Nishinippon Institute of Technology

About: Nishinippon Institute of Technology is a education organization based out in Kitakyushu, Japan. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Consolidation (soil) & Airfoil. The organization has 102 authors who have published 187 publications receiving 1815 citations. The organization is also known as: Nishinihon kogyo daigaku.

Noninteracting local-structure model of folding and unfolding transition in globular proteins. I. Formulation.

Abstract: Synopsis A statistical-mechanical model (a noninteracting local structure model) of folding and unfolding transition in globular proteins is described and a formulation is given to calculate the partition function. The process of transition is discussed in this model within the framework of equilibrium statistical mechanics. In order to clarify the range of applicability of such an approach, the characteristics of the folding and unfolding transition in globular proteins are analyzed from the statistical-physical point of view. A theoretical advantage is pointed out in studying folding and unfolding processes taking place as conformational fluctuations in individual protein molecules under macroscopic equilibrium at the melting temperature. In this case, paths of folding and unfolding are shown to be identical in the statistical sense. A key to the noninteracting local structure model lies in the concept of local structures and the assumption of the absence of interactions between local structures. A local structure is defined as a continuous section of the chain which takes the same or similar local conformation as in the native conformation. The assumption of the absence of interactions between local structures endows the model with the remarkable character that its partition function can be calculated exactly; thereby the equilibrium population of various conformations along the folding and unfolding paths can be discussed only by a knowledge of the folded native conformation.

Noninteracting local-structure model of folding and unfolding transition in globular proteins. II. Application to two-dimensional lattice proteins.

Abstract: Synopsis The noninteracting local-structure model of the folding and unfolding transition in globular proteins, the formulation of which was given in the preceding paper, is applied to the analysis of the two-dimensional lattice model of proteins. The lattice model of proteins is a theoretical tool designed to study the statistical-mechanical aspect of the folding and unfolding transition. Its dynamics have been studied by a method of Monte Carlo simulation. The noninteracting local-structure model reproduces the equilibrium properties of the lattice model obtained previously by computer simulation remarkably well, when the specificity of the long-range interactions is strong. This observation indicates that the basic assumption of the noninteracting local-structure model is equivalent to the assumption of strong specificity of intramolecular interactions. It is argued that by assuming this strong specificity, we can emphasize the correct main paths of folding and unfolding transition. The way local structures grow and/or merge along the most probable path of folding in the lattice model is discussed by the noninteracting local-structure model.

The state of land subsidence and prediction approaches due to groundwater withdrawal in China

Abstract: This article gives a general introduction to land subsidence with the prediction approaches due to withdrawal of groundwater in three subsided/subsiding regions in China: the deltaic plain of Yangtse River (YRDP), North China Plain (NCP), and Fenwei Plain (FP). On YRDP, Shanghai is the typical subsided/subsiding city; on NCP Tianjin is the typical subsided/subsiding city, and on FP Taiyuan is the typical subsided/subsiding city. The subsided area with subsidence over 200 mm on YRDP is about 10,000 km2 and the maximum subsided value reached 2.9 m at Shanghai; on NCP the subsided area reached 60,000 km2 with the maximum subsidence of 3.9 m at Tianjing; on FP the subsided area is relatively smaller than that on the other two plains and is about 1,135 km2 with maximum subsidence of 3.7 m at Taiyuan city. In order to protect the civil and industrial facilities, it is necessary to predict the future development of land subsidence based on present state. Many researchers proposed several approaches to predict the land subsidence due to groundwater withdrawal according to different geological conditions and groundwater withdrawal practice. This article classifies these approaches into five categories: (i) statistical methods; (ii) 1D numerical method; (iii) quasi-3D seepage model; (iv) 3D seepage model; (v) fully coupled 3D model. In China, the former four categories are presently employed in the prediction practice and their merits and demerits are discussed. According to the prediction practice, 3D seepage model is the best method presently.