight shape of theartificial hind wing could be maintained after fabrication.Folding and unfolding actions were triggered by electrically-activatedShape Memory Alloy (SMA) wires.For wing folding, the actuation characteristics of the SMA wire actuator were modifiedthrough heat treatment.Through a series of flapping tests, we confirmed that the artificial wings did not fold back and arbitrarilyfluctuate during the flapping motion.展开更多
Artificial molecular chaperone （AMC） and ion exchange chromatography （IEC） were integrated, thus a new refolding method, artificial molecular chaperone-ion exchange chromatography （AMC-IEC） was developed. Compar...Artificial molecular chaperone （AMC） and ion exchange chromatography （IEC） were integrated, thus a new refolding method, artificial molecular chaperone-ion exchange chromatography （AMC-IEC） was developed. Compared with AMC and IEC, the activity recovery of lysozyme obtained by AMC-IEC was much higher in the investigated range of initial protein concentrations, and the results show that AMC-IEC is very efficient for protein refolding at high concentrations. When the initial concentration of lysozyme is 180 mg/mL, its activity recovery obtained by AMC-IEC is still as high as 76.6%, while the activity recoveries obtained by AMC and IEC are 45.6% and 42.4%, respectively.展开更多
An accurate period is important to recover the pulse profile from a recorded photon event series of an X-ray pulsar and to estimate the pulse time of arrival,which is the measurement of X-ray pulsar navigation.Epoch f...An accurate period is important to recover the pulse profile from a recorded photon event series of an X-ray pulsar and to estimate the pulse time of arrival,which is the measurement of X-ray pulsar navigation.Epoch folding is a classical period estimation method in the time domain;however,its computational complexity grows as the number of trail periods increases.In order to reduce the computational complexity,this paper improves the fast folding algorithm through segment correlation and amplitude accumulation,which is based on the post-order traversal of a binary tree.Compared with epoch folding,the improved fast folding algorithm can achieve a similar accuracy at the cost of a lower computational burden.Compared with the original fast folding algorithm,the improved algorithm can be applied to detectors with a much smaller effective area.The performance of the method is investigated by simulation data and observation data from the Neutron star Interior Composition Explorer(NICER).展开更多
A CMOS folding and interpolating analog-to-digital converter (ADC) for embedded application is described.The circuit is fully compatible with standard digital CMOS technology.A modified folding block implemented witho...A CMOS folding and interpolating analog-to-digital converter (ADC) for embedded application is described.The circuit is fully compatible with standard digital CMOS technology.A modified folding block implemented without resistor contributes to a small chip area.At the input stage,offset averaging reduces the input capacitance and the distributed track-and-hold circuits are proposed to improve signal-to-noise-plus-distortion ratio.The 200Ms/s 8bit ADC with 177mW total power consumption at 3.3V power supply is realized in standard digital 0.18μm 3.3V CMOS technology.展开更多
The folding of many small proteins is kinetically a two-state process with one major free-energy barrier to overcome,which can be roughly regarded as the inverse process of unfolding.In this work,we first use a Gaussi...The folding of many small proteins is kinetically a two-state process with one major free-energy barrier to overcome,which can be roughly regarded as the inverse process of unfolding.In this work,we first use a Gaussian network model to predict the folding nucleus corresponding to the major free-energy barrier of protein 2 GB1,and find that the folding nucleus is located in theβ-sheet domain.High-temperature molecular dynamics simulations are then used to investigate the unfolding process of 2 GB1.We draw free-energy surface from unfolding simulations,taking RMSD and contact number as reaction coordinates,which confirms that the folding of 2 GB1 is kinetically a two-state process.The comparison of the contact maps before and after the free energy barrier indicates that the transition from native to non-native structure of the protein is kinetically caused by the destruction of theβ-sheet domain,which manifests that the folding nucleus is indeed located in theβ-sheet domain.Moreover,the constrained MD simulation further confirms that the destruction of the secondary structures does not alter the topology of the protein retained by the folding nucleus.These results provide vital information for upcoming researchers to further understand protein folding in similar systems.展开更多
