Two-dimensional melting of colloids with long-range attractive interactions.

Science.gov (United States)

Du, Di; Doxastakis, Manolis; Hilou, Elaa; Biswal, Sibani Lisa

2017-02-22

The solid-liquid melting transition in a two-dimensional (2-D) attractive colloidal system is visualized using superparamagnetic colloids that interact through a long-range isotropic attractive interaction potential, which is induced using a high-frequency rotating magnetic field. Various experiments, supported by Monte Carlo simulations, are carried out over a range of interaction potentials and densities to determine structure factors, Lindermann parameters, and translational and orientational order parameters. The system shows a first-order solid-liquid melting transition. Simulations and experiments suggest that dislocations and disclinations simultaneously unbind during melting. This is in direct contrast with reports of 2-D melting of paramagnetic particles that interact with a repulsive interaction potential.

Unfavorable regions in the ramachandran plot: Is it really steric hindrance? The interacting quantum atoms perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

Maxwell, Peter I; Popelier, Paul L A

2017-11-05

Accurate description of the intrinsic preferences of amino acids is important to consider when developing a biomolecular force field. In this study, we use a modern energy partitioning approach called Interacting Quantum Atoms to inspect the cause of the φ and ψ torsional preferences of three dipeptides (Gly, Val, and Ile). Repeating energy trends at each of the molecular, functional group, and atomic levels are observed across both (1) the three amino acids and (2) the φ/ψ scans in Ramachandran plots. At the molecular level, it is surprisingly electrostatic destabilization that causes the high-energy regions in the Ramachandran plot, not molecular steric hindrance (related to the intra-atomic energy). At the functional group and atomic levels, the importance of key peptide atoms (O i -1 , C i , N i , N i +1 ) and some sidechain hydrogen atoms (H γ ) are identified as responsible for the destabilization seen in the energetically disfavored Ramachandran regions. Consistently, the O i -1 atoms are particularly important for the explanation of dipeptide intrinsic behavior, where electrostatic and steric destabilization unusually complement one another. The findings suggest that, at least for these dipeptides, it is the peptide group atoms that dominate the intrinsic behavior, more so than the sidechain atoms. © 2017 The Authors. Journal of Computational Chemistry Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2017 The Authors. Journal of Computational Chemistry Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Estimating the magnitude of steric effects in rigid systems by NMR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoneda, Julliane Diniz; Seidl, Peter Rudolf; Leal, Katia Zaccur

2008-01-01

The rapid advance of supramolecular chemistry has led to a better understanding of the forces and interactions that are responsible for many different phenomena. Among these, steric effects play an important role in determining the constraints to association between the species involved. Although the role of steric effects has been recognized for a long time, quantitative information has been mainly related to the comparison of these effects on a chemical reaction or conformational equilibrium rather than the properties of the group of atoms that is responsible for their manifestation. This situation has been changing with the increase in power of computational methods and the accumulation of data on model compounds that can be used for the purpose of comparison. Here we present a short review of our recent work on NMR of rigid carbocyclic systems and apply this type of approach to di- and triamantane systems. Our results show how NMR can be used to locate the segment of a molecule that is subjected to steric effects and evaluate the degree to which these effects will distort its geometry. (author)

Estimating the magnitude of steric effects in rigid systems by NMR

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yoneda, Julliane Diniz [Universidade Federal Fluminense (UFF), Niteroi, RJ (Brazil). Programa Pos-Graduacao em Quimica Organica; Seidl, Peter Rudolf [Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), RJ (Brazil). Escola de Quimica; Leal, Katia Zaccur, E-mail: pseidl@eq.ufrj.br [Universidade Federal Fluminense (UFF), Niteroi, RJ (Brazil). Dept. de Fisico-Quimica. Programa de Pos-Graduacao em Quimica Organica

2008-07-01

The rapid advance of supramolecular chemistry has led to a better understanding of the forces and interactions that are responsible for many different phenomena. Among these, steric effects play an important role in determining the constraints to association between the species involved. Although the role of steric effects has been recognized for a long time, quantitative information has been mainly related to the comparison of these effects on a chemical reaction or conformational equilibrium rather than the properties of the group of atoms that is responsible for their manifestation. This situation has been changing with the increase in power of computational methods and the accumulation of data on model compounds that can be used for the purpose of comparison. Here we present a short review of our recent work on NMR of rigid carbocyclic systems and apply this type of approach to di- and triamantane systems. Our results show how NMR can be used to locate the segment of a molecule that is subjected to steric effects and evaluate the degree to which these effects will distort its geometry. (author)

Steric Pressure among Membrane-Bound Polymers Opposes Lipid Phase Separation.

Science.gov (United States)

Imam, Zachary I; Kenyon, Laura E; Carrillo, Adelita; Espinoza, Isai; Nagib, Fatema; Stachowiak, Jeanne C

2016-04-19

Lipid rafts are thought to be key organizers of membrane-protein complexes in cells. Many proteins that interact with rafts have bulky polymeric components such as intrinsically disordered protein domains and polysaccharide chains. Therefore, understanding the interaction between membrane domains and membrane-bound polymers provides insights into the roles rafts play in cells. Multiple studies have demonstrated that high concentrations of membrane-bound polymeric domains create significant lateral steric pressure at membrane surfaces. Furthermore, our recent work has shown that lateral steric pressure at membrane surfaces opposes the assembly of membrane domains. Building on these findings, here we report that membrane-bound polymers are potent suppressors of membrane phase separation, which can destabilize lipid domains with substantially greater efficiency than globular domains such as membrane-bound proteins. Specifically, we created giant vesicles with a ternary lipid composition, which separated into coexisting liquid ordered and disordered phases. Lipids with saturated tails and poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) chains conjugated to their head groups were included at increasing molar concentrations. When these lipids were sparse on the membrane surface they partitioned to the liquid ordered phase. However, as they became more concentrated, the fraction of GUVs that were phase-separated decreased dramatically, ultimately yielding a population of homogeneous membrane vesicles. Experiments and physical modeling using compositions of increasing PEG molecular weight and lipid miscibility phase transition temperature demonstrate that longer polymers are the most efficient suppressors of membrane phase separation when the energetic barrier to lipid mixing is low. In contrast, as the miscibility transition temperature increases, longer polymers are more readily driven out of domains by the increased steric pressure. Therefore, the concentration of shorter polymers required

Rotational states of Bose gases with attractive interactions in anharmonic traps

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lundh, Emil; Collin, Anssi; Suominen, Kalle-Antti

2004-01-01

A rotated and harmonically trapped Bose gas with attractive interactions is expected to either remain stationary or escape from the trap. Here we report that, on the contrary, in an anharmonic trapping potential the Bose gas with attractive interactions responds to external rotation very differently, namely, through center-of-mass motion or by formation of vortices

Steric parameters and excess properties of hydroxamic acids

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Patre, Sandhya; Thakur, Piyush; Pande, Rama

2012-01-01

Graphical abstract: Plot of excess molar volume, V E , vs X 2 of (A) PBHA in DMF, (B) PMNHA in DMF, and (C) PNHA in DMF, at (■), 298.15 K; (▪), 303.15 K; (▪), 308.15 K; and (▪), 313.15 K. Highlights: ► Apparent molar volume indicates greater solute–solvent interactions. ► Excess properties show higher dispersion force in solution than pure solvent. ► Excess parameters suggest strong solute–solvent and solute–solute interactions. ► Limiting apparent molar expansibilities instigate highly hydrophobic characters. ► Hepler’s constant suggest the structure promoter nature of hydroxamic acids. - Abstract: Steric parameters of N-phenylbenzo-, N-phenyl-4-methyl-3-nitrobenzo-, and N-phenyl-4-nitrobenzo-, hydroxamic acids were measured in N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) as a function of their concentrations at T = (298.15, 303.15, 308.15, and 313.15) K. The apparent molar volume (V φ ), limiting apparent molar volume (V φ 0 ) at infinite dilution and the slope (S V ∗ ) are calculated from the experimental values of density (ρ) by applying the Masson’s equation. The apparent molar expansibility at infinite dilution (φ E 0 ), molar volume (V) and the excess molar volume (V E ) are also computed. The refractive indices (n) have been used to calculate the steric parameters, viz. molar refraction (R M ), polarizability (α) and excess molar refraction (R) of these molecules. The results show the strong solute–solvent interactions present in the system and thus, help to explore the molecular structure.

Note: Nonpolar solute partial molar volume response to attractive interactions with water

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Williams, Steven M.; Ashbaugh, Henry S., E-mail: hanka@tulane.edu [Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana 70118 (United States)

2014-01-07

The impact of attractive interactions on the partial molar volumes of methane-like solutes in water is characterized using molecular simulations. Attractions account for a significant 20% volume drop between a repulsive Weeks-Chandler-Andersen and full Lennard-Jones description of methane interactions. The response of the volume to interaction perturbations is characterized by linear fits to our simulations and a rigorous statistical thermodynamic expression for the derivative of the volume to increasing attractions. While a weak non-linear response is observed, an average effective slope accurately captures the volume decrease. This response, however, is anticipated to become more non-linear with increasing solute size.

Note: Nonpolar solute partial molar volume response to attractive interactions with water.

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, Steven M; Ashbaugh, Henry S

2014-01-07

The impact of attractive interactions on the partial molar volumes of methane-like solutes in water is characterized using molecular simulations. Attractions account for a significant 20% volume drop between a repulsive Weeks-Chandler-Andersen and full Lennard-Jones description of methane interactions. The response of the volume to interaction perturbations is characterized by linear fits to our simulations and a rigorous statistical thermodynamic expression for the derivative of the volume to increasing attractions. While a weak non-linear response is observed, an average effective slope accurately captures the volume decrease. This response, however, is anticipated to become more non-linear with increasing solute size.

Quantum Szilard Engine with Attractively Interacting Bosons

Science.gov (United States)

Bengtsson, J.; Tengstrand, M. Nilsson; Wacker, A.; Samuelsson, P.; Ueda, M.; Linke, H.; Reimann, S. M.

2018-03-01

We show that a quantum Szilard engine containing many bosons with attractive interactions enhances the conversion between information and work. Using an ab initio approach to the full quantum-mechanical many-body problem, we find that the average work output increases significantly for a larger number of bosons. The highest overshoot occurs at a finite temperature, demonstrating how thermal and quantum effects conspire to enhance the conversion between information and work. The predicted effects occur over a broad range of interaction strengths and temperatures.

Bose-Einstein atoms in atomic traps with predominantly attractive two-body interactions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hussein, M.S.; Vorov, O.K.

2002-01-01

Using the Perron-Frobenius theorem, we prove that the results by Wilkin, Gunn, and Smith [Phys. Rev. Lett. 80, 2265 (1998)] for the ground states at angular momentum L of N harmonically trapped Bose atoms, interacting via weak attractive δ 2 (r) forces, are valid for a broad class of predominantly attractive interactions V(r), not necessarily attractive for any r. This class is described by sufficient conditions on the two-body matrix elements of the potential V(r). It includes, in particular, the Gaussian attraction of arbitrary radius, -1/r-Coulomb and log(r)-Coulomb forces, as well as all the short-range interactions satisfying inequality ∫d 2 r-vectorV(r)<0. In the precollapse regime, the angular momentum L is concentrated in the collective 'center-of-mass' mode, and there is no condensation at high L

Catching the PEG-induced attractive interaction between proteins.

Science.gov (United States)

Vivarès, D; Belloni, L; Tardieu, A; Bonneté, F

2002-09-01

We present the experimental and theoretical background of a method to characterize the protein-protein attractive potential induced by one of the mostly used crystallizing agents in the protein-field, the poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG). This attractive interaction is commonly called, in colloid physics, the depletion interaction. Small-Angle X-ray Scattering experiments and numerical treatments based on liquid-state theories were performed on urate oxidase-PEG mixtures with two different PEGs (3350 Da and 8000 Da). A "two-component" approach was used in which the polymer-polymer, the protein-polymer and the protein-protein pair potentials were determined. The resulting effective protein-protein potential was characterized. This potential is the sum of the free-polymer protein-protein potential and of the PEG-induced depletion potential. The depletion potential was found to be hardly dependent upon the protein concentration but strongly function of the polymer size and concentration. Our results were also compared with two models, which give an analytic expression for the depletion potential.

Metal-Free Approaches to Sterically-Hindered Bonds

Science.gov (United States)

Dunham, Veronica Vin-yi

Developing methods to perform cross coupling reactions by means of catalysis is highly desirable in chemistry. Many industries in today's society, such as the petroleum, agriculture, pharmaceutical, electronics, and polymer industry, use catalysis to some extent whether it is to make molecules that offer crop protection or toward the synthesis of the active ingredient of a medication. It is noteworthy that over 90% of chemicals are made through catalytic processes and that the catalyst market reached $17 billion in 2014, which demonstrates the demand for such methods. While transition metal catalysts have advantages such as low catalyst loading, broad reactivity, and that they have been well studied, some disadvantages are that they can be relatively expensive and sometimes air sensitive which can make them challenging to use. Organocatalysis, specifically noncovalent catalysis operating through hydrogen bond donating interactions, offers an environmentally-friendly alternative to transition metal catalysis. Our lab utilizes organocatalysis as a strategy to synthesize challenging, sterically-hindered bonds. Nitrimines have been identified as powerful coupling partners for the sustainable construction of new sterically congested carbon-carbon and carbon-heteroatom bonds. Using urea catalysis, a metal-free method to synthesize previously inaccessible enamines has been developed. Conventional routes to synthesize enamines as important building blocks toward target molecules generally require Lewis/Bronsted acids or expensive transition metals; however, these methods are often unsuccessful when stericallyhindered substrates are used. To address this synthetic challenge, it was hypothesized that hydrogen bonding interactions between a urea organocatalyst and nitrimine would generate a reactive species suited for the effective carbon-nitrogen coupling with amines to give the desired enamine products. This reaction provides high yields (up to 99%) of enamines using a

Physical Attractiveness: Interactive Effects of Counselor and Client on Counseling Processes.

Science.gov (United States)

Vargas, Alice M.; Borkowski, John G.

1983-01-01

Assessed how the physical attractiveness of counselors and clients interacted to build rapport in two experiments involving college students (N=128 and N=64). Results showed the counselor's physical attractiveness had a major impact on her perceived effectiveness and the client's expectation of success irrespective of the client's attractiveness…

Finite-size scaling functions for directed polymers confined between attracting walls

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Owczarek, A L [Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3052 (Australia); Prellberg, T [School of Mathematical Sciences, Queen Mary, University of London, Mile End Road, London E1 4NS (United Kingdom); Rechnitzer, A [Department of Mathematics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z2 (Canada)

2008-01-25

The exact solution of directed self-avoiding walks confined to a slit of finite width and interacting with the walls of the slit via an attractive potential has been recently calculated. The walks can be considered to model the polymer-induced steric stabilization and sensitized flocculation of colloidal dispersions. The large-width asymptotics led to a phase diagram different to that of a polymer attached to, and attracted to, a single wall. The question that arises is: Can one interpolate between the single wall and two wall cases? In this paper, we calculate the exact scaling functions for the partition function by considering the two variable asymptotics of the partition function for simultaneous large length and large width. Consequently, we find the scaling functions for the force induced by the polymer on the walls. We find that these scaling functions are given by elliptic {theta} functions. In some parts of the phase diagram there is more a complex crossover between the single wall and two wall cases and we elucidate how this happens.

Peptide Probes Reveal a Hydrophobic Steric Ratchet in the Anthrax Toxin Protective Antigen Translocase.

Science.gov (United States)

Colby, Jennifer M; Krantz, Bryan A

2015-11-06

Anthrax toxin is a tripartite virulence factor produced by Bacillus anthracis during infection. Under acidic endosomal pH conditions, the toxin's protective antigen (PA) component forms a transmembrane channel in host cells. The PA channel then translocates its two enzyme components, lethal factor and edema factor, into the host cytosol under the proton motive force. Protein translocation under a proton motive force is catalyzed by a series of nonspecific polypeptide binding sites, called clamps. A 10-residue guest/host peptide model system, KKKKKXXSXX, was used to functionally probe polypeptide-clamp interactions within wild-type PA channels. The guest residues were Thr, Ala, Leu, Phe, Tyr, and Trp. In steady-state translocation experiments, the channel blocked most tightly with peptides that had increasing amounts of nonpolar surface area. Cooperative peptide binding was observed in the Trp-containing peptide sequence but not the other tested sequences. Trp substitutions into a flexible, uncharged linker between the lethal factor amino-terminal domain and diphtheria toxin A chain expedited translocation. Therefore, peptide-clamp sites in translocase channels can sense large steric features (like tryptophan) in peptides, and while these steric interactions may make a peptide translocate poorly, in the context of folded domains, they can make the protein translocate more rapidly presumably via a hydrophobic steric ratchet mechanism. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Stability of the trapped nonconservative Gross-Pitaevskii equation with attractive two-body interaction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Filho, Victo S.; Tomio, Lauro; Frederico, T.; Gammal, Arnaldo

2002-01-01

The dynamics of a nonconservative Gross-Pitaevskii equation for trapped atomic systems with attractive two-body interaction is numerically investigated, considering wide variations of the nonconservative parameters, related to atomic feeding and dissipation. We study the possible limitations of the mean-field description for an atomic condensate with attractive two-body interaction, by defining the parameter regions, where stable or unstable formation can be found. The present study is useful and timely considering the possibility of large variations of attractive two-body scattering lengths, which may be feasible in recent experiments

Attractive electron correlation in wide band gap semiconductors by electron-photon interaction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takeda, Hiroyuki; Yoshino, Katsumi

2004-01-01

We theoretically demonstrate attractive electron correlation in wide band gap semiconductors by electron-photon interaction. At low temperature, wavevectors of electromagnetic waves absorbed in wide band gap semiconductors cannot be neglected for wavevectors of electron waves; that is, electromagnetic waves affect the movements of electrons. In particular, attractive interaction occurs between two electrons when one electron changes from a valence band to a conduction band and the other electron changes from a conduction band to a valence band

Attractive component in the nucleon-nucleon interaction in the Skyrme model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nyman, E.M.; Riska, D.O.

1986-01-01

The spin- and isospin-independent part of the nulceon-nucleon interaction in the Skyrme model is shown to contain a weak attractive intermediate-range term in addition to the well-known short-range repulsion. The attraction is a consequence of the rotational degree of freedom of a skyrmion in the presence of the field of another one, and can be thought of as an enhancement of the moment of inertia of each skyrmion. While the attractive term is dominant at large distances it is not sufficiently strong for nuclear binding. (orig.)

Protein unfolding with a steric trap.

Science.gov (United States)

Blois, Tracy M; Hong, Heedeok; Kim, Tae H; Bowie, James U

2009-10-07

The study of protein folding requires a method to drive unfolding, which is typically accomplished by altering solution conditions to favor the denatured state. This has the undesirable consequence that the molecular forces responsible for configuring the polypeptide chain are also changed. It would therefore be useful to develop methods that can drive unfolding without the need for destabilizing solvent conditions. Here we introduce a new method to accomplish this goal, which we call steric trapping. In the steric trap method, the target protein is labeled with two biotin tags placed close in space so that both biotin tags can only be bound by streptavidin when the protein unfolds. Thus, binding of the second streptavidin is energetically coupled to unfolding of the target protein. Testing the method on a model protein, dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR), we find that streptavidin binding can drive unfolding and that the apparent binding affinity reports on changes in DHFR stability. Finally, by employing the slow off-rate of wild-type streptavidin, we find that DHFR can be locked in the unfolded state. The steric trap method provides a simple method for studying aspects of protein folding and stability in native solvent conditions, could be used to specifically unfold selected domains, and could be applicable to membrane proteins.

Superconductivity in narrow-band systems with local nonretarded attractive interactions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Micnas, R.; Ranninger, J.; Robaszkiewicz, S.

1990-01-01

In narrow-band systems electrons can interact with each other via a short-range nonretarded attractive potential. The origin of such an effective local attraction can be polaronic or it can be due to a coupling between electrons and excitons or plasmons. It can also result from purely chemical (electronic) mechanisms, especially in compounds with elements favoring disproportionation of valent states. These mechanisms are discussed and an exhaustive list of materials in which such local electron pairing occurs is given. The authors review the thermodynamic and electromagnetic properties of such systems in several limiting scenarios: (i) Systems with on-site pairing which can be described by the extended negative-U Hubbard model. The strong-attraction limit of this model, at which it reduces to a system of tightly bound electron pairs (bipolarons) on a lattice, is extensively discussed. These electron pairs behaving as hard-core charged bosons can exhibit a superconducting state analogous to that of superfluid 4 He II. The changeover from weak-attraction BCS-like superconductivity to the superfluidity of charged hard-core bosons is examined. (ii) Systems with intersite pairing described by an extended Hubbard model with U>0 and nearest-neighbor attraction and/or nearest-neighbor spin exchange as well as correlated hopping. (iii) A mixture of local pairs and itinerant electrons interacting via a charge-exchange mechanism giving rise to a mutually induced superconductivity in both subsystems. The authors discuss to what extent the picture of local pairing, and in particular superfluidity of hard-core charged bosons on a lattice, can be an explanation for the superconducting and normal-state properties of the high-T c oxides: doped BaBiO 3 and the cuprates

A Steric-inhibition model for regulation of nucleotide exchange via the Dock180 family of GEFs.

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Mingjian; Kinchen, Jason M; Rossman, Kent L; Grimsley, Cynthia; Hall, Matthew; Sondek, John; Hengartner, Michael O; Yajnik, Vijay; Ravichandran, Kodi S

2005-02-22

CDM (CED-5, Dock180, Myoblast city) family members have been recently identified as novel, evolutionarily conserved guanine nucleotide exchange factors (GEFs) for Rho-family GTPases . They regulate multiple processes, including embryonic development, cell migration, apoptotic-cell engulfment, tumor invasion, and HIV-1 infection, in diverse model systems . However, the mechanism(s) of regulation of CDM proteins has not been well understood. Here, our studies on the prototype member Dock180 reveal a steric-inhibition model for regulating the Dock180 family of GEFs. At basal state, the N-terminal SH3 domain of Dock180 binds to the distant catalytic Docker domain and negatively regulates the function of Dock180. Further studies revealed that the SH3:Docker interaction sterically blocks Rac access to the Docker domain. Interestingly, ELMO binding to the SH3 domain of Dock180 disrupted the SH3:Docker interaction, facilitated Rac access to the Docker domain, and contributed to the GEF activity of the Dock180/ELMO complex. Additional genetic rescue studies in C. elegans suggested that the regulation of the Docker-domain-mediated GEF activity by the SH3 domain and its adjoining region is evolutionarily conserved. This steric-inhibition model may be a general mechanism for regulating multiple SH3-domain-containing Dock180 family members and may have implications for a variety of biological processes.

Influence of the Location of Attractive Polymer-Pore Interactions on Translocation Dynamics.

Science.gov (United States)

Ghosh, Bappa; Chaudhury, Srabanti

2018-01-11

We probe the influence of polymer-pore interactions on the translocation dynamics using Langevin dynamics simulations. We investigate the effect of the strength and location of the polymer-pore interaction using nanopores that are partially charged either at the entry or the exit or on both sides of the pore. We study the change in the translocation time as a function of the strength of the polymer-pore interaction for a given chain length and under the effect of an externally applied field. Under a moderate driving force and a chain length longer than the length of the pore, the translocation time shows a nonmonotonic increase with an increase in the attractive interaction. Also, an interaction on the cis side of the pore can increase the translocation probability. In the presence of an external field and a strong attractive force, the translocation time for shorter chains is independent of the polymer-pore interaction at the entry side of the pore, whereas an interaction on the trans side dominates the translocation process. Our simulation results are rationalized by a qualitative analysis of the free energy landscape for polymer translocation.

Tuning and Quantifying Steric and Electronic Effects of N-Heterocyclic Carbenes

KAUST Repository

Falivene, Laura

2014-07-12

This chapter states that the main handles for tuning steric and electronic effects are the substituents on N atoms, the nature of the C4-C5 bridge (either saturated or unsaturated), and the substituents on the C4 and C5 atoms. The initial intuition that steric properties of N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) could be modulated and could impact catalytic behavior stimulated the development of steric descriptors to quantify the steric requirement of different NHCs and, possibly, to compare them with tertiary phosphines. NHCs can be classified as typically strong σ-basic/π-acid ligands, although they have been also shown to exhibit reasonable π-basic properties. This electronic modularity allows NHC ligands to adapt flexibly to different chemical environments represented by a transition metal and the other ligands. © 2014 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA. All rights reserved.

Unlocking the Sugar ‘Steric Gate’ of DNA Polymerases†

OpenAIRE

Brown, Jessica A.; Suo, Zucai

2011-01-01

To maintain genomic stability, ribonucleotide incorporation during DNA synthesis is controlled predominantly at the DNA polymerase level. A steric clash between the 2′-hydroxyl of an incoming ribonucleotide and a bulky active site residue, known as the ‘steric gate’, establishes an effective mechanism for most DNA polymerases to selectively insert deoxyribonucleotides. Recent kinetic, structural, and in vivo studies have illuminated novel features about ribonucleotide exclusion and the mechan...

Steric-electronic effects in malarial peptides inducing sterile immunity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Moreno-Vranich, Armando [Fundacion Instituto de Inmunologia de Colombia (FIDIC), Bogota (Colombia); Patarroyo, Manuel E., E-mail: mepatarr@mail.com [Fundacion Instituto de Inmunologia de Colombia (FIDIC), Bogota (Colombia); Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogota (Colombia)

2012-07-13

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Is it evident that the residues position are relevant regarding of {phi} angular value. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The geometry considered for detailing the alterations undergone by HABPs. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The inter planar interactions ruled by clashes between the atoms making them up. -- Abstract: Conserved Plasmodium falciparum high activity binding peptides' (HABPs) most relevant proteins involved in malaria parasite invasion are immunologically silent; critical binding residues must therefore be specifically replaced to render them highly immunogenic and protection-inducing. Such changes have a tremendous impact on these peptides' steric-electronic effects, such as modifications to peptide length peptide bonds and electronic orbitals' disposition, to allow a better fit into immune system MHCII molecules and better interaction with the TCR which might account for the final immunological outcome.

Collapse of a self-gravitating Bose-Einstein condensate with attractive self-interaction

Science.gov (United States)

Chavanis, Pierre-Henri

2016-10-01

We study the collapse of a self-gravitating Bose-Einstein condensate with attractive self-interaction. Equilibrium states in which the gravitational attraction and the attraction due to the self-interaction are counterbalanced by the quantum pressure (Heisenberg's uncertainty principle) exist only below a maximum mass Mmax=1.012 ℏ/√{G m |as| } where asMmax the system is expected to collapse and form a black hole. We study the collapse dynamics by making a Gaussian ansatz for the wave function and reducing the problem to the study of the motion of a particle in an effective potential. We find that the collapse time scales as (M /Mmax-1 )-1 /4 for M →Mmax+ and as M-1 /2 for M ≫Mmax. Other analytical results are given above and below the critical point corresponding to a saddle-node bifurcation. We apply our results to QCD axions with mass m =10-4 eV /c2 and scattering length as=-5.8 ×10-53 m for which Mmax=6.5 ×10-14M⊙ and R =3.3 ×10-4R⊙. We confirm our previous claim that bosons with attractive self-interaction, such as QCD axions, may form low mass stars (axion stars or dark matter stars) but cannot form dark matter halos of relevant mass and size. These mini axion stars could be the constituents of dark matter. They can collapse into mini black holes of mass ˜10-14M⊙ in a few hours. In that case, dark matter halos would be made of mini black holes. We also apply our results to ultralight axions with mass m =1.93 ×10-20 eV /c2 and scattering length as=-8.29 ×10-60 fm for which Mmax=0.39 ×1 06M⊙ and R =33 pc . These ultralight axions could cluster into dark matter halos. Axionic dark matter halos with attractive self-interaction can collapse into supermassive black holes of mass ˜1 06M⊙ (similar to those reported at the center of galaxies) in about one million years. We point out the limitations of the Gaussian ansatz to describe the late stages of the collapse dynamics. We also mention the possibility that, instead of forming a black hole

Sustainable steric stabilization of colloidal titania nanoparticles

Science.gov (United States)

Elbasuney, Sherif

2017-07-01

A route to produce a stable colloidal suspension is essential if mono-dispersed particles are to be successfully synthesized, isolated, and used in subsequent nanocomposite manufacture. Dispersing nanoparticles in fluids was found to be an important approach for avoiding poor dispersion characteristics. However, there is still a great tendency for colloidal nanoparticles to flocculate over time. Steric stabilization can prevent coagulation by introducing a thick adsorbed organic layer which constitutes a significant steric barrier that can prevent the particle surfaces from coming into direct contact. One of the main features of hydrothermal synthesis technique is that it offers novel approaches for sustainable nanoparticle surface modification. This manuscript reports on the sustainable steric stabilization of titanium dioxide nanoparticles. Nanoparticle surface modification was performed via two main approaches including post-synthesis and in situ surface modification. The tuneable hydrothermal conditions (i.e. temperature, pressure, flow rates, and surfactant addition) were optimized to enable controlled steric stabilization in a continuous fashion. Effective post synthesis surface modification with organic ligand (dodecenyl succinic anhydride (DDSA)) was achieved; the optimum surface coating temperature was reported to be 180-240 °C to ensure DDSA ring opening and binding to titania nanoparticles. Organic-modified titania demonstrated complete change in surface properties from hydrophilic to hydrophobic and exhibited phase transfer from the aqueous phase to the organic phase. Exclusive surface modification in the reactor was found to be an effective approach; it demonstrated surfactant loading level 2.2 times that of post synthesis surface modification. Titania was also stabilized in aqueous media using poly acrylic acid (PAA) as polar polymeric dispersant. PAA-titania nanoparticles demonstrated a durable amorphous polymeric layer of 2 nm thickness. This

Mean-field behavior in coupled oscillators with attractive and repulsive interactions.

Science.gov (United States)

Hong, Hyunsuk; Strogatz, Steven H

2012-05-01

We consider a variant of the Kuramoto model of coupled oscillators in which both attractive and repulsive pairwise interactions are allowed. The sign of the coupling is assumed to be a characteristic of a given oscillator. Specifically, some oscillators repel all the others, thus favoring an antiphase relationship with them. Other oscillators attract all the others, thus favoring an in-phase relationship. The Ott-Antonsen ansatz is used to derive the exact low-dimensional dynamics governing the system's long-term macroscopic behavior. The resulting analytical predictions agree with simulations of the full system. We explore the effects of changing various parameters, such as the width of the distribution of natural frequencies and the relative strengths and proportions of the positive and negative interactions. For the particular model studied here we find, unexpectedly, that the mixed interactions produce no new effects. The system exhibits conventional mean-field behavior and displays a second-order phase transition like that found in the original Kuramoto model. In contrast to our recent study of a different model with mixed interactions [Phys. Rev. Lett. 106, 054102 (2011)], the π state and traveling-wave state do not appear for the coupling type considered here.

Gauche effect in 1,2-difluoroethane. Hyperconjugation, bent bonds, steric repulsion.

Science.gov (United States)

Goodman, Lionel; Gu, Hongbing; Pophristic, Vojislava

2005-02-17

Natural bond orbital deletion calculations show that whereas the gauche preference arises from vicinal hyperconjugative interaction between anti C-H bonds and C-F* antibonds, the cis C-H/C-F* interactions are substantial (approximately 25% of the anti interaction). The established significantly >60 degrees FCCF dihedral angle for the equilibrium conformer can then be rationalized in terms of the hyperconjugation model alone by taking into account both anti interactions that maximize near 60 degrees and the smaller cis interactions that maximize at a much larger dihedral angle. This explanation does not invoke repulsive forces to rationalize the 72 degrees equilibrium conformer angle. The relative minimum energy for the trans conformer is the consequence of a balance between decreasing hyperconjugative stabilization and decreasing steric destabilization as the FCCF torsional angle approaches 180 degrees . The torsional coordinate is predicted to be strongly contaminated by CCF bending, with the result that approximately half of the trans --> gauche stabilization energy stems from mode coupling.

Attachment, attractiveness, and social interaction: a diary study.

Science.gov (United States)

Tidwell, M C; Reis, H T; Shaver, P R

1996-10-01

To what extent are attachment styles manifested in natural social activity? A total of 125 participants categorized as possessing secure, avoidant, or anxious-ambivalent attachment styles kept structured social interaction diaries for 1 week. Several theoretically important findings emerged. First, compared with secure and anxious-ambivalent persons, avoidant persons reported lower levels of intimacy, enjoyment, promotive interaction, and positive emotions, and higher levels of negative emotions, primarily in opposite-sex interactions. Analyses indicated that avoidant persons may structure social activities in ways that minimize closeness. Second, secure people differentiated more clearly than either insecure group between romantic and other opposite-sex partners. Third, the subjective experiences of anxious-ambivalent persons were more variable than those of the other groups. Finally, the authors examined and rejected the possibility that attachment effects might be confounded with physical attractiveness. These findings suggest that feeling and behaviors that arise during spontaneous, everyday social activity may contribute to the maintenance of attachment styles in adulthood.

Management principles of the interaction between market attractiveness producer and its recipients

OpenAIRE

O.V. Sviridova

2013-01-01

The aim of the article. The article is devoted to the definition of the content of interaction between attractiveness producer and its recipients through the prism of general and derived management principles. Actuality of this article is caused by the formation of long-term relationships between business subjects. The main aim of these relationships is attracting and using of resources to further joint production and benefits distribution from these activities. Formation of such long-term re...

Poisson-Nernst-Planck equations with steric effects - non-convexity and multiple stationary solutions

Science.gov (United States)

Gavish, Nir

2018-04-01

We study the existence and stability of stationary solutions of Poisson-Nernst-Planck equations with steric effects (PNP-steric equations) with two counter-charged species. We show that within a range of parameters, steric effects give rise to multiple solutions of the corresponding stationary equation that are smooth. The PNP-steric equation, however, is found to be ill-posed at the parameter regime where multiple solutions arise. Following these findings, we introduce a novel PNP-Cahn-Hilliard model, show that it is well-posed and that it admits multiple stationary solutions that are smooth and stable. The various branches of stationary solutions and their stability are mapped utilizing bifurcation analysis and numerical continuation methods.

Crossing Over from Attractive to Repulsive Interactions in a Tunneling Bosonic Josephson Junction.

Science.gov (United States)

Spagnolli, G; Semeghini, G; Masi, L; Ferioli, G; Trenkwalder, A; Coop, S; Landini, M; Pezzè, L; Modugno, G; Inguscio, M; Smerzi, A; Fattori, M

2017-06-09

We explore the interplay between tunneling and interatomic interactions in the dynamics of a bosonic Josephson junction. We tune the scattering length of an atomic ^{39}K Bose-Einstein condensate confined in a double-well trap to investigate regimes inaccessible to other superconducting or superfluid systems. In the limit of small-amplitude oscillations, we study the transition from Rabi to plasma oscillations by crossing over from attractive to repulsive interatomic interactions. We observe a critical slowing down in the oscillation frequency by increasing the strength of an attractive interaction up to the point of a quantum phase transition. With sufficiently large initial oscillation amplitude and repulsive interactions, the system enters the macroscopic quantum self-trapping regime, where we observe coherent undamped oscillations with a self-sustained average imbalance of the relative well population. The exquisite agreement between theory and experiments enables the observation of a broad range of many body coherent dynamical regimes driven by tunable tunneling energy, interactions and external forces, with applications spanning from atomtronics to quantum metrology.

Multiple solutions of steady-state Poisson–Nernst–Planck equations with steric effects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lin, Tai-Chia; Eisenberg, Bob

2015-01-01

Experiments measuring currents through single protein channels show unstable currents. Channels switch between ‘open’ or ‘closed’ states in a spontaneous stochastic process called gating. Currents are either (nearly) zero or at a definite level, characteristic of each type of protein, independent of time, once the channel is open. The steady state Poisson–Nernst–Planck equations with steric effects (PNP-steric equations) describe steady current through the open channel quite well, in a wide variety of conditions. Here we study the existence of multiple solutions of steady state PNP-steric equations to see if they themselves, without modification or augmentation, can describe two levels of current. We prove that there are two steady state solutions of PNP-steric equations for (a) three types of ion species (two types of cations and one type of anion) with a positive constant permanent charge, and (b) four types of ion species (two types of cations and their counter-ions) with a constant permanent charge but no sign condition. The excess currents (due to steric effects) associated with these two steady state solutions are derived and expressed as two distinct formulas. Our results indicate that PNP-steric equations may become a useful model to study spontaneous gating of ion channels. Spontaneous gating is thought to involve small structural changes in the channel protein that perhaps produce large changes in the profiles of free energy that determine ion flow. Gating is known to be modulated by external structures. Both can be included in future extensions of our present analysis. (paper)

Superconducting correlations in the one-band Hubbard model with intermediate on-site and weak attractive intersite interactions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jain, K.P.; Ramakumar, R.; Chancey, C.C.

1990-01-01

In this paper, we analyze a simple extended Hubbard model with an intermediate on-site interaction (both repulsive and attractive) and a weak intersite attractive interaction. Following Hubbard decoupling approximations and introducing Hubbard subband operators, we obtain a generalized gap function for singlet s-wave pairing that explicitly depends on the Hubbard subband energies. For the on-site repulsive-interaction case, we find that the superconductivity is not destroyed in the intermediate-interaction regime, contrary to the prediction of a Hartree-Fock mean-field treatment. The essential consequence of the on-site repulsion is the formation of the Hubbard subbands separated by the Mott-Hubbard gap, and it is within these subbands that pairing induced by the intersite interaction occurs. For the attractive on-site interaction case, the on-site pairing amplitude is found to be proportional to the bandwidth, and the gap function has contributions from both on-site and intersite pairing. The relevance of the model to high-temperature superconductivity is discussed

Uncertainties in Steric Sea Level Change Estimation During the Satellite Altimeter Era: Concepts and Practices

Science.gov (United States)

MacIntosh, C. R.; Merchant, C. J.; von Schuckmann, K.

2017-01-01

This article presents a review of current practice in estimating steric sea level change, focussed on the treatment of uncertainty. Steric sea level change is the contribution to the change in sea level arising from the dependence of density on temperature and salinity. It is a significant component of sea level rise and a reflection of changing ocean heat content. However, tracking these steric changes still remains a significant challenge for the scientific community. We review the importance of understanding the uncertainty in estimates of steric sea level change. Relevant concepts of uncertainty are discussed and illustrated with the example of observational uncertainty propagation from a single profile of temperature and salinity measurements to steric height. We summarise and discuss the recent literature on methodologies and techniques used to estimate steric sea level in the context of the treatment of uncertainty. Our conclusions are that progress in quantifying steric sea level uncertainty will benefit from: greater clarity and transparency in published discussions of uncertainty, including exploitation of international standards for quantifying and expressing uncertainty in measurement; and the development of community "recipes" for quantifying the error covariances in observations and from sparse sampling and for estimating and propagating uncertainty across spatio-temporal scales.

Transitions induced by speed in self-propelled particles system with attractive interactions

Science.gov (United States)

Cambui, Dorilson. S.; Rosas, Alexandre

2018-05-01

In this work, we consider a system of self-propelled particles with attractive interactions in two dimensions. The model presents an order-disorder transition with the speed playing the role of the control parameter. In order to characterize the transition, we investigate the behavior of the order parameter and the Binder cumulant as a function of the speed. Our main finding is that the transition can be either continuous or discontinuous depending on two parameter of the model: the strength of the noise and the radius of attraction.

Collapse and coexistence for a molecular braid with an attractive interaction component subject to mechanical forces.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Dominic J O'

2015-04-15

Dual mechanical braiding experiments provide a useful tool with which to investigate the nature of interactions between rod-like molecules, for instance actin and DNA. In conditions close to molecular condensation, one would expect an appearance of a local minimum in the interaction potential between the two molecules. We investigate this situation, introducing an attractive component into the interaction potential, using a model developed for describing such experiments. We consider both attractive interactions that do not depend on molecular structure and those which depend on a DNA-like helix structure. In braiding experiments, an attractive term may lead to certain effects. A local minimum may cause molecules to collapse from a loosely braided configuration into a tight one, occurring at a critical value of the moment applied about the axis of the braid. For a fixed number of braid pitches, this may lead to coexistence between the two braiding states, tight and loose. Coexistence implies certain proportions of the braid are in each state, their relative size depending on the number of braid pitches. This manifests itself as a linear dependence in numerically calculated quantities as functions of the number of braid pitches. Also, in the collapsed state, the braid radius stays roughly constant. Furthermore, if the attractive interaction is helix dependent, the left-right handed braid symmetry is broken. For a DNA like charge distribution, using the Kornyshev-Leikin interaction model, our results suggest that significant braid collapse and coexistence only occurs for left handed braids. Regardless of the interaction model, the study highlights the possible qualitative physics of braid collapse and coexistence; and the role helix specific forces might play, if important. The model could be used to connect other microscopic theories of interaction with braiding experiments.

Collapse and coexistence for a molecular braid with an attractive interaction component subject to mechanical forces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Dominic J

2015-01-01

Dual mechanical braiding experiments provide a useful tool with which to investigate the nature of interactions between rod-like molecules, for instance actin and DNA. In conditions close to molecular condensation, one would expect an appearance of a local minimum in the interaction potential between the two molecules. We investigate this situation, introducing an attractive component into the interaction potential, using a model developed for describing such experiments. We consider both attractive interactions that do not depend on molecular structure and those which depend on a DNA-like helix structure. In braiding experiments, an attractive term may lead to certain effects. A local minimum may cause molecules to collapse from a loosely braided configuration into a tight one, occurring at a critical value of the moment applied about the axis of the braid. For a fixed number of braid pitches, this may lead to coexistence between the two braiding states, tight and loose. Coexistence implies certain proportions of the braid are in each state, their relative size depending on the number of braid pitches. This manifests itself as a linear dependence in numerically calculated quantities as functions of the number of braid pitches. Also, in the collapsed state, the braid radius stays roughly constant. Furthermore, if the attractive interaction is helix dependent, the left-right handed braid symmetry is broken. For a DNA like charge distribution, using the Kornyshev–Leikin interaction model, our results suggest that significant braid collapse and coexistence only occurs for left handed braids. Regardless of the interaction model, the study highlights the possible qualitative physics of braid collapse and coexistence; and the role helix specific forces might play, if important. The model could be used to connect other microscopic theories of interaction with braiding experiments. (paper)

Zirconium bisamidinate complexes with sterically demanding ligands : structure, solution dynamics, and reactivity

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Otten, Edwin; Dijkstra, Peter; Visser, Cindy; Meetsma, Auke; Hessen, Bart

2005-01-01

Bisamidinate zirconium dichloride and dimethyl complexes with the sterically demanding amidinate ligands [PhC(NAr)(2))](-) (A) and [PhC(NAr)(NAr')](-) (B) (Ar = 2,6-(Pr2C6H3)-Pr-i; Ar' = 2,6-Me2C6H3) were prepared. The steric demand of ligand A induces the unusual trans geometry in

Unlocking the Sugar ‘Steric Gate’ of DNA Polymerases†

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, Jessica A.; Suo, Zucai

2011-01-01

To maintain genomic stability, ribonucleotide incorporation during DNA synthesis is controlled predominantly at the DNA polymerase level. A steric clash between the 2′-hydroxyl of an incoming ribonucleotide and a bulky active site residue, known as the ‘steric gate’, establishes an effective mechanism for most DNA polymerases to selectively insert deoxyribonucleotides. Recent kinetic, structural, and in vivo studies have illuminated novel features about ribonucleotide exclusion and the mechanistic consequences of ribonucleotide misincorporation on downstream events, such as the bypass of a ribonucleotide in a DNA template and the subsequent extension of the DNA lesion bypass product. These important findings are summarized in this review article. PMID:21226515

A long-range attractive interaction of rotons in superfluid 4He

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nishiyama, Toshiyuki; Sai, Shunkichi

1974-01-01

With the use of the method of the collective description developed by one of the authors (N) for superfluid 4 He, it is shown that a long-range interaction of rotons transmitted by phonons is attractive and yields a resonance state of a roton pair with the binding energy of the order of magnitude 0.12 K which is relevant to the recent experimental results of the Raman scattering. The effect of the short-range mutual interaction of rotons is also discussed. Some comments on the relationship to the other theories of the collective description are made in appendices. (author)

Sustainable steric stabilization of colloidal titania nanoparticles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Elbasuney, Sherif, E-mail: sherif_basuney2000@yahoo.com

2017-07-01

Graphical abstract: Controlled surface properties of titania nanoparticles via surface modification, flocculation from aqueous phase (a), stabilization in aqueous phase (b), extraction to organic phase (c). - Highlights: • Complete change in surface properties of titania nanoparticles from hydrophilic to hydrophobic. • Harvesting the formulated nanoparticles from the aqueous phase to the organic phase. • Exclusive surface modification in the reactor during nanoparticle synthesis. • Sustainable stabilization of titania nanoparticles in aqueous media with polar polymeric dispersant. - Abstract: A route to produce a stable colloidal suspension is essential if mono-dispersed particles are to be successfully synthesized, isolated, and used in subsequent nanocomposite manufacture. Dispersing nanoparticles in fluids was found to be an important approach for avoiding poor dispersion characteristics. However, there is still a great tendency for colloidal nanoparticles to flocculate over time. Steric stabilization can prevent coagulation by introducing a thick adsorbed organic layer which constitutes a significant steric barrier that can prevent the particle surfaces from coming into direct contact. One of the main features of hydrothermal synthesis technique is that it offers novel approaches for sustainable nanoparticle surface modification. This manuscript reports on the sustainable steric stabilization of titanium dioxide nanoparticles. Nanoparticle surface modification was performed via two main approaches including post-synthesis and in situ surface modification. The tuneable hydrothermal conditions (i.e. temperature, pressure, flow rates, and surfactant addition) were optimized to enable controlled steric stabilization in a continuous fashion. Effective post synthesis surface modification with organic ligand (dodecenyl succinic anhydride (DDSA)) was achieved; the optimum surface coating temperature was reported to be 180–240 °C to ensure DDSA ring opening

Mechanochemical Preparation of Stable Sub-100 nm γ-Cyclodextrin:Buckminsterfullerene (C60) Nanoparticles by Electrostatic or Steric Stabilization.

Science.gov (United States)

Van Guyse, Joachim F R; de la Rosa, Victor R; Hoogenboom, Richard

2018-02-21

Buckminster fullerene (C 60 )'s main hurdle to enter the field of biomedicine is its low bioavailability, which results from its extremely low water solubility. A well-known approach to increase the water solubility of C 60 is by complexation with γ-cyclodextrins. However, the formed complexes are not stable in time as they rapidly aggregate and eventually precipitate due to attractive intermolecular forces, a common problem in inclusion complexes of cyclodextrins. In this study we attempt to overcome the attractive intermolecular forces between the complexes by designing custom γ-cyclodextrin (γCD)-based supramolecular hosts for C 60 that inhibit the aggregation found in native γCD-C 60 complexes. The approach entails the introduction of either repulsive electrostatic forces or increased steric hindrance to prevent aggregation, thus enhancing the biomedical application potential of C 60 . These modifications have led to new sub-100 nm nanostructures that show long-term stability in solution. © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Penis size interacts with body shape and height to influence male attractiveness.

Science.gov (United States)

Mautz, Brian S; Wong, Bob B M; Peters, Richard A; Jennions, Michael D

2013-04-23

Compelling evidence from many animal taxa indicates that male genitalia are often under postcopulatory sexual selection for characteristics that increase a male's relative fertilization success. There could, however, also be direct precopulatory female mate choice based on male genital traits. Before clothing, the nonretractable human penis would have been conspicuous to potential mates. This observation has generated suggestions that human penis size partly evolved because of female choice. Here we show, based upon female assessment of digitally projected life-size, computer-generated images, that penis size interacts with body shape and height to determine male sexual attractiveness. Positive linear selection was detected for penis size, but the marginal increase in attractiveness eventually declined with greater penis size (i.e., quadratic selection). Penis size had a stronger effect on attractiveness in taller men than in shorter men. There was a similar increase in the positive effect of penis size on attractiveness with a more masculine body shape (i.e., greater shoulder-to-hip ratio). Surprisingly, larger penis size and greater height had almost equivalent positive effects on male attractiveness. Our results support the hypothesis that female mate choice could have driven the evolution of larger penises in humans. More broadly, our results show that precopulatory sexual selection can play a role in the evolution of genital traits.

Attractive versus repulsive interactions in the Bose-Einstein condensation dynamics of relativistic field theories

Science.gov (United States)

Berges, J.; Boguslavski, K.; Chatrchyan, A.; Jaeckel, J.

2017-10-01

We study the impact of attractive self-interactions on the nonequilibrium dynamics of relativistic quantum fields with large occupancies at low momenta. Our primary focus is on Bose-Einstein condensation and nonthermal fixed points in such systems. For a model system, we consider O (N ) -symmetric scalar field theories. We use classical-statistical real-time simulations as well as a systematic 1 /N expansion of the quantum (two-particle-irreducible) effective action to next-to-leading order. When the mean self-interactions are repulsive, condensation occurs as a consequence of a universal inverse particle cascade to the zero-momentum mode with self-similar scaling behavior. For attractive mean self-interactions, the inverse cascade is absent, and the particle annihilation rate is enhanced compared to the repulsive case, which counteracts the formation of coherent field configurations. For N ≥2 , the presence of a nonvanishing conserved charge can suppress number-changing processes and lead to the formation of stable localized charge clumps, i.e., Q balls.

Rotating Bose-Einstein condensate with attractive interaction in one dimension : Single-L states and mesoscopics

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kartsev, PF

2003-01-01

We present the results of an exact numeric simulation of N one-dimensional bosons with attractive delta-functional interaction in a rotating ring. We prove that even at intermediate values of N, the system can be described by conventional methods of weakly interacting gas, the dimensionless

Analysis on Patterns of Globally Coupled Phase Oscillators with Attractive and Repulsive Interactions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Peng-Fei; Xu Zhong-Bin; Ruan Xiao-Dong; Fu Xin

2015-01-01

The Hong–Strogatz (HS) model of globally coupled phase oscillators with attractive and repulsive interactions reflects the fact that each individual (oscillator) has its own attitude (attractive or repulsive) to the same environment (mean field). Previous studies on HS model focused mainly on the stable states on Ott–Antonsen (OA) manifold. In this paper, the eigenvalues of the Jacobi matrix of each fixed point in HS model are explicitly derived, with the aim to understand the local dynamics around each fixed point. Phase transitions are described according to relative population and coupling strength. Besides, the dynamics off OA manifold is studied. (paper)

Judging attractiveness: Biases due to raters’ own attractiveness and intelligence

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stacy Yen-Lin Sim

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Tennis and Dabbs (1975 reported that physically attractive males showed a positivity bias when rating the attractiveness of others. The opposite pattern was observed for females. We attempted to replicate and extend these findings by: (1 using self-assessed attractiveness rather than the experimentally derived attractiveness measure used in previous research, (2 using face-to-face interactions with targets as opposed to using photographs, and (3 examining the effect of another ego-involving attribute: intelligence. Consistent with previous research, attractiveness judgments made by men, but not women, correlated positively with their own self-perceived level of attractiveness (r = .51, p < .001. Attractiveness judgments made by women, but not men, correlated negatively with their intelligence (r = −.32, p = .001. Judgments of attractiveness are thus biased by a rater’s own attributes (e.g. attractiveness and intelligence, but these effects are not generalizable across men and women raters, and may be driven by different mechanisms.

Effect of attractive interactions on the water-like anomalies of a core-softened model potential.

Science.gov (United States)

Pant, Shashank; Gera, Tarun; Choudhury, Niharendu

2013-12-28

It is now well established that water-like anomalies can be reproduced by a spherically symmetric potential with two length scales, popularly known as core-softened potential. In the present study we aim to investigate the effect of attractive interactions among the particles in a model fluid interacting with core-softened potential on the existence and location of various water-like anomalies in the temperature-pressure plane. We employ extensive molecular dynamic simulations to study anomalous nature of various order parameters and properties under isothermal compression. Order map analyses have also been done for all the potentials. We observe that all the systems with varying depth of attractive wells show structural, dynamic, and thermodynamic anomalies. As many of the previous studies involving model water and a class of core softened potentials have concluded that the structural anomaly region encloses the diffusion anomaly region, which in turn, encloses the density anomaly region, the same pattern has also been observed in the present study for the systems with less depth of attractive well. For the systems with deeper attractive well, we observe that the diffusion anomaly region shifts toward higher densities and is not always enclosed by the structural anomaly region. Also, density anomaly region is not completely enclosed by diffusion anomaly region in this case.

Interactions among the effects of head orientation, emotional expression, and physical attractiveness on face preferences.

Science.gov (United States)

Main, Julie C; DeBruine, Lisa M; Little, Anthony C; Jones, Benedict C

2010-01-01

Previous studies have shown that preferences for direct versus averted gaze are modulated by emotional expressions and physical attractiveness. For example, preferences for direct gaze are stronger when judging happy or physically attractive faces than when judging disgusted or physically unattractive faces. Here we show that preferences for front versus three-quarter views of faces, in which gaze direction was always congruent with head orientation, are also modulated by emotional expressions and physical attractiveness; participants demonstrated preferences for front views of faces over three-quarter views of faces when judging the attractiveness of happy, physically attractive individuals, but not when judging the attractiveness of relatively unattractive individuals or those with disgusted expressions. Moreover, further analyses indicated that these interactions did not simply reflect differential perceptions of the intensity of the emotional expressions shown in each condition. Collectively, these findings present novel evidence that the effect of the direction of the attention of others on attractiveness judgments is modulated by cues to the physical attractiveness and emotional state of the depicted individual, potentially reflecting psychological adaptations for efficient allocation of social effort. These data also present the first behavioural evidence that the effect of the direction of the attention of others on attractiveness judgments reflects viewer-referenced, rather than face-referenced, coding and/or processing of gaze direction.

Fisher information and steric effect: study of the internal rotation barrier of ethane.

Science.gov (United States)

Esquivel, Rodolfo O; Liu, Shubin; Angulo, Juan Carlos; Dehesa, Jesús S; Antolín, Juan; Molina-Espíritu, Moyocoyani

2011-05-05

On the basis of a density-based quantification of the steric effect [Liu, S. B. J. Chem. Phys.2007, 126, 244103], the origin of the internal rotation barrier between the eclipsed and staggered conformers of ethane is systematically investigated in this work from an information-theoretical point of view by using the Fisher information measure in conjugated spaces. Two kinds of computational approaches are considered in this work: adiabatic (with optimal structure) and vertical (with fixed geometry). The analyses are performed systematically by following, in each case, the conformeric path by changing the dihedral angle from 0 to 180° . This is calculated at the HF, MP2, B3LYP, and CCSD(T) levels of theory and with several basis sets. Selected descriptors of the densities are utilized to support the observations. Our results show that in the adiabatic case the eclipsed conformer possesses a larger steric repulsion than the staggered conformer, but in the vertical cases the staggered conformer retains a larger steric repulsion. Our results verify the plausibility for defining and computing the steric effect in the post-Hartree-Fock level of theory according to the scheme proposed by Liu.

Rheology of attractive emulsions.

Science.gov (United States)

Datta, Sujit S; Gerrard, Dustin D; Rhodes, Travers S; Mason, Thomas G; Weitz, David A

2011-10-01

We show how attractive interactions dramatically influence emulsion rheology. Unlike the repulsive case, attractive emulsions below random close packing, φ(RCP), can form soft gel-like elastic solids. However, above φ(RCP), attractive and repulsive emulsions have similar elasticities. Such compressed attractive emulsions undergo an additional shear-driven relaxation process during yielding. Our results suggest that attractive emulsions begin to yield at weak points through the breakage of bonds, and, above φ(RCP), also undergo droplet configurational rearrangements.

Structurally Stable Attractive Nanoscale Emulsions with Dipole-Dipole Interaction-Driven Interdrop Percolation.

