D. Durand

Bio: D. Durand is an academic researcher from Centre national de la recherche scientifique. The author has contributed to research in topics: Nucleon & Charged particle. The author has an hindex of 33, co-authored 124 publications receiving 2488 citations.

Dynamical effects and intermediate mass fragment production in peripheral and semicentral collisions of Xe+Sn at 50 MeV/nucleon

Abstract: Experimental data obtained with the 4{pi} multidetector system INDRA are used to study the light charged particle (LCP, Z{le}2) and intermediate mass fragment (IMF, Z{ge}3) production in peripheral and semicentral collisions of Xe and Sn at 50 MeV/nucleon. It is found that a sizable fraction of the detected LCP`s and IMF`s originates from the midvelocity region. These fragments can be seen to come either from a prompt (preequilibrium) mechanism or from a slower but dynamically influenced emission process. The relative magnitude of the dynamically influenced emission relative to the isotropic statistical evaporation is presented as a function of the transverse energy of light particles, used as an impact parameter selector. The results are compared to dynamical models with which a good agreement is obtained. {copyright} {ital 1997} {ital The American Physical Society}

Isotopic Scaling and the Symmetry Energy in Spectator Fragmentation

Abstract: Isotopic effects in the fragmentation of excited target residues following collisions of $^{12}$C on $^{112,124}$Sn at incident energies of 300 and 600 MeV per nucleon were studied with the INDRA 4$\pi$ detector. The measured yield ratios for light particles and fragments with atomic number $Z \leq$ 5 obey the exponential law of isotopic scaling. The deduced scaling parameters decrease with increasing centrality to values as low as $\alpha = 0.25 \pm 0.02$ for the central event group at 600 MeV per nucleon. Symmetry term coefficients, deduced from these data within the statistical description of isotopic scaling, are near $\gamma =$ 25 MeV for peripheral and $\gamma <$ 10 MeV for central collisions.

Phd by thesis

Abstract: Deposits of clastic carbonate-dominated (calciclastic) sedimentary slope systems in the rock record have been identified mostly as linearly-consistent carbonate apron deposits, even though most ancient clastic carbonate slope deposits fit the submarine fan systems better. Calciclastic submarine fans are consequently rarely described and are poorly understood. Subsequently, very little is known especially in mud-dominated calciclastic submarine fan systems. Presented in this study are a sedimentological core and petrographic characterisation of samples from eleven boreholes from the Lower Carboniferous of Bowland Basin (Northwest England) that reveals a >250 m thick calciturbidite complex deposited in a calciclastic submarine fan setting. Seven facies are recognised from core and thin section characterisation and are grouped into three carbonate turbidite sequences. They include: 1) Calciturbidites, comprising mostly of highto low-density, wavy-laminated bioclast-rich facies; 2) low-density densite mudstones which are characterised by planar laminated and unlaminated muddominated facies; and 3) Calcidebrites which are muddy or hyper-concentrated debrisflow deposits occurring as poorly-sorted, chaotic, mud-supported floatstones. These

Effective energy function for proteins in solution.

Abstract: A Gaussian solvent-exclusion model for the solvation free energy is developed. It is based on theoretical considerations and parametrized with experimental data. When combined with the CHARMM 19 polar hydrogen energy function, it provides an effective energy function (EEF1) for proteins in solution. The solvation model assumes that the solvation free energy of a protein molecule is a sum of group contributions, which are determined from values for small model compounds. For charged groups, the self-energy contribution is accounted for primarily by the exclusion model. Ionic side-chains are neutralized, and a distance-dependent dielectric constant is used to approximate the charge–charge interactions in solution. The resulting EEF1 is subjected to a number of tests. Molecular dynamics simulations at room temperature of several proteins in their native conformation are performed, and stable trajectories are obtained. The deviations from the experimental structures are similar to those observed in explicit water simulations. The calculated enthalpy of unfolding of a polyalanine helix is found to be in good agreement with experimental data. Results reported elsewhere show that EEF1 clearly distinguishes correctly from incorrectly folded proteins, both in static energy evaluations and in molecular dynamics simulations and that unfolding pathways obtained by high-temperature molecular dynamics simulations agree with those obtained by explicit water simulations. Thus, this energy function appears to provide a realistic first approximation to the effective energy hypersurface of proteins. Proteins 1999;35:133–152. © 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

X-ray solution scattering (SAXS) combined with crystallography and computation: defining accurate macromolecular structures, conformations and assemblies in solution.

Abstract: Crystallography supplies unparalleled detail on structural information critical for mechanistic analyses; however, it is restricted to describing low energy conformations of macromolecules within crystal lattices. Small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) offers complementary information about macromolecular folding, unfolding, aggregation, extended conformations, flexibly linked domains, shape, conformation, and assembly state in solution, albeit at the lower resolution range of about 50 A to 10 A resolution, but without the size limitations inherent in NMR and electron microscopy studies. Together these techniques can allow multi-scale modeling to create complete and accurate images of macromolecules for modeling allosteric mechanisms, supramolecular complexes, and dynamic molecular machines acting in diverse processes ranging from eukaryotic DNA replication, recombination and repair to microbial membrane secretion and assembly systems. This review addresses both theoretical and practical concepts, concerns and considerations for using these techniques in conjunction with computational methods to productively combine solution scattering data with high-resolution structures. Detailed aspects of SAXS experimental results are considered with a focus on data interpretation tools suitable to model protein and nucleic acid macromolecular structures, including membrane protein, RNA, DNA, and protein-nucleic acid complexes. The methods discussed provide the basis to examine molecular interactions in solution and to study macromolecular flexibility and conformational changes that have become increasingly relevant for accurate understanding, simulation, and prediction of mechanisms in structural cell biology and nanotechnology.

Hydrodynamic radii of native and denatured proteins measured by pulse field gradient NMR techniques.

Abstract: Pulse field gradient NMR methods have been used to determine the effective hydrodynamic radii of a range of native and nonnative protein conformations. From these experimental data, empirical relationships between the measured hydrodynamic radius (Rh) and the number of residues in the polypeptide chain (N) have been established; for native folded proteins Rh = 4.75N 0.29A and for highly denatured states Rh = 2.21N 0.57A. Predictions from these equations agree well with experimental data from dynamic light scattering and small-angle X-ray or neutron scattering studies reported in the literature for proteins ranging in size from 58 to 760 amino acid residues. The predicted values of the hydrodynamic radii provide a framework that can be used to analyze the conformational properties of a range of nonnative states of proteins. Several examples are given here to illustrate this approach including data for partially structured molten globule states and for proteins that are unfolded but biologically active unde...