The design of any antagonist or inhibitor for any enzyme requires the knowledge of structure- function relationship of the protein and the optimum conformational states for maximum and minimum activities. Furthermore,...The design of any antagonist or inhibitor for any enzyme requires the knowledge of structure- function relationship of the protein and the optimum conformational states for maximum and minimum activities. Furthermore, designing of the inhibitors or drugs against an enzyme becomes easier if there is information available about various well characterized intermediate conformation of the molecule. In vivo folding pathway of any recombinant protein is an important parameter for understanding its ability to fold by itself inside the cell, which always dictates the downstream processing for the purification. In the present manuscript we have discussed about the in vivo and in vitro folding, and structure-function relationship of Dihydrofolate reductase enzyme. This is an important enzyme involved in the cell growth and hence inhibition or inactivation of the enzyme may reduce the cell growth. It was observed that the equilibrium unfolding transition of DHFR proceeds through the formation of intermediates having higher exposed surface hydrophobicity, unchanged enzymatic activity and minimum changes in the secondary structural elements. Because of enhanced surface hydrophobicity, and unchanged enzymatic activity, these intermediates could be a nice target for designing drugs against DHFR.展开更多
Understanding the folding processes of a protein into its three-dimensional native structure only with its amino-acid sequence information is a long-standing challenge in modern science. Two- hundred independent foldi...Understanding the folding processes of a protein into its three-dimensional native structure only with its amino-acid sequence information is a long-standing challenge in modern science. Two- hundred independent folding simulations (starting from non-native conformations) and two- hundred independent unfolding simulations (starting from the folded native structure) are performed using the united-residue force field and Metropolis Monte Carlo algorithm for betanova (three-stranded antiparallel beta-sheet protein). From these extensive computer simulations, two representative folding pathways and two representative unfolding pathways are obtained in the reaction coordinates such as the fraction of native contacts, the radius of gyration, and the root- mean-square deviation. The folding pathways and the unfolding pathways are similar each other. The largest deviation between the folding pathways and the unfolding pathways results from the root-mean-square deviation near the folded native structure. In general, unfolding computer simulations could capture the essentials of folding simulations.展开更多
The flutter characteristics of folding control fins with freeplay are investigated by numer- ical simulation and flutter wind tunnel tests. Based on the characteristics of the structures, fins with different freeplay ...The flutter characteristics of folding control fins with freeplay are investigated by numer- ical simulation and flutter wind tunnel tests. Based on the characteristics of the structures, fins with different freeplay angles are designed. For a 0° angle of attack, wind tunnel tests of these fins are conducted, and vibration is observed by accelerometers and a high-speed camera. By the expansion of the connected relationships, the governing equations of fit for the nonlinear aeroelastic analysis are established by the free-interface component mode synthesis method. Based on the results of the wind tunnel tests, the flutter characteristics of fins with different freeplay angles are analyzed. The results show that the vibration divergent speed is increased, and the divergent speed is higher than the flutter speed of the nominal linear system. The vibration divergent speed is increased along with an increase in the freeplay angle. The developed free-interface component mode synthesis method could be used to establish governing equations and to analyze the characteristics of nonlinear aeroe- lastic systems. The results of the numerical simulations and the wind tunnel tests indicate the same trends and critical velocities.展开更多