Science.gov (United States)

Shin, Kyounghee; Gong, Gyeonghyeon; Cuadrado, Jonas; Jeon, Serim; Seo, Mintae; Choi, Hong Sung; Hwang, Jae Sung; Lee, Youngbok; Fernandez-Nieves, Alberto; Kim, Jin Woong

2017-03-28

This study introduces an extremely stable attractive nanoscale emulsion fluid, in which the amphiphilic block copolymer, poly(ethylene oxide)-block-poly(ϵ-caprolactone) (PEO-b-PCL), is tightly packed with lecithin, thereby forming a mechanically robust thin-film at the oil-water interface. The molecular association of PEO-b-PCL with lecithin is critical for formation of a tighter and denser molecular assembly at the interface, which is systematically confirmed by T 2 relaxation and DSC analyses. Moreover, suspension rheology studies also reflect the interdroplet attractions over a wide volume fraction range of the dispersed oil phase; this results in a percolated network of stable drops that exhibit no signs of coalescence or phase separation. This unique rheological behavior is attributed to the dipolar interaction between the phosphorylcholine groups of lecithin and the methoxy end groups of PEO-b-PCL. Finally, the nanoemulsion system significantly enhances transdermal delivery efficiency due to its favorable attraction to the skin, as well as high diffusivity of the nanoscale emulsion drops. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Influence of nonelectrostatic ion-ion interactions on double-layer capacitance

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Hui

2012-11-01

Recently a Poisson-Helmholtz-Boltzmann (PHB) model [Bohinc , Phys. Rev. EPLEEE81539-375510.1103/PhysRevE.85.031130 85, 031130 (2012)] was developed by accounting for solvent-mediated nonelectrostatic ion-ion interactions. Nonelectrostatic interactions are described by a Yukawa-like pair potential. In the present work, we modify the PHB model by adding steric effects (finite ion size) into the free energy to derive governing equations. The modified PHB model is capable of capturing both ion specificity and ion crowding. This modified model is then employed to study the capacitance of the double layer. More specifically, we focus on the influence of nonelectrostatic ion-ion interactions on charging a double layer near a flat surface in the presence of steric effects. We numerically compute the differential capacitance as a function of the voltage under various conditions. At small voltages and low salt concentrations (dilute solution), we find out that the predictions from the modified PHB model are the same as those from the classical Poisson-Boltzmann theory, indicating that nonelectrostatic ion-ion interactions and steric effects are negligible. At moderate voltages, nonelectrostatic ion-ion interactions play an important role in determining the differential capacitance. Generally speaking, nonelectrostatic interactions decrease the capacitance because of additional nonelectrostatic repulsion among excess counterions inside the double layer. However, increasing the voltage gradually favors steric effects, which induce a condensed layer with crowding of counterions near the electrode. Accordingly, the predictions from the modified PHB model collapse onto those computed by the modified Poisson-Boltzmann theory considering steric effects alone. Finally, theoretical predictions are compared and favorably agree with experimental data, in particular, in concentrated solutions, leading one to conclude that the modified PHB model adequately predicts the diffuse

Small-Angle Neutron Scattering Study of Interplay of Attractive and Repulsive Interactions in Nanoparticle-Polymer System.

Science.gov (United States)

Kumar, Sugam; Aswal, Vinod K; Kohlbrecher, Joachim

2016-02-16

The phase behavior of nanoparticle (silica)-polymer (polyethylene glycol) system without and with an electrolyte (NaCl) has been studied. It is observed that nanoparticle-polymer system behaves very differently in the presence of electrolyte. In the absence of electrolyte, the nanoparticle-polymer system remains in one-phase even at very high polymer concentrations. On the other hand, a re-entrant phase behavior is found in the presence of electrolyte, where one-phase (individual) system undergoes two-phase (nanoparticle aggregation) and then back to one-phase with increasing polymer concentration. The regime of two-phase system has been tuned by varying the electrolyte concentration. The polymer concentration range over which the two-phase system exists is significantly enhanced with the increase in the electrolyte concentration. These systems have been characterized by small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) experiments of contrast-marching the polymer to the solvent. The data are modeled using a two-Yukawa potential accounting for both attractive and repulsive parts of the interaction between nanoparticles. The phase behavior of nanoparticle-polymer system is explained by interplay of attractive (polymer-induced attractive depletion between nanoparticles) and repulsive (nanoparticle-nanoparticle electrostatic repulsion and polymer-polymer repulsion) interactions present in the system. In the absence of electrolyte, the strong electrostatic repulsion between nanoparticles dominates over the polymer-induced depletion attraction and the nanoparticle system remains in one-phase. With addition of electrolyte, depletion attraction overcomes electrostatic repulsion at some polymer concentration, resulting into nanoparticle aggregation and two-phase system. Further addition of polymer increases the polymer-polymer repulsion which eventually reduces the strength of depletion and hence re-entrant phase behavior. The effects of varying electrolyte concentration on the phase

Attraction and cooperative behavior

OpenAIRE

Donja Darai; Silvia Grätz

2012-01-01

Being good-looking seems to generate substantial benefits in many social interactions, making the "beauty premium" a not to be underrated economic factor. This paper investigates how physical attractiveness enables people to generate these benefits in the case of cooperation, using field data from a modified one-shot prisoner's dilemma played in a high-stakes television game show. While attractive contestants are not more or less cooperative than less attractive ones, facial attractiveness pr...

Urgent Biophilia: Human-Nature Interactions and Biological Attractions in Disaster Resilience

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Keith G. Tidball

2012-06-01

Full Text Available This contribution builds upon contemporary work on principles of biological attraction as well as earlier work on biophilia while synthesizing literatures on restorative environments, community-based ecological restoration, and both community and social-ecological disaster resilience. It suggests that when humans, faced with a disaster, as individuals and as communities and populations, seek engagement with nature to further their efforts to summon and demonstrate resilience in the face of a crisis, they exemplify an urgent biophilia. This urgent biophilia represents an important set of human-nature interactions in SES characterized by hazard, disaster, or vulnerability, often appearing in the 'backloop' of the adaptive cycle. The relationships that human-nature interactions have to other components within interdependent systems at many different scales may be one critical source of resilience in disaster and related contexts. In other words, the affinity we humans have for the rest of nature, the process of remembering that attraction, and the urge to express it through creation of restorative environments, which may also restore or increase ecological function, may confer resilience across multiple scales. In making this argument, the paper also represents a novel contribution to further theorizing alternatives to anthropocentric understandings of human-nature relations, and strongly makes the case for humans as part of, not separate from, ecosystems.

Retinal Photoisomerization in Rhodopsin: Electrostatic and Steric Catalysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tomasello, Gaia; Altoe, Piero; Stenta, Marco; Olaso-Gonzalez, Gloria; Garavelli, Marco; Orlandi, Giorgio

2007-01-01

Excited state QM(CASPT2//CASSCF)/MM(GAFF) calculations, by our recently developed code COBRAMM (Computations at Bologna Relating Ab-initio and Molecular Mechanic Methods), were carried out in rhodopsin to investigate on the steric and electrostatic effects in retinal photoisomerization catalysis due to the β-ionone ring and glutammate 181 (GLU 181), respectively. The excited state photoisomerization channel has been mapped and a new christallographyc structure (2.2 Aa resolution) has been used for this purpose. Two different set-ups have been used to evaluate the electrostatic effects of GLU 181 (which is very close to the central double bond of the chromophore): the first with a neutral GLU 181 (as commonly accepted), the second with a negatively charged (i.e. deprotonated) GLU 181 (as very recent experimental findings seem to suggest). On the other hand, β-ionone ring steric effects were evaluated by calculating the photoisomerization path of a modified chromophore, where the ring double bond has been saturated. Spectroscopic properties were calculated and compared with the available experimental data

The Effect of Attractive Interactions and Macromolecular Crowding on Crystallins Association.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jiachen Wei

Full Text Available In living systems proteins are typically found in crowded environments where their effective interactions strongly depend on the surrounding medium. Yet, their association and dissociation needs to be robustly controlled in order to enable biological function. Uncontrolled protein aggregation often causes disease. For instance, cataract is caused by the clustering of lens proteins, i.e., crystallins, resulting in enhanced light scattering and impaired vision or blindness. To investigate the molecular origins of cataract formation and to design efficient treatments, a better understanding of crystallin association in macromolecular crowded environment is needed. Here we present a theoretical study of simple coarse grained colloidal models to characterize the general features of how the association equilibrium of proteins depends on the magnitude of intermolecular attraction. By comparing the analytic results to the available experimental data on the osmotic pressure in crystallin solutions, we identify the effective parameters regimes applicable to crystallins. Moreover, the combination of two models allows us to predict that the number of binding sites on crystallin is small, i.e. one to three per protein, which is different from previous estimates. We further observe that the crowding factor is sensitive to the size asymmetry between the reactants and crowding agents, the shape of the protein clusters, and to small variations of intermolecular attraction. Our work may provide general guidelines on how to steer the protein interactions in order to control their association.

Parameterization of phosphine ligands demonstrates enhancement of nickel catalysis via remote steric effects

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Kevin; Doyle, Abigail G.

2017-08-01

The field of Ni-catalysed cross-coupling has seen rapid recent growth because of the low cost of Ni, its earth abundance, and its ability to promote unique cross-coupling reactions. Whereas advances in the related field of Pd-catalysed cross-coupling have been driven by ligand design, the development of ligands specifically for Ni has received minimal attention. Here, we disclose a class of phosphines that enable the Ni-catalysed Csp3 Suzuki coupling of acetals with boronic acids to generate benzylic ethers, a reaction that failed with known ligands for Ni and designer phosphines for Pd. Using parameters to quantify phosphine steric and electronic properties together with regression statistical analysis, we identify a model for ligand success. The study suggests that effective phosphines feature remote steric hindrance, a concept that could guide future ligand design tailored to Ni. Our analysis also reveals that two classic descriptors for ligand steric environment—cone angle and % buried volume—are not equivalent, despite their treatment in the literature.

Potential disruption of protein-protein interactions by graphene oxide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Feng, Mei; Kang, Hongsuk; Luan, Binquan; Yang, Zaixing; Zhou, Ruhong

2016-01-01

Graphene oxide (GO) is a promising novel nanomaterial with a wide range of potential biomedical applications due to its many intriguing properties. However, very little research has been conducted to study its possible adverse effects on protein-protein interactions (and thus subsequent toxicity to human). Here, the potential cytotoxicity of GO is investigated at molecular level using large-scale, all-atom molecular dynamics simulations to explore the interaction mechanism between a protein dimer and a GO nanosheet oxidized at different levels. Our theoretical results reveal that GO nanosheet could intercalate between the two monomers of HIV-1 integrase dimer, disrupting the protein-protein interactions and eventually lead to dimer disassociation as graphene does [B. Luan et al., ACS Nano 9(1), 663 (2015)], albeit its insertion process is slower when compared with graphene due to the additional steric and attractive interactions. This study helps to better understand the toxicity of GO to cell functions which could shed light on how to improve its biocompatibility and biosafety for its wide potential biomedical applications.

Potential disruption of protein-protein interactions by graphene oxide

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Feng, Mei [Department of Physics, Institute of Quantitative Biology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027 (China); Kang, Hongsuk; Luan, Binquan [Computational Biological Center, IBM Thomas J. Watson Research Center, Yorktown Heights, New York 10598 (United States); Yang, Zaixing [Institute of Quantitative Biology and Medicine, SRMP and RAD-X, and Collaborative Innovation Center of Radiation Medicine of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123 (China); Zhou, Ruhong, E-mail: ruhong@us.ibm.com [Department of Physics, Institute of Quantitative Biology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027 (China); Computational Biological Center, IBM Thomas J. Watson Research Center, Yorktown Heights, New York 10598 (United States); Department of Chemistry, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027 (United States)

2016-06-14

Graphene oxide (GO) is a promising novel nanomaterial with a wide range of potential biomedical applications due to its many intriguing properties. However, very little research has been conducted to study its possible adverse effects on protein-protein interactions (and thus subsequent toxicity to human). Here, the potential cytotoxicity of GO is investigated at molecular level using large-scale, all-atom molecular dynamics simulations to explore the interaction mechanism between a protein dimer and a GO nanosheet oxidized at different levels. Our theoretical results reveal that GO nanosheet could intercalate between the two monomers of HIV-1 integrase dimer, disrupting the protein-protein interactions and eventually lead to dimer disassociation as graphene does [B. Luan et al., ACS Nano 9(1), 663 (2015)], albeit its insertion process is slower when compared with graphene due to the additional steric and attractive interactions. This study helps to better understand the toxicity of GO to cell functions which could shed light on how to improve its biocompatibility and biosafety for its wide potential biomedical applications.

Blow-up behavior of ground states for a nonlinear Schrödinger system with attractive and repulsive interactions

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Yujin; Zeng, Xiaoyu; Zhou, Huan-Song

2018-01-01

We consider a nonlinear Schrödinger system arising in a two-component Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) with attractive intraspecies interactions and repulsive interspecies interactions in R2. We get ground states of this system by solving a constrained minimization problem. For some kinds of trapping potentials, we prove that the minimization problem has a minimizer if and only if the attractive interaction strength ai (i = 1 , 2) of each component of the BEC system is strictly less than a threshold a*. Furthermore, as (a1 ,a2) ↗ (a* ,a*), the asymptotical behavior for the minimizers of the minimization problem is discussed. Our results show that each component of the BEC system concentrates at a global minimum of the associated trapping potential.

Gender and Attractiveness Related to Preschool Peer Interactions.

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Gregory J.

Dion, Berscheid, and Walster (1972) coined the phrase "what is beautiful is good" to describe an apparent stereotype in which attractive individuals are viewed more positively than less attractive individuals on a number of characteristics. The present study was an attempt to understand the ramifications of the "beauty-is-good"…

Attractive electron-electron interactions at the LaAlO3/SrTiO3 Interface

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Prawiroatmodjo, Guenevere E D K

state is found, and transport characteristics are described to originate from attractive electron-electron interactions that result in a negative effective charging energy U. Further, the excitation spectrum is explored and compared to calculations based on a single-orbital Anderson model with negative...

Steric and Stereochemical Modulation in Pyridyl- and Quinolyl-Containing Ligands

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhaohua Dai

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Nitrogen-containing pyridine and quinoline are outstanding platforms on which excellent ionophores and sensors for metal ions can be built. Steric and stereochemical effects can be used to modulate the affinity and selectivity of such ligands toward different metal ions on the coordination chemistry front. On the signal transduction front, such effects can also be used to modulate optical responses of these ligands in metal sensing systems. In this review, steric modulation of achiral ligands and stereochemical modulation in chiral ligands, especially ionophores and sensors for zinc, copper, silver, and mercury, are examined using published structural and spectral data. Although it might be more challenging to construct chiral ligands than achiral ones, isotropic and anisotropic absorption signals from a single chiroptical fluorescent sensor provide not only detection but also differentiation of multiple analytes with high selectivity.

Face inversion increases attractiveness.

Science.gov (United States)

Leder, Helmut; Goller, Juergen; Forster, Michael; Schlageter, Lena; Paul, Matthew A

2017-07-01

Assessing facial attractiveness is a ubiquitous, inherent, and hard-wired phenomenon in everyday interactions. As such, it has highly adapted to the default way that faces are typically processed: viewing faces in upright orientation. By inverting faces, we can disrupt this default mode, and study how facial attractiveness is assessed. Faces, rotated at 90 (tilting to either side) and 180°, were rated on attractiveness and distinctiveness scales. For both orientations, we found that faces were rated more attractive and less distinctive than upright faces. Importantly, these effects were more pronounced for faces rated low in upright orientation, and smaller for highly attractive faces. In other words, the less attractive a face was, the more it gained in attractiveness by inversion or rotation. Based on these findings, we argue that facial attractiveness assessments might not rely on the presence of attractive facial characteristics, but on the absence of distinctive, unattractive characteristics. These unattractive characteristics are potentially weighed against an individual, attractive prototype in assessing facial attractiveness. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Insights into the role of age and social interactions on the sexual attractiveness of queens in an eusocial bee, Melipona flavolineata (Apidae, Meliponini)

Science.gov (United States)

Veiga, Jamille Costa; Menezes, Cristiano; Contrera, Felipe Andrés León

2017-04-01

The attraction of sexual partners is a vital necessity among insects, and it involves conflict of interests and complex communication systems among male and female. In this study, we investigated the developing of sexual attractiveness in virgin queens (i.e., gynes) of Melipona flavolineata, an eusocial stingless bee. We followed the development of sexual attractiveness in 64 gynes, belonging to seven age classes (0, 3, 6, 9, 15, 18 days post-emergence), and we also evaluated the effect of different social interactions (such as competition between queens and interactions with workers) on the development of attractiveness in other 60 gynes. We used the number of males that tried to mate with a focal gyne as a representative variable of its sexual attractiveness. During the essays, each gyne was individually presented to 10 sexually mature males, and during 3 min, we counted the number of males that everted their genitalia in response to the presence of a gyne. Here, we show that M. flavolineata gynes are capable to (i) maintain their sexual attractiveness for long periods through adult life, (ii) they need a minimum social interaction to trigger the development of sexual attractiveness, and (iii) that gynes express this trait only within a social context. We conclude that the effective occurrence of matings is conditional on potential social interactions that gynes experienced before taking the nuptial flight, when they are still in the nest. These findings bring insights into the factors determining reproductive success in social insects.

Interactions between halloysite nanotubes and poly(styrene sulfonate) in solution

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Jae Heon; Ryu, Jung Ju; Shin, Joo Huei; Lee, Hoik; Sohn, Dae Won [Dept. of Chemistry and Research Institute for Convergence of Basic Science, Hanyang University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Ick Soo [Nano Fusion Technology Research Lab, Division of Frontier Fibers, Institute for Fiber Engineering (IFES), Interdisciplinary Cluster for Cutting Edge Research (ICCER), Shinshu University, Nagano (Japan)

2017-01-15

The interaction between halloysite nanotubes (HNT) and poly(styrene sulfonate) (PSS) in aqueous solution was investigated by dynamic light scattering. Dynamic behavior of HNT/PSS was observed with different salt, HNT, and PSS concentrations. The HNT colloids were stabilized by PSS over a wide range of HNT concentrations, and HNT suspension in dilute solution formed stable HNT/PSS particles. On the other hand, HNT particles aggregated as sediments at higher concentrations due to strong attraction among HNT rods, and HNT aggregates were stabilized by additional PSS. The interactions between HNT and PSS are described by the van der Waals–London force (VDWL). The stabilization process of HNT/PSS particles in salt solution was proposed by comparing the hydrodynamic radii and apparent intensities of samples. The results demonstrate that electrostatic, steric, and depletion stabilization processes are responsible for the stable dispersion of HNT even at high concentration.

A protocol for amide bond formation with electron deficient amines and sterically hindered substrates

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Due-Hansen, Maria E; Pandey, Sunil K; Christiansen, Elisabeth

2016-01-01

A protocol for amide coupling by in situ formation of acyl fluorides and reaction with amines at elevated temperature has been developed and found to be efficient for coupling of sterically hindered substrates and electron deficient amines where standard methods failed.......A protocol for amide coupling by in situ formation of acyl fluorides and reaction with amines at elevated temperature has been developed and found to be efficient for coupling of sterically hindered substrates and electron deficient amines where standard methods failed....

Effect of particle-particle attractive and repulsive interactions on the retention in field-flow fractionation

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Janča, J.; Berneron, J.-F.; Stejskal, Jaroslav

2010-01-01

Roč. 15, č. 8 (2010), s. 536-543 ISSN 1023-666X R&D Projects: GA AV ČR IAA400500905 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z40500505 Keywords : attractive and repulsive interactions * colloidal crystals * colloidal particles Subject RIV: CD - Macromolecular Chemistry Impact factor: 0.814, year: 2010

Mass-induced sea level variations in the Red Sea from steric-corrected altimetry, GRACE, in-situ bottom pressure records, and hydrographic observations

Science.gov (United States)

Feng, Wei; Lemoine, Jean-Michel; Zhong, Min; Xu, Houze

2014-05-01

An annual amplitude of ~18 cm mass-induced sea level variations (SLV) in the Red Sea is detected from steric-corrected altimetry and the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellites from 2003 to 2011, which dominates the mean sea level in the region. Seawater mass variations here generally reach maximum in late January/early February. The steric component of SLV calculated from oceanographic temperature and salinity data is relatively small and peaks about seven months later than mass variations. The phase difference between the steric SLV and the mass-induced SLV indicates that when the Red Sea gains the mass from inflow water in winter, the steric SLV fall, and vice versa in summer. In-situ bottom pressure records in the eastern coast of the Red Sea validate the high mass variability observed by steric-corrected altimetry and GRACE. Furthermore, we compare the horizontal water mass flux in the Red Sea from steric-corrected altimetry and GRACE with that estimated from hydrographic observations.

Physical Attractiveness and Counseling Skills.

Science.gov (United States)

Vargas, Alice M.; Borkowski, John G.

1982-01-01

Searched for interaction between quality of counseling skills (presence or absence of empathy, genuineness, and positive regard) and physical attractiveness as determinants of counseling effectiveness. Attractiveness influenced perceived effectiveness of counselor's skill. Analyses of expectancy data revealed that only with good skills did…

Analysis on Patterns of Globally Coupled Phase Oscillators with Attractive and Repulsive Interactions

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Peng-Fei; Ruan, Xiao-Dong; Xu, Zhong-Bin; Fu, Xin

2015-11-01

The Hong-Strogatz (HS) model of globally coupled phase oscillators with attractive and repulsive interactions reflects the fact that each individual (oscillator) has its own attitude (attractive or repulsive) to the same environment (mean field). Previous studies on HS model focused mainly on the stable states on Ott-Antonsen (OA) manifold. In this paper, the eigenvalues of the Jacobi matrix of each fixed point in HS model are explicitly derived, with the aim to understand the local dynamics around each fixed point. Phase transitions are described according to relative population and coupling strength. Besides, the dynamics off OA manifold is studied. Supported by the National Basic Research Program of China under Grant No. 2015CB057301, the Applied Research Project of Public Welfare Technology of Zhejiang Province under Grant No. 201SC31109 and China Postdoctoral Science Foundation under Grant No. 2014M560483

Remote Steric Effect as a Facile Strategy for Improving the Efficiency of Exciplex-Based OLEDs.

Science.gov (United States)

Hung, Wen-Yi; Wang, Ting-Chih; Chiang, Pin-Yi; Peng, Bo-Ji; Wong, Ken-Tsung

2017-03-01

This work reports a new strategy of introducing remote steric effect onto the electron donor for giving the better performance of the exciplex-based organic light-emitting device (OLED). The bulky triphenylsilyl group (SiPh 3 ) was introduced onto the fluorene bridge of 4,4'-(9H-fluorene-9,9-diyl)bis(N,N-di-p-tolylaniline) (DTAF) to create remote steric interactions for increasing the possibility of effective contacts between electron-donating chromophores and acceptor molecules, rendering the resulting exciplex to have a higher photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY). The green exciplex device based on DSDTAF:3N-T2T (1:1) as an emitting layer exhibits a low turn-on voltage of 2.0 V, high maximum efficiencies (13.2%, 42.9 cd A -1 , 45.5 lm W -1 ), which are higher than the device employed DTAF (without SiPh 3 groups) (11.6%, 35.3 cd A -1 , 41.3 lm W -1 ) as donor under the same device structure. This strategy was further examined for blue exciplex, where the EQE was enhanced from 9.5% to 12.5% as the electron acceptor PO-T2T mixed with a tert-butyl group substituted carbazole-based donor (CPTBF) as the emitting exciplex in device. This strategy is simple and useful for developing high performance exciplex OLEDs.

Reversible Redox-Induced Modulation of Sterics in an α-Diimine Ligand Coordinated to Gallium

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zarkesh, Ryan A. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-CA), Livermore, CA (United States); Foster, Michael E. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-CA), Livermore, CA (United States); Ichimura, Andrew S. [San Francisco State Univ., CA (United States); Anstey, Mitchell R. [Davidson College, Davidson, NC (United States)

2017-07-01

The ability to tune the steric envelope through redox events post-synthetically or in tandem with other chemical processes is a powerful tool that could assist in enabling new catalytic methodologies and understanding potential pitfalls in ligand design. The α-diimine ligand, dmp-BIAN, exhibits the peculiar and previously unreported feature of varying steric profiles depending on oxidation state when paired with a main group element. A study of the factors that give rise to this behaviour as well as its impact on the incorporation of other ligands is performed.

Steric restrictions of RISC in RNA interference identified with size-expanded RNA nucleobases.

Science.gov (United States)

Hernández, Armando R; Peterson, Larryn W; Kool, Eric T

2012-08-17

Understanding the interactions between small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) and the RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC), the key protein complex of RNA interference (RNAi), is of great importance to the development of siRNAs with improved biological and potentially therapeutic function. Although various chemically modified siRNAs have been reported, relatively few studies with modified nucleobases exist. Here we describe the synthesis and hybridization properties of siRNAs bearing size-expanded RNA (xRNA) nucleobases and their use as a novel and systematic set of steric probes in RNAi. xRNA nucleobases are expanded by 2.4 Å using benzo-homologation and retain canonical Watson-Crick base-pairing groups. Our data show that the modified siRNA duplexes display small changes in melting temperature (+1.4 to -5.0 °C); substitutions near the center are somewhat destabilizing to the RNA duplex, while substitutions near the ends are stabilizing. RNAi studies in a dual-reporter luciferase assay in HeLa cells revealed that xRNA nucleobases in the antisense strand reduce activity at some central positions near the seed region but are generally well tolerated near the ends. Most importantly, we observed that xRNA substitutions near the 3'-end increased activity over that of wild-type siRNAs. The data are analyzed in terms of site-dependent steric effects in RISC. Circular dichroism experiments show that single xRNA substitutions do not significantly distort the native A-form helical structure of the siRNA duplex, and serum stability studies demonstrated that xRNA substitutions protect siRNAs against nuclease degradation.

Investigation of attractive and repulsive interactions associated with ketones in supercritical CO2, based on Raman spectroscopy and theoretical calculations.

Science.gov (United States)

Kajiya, Daisuke; Saitow, Ken-ichi

2013-08-07

Carbonyl compounds are solutes that are highly soluble in supercritical CO2 (scCO2). Their solubility governs the efficiency of chemical reactions, and is significantly increased by changing a chromophore. To effectively use scCO2 as solvent, it is crucial to understand the high solubility of carbonyl compounds, the solvation structure, and the solute-solvent intermolecular interactions. We report Raman spectroscopic data, for three prototypical ketones dissolved in scCO2, and four theoretical analyses. The vibrational Raman spectra of the C=O stretching modes of ketones (acetone, acetophenone, and benzophenone) were measured in scCO2 along the reduced temperature Tr = T∕Tc = 1.02 isotherm as a function of the reduced density ρr = ρ∕ρc in the range 0.05-1.5. The peak frequencies of the C=O stretching modes shifted toward lower energies as the fluid density increased. The density dependence was analyzed by using perturbed hard-sphere theory, and the shift was decomposed into attractive and repulsive energy components. The attractive energy between the ketones and CO2 was up to nine times higher than the repulsive energy, and its magnitude increased in the following order: acetone attractive energy and optimized the relative configuration between each solute and CO2. According to theoretical calculations for the dispersion energy, the dipole-induced-dipole interaction energy, and the frequency shift due to their interactions, the experimentally determined attractive energy differences in the three solutes were attributed to the dispersion energies that depended on a chromophore attached to the carbonyl groups. It was found that the major intermolecular interaction with the attractive shift varied from dipole-induced dipole to dispersion depending on the chromophore in the ketones in scCO2. As the common conclusion for the Raman spectral measurements and the four theoretical calculations, solute polarizability, modified by the chromophore, was at the core of

Colloidal systems with attractive interaction: Evaluation of scattering data using the generalized indirect fourier transformation method

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Innerlohinger, J.; Wyss, H.M.; Glatter, O.

2004-01-01

Different attractive interacting colloidal systems are characterized by means of static light scattering. As most of these samples are rather concentrated, multiple scattering is suppressed by partial contrast match and the use of very a thin sample cell (13 mum). This is possible with the

Perspective: On the importance of hydrodynamic interactions in the subcellular dynamics of macromolecules

Science.gov (United States)

Skolnick, Jeffrey

2016-09-01

An outstanding challenge in computational biophysics is the simulation of a living cell at molecular detail. Over the past several years, using Stokesian dynamics, progress has been made in simulating coarse grained molecular models of the cytoplasm. Since macromolecules comprise 20%-40% of the volume of a cell, one would expect that steric interactions dominate macromolecular diffusion. However, the reduction in cellular diffusion rates relative to infinite dilution is due, roughly equally, to steric and hydrodynamic interactions, HI, with nonspecific attractive interactions likely playing rather a minor role. HI not only serve to slow down long time diffusion rates but also cause a considerable reduction in the magnitude of the short time diffusion coefficient relative to that at infinite dilution. More importantly, the long range contribution of the Rotne-Prager-Yamakawa diffusion tensor results in temporal and spatial correlations that persist up to microseconds and for intermolecular distances on the order of protein radii. While HI slow down the bimolecular association rate in the early stages of lipid bilayer formation, they accelerate the rate of large scale assembly of lipid aggregates. This is suggestive of an important role for HI in the self-assembly kinetics of large macromolecular complexes such as tubulin. Since HI are important, questions as to whether continuum models of HI are adequate as well as improved simulation methodologies that will make simulations of more complex cellular processes practical need to be addressed. Nevertheless, the stage is set for the molecular simulations of ever more complex subcellular processes.

Substituent effects in heterogeneous catalysis--5. The steric hindrance of bulky alkyl substituents in cyclohexanone hydrogenation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chihara, T; Tanaka, K

1979-02-01

The steric hindrance of bulky alkyl substituents in cyclohexanone hydrogenation was demonstrated by the reactivities of 2-isopropyl and 2-tert.-butyl cyclohexanone relative to cyclohexanone in individual and competitive hydrogenation at 30/sup 0/C over alumina-supported ruthenium, rhodium, and platinum catalysts. The results indicate that the ketone adsorption onto the catalyst is sterically hindered by the alkyl substitution significantly more than the surface reaction which follows the adsorption.

Dynamics of attractively interacting Fermi atoms in one-dimensional optical lattices: Non-equilibrium simulations of fermion superfluidity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Okumura, M., E-mail: okumura.masahiko@jaea.go.j [CCSE, Japan Atomic Energy Agency, 6-9-3 Higashi-Ueno, Taito-ku, Tokyo 110-0015 (Japan); CREST (JST), 4-1-8 Honcho, Kawaguchi, Saitama 332-0012 (Japan); Onishi, H. [Advanced Science Research Center, Japan Atomic Energy Agency, Tokai, Ibaraki 319-1195 (Japan); Yamada, S. [CCSE, Japan Atomic Energy Agency, 6-9-3 Higashi-Ueno, Taito-ku, Tokyo 110-0015 (Japan); CREST (JST), 4-1-8 Honcho, Kawaguchi, Saitama 332-0012 (Japan); Machida, M. [CCSE, Japan Atomic Energy Agency, 6-9-3 Higashi-Ueno, Taito-ku, Tokyo 110-0015 (Japan); CREST (JST), 4-1-8 Honcho, Kawaguchi, Saitama 332-0012 (Japan) and JST, TRIP, Sambancho Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-0075 (Japan)

2010-12-15

We study center of mass (CoM) motions of attractively interacting fermionic atoms loaded on an one-dimensional optical lattice confined by a harmonic potential at zero temperature by using adaptive time-dependent density-matrix renormalization-group method. We find that the CoM motions in weak and strong attraction show underdamped and overdamped motions, respectively, which are consistent with the experimental results of the CoM motion in the three-dimensional optical lattice. In addition, we find spin-imbalance effects on the CoM motion, which slow the CoM motion down.

Steric effects in the dynamics of electrolytes at large applied voltages. II. Modified Poisson-Nernst-Planck equations.

Science.gov (United States)

Kilic, Mustafa Sabri; Bazant, Martin Z; Ajdari, Armand

2007-02-01

In situations involving large potentials or surface charges, the Poisson-Boltzman (PB) equation has shortcomings because it neglects ion-ion interactions and steric effects. This has been widely recognized by the electrochemistry community, leading to the development of various alternative models resulting in different sets "modified PB equations," which have had at least qualitative success in predicting equilibrium ion distributions. On the other hand, the literature is scarce in terms of descriptions of concentration dynamics in these regimes. Here, adapting strategies developed to modify the PB equation, we propose a simple modification of the widely used Poisson-Nernst-Planck (PNP) equations for ionic transport, which at least qualitatively accounts for steric effects. We analyze numerical solutions of these modified PNP equations on the model problem of the charging of a simple electrolyte cell, and compare the outcome to that of the standard PNP equations. Finally, we repeat the asymptotic analysis of Bazant, Thornton, and Ajdari [Phys. Rev. E 70, 021506 (2004)] for this new system of equations to further document the interest and limits of validity of the simpler equivalent electrical circuit models introduced in Part I [Kilic, Bazant, and Ajdari, Phys. Rev. E 75, 021502 (2007)] for such problems.

Quinoidal Oligo(9,10-anthryl)s with Chain-Length-Dependent Ground States: A Balance between Aromatic Stabilization and Steric Strain Release

KAUST Repository

Lim, Zhenglong

2015-11-12

Quinoidal π-conjugated polycyclic hydrocarbons have attracted intensive research interest due to their unique optical/electronic properties and possible magnetic activity, which arises from a thermally excited triplet state. However, there is still lack of fundamental understanding on the factors that determine the electronic ground states. Herein, by using quinoidal oligo(9,10-anthryl)s, it is demonstrated that both aromatic stabilisation and steric strain release play balanced roles in determining the ground states. Oligomers with up to four anthryl units were synthesised and their ground states were investigated by electronic absorption and electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy, assisted by density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The quinoidal 9,10-anthryl dimer 1 has a closed-shell ground state, whereas the tri- (2) and tetramers (3) both have an open-shell diradical ground state with a small singlet-triplet gap. Such a difference results from competition between two driving forces: the large steric repulsion between the anthryl/phenyl units in the closed-shell quinoidal form that drives the molecule to a flexible open-shell diradical structure, and aromatic stabilisation due to the gain of more aromatic sextet rings in the closed-shell form, which drives the molecule towards a contorted quinoidal structure. The ground states of these oligomers thus depend on the overall balance between these two driving forces and show chain-length dependence. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Collective attraction of equal-sign charged grains in plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsytovich, V.N.; Morfill, G.E.

2002-01-01

It is shown that, in the presence of many grains embedded in a plasma, any two grains with the same charge sign can attract each other. The attraction is caused by collective effects. Both the strength of attraction and the distance at which the attraction is located depend on the average dust density. In the limit of strong collective interaction, the potential energy of interaction is found to be equal to the Coulomb interaction with an amplitude periodically changing its sign at a sequence of interdust distances. The condition for collective effects to dominate lead to a threshold condition that is fulfilled in existing experiments. The effect of collective attraction is applied for the physical interpretation of the observed phenomenon of the formation of dust crystals in laboratory experiments

Tuning and Quantifying Steric and Electronic Effects of N-Heterocyclic Carbenes

KAUST Repository

Falivene, Laura; Poater, Albert; Cavallo, Luigi

2014-01-01

This chapter states that the main handles for tuning steric and electronic effects are the substituents on N atoms, the nature of the C4-C5 bridge (either saturated or unsaturated), and the substituents on the C4 and C5 atoms. The initial intuition

Sterics level the rates of proton transfer to [Ni(XPh){PhP(CH₂CH₂PPh₂)₂}]⁺ (X = O, S or Se).

Science.gov (United States)

Alwaaly, Ahmed; Henderson, Richard A

2014-09-04

Rates of proton transfers between lutH(+) (lut = 2,6-dimethylpyridine) and [Ni(XPh)(PhP{CH2CH2PPh2}2)](+) (X = O, S or Se) are slow and show little variation (k(O) : k(S) : k(Se) = 1 : 12 : 9). This unusual behaviour is a consequence of sterics affecting the optimal interaction between the reactants prior to proton transfer.

Interaction between like-charged colloidal particles in aqueous electrolyte solution: Attractive component arising from solvent granularity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

R.Akiyama

2007-12-01

Full Text Available The potential of mean force (PMF between like-charged colloidal particles immersed in aqueous electrolyte solution is studied using the integral equation theory. Solvent molecules are modeled as neutral hard spheres, and ions and colloidal particles are taken to be charged hard spheres. The Coulomb potentials for ion-ion, ion-colloidal particle, and colloidal particle-colloidal particle pairs are divided by the dielectric constant of water. This simple model is employed to account for the effects of solvent granularity neglected in the so-called primitive model. The van der Waals attraction between colloidal particles, which is an essential constituent of conventional DLVO theory, is omitted in the present model. Nevertheless, when the electrolyte concentration is sufficiently high, attractive regions appear in the PMF. In particular, the interaction at small separations is significantly attractive and the contact of colloidal particles is stabilized. This interesting behavior arises from the effects of the translational motion of solvent molecules.

Electrical percolation in the presence of attractive interactions: An effective medium lattice approach applied to microemulsion systems

Science.gov (United States)

Hattori, Y.; Ushiki, H.; Engl, W.; Courbin, L.; Panizza, P.

2005-08-01

Within the framework of an effective medium approach and a mean-field approximation, we present a simple lattice model to treat electrical percolation in the presence of attractive interactions. We show that the percolation line depends on the magnitude of interactions. In 2 dimensions, the percolation line meets the binodal line at the critical point. A good qualitative agreement is observed with experimental results on a ternary AOT-based water-in-oil microemulsion system.

Observation of attraction between dark solitons

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dreischuh, A.; Neshev, D.N.; Petersen, D.E.

2006-01-01

We demonstrate a dramatic change in the interaction forces between dark solitons in nonlocal nonlinear media. We present what we believe is the first experimental evidence of attraction of dark solitons. Our results indicate that attraction should be observable in other nonlocal systems...

The masculinity paradox: facial masculinity and beardedness interact to determine women's ratings of men's facial attractiveness.

Science.gov (United States)

Dixson, B J W; Sulikowski, D; Gouda-Vossos, A; Rantala, M J; Brooks, R C

2016-11-01

In many species, male secondary sexual traits have evolved via female choice as they confer indirect (i.e. genetic) benefits or direct benefits such as enhanced fertility or survival. In humans, the role of men's characteristically masculine androgen-dependent facial traits in determining men's attractiveness has presented an enduring paradox in studies of human mate preferences. Male-typical facial features such as a pronounced brow ridge and a more robust jawline may signal underlying health, whereas beards may signal men's age and masculine social dominance. However, masculine faces are judged as more attractive for short-term relationships over less masculine faces, whereas beards are judged as more attractive than clean-shaven faces for long-term relationships. Why such divergent effects occur between preferences for two sexually dimorphic traits remains unresolved. In this study, we used computer graphic manipulation to morph male faces varying in facial hair from clean-shaven, light stubble, heavy stubble and full beards to appear more (+25% and +50%) or less (-25% and -50%) masculine. Women (N = 8520) were assigned to treatments wherein they rated these stimuli for physical attractiveness in general, for a short-term liaison or a long-term relationship. Results showed a significant interaction between beardedness and masculinity on attractiveness ratings. Masculinized and, to an even greater extent, feminized faces were less attractive than unmanipulated faces when all were clean-shaven, and stubble and beards dampened the polarizing effects of extreme masculinity and femininity. Relationship context also had effects on ratings, with facial hair enhancing long-term, and not short-term, attractiveness. Effects of facial masculinization appear to have been due to small differences in the relative attractiveness of each masculinity level under the three treatment conditions and not to any change in the order of their attractiveness. Our findings suggest that

A novel steric effect-regulated isothermal exponential amplification technology for the one-step homogeneous sensing of proteins.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Wanghua; Pan, Wufan; Yu, Dongdong; Yuan, Zhen; Qin, Yazhou; Lu, Yuxiang; Zhang, Tao; Zhou, Jianguang

2018-02-12

A simple and homogeneous technology, the steric effect-regulated isothermal exponential amplification reaction (SER-EXPAR), was developed to sense proteins. By using a small molecule linked DNA nanostructure, termed enzyme-binding hairpin (EBH), the protein-small molecule binding events could be readily sensed by utilizing the steric effect generated between the protein and enzyme. It set free the enzyme to be active again, thus regulating the amplification rate of EXPAR.

Mass-induced sea level variations in the Red Sea from GRACE, steric-corrected altimetry, in situ bottom pressure records, and hydrographic observations

Science.gov (United States)

Feng, W.; Lemoine, J.-M.; Zhong, M.; Hsu, H. T.

2014-08-01

An annual amplitude of ∼18 cm mass-induced sea level variations (SLV) in the Red Sea is detected from the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellites and steric-corrected altimetry from 2003 to 2011. The annual mass variations in the region dominate the mean SLV, and generally reach maximum in late January/early February. The annual steric component of the mean SLV is relatively small (mass-induced SLV. In situ bottom pressure records at the eastern coast of the Red Sea validate the high mass variability observed by steric-corrected altimetry and GRACE. In addition, the horizontal water mass flux of the Red Sea estimated from GRACE and steric-corrected altimetry is validated by hydrographic observations.

Ontogeny of collective behavior reveals a simple attraction rule.

Science.gov (United States)

Hinz, Robert C; de Polavieja, Gonzalo G

2017-02-28

The striking patterns of collective animal behavior, including ant trails, bird flocks, and fish schools, can result from local interactions among animals without centralized control. Several of these rules of interaction have been proposed, but it has proven difficult to discriminate which ones are implemented in nature. As a method to better discriminate among interaction rules, we propose to follow the slow birth of a rule of interaction during animal development. Specifically, we followed the development of zebrafish, Danio rerio , and found that larvae turn toward each other from 7 days postfertilization and increase the intensity of interactions until 3 weeks. This developmental dataset allows testing the parameter-free predictions of a simple rule in which animals attract each other part of the time, with attraction defined as turning toward another animal chosen at random. This rule makes each individual likely move to a high density of conspecifics, and moving groups naturally emerge. Development of attraction strength corresponds to an increase in the time spent in attraction behavior. Adults were found to follow the same attraction rule, suggesting a potential significance for adults of other species.

Does being attractive always help? Positive and negative effects of attractiveness on social decision making.

Science.gov (United States)

Agthe, Maria; Spörrle, Matthias; Maner, Jon K

2011-08-01

Previous studies of organizational decision making demonstrate an abundance of positive biases directed toward highly attractive individuals. The current research, in contrast, suggests that when the person being evaluated is of the same sex as the evaluator, attractiveness hurts, rather than helps. Three experiments assessing evaluations of potential job candidates (Studies 1 and 3) and university applicants (Study 2) demonstrated positive biases toward highly attractive other-sex targets but negative biases toward highly attractive same-sex targets. This pattern was mediated by variability in participants' desire to interact with versus avoid the target individual (Studies 1 and 2) and was moderated by participants' level of self-esteem (Study 3); the derogation of attractive same-sex targets was not observed among people with high self-esteem. Findings demonstrate an important exception to the positive effects of attractiveness in organizational settings and suggest that negative responses to attractive same-sex targets stem from perceptions of self-threat.

Conformation-dependent DNA attraction

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Weifeng; Nordenskiöld, Lars; Zhou, Ruhong; Mu, Yuguang

2014-05-01

Understanding how DNA molecules interact with other biomolecules is related to how they utilize their functions and is therefore critical for understanding their structure-function relationships. For a long time, the existence of Z-form DNA (a left-handed double helical version of DNA, instead of the common right-handed B-form) has puzzled the scientists, and the definitive biological significance of Z-DNA has not yet been clarified. In this study, the effects of DNA conformation in DNA-DNA interactions are explored by molecular dynamics simulations. Using umbrella sampling, we find that for both B- and Z-form DNA, surrounding Mg2+ ions always exert themselves to screen the Coulomb repulsion between DNA phosphates, resulting in very weak attractive force. On the contrary, a tight and stable bound state is discovered for Z-DNA in the presence of Mg2+ or Na+, benefiting from their hydrophobic nature. Based on the contact surface and a dewetting process analysis, a two-stage binding process of Z-DNA is outlined: two Z-DNA first attract each other through charge screening and Mg2+ bridges to phosphate groups in the same way as that of B-DNA, after which hydrophobic contacts of the deoxyribose groups are formed via a dewetting effect, resulting in stable attraction between two Z-DNA molecules. The highlighted hydrophobic nature of Z-DNA interaction from the current study may help to understand the biological functions of Z-DNA in gene transcription.Understanding how DNA molecules interact with other biomolecules is related to how they utilize their functions and is therefore critical for understanding their structure-function relationships. For a long time, the existence of Z-form DNA (a left-handed double helical version of DNA, instead of the common right-handed B-form) has puzzled the scientists, and the definitive biological significance of Z-DNA has not yet been clarified. In this study, the effects of DNA conformation in DNA-DNA interactions are explored by

13C and 1H nuclear magnetic resonance of methyl-substituted acetophenones and methyl benzoates: steric hindrance and inhibited conjugation.

Science.gov (United States)

Budesínský, Milos; Kulhánek, Jirí; Böhm, Stanislav; Cigler, Petr; Exner, Otto

2004-10-01

The 1H and 13C NMR spectra of 14 methyl-substituted acetophenones and 14 methyl-substituted methyl benzoates were assigned and interpreted with respect to the conformation of the C(ar)-C(O) bond. The substituent effects are proportional in the two series and can be divided into polar and steric: each has different effects on the 13C SCS of the individual atoms. In the case of C atoms C(O), C(1) and CH3(CO), the steric effects were quantitatively separated by comparing SCS in the ortho and para positions. The steric effects are proportional for the individual C atoms and also to steric effects estimated from other physical quantities. However, they do not depend simply on the angle of torsion phi of the functional group as anticipated hitherto. A better description distinguishes two classes of compounds: sterically not hindered or slightly hindered planar molecules and strongly sterically hindered, markedly non-planar. In order to confirm this reasoning without empirical correlations, the J(C,C) coupling constants were measured for three acetophenone derivatives labeled with 13C in the acetyl methyl group. The constants confirm unambiguously the conformation of 2-methylacetophenone; their zero values are in accord with the conformation of 2,6-dimethylacetophenone. The zero values in the unsubstituted acetophenone are at variance with previous erroneous report but all J(C,C) values are in accord with calculations at the B3LYP/6-311++G(2d,2p)//B3LYP/6-311+G(d,p) level. Copyright 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Attractive PHHP interactions revealed by state-of-the-art ab initio calculations.

Science.gov (United States)

Yourdkhani, Sirous; Jabłoński, Mirosław; Echeverría, Jorge

2017-10-25

We report in this work a combined structural and state-of-the-art computational study of homopolar P-HH-P intermolecular contacts. Database surveys have shown the abundance of such surprisingly unexplored contacts, which are usually accompanied by other weak interactions in the solid state. By means of a detailed theoretical study utilizing SAPT(DFT), MP2, SCS-MP2, MP2C and CCSD(T) methods and both aug-cc-pVXZ and aug-cc-pCVXZ (X = D, T, Q, 5) basis sets as well as extrapolation to the CBS limit, we have shown that P-HH-P contacts are indeed attractive and considerably strong. SAPT(DFT) calculations have revealed the dispersive nature of the P-HH-P interaction with only minor contribution of the inductive term, whereas the first-order electrostatic term is clearly overbalanced by the first-order exchange energy. In general the computed interaction energies follow the trend: E ≈ E < E < E. Our results have also shown that the aug-cc-pVDZ (or aug-cc-pCVDZ) basis set is not yet well balanced and that the second-order dispersion energy term is the slowest converging among all SAPT(DFT) energy components. Compared to aug-cc-pVXZ basis sets, their core-correlation counterparts have a modest influence on all supermolecular interaction energies and a negligible influence on both the SAPT(DFT) interaction energy and its components.

Origin of attraction in p-benzoquinone complexes with benzene and p-hydroquinone.

Science.gov (United States)

Tsuzuki, Seiji; Uchimaru, Tadafumi; Ono, Taizo

2017-08-30

The origin of the attraction in charge-transfer complexes (a p-hydroquinone-p-benzoquinone complex and benzene complexes with benzoquinone, tetracyanoethylene and Br 2 ) was analyzed using distributed multipole analysis and symmetry-adapted perturbation theory. Both methods show that the dispersion interactions are the primary source of the attraction in these charge-transfer complexes followed by the electrostatic interactions. The natures of the intermolecular interactions in these complexes are close to the π/π interactions of neutral aromatic molecules. The electrostatic interactions play important roles in determining the magnitude of the attraction. The contribution of charge-transfer interactions to the attraction is not large compared with the dispersion interactions in these complexes.

Age, interpersonal attraction, and social interaction. A review and assessment.

Science.gov (United States)

Webb, L; Delaney, J J; Young, L R

1989-03-01

This essay reviews over 40 extant research reports on attraction and aging. The review indicated that (a) perceived agreement in attitude tends to neutralize young adults' general perception of older adults as unattractive, (b) elders prefer to associate with middle-aged and older adults more than they desire to associate with younger adults, regardless of the relative physical attraction of the target individuals, and (c) elders' marital satisfaction appears to be related to perceived physical attractiveness of the husband, not the wife. The authors provide critique and analysis of the research methods employed in the reviewed studies. Avenues for further research are identified.

Gazing behavior during mixed-sex interactions: Sex and attractiveness effects

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Straaten, I. van; Holland, R.W.; Finkenauer, C.; Hollenstein, T.P.; Engels, R.C.M.E.

2010-01-01

We investigated to what extent the length of people's gazes during conversations with opposite-sex persons is affected by the physical attractiveness of the partner. Single participants (N = 115) conversed for 5 min with confederates who were rated either as low or high on physical attractiveness.

Correction: β-Amyrin synthase from Euphorbia tirucalli L. functional analyses of the highly conserved aromatic residues Phe413, Tyr259 and Trp257 disclose the importance of the appropriate steric bulk, and cation-π and CH-π interactions for the efficient catalytic action of the polyolefin cyclization cascade.

Science.gov (United States)

Ito, Ryousuke; Nakada, Chika; Hoshino, Tsutomu

2017-01-18

Correction for 'β-Amyrin synthase from Euphorbia tirucalli L. functional analyses of the highly conserved aromatic residues Phe413, Tyr259 and Trp257 disclose the importance of the appropriate steric bulk, and cation-π and CH-π interactions for the efficient catalytic action of the polyolefin cyclization cascade' by Ryousuke Ito et al., Org. Biomol. Chem., 2017, 15, 177-188.

Steric Maps to Evaluate the Role of Steric Hindrance on the IPr NHC Ligand

KAUST Repository

Poater, Albert

2013-06-01

Density functional theory (DFT) calculations were used to predict and rationalize the effect of the modification of the structure of the prototype 1,3-bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)imidazol-2-ylidene) (IPr) N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) ligand. The modification consists in the substitution of the methyl groups of ortho isopropyl substituent with phenyl groups, and here we plan to describe how such significant changes effect the metal environment and therefore the related catalytic behaviour by simple steric maps. Bearing in mind that there is a significant structural difference between IPr and IPr* ligands, that translated in different reactivity for several olefin metathesis reactions, here by means of DFT we characterize where the NHC ligand plays a more active role and where it is a simple spectator, or at least its modification does not significantly change its catalytic role/performance. Furthermore, this communication endeavours to modify further the skeleton of the IPr NHC ligand. The optimization of these bulky new systems go to the limits of the DFT computational method.

Interactions among Carbon Dioxide, Heat, and Chemical Lures in Attracting the Bed Bug, Cimex lectularius L. (Hemiptera: Cimicidae

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Narinderpal Singh

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Commercial bed bug (Cimex lectularius L. monitors incorporating carbon dioxide (CO2, heat, and chemical lures are being used for detecting bed bugs; however, there are few reported studies on the effectiveness of chemical lures in bed bug monitors and the interactions among chemical lure, CO2, and heat. We screened 12 chemicals for their attraction to bed bugs and evaluated interactions among chemical lures, CO2, and heat. The chemical lure mixture consisting of nonanal, 1-octen-3-ol, spearmint oil, and coriander Egyptian oil was found to be most attractive to bed bugs and significantly increased the trap catches in laboratory bioassays. Adding this chemical lure mixture when CO2 was present increased the trap catches compared with traps baited with CO2 alone, whereas adding heat did not significantly increase trap catches when CO2 was present. Results suggest a combination of chemical lure and CO2 is essential for designing effective bed bug monitors.

Attractive faces temporally modulate visual attention

Science.gov (United States)

Nakamura, Koyo; Kawabata, Hideaki

2014-01-01

Facial attractiveness is an important biological and social signal on social interaction. Recent research has demonstrated that an attractive face captures greater spatial attention than an unattractive face does. Little is known, however, about the temporal characteristics of visual attention for facial attractiveness. In this study, we investigated the temporal modulation of visual attention induced by facial attractiveness by using a rapid serial visual presentation. Fourteen male faces and two female faces were successively presented for 160 ms, respectively, and participants were asked to identify two female faces embedded among a series of multiple male distractor faces. Identification of a second female target (T2) was impaired when a first target (T1) was attractive compared to neutral or unattractive faces, at 320 ms stimulus onset asynchrony (SOA); identification was improved when T1 was attractive compared to unattractive faces at 640 ms SOA. These findings suggest that the spontaneous appraisal of facial attractiveness modulates temporal attention. PMID:24994994

Attractive faces temporally modulate visual attention

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Koyo eNakamura

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Facial attractiveness is an important biological and social signal on social interaction. Recent research has demonstrated that an attractive face captures greater spatial attention than an unattractive face does. Little is known, however, about the temporal characteristics of visual attention for facial attractiveness. In this study, we investigated the temporal modulation of visual attention induced by facial attractiveness by using a rapid serial visual presentation (RSVP. Fourteen male faces and two female faces were successively presented for 160 ms respectively, and participants were asked to identify two female faces embedded among a series of multiple male distractor faces. Identification of a second female target (T2 was impaired when a first target (T1 was attractive compared to neutral or unattractive faces, at 320 ms SOA; identification was improved when T1 was attractive compared to unattractive faces at 640 ms SOA. These findings suggest that the spontaneous appraisal of facial attractiveness modulates temporal attention.

Steric asymmetry and lambda-doublet propensities in state-to-state rotationally inelastic scattering of NO(2 π/2) with He

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wiskerke, Arjan E.; de Lange, Marc J.L.; Stolte, Steven; Taatjes, Craig A.; van der Avoird, Ad; Klos, Jacek

2004-01-01

Relative integrated cross sections are measured for rotationally inelastic scattering of NO( 2 π 1/2 ), hexapole selected in the upper Λ-doublet level of the ground rotational state (j = 0.5), in collisions with He at a nominal energy of 514 cm -1 . Application of a static electric field E in the scattering region, directed parallel or antiparallel to the relative velocity vector v, allows the state-selected NO molecule to be oriented with either the N end or the O end towards the incoming He atom. Laser-induced fluorescence detection of the final state of the NO molecule is used to determine the experimental steric asymmetry, SA (triple b ond) (σ v ↑↓ E -σ v ↑↑ E )/(σ v ↑↓ E + σ v ↑↑ E ), which is equal to within a factor of (-1) to the molecular steric effect, S i # yields# f (triple b ond) (σ He # yields# NO - σ He # yields# ON )/(σ He # yields# NO + σ He # yields# ON ). The dependence of the integral inelastic cross section on the incoming λ-doublet component is also observed as a function of the final rotational (j(prime)), spin-orbit ((Omega)(prime)), and Λ-doublet (ε(prime)) state. The measured steric asymmetries are significantly larger than previously observed for NO-Ar scattering, supporting earlier proposals that the repulsive part of the interaction potential is responsible for the steric asymmetry. In contrast to the case of scattering with Ar, the steric asymmetry of NO-He collisions is not very sensitive to the value of (Omega)(prime) . However, the Λ-doublet propensities are very different for ((Omega) = 0.5(F 1 ) → (Omega)(prime) = 0.5(F 1 )) transitions. Spin-orbit manifold conserving collisions exhibit a propensity for parity conservation at low Δ j , but spin-orbit manifold changing collisions do not show this propensity. In conjunction with the experiments, state-to-state cross sections for scattering of oriented NO( 2 π) molecules with He atoms are predicted from close-coupling calculations on restricted

Conformation-dependent DNA attraction.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Weifeng; Nordenskiöld, Lars; Zhou, Ruhong; Mu, Yuguang

2014-06-21

Understanding how DNA molecules interact with other biomolecules is related to how they utilize their functions and is therefore critical for understanding their structure-function relationships. For a long time, the existence of Z-form DNA (a left-handed double helical version of DNA, instead of the common right-handed B-form) has puzzled the scientists, and the definitive biological significance of Z-DNA has not yet been clarified. In this study, the effects of DNA conformation in DNA-DNA interactions are explored by molecular dynamics simulations. Using umbrella sampling, we find that for both B- and Z-form DNA, surrounding Mg(2+) ions always exert themselves to screen the Coulomb repulsion between DNA phosphates, resulting in very weak attractive force. On the contrary, a tight and stable bound state is discovered for Z-DNA in the presence of Mg(2+) or Na(+), benefiting from their hydrophobic nature. Based on the contact surface and a dewetting process analysis, a two-stage binding process of Z-DNA is outlined: two Z-DNA first attract each other through charge screening and Mg(2+) bridges to phosphate groups in the same way as that of B-DNA, after which hydrophobic contacts of the deoxyribose groups are formed via a dewetting effect, resulting in stable attraction between two Z-DNA molecules. The highlighted hydrophobic nature of Z-DNA interaction from the current study may help to understand the biological functions of Z-DNA in gene transcription.

Concept-Driven Interaction Design Research in the domain of attractive aging: the example of Walky

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nazzi, Elena; Bagalkot, Naveen L.; Nagargoje, Arun

2012-01-01

In this paper we answer the call for “designing for an attractive ageing” by designing for social interaction of senior citizens within their local community. In this vein, we present Walky, a design exploration through which we explored if, and how, augmenting the rollator that senior citizens u...... the example of Walky and its compositional whole as a demonstration of how we explored abstract theoretical perspectives in particular design situations leading to three concrete designed artefacts....

