Controlling Nuclear NF-κB Dynamics by β-TrCP—Insights from a Computational Model

The canonical nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB) signaling pathway regulates central processes in mammalian cells and plays a fundamental role in the regulation of inflammation and immunity. Aberrant regulation of the activation of the transcription factor NF-κB is associated with severe diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease and arthritis. In the canonical pathway, the inhibitor IκB suppresses NF-κB’s transcriptional activity. NF-κB becomes active upon the degradation of IκB, a process that is, in turn, regulated by the β-transducin repeat-containing protein (β-TrCP). β-TrCP has therefore been proposed as a promising pharmacological target in the development of novel therapeutic approaches to control NF-κB’s activity in diseases. This study explores the extent to which β-TrCP affects the dynamics of nuclear NF-κB using a computational model of canonical NF-κB signaling. The analysis predicts that β-TrCP influences the steady-state concentration of nuclear NF-κB, as well as changes characteristic dynamic properties of nuclear NF-κB, such as fold-change and the duration of its response to pathway stimulation. The results suggest that the modulation of β-TrCP has a high potential to regulate the transcriptional activity of NF-κB.

Characteristics of Volcanic Stratospheric Aerosol Layer Observed by CALIOP and Ground Based Lidar at Equatorial Atmosphere Radar Site

We investigated the relation between major tropical volcanic eruptions in the equatorial region and the stratospheric aerosol data, which have been collected by the ground based lidar observations at at Equatorial Atmosphere Radar site between 2004 and 2015 and the CALIOP observations in low latitude between 2006 and 2015. We found characteristic dynamic behavior of volcanic stratospheric aerosol layers over equatorial region.

Dynamic Simulation of Adaptive Truss Consisting of Various Types of Truss Members

An adaptive truss is a truss structural system equipped with functional truss members, such as length-adjustable members, shape memory alloy (SMA) members, spring-dashpot members, and so on. This is a representative example of so-called adaptive structure. In this study, we deal with the dynamic simulation of various types of adaptive trusses. The geometrical relation is given in a universal form applicable to all planar and spatial trusses. We develop descriptions of dynamic behavior of various types of functional truss members and give a general form of the descriptions. The equation of motion is formulated based on the geometrical relation and the description of member characteristics. Dynamics simulation procedure based on the Newmark Beta method is also developed. Dynamic behaviors of several types of adaptive trusses are simulated. The feasibility of the proposed dynamics calculation is confirmed; some characteristic dynamic behaviors of adaptive trusses are demonstrated.

Calculation for the Heating and Safe Operation Time of YKK Series High-voltage Motors in Starting Process

In order to analyze the heating and cooling conditions of high voltage motors of YKK series in starting process, the starting characteristics and ventilation systems are calculated. The starting characteristics calculation method is improved and compared with the static characteristic, dynamic characteristics come to more consistent with the actual situation. The calculation result of heating is more accurate according to the calculation of dynamic characteristics. A windresistance network model is built combined with the motor cooling structure to calculate the distribution of air flow in the motor. The locked-rotor safety running time in starting process is calculated based on the accurate calculation of heating and cooling condition. The result is more close to the experiment and it has an important significance to the design and improvement of YKK series high voltage motor.

Resolving the Trouble With Schizophrenic Thinking

Psychiatrist Eugen Bleuler declared in 1911 that the primary trouble in the “schizophrenias” is the thinking disorder. Now, a century later, epidemiologic evidence shows that the prevailing disease model is misleading and that the somatic treatments are more damaging than helpful because they rapidly increase disability rates and fail to help patients achieve adaptive thinking ability crucial for fully functioning living. Schizophrenia is claimed to be a disease like diabetes although the “newer antipsychotics” can cause actual diabetes.Empathizing with and understanding the characteristic dynamic gestalt of terror, loneliness, hopelessness, and need for witting awareness can lead to developing crucial thinking ability as terror becomes intense constructive motivation to learn. This orientation, fundamentally opposite in direction from the standard drug treatment, is illustrated with several examples of persons hospitalized for schizophrenic breakdowns. When unhampered by the prevailing drug treatment and focused on the central interpersonal issues, psychotherapy can lead to high levels of adaptive thinking ability in what were persons with severe psychosis. Consequently, persons with schizophrenia can experience for themselves that schizophrenia is neither incurable nor a disease.

Fundamental Dynamical Modes Underlying Human Brain Synchronization

Little is known about the long-term dynamics of widely interacting cortical and subcortical networks during the wake-sleep cycle. Using large-scale intracranial recordings of epileptic patients during seizure-free periods, we investigated local- and long-range synchronization between multiple brain regions over several days. For such high-dimensional data, summary information is required for understanding and modelling the underlying dynamics. Here, we suggest that a compact yet useful representation is given by a state space based on the first principal components. Using this representation, we report, with a remarkable similarity across the patients with different locations of electrode placement, that the seemingly complex patterns of brain synchrony during the wake-sleep cycle can be represented by a small number of characteristic dynamic modes. In this space, transitions between behavioral states occur through specific trajectories from one mode to another. These findings suggest that, at a coarse level of temporal resolution, the different brain states are correlated with several dominant synchrony patterns which are successively activated across wake-sleep states.