A serial of＂comb-like and trough-like＂folds developed in eastern Sichuan,controlled by the multi-layer detachment folding,is different from the classical Jura-type structure in their development.The key factor resul...A serial of＂comb-like and trough-like＂folds developed in eastern Sichuan,controlled by the multi-layer detachment folding,is different from the classical Jura-type structure in their development.The key factor resulting in the development of these structures is the occurrence of detachment layers in different parts of Neoprotozoic to Mesozoic stratigraphy of study area,which, from the bottom to the top,are the lower part of Banxi Group,Lower Cambrian（Niutitang Formation）,Lower Silurian（Longmaxi Formation and Luoreping Formation）,Upper Permian （Wujiaping Formation） and Lower Triassic（Daye Formation）.On the basis of field survey combined with sand-box modeling,this study argued that the detachment layer of the lower part of Banxi Group controlled the development of the＂comb-like＂folds,and the lower part of Cambrian detachment layer controlled the development of＂trough-like＂folds.Because of several detachment layers occurring in the study area,the development of duplex structures different scales is an important deformation mechanism,and the duplexes are the important structures distinguished from the typical detachment folding structures.Due to these duplexes,the surface structures and structural highs may not be the structural highs in the depth.Meanwhile,the detachment layers are good channels for oil/ gas migration benefiting the understanding of accumulation and migration of oil and gas.展开更多
The nonlinear aeroelastic behavior of a folding fin in supersonic flow is investigated in this paper.The finite element model of the fin is established and the deployable hinges are represented by three torsion spring...The nonlinear aeroelastic behavior of a folding fin in supersonic flow is investigated in this paper.The finite element model of the fin is established and the deployable hinges are represented by three torsion springs with the freeplay nonlinearity.The aerodynamic grid point is assumed to be at the center of each aerodynamic box for simplicity.The aerodynamic governing equation is given by using the infinite plate spline method and the modified linear piston theory.An improved fixed-interface modal synthesis method,which can reduce the rigid connections at the interface,is developed to save the problem size and computation time.The uniform temperature field is applied to create the thermal environment.For the linear flutter analyses,the flutter speed increases first and then decreases with the rise of the hinge stiffness due to the change of the flutter coupling mechanism.For the nonlinear analyses,a larger freeplay angle results in a higher vibration divergent speed.Two different types of limit cycle oscillations and a multiperiodic motion are observed in the wide range of airspeed under the linear flutter boundary.The linear flutter speed shows a slight descend in the thermal environment,but the effect of the temperature on the vibration divergent speed is different under different hinge stiffnesses when there exists freeplay.展开更多
The thin-walled tube flexure（TWTF） hinges have important potential application value in the deployment mechanisms of satellite and solar array, but the optimal design of the TWTF hinges haven＇t been completely solv...The thin-walled tube flexure（TWTF） hinges have important potential application value in the deployment mechanisms of satellite and solar array, but the optimal design of the TWTF hinges haven＇t been completely solved, which restricts their applications. An optimal design method for the qusai-static folding and deploying of TWTF hinges with double slots is presented based on the response surface theory. Firstly, the full factorial method is employed to design of the experiments. Then, the finite element models of the TWTF hinges with double slots are constructed to simulate the qusai-static folding and deploying non-linear analysis. What＇s more, the mathematical model of the TWTF flexure hinge quasi-static folding and deploying properties are derived by the response surface method. Considering of small mass and high stability, the peak moment of quasi-static folding and deploying as well as the lightless are set as the objectives to get the optimal performances. The relative errors of the objectives between the optimal design results and the FE analysis results are less than 7%, which demonstrates the precision of the surrogate models. Lastly, the parameter study shows that both the slots length and the slots width both have significant effects to the peak moment of quasi-static folding and deploying of TWTF hinges with double slots. However, the maximum Mises stress of quasi-static folding is more sensitive to the slots length than the slots width. The proposed research can be applied to optimize other thin-walled flexure hinges under quasi-static folding and deploying, which is of great importance to design of flexure hinges with high stability and low stress.展开更多