Nature and Strength of the Inner-Core H⋅⋅⋅H Interactions in Porphyrinoids.

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, Ankit; Sahoo, Dipak Kumar; Sethi, Srikant Kumar; Jena, Subhrakant; Biswal, Himansu S

2017-12-15

Several recent publications have illustrated that electrostatic attraction is not solely responsible for strong hydrogen bonds. Even electropositive and less electronegative atoms such as Te and Se are capable of forming strong H-bonds. Herein, we provide evidence for intramolecular homopolar dihydrogen bonds [HOMO-DHBs; X-N(C)-H δ+ ⋅⋅⋅ δ+ H-N(C)-Y] in porphyrins and related compounds for the first time; these bonds are revealed by careful Cambridge Structural Database (CSD) exploration, quantum theory of atoms in molecules, compliance constant calculations, and natural bond orbital and noncovalent interaction (NCI) analysis. A search of the CSD showed that the inner-core hydrogen atom distances were less than 2.5 Å (sum of the van der Waals radii of two hydrogen atoms is 2.4 Å) in porphyrinoids, i.e. about 75 % of the cases. This suggested an attractive interaction between hydrogen atoms carrying a positive charge, which was further supported by quantum-chemical calculations. The HOMO-DHB energy in some cases was found to be as much as around 20 kJ mol -1 , which is comparable to that of any conventional H-bond energy such as for the NH 3 dimer. The interplay between hyperconjugative attraction and steric constraint favorably decided the strength of the HOMO-DHBs. We expect that HOMO-DHBs could be revealed in many more systems, such as corroles, phlorins, crown ethers, and constrained systems having hydrogen atoms in close contact, and could be an important noncovalent interaction to consider in supramolecular chemistry. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Effects of physical attractiveness on political beliefs.

Science.gov (United States)

Peterson, Rolfe Daus; Palmer, Carl L

2017-01-01

Physical attractiveness is an important social factor in our daily interactions. Scholars in social psychology provide evidence that attractiveness stereotypes and the "halo effect" are prominent in affecting the traits we attribute to others. However, the interest in attractiveness has not directly filtered down to questions of political behavior beyond candidates and elites. Utilizing measures of attractiveness across multiple surveys, we examine the relationship between attractiveness and political beliefs. Controlling for socioeconomic status, we find that more attractive individuals are more likely to report higher levels of political efficacy, identify as conservative, and identify as Republican. These findings suggest an additional mechanism for political socialization that has further implications for understanding how the body intertwines with the social nature of politics.

Size effects of solvent molecules on the phase behavior and effective interaction of colloidal systems with the bridging attraction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Jie; Wang, Xuewu; Kline, Steven R; Liu, Yun

2016-01-01

There has been much recent research interest towards understanding the phase behavior of colloidal systems interacting with a bridging attraction, where the small solvent particles and large solute colloidal particles can be reversibly associated with each other. These systems show interesting phase behavior compared to the more widely studied depletion attraction systems. Here, we use Baxter’s two-component sticky hard sphere model with a Percus–Yevick closure to solve the Ornstein–Zernike equation and study the size effect on colloidal systems with bridging attractions. The spinodal decomposition regions, percolation transition boundaries and binodal regions are systematically investigated as a function of the relative size of the small solvent and large solute particles as well as the attraction strength between the small and large particles. In the phase space determined by the concentrations of small and large particles, the spinodal and binodal regions form isolated islands. The locations and shapes of the spinodal and binodal regions sensitively depend on the relative size of the small and large particles and the attraction strength between them. The percolation region shrinks by decreasing the size ratio, while the binodal region slightly expands with the decrease of the size ratio. Our results are very important in understanding the phase behavior for a bridging attraction colloidal system, a model system that provides insight into oppositely charged colloidal systems, protein phase behavior, and colloidal gelation mechanisms. (paper)

Size effects of solvent molecules on the phase behavior and effective interaction of colloidal systems with the bridging attraction.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Jie; Wang, Xuewu; Kline, Steven R; Liu, Yun

2016-11-16

There has been much recent research interest towards understanding the phase behavior of colloidal systems interacting with a bridging attraction, where the small solvent particles and large solute colloidal particles can be reversibly associated with each other. These systems show interesting phase behavior compared to the more widely studied depletion attraction systems. Here, we use Baxter's two-component sticky hard sphere model with a Percus-Yevick closure to solve the Ornstein-Zernike equation and study the size effect on colloidal systems with bridging attractions. The spinodal decomposition regions, percolation transition boundaries and binodal regions are systematically investigated as a function of the relative size of the small solvent and large solute particles as well as the attraction strength between the small and large particles. In the phase space determined by the concentrations of small and large particles, the spinodal and binodal regions form isolated islands. The locations and shapes of the spinodal and binodal regions sensitively depend on the relative size of the small and large particles and the attraction strength between them. The percolation region shrinks by decreasing the size ratio, while the binodal region slightly expands with the decrease of the size ratio. Our results are very important in understanding the phase behavior for a bridging attraction colloidal system, a model system that provides insight into oppositely charged colloidal systems, protein phase behavior, and colloidal gelation mechanisms.

Impressions of Counselors as a Function of Counselor Physical Attractiveness

Science.gov (United States)

Carter, Jean A.

1978-01-01

Research assessed the effects of counselor physical attractiveness and inter-actions between attractiveness and counselor subject sex. It is suggested that sex of counselor and client may play a more important role independently and in conjunction with attractiveness than does attractiveness alone in influencing impressions and expectations.…

Liquid crystal phase behaviour of attractive disc-like particles.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Liang; Jackson, George; Müller, Erich A

2013-08-08

We employ a generalized van der Waals-Onsager perturbation theory to construct a free energy functional capable of describing the thermodynamic properties and orientational order of the isotropic and nematic phases of attractive disc particles. The model mesogen is a hard (purely repulsive) cylindrical disc particle decorated with an anisotropic square-well attractive potential placed at the centre of mass. Even for isotropic attractive interactions, the resulting overall inter-particle potential is anisotropic, due to the orientation-dependent excluded volume of the underlying hard core. An algebraic equation of state for attractive disc particles is developed by adopting the Onsager trial function to characterize the orientational order in the nematic phase. The theory is then used to represent the fluid-phase behaviour (vapour-liquid, isotropic-nematic, and nematic-nematic) of the oblate attractive particles for varying values of the molecular aspect ratio and parameters of the attractive potential. When compared to the phase diagram of their athermal analogues, it is seen that the addition of an attractive interaction facilitates the formation of orientationally-ordered phases. Most interestingly, for certain aspect ratios, a coexistence between two anisotropic nematic phases is exhibited by the attractive disc-like fluids.

Effects of student physical attractiveness

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Krnjajić Stevan B.

2005-01-01

Full Text Available Implicit personality theories suggest that people draw conclusions about other persons by using a relatively small number of visible features. The formation of "the first impression" is influenced by the factors, such as sex, age, appearances, race or nationality. Frequently, conclusions based on those factors lead to developing social stereotypes. Attractiveness is a good example of "the first impression" effect, because physical attractiveness entails the creation of impression about another person along a relatively great number of dimensions. Experimental paradigm, introduced in the sphere of interpersonal perception around the mid-20th century, led to a relatively great number of studies on stereotype based on physical attractiveness. One of the most often quoted conclusions of studies on physical attractiveness is summarized by the idiom "what is beautiful is good". For example, socially desirable personality traits (responsibility kindness, energy quality, modesty, more successful private and professional life, are all attributed to physically attractive persons. In addition physical attractiveness is coupled with positive expectations, peer acceptance, academic achievement etc. On the basis of studies on the "what is beautiful is good" stereotype, we have situated our analysis within the domain of roles regulating social interaction between teachers and students i.e. effects of physical attractiveness on teacher expectations, peer acceptance and academic achievement.

Inter-DNA Attraction Mediated by Divalent Counterions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Qiu Xiangyun; Andresen, Kurt; Kwok, Lisa W.; Lamb, Jessica S.; Park, Hye Yoon; Pollack, Lois

2007-01-01

Can nonspecifically bound divalent counterions induce attraction between DNA strands? Here, we present experimental evidence demonstrating attraction between short DNA strands mediated by Mg 2+ ions. Solution small angle x-ray scattering data collected as a function of DNA concentration enable model independent extraction of the second virial coefficient. As the [Mg 2+ ] increases, this coefficient turns from positive to negative reflecting the transition from repulsive to attractive inter-DNA interaction. This surprising observation is corroborated by independent light scattering experiments. The dependence of the observed attraction on experimental parameters including DNA length provides valuable clues to its origin

Peptide folding in the presence of interacting protein crowders

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bille, Anna, E-mail: anna.bille@thep.lu.se; Irbäck, Anders, E-mail: anders@thep.lu.se [Computational Biology and Biological Physics, Department of Astronomy and Theoretical Physics, Lund University, Sölvegatan 14A, SE-223 62 Lund (Sweden); Mohanty, Sandipan, E-mail: s.mohanty@fz-juelich.de [Jülich Supercomputing Centre, Institute for Advanced Simulation, Forschungszentrum Jülich, D-52425 Jülich (Germany)

2016-05-07

Using Monte Carlo methods, we explore and compare the effects of two protein crowders, BPTI and GB1, on the folding thermodynamics of two peptides, the compact helical trp-cage and the β-hairpin-forming GB1m3. The thermally highly stable crowder proteins are modeled using a fixed backbone and rotatable side-chains, whereas the peptides are free to fold and unfold. In the simulations, the crowder proteins tend to distort the trp-cage fold, while having a stabilizing effect on GB1m3. The extent of the effects on a given peptide depends on the crowder type. Due to a sticky patch on its surface, BPTI causes larger changes than GB1 in the melting properties of the peptides. The observed effects on the peptides stem largely from attractive and specific interactions with the crowder surfaces, and differ from those seen in reference simulations with purely steric crowder particles.

Potential dependence of the effective attraction in doped C60

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goff, W.E.; Phillips, P.

1992-01-01

In an effort to explain superconductivity in the alkali-doped C 60 , Chakravarty and Kivelson have proposed that there is a net effective electron attraction due to intramolecular Coulomb forces. The calculation makes use of a Hubbard model in which long-range interactions are absent. The authors show that this result strongly depends on the form of the electron-electron interaction and that for potentials with long-range interactions, e.g. an Ohno potential that interpolates between an on site energy and 1/r at large distances, they do not find an effective attraction. Reasonable screening does not significantly modify this result. This indicates that the electronic mechanism in the proposed form cannot be the primary source of an attractive interaction

Quantum chemical investigation of attractive non-covalent interactions between halomethanes and rare gases.

Science.gov (United States)

McAllister, Linda J; Bruce, Duncan W; Karadakov, Peter B

2012-11-01

The interaction between rare gas atoms and trifluoromethylhalides and iodomethane is investigated using ab initio and density functional theory (DFT) methods: MP2, CCSD, B3LYP, M06, M06-L, M06-2X, M06-HF, X3LYP, PBE, B97-D, B3LYP-D3, and M06-L-D3, in combination with the aug-cc-pVTZ and aug-cc-pVTZ-PP basis sets. A weakly attractive interaction is observed for all complexes, whose strength increases as the rare gas and halogen bond donor become more polarizable, and as the group bound to the halogen bond donor becomes more electron-withdrawing. The separation between iodine and krypton in the complex CF(3)I···Kr, calculated at the MP2 and B3LYP-D3 levels of theory, agrees very well with recent experimental results (Stephens, S. L.; Walker, N. R.; Legon, A. C. J. Chem. Phys. 2011, 135, 224309). Analysis of the ability of theoretical methods to account for the dispersion interaction present in these complexes leads to the conclusion that MP2 and B3LYP-D3, which produce very similar results, are the better performing methods, followed by B97-D and the M06 suite of functionals; the popular B3LYP as well as X3LYP perform poorly and significantly underestimate the interaction strength. The orbitals responsible for the interaction are identified through Edmiston-Ruedenberg localization; it is shown that, by combining the key orbitals, it is possible to observe a molecular orbital picture of a σ-hole interaction.

Abstraction of iodine from aromatic iodides by alkyl radicals: steric and electronic effects.

Science.gov (United States)

Dolenc, Darko; Plesnicar, Bozo

2006-10-13

Abstraction of the iodine atom from aryl iodides by alkyl radicals takes place in some cases very efficiently despite the unfavorable difference in bond dissociation energies of C-I bonds in alkyl and aryl iodides. The abstraction is most efficient in iodobenzenes, ortho-substituted with bulky groups. The ease of abstraction can be explained by the release of steric strain during the elimination of the iodine atom. The rate of abstraction correlates fairly well with the strain energy, calculated by density functional theory (DFT) and Hartree-Fock (HF) methods as a difference in the total energy of ortho and para isomers. However, besides the steric bulk, the presence of some other functional groups in an ortho substituent also influences the rate. The stabilization of the transition state, resembling a 9-I-2 iodanyl radical, by electron-withdrawing groups seems to explain a positive sign of the Hammett rho value in the radical abstraction of halogen atoms.

Attractive interaction between Mn atoms on the GaAs(110) surface observed by scanning tunneling microscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Taninaka, Atsushi; Yoshida, Shoji; Kanazawa, Ken; Hayaki, Eiko; Takeuchi, Osamu; Shigekawa, Hidemi

2016-06-16

Scanning tunneling microscopy/spectroscopy (STM/STS) was carried out to investigate the structures of Mn atoms deposited on a GaAs(110) surface at room temperature to directly observe the characteristics of interactions between Mn atoms in GaAs. Mn atoms were paired with a probability higher than the random distribution, indicating an attractive interaction between them. In fact, re-pairing of unpaired Mn atoms was observed during STS measurement. The pair initially had a new structure, which was transformed during STS measurement into one of those formed by atom manipulation at 4 K. Mn atoms in pairs and trimers were aligned in the direction, which is theoretically predicted to produce a high Curie temperature.

A covalent attraction between two molecular cation TTF·~+

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

WANG FangFang; WANG Yi; WANG BingQiang; WANG YinFeng; MA Fang; Li ZhiRu

2009-01-01

The optimized structure of the tetrathiafulvalence radical-cation dimer (TTF·~+-TTF·~+) with all-real frequencies is obtained at MP2/6-311G level,which exhibits the attraction between two molecular cation TTF·~+.The new attraction interaction is a 20-center-2-electron intermolecular covalent π/π bonding with a telescope shape.The covalent π/π bonding has the bonding energy of about-21 kcal·mol~(-1) and is concealed by the Coulombic repulsion between two TTF·~+ cations.This intermolecular covalent attraction also influences the structure of the TTF·~+ subunit,I.e.,its molecular plane is bent by an angle θ=5.6°.This work provides new knowledge on intermolecular interaction.

A covalent attraction between two molecular cation TTF·~+

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

无

2009-01-01

The optimized structure of the tetrathiafulvalence radical-cation dimer(TTF·+-TTF·+) with all-real frequencies is obtained at MP2/6-311G level,which exhibits the attraction between two molecular cation TTF·+.The new attraction interaction is a 20-center-2-electron intermolecular covalent π /π bonding with a telescope shape.The covalent π /π bonding has the bonding energy of about -21 kcal·mol-1 and is concealed by the Coulombic repulsion between two TTF·+ cations.This intermolecular covalent attraction also influences the structure of the TTF·+ subunit,i.e.,its molecular plane is bent by an angle θ=5.6°.This work provides new knowledge on intermolecular interaction.

Steric and electronic effects of 1,3-disubstituted cyclopentadienyl ligands on metallocene derivatives of Cerium, Titanium, Manganese, and Iron

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sofield, Chadwick Dean [Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States)

2000-05-01

Sterically demanding 1,3-disubstituted cyclopentadienyl ligands were used to modify the physical properties of the corresponding metallocenes. Sterically demanding ligands provided kinetic stabilization for trivalent cerium compounds. Tris(di-t-butylcyclopentadienyl)cerium was prepared and anion competition between halides and cyclopentadienyl groups which had complicated synthesis of the tris(cyclopentadienyl)compound was qualitatively examined. Bis(di-t-butylcyclopentadienyl)cerium methyl was prepared and its rate of decomposition, by ligand redistribution, to tris(di-t-butylcyclopentadienyl)cerium was shown to be slower than the corresponding rate for less sterically demanding ligands. Asymmetrically substituted ligands provided a symmetry label for examination of chemical exchange processes. Tris[trimethylsilyl(t-butyl)cyclopentadienyl]cerium was prepared and the rate of interconversion between the C1 and C3 isomers was examined. The enthalpy difference between the two distereomers is 7.0 kJ/mol. The sterically demanding cyclopentadienyl ligands ansa-di-t-butylcyclopentadiene (Me₂Si[(Me₃C)₂C₅H₃]₂), ansa-bis(trimethylsilyl)cyclopentadiene (Me₂Si[(Me₃Si)₂C₅H₃]₂) and tetra-t-butylfulvalene and metallocene derivatives of the ligands were prepared and their structures were examined by single crystal X-ray crystallography. The effect that substituents on the cyclopentadienyl ring have on the pi-electron system of the ligand was examined through interaction between ligand and metal orbitals. A series of 1,3-disubstituted manganocenes was prepared and their electronic states were determined by solid-state magnetic susceptibility, electron paramagnetic resonance, X-ray crystallography, and variable temperature UV-vis spectroscopy. Spin-equilibria in [(Me₃C)₂C₅H₃]₂Mn and [(Me₃

The Role of Attractiveness and Aggression in High School Popularity

Science.gov (United States)

Borch, Casey; Hyde, Allen; Cillessen, Antonius H. N.

2011-01-01

This study examines the effects of physical attractiveness and aggression on popularity among high school students. Previous work has found positive relationships between aggression and popularity and physical attractiveness and popularity. The current study goes beyond this work by examining the interactive effects of physical attractiveness and…

Attracted to power: challenge/threat and promotion/prevention focus differentially predict the attractiveness of group power

Science.gov (United States)

Scholl, Annika; Sassenrath, Claudia; Sassenberg, Kai

2015-01-01

Depending on their motivation, individuals prefer different group contexts for social interactions. The present research sought to provide more insight into this relationship. More specifically, we tested how challenge/threat and a promotion/prevention focus predict attraction to groups with high- or low-power. As such, we examined differential outcomes of threat and prevention focus as well as challenge and promotion focus that have often been regarded as closely related. According to regulatory focus, individuals should prefer groups that they expect to “feel right” for them to join: Low-power groups should be more attractive in a prevention (than a promotion) focus, as these groups suggest security-oriented strategies, which fit a prevention focus. High-power groups should be more attractive in a promotion (rather than a prevention) focus, as these groups are associated with promotion strategies fitting a promotion focus (Sassenberg et al., 2007). In contrast, under threat (vs. challenge), groups that allow individuals to restore their (perceived) lack of control should be preferred: Low-power groups should be less attractive under threat (than challenge) because they provide low resources which threatened individuals already perceive as insufficient and high-power groups might be more attractive under threat (than under challenge), because their high resources allow individuals to restore control. Two experiments (N = 140) supported these predictions. The attractiveness of a group often depends on the motivation to engage in what fits (i.e., prefer a group that feels right in the light of one’s regulatory focus). However, under threat the striving to restore control (i.e., prefer a group allowing them to change the status quo under threat vs. challenge) overrides the fit effect, which may in turn guide individuals’ behavior in social interactions. PMID:25904887

Effects of the steric hindrance of micropores in the hyper-cross-linked polymeric adsorbent on the adsorption of p-nitroaniline in aqueous solution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xiao, Guqing; Wen, Ruimin; Wei, Dongmei; Wu, Dan

2014-01-01

Graphical abstract: The hyper-cross-linked polymeric adsorbents (GQ-05 and GQ-03) with different steric hindrance of micropores were designed. The adsorption capacity and adsorption rate of PNA onto the two adsorbents followed the order GQ-05 > GQ-03. The steric hindrance of micropores was a crucial factor for the adsorption capacity and adsorption rate order. - Highlights: • Two adsorbents with different steric hindrance of micropores were designed. • The adsorption capacity and adsorption rate followed the order GQ-05 > GQ-03. • The steric hindrance of micropores was a crucial factor for the order. - Abstract: A hyper-cross-linked polymeric adsorbent with “-CH 2 -phenol-CH 2 -” as the cross-linked bridge (denoted GQ-05), and another hyper-cross-linked polymeric adsorbent with “-CH 2 -p-cresol-CH 2 -” as the cross-linked bridge (denoted GQ-03) were synthesized to reveal the effect of the steric hindrance of micropores in the hyper-cross-linked polymeric adsorbent on adsorption capacity and adsorption rate of p-nitroaniline (PNA) from aqueous solution. The results of adsorption kinetics indicated the order of the adsorption rate GQ-05 > GQ-03. The pseudo-first-order rate equation could describe the entire adsorption process of PNA onto GQ-05 while the equation characterized the adsorption process of GQ-03 in two stages. The order of the adsorption capacity GQ-05 > GQ-03 was demonstrated by thermodynamic analysis and dynamic adsorption. The steric hindrance of micropores in the hyper-cross-linked polymeric adsorbent was a crucial factor for the order of the adsorption capacity and adsorption rate

Semiconducting perovskites (2-XC6H4C2H4NH3)2SnI4 (X = F, Cl, Br): steric interaction between the organic and inorganic layers.

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Zhengtao; Mitzi, David B; Dimitrakopoulos, Christos D; Maxcy, Karen R

2003-03-24

Two new semiconducting hybrid perovskites based on 2-substituted phenethylammonium cations, (2-XC(6)H(4)C(2)H(4)NH(3))(2)SnI(4) (X = Br, Cl), are characterized and compared with the previously reported X = F compound, with a focus on the steric interaction between the organic and inorganic components. The crystal structure of (2-ClC(6)H(4)C(2)H(4)NH(3))(2)SnI(4) is solved in a disordered subcell [C2/m, a = 33.781(7) A, b = 6.178(1) A, c = 6.190(1) A, beta = 90.42(3)(o), and Z = 2]. The structure is similar to the known (2-FC(6)H(4)C(2)H(4)NH(3))(2)SnI(4) structure with regard to both the conformation of the organic cations and the bonding features of the inorganic sheet. The (2-BrC(6)H(4)C(2)H(4)NH(3))(2)SnI(4) system adopts a fully ordered monoclinic cell [P2(1)/c, a = 18.540(2) A, b = 8.3443(7) A, c = 8.7795(7) A, beta = 93.039(1)(o), and Z = 2]. The organic cation adopts the anti conformation, instead of the gauche conformation observed in the X = F and Cl compounds, apparently because of the need to accommodate the additional volume of the bromo group. The steric effect of the bromo group also impacts the perovskite sheet, causing notable distortions, such as a compressed Sn-I-Sn bond angle (148.7(o), as compared with the average values of 153.3 and 154.8(o) for the fluoro and chloro compounds, respectively). The optical absorption features a substantial blue shift (lowest exciton peak: 557 nm, 2.23 eV) relative to the spectra of the fluoro and chloro compounds (588 and 586 nm, respectively). Also presented are transport properties for thin-film field-effect transistors (TFTs) based on spin-coated films of the two hybrid semiconductors.

The Effect of Target Sex, Sexual Dimorphism, and Facial Attractiveness on Perceptions of Target Attractiveness and Trustworthiness

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yuanyan Hu

2018-06-01

Full Text Available Facial sexual dimorphism has widely demonstrated as having an influence on the facial attractiveness and social interactions. However, earlier studies show inconsistent results on the effect of sexual dimorphism on facial attractiveness judgments. Previous studies suggest that the level of attractiveness might work as a moderating variable among the relationship between sexual dimorphism and facial preference and have often focused on the effect of sexual dimorphism on general attractiveness ratings, rather than concentrating on trustworthiness perception. Male and female participants viewed target male and female faces that varied on attractiveness (more attractive or less attractive and sexual dimorphism (masculine or feminine. Participants rated the attractiveness of the faces and reported how much money they would give to the target person as a measure of trust. For the facial attractiveness ratings, (a both men and women participants preferred masculine male faces to feminine male ones under the more attractive condition, whereas preferred feminine male faces to masculine male ones under the less attractive condition; (b all participants preferred feminine female faces to masculine female ones under the less attractive condition, while there were no differences between feminine female faces and masculine female faces under the more attractive condition. For the target trustworthiness perception, (a participants showed no preference between masculine male faces and feminine male faces, neither under the more attractive condition nor the less attractiveness condition; (b however, all the participants preferred masculine female faces over feminine female faces under the more attractive condition, exhibiting no preference between feminine female faces and masculine female faces under the less attractive condition. These findings suggest that the attractiveness of facial stimulus may be a reason to interpret the inconsistent results from the

Shukla-Eliasson attractive force: Revisited

Science.gov (United States)

Akbari-Moghanjoughi, M.; Akbari-Moghanjoughi

2013-04-01

By investigating the dielectric response of the Fermi-Dirac plasma in the linear limit and evaluating the electrostatic potential around the positive stationary test charge, we find that the Shukla-Eliasson attractive force is present for the plasma density range expected in the interiors of large planets for a wide range of plasma atomic number. This research, which is based on the generalized electron Fermi-momentum, further confirms the existence of the newly discovered Lennard-Jones-like attractive potential and its inevitable role in plasma crystallization in the cores of planets. Moreover, it is observed that the characteristics of the attractive potential are strongly sensitive to the variation of plasma density and composition. Current research can also have applications in the study of strong laser-matter interactions and inertially confined plasmas.

Hydrophilic luminescent silicon nanoparticles in steric colloidal solutions: their size, agglomeration and toxicity

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Herynková, Kateřina; Šimáková, Petra; Cibulka, Ondřej; Fučíková, Anna; Kalbáčová, M.H.

2017-01-01

Roč. 14, č. 12 (2017), s. 1-4, č. článku 1700195. ISSN 1862-6351 Grant - others:AV ČR(CZ) DAAD-16-18 Program:Bilaterální spolupráce Institutional support: RVO:68378271 Keywords : silicon nanocrystals * colloidal solutions * steric stabilization * cytotoxicity Subject RIV: BO - Biophysics OBOR OECD: Biophysics

Exploring electronic and steric effects on the insertion and polymerization reactivity of phosphinesulfonato pdii catalysts

KAUST Repository

Neuwald, Boris; Falivene, Laura; Caporaso, Lucia; Cavallo, Luigi; Mecking, Stefan

2013-01-01

incorporation at low MA concentrations in the copolymerization; and 3) steric shielding leads to a pronounced increase in polymer molecular weight in the copolymerization. The catalyst properties induced by a given P-aryl (alkyl) moiety were combined effectively

Structural Basis for Species Selectivity in the HIV-1 gp120-CD4 Interaction: Restoring Affinity to gp120 in Murine CD4 Mimetic Peptides

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kristin Kassler

2011-01-01

Full Text Available The first step of HIV-1 infection involves interaction between the viral glycoprotein gp120 and the human cellular receptor CD4. Inhibition of the gp120-CD4 interaction represents an attractive strategy to block HIV-1 infection. In an attempt to explore the known lack of affinity of murine CD4 to gp120, we have investigated peptides presenting the putative gp120-binding site of murine CD4 (mCD4. Molecular modeling indicates that mCD4 protein cannot bind gp120 due to steric clashes, while the larger conformational flexibility of mCD4 peptides allows an interaction. This finding is confirmed by experimental binding assays, which also evidenced specificity of the peptide-gp120 interaction. Molecular dynamics simulations indicate that the mCD4-peptide stably interacts with gp120 via an intermolecular β-sheet, while an important salt-bridge formed by a C-terminal lysine is lost. Fixation of the C-terminus by introducing a disulfide bridge between the N- and C-termini of the peptide significantly enhanced the affinity to gp120.

Quantum criticality of one-dimensional multicomponent Fermi gas with strongly attractive interaction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

He, Peng; Jiang, Yuzhu; Guan, Xiwen; He, Jinyu

2015-01-01

Quantum criticality of strongly attractive Fermi gas with SU(3) symmetry in one dimension is studied via the thermodynamic Bethe ansatz (TBA) equations. The phase transitions driven by the chemical potential μ, effective magnetic field H 1 , H 2 (chemical potential biases) are analyzed at the quantum criticality. The phase diagram and critical fields are analytically determined by the TBA equations in the zero temperature limit. High accurate equations of state, scaling functions are also obtained analytically for the strong interacting gases. The dynamic exponent z=2 and correlation length exponent ν=1/2 read off the universal scaling form. It turns out that the quantum criticality of the three-component gases involves a sudden change of density of states of one cluster state, two or three cluster states. In general, this method can be adapted to deal with the quantum criticality of multicomponent Fermi gases with SU(N) symmetry. (paper)

SambVca 2. A Web Tool for Analyzing Catalytic Pockets with Topographic Steric Maps

KAUST Repository

Falivene, Laura; Credendino, Raffaele; Poater, Albert; Petta, Andrea; Serra, Luigi; Oliva, Romina; Scarano, Vittorio; Cavallo, Luigi

2016-01-01

Developing more efficient catalysts remains one of the primary targets of organometallic chemists. To accelerate reaching this goal, effective molecular descriptors and visualization tools can represent a remarkable aid. Here, we present a Web application for analyzing the catalytic pocket of metal complexes using topographic steric maps as a general and unbiased descriptor that is suitable for every class of catalysts. To show the broad applicability of our approach, we first compared the steric map of a series of transition metal complexes presenting popular mono-, di-, and tetracoordinated ligands and three classic zirconocenes. This comparative analysis highlighted similarities and differences between totally unrelated ligands. Then, we focused on a recently developed Fe(II) catalyst that is active in the asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of ketones and imines. Finally, we expand the scope of these tools to rationalize the inversion of enantioselectivity in enzymatic catalysis, achieved by point mutation of three amino acids of mononuclear p-hydroxymandelate synthase.

SambVca 2. A Web Tool for Analyzing Catalytic Pockets with Topographic Steric Maps

KAUST Repository

Falivene, Laura

2016-06-27

Developing more efficient catalysts remains one of the primary targets of organometallic chemists. To accelerate reaching this goal, effective molecular descriptors and visualization tools can represent a remarkable aid. Here, we present a Web application for analyzing the catalytic pocket of metal complexes using topographic steric maps as a general and unbiased descriptor that is suitable for every class of catalysts. To show the broad applicability of our approach, we first compared the steric map of a series of transition metal complexes presenting popular mono-, di-, and tetracoordinated ligands and three classic zirconocenes. This comparative analysis highlighted similarities and differences between totally unrelated ligands. Then, we focused on a recently developed Fe(II) catalyst that is active in the asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of ketones and imines. Finally, we expand the scope of these tools to rationalize the inversion of enantioselectivity in enzymatic catalysis, achieved by point mutation of three amino acids of mononuclear p-hydroxymandelate synthase.

Attracting Interest: Dynamic Displays of Proceptivity Increase the Attractiveness of Men and Women

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrew P. Clark

2008-10-01

Full Text Available Proceptive signals may influence judgments of opposite-sex attractiveness because these signals indicate high mate quality and/or non-threatening behavior but they may also signal high probable rate of return for mating effort. If so, individuals observing these signals may be sensitive to where the signals are directed to; signals directed toward other individuals may not predict what signals would be directed toward the observer. To explore these possibilities I made use of video stimuli composed of mock interviews with actors. Each actor did one proceptive and one unreceptive interview. Each interview was presented as being directed toward participants or toward an opposite sex interviewer. Proceptivity enhanced the attractiveness of opposite-sex actors and an interaction between proceptive state and signal direction was found, with this pattern varying substantially between actors. The possibility that this variation is mediated by the physical attractiveness and sex of the actors will be discussed.

Meeting your match: how attractiveness similarity affects approach behavior in mixed-sex dyads.

Science.gov (United States)

van Straaten, Ischa; Engels, Rutger C M E; Finkenauer, Catrin; Holland, Rob W

2009-06-01

This experimental study investigated approach behavior toward opposite-sex others of similar versus dissimilar physical attractiveness. Furthermore, it tested the moderating effects of sex. Single participants interacted with confederates of high and low attractiveness. Observers rated their behavior in terms of relational investment (i.e., behavioral efforts related to the improvement of interaction fluency, communication of positive interpersonal affect, and positive self-presentation). As expected, men displayed more relational investment behavior if their own physical attractiveness was similar to that of the confederate. For women, no effects of attractiveness similarity on relational investment behavior were found. Results are discussed in the light of positive assortative mating, preferences for physically attractive mates, and sex differences in attraction-related interpersonal behaviors.

Role of geometrical shape in like-charge attraction of DNA.

Science.gov (United States)

Kuron, Michael; Arnold, Axel

2015-03-01

While the phenomenon of like-charge attraction of DNA is clearly observed experimentally and in simulations, mean-field theories fail to predict it. Kornyshev et al. argued that like-charge attraction is due to DNA's helical geometry and hydration forces. Strong-coupling (SC) theory shows that attraction of like-charged rods is possible through ion correlations alone at large coupling parameters, usually by multivalent counterions. However for SC theory to be applicable, counterion-counterion correlations perpendicular to the DNA strands need to be sufficiently small, which is not a priori the case for DNA even with trivalent counterions. We study a system containing infinitely long DNA strands and trivalent counterions by computer simulations employing varying degrees of coarse-graining. Our results show that there is always attraction between the strands, but its magnitude is indeed highly dependent on the specific shape of the strand. While discreteness of the charge distribution has little influence on the attractive forces, the role of the helical charge distribution is considerable: charged rods maintain a finite distance in equilibrium, while helices collapse to close contact with a phase shift of π, in full agreement with SC predictions. The SC limit is applicable because counterions strongly bind to the charged sites of the helices, so that helix-counterion interactions dominate over counterion-counterion interactions. Thus DNA's helical geometry is not crucial for like-charge DNA attraction, but strongly enhances it, and electrostatic interactions in the strong-coupling limit are sufficient to explain this attraction.

High-temperature superconductivity: the attractive Up regime

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gulacsi, Miklos

2005-01-01

Full text: We present the result of an infinite order unitary transformation applied to a multiband Hubbard Hamiltonian by which it can be shown rigorously that an attractive interaction term appears at the oxygen ion sites as a result of oxygen-copper virtual charge excitations. This exact result yields convincing evidence that the pairing mechanism in two or three band Hubbard models results precisely from this attraction. (author)

Exploiting attractiveness in persuasion: senders' implicit theories about receivers' processing motivation.

Science.gov (United States)

Vogel, Tobias; Kutzner, Florian; Fiedler, Klaus; Freytag, Peter

2010-06-01

Previous research suggests a positive correlation between physical attractiveness and the expectation of positive outcomes in social interactions, such as successful persuasion. However, prominent persuasion theories do not imply a general advantage of attractive senders. Instead, the persuasion success should vary with the receivers' processing motivation and processing capacity. Focusing on the perspective of the sender, the authors elaborate on lay theories about how attractiveness affects persuasion success. They propose that lay theories (a) match scientific models in that they also comprise the interaction of senders' attractiveness and receivers' processing characteristics, (b) guide laypersons' anticipation of persuasion success, and (c) translate into strategic behavior. They show that anticipated persuasion success depends on the interplay of perceived attractiveness and expectations about receivers' processing motivation (Experiment 1 and 2). Further experiments show that laypersons strategically attempt to exploit attractiveness in that they approach situations (Experiment 3) and persons (Experiment 4) that promise persuasion success.

Two Impurities in a Bose-Einstein Condensate: From Yukawa to Efimov Attracted Polarons

Science.gov (United States)

Naidon, Pascal

2018-04-01

The well-known Yukawa and Efimov potentials are two different mediated interaction potentials. The first one arises in quantum field theory from the exchange of virtual particles. The second one is mediated by a real particle resonantly interacting with two other particles. This Letter shows how two impurities immersed in a Bose-Einstein condensate can exhibit both phenomena. For a weak attraction with the condensate, the two impurities form two polarons that interact through a weak Yukawa attraction mediated by virtual excitations. For a resonant attraction with the condensate, the exchanged excitation becomes a real boson and the mediated interaction changes to a strong Efimov attraction that can bind the two polarons. The resulting bipolarons turn into in-medium Efimov trimers made of the two impurities and one boson. Evidence of this physics could be seen in ultracold mixtures of atoms.

Comparative molecular simulation study of low and high density polymer glasses: A competition between attractive and repulsive interactions

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, Jalim; Jose, Prasanth

Results of molecular dynamics simulations of a system of Kremer and Grest linear polymer melts are presented at moderate and high number density. A detailed study of molecular pair distribution function shows that potential of mean force between the molecules has form of Gaussian with an attractive tail at number density ρ = 0.85 (in Lennard-Jones units), which is due to the dominating attractive interactions from temperature T = 0.7. This system shows gelation assisted glass transition, which is interpreted from peaks of molecular structure factor at small wave-numbers. At low temperature, this system phase separate to form dense domains whose local density is high; these domains show many dynamical features of glass transition in monomer and molecular level of relaxation indicating glass transition is assisted by gelation in this system. In the same system, at ρ = 1.0, repulsive interactions dominate, structure does not change even at low temperatures; the system exhibits dynamic heterogeneity and known to undergo glass transition. In this work, we compare and contrast the structure and dynamics of the system near its glass transition. Also, we computed correlation length of systems from the peak value of four-point structural dynamic susceptibility. HPC facility at IIT Mandi.

Theoretical exploration of the nanoscale host-guest interactions between [n]cycloparaphenylenes (n = 10, 8 and 9) and fullerene C₆₀: from single- to three-potential well.

Science.gov (United States)

Yuan, Kun; Zhou, Cai-Hua; Zhu, Yuan-Cheng; Zhao, Xiang

2015-07-28

The nanoscale host-guest interactions between [n]cycloparaphenylene ([n]CPP; n = 10, 8 and 9) nano-ring and fullerene C60 were explored theoretically. It is found that relatively small variations in the sizes of the [n]CPP host lead to very significant changes in encapsulation property toward the fullerene C60 guest. Expectedly, one stable inclusion-configuration of [10]CPP⊃C60 and one floating-configuration of [8]CPP⊃C60 are located on the potential surfaces of the two complexes, respectively. Unexpectedly, besides a floating-configuration (F-[9]CPP⊃C60), another stable inclusion-configuration (I-[9]CPP⊃C60) is also located on the potential surface of [9]CPP⊃C60 host-guest complex. Interaction energies and natural steric analysis show that these complexes are stabilized by balancing concave-convex π-π attractive and steric repulsive host-guest interactions. In contrast, the steric repulsive energy (Es) between host and guest of I-[9]CPP⊃C60 is as high as 233.12 kJ mol(-1), which is much larger than those in other complexes. The movements of C60 guest through the cavities of [n]CPP host (n = 10, 8 and 9) are simulated by calculating the energy profile, and the results interestingly reveal that the encapsulation of C60 by [10]CPP is in the manner of a single-potential well, by [8]CPP in the manner of a double-potential well, and by [9]CPP in the special manner of a three-potential well. We predict that the movement of C60 guest through the cavity of [9]CPP host should be experimentally observable owing to the relatively low energy barrier (<50 kJ mol(-1), M06-2X/6-31G(d)). Charge population analysis shows that an obvious charge transfer between host and guest takes place during the formation of I-[9]CPP⊃C60, which is different from those during the formation of [8]CPP⊃C60, [10]CPP⊃C60 and F-[9]CPP⊃C60. Additionally, the host-guest interaction regions were detected and visualized in real space based on the electron density and reduced density

Interfacial Interaction of Titania Nanoparticles and Ligated Uranyl Species: A Relativistic DFT Investigation.

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Zhao, Hong-Bo; Zheng, Ming; Schreckenbach, Georg; Pan, Qing-Jiang

2017-03-06

To understand interfacial behavior of actinides adsorbed onto mineral surfaces and unravel their structure-property relationship, the structures, electronic properties, and energetics of various ligated uranyl species adsorbed onto TiO 2 surface nanoparticle clusters (SNCs) were examined using relativistic density functional theory. Rutile (110) and anatase (101) titania surfaces, experimentally known to be stable, were fully optimized. For the former, models studied include clean and water-free Ti 27 O 64 H 20 (dry), partially hydrated (Ti 27 O 64 H 20 )(H 2 O) 8 (sol) and proton-saturated [(Ti 27 O 64 H 20 )(H 2 O) 8 (H) 2 ] 2+ (sat), while defect-free and defected anatase SNCs involving more than 38 TiO 2 units were considered. The aquouranyl sorption onto rutile SNCs is energetically preferred, with interaction energies of -8.54, -10.36, and -2.39 eV, respectively. Energy decomposition demonstrates that the sorption is dominated by orbital attractive interactions and modified by steric effects. Greater hydrogen-bonding involvement leads to increased orbital interactions (i.e., more negative energy) from dry to sol/sat complexes, while much larger steric interaction in the sat complex significantly reduces the sorption interaction (i.e., more positive energy). For dry SNC, adsorbates were varied from aquo to aquo-carbonato, to carbonato, to hydroxo uranyl species. Longer U-O surf /U-Ti distances and more positive sorption energies were calculated upon introducing carbonato and hydroxo ligands, indicative of weaker uranyl sorption onto the substrate. This is consistent with experimental observations that the uranyl sorption rate decreases upon raising solution pH value or adding carbon dioxide. Anatase SNCs adsorbing aquouranyl are even more exothermic, because more bonds are formed than in the case of rutile. Moreover, the anatase sorption can be tuned by surface defects as well as its Ti and O stoichiometry. All the aquouranyl-SNC complexes show similar

Hydrodynamic attraction of swimming microorganisms by surfaces

OpenAIRE

Berke, Allison P.; Turner, Linda; Berg, Howard C.; Lauga, Eric

2008-01-01

Cells swimming in confined environments are attracted by surfaces. We measure the steady-state distribution of smooth-swimming bacteria (Escherichia coli) between two glass plates. In agreement with earlier studies, we find a strong increase of the cell concentration at the boundaries. We demonstrate theoretically that hydrodynamic interactions of the swimming cells with solid surfaces lead to their re-orientation in the direction parallel to the surfaces, as well as their attraction by the c...

Assessment of perceived orthodontic appliance attractiveness.

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Ziuchkovski, James P; Fields, Henry W; Johnston, William M; Lindsey, Delwin T

2008-04-01

To date, no studies have been published in the literature evaluating the esthetics of orthodontic appliances. The purpose of this study was to assess appliance variables, including appliance type, brand, wire, and ligature tie, for their relative attractiveness. Demographic factors were also evaluated. Appliances were placed in an adult, and digital images were captured, standardized, and incorporated into a computer-based survey. Subjects (n = 200) rated each image for attractiveness on a visual analog scale. The attractiveness ratings were analyzed by using factorial analysis of variance with repeated measures. Post-hoc testing was done with the Tukey-Kramer test (overall a appliances), ceramic, and all self-ligating/stainless steel appliances. No differences between brands in each appliance type were found. Ratings of some ceramic appliances were significantly affected by archwire and ligature tie, depending on several demographic interactions. Orthodontic appliance attractiveness varies by the following hierarchy of appliance types: alternative > ceramic > all stainless steel/self-ligating. Wire and tie selection can affect the appearance of ceramic appliances but have no impact on stainless steel or self-ligating appliances. Certain demographic factors have variable effects on attractiveness ratings.

Universal Features of the Fluid to Solid Transition for Attractive Colloidal Particles

Science.gov (United States)

Cipelletti, L.; Prasad, V.; Dinsmore, A.; Segre, P. N.; Weitz, D. A.; Trappe, V.

2002-01-01

Attractive colloidal particles can exhibit a fluid to solid phase transition if the magnitude of the attractive interaction is sufficiently large, if the volume fraction is sufficiently high, and if the applied stress is sufficiently small. The nature of this fluid to solid transition is similar for many different colloid systems, and for many different forms of interaction. The jamming phase transition captures the common features of these fluid to solid translations, by unifying the behavior as a function of the particle volume fraction, the energy of interparticle attractions, and the applied stress. This paper describes the applicability of the jamming state diagram, and highlights those regions where the fluid to solid transition is still poorly understood. It also presents new data for gelation of colloidal particles with an attractive depletion interaction, providing more insight into the origin of the fluid to solid transition.

Spinon Attraction in Spin-1/2 Antiferromagnetic Chains

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bernevig, B. A.; Giuliano, D.; Laughlin, R. B.

2001-01-01

We derive the representation of the two-spinon wave function for the Haldane-Shastry model in terms of the spinon coordinates. This result allows us to rigorously analyze spinon interaction and its physical effects. We show that spinons attract one another. The attraction gets stronger as the size of the system is increased and, in the thermodynamic limit, determines the power law with which the susceptibility diverges

Clustering and phase behaviour of attractive active particles with hydrodynamics.

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Navarro, Ricard Matas; Fielding, Suzanne M

2015-10-14

We simulate clustering, phase separation and hexatic ordering in a monolayered suspension of active squirming disks subject to an attractive Lennard-Jones-like pairwise interaction potential, taking hydrodynamic interactions between the particles fully into account. By comparing the hydrodynamic case with counterpart simulations for passive and active Brownian particles, we elucidate the relative roles of self-propulsion, interparticle attraction, and hydrodynamic interactions in determining clustering and phase behaviour. Even in the presence of an attractive potential, we find that hydrodynamic interactions strongly suppress the motility induced phase separation that might a priori have been expected in a highly active suspension. Instead, we find only a weak tendency for the particles to form stringlike clusters in this regime. At lower activities we demonstrate phase behaviour that is broadly equivalent to that of the counterpart passive system at low temperatures, characterized by regimes of gas-liquid, gas-solid and liquid-solid phase coexistence. In this way, we suggest that a dimensionless quantity representing the level of activity relative to the strength of attraction plays the role of something like an effective non-equilibrium temperature, counterpart to the (dimensionless) true thermodynamic temperature in the passive system. However there are also some important differences from the equilibrium case, most notably with regards the degree of hexatic ordering, which we discuss carefully.

Are Women’s Mate Preferences for Altruism Also Influenced by Physical Attractiveness?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daniel Farrelly

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Altruism plays a role in mate choice, particularly in women’s preferences and in long-term (LT relationships. The current study analyzed how these preferences interacted with another important mate choice variable, physical attractiveness. Here, female participants were presented with photographs of men of varying levels of physical attractiveness, alongside descriptions of them behaving either altruistically or not in different scenarios. The results showed women preferred altruistic men, particularly in LT relationships and that this interacted with physical attractiveness such that being both attractive and altruistic made a man more desirable than just the sum of the two desirable parts. Also, being altruistic made low attractive men more desirable but only for LT relationships. Finally, men who were just altruistic were rated more desirable than men who were just attractive, especially for LT relationships. Overall, these findings are discussed in terms of the role of altruism in mate choice, particularly in LT relationships and directions of future research.

Vibrational properties of quasi-two-dimensional colloidal glasses with varying interparticle attraction.

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Gratale, Matthew D; Ma, Xiaoguang; Davidson, Zoey S; Still, Tim; Habdas, Piotr; Yodh, A G

2016-10-01

We measure the vibrational modes and particle dynamics of quasi-two-dimensional colloidal glasses as a function of interparticle interaction strength. The interparticle attractions are controlled via a temperature-tunable depletion interaction. Specifically, the interparticle attraction energy is increased gradually from a very small value (nearly hard-sphere) to moderate strength (∼4k_{B}T), and the variation of colloidal particle dynamics and vibrations are concurrently probed. The particle dynamics slow monotonically with increasing attraction strength, and the particle motions saturate for strengths greater than ∼2k_{B}T, i.e., as the system evolves from a nearly repulsive glass to an attractive glass. The shape of the phonon density of states is revealed to change with increasing attraction strength, and the number of low-frequency modes exhibits a crossover for glasses with weak compared to strong interparticle attraction at a threshold of ∼2k_{B}T. This variation in the properties of the low-frequency vibrational modes suggests a new means for distinguishing between repulsive and attractive glass states.

Beyond initial attraction: physical attractiveness in newlywed marriage.

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McNulty, James K; Neff, Lisa A; Karney, Benjamin R

2008-02-01

Physical appearance plays a crucial role in shaping new relationships, but does it continue to affect established relationships, such as marriage? In the current study, the authors examined how observer ratings of each spouse's facial attractiveness and the difference between those ratings were associated with (a) observations of social support behavior and (b) reports of marital satisfaction. In contrast to the robust and almost universally positive effects of levels of attractiveness on new relationships, the only association between levels of attractiveness and the outcomes of these marriages was that attractive husbands were less satisfied. Further, in contrast to the importance of matched attractiveness to new relationships, similarity in attractiveness was unrelated to spouses' satisfaction and behavior. Instead, the relative difference between partners' levels of attractiveness appeared to be most important in predicting marital behavior, such that both spouses behaved more positively in relationships in which wives were more attractive than their husbands, but they behaved more negatively in relationships in which husbands were more attractive than their wives. These results highlight the importance of dyadic examinations of the effects of spouses' qualities on their marriages.

Attractive and repulsive cracks in a heterogeneous material

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cortet, Pierre-Philippe; Huillard, Guillaume; Vanel, Loïc; Ciliberto, Sergio

2008-01-01

We study experimentally the paths of an assembly of cracks growing in interaction in a heterogeneous two-dimensional elastic brittle material submitted to uniaxial stress. For a given initial crack assembly geometry, we observe two types of crack path. The first one corresponds to a repulsion followed by an attraction on one end of the crack and a tip-to-tip attraction on the other end. The second one corresponds to a pure attraction. Only one of the crack path types is observed in a given sample. Thus, selection between the two types appears as a statistical collective process

Jamming transitions induced by an attraction in pedestrian flow

Science.gov (United States)

Kwak, Jaeyoung; Jo, Hang-Hyun; Luttinen, Tapio; Kosonen, Iisakki

2017-08-01

We numerically study jamming transitions in pedestrian flow interacting with an attraction, mostly based on the social force model for pedestrians who can join the attraction. We formulate the joining probability as a function of social influence from others, reflecting that individual choice behavior is likely influenced by others. By controlling pedestrian influx and the social influence parameter, we identify various pedestrian flow patterns. For the bidirectional flow scenario, we observe a transition from the free flow phase to the freezing phase, in which oppositely walking pedestrians reach a complete stop and block each other. On the other hand, a different transition behavior appears in the unidirectional flow scenario, i.e., from the free flow phase to the localized jam phase and then to the extended jam phase. It is also observed that the extended jam phase can end up in freezing phenomena with a certain probability when pedestrian flux is high with strong social influence. This study highlights that attractive interactions between pedestrians and an attraction can trigger jamming transitions by increasing the number of conflicts among pedestrians near the attraction. In order to avoid excessive pedestrian jams, we suggest suppressing the number of conflicts under a certain level by moderating pedestrian influx especially when the social influence is strong.

Jamming transitions induced by an attraction in pedestrian flow.

Science.gov (United States)

Kwak, Jaeyoung; Jo, Hang-Hyun; Luttinen, Tapio; Kosonen, Iisakki

2017-08-01

We numerically study jamming transitions in pedestrian flow interacting with an attraction, mostly based on the social force model for pedestrians who can join the attraction. We formulate the joining probability as a function of social influence from others, reflecting that individual choice behavior is likely influenced by others. By controlling pedestrian influx and the social influence parameter, we identify various pedestrian flow patterns. For the bidirectional flow scenario, we observe a transition from the free flow phase to the freezing phase, in which oppositely walking pedestrians reach a complete stop and block each other. On the other hand, a different transition behavior appears in the unidirectional flow scenario, i.e., from the free flow phase to the localized jam phase and then to the extended jam phase. It is also observed that the extended jam phase can end up in freezing phenomena with a certain probability when pedestrian flux is high with strong social influence. This study highlights that attractive interactions between pedestrians and an attraction can trigger jamming transitions by increasing the number of conflicts among pedestrians near the attraction. In order to avoid excessive pedestrian jams, we suggest suppressing the number of conflicts under a certain level by moderating pedestrian influx especially when the social influence is strong.

Platinum(II Complexes with Tetradentate Schiff Bases as Ligands: Synthesis, Characterization and Detection of DNA Interaction by Differential Pulse Voltammetry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lijun Li

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Five sterically hindered platinum(II complexes with tetradentate schiff bases as ligands, [Pt(L] (L= N,N′-bisalicylidene-1,2-ethylenediamine (L1, N,N′-bisalicylidene-1,2-cyclohexanediamine (L2, N,N′-bis(5-hydroxyl-salicylidene-1,2-cyclohexanediamine (L3, N,N′-bisalicylidene-1,2-diphenyl-ethylenediamine (L4 and N,N′-bis(3-tert-butyl-5-methyl-salicylidene-1,2-diphenylethylenediamine (L5 have been synthesized and characterized by IR spectroscopy and elemental analysis. The sterical hindrance of antitumor drug candidates potentially makes them less susceptible to deactivation by sulphur containing proteins and helping to overcome resistance mechanisms. The interaction of these metal complexes with fish sperm single-stranded DNA (ssDNA was studied electrochemically based on the oxidation signals of guanine and adenine. Differential pulse voltammetry was employed to monitor the DNA interaction in solution by using renewable pencil graphite electrode. The results indicate that ligands with different groups can strongly affect the interaction between [Pt(L] complexes and ssDNA due to sterical hindrances and complex [Pt(L1] has the best interaction with DNA among the five complexes.

Sterically demanding diphosphonite ligands - synthesis and application in nickel-catalyzed isomerization of 2-methyl-3-butenenitrile

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vlugt, van der J.I.; Hewat, A.C.; Neto, S.; Sablong, R.J.; Mills, A.M.; Lutz, M.; Spek, A.L.; Müller, C.; Vogt, D.

2004-01-01

The synthesis of a novel class of sterically demanding diphosphonites 1-8, based on rigid backbones, is described. The starting materials are all commercially available and the methodology allows for a modular approach. All ligands have been fully characterized, including an X-ray crystal structure

Attraction of nonlocal dark optical solitons

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nikolov, Nikola Ivanov; Neshev, Dragomir; Krolikowski, Wieslaw

2004-01-01

We study the formation and interaction of spatial dark optical solitons in materials with a nonlocal nonlinear response. We show that unlike in local materials, where dark solitons typically repel, the nonlocal nonlinearity leads to a long-range attraction and formation of stable bound states...

The Effects of Relaxation and Cognitive Expectancy on Attraction in a Social Interaction.

Science.gov (United States)

Wilson, Midge

One approach to searching for determinants of interpersonal attraction involves the altering and studying of physiological arousal, psychological stress, and moods. On the basis of the reinforcement-affect model of attraction, it was hypothesized that the positive feelings obtained from undergoing relaxation exercises could serve to enhance…

Disentangling and modeling interactions in fish with burst-and-coast swimming reveal distinct alignment and attraction behaviors

Science.gov (United States)

Calovi, Daniel S.; Litchinko, Alexandra; Lopez, Ugo; Chaté, Hugues; Sire, Clément

2018-01-01

The development of tracking methods for automatically quantifying individual behavior and social interactions in animal groups has open up new perspectives for building quantitative and predictive models of collective behavior. In this work, we combine extensive data analyses with a modeling approach to measure, disentangle, and reconstruct the actual functional form of interactions involved in the coordination of swimming in Rummy-nose tetra (Hemigrammus rhodostomus). This species of fish performs burst-and-coast swimming behavior that consists of sudden heading changes combined with brief accelerations followed by quasi-passive, straight decelerations. We quantify the spontaneous stochastic behavior of a fish and the interactions that govern wall avoidance and the reaction to a neighboring fish, the latter by exploiting general symmetry constraints for the interactions. In contrast with previous experimental works, we find that both attraction and alignment behaviors control the reaction of fish to a neighbor. We then exploit these results to build a model of spontaneous burst-and-coast swimming and interactions of fish, with all parameters being estimated or directly measured from experiments. This model quantitatively reproduces the key features of the motion and spatial distributions observed in experiments with a single fish and with two fish. This demonstrates the power of our method that exploits large amounts of data for disentangling and fully characterizing the interactions that govern collective behaviors in animals groups. PMID:29324853

Study of a model Fermi liquid interacting via a hard-core repulsive potential and an attractive tail

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ng, Tai Kai; Singwi, K.S.

1986-02-01

In this paper we present an extensive microscopic study of the collective and single-particle properties of a model Fermi liquid whose particles interact via a repulsive hard-core potential and an attractive tail. The model system is intended to simulate liquid 3 He. The study is based on an approximate scheme of Singwi, Tosi, Land and Sjoelander (STLS) which was devised to treat correlations in Coulomb Fermi liquids. The primary aim of this study is to learn whether the model system is capable of reproducing some of the salient features observed in normal liquid 3 He, and about the role of the repulsive and attractive parts of the potential. We have calculated the Landau parameters F 0 /sup s/ and F 0 /sup a/ and their variation with pressure, the wave number and pressure dependence of the spin-symmetric and spin-anti-symmetric polarization potentials, pressure dependence of the dispersion of the zero sound, the static structure factors and the quasiparticle mass. Although we make no quantitative claims when comparing our calculations with experiments in real liquid 3 He, we do conclude that our model system within the framework of the STLS scheme can account qualitatively for the latter. Besides, since the theory is microscopic in nature and is parameter free, it has enabled us to understand better the role of the repulsive and the attractive parts of the bare potential in determining the properties of liquid 3 He. 27 figs., 2 tabs

On the nature of the electronic effect of multiple hydroxyl groups in the 6-membered ring - the effects are additive but steric hindrance plays a role too

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pedersen, Christian Marcus; Bols, Mikael

2017-01-01

Research during the last two decades has shown a remarkable directional component of the substituent effects of hydroxy groups, which has a profound effect on the properties of hydroxylated compounds such as carbohydrates. While the epimerisation of a single hydroxyl function is well studied...... synthesized and their pKa and conformation were studied. The results show that the large difference in the electronic effect between the axial and equatorial hydroxyls is partially cancelled by counteracting steric hindrance from 1,3-diaxial interactions. Hydrogen bonding does not appear to play any role...

