18,551 research outputs found
Energetics of ion competition in the DEKA selectivity filter of neuronal sodium channels
The energetics of ionic selectivity in the neuronal sodium channels is
studied. A simple model constructed for the selectivity filter of the channel
is used. The selectivity filter of this channel type contains aspartate (D),
glutamate (E), lysine (K), and alanine (A) residues (the DEKA locus). We use
Grand Canonical Monte Carlo simulations to compute equilibrium binding
selectivity in the selectivity filter and to obtain various terms of the excess
chemical potential from a particle insertion procedure based on Widom's method.
We show that K ions in competition with Na are efficiently excluded
from the selectivity filter due to entropic hard sphere exclusion. The
dielectric constant of protein has no effect on this selectivity. Ca
ions, on the other hand, are excluded from the filter due to a free energetic
penalty which is enhanced by the low dielectric constant of protein.Comment: 14 pages, 7 figure
The ion motion in self-modulated plasma wakefield accelerators
The effects of plasma ion motion in self-modulated plasma based accelerators
is examined. An analytical model describing ion motion in the narrow beam limit
is developed, and confirmed through multi-dimensional particle-in-cell
simulations. It is shown that the ion motion can lead to the early saturation
of the self-modulation instability, and to the suppression of the accelerating
gradients. This can reduce the total energy that can be transformed into
kinetic energy of accelerated particles. For the parameters of future
proton-driven plasma accelerator experiments, the ion dynamics can have a
strong impact. Possible methods to mitigate the effects of the ion motion in
future experiments are demonstrated.Comment: 11 pages, 3 figures, accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. Let
Context-aware mobile app for the multidimensional assessment of the elderly,
Rural areas in Europe are presenting a decreasing population density and an increasing age index. These elders usually present multiple diseases that require complex tools to identify the exact cares that they need. Currently, different frameworks can evaluate their functional status and identify the required cares to maintain their Quality of Life, together with the associated cost to the health system. Nevertheless, these frameworks are usually questionnaires that have to be performed by already overloaded professionals. In this paper, we make use of mobile technologies to build a system capable of monitoring the activities of the elderly and analysing these data to assess their functional status. The experiments carried out show us that it correctly evaluates these patients and reduces the effort required by health professionals
Recommended from our members
Quantification of the morphology of shelly carbonate sands using 3D images
Shelly carbonate sands proliferate in regions of the world where construction of offshore structures is in high demand. These structurally weak sands have high intra-granular voids and complex angular grain shapes. To improve the understanding of the mechanical properties of the material, a detailed morphological quantification is required. This paper presents a three-dimensional characterisation of the morphology of shelly carbonate sands based on analyses of X-ray computed tomography images. Two sands from the Persian Gulf with distinct grading were investigated. An adaptive watershed segmentation technique was developed to identify the individual grains for subsequent grain-scale analysis, which overcomes the challenges posed by the intricate microstructure of these sands. Non-invasive measurements of size, intra-granular void and various shape parameters were carried out, and statistical analyses were conducted, to characterise the grains. The results help to better understand the mechanisms of grain interlocking, and the role of grain angularity and intra-granular void ratio on the mechanical behaviour of shelly carbonate sands
Enriched elderly virtual profiles by means of a multidimensional integrated assessment platform
The pressure over Healthcare systems is increasing in most developed countries. The generalized aging of the population is one of the main causes. This situation is even worse in underdeveloped, sparsely populated regions like Extremadura in Spain or Alentejo in Portugal. The authors propose to use the Situational-Context, a technique to seamlessly adapt Internet of Things systems to the needs and preferences of their users, for virtually modeling the elderly. These models could be used to enhance the elderly experience when using those kind of systems without raising the need for technical skills or the costs of implementing such systems by the regional healthcare systems. In this paper, the integration of a multidimensional integrated assessment platform with such virtual profiles is presented. The assessment platform provides and additional source of information for the virtual profiles that is used to better adapt existing systems to the elders needs
New calculation schemes for proton-deuteron scattering including the Coulomb interaction
The Coulomb interaction between the protons is included in the description of
proton-deuteron scattering using the screening and renormalization approach in
the framework of momentum-space integral equations. Two new calculational
schemes are presented that confirm the reliability of the perturbative approach
for treating the screened Coulomb interaction in high partial waves, used by us
in earlier works.Comment: To be published in Phys. Rev.
- …