A folding beam-type piezoelectric phononic crystal model is proposed to isolate vibration. Two piezoelectric bimorphs are joined by two masses as a folding structure to comprise each unit cell of the piezoelectric pho...A folding beam-type piezoelectric phononic crystal model is proposed to isolate vibration. Two piezoelectric bimorphs are joined by two masses as a folding structure to comprise each unit cell of the piezoelectric phononic crystal. Each bimorph is connected independently by a resistive-inductive resonant shunting circuit. The folding structure extends the propagation path of elastic waves, while its structure size remains quite small. Propagation of coupled extension-flexural elastic waves is studied by the classical laminated beam theory and transfer matrix method. The theoretical model is further verified with the finite element method(FEM). The effects of geometrical and circuit parameters on the band gaps are analyzed. With only 4 unit cells, the folding beam-type piezoelectric phononic crystal generates two Bragg band gaps of 369 Hz to1 687 Hz and 2 127 Hz to 4 000 Hz. In addition, between these two Bragg band gaps, a locally resonant band gap is induced by resonant shunting circuits. Appropriate circuit parameters are used to join these two Bragg band gaps by the locally resonant band gap.Thus, a low-frequency and broad band gap of 369 Hz to 4 000 Hz is obtained.展开更多
The influences of airfoil thickness on the aerodynamic loading distribution and the hinge moments of folding wing aircraft are presented in this work.The traditional panel method shows deficiencies in the calculation ...The influences of airfoil thickness on the aerodynamic loading distribution and the hinge moments of folding wing aircraft are presented in this work.The traditional panel method shows deficiencies in the calculation of folding wing's hinge moments.Thus, a thickness correction strategy for the aerodynamic model with CFD results is proposed, and an aeroelastic flight simulation platform is constructed based on the secondary development of ADAMS.Based on the platform,the developed aerodynamic model is verified, then the flight-folding process of the folding wing aircraft is simulated, and the influences of airfoil thickness on the results are investigated.Results show that the developed aerodynamic model can effectively describe the thickness effect of the folding wing.Airfoil thickness, which cannot be considered by the panel method, has a great influence on the hinge moments during the folding process, and the thickness correction has great significance in the calculation of folding wing's hinge moments.展开更多
Currently many facets of genetic information are illdefined. In particular, how protein folding is genetically regulated has been a long-standing issue for genetics and protein biology. And a generic mechanistic model...Currently many facets of genetic information are illdefined. In particular, how protein folding is genetically regulated has been a long-standing issue for genetics and protein biology. And a generic mechanistic model with supports of genomic data is still lacking. Recent technological advances have enabled much needed genome-wide experiments. While putting the effect of codon optimality on debate, these studies have supplied mounting evidence suggesting a role of m RNA structure in the regulation of protein folding by modulating translational elongation rate. In conjunctions with previous theories, this mechanistic model of protein folding guided by m RNA structure shall expand our understandings of genetic information and offer new insights into various biomedical puzzles.展开更多
Due to wear and manufacturing tolerance,the freeplay is unavoidable in the hinges of folding fins,which exerts significant effects on the aerodynamic characteristics.This paper proposes a backbone-curve-based framewor...Due to wear and manufacturing tolerance,the freeplay is unavoidable in the hinges of folding fins,which exerts significant effects on the aerodynamic characteristics.This paper proposes a backbone-curve-based framework for the dynamical identification of folding fins containing the freeplay nonlinearity.With no need to measure the input force signal and the response signals of nonlinear related Degrees of Freedom(DOFs),the proposed method is more direct and elegant than most existing nonlinear identification approaches,and it contains three steps:Firstly,the underlying linear model of the folding fin structure is obtained through the modal test on its linear sub-parts,and then,the harmonic approximation solves the analytical expressions of the backbone curves of measurable DOFs.Secondly,response data measured from the sine-sweep test are used to extract the fitting points of backbone curves for these DOFs.Finally,the curve fitting approach is applied to identify the freeplay parameters.A series of numerical experiments verify the effectiveness of the proposed method.A real-life folding fin structure is also employed to illustrate how the method can be applied.These examples demonstrate that the identification framework can give an accurate dynamic model of the folding fin structure.展开更多
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foun-dation of China(Grant Nos.12174322,12474200,32271367,and 12204389)111 Project(B16029)Research Grant from Wenzhou Institute.