The Effect of Attractiveness on Recognition Memory when Women Look at Female Faces

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kana Kuraguchi

2011-05-01

Full Text Available In previous studies, the relationship between facial attractiveness and memory has been inconsistent. We investigated the effect of facial attractiveness on recognition memory in terms of gender and judgment contents. Both female and male facial images were judged for their attractiveness and personal character, and incidental memory was tested later. Recognition performance was shown as d' and analyzed with 2 (participant's gender x 2 (condition of attractiveness ANOVA. The interaction was significant for female faces but not for male faces. It is, therefore, suggested that the difference of gender affects the recognition memory concerning facial attractiveness. In particular, attractiveness of female faces had different effects for female participants when compared to other combinations. As a control, the interaction for female faces was not significant when the task was to judge the physical features such as the size of eyes and the angle of mouth. In sum, unattractive faces were better recognized than attractive faces in general except for the case when women judged attractiveness of female faces. These results suggest that there may be an effect of attention to attractiveness on recognition memory that is particularly strong when women look at female faces.

Attractive electron-electron interactions within robust local fitting approximations.

Science.gov (United States)

Merlot, Patrick; Kjærgaard, Thomas; Helgaker, Trygve; Lindh, Roland; Aquilante, Francesco; Reine, Simen; Pedersen, Thomas Bondo

2013-06-30

An analysis of Dunlap's robust fitting approach reveals that the resulting two-electron integral matrix is not manifestly positive semidefinite when local fitting domains or non-Coulomb fitting metrics are used. We present a highly local approximate method for evaluating four-center two-electron integrals based on the resolution-of-the-identity (RI) approximation and apply it to the construction of the Coulomb and exchange contributions to the Fock matrix. In this pair-atomic resolution-of-the-identity (PARI) approach, atomic-orbital (AO) products are expanded in auxiliary functions centered on the two atoms associated with each product. Numerical tests indicate that in 1% or less of all Hartree-Fock and Kohn-Sham calculations, the indefinite integral matrix causes nonconvergence in the self-consistent-field iterations. In these cases, the two-electron contribution to the total energy becomes negative, meaning that the electronic interaction is effectively attractive, and the total energy is dramatically lower than that obtained with exact integrals. In the vast majority of our test cases, however, the indefiniteness does not interfere with convergence. The total energy accuracy is comparable to that of the standard Coulomb-metric RI method. The speed-up compared with conventional algorithms is similar to the RI method for Coulomb contributions; exchange contributions are accelerated by a factor of up to eight with a triple-zeta quality basis set. A positive semidefinite integral matrix is recovered within PARI by introducing local auxiliary basis functions spanning the full AO product space, as may be achieved by using Cholesky-decomposition techniques. Local completion, however, slows down the algorithm to a level comparable with or below conventional calculations. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Microphase Separation within a Comb Copolymer with Attractive Side Chains : A Computer Simulation Study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vasilevskaya, V.V.; Klochkov, A.A.; Khalatur, P.G.; Khokhlov, A.R.; Brinke, G. ten

2001-01-01

Computer simulation modelling of a flexible comb copolymer with attractive interactions between the monomer units of the side chains is performed. The conditions for the coil-globule transition, induced by the increase of attractive interaction, ε, between side chain monomer units, are analysed for

Steric Stabilization of “Charge-Free” Cellulose Nanowhiskers by Grafting of Poly(ethylene glycol

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jun Araki

2014-12-01

Full Text Available A sterically stabilized aqueous suspension of “charge-free” cellulose nanowhiskers was prepared by hydrochloric acid hydrolysis of cotton powders and subsequent surface grafting of monomethoxy poly(ethylene glycol (mPEG. The preparation scheme included carboxylation of the terminal hydroxyl groups in mPEG via oxidation with silica gel particles carrying 2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-1-pyperidinyloxyl (TEMPO moieties and subsequent esterification between terminal carboxyls in mPEG and surface hydroxyl groups of cellulose nanowhiskers, mediated by 1,1'-carbonyldiimidazole (CDI in dimethyl sulfoxide or dimethylacetamide. Some of the prepared PEG-grafted samples showed remarkable flow birefringence and enhanced stability after 24 h, even in 0.1 M NaCl, suggesting successful steric stabilization by efficient mPEG grafting. Actual PEG grafting via ester linkages was confirmed by attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared spectrometry. In a typical example, the amount of grafted mPEG was estimated as ca. 0.3 g/g cellulose by two measurements, i.e., weight increase after grafting and weight loss after alkali cleavage of ester linkages. Transmission electron microscopy indicated unchanged nanowhisker morphology after mPEG grafting.

Steric sea level variability (1993-2010) in an ensemble of ocean reanalyses and objective analyses

Science.gov (United States)

Storto, Andrea; Masina, Simona; Balmaseda, Magdalena; Guinehut, Stéphanie; Xue, Yan; Szekely, Tanguy; Fukumori, Ichiro; Forget, Gael; Chang, You-Soon; Good, Simon A.; Köhl, Armin; Vernieres, Guillaume; Ferry, Nicolas; Peterson, K. Andrew; Behringer, David; Ishii, Masayoshi; Masuda, Shuhei; Fujii, Yosuke; Toyoda, Takahiro; Yin, Yonghong; Valdivieso, Maria; Barnier, Bernard; Boyer, Tim; Lee, Tony; Gourrion, Jérome; Wang, Ou; Heimback, Patrick; Rosati, Anthony; Kovach, Robin; Hernandez, Fabrice; Martin, Matthew J.; Kamachi, Masafumi; Kuragano, Tsurane; Mogensen, Kristian; Alves, Oscar; Haines, Keith; Wang, Xiaochun

2017-08-01

Quantifying the effect of the seawater density changes on sea level variability is of crucial importance for climate change studies, as the sea level cumulative rise can be regarded as both an important climate change indicator and a possible danger for human activities in coastal areas. In this work, as part of the Ocean Reanalysis Intercomparison Project, the global and regional steric sea level changes are estimated and compared from an ensemble of 16 ocean reanalyses and 4 objective analyses. These estimates are initially compared with a satellite-derived (altimetry minus gravimetry) dataset for a short period (2003-2010). The ensemble mean exhibits a significant high correlation at both global and regional scale, and the ensemble of ocean reanalyses outperforms that of objective analyses, in particular in the Southern Ocean. The reanalysis ensemble mean thus represents a valuable tool for further analyses, although large uncertainties remain for the inter-annual trends. Within the extended intercomparison period that spans the altimetry era (1993-2010), we find that the ensemble of reanalyses and objective analyses are in good agreement, and both detect a trend of the global steric sea level of 1.0 and 1.1 ± 0.05 mm/year, respectively. However, the spread among the products of the halosteric component trend exceeds the mean trend itself, questioning the reliability of its estimate. This is related to the scarcity of salinity observations before the Argo era. Furthermore, the impact of deep ocean layers is non-negligible on the steric sea level variability (22 and 12 % for the layers below 700 and 1500 m of depth, respectively), although the small deep ocean trends are not significant with respect to the products spread.

Steric effects in release of amides from linkers in solid-phase synthesis. Molecular mechanics modeling of key step in peptide and combinatorial chemistry

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Norrby, Per-Ola; Jensen, Knud Jørgen

2006-01-01

Acidolytic release of an amide from a solid support by C-N bond cleavage is all ubiquitous and crucial step in many solid-phase syntheses. We have used molecular modeling of a pseudo-equilibrium to explore substituent and steric effects in the release of peptides. The high acid-lability of the ba......Acidolytic release of an amide from a solid support by C-N bond cleavage is all ubiquitous and crucial step in many solid-phase syntheses. We have used molecular modeling of a pseudo-equilibrium to explore substituent and steric effects in the release of peptides. The high acid......-lability of the backbone amide linkage (BAL), which releases sec. amides, compared to C-terminal amide anchoring, which releases primary amides, was rationalized by steric relief upon cleavage. Thus, the relative stability of the carbenium ion formed from the linker in the acidolytic release is an insufficient measure...

Structure of DNA toroids and electrostatic attraction of DNA duplexes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cherstvy, A G

2005-01-01

DNA-DNA electrostatic attraction is considered as the driving force for the formation of DNA toroids in the presence of DNA condensing cations. This attraction comes from the DNA helical charge distribution and favours hexagonal toroidal cross-sections. The latter is in agreement with recent cryo-electron microscopy studies on DNA condensed with cobalt hexammine. We treat the DNA-DNA interactions within the modern theory of electrostatic interaction between helical macromolecules. The size and thickness of the toroids is calculated within a simple model; other models of stability of DNA toroids are discussed and compared

Liquid drops attract or repel by the inverted Cheerios effect.

Science.gov (United States)

Karpitschka, Stefan; Pandey, Anupam; Lubbers, Luuk A; Weijs, Joost H; Botto, Lorenzo; Das, Siddhartha; Andreotti, Bruno; Snoeijer, Jacco H

2016-07-05

Solid particles floating at a liquid interface exhibit a long-ranged attraction mediated by surface tension. In the absence of bulk elasticity, this is the dominant lateral interaction of mechanical origin. Here, we show that an analogous long-range interaction occurs between adjacent droplets on solid substrates, which crucially relies on a combination of capillarity and bulk elasticity. We experimentally observe the interaction between droplets on soft gels and provide a theoretical framework that quantitatively predicts the interaction force between the droplets. Remarkably, we find that, although on thick substrates the interaction is purely attractive and leads to drop-drop coalescence, for relatively thin substrates a short-range repulsion occurs, which prevents the two drops from coming into direct contact. This versatile interaction is the liquid-on-solid analog of the "Cheerios effect." The effect will strongly influence the condensation and coarsening of drops on soft polymer films, and has potential implications for colloidal assembly and mechanobiology.

Micro-flow synthesis and structural analysis of sterically crowded diimine ligands with five aryl rings

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shinichiro Fuse

2013-11-01

Full Text Available Sterically crowded diimine ligands with five aryl rings were prepared in one step in good yields using a micro-flow technique. X-ray crystallographic analysis revealed the detailed structure of the bulky ligands. The nickel complexes prepared from the ligands exerted high polymerization activity in the ethylene homopolymerization and copolymerization of ethylene with polar monomers.

Effects of solute--solvent attractive forces on hydrophobic correlations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pratt, L.R.; Chandler, D.

1980-01-01

A theory is presented for the effect of slowly varying attractive forces on correlations between nonpolar solutes in dilute aqueous solution. We find that hydrophobic correlations are sensitive to relatively long range slowly varying interactions. Thus, it is possible to make qualitative changes in these correlations by introducing small changes in the attractive forces. Several model calculations are presented to illustrate these facts. The contributions of the Lennard-Jones attractive forces to the computer simulation results of Pangali, Rao, and Berne are calculated. For this case it is found that the potential of mean force between spherical nonpolar solutes is hardly affected by inclusion of attractive forces. However, the osmotic second virial coefficient is dominated by the contributions of the attractive forces. For spherical solutes which provide a reasonable model for the methane molecule, inclusion of attractive forces produces a qualitative change in the methane--methane potential of mean force. The connection between these effects of slowly varying attractive forces and the enthalpic part of Ben-Naim's deltaA/sup H/I is discussed

Simulation of shear thickening in attractive colloidal suspensions.

Science.gov (United States)

Pednekar, Sidhant; Chun, Jaehun; Morris, Jeffrey F

2017-03-01

The influence of attractive forces between particles under conditions of large particle volume fraction, ϕ, is addressed using numerical simulations which account for hydrodynamic, Brownian, conservative and frictional contact forces. The focus is on conditions for which a significant increase in the apparent viscosity at small shear rates, and possibly the development of a yield stress, is observed. The high shear rate behavior for Brownian suspensions has been shown in recent work [R. Mari, R. Seto, J. F. Morris and M. M. Denn PNAS, 2015, 112, 15326-15330] to be captured by the inclusion of pairwise forces of two forms, one a contact frictional interaction and the second a repulsive force often found in stabilized colloidal dispersions. Under such conditions, shear thickening is observed when shear stress is comparable to the sum of the Brownian stress, kT/a 3 , and a characteristic stress based on the combination of interparticle force, i.e. σ ∼ F 0 /a 2 with kT the thermal energy, F 0 the repulsive force scale and a the particle radius. At sufficiently large ϕ, this shear thickening can be very abrupt. Here it is shown that when attractive interactions are present with the noted forces, the shear thickening is obscured, as the viscosity shear thins with increasing shear rate, eventually descending from an infinite value (yield stress conditions) to a plateau at large stress; this plateau is at the same level as the large-shear rate viscosity found in the shear thickened state without attractive forces. It is shown that this behavior is consistent with prior observations in shear thickening suspensions modified to be attractive through depletion flocculation [V. Gopalakrishnan and C. F. Zukoski J. Rheol., 2004, 48, 1321-1344]. The contributions of the contact, attractive, and hydrodynamics forces to the bulk stress are presented, as are the contact networks found at different attractive strengths.

Revealing climate modes in steric sea levels: lessons learned from satellite geodesy, objective analyses and ocean reanalyses

Science.gov (United States)

Pfeffer, J.; Tregoning, P.; Purcell, A. P.

2017-12-01

Due to increased greenhouse gases emissions, the oceans are accumulating heat. In response to the ocean circulation and atmospheric forcing, the heat is irregularly redistributed within the oceans, causing sea level to rise at variable rates in space and time. These rates of steric expansion are extremely difficult to assess because of the sparsity of in-situ hydrographic observations available within the course of the 20th century. We compare here three methods to reconstruct the steric sea levels over the past 13, 25 and 58 years based on satellite geodesy, objective analyses and ocean reanalyses. The interannual to decadal variability of each dataset is explored with a model merging six climate indices representative of the natural variability of the ocean and climate system. Consistent regional patterns are identified for the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) and El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) in all datasets at all timescales. Despite the short time coverage (13 years), the combination of satellite geodetic data (altimetry and GRACE) also reveals significant steric responses to the North Pacific Gyre Oscillation (NPGO), Indian Dipole (IOD) and Indian ocean basinwide (IOBM) mode. The richer information content in the ocean reanalyses allows us to recover the regional fingerprints of the PDO, ENSO, NPGO, IOD and IOBM, but also of the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO) acting over longer time scales (40 to 60 years). Therefore, ocean reanalyses, coupled with climate mode analyses, constitute innovative and promising tools to investigate the mechanisms triggering the variability of sea level rise over the past decades.

The effects of facial adiposity on attractiveness and perceived leadership ability.

Science.gov (United States)

Re, Daniel E; Perrett, David I

2014-01-01

Facial attractiveness has a positive influence on electoral success both in experimental paradigms and in the real world. One parameter that influences facial attractiveness and social judgements is facial adiposity (a facial correlate to body mass index, BMI). Overweight people have high facial adiposity and are perceived to be less attractive and lower in leadership ability. Here, we used an interactive design in order to assess whether the most attractive level of facial adiposity is also perceived as most leader-like. We found that participants reduced facial adiposity more to maximize attractiveness than to maximize perceived leadership ability. These results indicate that facial appearance impacts leadership judgements beyond the effects of attractiveness. We suggest that the disparity between optimal facial adiposity in attractiveness and leadership judgements stems from social trends that have produced thin ideals for attractiveness, while leadership judgements are associated with perception of physical dominance.

Protein-protein interactions in paralogues: Electrostatics modulates specificity on a conserved steric scaffold.

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Stefan M Ivanov

Full Text Available An improved knowledge of protein-protein interactions is essential for better understanding of metabolic and signaling networks, and cellular function. Progress tends to be based on structure determination and predictions using known structures, along with computational methods based on evolutionary information or detailed atomistic descriptions. We hypothesized that for the case of interactions across a common interface, between proteins from a pair of paralogue families or within a family of paralogues, a relatively simple interface description could distinguish between binding and non-binding pairs. Using binding data for several systems, and large-scale comparative modeling based on known template complex structures, it is found that charge-charge interactions (for groups bearing net charge are generally a better discriminant than buried non-polar surface. This is particularly the case for paralogue families that are less divergent, with more reliable comparative modeling. We suggest that electrostatic interactions are major determinants of specificity in such systems, an observation that could be used to predict binding partners.

Protein-protein interactions in paralogues: Electrostatics modulates specificity on a conserved steric scaffold.

Science.gov (United States)

Ivanov, Stefan M; Cawley, Andrew; Huber, Roland G; Bond, Peter J; Warwicker, Jim

2017-01-01

An improved knowledge of protein-protein interactions is essential for better understanding of metabolic and signaling networks, and cellular function. Progress tends to be based on structure determination and predictions using known structures, along with computational methods based on evolutionary information or detailed atomistic descriptions. We hypothesized that for the case of interactions across a common interface, between proteins from a pair of paralogue families or within a family of paralogues, a relatively simple interface description could distinguish between binding and non-binding pairs. Using binding data for several systems, and large-scale comparative modeling based on known template complex structures, it is found that charge-charge interactions (for groups bearing net charge) are generally a better discriminant than buried non-polar surface. This is particularly the case for paralogue families that are less divergent, with more reliable comparative modeling. We suggest that electrostatic interactions are major determinants of specificity in such systems, an observation that could be used to predict binding partners.

Different Vocal Parameters Predict Perceptions of Dominance and Attractiveness

OpenAIRE

Hodges-Simeon, Carolyn R.; Gaulin, Steven J. C.; Puts, David A.

2010-01-01

Low mean fundamental frequency (F 0) in men’s voices has been found to positively influence perceptions of dominance by men and attractiveness by women using standardized speech. Using natural speech obtained during an ecologically valid social interaction, we examined relationships between multiple vocal parameters and dominance and attractiveness judgments. Male voices from an unscripted dating game were judged by men for physical and social dominance and by women in fert...

Moving attractive virtual agent improves interpersonal coordination stability.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Zhong; Salesse, Robin N; Gueugnon, Mathieu; Schmidt, Richard C; Marin, Ludovic; Bardy, Benoît G

2015-06-01

Interpersonal motor coordination is influenced not only by biomechanical factors such as coordination pattern, oscillating frequency, and individual differences, but also by psychosocial factor such as likability and social competences. Based on the social stereotype of "what is beautiful is good", the present study aimed at investigating whether people coordinate differently with physically attractive people compared to less attractive people. 34 participants were engaged in an interpersonal coordination task with different looking (virtual) agents while performing at the same time a reaction time task. Results showed that participants had more stable motor coordination with the moving attractive than with the less attractive agent, and that the difference in motor coordination could not be interpreted by a specific attention allocation strategy. Our findings provide the evidence that physical attractiveness genuinely affects how people interact with another person, and that the temporal-spatial coordinated movement varies with the partner's psychosocial characteristics. The study broadens the perspective of exploring the effect of additional psychosocial factors on social motor coordination. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Meeting your match: How attractiveness similarity affects approach behavior in mixed-sex dyads

OpenAIRE

van Straaten, I.; Engels, R.C.M.E.; Finkenauer, C.; Holland, R.W.

2009-01-01

This experimental study investigated approach behavior toward opposite-sex others of similar versus dissimilar physical attractiveness. Furthermore, it tested the moderating effects of sex. Single participants interacted with confederates of high and low attractiveness. Observers rated their behavior in terms of relational investment (i.e., behavioral efforts related to the improvement of interaction fluency, communication of positive interpersonal affect, and positive self-presentation). As ...

Domain of attraction computation for tumor dynamics

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Doban, A.I.; Lazar, M.

2014-01-01

In this paper we propose the use of rational Lyapunov functions to estimate the domain of attraction of the tumor dormancy equilibrium of immune cells-malignant cells interaction dynamics. A procedure for computing rational Lyapunov functions is worked out, with focus on obtaining a meaningful

Targeted Sterically Stabilized Phospholipid siRNA Nanomedicine for Hepatic and Renal Fibrosis

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Fatima Khaja

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Since its discovery, small interfering RNA (siRNA has been considered a potent tool for modulating gene expression. It has the ability to specifically target proteins via selective degradation of messenger RNA (mRNA not easily accessed by conventional drugs. Hence, RNA interference (RNAi therapeutics have great potential in the treatment of many diseases caused by faulty protein expression such as fibrosis and cancer. However, for clinical application siRNA faces a number of obstacles, such as poor in vivo stability, and off-target effects. Here we developed a unique targeted nanomedicine to tackle current siRNA delivery issues by formulating a biocompatible, biodegradable and relatively inexpensive nanocarrier of sterically stabilized phospholipid nanoparticles (SSLNPs. This nanocarrier is capable of incorporating siRNA in its core through self-association with a novel cationic lipid composed of naturally occuring phospholipids and amino acids. This overall assembly protects and delivers sufficient amounts of siRNA to knockdown over-expressed protein in target cells. The siRNA used in this study, targets connective tissue growth factor (CTGF, an important regulator of fibrosis in both hepatic and renal cells. Furthermore, asialoglycoprotein receptors are targeted by attaching the galactosamine ligand to the nanocarries which enhances the uptake of nanoparticles by hepatocytes and renal tubular epithelial cells, the major producers of CTGF in fibrosis. On animals this innovative nanoconstruct, small interfering RNA in sterically stabilized phospholipid nanoparticles (siRNA-SSLNP, showed favorable pharmacokinetic properties and accumulated mostly in hepatic and renal tissues making siRNA-SSLNP a suitable system for targeting liver and kidney fibrotic diseases.

Dispersion interactions between neighboring Bi atoms in (BiH3 )2 and Te(BiR2 )2.

Science.gov (United States)

Haack, Rebekka; Schulz, Stephan; Jansen, Georg

2018-03-13

Triggered by the observation of a short Bi⋯Bi distance and a BiTeBi bond angle of only 86.6° in the crystal structure of bis(diethylbismuthanyl)tellurane quantum chemical computations on interactions between neighboring Bi atoms in Te(BiR 2 ) 2 molecules (R = H, Me, Et) and in (BiH 3 ) 2 were undertaken. Bi⋯Bi distances atoms were found to significantly shorten upon inclusion of the d shells of the heavy metal atoms into the electron correlation treatment, and it was confirmed that interaction energies from spin component-scaled second-order Møller-Plesset theory (SCS-MP2) agree well with coupled-cluster singles and doubles theory including perturbative triples (CCSD(T)). Density functional theory-based symmetry-adapted perturbation theory (DFT-SAPT) was used to study the anisotropy of the interplay of dispersion attraction and steric repulsion between the Bi atoms. Finally, geometries and relative stabilities of syn-syn and syn-anti conformers of Te(BiR 2 ) 2 (R = H, Me, Et) and interconversion barriers between them were computed. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Liquid drops attract or repel by the inverted Cheerios effect

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Karpitschka, Stefan; Pandey, Anupam; Lubbers, Luuk A.; Weijs, Joost; Botto, Lorenzo; Das, Siddhartha; Andreotti, Bruno; Snoeijer, Jacco H.

2016-01-01

Solid particles floating at a liquid interface exhibit a long-ranged attraction mediated by surface tension. In the absence of bulk elasticity, this is the dominant lateral interaction of mechanical origin. Here, we show that an analogous long-range interaction occurs between adjacent droplets on

Effects of Humor Production, Humor Receptivity, and Physical Attractiveness on Partner Desirability

OpenAIRE

Michelle Tornquist; Dan Chiappe

2015-01-01

This study examined women’s and men’s preferences for humor production and humor receptivity in long-term and short-term relationships, and how these factors interact with physical attractiveness to influence desirability. Undergraduates viewed photographs of the opposite sex individuals who were high or low in physical attractiveness, along with vignettes varying in humor production and receptivity. Participants rated physical attractiveness and desirability for long-term and short-term rela...

Gay male attraction toward muscular men: does mating context matter?

Science.gov (United States)

Varangis, Eleanna; Lanzieri, Nicholas; Hildebrandt, Tom; Feldman, Matthew

2012-03-01

The purpose of this study was to examine gay men's perceived attractiveness of male figures based on short-term and long-term partner contexts. A sample of 190 gay adult men rated the attractiveness of line-drawings depicting male figures varying systematically in muscularity and body fat percentage in both short-term and long-term dating contexts. Mixed effects modeling was used to estimate the effects of figure (muscularity and body fat), dating context (short-term vs. long-term), and individual rater characteristics on attractiveness ratings. Results indicated that figure muscularity and body-fat had significant non-linear (i.e., quadratic) relationships with attractiveness ratings, and short-term dating context was associated with more discriminating ratings of attractiveness. Interactions between individual characteristics and figure characteristics indicated that the more available the individual and lower body fat, the more discriminating they were in ratings of attractiveness. The implications for future investigations considering both object and observer characteristics of attractiveness preferences are discussed. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Meeting your match: How attractiveness similarity affects approach behavior in mixed-sex dyads

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Straaten, I. van; Engels, R.C.M.E.; Finkenauer, C.; Holland, R.W.

2009-01-01

This experimental study investigated approach behavior toward opposite-sex others of similar versus dissimilar physical attractiveness. Furthermore, it tested the moderating effects of sex. Single participants interacted with confederates of high and low attractiveness. Observers rated their

Abaxial growth and steric constraints guide leaf folding and shape in Acer pseudoplatanus.

Science.gov (United States)

Couturier, Etienne; Brunel, Nicole; Douady, Stéphane; Nakayama, Naomi

2012-08-01

How leaf shape is regulated is a long-standing question in botany. For diverse groups of dicotyledon species, lamina folding along the veins and geometry of the space available for the primordia can explain the palmate leaf morphology. Dubbed the kirigami theory, this hypothesis of fold-dependent leaf shape regulation has remained largely theoretical. Using Acer pseudoplatanus, we investigated the mechanisms behind the two key processes of kirigami leaf development. Cytological examination and quantitative analyses were used to examine the course of the vein-dependent lamina folding. Surgical ablation and tissue culturing were employed to test the effects of physical constraints on primordia growth. The final morphology of leaves growing without steric constraints were predicted mathematically. The cytological examination showed that the lamina's abaxial side along the veins grows substantially more than the adaxial side. The abaxial hypergrowth along the veins and the lamina extension correlated with the lamina folding. When a primordium was released from the physical constraints imposed by the other primordia, it rapidly grew into the newly available space, while maintaining the curvature inward. The morphology of such a leaf was predicted to lack symmetry in the lobe shapes. The enhanced growth on the abaxial side of the lamina along the veins is likely to drive lamina folding. The surgical ablation provided clear support for the space-filling nature of leaf growth; thus, steric constraints play a role in determination of the shapes of folded leaves and probably also of the final leaf morphology.

The effect of attractions on the structure of fused sphere chains confined between surfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Patra, C.N.; Yethiraj, A.; Curro, J.G.

1999-01-01

The effect of attractive interactions on the behavior of polymers between surfaces is studied using Monte Carlo simulations. The molecules are modeled as fused sphere freely rotating chains with fixed bond lengths and bond angles; wall endash fluid and fluid endash fluid site endash site interaction potentials are of the hard sphere plus Yukawa form. For athermal chains the density at the surface (relative to the bulk) is depleted at low densities and enhanced at high densities. The introduction of a fluid endash fluid attraction causes a reduction of site density at the surface, and an introduction of a wall endash fluid attraction causes an enhancement of site density at the surface, compared to when these interactions are absent. When the wall endash fluid and fluid endash fluid attractions are of comparable strength, however, the depletion mechanism due to the fluid endash fluid attraction dominates. The center of mass profiles show the same trends as the site density profiles. Near the surface, the parallel and the perpendicular components of chain dimensions are different, which is explained in terms of a reorientation of chains. copyright 1999 American Institute of Physics. thinsp

A group's physical attractiveness is greater than the average attractiveness of its members: the group attractiveness effect.

Science.gov (United States)

van Osch, Yvette; Blanken, Irene; Meijs, Maartje H J; van Wolferen, Job

2015-04-01

We tested whether the perceived physical attractiveness of a group is greater than the average attractiveness of its members. In nine studies, we find evidence for the so-called group attractiveness effect (GA-effect), using female, male, and mixed-gender groups, indicating that group impressions of physical attractiveness are more positive than the average ratings of the group members. A meta-analysis on 33 comparisons reveals that the effect is medium to large (Cohen's d = 0.60) and moderated by group size. We explored two explanations for the GA-effect: (a) selective attention to attractive group members, and (b) the Gestalt principle of similarity. The results of our studies are in favor of the selective attention account: People selectively attend to the most attractive members of a group and their attractiveness has a greater influence on the evaluation of the group. © 2015 by the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Inc.

Unconscious processing of facial attractiveness: invisible attractive faces orient visual attention.

Science.gov (United States)

Hung, Shao-Min; Nieh, Chih-Hsuan; Hsieh, Po-Jang

2016-11-16

Past research has proven human's extraordinary ability to extract information from a face in the blink of an eye, including its emotion, gaze direction, and attractiveness. However, it remains elusive whether facial attractiveness can be processed and influences our behaviors in the complete absence of conscious awareness. Here we demonstrate unconscious processing of facial attractiveness with three distinct approaches. In Experiment 1, the time taken for faces to break interocular suppression was measured. The results showed that attractive faces enjoyed the privilege of breaking suppression and reaching consciousness earlier. In Experiment 2, we further showed that attractive faces had lower visibility thresholds, again suggesting that facial attractiveness could be processed more easily to reach consciousness. Crucially, in Experiment 3, a significant decrease of accuracy on an orientation discrimination task subsequent to an invisible attractive face showed that attractive faces, albeit suppressed and invisible, still exerted an effect by orienting attention. Taken together, for the first time, we show that facial attractiveness can be processed in the complete absence of consciousness, and an unconscious attractive face is still capable of directing our attention.

Physical attractiveness, issue agreement, and assimilation effects in candidate appraisal.

Science.gov (United States)

Schubert, James N; Curran, Margaret Ann; Strungaru, Carmen

2011-01-01

This study examines the cognitive and affective factors of candidate appraisal by manipulating candidate attractiveness and levels of issue agreement with voters. Drawing upon research in evolutionary psychology and cognitive neuroscience, this analysis proposes that automatic processing of physical appearance predisposes affective disposition toward more attractive candidates, thereby influencing cognitive processing of issue information. An experimental design presented attractive and unattractive candidates who were either liberal or conservative in a mock primary election. The data show strong partial effects for appearance on vote intention, an interaction between appearance and issue agreement, and a tendency for voters to assimilate the dissimilar views of attractive candidates. We argue that physical appearance is important in primary elections when the differences in issue positions and ideology between candidates is small.

Van der Waals Attraction of Vortices in Anisotropic and Layered Superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blatter, G.; Geshkenbein, V.

1996-01-01

We show that in anisotropic and layered superconductors the fluctuations of vortex lines produce an attractive long-range vortex-vortex interaction of the van der Waals type. This attraction follows from the anisotropic screening properties of the material and has profound consequences for the low-field phase diagram of these materials. copyright 1996 The American Physical Society

Physical Appearance Cues and Interpersonal Attraction in Children

Science.gov (United States)

Kleck, Robert E.; And Others

1974-01-01

Two studies are reported which demonstrate a positive relationship between sociometric status (after two weeks of intense social interaction) and social acceptance judged from photographs by an independent group of peers. Acceptance was found to be related to physical attractiveness. (ST)

Chaperoning Roles of Macromolecules Interacting with Proteins in Vivo

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Baik L. Seong

2011-03-01

Full Text Available The principles obtained from studies on molecular chaperones have provided explanations for the assisted protein folding in vivo. However, the majority of proteins can fold without the assistance of the known molecular chaperones, and little attention has been paid to the potential chaperoning roles of other macromolecules. During protein biogenesis and folding, newly synthesized polypeptide chains interact with a variety of macromolecules, including ribosomes, RNAs, cytoskeleton, lipid bilayer, proteolytic system, etc. In general, the hydrophobic interactions between molecular chaperones and their substrates have been widely believed to be mainly responsible for the substrate stabilization against aggregation. Emerging evidence now indicates that other features of macromolecules such as their surface charges, probably resulting in electrostatic repulsions, and steric hindrance, could play a key role in the stabilization of their linked proteins against aggregation. Such stabilizing mechanisms are expected to give new insights into our understanding of the chaperoning functions for de novo protein folding. In this review, we will discuss the possible chaperoning roles of these macromolecules in de novo folding, based on their charge and steric features.

Sterically controlled mechanochemistry under hydrostatic pressure

Science.gov (United States)

Yan, Hao; Yang, Fan; Pan, Ding; Lin, Yu; Hohman, J. Nathan; Solis-Ibarra, Diego; Li, Fei Hua; Dahl, Jeremy E. P.; Carlson, Robert M. K.; Tkachenko, Boryslav A.; Fokin, Andrey A.; Schreiner, Peter R.; Galli, Giulia; Mao, Wendy L.; Shen, Zhi-Xun; Melosh, Nicholas A.

2018-02-01

Mechanical stimuli can modify the energy landscape of chemical reactions and enable reaction pathways, offering a synthetic strategy that complements conventional chemistry. These mechanochemical mechanisms have been studied extensively in one-dimensional polymers under tensile stress using ring-opening and reorganization, polymer unzipping and disulfide reduction as model reactions. In these systems, the pulling force stretches chemical bonds, initiating the reaction. Additionally, it has been shown that forces orthogonal to the chemical bonds can alter the rate of bond dissociation. However, these bond activation mechanisms have not been possible under isotropic, compressive stress (that is, hydrostatic pressure). Here we show that mechanochemistry through isotropic compression is possible by molecularly engineering structures that can translate macroscopic isotropic stress into molecular-level anisotropic strain. We engineer molecules with mechanically heterogeneous components—a compressible (‘soft’) mechanophore and incompressible (‘hard’) ligands. In these ‘molecular anvils’, isotropic stress leads to relative motions of the rigid ligands, anisotropically deforming the compressible mechanophore and activating bonds. Conversely, rigid ligands in steric contact impede relative motion, blocking reactivity. We combine experiments and computations to demonstrate hydrostatic-pressure-driven redox reactions in metal-organic chalcogenides that incorporate molecular elements that have heterogeneous compressibility, in which bending of bond angles or shearing of adjacent chains activates the metal-chalcogen bonds, leading to the formation of the elemental metal. These results reveal an unexplored reaction mechanism and suggest possible strategies for high-specificity mechanosynthesis.

Attractive Flicker--Guiding Attention in Dynamic Narrative Visualizations.

Science.gov (United States)

Waldner, Manuela; Le Muzic, Mathieu; Bernhard, Matthias; Purgathofer, Werner; Viola, Ivan

2014-12-01

Focus+context techniques provide visual guidance in visualizations by giving strong visual prominence to elements of interest while the context is suppressed. However, finding a visual feature to enhance for the focus to pop out from its context in a large dynamic scene, while leading to minimal visual deformation and subjective disturbance, is challenging. This paper proposes Attractive Flicker, a novel technique for visual guidance in dynamic narrative visualizations. We first show that flicker is a strong visual attractor in the entire visual field, without distorting, suppressing, or adding any scene elements. The novel aspect of our Attractive Flicker technique is that it consists of two signal stages: The first "orientation stage" is a short but intensive flicker stimulus to attract the attention to elements of interest. Subsequently, the intensive flicker is reduced to a minimally disturbing luminance oscillation ("engagement stage") as visual support to keep track of the focus elements. To find a good trade-off between attraction effectiveness and subjective annoyance caused by flicker, we conducted two perceptual studies to find suitable signal parameters. We showcase Attractive Flicker with the parameters obtained from the perceptual statistics in a study of molecular interactions. With Attractive Flicker, users were able to easily follow the narrative of the visualization on a large display, while the flickering of focus elements was not disturbing when observing the context.

Correlation Functions of the One-Dimensional Attractive Bose Gas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Calabrese, Pasquale; Caux, Jean-Sebastien

2007-01-01

The zero-temperature correlation functions of the one-dimensional attractive Bose gas with a delta-function interaction are calculated analytically for any value of the interaction parameter and number of particles, directly from the integrability of the model. We point out a number of interesting features, including zero recoil energy for a large number of particles, analogous to the Moessbauer effect

Dispersions of attractive semiflexible fiberlike colloidal particles from bacterial cellulose microfibrils.

Science.gov (United States)

Kuijk, Anke; Koppert, Remco; Versluis, Peter; van Dalen, Gerard; Remijn, Caroline; Hazekamp, Johan; Nijsse, Jaap; Velikov, Krassimir P

2013-11-26

We prepared dispersions from bacterial cellulose microfibrils (CMF) of a commercial Nata de Coco source. We used an ultra-high-energy mechanical deagglomeration process that is able to disperse the CMFs from the pellicle in which they are organized in an irregular network. Because of the strong attractions between the CMFs, the dispersion remained highly heterogeneous, consisting of fiber bundles, flocs, and voids spanning tens to hundreds of micrometers depending on concentration. The size of these flocs increased with CMF concentration, the size of the bundles stayed constant, and the size of the voids decreased. The observed percolation threshold in MFC dispersions is lower than the theoretical prediction, which is accounted for by the attractive interactions in the system. Because bacterial cellulose is chemically very pure, it can be used to study the interaction of attractive and highly shape-anisotropic, semiflexible fiberlike colloidal particles.

Small traveling clusters in attractive and repulsive Hamiltonian mean-field models.

Science.gov (United States)

Barré, Julien; Yamaguchi, Yoshiyuki Y

2009-03-01

Long-lasting small traveling clusters are studied in the Hamiltonian mean-field model by comparing between attractive and repulsive interactions. Nonlinear Landau damping theory predicts that a Gaussian momentum distribution on a spatially homogeneous background permits the existence of traveling clusters in the repulsive case, as in plasma systems, but not in the attractive case. Nevertheless, extending the analysis to a two-parameter family of momentum distributions of Fermi-Dirac type, we theoretically predict the existence of traveling clusters in the attractive case; these findings are confirmed by direct N -body numerical simulations. The parameter region with the traveling clusters is much reduced in the attractive case with respect to the repulsive case.

SAXS Study of Sterically Stabilized Lipid Nanocarriers Functionalized by DNA

Science.gov (United States)

Angelov, Borislav; Angelova, Angelina; Filippov, Sergey; Karlsson, Göran; Terrill, Nick; Lesieur, Sylviane; Štěpánek, Petr

2012-03-01

The structure of novel spontaneously self-assembled plasmid DNA/lipid complexes is investigated by means of synchrotron radiation small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and Cryo-TEM imaging. Liquid crystalline (LC) hydrated lipid systems are prepared using the non-ionic lipids monoolein and DOPE-PEG2000 and the cationic amphiphile CTAB. The employed plasmid DNA (pDNA) is encoding for the human protein brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). A coexistence of nanoparticulate objects with different LC inner organizations is established. A transition from bicontinuous membrane sponges, cubosome intermediates and unilamelar liposomes to multilamellar vesicles, functionalized by pDNA, is favoured upon binding and compaction of pBDNF onto the cationic PEGylated lipid nanocarriers. The obtained sterically stabilized multicompartment nanoobjects, with confined supercoiled plasmid DNA (pBDNF), are important in the context of multicompartment lipid nanocarriers of interest for gene therapy of neurodegenerative diseases.

SAXS Study of Sterically Stabilized Lipid Nanocarriers Functionalized by DNA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Angelov, Borislav; Filippov, Sergey; Štepánek, Petr; Angelova, Angelina; Lesieur, Sylviane; Karlsson, Göran; Terrill, Nick

2012-01-01

The structure of novel spontaneously self-assembled plasmid DNA/lipid complexes is investigated by means of synchrotron radiation small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and Cryo-TEM imaging. Liquid crystalline (LC) hydrated lipid systems are prepared using the non-ionic lipids monoolein and DOPE-PEG 2000 and the cationic amphiphile CTAB. The employed plasmid DNA (pDNA) is encoding for the human protein brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). A coexistence of nanoparticulate objects with different LC inner organizations is established. A transition from bicontinuous membrane sponges, cubosome intermediates and unilamelar liposomes to multilamellar vesicles, functionalized by pDNA, is favoured upon binding and compaction of pBDNF onto the cationic PEGylated lipid nanocarriers. The obtained sterically stabilized multicompartment nanoobjects, with confined supercoiled plasmid DNA (pBDNF), are important in the context of multicompartment lipid nanocarriers of interest for gene therapy of neurodegenerative diseases.

Dynamical arrest in dense short-ranged attractive colloids

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Foffi, G; Sciortino, F; Zaccarelli, E; Tartaglia, P

2004-01-01

We study thermodynamic and dynamic properties of model colloidal systems interacting with a hard core repulsion and a short-range attraction, and provide an overall picture of their phase diagrams which shows a very rich phenomenology. We focus on the slow dynamic properties of this model, investigating in detail the glass transition lines (both repulsive and attractive), the glass-glass transitions and the location of the higher order singularities. We discuss the relative location of the glass lines and of the metastable liquid-gas binodal, an issue relevant for the understanding of low density arrested states of matter

A group's physical attractiveness is greater than the average attractiveness of its members : The group attractiveness effect

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Osch, Y.M.J.; Blanken, Irene; Meijs, Maartje H. J.; van Wolferen, Job

2015-01-01

We tested whether the perceived physical attractiveness of a group is greater than the average attractiveness of its members. In nine studies, we find evidence for the so-called group attractiveness effect (GA-effect), using female, male, and mixed-gender groups, indicating that group impressions of

Attractive evolutionary equilibria

OpenAIRE

Roorda, Berend; Joosten, Reinoud

2011-01-01

We present attractiveness, a refinement criterion for evolutionary equilibria. Equilibria surviving this criterion are robust to small perturbations of the underlying payoff system or the dynamics at hand. Furthermore, certain attractive equilibria are equivalent to others for certain evolutionary dynamics. For instance, each attractive evolutionarily stable strategy is an attractive evolutionarily stable equilibrium for certain barycentric ray-projection dynamics, and vice versa.

The effect of microscopic attractive interactions on piezoelectric coefficients of nanoscale DNA films and its resultant mirocantilever-based biosensor signals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu, Jun-Zheng; Zhang, Neng-Hui; Zhou, Mei-Hong

2017-01-01

The adsorption of charged biomolecules on a substrate will trigger a self-induced electric potential field that could deflect microcantilever biosensors in the nanometer regime. The paper is devoted to a multiscale characterization of the piezoelectric coefficient of double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) films with microscopic attractive interactions in multivalence salt solutions, which has a close relationship with biosensor signals. First, two different analytical models of cantilever deflections based on macroscopic piezoelectric theories or mesoscopic liquid crystal theories were combined in the sense of equivalent deformation in order to bridge the relation between the macroscopic piezoelectric coefficient of an adsorbate film and the sensitivity of its microstructure to surrounding conditions. Second, two interaction potentials of the free energy for repulsion-dominated DNA films in NaCl solution or attraction-repulsion-coexisted DNA films in multivalent salt solutions were used to compare the piezoelectric effect and the resultant cantilever deformation at various packing conditions, such as different packing density, various nucleotide numbers and two packing technologies, i.e. nano-grafting or self-assembling technology. The variational tendency of microcantilever deflections predicted by the present multiscale analytical model agrees well with the related DNA-mirocantilever experiments. Negative piezoelectric coefficient of dsDNA film exists in multivalent salt solutions, and its distinctive size effect with different packing densities and nucleotide numbers provides us with an opportunity to obtain a more sensitive microcantilever sensor by careful control of packing conditions. (paper)

Attractiveness, diagnostic ambiguity, and disability cues impact perceptions of women with pain.

Science.gov (United States)

LaChapelle, Diane L; Lavoie, Susan; Higgins, Nancy C; Hadjistavropoulos, Thomas

2014-05-01

This experimental study investigated how physical attractiveness, disability cue, and diagnostic ambiguity stereotypes impact perceptions of a patient's pain/disability and personality. After viewing photographs of women pictured with or without a cane, accompanied by descriptions of the women's diagnosis (fibromyalgia or rheumatoid arthritis), 147 university students rated the women's pain/disability and personality. Analyses revealed that more attractive women received lower ratings on pain/disability and higher ratings (more positive) on personality. Moreover, those pictured with a disability cue got higher ratings on both pain/disability and personality, and those with medical evidence of pathology (less ambiguity) got higher ratings on pain/disability and lower ratings on personality. Examination of the 3 stereotypes in a single study enabled an evaluation of their interactions. An Attractiveness × Disability Cue × Diagnostic Ambiguity interaction for ratings of pain/disability revealed that the presence of both medical evidence and a disability cue were needed to override the strong "beautiful is healthy" stereotype. Significant 2-way interactions for ratings of personality indicated that the impact of the disability stereotype tends to be overshadowed by the attractiveness stereotype. The results indicate that these stereotypes have a large effect on perceptions of women with chronic pain and that attractiveness, a contextual variable unrelated to the pain experience, exerts an even stronger effect when there is less objective information available. This could have clinical ramifications for assessment and treatment of patients with chronic pain, which often occurs in the absence of "objective" medical evidence or any external cues of disability. (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved.

Fluids with highly directional attractive forces. IV. Equilibrium polymerization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wertheim, M.S.

1986-01-01

The author investigates approximation methods for systems of molecules interacting by core repulsion and highly directional attraction due to several attraction sites. The force model chosen imitates a chemical bond by providing for bond saturation when binding occurs. The dense fluid is an equilibrium mixture of s-mers with mutual repulsion. The author uses a previously derived reformulation of statistical thermodynamics in which the particle species are monomeric units with a specified set of attraction sites bonded. Thermodynamic perturbation theory (TPT) and integral equations of two types are derived. The use of TPT is illustrated by explicit calculation for a molecular model with two attraction sites capable of forming chain and ring polymers. Successes and defects of TPT are discussed. The integral equations for pair correlations between particles of specified bonding include calculation of self-consistent densities of species. Methods of calculating thermodynamic properties from the solutions of integral equations are given

Physical Attractiveness Research. Toward a Developmental Social Psychology of Beauty

Science.gov (United States)

Adams, G. R.

1977-01-01

This paper reviews research on physical attractiveness from a dialectical-interactional perspective and attempts to examine the relationship between outer appearance and inner psychological characteristics from a developmental perspective. (BD)

Atropisomerism about aryl-Csp(3) bonds: the electronic and steric influence of ortho-substituents on conformational exchange in cannabidiol and linderatin derivatives.

Science.gov (United States)

Berber, Hatice; Lameiras, Pedro; Denhez, Clément; Antheaume, Cyril; Clayden, Jonathan

2014-07-03

Terpenylation reactions of substituted phenols were used to prepare cannabidiol and linderatin derivatives, and their structure and conformational behavior in solution were investigated by NMR and, for some representative examples, by DFT. VT-NMR spectra and DFT calculations were used to determine the activation energies of the conformational change arising from restricted rotation about the aryl-Csp(3) bond that lead to two unequally populated rotameric epimers. The NBO calculation was applied to explain the electronic stabilization of one conformer over another by donor-acceptor charge transfer interactions. Conformational control arises from a combination of stereoelectronic and steric effects between substituents in close contact with each other on the two rings of the endocyclic epoxide atropisomers. This study represents the first exploration of the stereoelectronic origins of atropisomerism around C(sp(2))-C(sp(3)) single bonds through theoretical calculations.

Effect of Inhomogeneity on s-wave Superconductivity in the Attractive Hubbard Model

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Aryanpour, K. A. [University of California, Davis; Dagotto, Elbio R [ORNL; Mayr, Matthias [Max-Planck-Institut fur Feskorperforschung, Stuttgart, Germany; Paiva, T. [Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Pickett, W. E. [University of California, Davis; Scalettar, Richard T [ORNL

2006-01-01

Inhomogeneous s-wave superconductivity is studied in the two-dimensional, square lattice attractive Hubbard Hamiltonian using the Bogoliubov-de Gennes BdG mean field approximation. We find that at weak coupling, and for densities mainly below half-filling, an inhomogeneous interaction in which the on-site interaction Ui takes on two values, Ui=0, 2U results in a larger zero temperature pairing amplitude, and that the superconducting Tc can also be significantly increased, relative to a uniform system with Ui=U on all sites. These effects are observed for stripe, checkerboard, and even random patterns of the attractive centers, suggesting that the pattern of inhomogeneity is unimportant. Monte Carlo calculations which reintroduce some of the fluctuations neglected within the BdG approach see the same effect, both for the attractive Hubbard model and a Hamiltonian with d-wave pairing symmetry.

The Putative Son's Attractiveness Alters the Perceived Attractiveness of the Putative Father.

Science.gov (United States)

Prokop, Pavol

2015-08-01

A body of literature has investigated female mate choice in the pre-mating context (pre-mating sexual selection). Humans, however, are long-living mammals forming pair-bonds which sequentially produce offspring. Post-mating evaluations of a partner's attractiveness may thus significantly influence the reproductive success of men and women. I tested herein the theory that the attractiveness of putative sons provides extra information about the genetic quality of fathers, thereby influencing fathers' attractiveness across three studies. As predicted, facially attractive boys were more frequently attributed to attractive putative fathers and vice versa (Study 1). Furthermore, priming with an attractive putative son increased the attractiveness of the putative father with the reverse being true for unattractive putative sons. When putative fathers were presented as stepfathers, the effect of the boy's attractiveness on the stepfather's attractiveness was lower and less consistent (Study 2). This suggests that the presence of an attractive boy has the strongest effect on the perceived attractiveness of putative fathers rather than on non-fathers. The generalized effect of priming with beautiful non-human objects also exists, but its effect is much weaker compared with the effects of putative biological sons (Study 3). Overall, this study highlighted the importance of post-mating sexual selection in humans and suggests that the heritable attractive traits of men are also evaluated by females after mating and/or may be used by females in mate poaching.

Species-independent attraction to biofilms through electrical signaling

Science.gov (United States)

Humphries, Jacqueline; Xiong, Liyang; Liu, Jintao; Prindle, Arthur; Yuan, Fang; Arjes, Heidi A.; Tsimring, Lev; Süel, Gürol M.

2017-01-01

Summary Bacteria residing within biofilm communities can coordinate their behavior through cell-to-cell signaling. However, it remains unclear if these signals can also influence the behavior of distant cells that are not part of the community. Using a microfluidic approach, we find that potassium ion channel-mediated electrical signaling generated by a Bacillus subtilis biofilm can attract distant cells. Integration of experiments and mathematical modeling indicates that extracellular potassium emitted from the biofilm alters the membrane potential of distant cells, thereby directing their motility. This electrically-mediated attraction appears to be a generic mechanism that enables cross-species interactions, as Pseudomonas aeruginosa cells also become attracted to the electrical signal released by the B. subtilis biofilm. Cells within a biofilm community can thus not only coordinate their own behavior, but also influence the behavior of diverse bacteria at a distance through long-range electrical signaling. PMID:28086091

Attractive forces study in macromolecules and critical systems; Etude des forces attractives dans les macromolecules et les systemes critiques

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Penninckx-Sans, A.

1995-07-10

The attractive forces effect is particularly interesting at the proximity of a critical point. In a liquid system, there are two kinds of attractive forces in presence : the forces bound to the solution volume and those generated by the presence of the solution surface or by a solution interface. In the first case, the attractive forces are the more important as the system is in a critical field. For this study, the selected example is a polymer solution in a two solvents mixture. A formulation in terms of way integrals as part of statistical physics has lead us to find again some known results on the polymer chain conformation in the presence of two solvents (collapse of the polymer on itself) far from the critical point and to extend these results to the critical field. In the case of attractive forces created by the surface in some critical systems (polymer of infinite size in solution and binary mixture near the de mixture point), the adsorption profile created by the attraction of one specie by the surface, follows a scale law. The optical methods usually used for the study of these systems do not give characteristic sign of concentration profile in power law. In the case where the interaction potential between radiation and matter is attractive, the reflectivity gives a separate mark of the existence of the scale law in the form of a resonance. After some theoretical forecasts, the author has used this method on the binary mixture methanol-cyclohexane in order to reveal experimentally a reflectivity pseudo-discontinuity and then the existence of the power law in the critical adsorption profile. (O.L.). 69 refs., 60 tabs.

Role of Steric Hindrance in the Crystal Packing of Z′ = 4 Superstructure of Trimethyltin Hydroxide

KAUST Repository

Dey, S.

2018-01-22

The roomerature crystal structure of trimethyltin hydroxide, (CH)SnOH, has been described by Anderson et al. [Cryst. Growth Des. 2011, 11, 820-826] as a 2a × 2b × 8c, 32-fold superstructure. We report a a × b × 8c, eight-fold superstructure with orthorhombic P2cn symmetry and Z′ = 4. Structured diffuse scattering observed at the positions of presumed superlattice reflections along a∗ and b∗ might have appeared as Bragg reflections in the experiment by Anderson et al. Alternatively, Anderson et al. and the present work might have studied different polymorphs of (CH)SnOH. Crystalline (CH)SnOH constitutes polymeric chains arranged parallel to c. In the eight-fold superstructure at 220 K, the polymeric chains possess a distorted zigzag arrangement of linked linear O-Sn-O units with bent angle at oxygen of ∼139.2°. This structure is essentially different from the 8-helical arrangement in the published 32-fold superstructure model. The origin of the distorted zigzag structure is explained by steric hindrance between hydrogen atoms of adjacent hydroxy groups and (CH)Sn groups. Frustration in the packing of the chains is determined by steric hindrance between methyl groups of neighboring chains, which prevents the formation of interchain C-H···O hydrogen bonds.

Different Steric-Twist-Induced Ternary Memory Characteristics in Nonconjugated Copolymers with Pendant Naphthalene and 1,8-Naphthalimide Moieties.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Ming; Li, Zhuang; Li, Hua; He, Jinghui; Li, Najun; Xu, Qingfeng; Lu, Jianmei

2017-10-18

Herein, novel random copolymers PMNN and PMNB were designed and synthesized, and the memory devices Al/PMNN and PMNB/ITO both exhibited ternary memory performance. The switching voltages of the OFF-ON1 and ON1-ON2 transitions for both memory devices are around -2.0 and -3.5 V, respectively, and the ON1/OFF, ON2/ON1 current ratios are both up to 10 3 . The observed tristable electrical conductivity switching could be attributed to field-induced conformational ordering of the naphthalene rings in the side chains, and subsequent charge trapping by 1,8-naphthalimide moieties. More interestingly, by adjusting the connection sites of 1,8-naphthalimide moieties to tune the steric-twist effect, different memory properties were achieved (PMNN showed nonvolatile write once, read many (WORM) memory behavior, whereas PMNB showed volatile static RAM (SRAM) memory behavior). This result will offer a guideline for the design of different high-performance multilevel memory devices by tuning the steric effects of the chemical moieties. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Beauty and attractiveness: Implications for advertising, self-evaluation and product choice

OpenAIRE

Zubcevic, Nives

2017-01-01

The field of marketing communications continues to change rapidly as a consequence of advancing technology, changing consumer behaviour, and fragmentation of media. A key aspect of marketing communication is to understand how audiences are likely to interact with messages. This study investigates the role attractiveness plays in facilitating this connection. Source attractiveness becomes critical to persuasive impact to the extent that the receiver is motivated to enhance their sense of self,...

Malaria-induced changes in host odors enhance mosquito attraction.

Science.gov (United States)

De Moraes, Consuelo M; Stanczyk, Nina M; Betz, Heike S; Pulido, Hannier; Sim, Derek G; Read, Andrew F; Mescher, Mark C

2014-07-29

Vector-borne pathogens may alter traits of their primary hosts in ways that influence the frequency and nature of interactions between hosts and vectors. Previous work has reported enhanced mosquito attraction to host organisms infected with malaria parasites but did not address the mechanisms underlying such effects. Here we document malaria-induced changes in the odor profiles of infected mice (relative to healthy individuals) over the course of infection, as well as effects on the attractiveness of infected hosts to mosquito vectors. We observed enhanced mosquito attraction to infected mice during a key period after the subsidence of acute malaria symptoms, but during which mice remained highly infectious. This attraction corresponded to an overall elevation in the volatile emissions of infected mice observed during this period. Furthermore, data analyses--using discriminant analysis of principal components and random forest approaches--revealed clear differences in the composition of the volatile blends of infected and healthy individuals. Experimental manipulation of individual compounds that exhibited altered emission levels during the period when differential vector attraction was observed also elicited enhanced mosquito attraction, indicating that compounds being influenced by malaria infection status also mediate vector host-seeking behavior. These findings provide important insights into the cues that mediate vector attraction to hosts infected with transmissible stages of malaria parasites, as well as documenting characteristic changes in the odors of infected individuals that may have potential value as diagnostic biomarkers of infection.