文摘Spectrin domains,characterized by a distinctive triple helix structure,are crucial in physiological processes,particularly in maintaining membrane shape and crosslinking cytoskeletons.Previous research on the 16th domain of a-spectrin repeats(R16)has yielded conflicting results:bulk experiments showed an unfolding rate approximately two orders of magnitude faster than the zero-force result extrapolated from single-molecule force spectroscopy experiments using atomic force microscopy(AFM).To address this discrepancy,we investigated the folding and unfolding rates of R16 across a broader range of forces using magnetic tweezers(MT).Our findings reveal that AFM results at higher forces cannot be directly extrapolated to the low-force regime due to a nonlinear relationship between force and the logarithm of the unfolding rate.We demonstrated that two-dimensional model,structural-elastic model,and two-pathway model can all effectively explain the experimental data when they capture the core physics of the short unfolding distance at low forces.Our study provides a more comprehensive understanding of the unfolding dynamics of the spectrin domain,resolves previous contradictory experimental results,and highlights the common basis of different theoretical models.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.52305262)the Aeronautical Science Foundation of China(No.20230015052002)the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities(No.NT2024001)。
文摘Morphing aircraft are designed to adaptively adjust their shape for changing flight missions,which enables them to improve their flight performance significantly for future applications.The folding wingtips represent a key research aspect for morphing aircraft,since they can lead to potential improvements in flight range,maneuverability,load alleviation and airport compatibility.This paper proposes a hinge mechanism design for folding wingtips based on the shape memory alloy torsion tube,aiming to achieve successful folding using the actuation effect of the shape memory alloy.The proposed design employs a shape memory alloy torsion tube as the actuator for the active folding of the wingtip,which is motivated by the characteristics of the tube,enabling a simplified structure for the integration with high energy density.Through numerical simulation and testing of the folding wingtip structure,the concept is verified,which shows its potential as an actuator for folding wingtips.
基金Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.12174228 and 12274271)。
文摘Two types of bound states in continuum(BICs),symmetry-protected and Brillouin zone folding driven,are identified in hollow Si nanorod arrays.By modulating the direction and distance of the air holes from the center of the nanorods,it is possible to achieve either a single quasi-BIC or three quasi-BICs.The transmission spectra exhibit ultra-narrow lines,and the quasi-BICs demonstrate ultra-high Q factors.Additionally,efficient third-harmonic generation occurs at low pump intensities.The results indicate that the proposed nanostructures of two types of BICs with a flexible modulation hold great potential applications for nonlinear photonic devices.
基金supported by the Korea Science and Engineering Foundation Grant(National Research Laboratory Program,R0A-2007-000-200012-0)the Korea Research Foundation(KRF-006-005-J03301)partially supported by the 2009 KU Brain Pool of Konkuk University
文摘In an attempt to realize a flapping wing micro-air vehicle with morphing wings, we report on improvements to our previousfoldable artificial hind wing.Multiple hinges, which were implemented to mimic the bending zone of a beetle hind wing, weremade of small composite hinge plates and tiny aluminum rivets.The buck-tails of rivets were flared after the hinge plates wereassembled with the rivets so that the folding/unfolding motions could be completed in less time, and the straight shape of theartificial hind wing could be maintained after fabrication.Folding and unfolding actions were triggered by electrically-activatedShape Memory Alloy (SMA) wires.For wing folding, the actuation characteristics of the SMA wire actuator were modifiedthrough heat treatment.Through a series of flapping tests, we confirmed that the artificial wings did not fold back and arbitrarilyfluctuate during the flapping motion.
基金the National Natural Science Foundation in China(No.20705028)the Foundation of Key Laboratory of Modem Separation Science in Shaanxi Province(No.05JS61).
文摘Artificial molecular chaperone （AMC） and ion exchange chromatography （IEC） were integrated, thus a new refolding method, artificial molecular chaperone-ion exchange chromatography （AMC-IEC） was developed. Compared with AMC and IEC, the activity recovery of lysozyme obtained by AMC-IEC was much higher in the investigated range of initial protein concentrations, and the results show that AMC-IEC is very efficient for protein refolding at high concentrations. When the initial concentration of lysozyme is 180 mg/mL, its activity recovery obtained by AMC-IEC is still as high as 76.6%, while the activity recoveries obtained by AMC and IEC are 45.6% and 42.4%, respectively.
基金the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.61703413).
文摘An accurate period is important to recover the pulse profile from a recorded photon event series of an X-ray pulsar and to estimate the pulse time of arrival,which is the measurement of X-ray pulsar navigation.Epoch folding is a classical period estimation method in the time domain;however,its computational complexity grows as the number of trail periods increases.In order to reduce the computational complexity,this paper improves the fast folding algorithm through segment correlation and amplitude accumulation,which is based on the post-order traversal of a binary tree.Compared with epoch folding,the improved fast folding algorithm can achieve a similar accuracy at the cost of a lower computational burden.Compared with the original fast folding algorithm,the improved algorithm can be applied to detectors with a much smaller effective area.The performance of the method is investigated by simulation data and observation data from the Neutron star Interior Composition Explorer(NICER).
文摘A CMOS folding and interpolating analog-to-digital converter (ADC) for embedded application is described.The circuit is fully compatible with standard digital CMOS technology.A modified folding block implemented without resistor contributes to a small chip area.At the input stage,offset averaging reduces the input capacitance and the distributed track-and-hold circuits are proposed to improve signal-to-noise-plus-distortion ratio.The 200Ms/s 8bit ADC with 177mW total power consumption at 3.3V power supply is realized in standard digital 0.18μm 3.3V CMOS technology.
基金supported by the Strategic Priority Research Program of Chinese Academy of Sciences(Grant No.XDA17010504)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.11947302)。
文摘The folding of many small proteins is kinetically a two-state process with one major free-energy barrier to overcome,which can be roughly regarded as the inverse process of unfolding.In this work,we first use a Gaussian network model to predict the folding nucleus corresponding to the major free-energy barrier of protein 2 GB1,and find that the folding nucleus is located in theβ-sheet domain.High-temperature molecular dynamics simulations are then used to investigate the unfolding process of 2 GB1.We draw free-energy surface from unfolding simulations,taking RMSD and contact number as reaction coordinates,which confirms that the folding of 2 GB1 is kinetically a two-state process.The comparison of the contact maps before and after the free energy barrier indicates that the transition from native to non-native structure of the protein is kinetically caused by the destruction of theβ-sheet domain,which manifests that the folding nucleus is indeed located in theβ-sheet domain.Moreover,the constrained MD simulation further confirms that the destruction of the secondary structures does not alter the topology of the protein retained by the folding nucleus.These results provide vital information for upcoming researchers to further understand protein folding in similar systems.
文摘The design of any antagonist or inhibitor for any enzyme requires the knowledge of structure- function relationship of the protein and the optimum conformational states for maximum and minimum activities. Furthermore, designing of the inhibitors or drugs against an enzyme becomes easier if there is information available about various well characterized intermediate conformation of the molecule. In vivo folding pathway of any recombinant protein is an important parameter for understanding its ability to fold by itself inside the cell, which always dictates the downstream processing for the purification. In the present manuscript we have discussed about the in vivo and in vitro folding, and structure-function relationship of Dihydrofolate reductase enzyme. This is an important enzyme involved in the cell growth and hence inhibition or inactivation of the enzyme may reduce the cell growth. It was observed that the equilibrium unfolding transition of DHFR proceeds through the formation of intermediates having higher exposed surface hydrophobicity, unchanged enzymatic activity and minimum changes in the secondary structural elements. Because of enhanced surface hydrophobicity, and unchanged enzymatic activity, these intermediates could be a nice target for designing drugs against DHFR.
文摘Understanding the folding processes of a protein into its three-dimensional native structure only with its amino-acid sequence information is a long-standing challenge in modern science. Two- hundred independent folding simulations (starting from non-native conformations) and two- hundred independent unfolding simulations (starting from the folded native structure) are performed using the united-residue force field and Metropolis Monte Carlo algorithm for betanova (three-stranded antiparallel beta-sheet protein). From these extensive computer simulations, two representative folding pathways and two representative unfolding pathways are obtained in the reaction coordinates such as the fraction of native contacts, the radius of gyration, and the root- mean-square deviation. The folding pathways and the unfolding pathways are similar each other. The largest deviation between the folding pathways and the unfolding pathways results from the root-mean-square deviation near the folded native structure. In general, unfolding computer simulations could capture the essentials of folding simulations.
文摘The flutter characteristics of folding control fins with freeplay are investigated by numer- ical simulation and flutter wind tunnel tests. Based on the characteristics of the structures, fins with different freeplay angles are designed. For a 0° angle of attack, wind tunnel tests of these fins are conducted, and vibration is observed by accelerometers and a high-speed camera. By the expansion of the connected relationships, the governing equations of fit for the nonlinear aeroelastic analysis are established by the free-interface component mode synthesis method. Based on the results of the wind tunnel tests, the flutter characteristics of fins with different freeplay angles are analyzed. The results show that the vibration divergent speed is increased, and the divergent speed is higher than the flutter speed of the nominal linear system. The vibration divergent speed is increased along with an increase in the freeplay angle. The developed free-interface component mode synthesis method could be used to establish governing equations and to analyze the characteristics of nonlinear aeroe- lastic systems. The results of the numerical simulations and the wind tunnel tests indicate the same trends and critical velocities.