Proof of concept for molecular velcro based on the attractive interaction between porphyrin and pyridine containing copolymers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Sievers

2018-06-01

Full Text Available In this short communication, we investigated the synthesis and mixing of porphyrin and pyridine functionalized copolymers as a proof of concept for a velcro-like interaction. A functionalized porphyrin monomer with one polymerizable side chain was synthesized following a rational synthetic pathway. Subsequent copolymerization and careful removal of residual free porphyrin led to poly(n-butyl acrylate-co-5,10,15-triphenyl-20-(3-vinylphenylporphyrin. The immobilized porphyrin was transformed into the corresponding zinc(II complex, which is capable of the coordinative binding of one pyridine moiety. Complete metallation was proven by absorption spectroscopy. 4-Vinylpyridine was immobilized by copolymerization with n-butyl acrylate, too. Via controlled radical polymerization conditions, the molecular weight of poly(n-butyl acrylate-co-4-vinylpyridine was limited to one tenth of the molecular weight of the porphyrin containing copolymer. This large difference in the molecular weight easily allowed identifying the polymers in the mixture of both. With the help of diffusion ordered nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, the complete and temperature-stable precipitation of the porphyrin containing copolymer was observed, proving the expected attractive interaction and supramolecular network formation.

Influence of steric hindrance on enantioseparation of Dns-amino acids and pesticides on terguride based chiral selectors in capillary electrophoresis

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Honzátko, Aleš; Cvak, Jan; Vaingátová, Silvie; Flieger, Miroslav

2005-01-01

Roč. 28, - (2005), s. 673-677 ISSN 1615-9306 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA203/02/0933 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z50200510 Keywords : steric hindrance * capillary electrophoresis * pesticides Subject RIV: EE - Microbiology, Virology Impact factor: 1.829, year: 2005

Thermodynamics of an Attractive 2D Fermi Gas

Science.gov (United States)

Fenech, K.; Dyke, P.; Peppler, T.; Lingham, M. G.; Hoinka, S.; Hu, H.; Vale, C. J.

2016-01-01

Thermodynamic properties of matter are conveniently expressed as functional relations between variables known as equations of state. Here we experimentally determine the compressibility, density, and pressure equations of state for an attractive 2D Fermi gas in the normal phase as a function of temperature and interaction strength. In 2D, interacting gases exhibit qualitatively different features to those found in 3D. This is evident in the normalized density equation of state, which peaks at intermediate densities corresponding to the crossover from classical to quantum behavior.

Effects of Switching Behavior for the Attraction on Pedestrian Dynamics.

Science.gov (United States)

Kwak, Jaeyoung; Jo, Hang-Hyun; Luttinen, Tapio; Kosonen, Iisakki

2015-01-01

Walking is a fundamental activity of our daily life not only for moving to other places but also for interacting with surrounding environment. While walking on the streets, pedestrians can be aware of attractions like shopping windows. They can be influenced by the attractions and some of them might shift their attention towards the attractions, namely switching behavior. As a first step to incorporate the switching behavior, this study investigates collective effects of switching behavior for an attraction by developing a behavioral model. Numerical simulations exhibit different patterns of pedestrian behavior depending on the strength of the social influence and the average length of stay. When the social influence is strong along with a long length of stay, a saturated phase can be defined at which all the pedestrians have visited the attraction. If the social influence is not strong enough, an unsaturated phase appears where one can observe that some pedestrians head for the attraction while others walk in their desired direction. These collective patterns of pedestrian behavior are summarized in a phase diagram by comparing the number of pedestrians who visited the attraction to the number of passersby near the attraction. Measuring the marginal benefits with respect to the strength of the social influence and the average length of stay enables us to identify under what conditions enhancing these variables would be more effective. The findings from this study can be understood in the context of the pedestrian facility management, for instance, for retail stores.

Role of attractive forces in tapping tip force microscopy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kyhle, Anders; Sørensen, Alexis Hammer; Bohr, Jakob

1997-01-01

We present experimental and numerical results demonstrating the drastic influence of attractive forces on the behaviour of the atomic force microscope when operated in the resonant tapping tip mode in an ambient environment. It is often assumed that tapping is related to repulsive interaction...

Steric and mass-induced Mediterranean sea level trends from 14 years of altimetry data

Science.gov (United States)

Criado-Aldeanueva, Francisco; Del Río Vera, Jorge; García-Lafuente, Jesús

2008-02-01

Long-term series of almost 14 years of altimetry data (1992-2005) have been analysed along with Sea Surface Temperature (SST) and temperature and salinity profiles to investigate sea level trends over the Mediterranean Sea. Although sea level variations are mainly driven by the steric contribution, the mass-induced component plays some role in modulating its oscillation. A spatially averaged positive trend of 2.1 ± 0.6 mm/year has been observed, but a change in sign in 2001 seems to appear. Steric effects (mainly on thermal origin) account for ˜ 55% of sea level trend. Although Mediterranean Sea is a semi-enclosed basin, this value is comparable to that reported for the global ocean. Sea level rise is particularly important in the Levantine basin south of Crete with values up to 10 ± 1 mm/year. Other areas of sea level rise are localised throughout the Levantine basin and in the Adriatic and Alboran Seas, with more moderate values. Sea level drop areas are localised in the Algerian basin, between the Balearic Islands and the African coasts and, particularly, in the Ionian basin. In this area, negative trends as high as - 10 ± 0.8 mm/year are detected mainly due to the mass-induced contribution, which suggests decadal changes of surface circulation. The inferred sea level trends have been correlated with North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) indices and a low but significant correlation has been detected between sea level in the Levantine and Balearic basins and NAO index.

Quinoidal Oligo(9,10-anthryl)s with Chain-Length-Dependent Ground States: A Balance between Aromatic Stabilization and Steric Strain Release

KAUST Repository

Lim, Zhenglong; Zheng, Bin; Huang, Kuo-Wei; Liu, Ye; Wu, Jishan

2015-01-01

: the large steric repulsion between the anthryl/phenyl units in the closed-shell quinoidal form that drives the molecule to a flexible open-shell diradical structure, and aromatic stabilisation due to the gain of more aromatic sextet rings in the closed

Are Women’s Mate Preferences for Altruism Also Influenced by Physical Attractiveness?

OpenAIRE

Daniel Farrelly; Paul Clemson; Melissa Guthrie

2016-01-01

Altruism plays a role in mate choice, particularly in women’s preferences, and particularly for long-term relationships. The current study analyzed how these preferences interacted with another important mate choice variable, physical attractiveness. Here, female participants were presented with photographs of men of varying levels of physical attractiveness, alongside descriptions of them behaving either altruistically or not in different scenarios. The results showed women preferred altruis...

Physical Forces between Humans and How Humans Attract and Repel Each Other Based on Their Social Interactions in an Online World.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stefan Thurner

Full Text Available Physical interactions between particles are the result of the exchange of gauge bosons. Human interactions are mediated by the exchange of messages, goods, money, promises, hostilities, etc. While in the physical world interactions and their associated forces have immediate dynamical consequences (Newton's laws the situation is not clear for human interactions. Here we quantify the relative acceleration between humans who interact through the exchange of messages, goods and hostilities in a massive multiplayer online game. For this game we have complete information about all interactions (exchange events between about 430,000 players, and about their trajectories (movements in the metric space of the game universe at any point in time. We use this information to derive "interaction potentials" for communication, trade and attacks and show that they are harmonic in nature. Individuals who exchange messages and trade goods generally attract each other and start to separate immediately after exchange events end. The form of the interaction potential for attacks mirrors the usual "hit-and-run" tactics of aggressive players. By measuring interaction intensities as a function of distance, velocity and acceleration, we show that "forces" between players are directly related to the number of exchange events. We find an approximate power-law decay of the likelihood for interactions as a function of distance, which is in accordance with previous real world empirical work. We show that the obtained potentials can be understood with a simple model assuming an exchange-driven force in combination with a distance-dependent exchange rate.

The effects of women's age and physical appearance on evaluations of attractiveness and social desirability.

Science.gov (United States)

Perlini, A H; Bertolissi, S; Lind, D L

1999-06-01

Younger people are perceived as possessing a host of socially desirable attributes, some of which are the same traits attributed to attractive people. In the present study, 160 younger and older White Canadians rated the attractiveness and personality traits of 1 of 4 target women. The results indicated an interaction between the participant's age and gender and the age and attractiveness of the target person. Both younger and older judges showed an attractiveness bias and downrated the social desirability of younger unattractive targets. Younger judges rated younger and older attractive targets as equal in social desirability. Older male judges rated older attractive targets as less socially desirable than younger attractive targets. Results are discussed in terms of cultural expectations of beauty.

Diazo Reagents with Small Steric Footprints for Simultaneous Arming/SAR Studies of Alcohol-Containing Natural Products via O–H Insertion

Science.gov (United States)

Chamni, Supakarn; He, Qing-Li; Dang, Yongjun; Bhat, Shridhar; Liu, Jun O.; Romo, Daniel

2011-01-01

Natural products are essential tools for basic cellular studies leading to the identification of medically relevant protein targets and the discovery of potential therapeutic leads. The development of methods that enable mild and selective derivatization of natural products continues to be of significant interest for mining their information-rich content. Herein, we describe novel diazo reagents for simultaneous arming and structure-activity relationship (SAR) studies of alcohol-containing natural products with a small steric footprint, namely an α-trifluoroethyl (HTFB) substituted reagent. The Rh(II)-catalyzed O–H insertion reaction of several natural products, including the potent translation inhibitor lactimidomycin, was investigated and useful reactivity and both chemo- and site (chemosite) selectivities were observed. Differential binding to the known protein targets of both FK506 and fumagillol was demonstrated, validating the advantage of the smaller steric footprint of trifluoroethyl derivatives. A p-azidophenyl diazo reagent is also described that will prove useful for photoaffinity labeling of low affinity small molecule protein receptors. PMID:21894934

Measurable consequences of an attractive anti KN interaction

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Epple, Eliane Melanie Franziska

2014-07-07

In the field of low energy QCD the effective description of interactions between ground state hadrons plays a major role in nuclear physics. One of these interactions occurs between anti-kaons and nucleons, and is a topic of a long standing interest. A specific attention is lately drawn to the possible existence of bound states between anti Ks and nucleons. This old concept is based on the idea that the attractive interaction between anti-kaons and nucleons, that already manifests itself as the anti KN-pole of the Λ(1405)-resonance, is strong enough to bind further nucleons by the help of a anti K. The simplest form of these clusters is the anti KNN which consists of a anti K bound to two nucleons. This state might decay into pΛ and is, thus, accessible via open strangeness production in p+p collisions. This work continues the investigations in this field, as a rather puzzling impression is left behind from previous experiments, and further conclusions are needed. The work contains two major data analyses. The first one is dedicated to the anti KN bound state, and selects the semi-exclusive reaction p+p→p+K{sup +}+Λ+X. This was done to investigate the strange resonances Λ(1405) and Σ(1385){sup 0} in their neutral decay channels Σ{sup 0}π{sup 0} and Λπ{sup 0}, respectively. Besides resonance production, several other states contribute to this final state. Their relative strengths have been determined and the obtained production cross sections were in agreement with the results from an independent analysis of the Λ(1405) decay into Σ{sup ±}π{sup -+}, done in a parallel work. To set reasonable constraints for coupled channels calculations in the anti KN sector, a high-precision Λ(1405)-mass spectrum is needed. The obtained yield and uncertainty of the Λ(1405) contribution to the final spectra, however, showed that the required precision is not given in the neutral decay channel. Nonetheless, the extracted production cross section of the Σ(1385){sup 0

Measurable consequences of an attractive anti KN interaction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Epple, Eliane Melanie Franziska

2014-01-01

In the field of low energy QCD the effective description of interactions between ground state hadrons plays a major role in nuclear physics. One of these interactions occurs between anti-kaons and nucleons, and is a topic of a long standing interest. A specific attention is lately drawn to the possible existence of bound states between anti Ks and nucleons. This old concept is based on the idea that the attractive interaction between anti-kaons and nucleons, that already manifests itself as the anti KN-pole of the Λ(1405)-resonance, is strong enough to bind further nucleons by the help of a anti K. The simplest form of these clusters is the anti KNN which consists of a anti K bound to two nucleons. This state might decay into pΛ and is, thus, accessible via open strangeness production in p+p collisions. This work continues the investigations in this field, as a rather puzzling impression is left behind from previous experiments, and further conclusions are needed. The work contains two major data analyses. The first one is dedicated to the anti KN bound state, and selects the semi-exclusive reaction p+p→p+K + +Λ+X. This was done to investigate the strange resonances Λ(1405) and Σ(1385) 0 in their neutral decay channels Σ 0 π 0 and Λπ 0 , respectively. Besides resonance production, several other states contribute to this final state. Their relative strengths have been determined and the obtained production cross sections were in agreement with the results from an independent analysis of the Λ(1405) decay into Σ ± π -+ , done in a parallel work. To set reasonable constraints for coupled channels calculations in the anti KN sector, a high-precision Λ(1405)-mass spectrum is needed. The obtained yield and uncertainty of the Λ(1405) contribution to the final spectra, however, showed that the required precision is not given in the neutral decay channel. Nonetheless, the extracted production cross section of the Σ(1385) 0 -resonance provided a crucial

Bodily Attractiveness and Egalitarianism are Negatively Related in Males

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michael E. Price

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Ancestrally, relatively attractive individuals and relatively formidable males may have had reduced incentives to be egalitarian (i.e., to act in accordance with norms promoting social equality. If selection calibrated one's egalitarianism to one's attractiveness/formidability, then such people may exhibit reduced egalitarianism (“observed egalitarianism” and be perceived by others as less egalitarian (“perceived egalitarianism” in modern environments. To investigate, we created 3D body models of 125 participants to use both as a source of anthropometric measurements and as stimuli to obtain ratings of bodily attractiveness and perceived egalitarianism. We also measured observed egalitarianism (via an economic “dictator” game and indices of political egalitarianism (preference for socialism over capitalism and “equity sensitivity.” Results indicated higher egalitarianism levels in women than in men, and moderate-to-strong negative relationships between (a attractiveness and observed egalitarianism among men, (b attractiveness and perceived egalitarianism among both sexes, and (c formidability and perceived egalitarianism among men. We did not find support for two previously-reported findings: that observed egalitarianism and formidability are negatively related in men, and that wealth and formidability interact to explain variance in male egalitarianism. However, this lack of support may have been due to differences in variable measurement between our study and previous studies.

Volumetric and steric properties of hydroxamic acids in ethanol at different temperatures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yadav, Sushama Singh; Pande, Rama; Khare, Deepesh; Tripathi, Manorama

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► Density, ρ and refractive index, n of PBHA and o-TBHA are measured in ethanol at different temperatures. ► From the experimental value of ρ and n, V φ , V φ 0 , S V ∗ , φ E 0 , V, R M , R S and α are calculated. ► Excess properties such as V E , R M E , n E are also computed. ► The behaviour of these parameters suggests that PBHA and o-TBHA act as structure maker in ethanol. - Abstract: Physical properties, such as density, ρ and refractive index, n of two hydroxamic acids (N-Phenylbenzo, C 6 H 5 NOH·C 6 H 5 C=O and N-o-tolylbenzo, o-CH 3 ·C 6 H 4 NOH·C 6 H 5 C=O) have been measured in ethanol as a function of concentration at T = (298.15, 303.15, and 308.15) K. The apparent molar volume, V φ , apparent molar volume at infinite dilution, V φ 0 and the slope, S V ∗ are calculated from the experimental value of density, ρ by applying the Masson’s equation. The apparent molar expansibility at infinite dilution, φ E 0 , molar volume, V and the excess molar volume, V E are also computed. The refractive index, n, data have been used to calculate the steric parameters viz. molar refraction, R M , excess refractive index, n E , excess molar refraction, R M E and polarizability, α of these molecules. The results obtained have been qualitatively used to interpret the solute–solute and solute–solvent interactions between hydroxamic acids and ethanol.

Attributions of guilt and punishment as functions of physical attractiveness and smiling.

Science.gov (United States)

Abel, Millicent H; Watters, Heather

2005-12-01

The authors found an interaction between sex of participant and sex of defendant in the leniency bias toward a smiling defendant. Differences occurred for male participants when levying punishment for a smiling male defendant vs. a smiling female defendant and for a smiling male defendant vs. a nonsmiling male defendant, whereas differences did not occur for female participants. The authors found moderating effects of physical attractiveness and smiling between guilt and punishment. The only significant positive relationship between guilt and punishment occurred for the defendant whom participants rated low in physical attractiveness and who was not smiling. When guilty, the smiling and unattractive defendant received less punishment than did the smiling and attractive defendant. The authors discussed complex relationships between physical attractiveness, smiling, guilt, and punishment.

Discontinuous nature of the repulsive-to-attractive colloidal glass transition.

Science.gov (United States)

van de Laar, T; Higler, R; Schroën, K; Sprakel, J

2016-03-04

In purely repulsive colloidal systems a glass transition can be reached by increasing the particle volume fraction beyond a certain threshold. The resulting glassy state is governed by configurational cages which confine particles and restrict their motion. A colloidal glass may also be formed by inducing attractive interactions between the particles. When attraction is turned on in a repulsive colloidal glass a re-entrant solidification ensues. Initially, the repulsive glass melts as free volume in the system increases. As the attraction strength is increased further, this weakened configurational glass gives way to an attractive glass in which motion is hindered by the formation of physical bonds between neighboring particles. In this paper, we study the transition from repulsive-to-attractive glasses using three-dimensional imaging at the single-particle level. We show how the onset of cage weakening and bond formation is signalled by subtle changes in local structure. We then demonstrate the discontinuous nature of the solid-solid transition, which is marked by a critical onset at a threshold bonding energy. Finally, we highlight how the interplay between bonding and caging leads to complex and heterogeneous dynamics at the microscale.

An Adult Developmental Approach to Perceived Facial Attractiveness and Distinctiveness

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Natalie C. Ebner

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Attractiveness and distinctiveness constitute facial features with high biological and social relevance. Bringing a developmental perspective to research on social-cognitive face perception, we used a large set of faces taken from the FACES Lifespan Database to examine effects of face and perceiver characteristics on subjective evaluations of attractiveness and distinctiveness in young (20–31 years, middle-aged (44–55 years, and older (70–81 years men and women. We report novel findings supporting variations by face and perceiver age, in interaction with gender and emotion: although older and middle-aged compared to young perceivers generally rated faces of all ages as more attractive, young perceivers gave relatively higher attractiveness ratings to young compared to middle-aged and older faces. Controlling for variations in attractiveness, older compared to young faces were viewed as more distinctive by young and middle-aged perceivers. Age affected attractiveness more negatively for female than male faces. Furthermore, happy faces were rated as most attractive, while disgusted faces were rated as least attractive, particularly so by middle-aged and older perceivers and for young and female faces. Perceivers largely agreed on distinctiveness ratings for neutral and happy emotions, but older and middle-aged compared to young perceivers rated faces displaying negative emotions as more distinctive. These findings underscore the importance of a lifespan perspective on perception of facial characteristics and suggest possible effects of age on goal-directed perception, social motivation, and in-group bias. This publication makes available picture-specific normative data for experimental stimulus selection.

Effects of Switching Behavior for the Attraction on Pedestrian Dynamics.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jaeyoung Kwak

Full Text Available Walking is a fundamental activity of our daily life not only for moving to other places but also for interacting with surrounding environment. While walking on the streets, pedestrians can be aware of attractions like shopping windows. They can be influenced by the attractions and some of them might shift their attention towards the attractions, namely switching behavior. As a first step to incorporate the switching behavior, this study investigates collective effects of switching behavior for an attraction by developing a behavioral model. Numerical simulations exhibit different patterns of pedestrian behavior depending on the strength of the social influence and the average length of stay. When the social influence is strong along with a long length of stay, a saturated phase can be defined at which all the pedestrians have visited the attraction. If the social influence is not strong enough, an unsaturated phase appears where one can observe that some pedestrians head for the attraction while others walk in their desired direction. These collective patterns of pedestrian behavior are summarized in a phase diagram by comparing the number of pedestrians who visited the attraction to the number of passersby near the attraction. Measuring the marginal benefits with respect to the strength of the social influence and the average length of stay enables us to identify under what conditions enhancing these variables would be more effective. The findings from this study can be understood in the context of the pedestrian facility management, for instance, for retail stores.

Attractive short-range interatomic potential in the lattice dynamics of niobium and tantalum

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Onwuagba, B.N.; Pal, S.

1987-01-01

It is shown in the framework of the pseudopotential approach that there is a sizable attractive short-range component of the interatomic potential due to the s-d interaction which has the same functional form in real space as the Born-Mayer repulsion due to the overlap of core electron wave functions centred on neighbouring ions. The magnitude of this attractive component is such as to completely cancel the conventional Born-Mayer repulsion, making the resultant short-range interatomic potential attractive rather than repulsive. Numerical calculations show that the attractive interatomics potential, which represents the local-field correction, leads to a better understanding of the occurrence of the soft modes in the phonon dispersion curves of niobium and tantalum

The dependency of adhesion and friction on electrostatic attraction

Science.gov (United States)

Persson, B. N. J.

2018-04-01

I develop a general mean-field theory for the influence of electrostatic attraction between two solids on the contact mechanics. I assume elastic solids with random surface roughness. I consider two cases, namely, with and without an electrically insulating layer between the conducting solids. The former case is important for, e.g., the finger-touch screen interaction. I study how the electrostatic attraction influences the adhesion and friction. For the case of an insulating layer, I find that when the applied nominal contact pressure is relatively small, as the applied voltage increases, there is a sharp increase in the contact area, and hence in the friction, at a critical voltage.

Effects of an attractive wall on the translocation of polymer under driving

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cao Weiping; Wang Chao; Sun Lizhen; Luo Mengbo

2012-01-01

The effects of an attractive wall at the trans side on the translocation of an eight-site bond-fluctuation model (BFM) polymer through a pore in a membrane under driving are simulated by the dynamic Monte Carlo method. The attractive wall shows two contrary effects: its excluded volume effect reduces configuration entropy and thus hinders the translocation of the polymer, while its attraction decreases the energy and thus accelerates the translocation. At a critical polymer-wall interaction ε* ≈- 1, we find that the two effects compensate each other and the translocation time τ is roughly independent of the separation distance between the wall and the pore. The value ε* ≈- 1 is roughly equal to the critical adsorption point for the BFM polymer. Moreover, the value of the critical attraction is roughly independent of chain length N and chemical potential difference Δμ. At last, a scaling relation τ ∼ N α is observed for polymer translocation at a high value of NΔμ. Though the translocation time is highly dependent on the polymer-wall interaction and pore-wall separation distance, the exponent α is always about 1.30 ± 0.05 so long as NΔμ is large enough. (paper)

Steric Interference of Adhesion Supports In-Vitro Chondrogenesis of Mesenchymal Stem Cells on Hydrogels for Cartilage Repair

OpenAIRE

Goldshmid, Revital; Cohen, Shlomit; Shachaf, Yonatan; Kupershmit, Ilana; Sarig-Nadir, Offra; Seliktar, Dror; Wechsler, Roni

2015-01-01

Recent studies suggest the presence of cell adhesion motifs found in structural proteins can inhibit chondrogenesis. In this context, the current study aims to determine if a polyethylene glycol (PEG)-modified fibrinogen matrix could support better chondrogenesis of human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSC) based on steric interference of adhesion, when compared to a natural fibrin matrix. Hydrogels used as substrates for two-dimensional (2D) BM-MSC cultures under chondrogenic conditi...

Steric hindrances create a discrete linear Dy4 complex exhibiting SMM behaviour.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Shuang-Yan; Zhao, Lang; Ke, Hongshan; Guo, Yun-Nan; Tang, Jinkui; Guo, Yang; Dou, Jianmin

2012-03-21

Two linear tetranuclear lanthanide complexes of general formula [Ln(4)(L)(2)(C(6)H(5)COO)(12)(MeOH)(4)], where HL = 2,6-bis((furan-2-ylmethylimino)methyl)-4-methylphenol, () and Ln(III) = Dy(III) (1) and Gd(III) (2), have been synthesized and characterized. The crystal structural analysis demonstrates that two Schiff-base ligands inhibit the growth of benzoate bridged 1D chains, leading to the isolation of discrete tetranuclear complexes due to their steric hindrances. Every Ln(III) ion is coordinated by eight donor atoms in a distorted bicapped trigonal-prismatic arrangement. Alternating current (ac) susceptibility measurements of complex 1 reveal a frequency- and temperature-dependent out-of-phase signal under zero dc field, typical of single-molecule magnet (SMM) behaviour with an anisotropic barrier Δ(eff) = 17.2 K.

Sweet attraction: sugarcane pollen-associated volatiles attract gravid Anopheles arabiensis.

Science.gov (United States)

Wondwosen, Betelehem; Birgersson, Göran; Tekie, Habte; Torto, Baldwyn; Ignell, Rickard; Hill, Sharon R

2018-02-21

Anopheles arabiensis is a key vector for the transmission of human malaria in sub-Saharan Africa. Over the past 10,000 years, humans have successfully cultivated grasses and altered the landscape, creating An. arabiensis favourable environments that contain excellent habitats for both larvae and adults. Sugarcane is the most expanding agricultural system in sub-Saharan Africa, and is linked to the increased threat of malaria in rural communities. The prolific production and wind dispersal of sugarcane pollen, together with standing pools of water, often provide, as a result of irrigation, a nutrient-rich environment for the offspring of gravid malaria mosquitoes. In the present study, sugarcane pollen-associated volatiles from two cultivars are shown to attract gravid An. arabiensis in a still air two-port olfactometer and stimulate egg laying in an oviposition bioassay. Through combined gas chromatography and electroantennographic detection, as well as combined gas chromatography and mass spectrometric analyses, we identified the bioactive volatiles and generated a synthetic blend that reproduced the full behavioural repertoire of gravid mosquitoes in the Y-tube assay. Two subtractive odour blends, when compared with the full blend, were significantly more attractive. These three and four-component subtractive blends share the compounds (1R)-(+)-α-pinene, nonanal and benzaldehyde, of which, (1R)-(+)-α-pinene and nonanal are found in the attractive odour blends from rice plants and maize pollen. In pairwise comparisons, the rice synthetic odour blend was more attractive to gravid mosquitoes than either of the pollen blends, whereas the pollen blends did not differ in attraction. The attraction of gravid females to sugarcane pollen volatiles demonstrated in this study, together with the previously found grass-associated volatiles, raise the potential of developing a bioactive chimeric blend to attract gravid malaria mosquitoes. This is discussed in relation to

In the Eye of the Betrothed: Perceptual Downgrading of Attractive Alternative Romantic Partners.

Science.gov (United States)

Cole, Shana; Trope, Yaacov; Balcetis, Emily

2016-07-01

People in monogamous relationships can experience a conflict when they interact with an attractive individual. They may have a desire to romantically pursue the new person, while wanting to be faithful to their partner. How do people manage the threat that attractive alternatives present to their relationship goals? We suggest that one way people defend their relationships against attractive individuals is by perceiving the individual as less attractive. In two studies, using a novel visual matching paradigm, we found support for a perceptual downgrading effect. People in relationships perceived threatening attractive individuals as less attractive than did single participants. The effect was exacerbated among participants who were highly satisfied with their current relationships. The studies provide evidence for a perceptual bias that emerges to protect long-term goals. We discuss the findings within the context of a broader theory of motivated perception in the service of self-control. © 2016 by the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Inc.

Advertising Technology and Visual Attraction of Cities Centers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Inaam Albazzaz

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Advertising technology represents a component of elements of the visual attraction in the urban scape, made its way transmission process of messages between the ends of the source ofinformation (sender and the Destination information (receiver of the final recipient of themessage, It serves as a social marked and a means of cultural expression, It is part of the inalienable in creating identity and determine the spatial relationships and also is a reflection ofurban culture to the community. This technology has become an increasing feature of the present era, characterized as the era of the three revolutions: (the information revolution, the technologyrevolution, and the media revolution, Where it became an integral part of the visual system surrounding of urban our environment in which we live,, And it worked to change the contemporary urban experience through the attraction and love to stay and stimulating social interactions within a decade and urban spaces that contain the contemporary urban forms, and this is what it will focus the research. The research’s problem is determined by :there is no clear perception about the definition of advertisement technology and its impact on the urban scape of the city centers according the concept of visual attraction. And clarify the goal of research in : Definition advertising technology and determine the most important aspects and indicators according the concept of visual attraction of the city centers. To achieve this goal was adopted the following approach: building a conceptual framework for technology advertising through definition of the basic concepts of research and review the historical development of it within the framework of the urban scape, and then a study of the most important intellectual concepts associated represented by (communication theory and built in investigating this technology (communication channel aims to deliver a message or information from the sender to the receiver

Brownian dynamics simulations of an order-disorder transition in sheared sterically stabilized colloidal suspensions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rigos, A.A.; Wilemski, G.

1992-01-01

The shear thinning behavior of a sterically stabilized nonaqueous colloidal suspension was investigated using nonequilibrium Brownian dynamics simulations of systems with 108 and 256 particles. At a volume fraction of 0.4, the suspension is thixotropic: it has a reversible shear thinning transition from a disordered state to an ordered, lamellar state with triangularly packed strings of particles. The time scale for the transition is set by the free particle diffusion constant. For the smaller system, the transition occurs gradually with increasing shear rate. For the larger system, the transition is sharp and discontinuous shear thinning is found. 34 refs., 9 figs., 1 tab

Effects of symmetry and familiarity on the attractiveness of human faces

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mentus Tatjana

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The effects of both symmetry (perceptual factor and familiarity (cognitive factor on facial attractiveness were investigated. From the photographs of original slightly asymmetric faces, symmetric left-left (LL and right-right (RR versions were generated. Familiarity was induced in the learning block using the repetitive presentation of original faces. In the test block participants rated the attractiveness of original, previously seen (familiar faces, original, not previously seen faces, and both LL and RR versions of all faces. The analysis of variance showed main effects of symmetry. Post hoc tests revealed that asymmetric original faces were rated as more attractive than both LL and RR symmetric versions. Familiarity doesn’t have a significant main effect, but the symmetry-familiarity interaction was obtained. Additional post hoc tests indicated that facial attractiveness is positively associated with natural slight asymmetry rather than with perfect symmetry. Also, unfamiliar LL symmetric versions were rated as more attractive than familiar LL versions, whereas familiar RR versions were rated as more attractive than RR unfamiliar faces. These results suggested that symmetry (perceptual factor and familiarity (cognitive or memorial factor play differential roles in facial attractiveness, and indicate a relatively stronger effect of the perceptual compared to the cognitive factor. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. ON179018 i br. ON179033

A system of tourism attractions

OpenAIRE

Kušen, Eduard

2010-01-01

Although tourism attractions are a basic resource for long term tourism developments, they are not given the proper attention, both, theoretical and practical. Therefore, rare studies of tourism attractions, especially those with the ambition of creating a functional system of tourism attractions, attract special attention. The aim of this paper is to present a new system of tourism attractions. This new system is based on the review of published research on tourism attractions, particularly ...

Re-evaluating the role of sterics and electronic coupling in determining the open-circuit voltage of organic solar cells

KAUST Repository

Graham, Kenneth; Erwin, Patrick; Nordlund, Dennis; Vandewal, Koen; Li, Ruipeng; Ngongang Ndjawa, Guy Olivier; Hoke, Eric T.; Salleo, Alberto; Thompson, Mark E.; McGehee, Michael D.; Amassian, Aram

2013-01-01

The effects of sterics and molecular orientation on the open-circuit voltage and absorbance properties of charge-transfer states are explored in model bilayer organic photovoltaics. It is shown that the open-circuit voltage correlates linearly with the charge-transfer state energy and is not significantly influenced by electronic coupling. © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Re-evaluating the role of sterics and electronic coupling in determining the open-circuit voltage of organic solar cells

KAUST Repository

Graham, Kenneth

2013-07-30

The effects of sterics and molecular orientation on the open-circuit voltage and absorbance properties of charge-transfer states are explored in model bilayer organic photovoltaics. It is shown that the open-circuit voltage correlates linearly with the charge-transfer state energy and is not significantly influenced by electronic coupling. © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

In vitro circumvention of cisplatin resistance by the novel sterically hindered platinum complex AMD473.

Science.gov (United States)

Holford, J.; Sharp, S. Y.; Murrer, B. A.; Abrams, M.; Kelland, L. R.

1998-01-01

A novel sterically hindered platinum complex, AMD473 [cis-aminedichloro(2-methylpyridine) platinum (II)], has been selected for phase I clinical trials due to commence in 1997. AMD473 was rationally designed to react preferentially with nucleic acids over sulphur ligands such as glutathione. This report documents the in vitro circumvention of acquired cisplatin resistance mechanisms in human ovarian carcinoma (HOC) cell lines by AMD473. In a panel of 11 HOC cell lines, AMD473 showed intermediate growth inhibition potency (mean IC50 of 8.1 microM) in comparison to cisplatin (mean IC50 of 2.6 microM) and carboplatin (mean IC50 of 20.3 microM). AMD473 showed only a 30.7-fold increase in IC50 value from the most sensitive to the most resistant HOC cell line, whereas for cisplatin it was 117.9-fold and for carboplatin 119.7-fold. AMD473 also showed significantly (P or = 14 h for AMD473) after equitoxic doses were exposed to HOC cells for 2 h. AMD473 ICLs in the CH1 HOC cell line were slowly formed and showed no visible signs of being repaired 24 h after removal of drug. This was paralleled by a slower, longer lasting induction of p53 protein by equitoxic doses of AMD473 in HOC cell lines with wild-type p53. This new class of sterically hindered platinum compound, selected for clinical trial in 1997, may therefore elicit improved clinical response in intrinsically and acquired cisplatin-resistant tumours in the clinic. Images Figure 9 PMID:9472630

Metastability versus collapse following a quench in attractive Bose-Einstein condensates

Science.gov (United States)

Golde, Jake; Ruhl, Joanna; Olshanii, Maxim; Dunjko, Vanja; Datta, Sumita; Malomed, Boris A.

2018-05-01

We consider a Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) with attractive two-body interactions in a cigar-shaped trap, initially prepared in its ground state for a given negative scattering length, which is quenched to a larger absolute value of the scattering length. Using the mean-field approximation, we compute numerically, for an experimentally relevant range of aspect ratios and initial strengths of the coupling, two critical values of quench. One corresponds to the weakest attraction strength, the quench to which causes the system to collapse before completing even a single return from the narrow configuration (pericenter) in its breathing cycle. The other is a similar critical point for the occurrence of collapse before completing two returns. In the latter case, we also compute the limiting value, as we keep increasing the strength of the postquench attraction towards its critical value, of the time interval between the first two pericenters. We also use a Gaussian variational model to estimate the critical quenched attraction strength below which the system is stable against the collapse for long times. These time intervals and critical attraction strengths, apart from being fundamental properties of nonlinear dynamics of self-attractive BECs, may provide clues to the design of upcoming experiments that are trying to create robust BEC breathers.

Altruists Attract

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daniel Farrelly

2007-04-01

Full Text Available Explaining human cooperation continues to present a challenge because it goes beyond what is predicted by established theories of kinship and reciprocal altruism. Little attention has been paid to the sexual selection hypothesis that proposes that cooperation can act as a display that attracts mates. The costs of cooperating are then offset not by kinship or reciprocation but by increased mating success. Here we present results from a series of experiments which show that, as predicted by the sexual selection hypothesis, people preferentially direct cooperative behavior towards more attractive members of the opposite sex. Furthermore, cooperative behavior increases the perceived attractiveness of the cooperator. Economically costly behaviors can therefore bring benefits through mate choice and sexual selection should be regarded as an evolutionary mechanism capable of promoting cooperation.

Statistical thermodynamics of aligned rigid rods with attractive lateral interactions: Theory and Monte Carlo simulations

Science.gov (United States)

dos Santos, G. J.; Linares, D. H.; Ramirez-Pastor, A. J.

2018-04-01

The phase behaviour of aligned rigid rods of length k (k-mers) adsorbed on two-dimensional square lattices has been studied by Monte Carlo (MC) simulations and histogram reweighting technique. The k-mers, containing k identical units (each one occupying a lattice site) were deposited along one of the directions of the lattice. In addition, attractive lateral interactions were considered. The methodology was applied, particularly, to the study of the critical point of the condensation transition occurring in the system. The process was monitored by following the fourth order Binder cumulant as a function of temperature for different lattice sizes. The results, obtained for k ranging from 2 to 7, show that: (i) the transition coverage exhibits a decreasing behaviour when it is plotted as a function of the k-mer size and (ii) the transition temperature, Tc, exhibits a power law dependence on k, Tc ∼k 0 , 4, shifting to higher values as k increases. Comparisons with an analytical model based on a generalization of the Bragg-Williams approximation (BWA) were performed in order to support the simulation technique. A significant qualitative agreement was obtained between BWA and MC results.

Sterically Bulky NHC Adducts of GaMe3 and InMe3 for H2 Activation and Lactide Polymerization

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anaëlle Bolley

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The sterically bulky Ga(III and In(III (IPr*MMe3 adducts (1 and 2 and (SItBuMMe3 adducts (3 and 4 (M = Ga, In; IPr* = 1,3-bis{2,6-bis(diphenylmethyl-4-methylphenyl}-1,3-dihydro- imidazol-2-ylidene; SItBu = 1,3-bis(1,1-dimethylethyl-imidazolidin-2-ylidene were prepared and structurally characterized, allowing an estimation of the steric hindrance of such Lewis pairs (yields in 1–4: 92%, 90%, 73%, and 42%, respectively. While the IPr* adducts 1 and 2 are robust species, the more severely congested SItBu adducts 3 and 4 are more reactive and exhibit a limited stability in solution. Adduct (SItBuGaMe3 (3 reacts quickly with H2 at room temperature to afford the corresponding aminal product, 1,3-di-tert-butylimidazolidine (5, along with free GaMe3. Such Frustrated Lewis Pair (FLP reactivity constitutes the first instance of a H2 activation involving a simple trialkyl GaR3 species. Adduct 3 also mediates the ring-opening polymerization (ROP of rac-lactide at room temperature to afford cyclic polylactide (PLA.

Thermodynamics of one-dimensional SU(4) and SU(6) fermions with attractive interactions

Science.gov (United States)

Hoffman, M. D.; Loheac, A. C.; Porter, W. J.; Drut, J. E.

2017-03-01

Motivated by advances in the manipulation and detection of ultracold atoms with multiple internal degrees of freedom, we present a finite-temperature lattice Monte Carlo calculation of the density and pressure equations of state, as well as Tan's contact, of attractively interacting SU(4)- and SU(6)-symmetric fermion systems in one spatial dimension. We also furnish a nonperturbative proof of a universal relation whereby quantities computable in the SU(2) case completely determine the virial coefficients of the SU(Nf) case. These one-dimensional systems are appealing because they can be experimentally realized in highly constrained traps and because of the dominant role played by correlations. The latter are typically nonperturbative and are crucial for understanding ground states and quantum phase transitions. While quantum fluctuations are typically overpowered by thermal ones in one and two dimensions at any finite temperature, we find that quantum effects do leave their imprint in thermodynamic quantities. Our calculations show that the additional degrees of freedom, relative to the SU(2) case, provide a dramatic enhancement of the density and pressure (in units of their noninteracting counterparts) in a wide region around vanishing β μ , where β is the inverse temperature and μ the chemical potential. As shown recently in experiments, the thermodynamics we explore here can be measured in a controlled and precise fashion in highly constrained traps and optical lattices. Our results are a prediction for such experiments in one dimension with atoms of high nuclear spin.

Heterosexual social competence, anxiety, avoidance and self-judged physical attractiveness.

Science.gov (United States)

Mitchell, K R; Orr, F E

1976-10-01

The relationship between self-judged physical attractiveness and opposite-sex behavior was examined as part of a large survey on the interaction patterns of 963 college students. The findings suggest that a self-rated negative physical image is related to significantly high levels of heterosexual difficulties.

Understanding talent attraction: The influence of financial rewards elements on perceived job attractiveness

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anton Schlechter

2014-11-01

Full Text Available Orientation: In order to attract knowledge workers and maintain a competitive advantage,it is necessary for organisations to understand how knowledge workers are attracted todifferent types and levels of financial rewards. Research purpose: This research investigated a set of financial reward elements (remuneration, employee benefits and variable pay to determine whether knowledgeworkers perceived them as attractive inducements when considering a job or position. Motivation for the study: In South Africa there is a shortage of talent, largely due to highrates of emigration of scarce skills (human capital. Financial rewards or inducementsare necessary to attract talent and it is essential to assess which of these rewards are mostsuccessful in this regard. Method: A 23 full-factorial experimental design (field experiment was used. The threefinancial reward elements (remuneration, employee benefits and variable pay weremanipulated in a fictitious job advertisement (each at two levels. Eight (2 × 2 × 2 = 8 differentversions of a job advertisement were used as a stimulus to determine the effect of financialreward elements on perceived job attractiveness. A questionnaire was used to measure howparticipants perceived the attractiveness of the job. A convenience sampling approach wasused. Different organisations throughout South Africa, as well as corporate members of the South African Reward Association, were asked to participate in the study. Respondents (n = 169 were randomly assigned to the various experimental conditions (i.e. one of the eightadvertisements. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics. A full-factorial analysis ofvariance was used to investigate if significant main effects could be found. Main findings: Participants considered high levels of remuneration, the inclusion ofbenefits and variable pay to be significant job attraction factors within a reward package. Remuneration was found to have the largest main effect on job

Comparative study of PBI Cross Linked Utilizing Agents of Varying Steric Configurations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kirkebcek, Andreas; Aili, David; Li, Qingfeng

2016-01-01

ionic or covalent cross linking. When considering such, little attention is devoted to explore the effect of the sterical configuration of the cross linking agent. In this contribution three different cross linking agents are utilized to evaluate how these affects final membrane properties.......The high thermal and chemical stability of poly[2,2'-(m-phenylene)-5,5' bibenzimidazole] (PBI) accounts for its wise spread use in high temperature polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (HT- PEMFC). By doping the membrane with phosphoric acid (PA) ionic conductivity is obtained. Thus conductivity...... is dependent on the amount of PA present within the membrane. However mechanical properties are reduced are significantly reduced due to the plasticizing effect shown by PA [1]. This effect is due to PBI chain displacement. This effect can be lessened by use of cross linking [2-4]. This can be obtained using...

Attractive evolutionary equilibria

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Joosten, Reinoud A.M.G.; Roorda, Berend

2011-01-01

We present attractiveness, a refinement criterion for evolutionary equilibria. Equilibria surviving this criterion are robust to small perturbations of the underlying payoff system or the dynamics at hand. Furthermore, certain attractive equilibria are equivalent to others for certain evolutionary

A neural link between affective understanding and interpersonal attraction

Science.gov (United States)

Anders, Silke; de Jong, Roos; Beck, Christian; Haynes, John-Dylan; Ethofer, Thomas

2016-01-01

Being able to comprehend another person’s intentions and emotions is essential for successful social interaction. However, it is currently unknown whether the human brain possesses a neural mechanism that attracts people to others whose mental states they can easily understand. Here we show that the degree to which a person feels attracted to another person can change while they observe the other’s affective behavior, and that these changes depend on the observer’s confidence in having correctly understood the other’s affective state. At the neural level, changes in interpersonal attraction were predicted by activity in the reward system of the observer’s brain. Importantly, these effects were specific to individual observer–target pairs and could not be explained by a target’s general attractiveness or expressivity. Furthermore, using multivoxel pattern analysis (MVPA), we found that neural activity in the reward system of the observer’s brain varied as a function of how well the target’s affective behavior matched the observer’s neural representation of the underlying affective state: The greater the match, the larger the brain’s intrinsic reward signal. Taken together, these findings provide evidence that reward-related neural activity during social encounters signals how well an individual’s “neural vocabulary” is suited to infer another person’s affective state, and that this intrinsic reward might be a source of changes in interpersonal attraction. PMID:27044071

Different Vocal Parameters Predict Perceptions of Dominance and Attractiveness.

Science.gov (United States)

Hodges-Simeon, Carolyn R; Gaulin, Steven J C; Puts, David A

2010-12-01

Low mean fundamental frequency (F(0)) in men's voices has been found to positively influence perceptions of dominance by men and attractiveness by women using standardized speech. Using natural speech obtained during an ecologically valid social interaction, we examined relationships between multiple vocal parameters and dominance and attractiveness judgments. Male voices from an unscripted dating game were judged by men for physical and social dominance and by women in fertile and non-fertile menstrual cycle phases for desirability in short-term and long-term relationships. Five vocal parameters were analyzed: mean F(0) (an acoustic correlate of vocal fold size), F(0) variation, intensity (loudness), utterance duration, and formant dispersion (D(f), an acoustic correlate of vocal tract length). Parallel but separate ratings of speech transcripts served as controls for content. Multiple regression analyses were used to examine the independent contributions of each of the predictors. Physical dominance was predicted by low F(0) variation and physically dominant word content. Social dominance was predicted only by socially dominant word content. Ratings of attractiveness by women were predicted by low mean F(0), low D(f), high intensity, and attractive word content across cycle phase and mating context. Low D(f) was perceived as attractive by fertile-phase women only. We hypothesize that competitors and potential mates may attend more strongly to different components of men's voices because of the different types of information these vocal parameters provide.

Swarming and pattern formation due to selective attraction and repulsion.

Science.gov (United States)

Romanczuk, Pawel; Schimansky-Geier, Lutz

2012-12-06

We discuss the collective dynamics of self-propelled particles with selective attraction and repulsion interactions. Each particle, or individual, may respond differently to its neighbours depending on the sign of their relative velocity. Thus, it is able to distinguish approaching (coming closer) and retreating (moving away) individuals. This differentiation of the social response is motivated by the response to looming visual stimuli and may be seen as a generalization of the previously proposed escape and pursuit interactions motivated by empirical evidence for cannibalism as a driving force of collective migration in locusts and Mormon crickets. The model can account for different types of behaviour such as pure attraction, pure repulsion or escape and pursuit, depending on the values (signs) of the different response strengths. It provides, in the light of recent experimental results, an interesting alternative to previously proposed models of collective motion with an explicit velocity-alignment interaction. We discuss the derivation of a coarse-grained description of the system dynamics, which allows us to derive analytically the necessary condition for emergence of collective motion. Furthermore, we analyse systematically the onset of collective motion and clustering in numerical simulations of the model for varying interaction strengths. We show that collective motion arises only in a subregion of the parameter space, which is consistent with the analytical prediction and corresponds to an effective escape and/or pursuit response.

Dye stability and performances of dye-sensitized solar cells with different nitrogen additives at elevated temperatures - Can sterically hindered pyridines prevent dye degradation?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tuyet Nguyen, Phuong; Lund, Torben [Department of Science, Systems and Models, Roskilde University, 4000 Roskilde (Denmark); Rand Andersen, Anders [University of Southern Denmark, Institute of Sensors, Signals and Electrotechnics (SENSE), Niels Bohrs Alle 1, 5230 Odense M (Denmark); Danish Technological Institute, Plastics Technology, Gregersensvej 2630 Taastrup (Denmark); Morten Skou, Eivind [University of Southern Denmark, Department of Chemical Engineering, Biotechnology and Enviromental Technology, Niels Bohrs Alle 1, 5230 Odense M (Denmark)

2010-10-15

The homogeneous kinetics of the nucleophilic substitution reactions between the ruthenium dye N719 and eight pyridines and 1-methylbenzimidazole have been investigated in 3-methoxypropionitrile at 100 C. The half lives of N719 with the additives 4-tert-butylpyridine (0.5 M) and 1-methylbenzimidazole (0.5 M) were 57 and 160 h, respectively. Sterically hindered pyridines like 2,6-lutidine did not react with N719. The efficiencies of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSC, area=8.0 cm{sup 2}) prepared with 1-methylbenzimidazole (MBI), 4-tert-butylpyridine (4-TBP), 2,6-lutidine and without any additive were 7.1%, 6.2%, 6.0% and 4.8%, respectively. The cells were stored in dark at 85 C and their I-V curves and impedance spectra were measured at regular time intervals. The N719 dye degradation in the cells were monitored by a new dye extraction protocol combined with analysis of the dye extract by HPLC coupled to mass spectrometry. After 300 h storage in dark at 85 C 40% of the initial amount of N719 dye was degraded in DSC cells prepared with MBI and the efficiency was decreased to 40% of its initial value. DSC cells prepared with 2,6-lutidine or no additives showed smaller thermal dye and efficiency stability at elevated temperatures than DSC cells prepared with the none sterically hindered additives MBI and 4-TBP. In the cells prepared with 2,6-lutidine or no additive higher contents of the iodo products [RuL{sub 2}(NCS)(iodide)]{sup +} and [RuL{sub 2}(3-MPN)(iodide)]{sup +} were found than in cells prepared with 4-TBP and MBI. It is suggested that sterically hindered pyridines have smaller complexation constants with I{sub 3}{sup -} than unsterically hindered additives. This may explain the observed faster nucleophilic substitution rates of uncomplexed I{sub 3}{sup -} with N719 in DSC cells prepared with sterically hindered pyridines. The EIS analysis showed that the lifetime of the injected electrons in the TiO{sub 2}{tau}{sub eff} is reduced by a thermally induced change

Viscosity and sedimentation behaviors of the magnetorheological suspensions with oleic acid/dimer acid as surfactants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yang, Jianjian; Yan, Hua; Hu, Zhide; Ding, Ding

2016-11-01

This work deals with the role of polar interactions on the viscosity and sedimentation behaviors of magnetorheological suspensions with micro-sized magnetic particles dispersed in oil carriers. The oleic acid and dimer acid were employed to make an adjustment of the hydrophobicity of iron particles, in the interest of performing a comparative evaluation of the contributions of the surface polarity. The viscosity tests show that the adsorbed surfactant layer may impose a hindrance to the movement of iron particles in the oil medium. The polar attractions between dimer acid covered particles gave rise to a considerable increase in viscosity, indicating flocculation structure developed in the suspensions. The observed plateau-like region in the vicinity of 0.1 s{sup −1} for MRF containing dimer acid is possibly due to the flocculation provoked by the carboxylic polar attraction, in which the structure is stable against fragmentation. Moreover, a quick recovery of the viscosity and a higher viscosity-temperature index also suggest the existence of particle-particle polar interaction in the suspensions containing dimer acid. The sedimentation measurements reveal that the steric repulsion of oleic acid plays a limited role in the stability of suspensions only if a large quantity of surfactant was used. The sedimentation results observed in the dimer acid covered particles confirm that loose and open flocculation was formed and enhanced sedimentation stability. - Highlights: • Surfactants were employed to make adjustments of the hydrophobicity of particles. • Polar attractions between particles increased the viscosity considerably. • Loose and open flocculation was formed in CI/DA suspension. • The steric repulsion of oleic acid played a limited role in the stability.

Adopting a dyadic perspective to better understand the association between physical attractiveness and dieting motivations and behaviors.

Science.gov (United States)

Reynolds, Tania; Meltzer, Andrea L

2017-09-01

The relationship between women's objective physical attractiveness and their dieting motivations and behaviors may depend upon their social environment-specifically, their romantic partners' attractiveness-such that less attractive women with more attractive partners may be particularly motivated to diet. Theoretically, men's dieting motivations should not depend on their partners' attractiveness. We tested this possibility using a sample of 223 U.S. newlywed spouses. After completing measures assessing dieting motivations, each participant was photographed; we used those photographs to code spouses' objective facial and body attractiveness. Results demonstrated that own and partner attractiveness interacted to predict only women's dieting motivations and behaviors. Less attractive wives married to more (versus less) attractive husbands reported more dieting motivations and behaviors. In contrast, men's dieting motivations were not significantly associated with their own and their partners' attractiveness. These findings highlight the value of adopting a dyadic approach to understanding dieting motivations. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Quantum quench dynamics of the attractive one-dimensional Bose gas via the coordinate Bethe ansatz

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jan C. Zill, Tod M. Wright, Karen V. Kheruntsyan, Thomas Gasenzer, Matthew J. Davis

2018-02-01

Full Text Available We use the coordinate Bethe ansatz to study the Lieb-Liniger model of a one-dimensional gas of bosons on a finite-sized ring interacting via an attractive delta-function potential. We calculate zero-temperature correlation functions for seven particles in the vicinity of the crossover to a localized solitonic state and study the dynamics of a system of four particles quenched to attractive interactions from the ideal-gas ground state. We determine the time evolution of correlation functions, as well as their temporal averages, and discuss the role of bound states in shaping the postquench correlations and relaxation dynamics.

Observation of attractive and repulsive polarons in a Bose-Einstein condensate

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jørgensen, Nils Byg

2016-01-01

(BEC) has not yet been realized. Here, we use radio frequency spectroscopy of ultracold bosonic 39K atoms to experimentally demonstrate the existence of a well-defined quasiparticle state of an impurity interacting with a BEC. We measure the energy of the impurity both for attractive and repulsive...... interactions, and find excellent agreement with theories that incorporate three-body correlations. The spectral response consists of a well-defined quasiparticle peak at weak coupling, while for increasing interaction strength, the spectrum is strongly broadened and becomes dominated by the many-body continuum...

Human vocal attractiveness as signaled by body size projection.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yi Xu

Full Text Available Voice, as a secondary sexual characteristic, is known to affect the perceived attractiveness of human individuals. But the underlying mechanism of vocal attractiveness has remained unclear. Here, we presented human listeners with acoustically altered natural sentences and fully synthetic sentences with systematically manipulated pitch, formants and voice quality based on a principle of body size projection reported for animal calls and emotional human vocal expressions. The results show that male listeners preferred a female voice that signals a small body size, with relatively high pitch, wide formant dispersion and breathy voice, while female listeners preferred a male voice that signals a large body size with low pitch and narrow formant dispersion. Interestingly, however, male vocal attractiveness was also enhanced by breathiness, which presumably softened the aggressiveness associated with a large body size. These results, together with the additional finding that the same vocal dimensions also affect emotion judgment, indicate that humans still employ a vocal interaction strategy used in animal calls despite the development of complex language.

Direct measurement of sub-Debye-length attraction between oppositely charged surfaces.

Science.gov (United States)

Kampf, Nir; Ben-Yaakov, Dan; Andelman, David; Safran, S A; Klein, Jacob

2009-09-11

Using a surface force balance with fast video analysis, we have measured directly the attractive forces between oppositely charged solid surfaces (charge densities sigma(+), sigma(-)) across water over the entire range of interaction, in particular, at surface separations D below the Debye screening length lambda(S). At very low salt concentration we find a long-ranged attraction between the surfaces (onset ca. 100 nm), whose variation at D

Effects of Humor Production, Humor Receptivity, and Physical Attractiveness on Partner Desirability

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michelle Tornquist

2015-10-01

Full Text Available This study examined women’s and men’s preferences for humor production and humor receptivity in long-term and short-term relationships, and how these factors interact with physical attractiveness to influence desirability. Undergraduates viewed photographs of the opposite sex individuals who were high or low in physical attractiveness, along with vignettes varying in humor production and receptivity. Participants rated physical attractiveness and desirability for long-term and short-term relationships. The main findings were that individuals desired partners who were high in humor production and receptivity, though the effects were particularly pronounced for women judging long-term relationships. Moreover, humor production was more important than receptivity for women’s ratings of male desirability. Notably, we also found that ratings of physical attractiveness were influenced by the humor conditions. These results are discussed in terms of the fitness indicator, interest indicator, and encryption hypotheses of the evolutionary functions of humor.

Social dynamics in emergency evacuations: Disentangling crowd's attraction and repulsion effects

Science.gov (United States)

Haghani, Milad; Sarvi, Majid

2017-06-01

The social dynamics of crowds in emergency escape scenarios have been conventionally modelled as the net effect of virtual forces exerted by the crowd on each individual (as self-driven particles), with the magnitude of the influence formulated as decreasing functions of inter-individual distances and the direction of effect assumed to be transitioning from repulsion to attraction by distance. Here, we revisit this conventional assumption using laboratory experimental data. We show based on robust econometric hypothesis-testing methods that individuals' perception of other escapees differs based on whether those individuals are jamming around exit destinations or are on the move towards the destinations. Also, for moving crowds, it differs based on whether the escape destination chosen by the moving flow is visible or invisible to the individual. The presence of crowd jams around a destination, also the movement of crowd flows towards visible destinations are both perceived on average as repulsion (or disutility) effects (with the former showing significantly larger magnitude than the latter). The movement of crowd flows towards an invisible destination, however, is on average perceived as attraction (or utility) effect. Yet, further hypothesis testing showed that neither of those effects in isolation determines adequately whether an individual would merge with or diverge from the crowd. Rather, the social interaction factors act (at significant levels) in conjunction with the physical factors of the environments (including spatial distances to exit destinations and destinations' visibility). In brief, our finding disentangles the conditions under which individuals are more likely to show mass behaviour from the situations where they are more likely to break from the herd. It identifies two factors that moderate the perception of social interactions, ;crowds' jam/movement status; and ;environmental setup;. Our results particularly challenge the taxonomy of

Adsorption, Desorption, Surface Diffusion, Lattice Defect Formation, and Kink Incorporation Processes of Particles on Growth Interfaces of Colloidal Crystals with Attractive Interactions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yoshihisa Suzuki

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Good model systems are required in order to understand crystal growth processes because, in many cases, precise incorporation processes of atoms or molecules cannot be visualized easily at the atomic or molecular level. Using a transmission-type optical microscope, we have successfully observed in situ adsorption, desorption, surface diffusion, lattice defect formation, and kink incorporation of particles on growth interfaces of colloidal crystals of polystyrene particles in aqueous sodium polyacrylate solutions. Precise surface transportation and kink incorporation processes of the particles into the colloidal crystals with attractive interactions were observed in situ at the particle level. In particular, contrary to the conventional expectations, the diffusion of particles along steps around a two-dimensional island of the growth interface was not the main route for kink incorporation. This is probably due to the number of bonds between adsorbed particles and particles in a crystal; the number exceeds the limit at which a particle easily exchanges its position to the adjacent one along the step. We also found novel desorption processes of particles from steps to terraces, attributing them to the assistance of attractive forces from additionally adsorbing particles to the particles on the steps.