基金funded by the Science and Technology Research and Development Program of China Petroleum and Chemical Corporation(No.P06088)Nonprofit Special Research Program(No.200811015)the Land Resource Survey Project of the Ministry of Land and Natural Resources,China(No.1212010782003).
文摘A serial of＂comb-like and trough-like＂folds developed in eastern Sichuan,controlled by the multi-layer detachment folding,is different from the classical Jura-type structure in their development.The key factor resulting in the development of these structures is the occurrence of detachment layers in different parts of Neoprotozoic to Mesozoic stratigraphy of study area,which, from the bottom to the top,are the lower part of Banxi Group,Lower Cambrian（Niutitang Formation）,Lower Silurian（Longmaxi Formation and Luoreping Formation）,Upper Permian （Wujiaping Formation） and Lower Triassic（Daye Formation）.On the basis of field survey combined with sand-box modeling,this study argued that the detachment layer of the lower part of Banxi Group controlled the development of the＂comb-like＂folds,and the lower part of Cambrian detachment layer controlled the development of＂trough-like＂folds.Because of several detachment layers occurring in the study area,the development of duplex structures different scales is an important deformation mechanism,and the duplexes are the important structures distinguished from the typical detachment folding structures.Due to these duplexes,the surface structures and structural highs may not be the structural highs in the depth.Meanwhile,the detachment layers are good channels for oil/ gas migration benefiting the understanding of accumulation and migration of oil and gas.
文摘The nonlinear aeroelastic behavior of a folding fin in supersonic flow is investigated in this paper.The finite element model of the fin is established and the deployable hinges are represented by three torsion springs with the freeplay nonlinearity.The aerodynamic grid point is assumed to be at the center of each aerodynamic box for simplicity.The aerodynamic governing equation is given by using the infinite plate spline method and the modified linear piston theory.An improved fixed-interface modal synthesis method,which can reduce the rigid connections at the interface,is developed to save the problem size and computation time.The uniform temperature field is applied to create the thermal environment.For the linear flutter analyses,the flutter speed increases first and then decreases with the rise of the hinge stiffness due to the change of the flutter coupling mechanism.For the nonlinear analyses,a larger freeplay angle results in a higher vibration divergent speed.Two different types of limit cycle oscillations and a multiperiodic motion are observed in the wide range of airspeed under the linear flutter boundary.The linear flutter speed shows a slight descend in the thermal environment,but the effect of the temperature on the vibration divergent speed is different under different hinge stiffnesses when there exists freeplay.
基金supported by National Natural Science Foundation ofChina(Grant No.50935002)
文摘The thin-walled tube flexure（TWTF） hinges have important potential application value in the deployment mechanisms of satellite and solar array, but the optimal design of the TWTF hinges haven＇t been completely solved, which restricts their applications. An optimal design method for the qusai-static folding and deploying of TWTF hinges with double slots is presented based on the response surface theory. Firstly, the full factorial method is employed to design of the experiments. Then, the finite element models of the TWTF hinges with double slots are constructed to simulate the qusai-static folding and deploying non-linear analysis. What＇s more, the mathematical model of the TWTF flexure hinge quasi-static folding and deploying properties are derived by the response surface method. Considering of small mass and high stability, the peak moment of quasi-static folding and deploying as well as the lightless are set as the objectives to get the optimal performances. The relative errors of the objectives between the optimal design results and the FE analysis results are less than 7%, which demonstrates the precision of the surrogate models. Lastly, the parameter study shows that both the slots length and the slots width both have significant effects to the peak moment of quasi-static folding and deploying of TWTF hinges with double slots. However, the maximum Mises stress of quasi-static folding is more sensitive to the slots length than the slots width. The proposed research can be applied to optimize other thin-walled flexure hinges under quasi-static folding and deploying, which is of great importance to design of flexure hinges with high stability and low stress.
基金Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.11272126,51435006,and 51121002)the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities(Nos.HUST:2016JCTD114 and HUST:2015TS121)
文摘A folding beam-type piezoelectric phononic crystal model is proposed to isolate vibration. Two piezoelectric bimorphs are joined by two masses as a folding structure to comprise each unit cell of the piezoelectric phononic crystal. Each bimorph is connected independently by a resistive-inductive resonant shunting circuit. The folding structure extends the propagation path of elastic waves, while its structure size remains quite small. Propagation of coupled extension-flexural elastic waves is studied by the classical laminated beam theory and transfer matrix method. The theoretical model is further verified with the finite element method(FEM). The effects of geometrical and circuit parameters on the band gaps are analyzed. With only 4 unit cells, the folding beam-type piezoelectric phononic crystal generates two Bragg band gaps of 369 Hz to1 687 Hz and 2 127 Hz to 4 000 Hz. In addition, between these two Bragg band gaps, a locally resonant band gap is induced by resonant shunting circuits. Appropriate circuit parameters are used to join these two Bragg band gaps by the locally resonant band gap.Thus, a low-frequency and broad band gap of 369 Hz to 4 000 Hz is obtained.
基金co-supported by a Project Funded by the Priority Academic Program Development of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutionsthe National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.11472133)。
文摘The influences of airfoil thickness on the aerodynamic loading distribution and the hinge moments of folding wing aircraft are presented in this work.The traditional panel method shows deficiencies in the calculation of folding wing's hinge moments.Thus, a thickness correction strategy for the aerodynamic model with CFD results is proposed, and an aeroelastic flight simulation platform is constructed based on the secondary development of ADAMS.Based on the platform,the developed aerodynamic model is verified, then the flight-folding process of the folding wing aircraft is simulated, and the influences of airfoil thickness on the results are investigated.Results show that the developed aerodynamic model can effectively describe the thickness effect of the folding wing.Airfoil thickness, which cannot be considered by the panel method, has a great influence on the hinge moments during the folding process, and the thickness correction has great significance in the calculation of folding wing's hinge moments.
基金supported by the start-up grant from“Top 100 Talents Program”of Sun Yat-sen University to JRY(50000-31131114)General Program of National Natural Science Foundation of China to JRY(31671320)
文摘Currently many facets of genetic information are illdefined. In particular, how protein folding is genetically regulated has been a long-standing issue for genetics and protein biology. And a generic mechanistic model with supports of genomic data is still lacking. Recent technological advances have enabled much needed genome-wide experiments. While putting the effect of codon optimality on debate, these studies have supplied mounting evidence suggesting a role of m RNA structure in the regulation of protein folding by modulating translational elongation rate. In conjunctions with previous theories, this mechanistic model of protein folding guided by m RNA structure shall expand our understandings of genetic information and offer new insights into various biomedical puzzles.
基金financial supports from the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities, China (No. HIT. NSRIF. 2020014)the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 12102103)
文摘Due to wear and manufacturing tolerance,the freeplay is unavoidable in the hinges of folding fins,which exerts significant effects on the aerodynamic characteristics.This paper proposes a backbone-curve-based framework for the dynamical identification of folding fins containing the freeplay nonlinearity.With no need to measure the input force signal and the response signals of nonlinear related Degrees of Freedom(DOFs),the proposed method is more direct and elegant than most existing nonlinear identification approaches,and it contains three steps:Firstly,the underlying linear model of the folding fin structure is obtained through the modal test on its linear sub-parts,and then,the harmonic approximation solves the analytical expressions of the backbone curves of measurable DOFs.Secondly,response data measured from the sine-sweep test are used to extract the fitting points of backbone curves for these DOFs.Finally,the curve fitting approach is applied to identify the freeplay parameters.A series of numerical experiments verify the effectiveness of the proposed method.A real-life folding fin structure is also employed to illustrate how the method can be applied.These examples demonstrate that the identification framework can give an accurate dynamic model of the folding fin structure.