Synthesis of zinc phthalocyanine with large steric hindrance and its photovoltaic performance for dye-sensitized solar cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Li; Peng, Bosi; Shi, Wenye; Guo, Yingying; Li, Renjie

2015-03-28

A zinc phthalocyanine (ZnPc) derivative (Zn-tri-PcNc-8) containing tri-benzonaphtho-condensed porphyrazine with one carboxylic and six diphenylphenoxy peripheral substitutions was designed and synthesized as a sensitizer for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). For the purpose of extending the absorption spectra while minimizing the formation of ZnPc molecular aggregates, bulky 2,6-diphenylphenoxy groups were used as electron donor moieties, and the carboxylic group as an anchoring group to graft the sensitizer onto the semiconductor. It was found that a TiO2-based solar cell sensitized by Zn-tri-PcNc-8 shows a maximum incident photon-to-current conversion efficiency in the red/near-IR light range (650-750 nm), and a solar cell sensitized at near room temperature (30 °C) for 48 h exhibits the best efficiency (3.01%). The efficiency was much higher than that (1.96%) for a solar cell sensitized by its analogue (Zn-tri-PcNc-2) having one carboxyl and three tert-butyl groups without chenodeoxycholic acid (CDCA), indicating that the introduction of six bulky diphenylphenoxy substitutions with large steric hindrance in the ZnPc macrocycle can effectively suppress the molecular aggregates, thus resulting in an improved conversion efficiency. The present results shed light on an effective solution to adjust the ZnPc property via chemical modification such as changing the "push-pull" effect and adding large steric hindrance substituents to further improve the efficiency of the phthalocyanine-sensitized solar cell.

Direct access to highly crystalline mesoporous nano TiO2 using sterically bulky organic acid templates

Science.gov (United States)

Bakre, Pratibha V.; Tilve, S. G.

2018-05-01

Sterically bulky monocarboxylic acid templates pivalic acid and phenoxyacetic acid are reported for the first time as organic templates in the sol-gel synthesis of TiO2. Mesoporous nanoparticulates of pure anatase phase and of well defined size were synthesized. The characterization of the materials prepared was done by various methods such as XRD, SEM, TEM, FTIR, UV-DRS, BET, etc. The prepared TiO2 samples were evaluated for the day light photodegradation of methylene blue by comparing with Degussa P25 and templates free synthesized TiO2 and were found to be more efficient.

Influence of pressure on the crystallization of systems characterized by different intermolecular attraction

Science.gov (United States)

Koperwas, K.; Affouard, F.; Gerges, J.; Valdes, L.-C.; Adrjanowicz, K.; Paluch, M.

2017-12-01

In this paper, we examine, in terms of the classical nucleation theory, how the strengthening of the attractive intermolecular interactions influences the crystallization process for systems like Lennard-Jones at different isobaric conditions. For this purpose, we modify the standard Lennard-Jones potential, and as a result, we obtain three different systems characterized by various strengths of attractive potentials occurring between molecules, which are in direct relationship to the physical quantities describing molecules, e.g., its polarizability or dipole moment. Based on performed analysis, we demonstrate that the molecular attraction primarily impacts the thermodynamics of the interface between liquid and crystal. This is reflected in the behavior of nucleation and overall crystallization rates during compression of the system.

A meta-analytic investigation of the relation between interpersonal attraction and enacted behavior.

Science.gov (United States)

Montoya, R Matthew; Kershaw, Christine; Prosser, Julie L

2018-05-07

We present a meta-analysis that investigated the relation between self-reported interpersonal attraction and enacted behavior. Our synthesis focused on (a) identifying the behaviors related to attraction; (b) evaluating the efficacy of models of the relation between attraction and behavior; (c) testing the impact of several moderators, including evaluative threat salience, cognitive appraisal salience, and the sex composition of the social interaction; and (d) investigating the degree of agreement between the meta-analytic findings and an ethnographic analysis. Using a multilevel modeling approach, an analysis of 309 effect sizes (N = 5,422) revealed a significant association (z = .20) between self-reported attraction and enacted behavior. Key findings include: (a) that the specific behaviors associated with attraction (e.g., eye contact, smiling, laughter, mimicry) are those behaviors research has linked to the development of trust/rapport; (b) direct behaviors (e.g., physical proximity, talking to), compared with indirect behaviors (e.g., eye contact, smiling, mimicry), were more strongly related to self-reported attraction; and (c) evaluative threat salience (e.g., fear of rejection) reduced the magnitude of the relation between direct behavior and affective attraction. Moreover, an ethnographic analysis revealed consistency between the behaviors identified by the meta-analysis and those behaviors identified by ethnographers as predictive of attraction. We discuss the implications of our findings for models of the relation between attraction and behavior, for the behavioral expressions of emotions, and for how attraction is measured and conceptualized. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Racial stereotypes and interracial attraction: phenotypic prototypicality and perceived attractiveness of Asians.

Science.gov (United States)

Wilkins, Clara L; Chan, Joy F; Kaiser, Cheryl R

2011-10-01

What does it take to find a member of a different race attractive? In this research, we suggest that for Whites, attraction to Asians may be based, in part, on stereotypes and variations in Asians' racial appearance. Study 1 reveals that Asians are stereotyped as being more feminine and less masculine than other racial groups-characteristics considered appealing for women but not for men to possess. Study 2 examines how variation in racial appearance, phenotypic prototypicality (PP), shapes the degree to which Asians are gender stereotyped and how PP relates to perceptions of attractiveness. Higher PP Asian men are perceived as being less masculine and less physically attractive than lower PP Asian men. These findings inform theory on how within-group variation in racial appearance affects stereotyping and other social outcomes.

Evaluating self and partner physical attractiveness.

Science.gov (United States)

Swami, Viren; Furnham, Adrian; Georgiades, Chrissa; Pang, Lily

2007-03-01

This study used a novel questionnaire to examine ratings of self and partner physical attractiveness. Seventy-two men and 83 women estimated their own and their opposite-sex partner's overall physical attractiveness and the attractiveness of various body parts and measures. They also answered six simple questions concerning physical attractiveness. Results showed significant gender differences in self-estimates of overall facial attractiveness and upper body features. In general, and regardless of gender, participants rated their opposite-sex partners as being significantly more attractive than themselves. In addition, the results showed that body weight and facial attractiveness were the best predictors of overall physical attractiveness. Implications of these results in terms of social biases are considered.

Direction-specific van der Waals attraction between rutile TiO ₂ nanocrystals

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, Xin; He, Yang; Sushko, Maria L.; Liu, Jia; Luo, Langli; De Yoreo, James J.; Mao, Scott X.; Wang, Chongmin; Rosso, Kevin M.

2017-04-27

Mutual lattice orientations dictate the types and magnitudes of forces between crystalline particles. When lattice polarizability is anisotropic, the van der Waals dispersion attraction can, in principle, contribute to this direction dependence. Here we report direct measurement of this attraction between rutile nanocrystals, as a function of their mutual orientation and surface hydration extent. At tens of nanometers of separation the attraction is weak and shows no dependence on azimuthal alignment nor surface hydration. At separations of approximately one hydration layer the attraction is strongly dependent on azimuthal alignment, and systematically decreases as intervening water density increases. Measured forces are in close agreement with predictions from Lifshitz theory, and show that dispersion forces are capable of generating a torque between particles interacting in solution and between grains in materials.

Attracting International Hotels

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Assaf, A. George; Josiassen, Alexander; Agbola, Frank Wogbe

2015-01-01

With the increased international competition facing hotel chains, it is essential that the next destination they enter is the most attractive option possible. The host destinations too have a keen interest in strategically positioning themselves in order to attract international hotels since...... their presence has several positive effects. Using, for the first time, actual on-location data we investigate the factors that matter most for international hotels when selecting host destinations. Specifically, we identify 23 factors that make a destination an attractive (or unattractive) location...... for international hotels. We then rank these. The results show that welcomeness, infrastructure, and crime rate are the three most important factors that influence the location of international hotels in host destinations....

A Web of applicant attraction: person-organization fit in the context of Web-based recruitment.

Science.gov (United States)

Dineen, Brian R; Ash, Steven R; Noe, Raymond A

2002-08-01

Applicant attraction was examined in the context of Web-based recruitment. A person-organization (P-O) fit framework was adopted to examine how the provision of feedback to individuals regarding their potential P-O fit with an organization related to attraction. Objective and subjective P-O fit, agreement with fit feedback, and self-esteem also were examined in relation to attraction. Results of an experiment that manipulated fit feedback level after a self-assessment provided by a fictitious company Web site found that both feedback level and objective P-O fit were positively related to attraction. These relationships were fully mediated by subjective P-O fit. In addition, attraction was related to the interaction of objective fit, feedback, and agreement and objective fit, feedback, and self-esteem. Implications and future Web-based recruitment research directions are discussed.

The power of change: interpersonal attraction as a function of attitude similarity and attitude alignment.

Science.gov (United States)

Reid, Chelsea A; Davis, Jody L; Green, Jeffrey D

2013-01-01

Does attitude alignment predict attraction? Would you like a stranger more who shifts her/his attitudes to more closely align with yours? In pairs, participants (N = 77) discussed social issues about which they disagreed and received false feedback on whether the partner engaged in attitude alignment (shifted her/his attitudes toward the participant's attitude) following discussion. Participants also received false feedback about the proportion of similarity to the partner on a set of issues (i.e., 25%, 50%, or 75%). Participants reported greater attraction to partners who engaged in attitude alignment and who were more similar. Moreover, similarity and attitude alignment interacted. Similarity predicted attraction when attitude alignment did not occur, but did not predict attraction when attitude alignment did occur. Finally, partner attitude alignment led to participant attitude alignment, and perceived reasoning ability mediated the attitude alignment-attraction relationship.

The Relationship of Interpersonal Attraction and Attraction to Group in a Growth Group Setting.

Science.gov (United States)

Evans, Nancy J.

1984-01-01

Investigated the relationship of interpersonal attraction and attraction to groups. Students (N=56) participating in growth groups completed the Group Attitude Scale and individual rating scales early, midway, and late in the group. Data indicated an increasing relationship between interpersonal and group attraction throughout the life of the…

Interaction Mechanisms between Air Bubble and Molybdenite Surface: Impact of Solution Salinity and Polymer Adsorption.

Science.gov (United States)

Xie, Lei; Wang, Jingyi; Yuan, Duowei; Shi, Chen; Cui, Xin; Zhang, Hao; Liu, Qi; Liu, Qingxia; Zeng, Hongbo

2017-03-07

The surface characteristics of molybdenite (MoS 2 ) such as wettability and surface interactions have attracted much research interest in a wide range of engineering applications, such as froth flotation. In this work, a bubble probe atomic force microscope (AFM) technique was employed to directly measure the interaction forces between an air bubble and molybdenite mineral surface before/after polymer (i.e., guar gum) adsorption treatment. The AFM imaging showed that the polymer coverage on the surface of molybdenite could achieve ∼5.6, ∼44.5, and ∼100% after conditioning in 1, 5, and 10 ppm polymer solution, respectively, which coincided with the polymer coverage results based on contact angle measurements. The electrolyte concentration and surface treatment by polymer adsorption were found to significantly affect bubble-mineral interaction and attachment. The experimental force results on bubble-molybdenite (without polymer treatment) agreed well with the calculations using a theoretical model based on the Reynolds lubrication theory and augmented Young-Laplace equation including the effect of disjoining pressure. The overall surface repulsion was enhanced when the NaCl concentration decreased from 100 to 1 mM, which inhibited the bubble-molybdenite attachment. After conditioning the molybdenite surface in 1 ppm polymer solution, it was more difficult for air bubbles to attach to the molybdenite surface due to the weakened hydrophobic interaction with a shorter decay length. Increasing the polymer concentration to 5 ppm effectively inhibited bubble attachment on mineral surface, which was mainly due to the much reduced hydrophobic interaction as well as the additional steric repulsion between the extended polymer chains and bubble surface. The results provide quantitative information on the interaction mechanism between air bubbles and molybdenite mineral surfaces on the nanoscale, with useful implications for the development of effective polymer

Social rank-associated stress vulnerability predisposes individuals to cocaine attraction.

Science.gov (United States)

Yanovich, Chen; Kirby, Michael L; Michaelevski, Izhak; Yadid, Gal; Pinhasov, Albert

2018-01-29

Studies of personality have suggested that dissimilarities in ability to cope with stressful situations results in differing tendency to develop addictive behaviors. The present study used selectively bred stress-resilient, socially-dominant (Dom) and stress-vulnerable, socially-submissive (Sub) mice to investigate the interaction between environmental stress and inbred predisposition to develop addictive behavior to cocaine. In a Conditioned Place Preference (CPP) paradigm using cocaine, Sub mice displayed an aversion to drug, whereas Dom mice displayed drug attraction. Following a 4-week regimen of Chronic Mild Stress (CMS), Sub mice in CPP displayed a marked increase (>400%) in cocaine attraction, whereas Dom mice did not differ in attraction from their non-stressed state. Examination of hippocampal gene expression revealed in Sub mice, exposure to external stimuli, stress or cocaine, increased CRH expression (>100%), which was evoked in Dom mice only by cocaine exposure. Further, stress-induced decreases in DRD1 (>60%) and DRD2 (>50%) expression in Sub mice differed markedly from a complete lack of change in Dom mice. From our findings, we propose that social stratification dictates vulnerability to stress-induced attraction that may lead to addiction via differential regulation of hippocampal response to dopaminergic input, which in turn may influence differing tendency to develop addictive behaviors.

Study of interactions between lanthanides/actinides and humic substances by a steric exclusion chromatographic method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moulin, V.

1986-01-01

The knowledge of cation-humic matter interactions has a great importance in order to have a better understanding of the contribution of these substances to the possible transport of radioactive elements in the geosphere via groundwaters. The method chosen to study the formation of soluble species between lanthanides/actinides ions and humic acids from different origins is a chromatographic technique of gel filtration. This dynamic equilibrium method is based on the separation of the formed complex and the free cation by the porous packing gel. Different elements have been studied by this method: UO 2 2+ , Eu 3+ , Th 4+ and global interaction constants have been calculated. The application to transuranic elements is undertaken. (orig.)

Interaction between two parallel plates covered with a polyelectrolyte brush layer in an electrolyte solution.

Science.gov (United States)

Ohshima, Hiroyuki

An approximate analytic expression is derived for the interaction energy between two parallel plates covered with a polyelectrolyte brush layer in an electrolyte solution. The interaction energy has three components: electrostatic interaction energy between two brush layers before and after their contact, steric interaction energy between two brush layers after their contact, and the van der Waals interaction energy between the cores of the plates. It is shown that these three components are of the same order of magnitude and contribute equally to the total interaction energy between two polyelectrolyte-coated plates in an electrolyte solution. On the basis of Derjaguin's approximation, an approximate expression for the interaction energy between two spherical particles covered with polyelectrolyte brush layers is also derived.

The pepATTRACT web server for blind, large-scale peptide-protein docking.

Science.gov (United States)

de Vries, Sjoerd J; Rey, Julien; Schindler, Christina E M; Zacharias, Martin; Tuffery, Pierre

2017-07-03

Peptide-protein interactions are ubiquitous in the cell and form an important part of the interactome. Computational docking methods can complement experimental characterization of these complexes, but current protocols are not applicable on the proteome scale. pepATTRACT is a novel docking protocol that is fully blind, i.e. it does not require any information about the binding site. In various stages of its development, pepATTRACT has participated in CAPRI, making successful predictions for five out of seven protein-peptide targets. Its performance is similar or better than state-of-the-art local docking protocols that do require binding site information. Here we present a novel web server that carries out the rigid-body stage of pepATTRACT. On the peptiDB benchmark, the web server generates a correct model in the top 50 in 34% of the cases. Compared to the full pepATTRACT protocol, this leads to some loss of performance, but the computation time is reduced from ∼18 h to ∼10 min. Combined with the fact that it is fully blind, this makes the web server well-suited for large-scale in silico protein-peptide docking experiments. The rigid-body pepATTRACT server is freely available at http://bioserv.rpbs.univ-paris-diderot.fr/services/pepATTRACT. © The Author(s) 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

Dynamic depletion attraction between colloids suspended in a phase-separating binary liquid mixture

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Araki, Takeaki; Tanaka, Hajime

2008-01-01

Understanding interactions between colloids (or nanoparticles) immersed in a phase-separating binary mixture is of both fundamental and technological importance. Here we report a novel type of interparticle attractive interaction of a purely dynamic origin, which is found by a coarse-grained numerical simulation. Due to surface wetting effects, there are strong diffusion fluxes towards particles just after the initiation of phase separation of the matrix binary liquid mixture. The flux in the region between particles soon becomes weaker than that in the other regions since the depletion zones formed around particles overlap selectively between the particles. The resulting imbalance of the diffusion flux induces interparticle attractive interactions, i.e., the osmotic force pushes particles closer. We confirm that this wetting-induced 'dynamic' depletion force can be stronger than a van der Waals force and a capillary force that is induced by the interfacial tension, and thus plays a dominant role in the early stage of particle aggregation. We note that this novel interaction originating from the momentum conservation law may be generic to particles acting as diffusional sinks or sources. (fast track communication)

Antibody-Hapten Recognition at the Surface of Functionalized Liposomes Studied by SPR: Steric Hindrance of Pegylated Phospholipids in Stealth Liposomes Prepared for Targeted Radionuclide Delivery

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eliot. P. Botosoa

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Targeted PEGylated liposomes could increase the amount of drugs or radionuclides delivered to tumor cells. They show favorable stability and pharmacokinetics, but steric hindrance of the PEG chains can block the binding of the targeting moiety. Here, specific interactions between an antihapten antibody (clone 734, specific for the DTPA-indium complex and DTPA-indium-tagged liposomes were characterized by surface plasmon resonance (SPR. Non-PEGylated liposomes fused on CM5 chips whereas PEGylated liposomes did not. By contrast, both PEGylated and non-PEGylated liposomes attached to L1 chips without fusion. SPR binding kinetics showed that, in the absence of PEG, the antibody binds the hapten at the surface of lipid bilayers with the affinity of the soluble hapten. The incorporation of PEGylated lipids hinders antibody binding to extents depending on PEGylated lipid fraction and PEG molecular weight. SPR on immobilized liposomes thus appears as a useful technique to optimize formulations of liposomes for targeted therapy.

Molecular Analysis of AFP and HSA Interactions with PTEN Protein

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mingyue Zhu

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Human cytoplasmic alpha-fetoprotein (AFP has been classified as a member of the albuminoid gene family. The protein sequence of AFP has significant homology to that of human serum albumin (HSA, but its biological characteristics are vastly different from HSA. The AFP functions as a regulator in the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K/protein kinase B (AKT pathway, but HSA plays a key role as a transport protein. To probe their molecular mechanisms, we have applied colocalization, coimmunoprecipitation (co-IP, and molecular docking approaches to analyze the differences between AFP and HSA. The data from colocalization and co-IP displayed a strong interaction between AFP and PTEN (phosphatase and tensin homolog, demonstrating that AFP did bind to PTEN, but HSA did not. The molecular docking study further showed that the AFP domains I and III could contact with PTEN. In silicon substitutions of AFP binding site residues at position 490M/K and 105L/R corresponding to residues K490 and R105 in HSA resulted in steric clashes with PTEN residues R150 and K46, respectively. These steric clashes may explain the reason why HSA cannot bind to PTEN. Ultimately, the experimental results and the molecular modeling data from the interactions of AFP and HSA with PTEN will help us to identify targets for designing drugs and vaccines against human hepatocellular carcinoma.

Creating beauty: creativity compensates for low physical attractiveness when individuals assess the attractiveness of social and romantic partners.

Science.gov (United States)

Watkins, Christopher D

2017-04-01

Although creativity is attractive in a potential mate, it is unclear (i) whether the effects of creativity on attractiveness generalize to other social contexts and (ii) whether creativity has equivalent effects on men's and women's attractiveness. As social knowledge of creativity may either enhance or 'offset' the appeal of social partners who differ in physical attractiveness, three repeated measures experiments were conducted to directly address these issues. Here, participants rated a series of face-text pairs for attractiveness on trials that differed in one of four combinations of facial attractiveness (attractive and less attractive) and creativity (creative and less creative), rating story-tellers in two experiments (short interpretations of an identical painting) and creative ideas in a further experiment (alternative uses for an everyday object). Regardless of the sex of the judge, creativity and facial attractiveness had independent effects on men's overall attractiveness (initial experiment) and, in further experiments, more substantial effects on the attractiveness of men with less attractive faces than men with attractive faces (when using a different measure of creativity) and specific effects on the attractiveness of individuals with less attractive faces (when using different face stimuli). Collectively, across three experiments, these findings suggest that creativity may compensate for putative cues to lower biological 'quality' and that the benefits of creativity to social groups more generally enhance attraction to creative men (in two experiments) and creative men and women (one experiment). More broadly, the data suggest that species can integrate knowledge of cognitive intelligence with visual cues to biological 'quality' to facilitate mate and/or ally choice.

Attractive electromagnetic Casimir stress on a spherical dielectric shell

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Graham, N.; Quandt, M.; Weigel, H.

2013-01-01

Based on calculations involving an idealized boundary condition, it has long been assumed that the stress on a spherical conducting shell is repulsive. We use the more realistic case of a Drude dielectric to show that the stress is attractive, matching the generic behavior of Casimir forces in electromagnetism. We trace the discrepancy between these two cases to interactions between the electromagnetic quantum fluctuations and the dielectric material

Inverse problem for the mean-field monomer-dimer model with attractive interaction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Contucci, Pierluigi; Luzi, Rachele; Vernia, Cecilia

2017-01-01

The inverse problem method is tested for a class of monomer-dimer statistical mechanics models that contain also an attractive potential and display a mean-field critical point at a boundary of a coexistence line. The inversion is obtained by analytically identifying the parameters in terms of the correlation functions and via the maximum-likelihood method. The precision is tested in the whole phase space and, when close to the coexistence line, the algorithm is used together with a clustering method to take care of the underlying possible ambiguity of the inversion. (paper)

Effects of Instructor Attractiveness on Learning.

Science.gov (United States)

Westfall, Richard; Millar, Murray; Walsh, Mandy

2016-01-01

Although a considerable body of research has examined the impact of student attractiveness on instructors, little attention has been given to the influence of instructor attractiveness on students. This study tested the hypothesis that persons would perform significantly better on a learning task when they perceived their instructor to be high in physical attractiveness. To test the hypothesis, participants listened to an audio lecture while viewing a photograph of instructor. The photograph depicted either a physically attractive instructor or a less attractive instructor. Following the lecture, participants completed a forced choice recognition task covering material from the lecture. Consistent with the predictions; attractive instructors were associated with more learning. Finally, we replicated previous findings demonstrating the role attractiveness plays in person perception.

Long-range interaction between dust grains in plasma

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

D.Yu. Mishagli

2014-03-01

Full Text Available The nature of long-range interactions between dust grains in plasma is discussed. The dust grain interaction potential within a cell model of dusty plasma is introduced. The attractive part of inter-grain potential is described by multipole interaction between two electro-neutral cells. This allowed us to draw an analogy with molecular liquids where attraction between molecules is determined by dispersion forces. Also main ideas of the fluctuation theory for electrostatic field in cell model are formulated, and the dominating contribution to attractive part of inter-grain potential is obtained.

The attractive lip: A photomorphometric analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Penna, V; Fricke, A; Iblher, N; Eisenhardt, S U; Stark, G B

2015-07-01

Throughout literature, there are different parameters defining the ideal shape of the lip and lower third of the face. This study was conducted to clarify what it is that makes lips attractive - and whether there are gender-related differences of an attractive lip and lower third of the face. Pictures of the lip and chin region of 176 patients were photographed in a standardised way and evaluated by 250 voluntary judges through an internet presentation by means of an analogue Likert scaling system. We found a significant higher ratio of upper vermillion height/mouth-nose distance in frontal-view images of attractive compared to unattractive female (p attractive than in unattractive female (p attractive compared to unattractive female perioral regions (p attractive female lip and chin regions showed a wider mentolabial angle compared to unattractive female lip and chin regions (p attractive female perioral regions showed a higher ratio of lower vermillion height/chin-mouth distance (p attractive male perioral regions (p attractivity of female and male individuals and prove that there are gender-related differences in form and shape of an attractive lower third of the face. Copyright © 2015 British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The impact of intramolecular π-coupling and steric flexibility on the ordering of organic films at solid/liquid-interfaces

Science.gov (United States)

Saracino, Martino; Breuer, Stephan; Barati, Gholamreza; Sak, Emilia; Hingerl, Kurt; Müller, Ute; Müller, Manfred; Höger, Sigurd; Wandelt, Klaus

2013-01-01

In the present work the effect of the intramolecular steric flexibility on the structural self-assembly of organic cations and their redox activity at a chloride precovered Cu(100) electrode is investigated. In particular the adsorption of 1,1‧-dibenzyl-4,4‧-(propane-1,3-diyl)dipyridinium (C3-DBDP) is studied by means of cyclic voltametry (CV), in situ scanning tunneling microscopy (EC-STM) and ex situ X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and the experimental results are compared to previously published findings on related bipyridinium (“viologen”) molecules. The CV measurements reveal a loss of the redox activity of the more flexible C3-DBDP2 + compared to dibenzylviologen (DBV2 +), as the first electron reduction step of C3-DBDP2 + does not appear within the potential window of the Cu(100), but is shifted below the hydrogen evolution regime. This reduced redox activity is the result of the lifting of the extended π-system of the bipyridinium core by introducing the propyl chain between the two pyridinium rings. In agreement with this result, XP spectra prove that the C3-DBDP2 + cations retain their initial dicationic charge within the entire potential window in solution but also upon adsorption on the Cl-c(2x2)/Cu(100) substrate, where they are found to form an inter-linked stripe phase. The building blocks of each stripe are attributed to one pyridinium-benzyl moiety, which represents half of one C3-DBDP2 + molecule. The resulting consecutive arrangement of half C3-DBDP2 + molecules along one stripe is stabilized by electrostatic attraction between the positively charged pyridinium rings and the negatively charged π-system of the benzyl rings.

Depletion interactions in two-dimensional colloid-polymer mixtures: molecular dynamics simulations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Soon-Chul; Seong, Baek-Seok; Suh, Soong-Hyuck

2009-01-01

The depletion interactions acting between two hard colloids immersed in a bath of polymers, in which the interaction potentials include the soft repulsion/attraction, are extensively studied by using the molecular dynamics simulations. The collision frequencies and collision angle distributions for both incidental and reflection conditions are computed to study the dynamic properties of the colloidal mixtures. The depletion effect induced by the polymer-polymer and colloid-polymer interactions are investigated as well as the size ratio of the colloid and polymer. The simulated results show that the strong depletion interaction between two hard colloids appears for the highly asymmetric hard-disc mixtures. The attractive depletion force at contact becomes deeper and the repulsive barrier becomes wider as the asymmetry in size ratio increases. The strong polymer-polymer attraction leads to the purely attractive depletion interaction between two hard colloids, whereas the purely repulsive depletion interaction is induced by the strong colloid-polymer attraction.

Evaluation of unimodal and multimodal communication cues for attracting attention in human–robot interaction

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Torta, E.; van Heumen, J.; Piunti, F.; Romeo, L.; Cuijpers, R.H.

2015-01-01

One of the most common tasks of a robot companion in the home is communication. In order to initiate an information exchange with its human partner, the robot needs to attract the attention of the human. This paper presents results of two user studies ( N=12 ) to evaluate the effectiveness of

Depletion interaction of casein micelles and an exocellular polysaccharide

Science.gov (United States)

Tuinier, R.; Ten Grotenhuis, E.; Holt, C.; Timmins, P. A.; de Kruif, C. G.

1999-07-01

Casein micelles become mutually attractive when an exocellular polysaccharide produced by Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris NIZO B40 (hereafter called EPS) is added to skim milk. The attraction can be explained as a depletion interaction between the casein micelles induced by the nonadsorbing EPS. We used three scattering techniques (small-angle neutron scattering, turbidity measurements, and dynamic light scattering) to measure the attraction. In order to connect the theory of depletion interaction with experiment, we calculated structure factors of hard spheres interacting by a depletion pair potential. Theoretical predictions and all the experiments showed that casein micelles became more attractive upon increasing the EPS concentration.

Descriptor Data Bank (DDB): A Cloud Platform for Multiperspective Modeling of Protein-Ligand Interactions.

Science.gov (United States)

Ashtawy, Hossam M; Mahapatra, Nihar R

2018-01-22

Protein-ligand (PL) interactions play a key role in many life processes such as molecular recognition, molecular binding, signal transmission, and cell metabolism. Examples of interaction forces include hydrogen bonding, hydrophobic effects, steric clashes, electrostatic contacts, and van der Waals attractions. Currently, a large number of hypotheses and perspectives to model these interaction forces are scattered throughout the literature and largely forgotten. Instead, had they been assembled and utilized collectively, they would have substantially improved the accuracy of predicting binding affinity of protein-ligand complexes. In this work, we present Descriptor Data Bank (DDB), a data-driven platform on the cloud for facilitating multiperspective modeling of PL interactions. DDB is an open-access hub for depositing, hosting, executing, and sharing descriptor extraction tools and data for a large number of interaction modeling hypotheses. The platform also implements a machine-learning (ML) toolbox for automatic descriptor filtering and analysis and scoring function (SF) fitting and prediction. The descriptor filtering module is used to filter out irrelevant and/or noisy descriptors and to produce a compact subset from all available features. We seed DDB with 16 diverse descriptor extraction tools developed in-house and collected from the literature. The tools altogether generate over 2700 descriptors that characterize (i) proteins, (ii) ligands, and (iii) protein-ligand complexes. The in-house descriptors we extract are protein-specific which are based on pairwise primary and tertiary alignment of protein structures followed by clustering and trilateration. We built and used DDB's ML library to fit SFs to the in-house descriptors and those collected from the literature. We then evaluated them on several data sets that were constructed to reflect real-world drug screening scenarios. We found that multiperspective SFs that were constructed using a large number

[Study on the aggregation behavior of cationic porphyrins and their interaction with ctDNA].

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, Hong-Min; Chen, Xin; Sun, Shu-Ting; Zhang, Li-Na; Wu, Dan; Zhu, Pei-Hua; Li, Yan; Du, Bin; Wei, Qin

2009-02-01

Interest in the interaction between cationic porphyrins, particularly derivatives of meso-tetra(N-methylpyridinium-4-yl) porphyrin(TMPyP), and DNA abounds because they are versatile DNA-binding agents that could find application in photodynamic therapy, cancer detection, artificial nucleases, virus inhibition and so on. The interaction of two water-soluble cationic porphyrins, meso-tetrakis(4-N, N, N-trimethylanilinium) porphyrin (TMAP) and 5-phenyl-10,15,20-tris[4-(N-methyl) pyridinium]porphyrin (TriMPyP), with calf thymus DNA (ctDNA) was studied by UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy and resonance light scattering technique. TriMPyP forms aggregate in water due to the molecular asymmetry while TMAP exists as monomers. At lower concentrations of ctDNA (R > 1, R = c(TMAP)/c(DNA) base pair), the interaction of TMAP with DNA leads to significant hypochromicity and bathochromic shift of absorption spectra. And the fluorescence of TMAP was quenched while it showed enhanced resonance light scattering signals. But the extent of enhancement of resonance light scattering signals is very small, so the aggregate of TMAP is not very high. These observations indicate the self-stacking of TMAP along the DNA surface. At higher concentrations of ctDNA (R TMAP association with DNA is via outside binding which is accompanied with hyperchromic effect and fluorescence enhancement while the resonance light scattering signals is reduced. DNA addition decreases the fluorescence intensity of TriMPyP and it shifts the peak to the higher wavelengths (red shift). The interaction with DNA promotes the aggregation of TriMPyP and no simple outside binding is observed even at higher concentrations of ctDNA. The steric effect of molecular distortion constrains the intercalation or further binding to DNA. The effect of ionic strength on the interaction was investigated at two DNA concentrations, 1.2 and 24.0 micromol x L(-1), for TMAP. The Interactions of both porphyrins

Repulsive DNA-DNA interactions accelerate viral DNA packaging in phage phi29

OpenAIRE

Keller, Nicholas; delToro, Damian; Grimes, Shelley; Jardine, Paul J.; Smith, Douglas E.

2014-01-01

We use optical tweezers to study the effect of attractive versus repulsive DNA-DNA interactions on motor-driven viral packaging. Screening of repulsive interactions accelerates packaging, but induction of attractive interactions by spermidine3+ causes heterogeneous dynamics. Acceleration is observed in a fraction of complexes, but most exhibit slowing and stalling, suggesting that attractive interactions promote nonequilibrium DNA conformations that impede the motor. Thus, repulsive interacti...

Understanding the Steric Height Long Term Variability at the Bermuda Atlantic Time-Series Study (BATS) Site with a Neutral Density Approach

Science.gov (United States)

Goncalves Neto, A.; Johnson, R. J.; Bates, N. R.

2016-02-01

Rising sea level is one of the main concerns for human life in a scenario with global atmosphere and ocean warming, which is of particular concern for oceanic islands. Bermuda, located in the center of the Sargasso Sea, provides an ideal location to investigate sea level rise since it has a long term tide gauge (1933-present) and is in close proximity to deep ocean time-series sites, namely, Hydrostation `S' (1954-present) and the Bermuda Atlantic Time-Series Study site (1988-present). In this study, we use the monthly CTD deep casts at BATS to compute the contribution of steric height (SH) to the local sea surface height (SSH) for the past 24 years. To determine the relative contribution from the various water masses we first define 8 layers (Surface Layer, Upper Thermocline, Subtropical Mode-Water, Lower Thermocline, Antarctic Intermediate Water, Labrador Sea Water, Iceland-Scotland Overflow Water, Denmark Strait Overflow Water) based on neutral density criteria for which SH is computed. Additionally, we calculate the thermosteric and halosteric components for each of the defined neutral density layers. Surprisingly, the results show that, despite a 3.3mm/yr sea level rise observed at the Bermuda tide gauge, the steric contribution to the SSH at BATS has decreased at a rate of -1.1mm/yr during the same period. The thermal component is found to account for the negative trend in the steric height (-4.4mm/yr), whereas the halosteric component (3.3mm/yr) partially compensates the thermal signal and can be explained by an overall cooling and freshening at the BATS site. Although the surface layer and the upper thermocline waters are warming, all the subtropical and polar water masses, which represent most of the local water column, are cooling and therefore drive the overall SH contribution to the local SSH. Hence, it suggests that the mass contribution to the local SSH plays an important role in the sea level rise, for which we investigate with GRACE data.

Algorithm of formation of touristic product based on natural and artificial attractions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

L. E. Glagoleva

2016-01-01

Full Text Available At present potential touristic resources are the objects of numerous investigations. For using the touristic resource in the most effective way it’s necessary to transform it into a touristic product. Various types of attraction play an important part in this process, the combination of natural and artificial attractions being the most productive. Considering touristic resources of Voronezh region we can distinguish Voronezh state biosphere reserve named after V.M. Peskov as the object possessing the combination of the two attractions. For formation of touristic product based on natural and artificial attractions the question of developing the algorithm of sequence of actions is of great importance. As an example of touristic product developed according to this algorithm there performed the creation of the tour “V gostyakh u skazki” whose central idea is the route “Zapovednaya skazka” with the demonstration of objects united by the concept of Russian fairy-tales. The territory of the reserve provides every facility for accommodation, recreation, having meals and entertaining of guests. As a target audience there were chosen parents with 3–14-year-old children and schoolchildren with their teachers. During the mentioned tour cognitive excursions are proposed. Demonstrated objects are the following: the beaver farm, Beaver museum, interactive house of Fire, Tolshevsky monastery. The algorithm used for the creation of the tour is based on the idea of developing the touristic product and presence or forming the objects of artificial attraction which in its turn combining with natural attraction becomes the effective tool for attracting tourists.

Surface interaction forces of cellulose nanocrystals grafted with thermoresponsive polymer brushes.

Science.gov (United States)

Zoppe, Justin O; Osterberg, Monika; Venditti, Richard A; Laine, Janne; Rojas, Orlando J

2011-07-11

The colloidal stability and thermoresponsive behavior of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) brushes grafted from cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) of varying graft densities and molecular weights was investigated. Indication of the grafted polymer brushes was obtained after AFM imaging of CNCs adsorbed on silica. Also, aggregation of the nanoparticles carrying grafts of high degree of polymerization was observed. The responsiveness of grafted CNCs in aqueous dispersions and as an ultrathin film was evaluated by using light scattering, viscosimetry, and colloidal probe microscopy (CPM). Light transmittance measurements showed temperature-dependent aggregation originating from the different graft densities and molecular weights. The lower critical solution temperature (LCST) of grafted poly(NiPAAm) brushes was found to decrease with the ionic strength, as is the case for free poly(NiPAAm) in aqueous solution. Thermal responsive behavior of grafted CNCs in aqueous dispersions was observed by a sharp increase in dispersion viscosity as the temperature approached the LCST. CPM in liquid media for asymmetric systems consisting of ultrathin films of CNCs and a colloidal silica probe showed the distinctive effects of the grafted polymer brushes on interaction and adhesive forces. The origin of such forces was found to be mainly electrostatic and steric in the case of bare and grafted CNCs, respectively. A decrease in the onset of attractive and adhesion forces of grafted CNCs films were observed with the ionic strength of the aqueous solution. The decreased mobility of polymer brushes upon partial collapse and decreased availability of hydrogen bonding sites with higher electrolyte concentration were hypothesized as the main reasons for the less prominent polymer bridging between interacting surfaces.

Attracting electromagnet for control rod

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kato, Kazuo; Sasaki, Kotaro.

1989-01-01

Non-magnetic material plates with inherent resistivity of greater than 20 μΩ-cm and thickness of less than 3 mm are used for the end plates of attracting electromagnets for closed type control rods. By using such control rod attracting electromagnets, the scram releasing time can be shortened than usual. Since the armature attracting side of the electromagnet has to be sealed by a non-magnetic plate, a bronze plate of about 5 mm thickness has been used so far. Accordingly, non-magnetic plate is inserted to the electromagnet attracting face to increase air source length for improving to shorten the scram releasing time. This method, however, worsens the attracting property on one hand to require a great magnetomotive force. For overcoming these drawbacks, in the present invention, the material for tightly closing end plates in an electromagnet is changed from bronze plate to non-magnetic stainless steel SUS 303 or non-magnetic Monel metal and, in addition, the plate thickness is reduced to less than 5 mm thereby maintaining the attracting property and shortening the scram releasing time. (K.M.)

The effects of objectification on stereotypical perception and attractiveness of women and men

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rollero Chiara

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Objectification has been found to have negative consequences on how women are perceived by others. However in an even more sexualized world being a sexual object has become a standard of physical attractiveness for women and objectification could foster a positive evaluation increasing attractiveness. Although Objectification Theory was originally grounded in women’s experiences, some research points to the promise of Objectification Theory for understanding men’s experiences as well. The aim of the paper was investigating the effects of objectification on gender stereotypes and perceived attractiveness. Two experimental studies were conducted. Study 1 (N=139 investigated the effects of objectification on female targets. Study 2 (N=146 investigated the effects on male targets. In both studies three dependent variables were considered: communality, agency, and attractiveness. Results of Study 1 revealed that objectified women were considered less communal and more attractive. Moreover, men perceived objectified women less agentic than the non-objectified ones, whereas women showed the opposite perception. Concerning men, objectification has a limited impact, as it interacted with participants’ gender only on communality: men considered objectified males more communal than the non-objectified ones, while women revealed the opposite perception.

Repulsive DNA-DNA interactions accelerate viral DNA packaging in phage Phi29.

Science.gov (United States)

Keller, Nicholas; delToro, Damian; Grimes, Shelley; Jardine, Paul J; Smith, Douglas E

2014-06-20

We use optical tweezers to study the effect of attractive versus repulsive DNA-DNA interactions on motor-driven viral packaging. Screening of repulsive interactions accelerates packaging, but induction of attractive interactions by spermidine(3+) causes heterogeneous dynamics. Acceleration is observed in a fraction of complexes, but most exhibit slowing and stalling, suggesting that attractive interactions promote nonequilibrium DNA conformations that impede the motor. Thus, repulsive interactions facilitate packaging despite increasing the energy of the theoretical optimum spooled DNA conformation.

Steric effects on the primary isotope dependence of secondary kinetic isotope effects in hydride transfer reactions in solution: caused by the isotopically different tunneling ready state conformations?

Science.gov (United States)

Maharjan, Binita; Raghibi Boroujeni, Mahdi; Lefton, Jonathan; White, Ormacinda R; Razzaghi, Mortezaali; Hammann, Blake A; Derakhshani-Molayousefi, Mortaza; Eilers, James E; Lu, Yun

2015-05-27

The observed 1° isotope effect on 2° KIEs in H-transfer reactions has recently been explained on the basis of a H-tunneling mechanism that uses the concept that the tunneling of a heavier isotope requires a shorter donor-acceptor distance (DAD) than that of a lighter isotope. The shorter DAD in D-tunneling, as compared to H-tunneling, could bring about significant spatial crowding effect that stiffens the 2° H/D vibrations, thus decreasing the 2° KIE. This leads to a new physical organic research direction that examines how structure affects the 1° isotope dependence of 2° KIEs and how this dependence provides information about the structure of the tunneling ready states (TRSs). The hypothesis is that H- and D-tunneling have TRS structures which have different DADs, and pronounced 1° isotope effect on 2° KIEs should be observed in tunneling systems that are sterically hindered. This paper investigates the hypothesis by determining the 1° isotope effect on α- and β-2° KIEs for hydride transfer reactions from various hydride donors to different carbocationic hydride acceptors in solution. The systems were designed to include the interactions of the steric groups and the targeted 2° H/D's in the TRSs. The results substantiate our hypothesis, and they are not consistent with the traditional model of H-tunneling and 1°/2° H coupled motions that has been widely used to explain the 1° isotope dependence of 2° KIEs in the enzyme-catalyzed H-transfer reactions. The behaviors of the 1° isotope dependence of 2° KIEs in solution are compared to those with alcohol dehydrogenases, and sources of the observed "puzzling" 2° KIE behaviors in these enzymes are discussed using the concept of the isotopically different TRS conformations.

Physical attraction to reliable, low variability nervous systems: Reaction time variability predicts attractiveness.

Science.gov (United States)

Butler, Emily E; Saville, Christopher W N; Ward, Robert; Ramsey, Richard

2017-01-01

The human face cues a range of important fitness information, which guides mate selection towards desirable others. Given humans' high investment in the central nervous system (CNS), cues to CNS function should be especially important in social selection. We tested if facial attractiveness preferences are sensitive to the reliability of human nervous system function. Several decades of research suggest an operational measure for CNS reliability is reaction time variability, which is measured by standard deviation of reaction times across trials. Across two experiments, we show that low reaction time variability is associated with facial attractiveness. Moreover, variability in performance made a unique contribution to attractiveness judgements above and beyond both physical health and sex-typicality judgements, which have previously been associated with perceptions of attractiveness. In a third experiment, we empirically estimated the distribution of attractiveness preferences expected by chance and show that the size and direction of our results in Experiments 1 and 2 are statistically unlikely without reference to reaction time variability. We conclude that an operating characteristic of the human nervous system, reliability of information processing, is signalled to others through facial appearance. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Attraction of likely charged nano-sized grains in dust-electron plasmas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vishnyakov, Vladimir I., E-mail: eksvar@ukr.net [Physical-Chemical Institute for Environmental and Human Protection, Odessa 65082 (Ukraine)

2016-01-15

Dust-electron plasma, which contains only the dust grains and electrons, emitted by them, is studied. Assumption of almost uniform spatial electrons distribution, which deviates from the uniformity only near the dust grains, leads to the grain charge division into two parts: first part is the individual for each grain “visible” charge and the second part is the common charge of the neutralized background. The visible grain charge can be both negative and positive, while the total grain charge is only positive. The attraction of likely charged grains is possible, because the grain interaction is determined by the visible charges. The equilibrium state between attraction and repulsion of grains is demonstrated.

Electron-electron attractive interaction in Maxwell-Chern-Simons QED3 at zero temperature

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Belich, H.; Ferreira Junior, M.M.; Helayel-Neto, J.A.; Ferreira Junior, M.M.

2001-04-01

One discusses the issue of low-energy electron-electron bound states in the Maxwell-Chern-Simons model coupled to QED 3 with spontaneous breaking of a local U(1)-symmetry. The scattering potential, in the non-relativistic limit, steaming from the electron-electron Moeller scattering, mediated by the Maxwell-Chern-Simons-Proca gauge field and the Higgs scalar, might be attractive by fine-tuning properly the physical parameters of the model. (author)

Own attractiveness and perceived relationship quality shape sensitivity in women's memory for other men on the attractiveness dimension.

Science.gov (United States)

Watkins, Christopher D; Nicholls, Mike J; Batres, Carlota; Xiao, Dengke; Talamas, Sean; Perrett, David I

2017-06-01

Although recent work suggests that opposite-sex facial attractiveness is less salient in memory when individuals are in a committed romantic relationship, romantic relationship quality can vary over time. In light of this, we tested whether activating concerns about romantic relationship quality strengthens memory for attractive faces. Partnered women were exposed briefly to faces manipulated in shape cues to attractiveness before either being asked to think about a moment of emotional closeness or distance in their current relationship. We measured sensitivity in memory for faces as the extent to which they recognized correct versions of studied faces over versions of the same person altered to look either more or less-attractive than their original (i.e., studied) version. Contrary to predictions, high relationship quality strengthened hit rate for faces regardless of the sex or attractiveness of the face. In general, women's memories were more sensitive to attractiveness in women, but were biased toward attractiveness in male faces, both when responding to unfamiliar faces and versions of familiar faces that were more attractive than the original male identity from the learning phase. However, findings varied according to self-rated attractiveness and a psychometric measure of the quality of their current relationship. Attractive women were more sensitive to attractiveness in men, while their less-attractive peers had a stronger bias to remember women as more-attractive and men as less-attractive than their original image respectively. Women in better-quality romantic relationships had stronger positive biases toward, and false memories for, attractive men. Our findings suggest a sophisticated pattern of sensitivity and bias in women's memory for facial cues to quality that varies systematically according to factors that may alter the costs of female mating competition ('market demand') and relationship maintenance. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights

Dynamical phases of attractive particles sliding on a structured surface

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hasnain, J; Jungblut, S; Dellago, C

2015-01-01

Inspired by experiments on quartz crystal microbalance setups, we study the mobility of a monolayer of Lennard-Jones particles driven over a hexagonal external potential. We pay special attention to the changes in the dynamical phases that arise when the lattice constant of the external substrate potential and the Lennard-Jones interaction are mismatched. We find that if the average particle separation is such that the particles repel each other, or interact harmonically, the qualitative behavior of the system is akin to that of a monolayer of purely repulsive Yukawa particles. On the other hand, if the particles typically attract each other, the ensuing dynamical states are determined entirely by the relative strength of the Lennard-Jones interaction with respect to that of the external potential. (paper)

Perceptions of plagiarisers: The influence of target physical attractiveness, transgression severity, and sex on attributions of guilt and punishment.

Science.gov (United States)

Swami, Viren; Arthey, Elizabeth; Furnham, Adrian

2017-09-01

The attractiveness-leniency effect (ALE) suggests that physically attractive targets are less likely to be perceived as guilty compared to less attractive targets. Here, we tested the ALE in relation to attributions of students who have committed plagiarism. British adults (N=165) were shown one of eight vignette-photograph pairings varying in target sex (female/male), physical attractiveness (high/low), and transgression severity (serious/minor), and provided attributions of guilt and severity of punishment. Analyses of variance revealed significant interactions between attractiveness and transgression severity for both dependent measures. Attractive targets were perceived as guiltier and deserving of more severe punishments in the serious transgression condition, but there was no significant difference between attractive and less attractive targets in the minor transgression condition. These results are discussed in terms of a reverse attribution bias, in which attractive individuals are judged more negatively when they fail to live up to higher standards of conduct. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Branner-Hubbard Motions and attracting dynamics

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Petersen, Carsten Lunde; Tan, Lei

2006-01-01

We introduce a new notion of attracting dynamics, which is related to polynomial-like mappings. Also we review the Branner-Hubbard Motion and study its action on attracting dynamics.......We introduce a new notion of attracting dynamics, which is related to polynomial-like mappings. Also we review the Branner-Hubbard Motion and study its action on attracting dynamics....

Romantic attraction and adolescent smoking trajectories.

Science.gov (United States)

Pollard, Michael S; Tucker, Joan S; Green, Harold D; Kennedy, David P; Go, Myong-Hyun

2011-12-01

Research on sexual orientation and substance use has established that lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) individuals are more likely to smoke than heterosexuals. This analysis furthers the examination of smoking behaviors across sexual orientation groups by describing how same- and opposite-sex romantic attraction, and changes in romantic attraction, are associated with distinct six-year developmental trajectories of smoking. The National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health dataset is used to test our hypotheses. Multinomial logistic regressions predicting smoking trajectory membership as a function of romantic attraction were separately estimated for men and women. Romantic attraction effects were found only for women. The change from self-reported heterosexual attraction to lesbian or bisexual attraction was more predictive of higher smoking trajectories than was a consistent lesbian or bisexual attraction, with potentially important differences between the smoking patterns of these two groups. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effects of water-channel attractions on single-file water permeation through nanochannels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu, Yousheng; Zheng, Youqu; Tian, Xingling; Lv, Mei; He, Bing; Deng, Maolin; Xiu, Peng; Tu, Yusong

2016-01-01

Single-file transportation of water across narrow nanochannels such as carbon nanotubes has attracted much attention in recent years. Such permeation can be greatly affected by the water-channel interactions; despite some progress, this issue has not been fully explored. Herein we use molecular dynamics simulations to investigate the effects of water-channel attractions on occupancy, translational (transportation) and orientational dynamics of water inside narrow single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs). We use SWNTs as the model nanochannels and change the strength of water-nanotube attractions to mimic the changes in the hydrophobicity/polarity of the nanochannel. We investigate the dependence of water occupancy inside SWNTs on the water-channel attraction and identify the corresponding threshold values for drying states, wetting-drying transition states, and stably wetting states. As the strength of water-channel attractions increases, water flow increases rapidly first, and then decreases gradually; the maximal flow occurs in the case where the nanochannel is predominately filled with the 1D water wire but with a small fraction of ‘empty states’, indicating that appropriate empty-filling (drying-wetting) switching can promote water permeation. This maximal flow is unexpected, since in traditional view, the stable and tight hydrogen-bonding network of the water wire is the prerequisite for high permeability of water. The underlying mechanism is discussed from an energetic perspective. In addition, the effect of water-channel attractions on reorientational dynamics of the water wire is studied, and a negative correlation between the flipping frequency of water wire and the water-channel attraction is observed. The underlying mechanism is interpreted in term of the axial total dipole moment of inner water molecules. This work would help to better understand the effects of water-channel attractions on wetting properties of narrow nanochannels, and on single

Creating kampong as tourist attractions

Science.gov (United States)

Sari, N.; Utama, R.; Hidayat, A. R. T.; Zamrony, A. B.

2017-06-01

Tourism attractions become one of the main components and they drive the tourism activity in a region. The quality of tourism attractions would affect tourists’ visits. Tourism power can basically be built on any conditions which can attract people to visit. Towns is full of activities which include their economic, social, cultural and physical features, if they are presented properly, they can be a tourist attraction. Kampung City, as a form of urban settlement, has the potential to be developed as a tourism attraction. Kampung is not only a physical area of housing but it has also productive activities. Even the city’s economic activities are also influenced by the productive activities of its Kampung. The shape of Kampung which varies in physical, social, economic and cultural raises special characteristics of each Kampung. When it is linked with the city’s tourism activities, these special characteristics of course could be one of the attractions to attract tourists. This paper studies about one of Kampung in the Malang City. Administratively located in the Penanggungan Village Lowokwaru District, but the potential will just be focused on RW 4. Main productive activities of this village are pottery. In contrast to ceramics, pottery is made from clay and its uniqueness in color and shape. Based on the history of pottery in the Malang, it is concentrated in Penanggungan Village. But along with its development, pottery is decreasingly in demand and number of craftsmen is dwindling. Based on these circumstances, a concept is prepared to raise the image of the region as the Kampung of pottery and to repack it as a tourism attraction of the city.

Physical attractiveness stereotype and memory.

Science.gov (United States)

Rohner, Jean-Christophe; Rasmussen, Anders

2011-08-01

Three experiments examined explicit and implicit memory for information that is congruent with the physical attractiveness stereotype (i.e. attractive-positive and unattractive-negative) and information that is incongruent with the physical attractiveness stereotype (i.e. attractive-negative and unattractive-positive). Measures of explicit recognition sensitivity and implicit discriminability revealed a memorial advantage for congruent compared to incongruent information, as evident from hit and false alarm rates and reaction times, respectively. Measures of explicit memory showed a recognition bias toward congruent compared to incongruent information, where participants tended to call congruent information old, independently of whether the information had been shown previously or not. This recognition bias was unrelated to reports of subjective confidence in retrieval. The present findings shed light on the cognitive mechanisms that might mediate discriminatory behavior towards physically attractive and physically unattractive individuals. © 2011 The Authors. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology © 2011 The Scandinavian Psychological Associations.

Low-density, one-dimensional quantum gases in the presence of a localized attractive potential

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goold, J; O'Donoghue, D; Busch, Th

2008-01-01

We investigate low-density, quantum-degenerate gases in the presence of a localized attractive potential in the centre of a one-dimensional harmonic trap. The attractive potential is modelled using a parameterized δ-function, allowing us to determine all single-particle eigenfunctions analytically. From these we calculate the ground-state many-body properties for a system of spin-polarized fermions and, using the Bose-Fermi mapping theorem, extend the results to strongly interacting bosonic systems. We discuss the single-particle densities, the pair-correlation functions, the reduced single-particle density matrices and the momentum distributions as a function of the particle number and strength of the attractive point potential. As an important experimental observable, we place special emphasis on spatial coherence properties of such samples.

Darcin: a male pheromone that stimulates female memory and sexual attraction to an individual male's odour

OpenAIRE

McLean Lynn; Robertson Duncan H; Davidson Amanda J; Armstrong Stuart D; Simpson Deborah M; Roberts Sarah A; Beynon Robert J; Hurst Jane L

2010-01-01

Abstract Background Among invertebrates, specific pheromones elicit inherent (fixed) behavioural responses to coordinate social behaviours such as sexual recognition and attraction. By contrast, the much more complex social odours of mammals provide a broad range of information about the individual owner and stimulate individual-specific responses that are modulated by learning. How do mammals use such odours to coordinate important social interactions such as sexual attraction while allowing...

Steric exclusion and protein conformation determine the localization of plasma membrane transporters.

Science.gov (United States)

Bianchi, Frans; Syga, Łukasz; Moiset, Gemma; Spakman, Dian; Schavemaker, Paul E; Punter, Christiaan M; Seinen, Anne-Bart; van Oijen, Antoine M; Robinson, Andrew; Poolman, Bert

2018-02-05

The plasma membrane (PM) of Saccharomyces cerevisiae contains membrane compartments, MCC/eisosomes and MCPs, named after the protein residents Can1 and Pma1, respectively. Using high-resolution fluorescence microscopy techniques we show that Can1 and the homologous transporter Lyp1 are able to diffuse into the MCC/eisosomes, where a limited number of proteins are conditionally trapped at the (outer) edge of the compartment. Upon addition of substrate, the immobilized proteins diffuse away from the MCC/eisosomes, presumably after taking a different conformation in the substrate-bound state. Our data indicate that the mobile fraction of all integral plasma membrane proteins tested shows extremely slow Brownian diffusion through most of the PM. We also show that proteins with large cytoplasmic domains, such as Pma1 and synthetic chimera of Can1 and Lyp1, are excluded from the MCC/eisosomes. We hypothesize that the distinct localization patterns found for these integral membrane proteins in S. cerevisiae arises from a combination of slow lateral diffusion, steric exclusion, and conditional trapping in membrane compartments.

Assertiveness and Physical Attractiveness.

Science.gov (United States)

Kleim, David M.; And Others

Earlier research investigating the relationship between physical attractiveness and assertiveness found that physically attractive females were more assertive than other females. To investigate this relationship further and to broaden the scope of the study, 69 students were videotaped in groups of five to ten while responding to open-ended…

Separating the effects of repulsive and attractive forces on the phase diagram, interfacial, and critical properties of simple fluids.

Science.gov (United States)

Fuentes-Herrera, M; Moreno-Razo, J A; Guzmán, O; López-Lemus, J; Ibarra-Tandi, B

2016-06-07

Molecular simulations in the canonical and isothermal-isobaric ensembles were performed to study the effect of varying the shape of the intermolecular potential on the phase diagram, critical, and interfacial properties of model fluids. The molecular interactions were modeled by the Approximate Non-Conformal (ANC) theory potentials. Unlike the Lennard-Jones or Morse potentials, the ANC interactions incorporate parameters (called softnesses) that modulate the steepness of the potential in their repulsive and attractive parts independently. This feature allowed us to separate unambiguously the role of each region of the potential on setting the thermophysical properties. In particular, we found positive linear correlation between all critical coordinates and the attractive and repulsive softness, except for the critical density and the attractive softness which are negatively correlated. Moreover, we found that the physical properties related to phase coexistence (such as span of the liquid phase between the critical and triple points, variations in the P-T vaporization curve, interface width, and surface tension) are more sensitive to changes in the attractive softness than to the repulsive one. Understanding the different roles of attractive and repulsive forces on phase coexistence may contribute to developing more accurate models of liquids and their mixtures.

Dominant, open nonverbal displays are attractive at zero-acquaintance.

Science.gov (United States)

Vacharkulksemsuk, Tanya; Reit, Emily; Khambatta, Poruz; Eastwick, Paul W; Finkel, Eli J; Carney, Dana R

2016-04-12

Across two field studies of romantic attraction, we demonstrate that postural expansiveness makes humans more romantically appealing. In a field study (n = 144 speed-dates), we coded nonverbal behaviors associated with liking, love, and dominance. Postural expansiveness-expanding the body in physical space-was most predictive of attraction, with each one-unit increase in coded behavior from the video recordings nearly doubling a person's odds of getting a "yes" response from one's speed-dating partner. In a subsequent field experiment (n = 3,000), we tested the causality of postural expansion (vs. contraction) on attraction using a popular Global Positioning System-based online-dating application. Mate-seekers rapidly flipped through photographs of potential sexual/date partners, selecting those they desired to meet for a date. Mate-seekers were significantly more likely to select partners displaying an expansive (vs. contractive) nonverbal posture. Mediation analyses demonstrate one plausible mechanism through which expansiveness is appealing: Expansiveness makes the dating candidate appear more dominant. In a dating world in which success sometimes is determined by a split-second decision rendered after a brief interaction or exposure to a static photograph, single persons have very little time to make a good impression. Our research suggests that a nonverbal dominance display increases a person's chances of being selected as a potential mate.

On the modulispace of attracting dynamics

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Petersen, Carsten Lunde

An Attracting Dynamics is a triple (f,W,a), where W is an open subset of the R(iemann) S(phere), f is a holomorphic map from W into the RS and a is an attracting periodic point for f. Denote by B(a) the attracted basin of the orbit of a for f. Two attracting dynamics (f,W,a) and (f',W',a') are i...

Steric control of the donor/acceptor interface: Implications in organic photovoltaic charge generation

KAUST Repository

Holcombe, Thomas W.; Norton, Joseph E.; Rivnay, Jonathan; Woo, Claire; Goris, Ludwig J.; Piliego, Claudia; Griffini, Gianmarco; Sellinger, Alan; Bré das, Jean Luc; Salleo, Alberto; Frechet, Jean

2011-01-01

The performance of organic photovoltaic (OPV) devices is currently limited by modest short-circuit current densities. Approaches toward improving this output parameter may provide new avenues to advance OPV technologies and the basic science of charge transfer in organic semiconductors. This work highlights how steric control of the charge separation interface can be effectively tuned in OPV devices. By introducing an octylphenyl substituent onto the investigated polymer backbones, the thermally relaxed charge-transfer state, and potentially excited charge-transfer states, can be raised in energy. This decreases the barrier to charge separation and results in increased photocurrent generation. This finding is of particular significance for nonfullerene OPVs, which have many potential advantages such as tunable energy levels and spectral breadth, but are prone to poor exciton separation efficiencies. Computational, spectroscopic, and synthetic methods were combined to develop a structure-property relationship that correlates polymer substituents with charge-transfer state energies and, ultimately, device efficiencies. © 2011 American Chemical Society.

Steric control of the donor/acceptor interface: Implications in organic photovoltaic charge generation

KAUST Repository

Holcombe, Thomas W.

2011-08-10

The performance of organic photovoltaic (OPV) devices is currently limited by modest short-circuit current densities. Approaches toward improving this output parameter may provide new avenues to advance OPV technologies and the basic science of charge transfer in organic semiconductors. This work highlights how steric control of the charge separation interface can be effectively tuned in OPV devices. By introducing an octylphenyl substituent onto the investigated polymer backbones, the thermally relaxed charge-transfer state, and potentially excited charge-transfer states, can be raised in energy. This decreases the barrier to charge separation and results in increased photocurrent generation. This finding is of particular significance for nonfullerene OPVs, which have many potential advantages such as tunable energy levels and spectral breadth, but are prone to poor exciton separation efficiencies. Computational, spectroscopic, and synthetic methods were combined to develop a structure-property relationship that correlates polymer substituents with charge-transfer state energies and, ultimately, device efficiencies. © 2011 American Chemical Society.

Chemical signaling and insect attraction is a conserved trait in yeasts.

Science.gov (United States)

Becher, Paul G; Hagman, Arne; Verschut, Vasiliki; Chakraborty, Amrita; Rozpędowska, Elżbieta; Lebreton, Sébastien; Bengtsson, Marie; Flick, Gerhard; Witzgall, Peter; Piškur, Jure

2018-03-01

Yeast volatiles attract insects, which apparently is of mutual benefit, for both yeasts and insects. However, it is unknown whether biosynthesis of metabolites that attract insects is a basic and general trait, or if it is specific for yeasts that live in close association with insects. Our goal was to study chemical insect attractants produced by yeasts that span more than 250 million years of evolutionary history and vastly differ in their metabolism and lifestyle. We bioassayed attraction of the vinegar fly Drosophila melanogaster to odors of phylogenetically and ecologically distinct yeasts grown under controlled conditions. Baker's yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae , the insect-associated species Candida californica , Pichia kluyveri and Metschnikowia andauensis , wine yeast Dekkera bruxellensis , milk yeast Kluyveromyces lactis , the vertebrate pathogens Candida albicans and Candida glabrata , and oleophilic Yarrowia lipolytica were screened for fly attraction in a wind tunnel. Yeast headspace was chemically analyzed, and co-occurrence of insect attractants in yeasts and flowering plants was investigated through a database search. In yeasts with known genomes, we investigated the occurrence of genes involved in the synthesis of key aroma compounds. Flies were attracted to all nine yeasts studied. The behavioral response to baker's yeast was independent of its growth stage. In addition to Drosophila , we tested the basal hexapod Folsomia candida (Collembola) in a Y-tube assay to the most ancient yeast, Y. lipolytica, which proved that early yeast signals also function on clades older than neopteran insects. Behavioral and chemical data and a search for selected genes of volatile metabolites underline that biosynthesis of chemical signals is found throughout the yeast clade and has been conserved during the evolution of yeast lifestyles. Literature and database reviews corroborate that yeast signals mediate mutualistic interactions between insects and yeasts

Individual differences in valuing mates' physical attractiveness.

Science.gov (United States)

Mathes, Eugene W; Bielser, Abby; Cassell, Ticcarra; Summers, Sarah; Witowski, Aggie

2006-10-01

To investigate correlates of valuing physical attractiveness in a mate, it was hypothesized that valuing physical attractiveness in a mate would correlate with sex and valuing promiscuous sex, status, personal physical attractiveness, beauty, and order. Men and women college students completed measures of the extent to which they valued physical attractiveness in a mate and other variables. Valuing physical attractiveness in a mate was correlated with sex (men valued physical attractiveness in a mate more than did women) and valuing promiscuous sex and status, and, for women, valuing personal physical attractiveness. The results were explained in terms of evolutionary theory.

Intelligence and Physical Attractiveness

Science.gov (United States)

Kanazawa, Satoshi

2011-01-01

This brief research note aims to estimate the magnitude of the association between general intelligence and physical attractiveness with large nationally representative samples from two nations. In the United Kingdom, attractive children are more intelligent by 12.4 IQ points (r=0.381), whereas in the United States, the correlation between…

Age-Differential Effects of Job Characteristics on Job Attraction: A Policy-Capturing Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Zacher, Hannes; Dirkers, Bodil T; Korek, Sabine; Hughes, Brenda

2017-01-01

Based on an integration of job design and lifespan developmental theories, Truxillo et al. (2012) proposed that job characteristics interact with employee age in predicting important work outcomes. Using an experimental policy-capturing design, we investigated age-differential effects of four core job characteristics (i.e., job autonomy, task variety, task significance, and feedback from the job) on job attraction (i.e., individuals' rating of job attractiveness). Eighty-two employees between 19 and 65 years ( M age = 41, SD = 14) indicated their job attraction for each of 40 hypothetical job descriptions in which the four job characteristics were systematically manipulated (in total, participants provided 3,280 ratings). Results of multilevel analyses showed that the positive effects of task variety, task significance, and feedback from the job were stronger for younger compared to older employees, whereas we did not find significant age-differential effects of job autonomy on job attraction. These findings are only partially consistent with propositions of Truxillo et al.'s (2012) lifespan perspective on job design.

Towards a physical interpretation of third phase formation in liquid-liquid extraction. Application to the Diamex process for the treatment of high radioactive nuclear wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Verdier Erlinger, C.

1998-07-01

Using SAXS, conductivity and phase behaviour determination we show that concentrated solutions of extractants are organised in reverse oligomeric aggregates which have many features in common with reverse micelles. The aggregation numbers of these reverse globular aggregates as well as their interaction potential are determined experimentally. The sticky sphere interaction is responsible for the unmixing of the oil phase when in equilibrium with excess oil. Prediction of conductivity as well as formation condition for the third phase is possible using standard liquid theory applied to the reverse micelles, The attractive interaction, modelled with the sticky sphere model proposed by Baxter, is the balance of steric stabilisation introduced by the hydrophobic tails of the extracting molecule and the Van der Waals forces between the highly polarizable water core of the reverse micelles. Attraction in the oil phase, equilibrated with water, is determined versus temperature, extractant molecule concentration, number of carbon atoms of aliphatic solvents, as well as proton and Neodymium cation concentration.-It is shown that van der Waals interactions with a Hamaker constant of 2.5 kT explains the behaviour of DMDBTDMA in dodecane. (author)

Renewable Energy Country Attractiveness Indices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2011-02-01

Since 2003 Ernst and Young team has been releasing quarterly data that ranks national renewable energy markets, and their suitability for individual technologies. The Country Attractiveness Indices now track the relative attractiveness of 30 countries' renewable energy markets across a selection of technologies each quarter. The Renewable Energy Country Attractiveness Indices publication scores and comments on various technologies, including: on-shore wind, off-shore wind, solar PV, solar CSP, biomass, and geothermal.

Morphology of clusters of attractive dry and wet self-propelled spherical particle suspensions.

Science.gov (United States)

Alarcón, Francisco; Valeriani, Chantal; Pagonabarraga, Ignacio

2017-01-25

In order to assess the effect of hydrodynamics in the assembly of active attractive spheres, we simulate a semi-dilute suspension of attractive self-propelled spherical particles in a quasi-two dimensional geometry comparing the case with and without hydrodynamics interactions. To start with, independent of the presence of hydrodynamics, we observe that depending on the ratio between attraction and propulsion, particles either coarsen or aggregate forming finite-size clusters. Focusing on the clustering regime, we characterize two different cluster parameters, i.e. their morphology and orientational order, and compare the case when active particles behave either as pushers or pullers (always in the regime where inter-particle attractions compete with self-propulsion). Studying cluster phases for squirmers with respect to those obtained for active Brownian disks (indicated as ABPs), we have shown that hydrodynamics alone can sustain a cluster phase of active swimmers (pullers), while ABPs form cluster phases due to the competition between attraction and self-propulsion. The structural properties of the cluster phases of squirmers and ABPs are similar, although squirmers show sensitivity to active stresses. Active Brownian disks resemble weakly pusher squirmer suspensions in terms of cluster size distribution, structure of the radius of gyration on the cluster size and degree of cluster polarity.

Attraction Pheromone of The Benthic Diatom Seminavis robusta: Studies on Structure-Activity Relationships.

Science.gov (United States)

Lembke, Christine; Stettin, Daniel; Speck, Franziska; Ueberschaar, Nico; De Decker, Sam; Vyverman, Wim; Pohnert, Georg

2018-04-01

Recently the first pheromone of a marine diatom was identified to be the diketopiperazine (S,S)-diproline. This compound facilitates attraction between mating partners in the benthic diatom Seminavis robusta. Interestingly, sexualized S. robusta cells are attracted to both the natural pheromone (S,S)-diproline as well as to its enantiomer (R,R)-diproline. Usually stereospecificity is a prerequisite for successful substrate-receptor interactions, and especially pheromone perception is often highly enantioselective. Here we introduce a structure-activity relationship study, to learn more about the principles of pheromone reception in diatoms. We analyzed the activity of nine different diketopiperazines in attraction and interference assays. The pheromone diproline itself, as well as a pipecolic acid derived diketopiperazine with two expanded aliphatic ring systems, showed the highest attractivity. Hydroxylatoin of the aliphatic rings abolished any bioactivity. Diketopiperazines derived from acyclic amino acids were not attrative as well. All stereoisomers of both the diproline and the pipecolic acid derived diketopiperazine were purified by enantioselective high-performance liquid chromatography, and application in bioactivity tests confirmed that attraction pheromone perception in this diatom is indeed not stereospecific. However, the lack of activity of diketopiperazines derived from acyclic amino acids suggests a specificity that prevents misguidance to sources of other naturally occurring diketopiperazines.

Multifaceted catalytic hydrogenation of amides via diverse activation of a sterically confined bipyridine-ruthenium framework.

Science.gov (United States)

Miura, Takashi; Naruto, Masayuki; Toda, Katsuaki; Shimomura, Taiki; Saito, Susumu

2017-05-16

Amides are ubiquitous and abundant in nature and our society, but are very stable and reluctant to salt-free, catalytic chemical transformations. Through the activation of a "sterically confined bipyridine-ruthenium (Ru) framework (molecularly well-designed site to confine adsorbed H 2 in)" of a precatalyst, catalytic hydrogenation of formamides through polyamide is achieved under a wide range of reaction conditions. Both C=O bond and C-N bond cleavage of a lactam became also possible using a single precatalyst. That is, catalyst diversity is induced by activation and stepwise multiple hydrogenation of a single precatalyst when the conditions are varied. The versatile catalysts have different structures and different resting states for multifaceted amide hydrogenation, but the common structure produced upon reaction with H 2 , which catalyzes hydrogenation, seems to be "H-Ru-N-H."

Steric control of redox events in organo-uranium chemistry: synthesis and characterisation of U(V) oxo and nitrido complexes

OpenAIRE

Tsoureas, Nikolaos; Kilpatrick, Alexander; Inman, Christopher; Cloke, Frederick Geoffrey

2016-01-01

The synthesis and molecular structures of a U(V) neutral terminal oxo complex and a U(V) sodium uranium nitride contact ion pair are described. The synthesis of the former is achieved by the use of tBuNCO as a mild oxygen transfer reagent, whilst that of the latter is via the reduction of NaN3. Both mono-uranium complexes are stabilised by the presence of bulky silyl substituents on the ligand framework that facilitate a 2e- oxidation of a single U(III) centre. In contrast, when steric hindra...

Concentration-Induced Association in a Protein System Caused by a Highly Directional Patch Attraction.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Weimin; Persson, Björn A; Lund, Mikael; Bergenholtz, Johan; Zackrisson Oskolkova, Malin

2016-09-01

Self-association of the protein lactoferrin is studied in solution using small-angle X-ray scattering techniques. Effective static structure factors have been shown to exhibit either a monotonic or a nonmonotonic dependence on protein concentration in the small wavevector limit, depending on salt concentration. The behavior correlates with a nonmonotonic dependence of the second virial coefficient on salt concentration, such that a maximum appears in the structure factor at a low protein concentration when the second virial coefficient is negative and close to a minimum. The results are interpreted in terms of an integral equation theory with explicit dimers, formulated by Wertheim, which provides a consistent framework able to explain the behavior in terms of a monomer-dimer equilibrium that appears because of a highly directional patch attraction. Short attraction ranges preclude trimer formation, which explains why the protein system behaves as if it were subject to a concentration-dependent isotropic protein-protein attraction. Superimposing an isotropic interaction, comprising screened Coulomb repulsion and van der Waals attraction, on the patch attraction allows for a semiquantitative modeling of the complete transition pathway from monomers in the dilute limit to monomer-dimer systems at somewhat higher protein concentrations.

From repulsive to attractive glass: A rheological investigation.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Zhi; Jia, Di; Hollingsworth, Javoris V; Cheng, He; Han, Charles C

2015-12-21

Linear rheological properties and yielding behavior of polystyrene core and poly (N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) shell microgels were investigated to understand the transition from repulsive glass (RG) to attractive glass (AG) and the A3 singularity. Due to the volume phase transition of PNIPAM in aqueous solution, the microgel-microgel interaction potential gradually changes from repulsive to attractive. In temperature and frequency sweep experiments, the storage modulus (G') and loss modulus (G″) increased discontinuously when crossing the RG-to-AG transition line, while G' at low frequency exhibited a different volume fraction (Φ) dependence. By fitting the data of RG and AG, and then extrapolating to high volume fraction, the difference between RG and AG decreased and the existence of A3 singularity was verified. Dynamic strain sweep experiments were conducted to confirm these findings. RG at 25 °C exhibited one-step yielding, whereas AG at 40 °C showed a typical two-step yielding behavior; the first yielding strain remained constant and the second one gradually decreased as the volume fraction increased. By extrapolating the second yield strain to that of the first one, the predicted A3 singularity was at 0.61 ± 0.02. At 37 °C, when Φeff = 0.59, AG showed one step yielding as the length of the attractive bond increased. The consistency and agreement of the experimental results reaffirmed the existence of A3 singularity, where the yielding behavior of RG and AG became identical.

Interactions between whey proteins and kaolinite surfaces

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Barral, S. [Department of Chemical Engineering and Environmental Technology, University of Oviedo, Julian Claveria 8, 33006 Oviedo (Spain); Villa-Garcia, M.A. [Department of Organic and Inorganic Chemistry, University of Oviedo, Julian Claveria 8, 33006 Oviedo (Spain)], E-mail: mavg@uniovi.es; Rendueles, M. [Project Management Area, University of Oviedo, Independencia 13, 33004 Oviedo (Spain); Diaz, M. [Department of Chemical Engineering and Environmental Technology, University of Oviedo, Julian Claveria 8, 33006 Oviedo (Spain)

2008-07-15

The nature of the interactions between whey proteins and kaolinite surfaces was investigated by adsorption-desorption experiments at room temperature, performed at the isoelectric point (IEP) of the proteins and at pH 7. It was found that kaolinite is a strong adsorbent for proteins, reaching the maximum adsorption capacity at the IEP of each protein. At pH 7.0, the retention capacity decreased considerably. The adsorption isotherms showed typical Langmuir characteristics. X-ray diffraction data for the protein-kaolinite complexes showed that protein molecules were not intercalated in the mineral structure, but immobilized at the external surfaces and the edges of the kaolinite. Fourier transform IR results indicate the absence of hydrogen bonding between kaolinite surfaces and the polypeptide chain. The adsorption patterns appear to be related to electrostatic interactions, although steric effects should be also considered.

Interactions between whey proteins and kaolinite surfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barral, S.; Villa-Garcia, M.A.; Rendueles, M.; Diaz, M.

2008-01-01

The nature of the interactions between whey proteins and kaolinite surfaces was investigated by adsorption-desorption experiments at room temperature, performed at the isoelectric point (IEP) of the proteins and at pH 7. It was found that kaolinite is a strong adsorbent for proteins, reaching the maximum adsorption capacity at the IEP of each protein. At pH 7.0, the retention capacity decreased considerably. The adsorption isotherms showed typical Langmuir characteristics. X-ray diffraction data for the protein-kaolinite complexes showed that protein molecules were not intercalated in the mineral structure, but immobilized at the external surfaces and the edges of the kaolinite. Fourier transform IR results indicate the absence of hydrogen bonding between kaolinite surfaces and the polypeptide chain. The adsorption patterns appear to be related to electrostatic interactions, although steric effects should be also considered

Object attraction effects during subject-verb agreement in Persian.

Science.gov (United States)

Feiz, Aazam; Cowles, Wind

2018-04-01

Subject-verb agreement provides insight into how grammatical and semantic features interact during sentence production, and prior studies have found attraction errors when an intervening local noun is grammatically part of the subject. Two major types of theories have emerged from these studies: control based and competition-based. The current study used an subject-object-verb language with optional subject-verb agreement, Persian, to test the competition-based hypothesis that intervening object nouns may also cause attraction effects, even though objects are not part of the syntactic relationship between the subject and verb. Our results, which did not require speakers to make grammatical errors, show that objects can be attractors for agreement, but this effect appears to be dependent on the type of plural marker on the object. These results support competition-based theories of agreement production, in which agreement may be influenced by attractors that are outside the scope of the subject-verb relationship.

Nitrate analogs as attractants for soybean cyst nematode.

Science.gov (United States)

Hosoi, Akito; Katsuyama, Tsutomu; Sasaki, Yasuyuki; Kondo, Tatsuhiko; Yajima, Shunsuke; Ito, Shinsaku

2017-08-01

Soybean cyst nematode (SCN) Heterodera glycines Ichinohe, a plant parasite, is one of the most serious pests of soybean. In this paper, we report that SCN is attracted to nitrate and its analogs. We performed attraction assays to screen for novel attractants for SCN and found that nitrates were attractants for SCN and SCN recognized nitrate gradients. However, attraction of SCN to nitrates was not observed on agar containing nitrate. To further elucidate the attraction mechanism in SCN, we performed attraction assays using nitrate analogs ([Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text]). SCN was attracted to all nitrate analogs; however, attraction of SCN to nitrate analogs was not observed on agar containing nitrate. In contrast, SCN was attracted to azuki root, irrespective of presence or absence of nitrate in agar media. Our results suggest that the attraction mechanisms differ between plant-derived attractant and nitrate.

Fatal attraction

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Kim Ebensgaard

2012-01-01

The purpose of this paper is two-fold. Firstly, it presents an argument for usage-based inheritance models over complete inheritance models in construction grammar. It is argued that, with the principle of inductive language learning as their foundation, usage-based inheritance models allow...... for redundancies and incongruities in construction networks which enables linguists to take into account details of language use, which would otherwise not be facilitated in complete inheritance models. Secondly, making use of the method of collostructional analysis, the article offers a corpus-based description...... of the use of the Danish ihjel-construction which accounts for patterns of attraction of construction-verb attraction, patterns of productivity, and various types of subconstructions, including item- and item-class-based ones and metaphorical extensions. The description of the ihjel-construction should also...

Attractive interaction between an atom and a surface

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Manson, J.R.; Ritchie, R.H.

1983-01-01

Using a general self-energy formalism we examine the interaction between an atom and a surface. Considered in detail are deviations from the Van der Waals force due to recoil and finite velocity of the particle. Calculations for positronium near a metal surface show that for such systems recoil and velocity effects are significant even at very low energies. We also examine the mechanisms for energy exchange with the surface and calculations show that single quantum events do not always dominate the exchange rates. 8 references, 2 figures

On Being "Attractive" With Resistant Clients.

Science.gov (United States)

Miller, Mark J.; Wells, Don

1990-01-01

Calls client resistance a frequent occurrence within the helping profession. Defines client resistance, provides a brief review of related literature, and offers counselor attractiveness as one way of addressing the issue. Identifies attractive counselor behaviors and attitudes and presents case study illustrating specific attractive counselor…

Electron attraction mediated by Coulomb repulsion.

Science.gov (United States)

Hamo, A; Benyamini, A; Shapir, I; Khivrich, I; Waissman, J; Kaasbjerg, K; Oreg, Y; von Oppen, F; Ilani, S

2016-07-21

One of the defining properties of electrons is their mutual Coulomb repulsion. However, in solids this basic property may change; for example, in superconductors, the coupling of electrons to lattice vibrations makes the electrons attract one another, leading to the formation of bound pairs. Fifty years ago it was proposed that electrons can be made attractive even when all of the degrees of freedom in the solid are electronic, by exploiting their repulsion from other electrons. This attraction mechanism, termed 'excitonic', promised to achieve stronger and more exotic superconductivity. Yet, despite an extensive search, experimental evidence for excitonic attraction has yet to be found. Here we demonstrate this attraction by constructing, from the bottom up, the fundamental building block of the excitonic mechanism. Our experiments are based on quantum devices made from pristine carbon nanotubes, combined with cryogenic precision manipulation. Using this platform, we demonstrate that two electrons can be made to attract each other using an independent electronic system as the 'glue' that mediates attraction. Owing to its tunability, our system offers insights into the underlying physics, such as the dependence of the emergent attraction on the underlying repulsion, and the origin of the pairing energy. We also demonstrate transport signatures of excitonic pairing. This experimental demonstration of excitonic pairing paves the way for the design of exotic states of matter.

Semiflexible polymers confined in a slit pore with attractive walls: two-dimensional liquid crystalline order versus capillary nematization.

Science.gov (United States)

Milchev, Andrey; Egorov, Sergei A; Binder, Kurt

2017-03-01

Semiflexible polymers under good solvent conditions interacting with attractive planar surfaces are investigated by Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulations and classical Density Functional Theory (DFT). A bead-spring type potential complemented by a bending potential is used, allowing variation of chain stiffness from completely flexible coils to rod-like polymers whose persistence length by far exceeds their contour length. Solvent is only implicitly included, monomer-monomer interactions being purely repulsive, while two types of attractive wall-monomer interactions are considered: (i) a strongly attractive Mie-type potential, appropriate for a strictly structureless wall, and (ii) a corrugated wall formed by Lennard-Jones particles arranged on a square lattice. It is found that in dilute solutions the former case leads to the formation of a strongly adsorbed surface layer, and the profile of density and orientational order in the z-direction perpendicular to the wall is predicted by DFT in nice agreement with MD. While for very low bulk densities a Kosterlitz-Thouless type transition from the isotropic phase to a phase with power-law decay of nematic correlations is suggested to occur in the strongly adsorbed layer, for larger densities a smectic-C phase in the surface layer is detected. No "capillary nematization" effect at higher bulk densities is found in this system, unlike systems with repulsive walls. This finding is attributed to the reduction of the bulk density (in the center of the slit pore) due to polymer adsorption on the attractive wall, for a system studied in the canonical ensemble. Consequently in a system with two attractive walls nematic order in the slit pore can occur only at a higher density than for a bulk system.

Mutual attraction of magnetic knots

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Parker, E.N.

1978-01-01

It is observed that the magnetic knots associated with active regions on the Sun have an attraction for each other during the formative period of the active regions, when new magnetic flux is coming to the surface. The attraction disappears when new flux ceases to rise through the surface. Then the magnetic spots and knots tend to come apart, leading to disintegration of the sunspots previously formed. The dissolution of the fields is to be expected, as a consequence of the magnetic repulsion of knots of like polarity and as a consequence of the hydromagnetic exchange instability.The purpose of this paper is to show that the mutual attraction of knots during the formative stages of a sunspot region may be understood as the mutual hydrodynamic attraction of the rising flux tubes. Two rising tubes attract each other, as a consequence of the wake of the leading tube when one is moving behind the other, and as a consequence of the Bernoulli effect when rising side by side

Heritability of attractiveness to mosquitoes.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

G Mandela Fernández-Grandon

Full Text Available Female mosquitoes display preferences for certain individuals over others, which is determined by differences in volatile chemicals produced by the human body and detected by mosquitoes. Body odour can be controlled genetically but the existence of a genetic basis for differential attraction to insects has never been formally demonstrated. This study investigated heritability of attractiveness to mosquitoes by evaluating the response of Aedes aegypti (=Stegomyia aegypti mosquitoes to odours from the hands of identical and non-identical twins in a dual-choice assay. Volatiles from individuals in an identical twin pair showed a high correlation in attractiveness to mosquitoes, while non-identical twin pairs showed a significantly lower correlation. Overall, there was a strong narrow-sense heritability of 0.62 (SE 0.124 for relative attraction and 0.67 (0.354 for flight activity based on the average of ten measurements. The results demonstrate an underlying genetic component detectable by mosquitoes through olfaction. Understanding the genetic basis for attractiveness could create a more informed approach to repellent development.

Progress towards localization in the attractive Hubbard model

Science.gov (United States)

Morong, W.; Xu, W.; Demarco, B.

2017-04-01

The interplay between fermionic superfluidity and disorder is a topic of long-standing interest that has recently come within reach of ultracold gas experiments. Outstanding questions include the fate of Cooper pairs in a localized superfluid and the effect of disorder on the superfluid transition temperature. We report progress on tackling this problem using a realization of the Hubbard model with attractive interactions. Our system consists of two spin states of fermionic potassium-40 trapped in a cubic optical lattice. Disorder is introduced using an optical speckle potential, and interactions are controlled via a Feshbach resonance. We study the binding and unbinding of Cooper pairs in this system using rf spectroscopy, changes in Tc by measuring the condensate fraction, and transport properties by observing the response to an applied impulse. We will discuss progress towards these measurements.

Long-range interaction between heterogeneously charged membranes.

Science.gov (United States)

Jho, Y S; Brewster, R; Safran, S A; Pincus, P A

2011-04-19

Despite their neutrality, surfaces or membranes with equal amounts of positive and negative charge can exhibit long-range electrostatic interactions if the surface charge is heterogeneous; this can happen when the surface charges form finite-size domain structures. These domains can be formed in lipid membranes where the balance of the different ranges of strong but short-ranged hydrophobic interactions and longer-ranged electrostatic repulsion result in a finite, stable domain size. If the domain size is large enough, oppositely charged domains in two opposing surfaces or membranes can be strongly correlated by the electrostatic interactions; these correlations give rise to an attractive interaction of the two membranes or surfaces over separations on the order of the domain size. We use numerical simulations to demonstrate the existence of strong attractions at separations of tens of nanometers. Large line tensions result in larger domains but also increase the charge density within the domain. This promotes correlations and, as a result, increases the intermembrane attraction. On the other hand, increasing the salt concentration increases both the domain size and degree of domain anticorrelation, but the interactions are ultimately reduced due to increased screening. The result is a decrease in the net attraction as salt concentration is increased. © 2011 American Chemical Society

Higher-order glass-transition singularities in systems with short-ranged attractive potentials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goetze, W; Sperl, M

2003-01-01

Within the mode-coupling theory for the evolution of structural relaxation, the A 4 -glass-transition singularities are identified for systems of particles interacting with a hard-sphere repulsion complemented by different short-ranged potentials: Baxter's singular potential regularized by a large-wavevector cut-off, a model for the Asakura-Oosawa depletion attraction, a triangular potential, a Yukawa attraction, and a square-well potential. The regular potentials yield critical packing fractions, critical Debye-Waller factors, and critical amplitudes very close to each other. The elastic moduli and the particle localization lengths for corresponding states of the Yukawa system and the square-well system may differ by up to 20 and 10%, respectively

Equilibrium and non-equilibrium cluster phases in colloids with competing interactions

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Mani, Ethayaraja; Lechner, Wolfgang; Kegel, Willem K.; Bolhuis, Peter G.

2014-01-01

The phase behavior of colloids that interact via competing interactions-short-range attraction and long-range repulsion-is studied by computer simulation. In particular, for a fixed strength and range of repulsion, the effect of the strength of an attractive interaction (ε) on the phase behavior is

Tourism Attraction Systems. Exploring cultural behavior

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Richards, G.W.

2002-01-01

Attractions are vital sub-elements in all whole tourism systems, and yet their study suffers from lack of theoretical depth and empirical foundation. This paper presents an empirical exploration of the attraction system model, based on a survey of over 6,000 tourists to cultural attractions. The

Attractiveness and Cooperation in Social Exchange

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chisato Takahashi

2006-01-01

Full Text Available We tested the hypothesis that physically more attractive men are less likely to cooperate in social exchange than less attractive men, while physical attractiveness has no effect on women's tendency toward cooperation, with four different experimental games (Prisoner's Dilemma with 99 players, Allocator Choice with 77 players, Faith with 16 players, and Trust with 21 players. Pictures of the game players were taken after they participated in one of the four games, and those pictures were presented to another set of participants (85 raters in Study 1 and 2, 36 raters in Study 3 for attractiveness ratings. Both male and female raters who were unaware of the photographed game players' actual behavior in the game judged the faces of male defectors (who defected in one of the four games to be more attractive than those of male cooperators, but they did not give differential attractiveness ratings to female defectors and female cooperators.

Ailing voters advance attractive congressional candidates.

Science.gov (United States)

Zebrowitz, Leslie A; Franklin, Robert G; Palumbo, Rocco

2015-01-06

Among many benefits of facial attractiveness, there is evidence that more attractive politicians are more likely to be elected. Recent research found this effect to be most pronounced in congressional districts with high disease threat-a result attributed to an adaptive disease avoidance mechanism, whereby the association of low attractiveness with poor health is particularly worrisome to voters who feel vulnerable to disease. We provided a more direct test of this explanation by examining the effects of individuals' own health and age. Supporting a disease avoidance mechanism, less healthy participants showed a stronger preference for more attractive contenders in U.S. Senate races than their healthier peers, and this effect was stronger for older participants, who were generally less healthy than younger participants. Stronger effects of health for older participants partly reflected the absence of positive bias toward attractive candidates among the healthiest, suggesting that healthy older adults may be unconcerned about disease threat or sufficiently wise to ignore attractiveness.

Extraction of UO22+ by two highly sterically hindered (X1) (X2) PO(OH) extractants from an aqueous chloride phase

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mason, G.W.; Lewey, S.M.; Gilles, D.M.; Peppard, D.F.

1978-01-01

The comparative extraction behaviour of tracer-level UO 2 2+ into benzene solutions of two highly sterically hindered extractants, di(2,6-di-iso-propylphenyl) phosphoric acid, HD(2,6-i-PPHI)P and di-tertiary-butyl phosphinic acid, H[Dt-BP], vs an aqueous 1.0 F (NaCl + HCl) phase was studied. The extraction of UO 2 2+ in both systems is directly second-power dependent upon extractant concentration and inversely second-power dependent upon hydrogen ion concentration, the stoichiometry of extraction being UOsub(2A) 2+ + 2(HY)sub(2O) = UO 2 (HY 2 )sub(2O) + 2Hsub(A) + . The expression for the distribution ratio, K is K = Ksub(s)F 2 /[H + ] 2 the general expression for the extraction of any metallic species being K - Ksub(s)Fsup(a)/[H + ]sup(b) where Ksub(s) is a constant characteristic of the system, F the concentration in formality units of extractant in the organic phase, [H + ] the concentration of hydrogen ion in the aqueous phase, and a and b the respective extractant and hydrogen-ion dependencies. Both extractants have a high degree of steric hindrance. The HD(2,6-i-PPHI)P is the more highly acidic, the pKsub(A) value, in 75% ethanol, being 3.2. The pKsub(A), previously reported, for H[Dt-BP] is 6.26. The Ksub(s) for UO 2 2+ in the system HY in benzene diluent vs an aqueous 1.0 F (NaCl + HCl) phase is 2 x 10 4 for H[Dt-BP] and 3 x 10 -1 for HD(2,6-i-PPHI)P; the ratio of the Ksub(s) values nearly 7 x 10 3 , favours the less acidic extractant. For comparative purposes, the Ksub(s) values for UO 2 2+ and for Am 3+ and Eu 3+ in other (X 1 )(X 2 )PO(OH), in benzene diluent, vs 1.0 F (NaCl + HCl) systems are presented. The variations are discussed in terms of the pKsub(A) of the extractant and the steric hindrance within the extractant. (author)

Does computer-synthesized speech manifest personality? Experimental tests of recognition, similarity-attraction, and consistency-attraction.

Science.gov (United States)

Nass, C; Lee, K M

2001-09-01

Would people exhibit similarity-attraction and consistency-attraction toward unambiguously computer-generated speech even when personality is clearly not relevant? In Experiment 1, participants (extrovert or introvert) heard a synthesized voice (extrovert or introvert) on a book-buying Web site. Participants accurately recognized personality cues in text to speech and showed similarity-attraction in their evaluation of the computer voice, the book reviews, and the reviewer. Experiment 2, in a Web auction context, added personality of the text to the previous design. The results replicated Experiment 1 and demonstrated consistency (voice and text personality)-attraction. To maximize liking and trust, designers should set parameters, for example, words per minute or frequency range, that create a personality that is consistent with the user and the content being presented.

Attracting girls to physics

Science.gov (United States)

Borg, Anne; Sui, Manling

2013-03-01

Large regional differences remain in the number of girls studying physics and the number of female physicists in academic positions. While many countries struggle with attracting female students to university studies in physics, climbing the academic ladder is the main challenge for these women. Furthermore, for many female physicists the working climate is not very supportive. The workshop Attracting Girls to Physics, organized as part of the 4th IUPAP International Conference on Women in Physics, South Africa 2011, addressed attitudes among education-seeking teenagers and approaches for attracting young girls to physics through successful recruitment plans, including highlighting the broad spectrum of career opportunities for those with physics qualifications. The current paper presents findings, examples of best practices, and recommendations resulting from this workshop.

Quantification of interaction and topological parameters of polyisoprene star polymers under good solvent conditions

KAUST Repository

Rai, Durgesh K.

2016-05-05

Mass fractal scaling, reflected in the mass fractal dimension df, is independently impacted by topology, reflected in the connectivity dimension c, and by tortuosity, reflected in the minimum dimension dmin. The mass fractal dimension is related to these other dimensions by df=cdmin. Branched fractal structures have a higher mass fractal dimension compared to linear structures due to a higher c, and extended structures have a lower dimension compared to convoluted self-avoiding and Gaussian walks due to a lower dmin. It is found, in this work, that macromolecules in thermodynamic equilibrium display a fixed mass fractal dimension df under good solvent conditions, regardless of chain topology. These equilibrium structures accommodate changes in chain topology such as branching c by a decrease in chain tortuosity dmin. Symmetric star polymers are used to understand the structure of complex macromolecular topologies. A recently published hybrid Unified scattering function accounts for interarm correlations in symmetric star polymers along with polymer-solvent interaction for chains of arbitrary scaling dimension. Dilute solutions of linear, three-arm and six-arm polyisoprene stars are studied under good solvent conditions in deuterated p-xylene. Reduced chain tortuosity can be viewed as steric straightening of the arms. Steric effects for star topologies are quantified, and it is found that steric straightening of arms is more significant for lower-molecular-weight arms. The observation of constant df is explained through a modification of Flory-Krigbaum theory for branched polymers.

Swarming and Pattern Formation due to Selective Attraction and Repulsion

OpenAIRE

Romanczuk, Pawel; Schimansky-Geier, Lutz

2012-01-01

We discuss the collective dynamics of self-propelled particles with selective attraction and repulsion interactions. Each particle, or individual, may respond differently to its neighbours depending on the sign of their relative velocity. Thus, it is able to distinguish approaching (coming closer) and retreating (moving away) individuals. This differentiation of the social response is motivated by the response to looming visual stimuli and may be seen as a generalization of the previously pro...

Sugar concentration in nectar: a quantitative metric of crop attractiveness for refined pollinator risk assessments.

Science.gov (United States)

Knopper, Loren D; Dan, Tereza; Reisig, Dominic D; Johnson, Josephine D; Bowers, Lisa M

2016-10-01

Those involved with pollinator risk assessment know that agricultural crops vary in attractiveness to bees. Intuitively, this means that exposure to agricultural pesticides is likely greatest for attractive plants and lowest for unattractive plants. While crop attractiveness in the risk assessment process has been qualitatively remarked on by some authorities, absent is direction on how to refine the process with quantitative metrics of attractiveness. At a high level, attractiveness of crops to bees appears to depend on several key variables, including but not limited to: floral, olfactory, visual and tactile cues; seasonal availability; physical and behavioral characteristics of the bee; plant and nectar rewards. Notwithstanding the complexities and interactions among these variables, sugar content in nectar stands out as a suitable quantitative metric by which to refine pollinator risk assessments for attractiveness. Provided herein is a proposed way to use sugar nectar concentration to adjust the exposure parameter (with what is called a crop attractiveness factor) in the calculation of risk quotients in order to derive crop-specific tier I assessments. This Perspective is meant to invite discussion on incorporating such changes in the risk assessment process. © 2016 The Authors. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry. © 2016 The Authors. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Nanoparticles in ionic liquids: interactions and organization.

Science.gov (United States)

He, Zhiqi; Alexandridis, Paschalis

2015-07-28

Ionic liquids (ILs), defined as low-melting organic salts, are a novel class of compounds with unique properties and a combinatorially great chemical diversity. Ionic liquids are utilized as synthesis and dispersion media for nanoparticles as well as for surface functionalization. Ionic liquid and nanoparticle hybrid systems are governed by a combined effect of several intermolecular interactions between their constituents. For each interaction, including van der Waals, electrostatic, structural, solvophobic, steric, and hydrogen bonding, the characterization and quantitative calculation methods together with factors affecting these interactions are reviewed here. Various self-organized structures based on nanoparticles in ionic liquids are generated as a result of a balance of these intermolecular interactions. These structures, including colloidal glasses and gels, lyotropic liquid crystals, nanoparticle-stabilized ionic liquid-containing emulsions, ionic liquid surface-functionalized nanoparticles, and nanoscale ionic materials, possess properties of both ionic liquids and nanoparticles, which render them useful as novel materials especially in electrochemical and catalysis applications. This review of the interactions within nanoparticle dispersions in ionic liquids and of the structure of nanoparticle and ionic liquid hybrids provides guidance on the rational design of novel ionic liquid-based materials, enabling applications in broad areas.

INVESTMENT ATTRACTIVENESS OF ENTERPRISES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nadiia Davydenko

2017-03-01

Full Text Available In the article the approaches to defining the essence of the concept of “investment attractiveness of enterprises” were analyzed. On the example of "Agrofirm Brusilov" depth analysis of the agricultural enterprises to evaluate of profitability, liquidity, solvency, financial stability, the timing of the return of invested funds and minimizing investment risks was conducted. To study methods of rating and system analysis were used. To justify the conditions of  increasing investment attractiveness farms method of scoring was used. It was established as a result of the use of integrated evaluation of the financial position one can see problem aspects of financial position of the company and develop measures to enhance liquidity, solvency, identify potential for raising the efficiency of company and prevention of financial crisis. The analysis of financial position showed that the management of the enterprise doesn’t  think  about  financial stability and solvency, does not understand the benefit of borrowed capital. Using research results in practice of agricultural enterprises allows us to give a real evaluation of investment attractiveness and justify ways to improve it. Key words: investments, investment attractiveness, potential business, financial position.

The Effects of Physical Appearance and Behavior Upon Ratings of Social Attractiveness.

Science.gov (United States)

Mahoney, Sandra D.

A videotaped interaction between a stimulus person (SP) and an interviewer was viewed by 80 male and 80 female college students. The SP's physical appearance and behavior were varied in a 2 X 2 X 2 factorial design with student gender as the third independent variable. The effects of these three variables upon general attractiveness ratings and…

Attractive Hubbard model: Homogeneous Ginzburg–Landau expansion and disorder

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kuchinskii, E. Z.; Kuleeva, N. A.; Sadovskii, M. V.

2016-01-01

We derive a Ginzburg–Landau (GL) expansion in the disordered attractive Hubbard model within the combined Nozieres–Schmitt-Rink and DMFT+Σ approximation. Restricting ourselves to the homogeneous expansion, we analyze the disorder dependence of GL expansion coefficients for a wide range of attractive potentials U, from the weak BCS coupling region to the strong-coupling limit, where superconductivity is described by Bose–Einstein condensation (BEC) of preformed Cooper pairs. We show that for the a semielliptic “bare” density of states of the conduction band, the disorder influence on the GL coefficients A and B before quadratic and quartic terms of the order parameter, as well as on the specific heat discontinuity at the superconducting transition, is of a universal nature at any strength of the attractive interaction and is related only to the general widening of the conduction band by disorder. In general, disorder growth increases the values of the coefficients A and B, leading either to a suppression of the specific heat discontinuity (in the weak-coupling limit), or to its significant growth (in the strong-coupling region). However, this behavior actually confirms the validity of the generalized Anderson theorem, because the disorder dependence of the superconducting transition temperature T c , is also controlled only by disorder widening of the conduction band (density of states).

Female parity, maternal kinship, infant age and sex influence natal attraction and infant handling in a wild colobine (Colobus vellerosus).

Science.gov (United States)

Bădescu, Iulia; Sicotte, Pascale; Ting, Nelson; Wikberg, Eva C

2015-04-01

Primate females often inspect, touch and groom others' infants (natal attraction) and they may hold and carry these infants in a manner resembling maternal care (infant handling). While natal attraction and infant handling occur in most wild colobines, little is known about the factors influencing the expression of these behaviors. We examined the effects of female parity, kinship, and dominance rank, as well as infant age and sex in wild Colobus vellerosus at Boabeng-Fiema Monkey Sanctuary, Ghana. We collected data via focal sampling of females in 2008 and 2009 (N = 61) and of infants in 2010 (N = 12). Accounting for the individuals who interacted with our focal subjects, this study includes 74 females and 66 infants in 8 groups. We recorded female agonistic interactions ad libitum to determine dominance ranks. We used partial pedigree information and genotypes at 17 short tandem repeat loci to determine kinship. We knew female parity, infant age and sex from demographic records. Nulliparous females showed more natal attraction and infant handling than parous females, which may suggest that interactions with infants are more adaptive for nulliparous females because they learn mothering skills through these behaviors. Compared to non-kin, maternal kin were more likely to handle infants. Maternal kin may be permitted greater access to infants because mothers are most familiar with them. Handlers may incur inclusive fitness benefits from infant handling. Dominance rank did not affect female interactions with infants. The youngest infants received the most natal attraction and infant handling, and male infants were handled more than female infants. The potential benefits of learning to mother and inclusive fitness, in combination with the relatively low costs of natal attraction and infant handling, may explain the high rates of these behaviors in many colobines. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

13C nuclear magnetic resonance data of lanosterol derivatives—Profiling the steric topology of the steroid skeleton via substituent effects on its 13C NMR

Science.gov (United States)

Dias, Jerry Ray; Gao, Hongwu

2009-12-01

The 13C NMR spectra of over 24 tetracyclic triterpenoid derivatives have been structurally analyzed. The 13C NMR chemical shifts allow one to probe the steric topology of the rigid steroid skeleton and inductive effects of its substituents. Use of deuterium labeling in chemical shift assignment and B-ring aromatic terpenoids are also featured.

Attraction to and Avoidance of instream Hydrokinetic Turbines by Freshwater Aquatic Organisms

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cada, Glenn F [ORNL; Bevelhimer, Mark S [ORNL

2011-05-01

The development of hydrokinetic (HK) energy projects is under consideration at over 150 sites in large rivers in the United States, including the Mississippi, Ohio, Tennessee, and Atchafalaya Rivers. These waterbodies support numerous fish species that might interact with the HK projects in a variety of ways, e.g., by attraction to or avoidance of project structures. Although many fish species inhabit these rivers (about 172 species in the Mississippi River alone), not all of them will encounter the HK projects. Some species prefer low-velocity, backwater habitats rather than the high-velocity, main channel areas that would be the best sites for HK. Other, riverbank-oriented species are weak swimmers or too small to inhabit the main channel for significant periods of time. Some larger, main channel fish species are not known to be attracted to structures. Based on a consideration of habitat preferences, size/swim speed, and behavior, fish species that are most likely to be attracted to HK structures in the main channel include carps, suckers, catfish, white bass, striped bass, smallmouth bass, spotted bass, and sauger. Proper siting of the project in order to avoid sensitive fish populations, backwater and fish nursery habitat areas, and fish migration corridors will likely minimize concerns about fish attraction to or avoidance of HK structures.

40 CFR 503.33 - Vector attraction reduction.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 29 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Vector attraction reduction. 503.33... STANDARDS FOR THE USE OR DISPOSAL OF SEWAGE SLUDGE Pathogens and Vector Attraction Reduction § 503.33 Vector attraction reduction. (a)(1) One of the vector attraction reduction requirements in § 503.33 (b)(1) through...

Electron-electron attractive interaction in Maxwell-Chern-Simons QED{sub 3} at zero temperature

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Belich, H.; Ferreira Junior, M.M.; Helayel-Neto, J.A. [Centro Brasileiro de Pesquisas Fisicas (CBPF), Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil). E-mail: belich@cbpf.br; manojr@cbpf.br; helayel@gft.ucp.br; Ferreira Junior, M.M. [Universidade Catolica de Petropolis, RJ (Brazil). Grupo de Fisica Teorica. E-mail: delcima@gft.ucp.br

2001-04-01

One discusses the issue of low-energy electron-electron bound states in the Maxwell-Chern-Simons model coupled to QED{sub 3} with spontaneous breaking of a local U(1)-symmetry. The scattering potential, in the non-relativistic limit, steaming from the electron-electron Moeller scattering, mediated by the Maxwell-Chern-Simons-Proca gauge field and the Higgs scalar, might be attractive by fine-tuning properly the physical parameters of the model. (author)

RELATIONSHIPS IN THE WORKPLACE AND OCCUPATIONAL ATTRACTIVENESS AMONG STUDENTS, TEACHERS AND RANGERS-SPORTSMEN

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nikolay Ivantchev

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Perceived occupational attractiveness could be due to many factors and relationships in the workplace are among them. The questionnaire “Attractiveness of the profession” created by Ivanov (1999 was used to study how relationships in the workplace were related to perceptions of occupational attractiveness among students, teachers and rangers-sportsmen participating in special missions abroad. In 2012 and 2013, 46 secondary school teachers, 40 students in pedagogical specialties, and 27 sportsmen-rangers participating in special missions abroad were studied in Bulgaria. The results indicated that the students and the rangers were more satisfied with their work than the teachers were. The interpersonal relationships influenced mainly the students’ and rangers’ perceptions of occupational attractiveness. The rangers were more influenced by the relationships with the colleagues. The psycho-climate in the workplace was considered as more important by the rangers. The students were more influenced by the interpersonal communication at the workplace and their heads’ expertise. Some moderators of interpersonal relationships in the workplace were found – such as the tasks in the work, the prestige of occupation, the interaction between occupation and rewards, and the psycho-climate in the workplace.

Persepsi Wisatawan Terhadap Night Life Attraction

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Hary Hermawan

2017-04-01

ABSTRACT Cabaret is a term performances of music, comedy, dance, drama, and other special mix of art perfomed by men who dressed in women (ladyboy on stage. Cabaret performances in Oyot Godhong Restaurant intended as new tourist attraction that is expected to increase the interest of tourists to visit Malioboro in Yogyakarta, especially to Oyot Godhong Restaurants. Based descriptive study shows that the characteristics travelers who viewed Kabaret show is very diverse, each of which has perceptions and motivations are different. Cabaret performances have qualified to become the cultural attractions are staged at night (night atraction in the city of Yogyakarta. Based on traveler perception indicates that the cabaret performances have beauty or aesthetics, uniqueness, and values that match the criteria criteria of the standard as a tourist attraction. Performances Cabaret in Oyot Godhong Restaurants able to increase the sale value. Oyot Godhong Restaurants previously only form of tourism facilities (amenities, but is now a restaurant that has a tourist attraction (atraction.   Keywords: Cabaret show, night life attractions, tourism attraction, tourists perception, tourism marketing

The role of romantic attraction and conflict resolution in predicting shorter and longer relationship maintenance among adolescents.

Science.gov (United States)

Appel, Israel; Shulman, Shmuel

2015-04-01

This study examined the role of romantic attraction and conflict resolution patterns in shorter and longer relationship maintenance among adolescent couples. Data were used from 55 couples aged 15-18 years. Partners completed the Romantic Attraction scale and were observed negotiating a disagreement. Three and 6 months later, they were asked to report whether they were still together. Findings indicated that partners' romantic attraction and the tendency to minimize disagreements during interaction predicted shorter relationship maintenance. In contrast, longer relationship maintenance was predicted by partners' capability to resolve conflicts constructively in a positive atmosphere. Findings are embedded and discussed within Fisher's (2004) evolutionary theory of love.

The Impact of Female Attractiveness in Spy

OpenAIRE

Pangjaya, Veronika Juliani; Handojo, Priska Febrinia

2017-01-01

This thesis discusses the impact of female attractiveness on the female character which is related to the way Spy sees attractive women and what the impacts to them are. There are criteria for female attractiveness that are displayed by the film such as physical attributes and traits. In order to show the criteria of attractive women and the responses that they get, I use stereotyping theory. Women who are physically attractive get better treatment, but in order to get that, they have to dres...

Facial aesthetics: babies prefer attractiveness to symmetry.

Science.gov (United States)

Samuels, Curtis A; Butterworth, George; Roberts, Tony; Graupner, Lida; Hole, Graham

2013-01-01

The visual preferences of human infants for faces that varied in their attractiveness and in their symmetry about the midline were explored. The aim was to establish whether infants' visual preference for attractive faces may be mediated by the vertical symmetry of the face. Chimeric faces, made from photographs of attractive and unattractive female faces, were produced by computer graphics. Babies looked longer at normal and at chimeric attractive faces than at normal and at chimeric unattractive faces. There were no developmental differences between the younger and older infants: all preferred to look at the attractive faces. Infants as young as 4 months showed similarity with adults in the 'aesthetic perception' of attractiveness and this preference was not based on the vertical symmetry of the face.

Physical Attractiveness, Attitude Similarity, and Length of Acquaintance as Contributors to Interpersonal Attraction Among Adolescents

Science.gov (United States)

Cavior, Norman; And Others

1975-01-01

Tenth and twelfth grade males and females who knew each other judged, within grade levels, their classmates on physical attractiveness (PA), perceived attitude similarity (PAS), and interpersonal attraction (IA). Regression analyses supported the hypotheses that PA and PAS are positively correlated. (Author)

Ovulatory shifts in women's attractions to primary partners and other men: further evidence of the importance of primary partner sexual attractiveness.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christina M Larson

Full Text Available Previous research has documented shifts in women's attractions to their romantic partner and to men other than their partner across the ovulation cycle, contingent on the degree to which her partner displays hypothesized indicators of high-fitness genes. The current study set out to replicate and extend this finding. Forty-one couples in which the woman was naturally cycling participated. Female partners reported their feelings of in-pair attraction and extra-pair attraction on two occasions, once on a low-fertility day of the cycle and once on a high-fertility day of the cycle just prior to ovulation. Ovulation was confirmed using luteinizing hormone tests. We collected two measures of male partner sexual attractiveness. First, the women in the study rated their partner's sexual attractiveness. Second, we photographed the partners and had the photos independently rated for attractiveness. Shifts in women's in-pair attractions across the cycle were significantly moderated by women's ratings of partner sexual attractiveness, such that the less sexually attractive women rated their partner, the less in-pair attraction they reported at high fertility compared with low fertility (partial r = .37, p(dir = .01. Shifts in women's extra-pair attractions across the cycle were significantly moderated by third-party ratings of partner attractiveness, such that the less attractive the partner was, the more extra-pair attraction women reported at high relative to low fertility (partial r = -.33, p(dir = .03. In line with previous findings, we found support for the hypothesis that the degree to which a woman's romantic partner displays indicators of high-fitness genes affects women's attractions to their own partner and other men at high fertility.

Physical Attractiveness and Interpersonal Influence

Science.gov (United States)

Dion, Karen K.; Stein, Steven

1978-01-01

Examines the hypothesis that attractive individuals should be more successful with opposite-sex peers but less successful with same-sex peers than unattractive individuals. Also investigates the influence strategies employed by persons differing in attractiveness since nothing is currently known about the actual behavior exhibited by attractive…

Halogen bond: a long overlooked interaction.

Science.gov (United States)

Cavallo, Gabriella; Metrangolo, Pierangelo; Pilati, Tullio; Resnati, Giuseppe; Terraneo, Giancarlo

2015-01-01

Because of their high electronegativity, halogen atoms are typically considered, in most of their derivatives, as sites of high electron density and it is commonly accepted that they can form attractive interactions by functioning as the electron donor site (nucleophilic site). This is the case when they work as hydrogen bond acceptor sites. However, the electron density in covalently bound halogens is anisotropically distributed. There is a region of higher electron density, accounting for the ability of halogens to function as electron donor sites in attractive interactions, and a region of lower electron density where the electrostatic potential is frequently positive (mainly in the heavier halogens). This latter region is responsible for the ability of halogen atoms to function as the electron-acceptor site (electrophilic site) in attractive interactions formed with a variety of lone pair-possessing atoms, anions, and π-systems. This ability is quite general and is shown by a wide diversity of halogenated compounds (e.g., organohalogen derivatives and dihalogens). According to the definition proposed by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry, any attractive interactions wherein the halogen atom is the electrophile is named halogen bond (XB). In this chapter, it is discussed how the practice and the concept of XB developed and a brief history of the interaction is presented. Papers (either from the primary or secondary literature) which have reported major experimental findings in the field or which have given important theoretical contributions for the development of the concept are recollected in order to trace how a unifying and comprehensive categorization emerged encompassing all interactions wherein halogen atoms function as the electrophilic site.

Metal coordination by sterically hindered heterocyclic ligands, including 2-vinylpyridine, assessed by investigation of cobaloximes.

Science.gov (United States)

Siega, Patrizia; Randaccio, Lucio; Marzilli, Patricia A; Marzilli, Luigi G

2006-04-17

Structural and 1H NMR data have been obtained for cobaloximes with the bulkiest substituted pyridines reported so far. We have isolated in noncoordinating solvents the complexes CH3Co(DH)2L (methylcobaloxime, where DH = the monoanion of dimethylglyoxime) with L = sterically hindered N-donor ligands: quinoline, 4-CH3quinoline, 2,4-(CH3)2pyridine, and 2-R-pyridine (R = CH3, OCH3, CH2CH3, CH=CH2). We have found that the Co-N(ax) bond is very long in the structurally characterized complexes. In particular, CH3Co(DH)2(4-CH3quinoline) has a longer Co-N(ax) bond (2.193(3) A) than any reported for methylcobaloximes. The main cause of the long bonds is unambiguously identified as the steric bulk of L by the fairly linear relationship found for Co-N(ax) distance vs CCA (calculated cone angle, CCA, a computed measure of bulk) over an extensive series of methylcobaloximes. The linear relationship improves if L basicity (quantified by pKa) is taken into account. In anhydrous CDCl3 at 25 degrees C, all complexes except the 2-aminopyridine adduct exhibit 1H NMR spectra consistent with partial dissociation of L to form the methylcobaloxime dimer. 1H NMR experiments at -20 degrees C allowed us to assess qualitatively the relative binding ability of L as follows: 2,4-(CH3)2pyridine > 4-CH3quinoline approximately = quinoline approximately = 2-CH3pyridine > 2-CH3Opyridine > 2-CH3CH2pyridine > 2-CH2=CHpyridine. The broadness of the 1H NMR signals at 25 degrees C suggests a similar order for the ligand exchange rate. The lack of dissociation by 2-aminopyridine is attributed to an intramolecular hydrogen bond between the NH2 group and an oxime O atom. The weaker than expected binding of 2-vinylpyridine relative to the Co-N(ax) bond length is attributed to rotation of the 2-vinyl group required for this bulky ligand to bind to the metal center, a conclusion supported by pronounced changes in 2-vinylpyridine signals upon coordination.

Investment Attractiveness of Food Industries in Ukraine

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L. О.

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Effective investment is a factor for long-term company development. As enhancement of investment attractiveness is a required condition for economic growth and improvement of living standards, it needs to be on the agenda at government and company level. The article’s objective is to study investment attractiveness of food industries in Ukraine over 2012–2015. Investment attractiveness of food industries can be measured by indicators of liquidity, financial sustainability, and profit rate. Basically, food industries in Ukraine are attractive for investment, which is demonstrated by assessment of the financial indicators. The investment attractiveness worsened slightly in 2015 compared with 2014. The essential problems faced by food industries are shortage of internal funds and negative profit rate of all the activities, assets and own capital. Official statistical data and software package SPSS are used to build the dendrogram, allowing for dividing food industries by level of investment attractiveness into three groups: industries with high, medium and low level of investment attractiveness. It is found that meat industry is the one with the highest level of investment attractiveness. Also, investors should look positively at food-canning industry, oil and animal fat industry, flour-milling industry, starch and starch products industry, and other foods industry.

A Study of the Effect of a Child's Physical Attractiveness upon Verbal Scoring of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (Revised) and upon Personality Attributions

OpenAIRE

Wheeler, Paula Theisler

1985-01-01

The purpose of this research was to investigate possible examiner bias in scoring the Verbal subtests of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (Revised) due to the level of facial attractiveness of the child. Sex of the child and sex of the research subject were also included as independent variables. No main effect for attractiveness or sex x attractiveness interactions were found. Thus, little evidence emerged to suggest attractiveness stereotyping effects in an intelligence testing ...

Timetable Attractiveness Parameters

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schittenhelm, Bernd

2008-01-01

Timetable attractiveness is influenced by a set of key parameters that are described in this article. Regarding the superior structure of the timetable, the trend in Europe goes towards periodic regular interval timetables. Regular departures and focus on optimal transfer possibilities make...... these timetables attractive. The travel time in the timetable depends on the characteristics of the infrastructure and rolling stock, the heterogeneity of the planned train traffic and the necessary number of transfers on the passenger’s journey. Planned interdependencies between trains, such as transfers...... and heterogeneous traffic, add complexity to the timetable. The risk of spreading initial delays to other trains and parts of the network increases with the level of timetable complexity....

Bose condensation in an attractive fermion gas: From weak to strong coupling superconductivity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nozieres, P.; Schmitt-Rink, S.

1985-01-01

We consider a gas of fermions interacting via an attractive potential. We study the ground state of that system and calculate the critical temperature for the onset of superconductivity as a function of the coupling strength. We compare the behavior of continuum and lattice models and show that the evolution from weak to strong coupling superconductivity is smooth

Materials Design via Optimized Intramolecular Noncovalent Interactions for High-Performance Organic Semiconductors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Guo, Xiaojie; Liao, Qiaogan; Manley, Eric F.; Wu, Zishan; Wang, Yulun; Wang, Weida; Yang, Tingbin; Shin, Young-Eun; Cheng, Xing; Liang, Yongye; Chen, Lin X.; Baeg, Kang-Jun; Marks, Tobin J.; Guo, Xugang

2016-03-15

We report the design, synthesis, and implemention in semiconducting polymers of a novel head-to-head linkage containing the TRTOR (3-alkyl-3'-alkoxy-2,2'-bithiophene) donor subunit having a single strategically optimized, planarizing noncovalent S···O interaction. Diverse complementary thermal, optical, electrochemical, X-ray scattering, electrical, photovoltaic, and electron microscopic characterization techniques are applied to establish structure-property correlations in a TRTOR-based polymer series. In comparison to monomers having double S···O interactions, replacing one alkoxy substituent with a less electron-donating alkyl one yields TRTOR-based polymers with significantly depressed (0.2-0.3 eV) HOMOs. Furthermore, the weaker single S···O interaction and greater TRTOR steric encumberance enhances materials processability without sacrificing backbone planarity. From another perspective, TRTOR has comparable electronic properties to ring-fused 5Hdithieno[ 3,2-b:2',3'-d]pyran (DTP) subunits, but a centrosymmetric geometry which promotes a more compact and ordered structure than bulkier, axisymmetric DTP. Compared to monosubstituted TTOR (3-alkoxy-2,2'-bithiophene), alkylation at the TRTOR bithiophene 3-position enhances conjugation and polymer crystallinity with contracted π-π stacking. Grazing incidence wide-angle X-ray scattering (GIWAXS) data reveal that the greater steric hindrance and the weaker single S···O interaction are not detrimental to close packing and high crystallinity. As a proof of materials design, copolymerizing TRTOR with phthalimides yields copolymers with promising thin-film transistor mobility as high as 0.42 cm2/(V·s) and 6.3% power conversion efficiency in polymer solar cells, the highest of any phthalimide copolymers reported to date. The depressed TRTOR HOMOs imbue these polymers with substantially increased Ion/Ioff ratios and Voc’s versus analogous subunits with multiple electron donating

Materials Design via Optimized Intramolecular Noncovalent Interactions for High-Performance Organic Semiconductors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Guo, Xiaojie [Shenzhen Key Laboratory; Liao, Qiaogan [Shenzhen Key Laboratory; Manley, Eric F. [Department; Chemical; Wu, Zishan [Shenzhen Key Laboratory; Wang, Yulun [Shenzhen Key Laboratory; Wang, Weida [Shenzhen Key Laboratory; Yang, Tingbin [Shenzhen Key Laboratory; Shin, Young-Eun [Department; Cheng, Xing [Shenzhen Key Laboratory; Liang, Yongye [Shenzhen Key Laboratory; Chen, Lin X. [Department; Chemical; Baeg, Kang-Jun [Department; Marks, Tobin J. [Department; Guo, Xugang [Shenzhen Key Laboratory

2016-03-15

We report the design, synthesis, and implemention in semiconducting polymers of a novel head-to-head linkage containing the TRTOR (3-alkyl-3'-alkoxy-2,2'-bithiophene) donor subunit having a single strategically optimized, planarizing noncovalent S···O interaction. Diverse complementary thermal, optical, electrochemical, X-ray scattering, electrical, photovoltaic, and electron microscopic characterization techniques are applied to establish structure–property correlations in a TRTOR-based polymer series. In comparison to monomers having double S···O interactions, replacing one alkoxy substituent with a less electron-donating alkyl one yields TRTOR-based polymers with significantly depressed (0.2–0.3 eV) HOMOs. Furthermore, the weaker single S···O interaction and greater TRTOR steric encumberance enhances materials processability without sacrificing backbone planarity. From another perspective, TRTOR has comparable electronic properties to ring-fused 5H-dithieno[3,2-b:2',3'-d]pyran (DTP) subunits, but a centrosymmetric geometry which promotes a more compact and ordered structure than bulkier, axisymmetric DTP. Compared to monosubstituted TTOR (3-alkoxy-2,2'-bithiophene), alkylation at the TRTOR bithiophene 3-position enhances conjugation and polymer crystallinity with contracted π–π stacking. Grazing incidence wide-angle X-ray scattering (GIWAXS) data reveal that the greater steric hindrance and the weaker single S···O interaction are not detrimental to close packing and high crystallinity. As a proof of materials design, copolymerizing TRTOR with phthalimides yields copolymers with promising thin-film transistor mobility as high as 0.42 cm2/(V·s) and 6.3% power conversion efficiency in polymer solar cells, the highest of any phthalimide copolymers reported to date. The depressed TRTOR HOMOs imbue these polymers with substantially increased Ion/Ioff ratios and Voc’s versus analogous subunits with multiple electron

Gender Differences in Sexual Attraction and Moral Judgment: Research With Artificial Face Models.

Science.gov (United States)

González-Álvarez, Julio; Cervera-Crespo, Teresa

2018-01-01

Sexual attraction in humans is influenced by cultural or moral factors, and some gender differences can emerge in this complex interaction. A previous study found that men dissociate sexual attraction from moral judgment more than women do. Two experiments consisting of giving attractiveness ratings to photos of real opposite-sex individuals showed that men, compared to women, were significantly less influenced by the moral valence of a description about the person shown in each photo. There is evidence of some processing differences between real and artificial computer-generated faces. The present study tests the robustness of González-Álvarez's findings and extends the research to an experimental design using artificial face models as stimuli. A sample of 88 young adults (61 females and 27 males, average age 19.32, SD = 2.38) rated the attractiveness of 80 3D artificial face models generated with the FaceGen Modeller 3.5 software. Each face model was paired with a "good" and a "bad" (from a moral point of view) sentence depicting a quality or activity of the person represented in the model (e.g., she/he is an altruistic nurse in Africa vs. she/he is a prominent drug dealer). Results were in line with the previous findings and showed that, with artificial faces as well, sexual attraction is less influenced by morality in men than in women. This gender difference is consistent with an evolutionary perspective on human sexuality.

Clusters in attractive colloids

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Coniglio, A [Dipartimento di Scienze Fisiche, Universita di Napoli ' Federico II' , Complesso Universitario di Monte Sant' Angelo, via Cintia 80126 Naples (Italy); Arcangelis, L de [Dipartimento di Ingegneria dell' Informazione and CNISM II Universita di Napoli, Aversa (CE) (Italy); Candia, A de [Dipartimento di Scienze Fisiche, Universita di Napoli ' Federico II' , Complesso Universitario di Monte Sant' Angelo, via Cintia 80126 Naples (Italy); Gado, E Del [Dipartimento di Scienze Fisiche, Universita di Napoli ' Federico II' , Complesso Universitario di Monte Sant' Angelo, via Cintia 80126 Naples (Italy); Fierro, A [Dipartimento di Scienze Fisiche, Universita di Napoli ' Federico II' , Complesso Universitario di Monte Sant' Angelo, via Cintia 80126 Naples (Italy); Sator, N [Laboratoire de Physique Theorique de la Matiere Condensee, Universite Pierre et Marie Curie-Paris6, UMR (CNRS) 7600 Case 121, 4 Place Jussieu 75252 Paris Cedex 05 (France)

2006-09-13

We discuss how the anomalous increase of the viscosity in colloidal systems with short-range attraction can be related to the formation of long-living clusters. Based on molecular dynamics and Monte Carlo numerical simulations of different models, we propose a similar picture for colloidal gelation at low and intermediate volume fractions. On this basis, we analyze the distinct role played by the formation of long-living bonds and the crowding of the particles in the slow dynamics of attractive colloidal systems.

Plant pathogen-induced volatiles attract parasitoids to increase parasitism of an insect vector

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xavier eMartini

2014-05-01

Full Text Available Interactions between plant pathogens and arthropods have been predominantly studied through the prism of herbivorous arthropods. Currently, little is known about the effect of plant pathogens on the third trophic level. This question is particularly interesting in cases where pathogens manipulate host phenotype to increase vector attraction and presumably increase their own proliferation. Indeed, a predator or a parasitoid of a vector may take advantage of this manipulated phenotype to increase its foraging performance. We explored the case of a bacterial pathogen, Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (Las, which modifies the odors released by its host plant (citrus trees to attract its vector, the psyllid Diaphorina citri. We found that the specialist parasitoid of D. citri, Tamarixia radiata, was attracted more toward Las-infected than uninfected plants. We demonstrated that this attractiveness was due to the release of methyl salicylate. Parasitization of D. citri nymphs on Las-infected plants was higher than on uninfected controls. Also, parasitization was higher on uninfected plants baited with methyl salicylate than on non-baited controls. This is the first report of a parasitoid ‘eavesdropping’ on a plant volatile induced by bacterial pathogen infection, which also increases effectiveness of host seeking behavior of its herbivorous vector.

An empirical test of sex differences in the emphasis on physical attractiveness in mate selection.

Science.gov (United States)

Colwell, John

2007-08-01

Within a context provided by social structural theory, social evolutionary theory, and physical attractiveness stereotyping, the importance of physical attractiveness in heterosexual mate selection was explored by presenting 50 male and 50 female psychology students (M age = 22.5 yr.) during a scheduled class with an opposite sex personals advertisement, wherein the advertiser was described as 'average' or 'good-looking'. Dependent variables consisted of a written paragraph and measures of evaluation (Semantic Differential), attraction, advertisement appeal, and success. An interaction for sex x looks on the qualitative measure showed no effect for men, but the good-looking female advertiser was evaluated more positively. However, for quantitative data, the advertisement was seen as more appealing and likely to be successful when the advertiser was good looking as opposed to average looking, irrespective of sex of advertiser. Findings are discussed in relation to theoretical perspectives.

Change in Physical Attraction in Early Romantic Relationships

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Victor Karandashev

2014-12-01

Full Text Available The goal of our research was to study the changes in physical attraction during the early stages of romantic relationships. The longitudinal study explored the personality characteristics of a partner and relationship events affecting physical attraction of early (within the first year romantic relationships. Participants completed an eight-week longitudinal rating of their attraction toward their romantic partner. Factor analysis revealed behavioral, cognitive, emotional, and physiological dimensions. The behavioral and emotional dimensions play the largest role in attraction among both genders, with cognitive dimension also affecting attraction in women. Personality characteristics of one’s partner are significant predictors of physical attraction for both men and women. However, events occurring in the relationship seem to be only reliable predictors for a women’s attraction.

Flight attraction of Spodoptera littoralis (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae to cotton headspace and synthetic volatile blends

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Felipe eBorrero-Echeverry

2015-06-01

Full Text Available The insect olfactory system discriminates odor signals of different biological relevance, which drive innate behavior. Identification of stimuli that trigger upwind flight attraction towards host plants is a current challenge, and is essential in developing new, sustainable plant protection methods, and for furthering our understanding of plant-insect interactions. Using behavioral, analytical and electrophysiological studies, we here show that both females and males of the Egyptian cotton leafworm, Spodoptera littoralis (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae, use blends of volatile compounds to locate their host plant, cotton, Gossypium hirsutum (Malvales, Malvaceae. Female S. littoralis were engaged in upwind orientation flight in a wind tunnel when headspace collected from cotton plants was delivered through a piezoelectric sprayer. Although males took off towards cotton headspace significantly fewer males than females flew upwind towards the sprayed headspace. Subsequent assays with antennally active synthetic compounds revealed that a blend of nonanal, (Z-3 hexenyl acetate, (E-β-ocimene, and (R-(+-limonene was as attractive as cotton headspace to females and more attractive to males. DMNT and (R-(--linalool, both known plant defense compounds may have reduced the flight attraction of both females and males; more moths were attracted to blends without these two compounds. Our findings provide a platform for further investigations on host plant signals mediating innate behavior, and for the development of novel insect plant protection strategies against S. littoralis.

Interpersonal attraction in buyer–supplier relationships

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ellegaard, Chris

2012-01-01

The concept of attraction is not reserved for the study of interpersonal relationships between husband and wife, family members, or lifelong friends. On the contrary, it contains much potential as a variable describing interpersonal business exchange relationships. This potential has been noted...... by well-known industrial marketing scholars in the past, and recent theoretical advances have incorporated attraction to describe buyer– supplier exchange, although primarily at the interorganizational level of analysis. The in-depth understanding of interpersonal attraction between boundary spanners...... representing buying and supply companies has yet to be developed. By drawing on social psychology and social exchange literature, this paper attempts to fill some of this gap. It contributes by uncovering the elements and process of interpersonal attraction. Furthermore, propositions are formulated to guide...

Differences between Caucasian and Asian attractive faces.

Science.gov (United States)

Rhee, S C

2018-02-01

There are discrepancies between the public's current beauty desires and conventional theories and historical rules regarding facial beauty. This photogrammetric study aims to describe in detail mathematical differences in facial configuration between attractive Caucasian and attractive Asian faces. To analyse the structural differences between attractive Caucasian and attractive Asian faces, frontal face and lateral face views for each race were morphed; facial landmarks were defined, and the relative photographic pixel distances and angles were measured. Absolute values were acquired by arithmetic conversion for comparison. The data indicate that some conventional beliefs of facial attractiveness can be applied but others are no longer valid in explaining perspectives of beauty between Caucasians and Asians. Racial differences in the perceptions of attractive faces were evident. Common features as a phenomenon of global fusion in the perspectives on facial beauty were revealed. Beauty standards differ with race and ethnicity, and some conventional rules for ideal facial attractiveness were found to be inappropriate. We must reexamine old principles of facial beauty and continue to fundamentally question it according to its racial, cultural, and neuropsychological aspects. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Darcin: a male pheromone that stimulates female memory and sexual attraction to an individual male's odour

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McLean Lynn

2010-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Among invertebrates, specific pheromones elicit inherent (fixed behavioural responses to coordinate social behaviours such as sexual recognition and attraction. By contrast, the much more complex social odours of mammals provide a broad range of information about the individual owner and stimulate individual-specific responses that are modulated by learning. How do mammals use such odours to coordinate important social interactions such as sexual attraction while allowing for individual-specific choice? We hypothesized that male mouse urine contains a specific pheromonal component that invokes inherent sexual attraction to the scent and which also stimulates female memory and conditions sexual attraction to the airborne odours of an individual scent owner associated with this pheromone. Results Using wild-stock house mice to ensure natural responses that generalize across individual genomes, we identify a single atypical male-specific major urinary protein (MUP of mass 18893Da that invokes a female's inherent sexual attraction to male compared to female urinary scent. Attraction to this protein pheromone, which we named darcin, was as strong as the attraction to intact male urine. Importantly, contact with darcin also stimulated a strong learned attraction to the associated airborne urinary odour of an individual male, such that, subsequently, females were attracted to the airborne scent of that specific individual but not to that of other males. Conclusions This involatile protein is a mammalian male sex pheromone that stimulates a flexible response to individual-specific odours through associative learning and memory, allowing female sexual attraction to be inherent but selective towards particular males. This 'darcin effect' offers a new system to investigate the neural basis of individual-specific memories in the brain and give new insights into the regulation of behaviour in complex social mammals. See associated

Darcin: a male pheromone that stimulates female memory and sexual attraction to an individual male's odour.

Science.gov (United States)

Roberts, Sarah A; Simpson, Deborah M; Armstrong, Stuart D; Davidson, Amanda J; Robertson, Duncan H; McLean, Lynn; Beynon, Robert J; Hurst, Jane L

2010-06-03

Among invertebrates, specific pheromones elicit inherent (fixed) behavioural responses to coordinate social behaviours such as sexual recognition and attraction. By contrast, the much more complex social odours of mammals provide a broad range of information about the individual owner and stimulate individual-specific responses that are modulated by learning. How do mammals use such odours to coordinate important social interactions such as sexual attraction while allowing for individual-specific choice? We hypothesized that male mouse urine contains a specific pheromonal component that invokes inherent sexual attraction to the scent and which also stimulates female memory and conditions sexual attraction to the airborne odours of an individual scent owner associated with this pheromone. Using wild-stock house mice to ensure natural responses that generalize across individual genomes, we identify a single atypical male-specific major urinary protein (MUP) of mass 18893Da that invokes a female's inherent sexual attraction to male compared to female urinary scent. Attraction to this protein pheromone, which we named darcin, was as strong as the attraction to intact male urine. Importantly, contact with darcin also stimulated a strong learned attraction to the associated airborne urinary odour of an individual male, such that, subsequently, females were attracted to the airborne scent of that specific individual but not to that of other males. This involatile protein is a mammalian male sex pheromone that stimulates a flexible response to individual-specific odours through associative learning and memory, allowing female sexual attraction to be inherent but selective towards particular males. This 'darcin effect' offers a new system to investigate the neural basis of individual-specific memories in the brain and give new insights into the regulation of behaviour in complex social mammals.See associated Commentary http://www.biomedcentral.com/1741-7007/8/71.

X(3872): a qq-bar-cc molecule with attractive diquarks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takeuchi, Sachiko; Lyubovitskij, V.E.; Gutsche, Th.; Faessler, Amand

2007-01-01

The qq-barcc-bar systems are investigated by a quark model with the quark correlation, which has successfully described baryon and meson mass spectra. The results show that there can be a bound state of qq-barcc-bar isospin 1, J PC =1 ++ . This state is considered as a coupled state of the J/ψ-ρ and D-D* molecules. The size of the DD* component is smaller because the quark interaction is more attractive. We argue that this state can be X(3872)

Malaria mosquitoes attracted by fatal fungus.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Justin George

Full Text Available Insect-killing fungi such as Beauveria bassiana are being evaluated as possible active ingredients for use in novel biopesticides against mosquito vectors that transmit malaria. Fungal pathogens infect through contact and so applications of spores to surfaces such as walls, nets, or other resting sites provide possible routes to infect mosquitoes in and around domestic dwellings. However, some insects can detect and actively avoid fungal spores to reduce infection risk. If true for mosquitoes, such behavior could render the biopesticide approach ineffective. Here we find that the spores of B. bassiana are highly attractive to females of Anopheles stephensi, a major anopheline mosquito vector of human malaria in Asia. We further find that An. stephensi females are preferentially attracted to dead and dying caterpillars infected with B. bassiana, landing on them and subsequently becoming infected with the fungus. Females are also preferentially attracted to cloth sprayed with oil-formulated B. bassiana spores, with 95% of the attracted females becoming infected after a one-minute visit on the cloth. This is the first report of an insect being attracted to a lethal fungal pathogen. The exact mechanisms involved in this behavior remain unclear. Nonetheless, our results indicate that biopesticidal formulations comprising B. bassiana spores will be conducive to attraction and on-source visitation by malaria vectors.

Aggregation in charged nanoparticles solutions induced by different interactions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Abbas, S.; Kumar, Sugam; Aswal, V. K., E-mail: vkaswal@barc.gov.in [Solid State Physics Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai 400 085 (India); Kohlbrecher, J. [Laboratory for Neutron Scattering, Paul Scherrer Institut, CH-5232 PSI Villigen (Switzerland)

2016-05-23

Small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) has been used to study the aggregation of anionic silica nanoparticles as induced through different interactions. The nanoparticle aggregation is induced by addition of salt (NaCl), cationic protein (lysozyme) and non-ionic surfactant (C12E10) employing different kind of interactions. The results show that the interaction in presence of salt can be explained using DLVO theory whereas non-DLVO forces play important role for interaction of nanoparticles with protein and surfactant. The presence of salt screens the repulsion between charged nanoparticles giving rise to a net attraction in the DLVO potential. On the other hand, strong electrostatic attraction between nanoparticle and oppositely charged protein leads to protein-mediated nanoparticle aggregation. In case of non-ionic surfactant, the relatively long-range attractive depletion interaction is found to be responsible for the particle aggregation. Interestingly, the completely different interactions lead to similar kind of aggregate morphology. The nanoparticle aggregates formed are found to have mass fractal nature having a fractal dimension (~2.5) consistent with diffusion limited type of fractal morphology in all three cases.

Objective assessment of the contribution of dental esthetics and facial attractiveness in men via eye tracking.

Science.gov (United States)

Baker, Robin S; Fields, Henry W; Beck, F Michael; Firestone, Allen R; Rosenstiel, Stephen F

2018-04-01

Recently, greater emphasis has been placed on smile esthetics in dentistry. Eye tracking has been used to objectively evaluate attention to the dentition (mouth) in female models with different levels of dental esthetics quantified by the aesthetic component of the Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need (IOTN). This has not been accomplished in men. Our objective was to determine the visual attention to the mouth in men with different levels of dental esthetics (IOTN levels) and background facial attractiveness, for both male and female raters, using eye tracking. Facial images of men rated as unattractive, average, and attractive were digitally manipulated and paired with validated oral images, IOTN levels 1 (no treatment need), 7 (borderline treatment need), and 10 (definite treatment need). Sixty-four raters meeting the inclusion criteria were included in the data analysis. Each rater was calibrated in the eye tracker and randomly viewed the composite images for 3 seconds, twice for reliability. Reliability was good or excellent (intraclass correlation coefficients, 0.6-0.9). Significant interactions were observed with factorial repeated-measures analysis of variance and the Tukey-Kramer method for density and duration of fixations in the interactions of model facial attractiveness by area of the face (P models was eye, mouth, and nose, but for men of average attractiveness, it was mouth, eye, and nose. For dental esthetics by area, at IOTN 7, the mouth had significantly more visual attention than it did at IOTN 1 and significantly more than the nose. At IOTN 10, the mouth received significantly more attention than at IOTN 7 and surpassed the nose and eye. These findings were irrespective of facial attractiveness levels. For rater sex by area in visual density, women showed significantly more attention to the eyes than did men, and only men showed significantly more attention to the mouth over the nose. Visual attention to the mouth was the greatest in men of

Electrostatic attraction between overall neutral surfaces.

Science.gov (United States)

Adar, Ram M; Andelman, David; Diamant, Haim

2016-08-01

Two overall neutral surfaces with positively and negatively charged domains ("patches") have been shown in recent experiments to exhibit long-range attraction when immersed in an ionic solution. Motivated by the experiments, we calculate analytically the osmotic pressure between such surfaces within the Poisson-Boltzmann framework, using a variational principle for the surface-averaged free energy. The electrostatic potential, calculated beyond the linear Debye-Hückel theory, yields an overall attraction at large intersurface separations, over a wide range of the system's controlled length scales. In particular, the attraction is stronger and occurs at smaller separations for surface patches of larger size and charge density. In this large patch limit, we find that the attraction-repulsion crossover separation is inversely proportional to the square of the patch-charge density and to the Debye screening length.

Multinational enterprises in regional innovation systems: attraction factors and integration mechanisms = Les entreprises multinationales dans les systèmes régionaux d'innovation: facteurs d'attraction et mécanismes d'intégration

OpenAIRE

Baier, Elisabeth

2011-01-01

This work explains mutual influences between MNEs and regional innovation networks during innovation processes. An analytical framework integrates different research perspectives and allows analysing the integration of MNEs in regional innovation networks through the identification of attraction factors and interaction mechanisms between regional and organisational learning.

Attraction of semiconductor nanowires: An in situ observation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Bin; Gao, Qiang; Chang, Li; Wang, Yanbo; Chen, Zibin; Liao, Xiaozhou; Tan, Hark Hoe; Zou, Jin; Ringer, Simon P.; Jagadish, Chennupati

2013-01-01

Graphical abstract: -- Abstract: In situ deformation transmission electron microscopy was used to study the attraction behavior of GaAs semiconductor nanowires (NWs). The NWs demonstrated an interesting phenomenon of either head-to-head or body-to-body attraction at distances that depend on the NW diameters. The NWs with a diameter of ∼25 nm attracted at a distance of ∼25 nm, while large-diameter NWs of ∼55 nm showed no obvious attraction. The underlying mechanism governing the attraction of the NWs is proposed and discussed with a mechanistic model. The diameter dependence on the NW attraction behavior is discussed. The finding provides an understanding of the Ampère force in nanostructured materials caused by an electron-beam-induced current while technologically it provides useful hints for designing NW-based devices according to the diameter-dependent attraction behavior of NWs

Lack of differences between males with or without perceived same sex attraction.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Peter A; Houk, Christopher P

2006-02-01

Adolescent males are often concerned that they may be homosexual because of a sense of sexual attraction to other males. This not uncommon concern is often expressed to pediatric endocrinologists who come into contact with these boys because of concerns with abnormal pubertal development. To explore the character and prevalence of these types of homosexual concerns we assessed the perceptions of a group of healthy adolescent males using a structured questionnaire. The aim of this study was to determine whether males concerned about homosexual tendencies manifest a unique self-perception profile or interact differently with others. A multi-item questionnaire regarding demographic, behavioral, psychological and sexual characteristics was administered to 52 18-24 year-old males. Overall, there were few differences between males admitting to an adolescent homosexual attraction to males and males without this attraction. Differences between these two groups included more exposure to some kinds of pornography (including male to male imagery), noticeable psychosexual responses to male pornography, internal questioning over homosexual tendencies, comparisons of genitalia and perceptions of body build. There were no differences in demographics, family structure, religious beliefs, socio-economic status, knowledge of puberty, inter-personal relationships or sources of information about sexuality.

Positive illusions about one's partner's physical attractiveness.

Science.gov (United States)

Barelds-Dijkstra, Pieternel; Barelds, Dick P H

2008-03-01

This study examined couples' ratings of self and partner physical attractiveness. On the basis of the theory of positive illusions, it was expected that individuals would rate their partners as more attractive than their partners would rate themselves. Both members of 93 heterosexual couples, with a mean relationship length of about 14 years, provided ratings of both their own and their partner's physical attractiveness. Results support the theory that individuals hold positive illusions about their partner's physical attractiveness. Implications of these results in terms of relationship-enhancing biases are discussed.

Role of ligand-ligand vs. core-core interactions in gold nanoclusters.

Science.gov (United States)

Milowska, Karolina Z; Stolarczyk, Jacek K

2016-05-14

The controlled assembly of ligand-coated gold nanoclusters (NCs) into larger structures paves the way for new applications ranging from electronics to nanomedicine. Here, we demonstrate through rigorous density functional theory (DFT) calculations employing novel functionals accounting for van der Waals forces that the ligand-ligand interactions determine whether stable assemblies can be formed. The study of NCs with different core sizes, symmetry forms, ligand lengths, mutual crystal orientations, and in the presence of a solvent suggests that core-to-core van der Waals interactions play a lesser role in the assembly. The dominant interactions originate from combination of steric effects, augmented by ligand bundling on NC facets, and related to them changes in electronic properties induced by neighbouring NCs. We also show that, in contrast to standard colloidal theory approach, DFT correctly reproduces the surprising experimental trends in the strength of the inter-particle interaction observed when varying the length of the ligands. The results underpin the importance of understanding NC interactions in designing gold NCs for a specific function.

Measuring the operational efficiency of individual theme park attractions.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Changhee; Kim, Soowook

2016-01-01

This study assesses the operation efficiency of theme park attractions using the data envelopment analysis, utilizing actual data on 15 attractions at Samsung Everland located in Yongin-si, Republic of Korea. In particular, this study identifies crowding and waiting time as one of the main causes of visitor's satisfaction, and analyzes the efficiency of individual attractions in terms of waiting time. The installation area, installation cost, and annual repair cost are set as input factors and the number of annual users and customer satisfaction as output factors. The results show that the roller coaster-type attractions were less efficient than other types of attractions while rotating-type attractions were relatively more efficient. However, an importance performance analysis on individual attraction's efficiency and satisfaction showed that operational efficiency should not be the sole consideration in attraction installation. In addition, the projection points for input factors for efficient use of attractions and the appropriate reference set for benchmarking are provided as guideline for attraction efficiency management.

Relationships between browsing damage and the species dominance by the highly food-attractive and less food-attractive trees

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Petr Čermák

2011-01-01

Full Text Available The paper analyses data on the browsing damage to Acer pseudoplatanus, Carpinus betulus, Fraxinus excelsior, Quercus spp., Tilia cordata and Fagus sylvatica. Field research was carried out in the period 2007–2010 and analysed data came from 33 transects at 10 localities with the various abundance of game in the CR (everywhere Capreolus capreolus, on several plots also Cervus elaphus, Ovis musimon or Dama dama. Trees were monitored up to a height of 150 cm in natural regeneration under stands and in plantations and the occurrence was noted of new browsing damage. Differences between the percentage of damaged individuals of the given species of a food-attractive species (A. p., C. b., F. e. and the percentage of damaged individuals of all tree species on a transect as well as the proportion of these parameters correlate negatively with the given species dominance and thus, they appear to be suitable parameters for the analysis of relationships between the damage intensity and dominance. The higher the percentage proportions of highly food-attractive species and the lower the percentage of less-attractive species, the lower the relative intensity of damage to highly food-attractive species. At the same time, the higher the percentage proportion of highly food-attractive species and the lower the percentage of less-attractive species then the lower a difference between damage to less food-attractive species and all species.

Antipsychotics and physical attractiveness.

Science.gov (United States)

Seeman, Mary V

2011-10-01

Antipsychotics are effective in treating the symptoms of schizophrenia, but they may induce adverse effects, some of which-those that impact negatively on physical appearance-have not been sufficiently discussed in the psychiatric literature. Through a narrative review, to catalog antipsychotic side effects that interfere with physical attractiveness and to suggest ways of addressing them. PubMed databases were searched for information on the association between "antipsychotic side effects" and "attractiveness" using those two search phrases plus the following terms: "weight," "teeth," "skin," "hair," "eyes," "gait," "voice," "odor." Data from relevant qualitative and quantitative articles were considered, contextualized, and summarized. Antipsychotics, as a group, increase weight and may lead to dry mouth and bad breath, cataracts, hirsutism, acne, and voice changes; they may disturb symmetry of gait and heighten the risk for tics and spasms and incontinence, potentially undermining a person's attractiveness. Clinicians need to be aware of the impact of therapeutic drugs on appearance and how important this issue is to patients. Early in treatment, they need to plan preventive and therapeutic strategies.

Collapse instability of solitons in the nonpolynomial Schroedinger equation with dipole-dipole interactions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gligoric, G; Hadzievski, Lj; Maluckov, A; Malomed, B A

2009-01-01

A model of the Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) of dipolar atoms, confined in a combination of a cigar-shaped trap and optical lattice acting in the axial direction, is studied in the framework of the one-dimensional (1D) nonpolynomial Schroedinger equation (NPSE) with additional terms describing long-range dipole-dipole (DD) interactions. The NPSE makes it possible to describe the collapse of localized modes, which was experimentally observed in the self-attractive BEC confined in tight traps, in the framework of the 1D description. We study the influence of the DD interactions on the dynamics of bright solitons, especially concerning their collapse-induced instability. Both attractive and repulsive contact and DD interactions are considered. The results are summarized in the form of stability/collapse diagrams in a respective parametric space. In particular, it is shown that the attractive DD interactions may prevent the collapse instability in the condensate with attractive contact interactions.

The development of tourist attractiveness of Russian territories: modern trends and management practices

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elena Viktorovna Frolova

2016-03-01

modernization of interaction between federal, regional and local authorities for the effective development of the tourist attractiveness of Russian territories

Social preferences based on sexual attractiveness

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Brask, Josefine Bohr; Croft, Darren P.; Thompson, Katharine

2012-01-01

influencing the decision-making of males to their advantage. We tested this hypothesis in the Trinidadian guppy (Poecilia reticulata), a species with high levels of male sexual harassment. First, we confirmed that non-receptive females were harassed less when they were paired with a more sexually attractive...... with females that are more sexually attractive than themselves and that they perform active partner choices based on this relative attractiveness. We propose that this strategy is likely to represent an important pathway by which females can construct social niches that influence the decision-making of others......Male sexual harassment of females is common across sexually reproducing species and can result in fitness costs to females. We hypothesized that females can reduce unwanted male attention by constructing a social niche where their female associates are more sexually attractive than themselves, thus...

Quantitative Methods to Evaluate Timetable Attractiveness

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schittenhelm, Bernd; Landex, Alex

2009-01-01

The article describes how the attractiveness of timetables can be evaluated quantitatively to ensure a consistent evaluation of timetables. Since the different key stakeholders (infrastructure manager, train operating company, customers, and society) have different opinions on what an attractive...

The Effects of Physical Attractiveness and Anxiety on Heterosexual Attraction Over a Series of Five Encounters

Science.gov (United States)

Mathes, Eugene W.

1975-01-01

The "information availability model" of heterosexual attraction was tested by having subjects go on a series of five encounters. It was found that both physical attractiveness and the personality variable, anxiety, had early and continuous effects on liking. It was concluded the model is an inadequate explanation of heterosexual…

Facial-Attractiveness Choices Are Predicted by Divisive Normalization.

Science.gov (United States)

Furl, Nicholas

2016-10-01

Do people appear more attractive or less attractive depending on the company they keep? A divisive-normalization account-in which representation of stimulus intensity is normalized (divided) by concurrent stimulus intensities-predicts that choice preferences among options increase with the range of option values. In the first experiment reported here, I manipulated the range of attractiveness of the faces presented on each trial by varying the attractiveness of an undesirable distractor face that was presented simultaneously with two attractive targets, and participants were asked to choose the most attractive face. I used normalization models to predict the context dependence of preferences regarding facial attractiveness. The more unattractive the distractor, the more one of the targets was preferred over the other target, which suggests that divisive normalization (a potential canonical computation in the brain) influences social evaluations. I obtained the same result when I manipulated faces' averageness and participants chose the most average face. This finding suggests that divisive normalization is not restricted to value-based decisions (e.g., attractiveness). This new application to social evaluation of normalization, a classic theory, opens possibilities for predicting social decisions in naturalistic contexts such as advertising or dating.

Is homophobia associated with an implicit same-sex attraction?

Science.gov (United States)

Macinnis, Cara C; Hodson, Gordon

2013-01-01

Some theorists propose that homophobia stems from underlying same-sex attraction. A few studies have tested this hypothesis, yet without a clear measure of implicit sexual attraction, producing mixed results. For the first time, we test this attraction-based account of homophobia among both men and women using an implicit measure of sexual attraction. No evidence of an attraction-based account of homophobia emerged. Instead, implicit same-sex attraction was related to positive evaluations of gay men and lesbians among female participants. Even in targeted analyses examining the relation between implicit same-sex attraction and homosexual evaluations among only those theoretically most likely to demonstrate an attraction-based homophobic effect, implicit same-sex attraction was not associated with evaluations of homosexuals or was associated with more positive evaluations of homosexuals. In addition, explicit same-sex attraction was related to positive evaluations of gay men and lesbians for male participants. These results are more in keeping with the attitude-similarity effect (i.e., people like, rather than dislike, similar others).

Tuning the bridging attraction between large hard particles by the softness of small microgels.

Science.gov (United States)

Luo, Junhua; Yuan, Guangcui; Han, Charles C

2016-09-20

In this study, the attraction between large hard polystyrene (PS) spheres is studied by using three types of small microgels as bridging agents. One is a purely soft poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) microgel, the other two have a non-deformable PS hard core surrounded by a soft PNIPAM shell but are different in the core-shell ratio. The affinity for bridging the large PS spheres is provided and thus affected by the PNIPAM constituent in the microgels. The bridging effects caused by the microgels can be indirectly incorporated into their influence on the effective attraction interaction between the large hard spheres, since the size of the microgels is very small in comparison to the size of the PS hard spheres. At a given volume fraction of large PS spheres, they behave essentially as hard spheres in the absence of small microgels. By gradually adding the microgels, the large spheres are connected to each other through the bridging of small particles until the attraction strength reaches a maximum value, after which adding more small particles slowly decreases the effective attraction strength and eventually the large particles disperse individually when saturated adsorption is achieved. The aggregation and gelation behaviors triggered by these three types of small microgels are compared and discussed. A way to tune the strength and range of the short-range attractive potential via changing the softness of bridging microgels (which can be achieved either by using core-shell microgels or by changing the temperature) is proposed.

Mate preferences do predict attraction and choices in the early stages of mate selection.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Norman P; Yong, Jose C; Tov, William; Sng, Oliver; Fletcher, Garth J O; Valentine, Katherine A; Jiang, Yun F; Balliet, Daniel

2013-11-01

Although mate preference research has firmly established that men value physical attractiveness more than women do and women value social status more than men do, recent speed-dating studies have indicated mixed evidence (at best) for whether people's sex-differentiated mate preferences predict actual mate choices. According to an evolutionary, mate preference priority model (Li, Bailey, Kenrick, & Linsenmeier, 2002; Li & Kenrick, 2006; Li, Valentine, & Patel, 2011), the sexes are largely similar in what they ideally like, but for long-term mates, they should differ on what they most want to avoid in early selection contexts. Following this model, we conducted experiments using online messaging and modified speed-dating platforms. Results indicate that when a mating pool includes people at the low end of social status and physical attractiveness, mate choice criteria are sex-differentiated: Men, more than women, chose mates based on physical attractiveness, whereas women, more than men, chose mates based on social status. In addition, individuals who more greatly valued social status or physical attractiveness on paper valued these traits more in their actual choices. In particular, mate choices were sex-differentiated when considering long-term relationships but not short-term ones, where both sexes shunned partners with low physical attractiveness. The findings validate a large body of mate preferences research and an evolutionary perspective on mating, and they have implications for research using speed-dating and other interactive contexts. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved.

Integrating body movement into attractiveness research.

Science.gov (United States)

Fink, Bernhard; Weege, Bettina; Neave, Nick; Pham, Michael N; Shackelford, Todd K

2015-01-01

People judge attractiveness and make trait inferences from the physical appearance of others, and research reveals high agreement among observers making such judgments. Evolutionary psychologists have argued that interest in physical appearance and beauty reflects adaptations that motivate the search for desirable qualities in a potential partner. Although men more than women value the physical appearance of a partner, appearance universally affects social perception in both sexes. Most studies of attractiveness perceptions have focused on third party assessments of static representations of the face and body. Corroborating evidence suggests that body movement, such as dance, also conveys information about mate quality. Here we review evidence that dynamic cues (e.g., gait, dance) also influence perceptions of mate quality, including personality traits, strength, and overall attractiveness. We recommend that attractiveness research considers the informational value of body movement in addition to static cues, to present an integrated perspective on human social perception.

Attractive and repulsive interactions among methanol molecules in supercritical state investigated by Raman spectroscopy and perturbed hard-sphere theory.

Science.gov (United States)

Saitow, Ken-ichi; Sasaki, Jungo

2005-03-08

The short-range structure of supercritical methanol (CH(3)OH) is investigated by measuring the spontaneous Raman spectra of the C-O stretching mode. The spectra are obtained at a reduced temperature, T(r)=T/T(c)=1.02 (522.9 K), which permits the neat fluid to be studied isothermally as a function of density. As the density increases, the spectral peaks shift toward the lower energy side and the spectra broaden. In the supercritical region, the amount of shifting shows nonlinear density dependence and the width becomes anomalously large. We use the perturbed hard-sphere model to analyze these density dependencies along the vibrational coordinate. The amount of shifting is decomposed into attractive and repulsive components, and the changes in attractive and repulsive energies are evaluated as functions of density and packing fraction, both of which are continuously varied by a factor of 120. Here we show that the shift amount consists principally of the attractive component at all densities, since the attractive energy is about eight times the repulsive energy. The density dependence of the widths is analyzed by calculating homogeneous and inhomogeneous widths as a function of density. The results show that, although vibrational dephasing and density inhomogeneity contribute similarly to the width at low and middle densities, at high density the main contributor turns out to be the vibrational dephasing. We estimate the local density enhancements of supercritical CH(3)OH as function of bulk density by two methods. The results of these analyses show common features, and both the estimated local density enhancements of CH(3)OH are considerably larger than the local density enhancements of simple fluids, i.e., those having nonhydrogen bonding. It is revealed that the local density of supercritical CH(3)OH is 40%-60% greater than the local densities of the simple fluids. We also estimate the local density fluctuation using the obtained values of attractive shift

Effects of student physical attractiveness

OpenAIRE

Krnjajić Stevan B.

2005-01-01

Implicit personality theories suggest that people draw conclusions about other persons by using a relatively small number of visible features. The formation of "the first impression" is influenced by the factors, such as sex, age, appearances, race or nationality. Frequently, conclusions based on those factors lead to developing social stereotypes. Attractiveness is a good example of "the first impression" effect, because physical attractiveness entails the creation of impression about anothe...

Exploring electronic and steric effects on the insertion and polymerization reactivity of phosphinesulfonato pdii catalysts

KAUST Repository

Neuwald, Boris

2013-11-21

Thirteen different symmetric and asymmetric phosphinesulfonato palladium complexes ([{(X1-Cl)-μ-M}n], M=Na, Li, 1= X(P^O)PdMe) were prepared (see Figure 1). The solid-state structures of the corresponding pyridine or lutidine complexes were determined for (MeO)21-py, (iPrO)21-lut, (MeO,Me2)1-lut, (MeO)31-lut, CF31-lut, and Ph1-lut. The reactivities of the catalysts X1, obtained after chloride abstraction with AgBF4, toward methyl acrylate (MA) were quantified through determination of the rate constants for the first and the consecutive MA insertion and the analysis of β-H and other decomposition products through NMR spectroscopy. Differences in the homo- and copolymerization of ethylene and MA regarding catalyst activity and stability over time, polymer molecular weight, and polar co-monomer incorporation were investigated. DFT calculations were performed on the main insertion steps for both monomers to rationalize the effect of the ligand substitution patterns on the polymerization behaviors of the complexes. Full analysis of the data revealed that: 1) electron-deficient catalysts polymerize with higher activity, but fast deactivation is also observed; 2) the double ortho-substituted catalysts (MeO)21 and (MeO)31 allow very high degrees of MA incorporation at low MA concentrations in the copolymerization; and 3) steric shielding leads to a pronounced increase in polymer molecular weight in the copolymerization. The catalyst properties induced by a given P-aryl (alkyl) moiety were combined effectively in catalysts with two different non-chelating aryl moieties, such as cHexO/(MeO)21, which led to copolymers with significantly increased molecular weights compared to the prototypical MeO1. Catalyst control: The influence of steric and electronic effects on the reactivity of phosphinesulfonato PdII catalysts in polymerization and copolymerization is explored through experimental and DFT methods. A comparison of thirteen different X(P O)PdMe catalysts ((P O)= κ2-P

From sexual attraction to maternal aggression: when pheromones change their behavioural significance.

Science.gov (United States)

Martín-Sánchez, Ana; McLean, Lynn; Beynon, Robert J; Hurst, Jane L; Ayala, Guillermo; Lanuza, Enrique; Martínez-Garcia, Fernando

2015-02-01

This article is part of a Special Issue "Chemosignals and Reproduction". This paper reviews the role of chemosignals in the socio-sexual interactions of female mice, and reports two experiments testing the role of pup-derived chemosignals and the male sexual pheromone darcin in inducing and promoting maternal aggression. Female mice are attracted to urine-borne male pheromones. Volatile and non-volatile urine fractions have been proposed to contain olfactory and vomeronasal pheromones. In particular, the male-specific major urinary protein (MUP) MUP20, darcin, has been shown to be rewarding and attractive to females. Non-urinary male chemosignals, such as the lacrimal protein ESP1, promote lordosis in female mice, but its attractive properties are still to be tested. There is evidence indicating that ESP1 and MUPs are detected by vomeronasal type 2 receptors (V2R). When a female mouse becomes pregnant, she undergoes dramatic changes in her physiology and behaviour. She builds a nest for her pups and takes care of them. Dams also defend the nest against conspecific intruders, attacking especially gonadally intact males. Maternal behaviour is dependent on a functional olfactory system, thus suggesting a role of chemosignals in the development of maternal behaviour. Our first experiment demonstrates, however, that pup chemosignals are not sufficient to induce maternal aggression in virgin females. In addition, it is known that vomeronasal stimuli are needed for maternal aggression. Since MUPs (and other molecules) are able to promote intermale aggression, in our second experiment we test if the attractive MUP darcin also promotes attacks on castrated male intruders by lactating dams. Our findings demonstrate that the same chemosignal, darcin, promotes attraction or aggression according to female reproductive state. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Understanding attractiveness in business relationships - A complete literature review

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mortensen, M. H.

2012-01-01

The concept of attraction has received surprisingly little attention within business relationship research. Yet, recently, more and more authors have argued that attraction may contribute to the motivation and willingness of a buyer and supplier to engage in and develop a business relationship...... or resolve a particular construct: 1) attraction in the development of buyer-supplier relationships, 2) customer attractiveness to suppliers, and 3) attractiveness in portfolio and key account management. This literature review contributes to the understanding of how knowledge of the power of attraction...

Effects of multiple substitution upon the P...N noncovalent interaction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Scheiner, Steve

2011-01-01

Graphical abstract: The presence of one halogen opposite the N results in strong attraction between P and N. This force is little affected by identity of Y atoms, whether H or halogen. Highlights: → Strong attractive force directly between trivalent P and N atoms. → P...N force is unlike H-bonds or halogen bonds, but stronger than both. → Multiple halogenation beyond a single atom on P slightly weakens the interaction. - Abstract: The attractive noncovalent interaction of a P atom with N is derived primarily from two sources. Charge transfer from the N lone pair into the σ * antibonding orbital of a P-X bond that is turned away from the N atom combines with attractive Coulombic forces. As in the case of H-bonding, which is parallel in some ways to P...N attraction, placement of an electron-withdrawing substituent on the P atom enhances both of these components, and strengthens the overall interaction. However, in stark contrast with H-bonding, halogenation beyond monosubstitution does not lead to any further strengthening of the P...N noncovalent bond. Indeed, di and tri-substitution lead to small reductions in the interaction energy. In all cases, the geometry which contains a P...N bond is more stable than other candidate structures, some of which contain hydrogen or halogen bonds.

Facial Diversity and Infant Preferences for Attractive Faces.

Science.gov (United States)

Langlois, Judith H.; And Others

1991-01-01

Three studies examined infant preferences for attractive faces of White males, White females, Black females, and infants. Infants viewed pairs of faces rated for attractiveness by adults. Preferences for attractive faces were found for all facial types. (BC)

The association between discontinuing hormonal contraceptives and wives' marital satisfaction depends on husbands' facial attractiveness.

Science.gov (United States)

Russell, V Michelle; McNulty, James K; Baker, Levi R; Meltzer, Andrea L

2014-12-02

How are hormonal contraceptives (HCs) related to marital well-being? Some work suggests HCs suppress biological processes associated with women's preferences for partner qualities reflective of genetic fitness, qualities that may be summarized by facial attractiveness. Given that realizing such interpersonal preferences positively predicts relationship satisfaction, any changes in women's preferences associated with changes in their HC use may interact with partner facial attractiveness to predict women's relationship satisfaction. We tested this possibility using two longitudinal studies of 118 newlywed couples. Trained observers objectively rated husbands' facial attractiveness in both studies. In study 1, wives reported their marital satisfaction every 6 mo for 4 y and then reported the history of their HC use for their relationship. In study 2, wives reported whether they were using HCs when they met their husbands and then their marital satisfaction and HC use every 4 mo for up to three waves. In both studies, and in an analysis that combined the data from both studies, wives who were using HCs when they formed their relationship with their husband were less satisfied with their marriage when they discontinued HCs if their husband had a relatively less attractive face, but more satisfied if their husband had a relatively more attractive face. Beginning HCs demonstrated no consistent associations with marital satisfaction. Incongruency between HC use at relationship formation and current HC use was negatively associated with sexual satisfaction, regardless of husbands' facial attractiveness. These findings suggest that HC use may have unintended implications for women's close relationships.

Explaining financial and prosocial biases in favor of attractive people: Interdisciplinary perspectives from economics, social psychology, and evolutionary psychology.

Science.gov (United States)

Maestripieri, Dario; Henry, Andrea; Nickels, Nora

2017-01-01

Financial and prosocial biases in favor of attractive adults have been documented in the labor market, in social transactions in everyday life, and in studies involving experimental economic games. According to the taste-based discrimination model developed by economists, attractiveness-related financial and prosocial biases are the result of preferences or prejudices similar to those displayed toward members of a particular sex, racial, ethnic, or religious group. Other explanations proposed by economists and social psychologists maintain that attractiveness is a marker of personality, intelligence, trustworthiness, professional competence, or productivity. Evolutionary psychologists have argued that attractive adults are favored because they are preferred sexual partners. Evidence that stereotypes about attractive people are causally related to financial or prosocial biases toward them is weak or nonexistent. Consistent with evolutionary explanations, biases in favor of attractive women appear to be more consistent or stronger than those in favor of attractive men, and biases are more consistently reported in interactions between opposite-sex than same-sex individuals. Evolutionary explanations also account for increased prosocial behavior in situations in which attractive individuals are simply bystanders. Finally, evolutionary explanations are consistent with the psychological, physiological, and behavioral changes that occur when individuals are exposed to potential mates, which facilitate the expression of courtship behavior and increase the probability of occurrence of mating. Therefore, multiple lines of evidence suggest that mating motives play a more important role in driving financial and prosocial biases toward attractive adults than previously recognized.

Cultured skin microbiota attracts malaria mosquitoes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Takken Willem

2009-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Host-seeking of the African malaria mosquito, Anopheles gambiae sensu stricto, is guided by human odours. The precise nature of the odours, and the composition of attractive blends of volatiles, remains largely unknown. Skin microbiota plays an important role in the production of human body odours. It is hypothesized that host attractiveness and selection of An. gambiae is affected by the species composition, density, and metabolic activity of the skin microbiota. A study is presented in which the production and constituency of volatile organic compounds (VOCs by human skin microbiota is examined and the behavioural responses of An. gambiae to VOCs from skin microbiota are investigated. Methods Blood agar plates incubated with skin microbiota from human feet or with a reference strain of Staphylococcus epidermidis were tested for their attractiveness to An. gambiae in olfactometer bioassays and indoor trapping experiments. Entrained air collected from blood agar plates incubated with natural skin microbiota or with S. epidermidis were analysed using GC-MS. A synthetic blend of the compounds identified was tested for its attractiveness to An. gambiae. Behavioural data were analysed by a χ2-test and GLM. GC-MS results were analysed by fitting an exponential regression line to test the effect of the concentration of bacteria. Results More An. gambiae were caught with blood agar plates incubated with skin bacteria than with sterile blood agar plates, with a significant effect of incubation time and dilution of the skin microbiota. When bacteria from the feet of four other volunteers were tested, similar effects were found. Fourteen putative attractants were found in the headspace of the skin bacteria. A synthetic blend of 10 of these was attractive to An. gambiae. Conclusions The discovery that volatiles produced by human skin microorganisms in vitro mediate An. gambiae host-seeking behaviour creates new opportunities for the

Smile attractiveness. Self-perception and influence on personality.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Geld, P.A.A.M. van der; Oosterveld, P.; Heck, G.L. van; Kuijpers-Jagtman, A.M.

2007-01-01

OBJECTIVES: To investigate self-perception of smile attractiveness and to determine the role of smile line and other aspects correlated with smile attractiveness and their influence on personality traits. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Participants judged their smile attractiveness with a patient-specific