Volume comparisons in the cerebellar complex of primates. II. Cerebellar nuclei

Volumes of medial, interposed, and lateral cerebellar nuclei (MCN, ICN, and LCN) were measured in Insectivora, Scandentia, and Primates, including man. The relative size of the nuclei was expressed in size indices. Insectivora had by far the smallest cerebellar nuclei. The simians, in general, had larger cerebellar nuclei than the prosimians, but there was considerable overlap. From Insectivora to man, the MCN was the least progressive and the LCN the most progressive. The indices are expected to reflect the relative size of the three longitudinal zones of the cerebellum (vermis/MCN, pars intermedius/ICN, hemisphere/LCN). They, together with those of the ventral pons and cerebellum (part I), are discussed in relation to the predominant locomotor pattern of a species, and with reference to evolutionary trends in primate phylogeny.     

Inelastic neutron-scattering study of the proton transfer dynamics in polyglycine I at 20 K

Inelastic neutron-scattering (INS) spectra of three isotopic derivatives of polyglycine I (-COCH2NH-)n, (-COCD2NH-)n, and (-COCH2ND-)n at 20 K are presented from 30 to 4000 cm(-1). The band frequencies are compared to those observed in the infrared and Raman. Assignments in terms of group vibrations are proposed. These mostly resemble previous assignment schemes, except for the amide bands. The INS intensities reveal that the proton dynamics for the (N)H proton are totally different from those proposed previously. They are independent of the molecular frame and the valence bond approach is not consistent with observation. A phenomenological approach is proposed in terms of localized modes. The calculated intensities reveal that the (N)H stretching mode has two components at approximately 1377 and 1553 cm(-1). This is a dramatic change compared to all former assignments at approximately 3280 cm(-1) based on infrared and Raman data. These proton-dynamics are associated with a weakening of the NH bond due to the ionic character of the hydrogen bond (N(delta-)...H+...O(delta'-)) and proton transfer. The infrared and Raman spectra are re-examined and a new assignment scheme is proposed for the amide bands; the amide A and B bands are re-assigned to the overtones of the stretching modes. A symmetric double-minimum potential for the proton is consistent with all the observations.     

Effect of ethanol on membrane fluidity of protoplasts fromSaccharomyces cerevisiae andKloeckera apiculata grown with or without ethanol,measured by fluorescence anisotropy

Summary Direct measurements of membrane fluidity by fluorescence anisotropy of protoplasts fromKloeckera apiculata andSaccharomyces cerevisiae, a low and a high ethanol tolerant strain respectively, are presented. The comparison of the behaviour of the two strains grown with or without ethanol enabled us to demonstrate the existing relationship between ethanol tolerance and membrane fluidity.     

BLOEM: A spatially explicit model of bioenergy and carbon capture and storage,applied to Brazil

Bioenergy could play a major role in decarbonizing energy systems in the context of the Paris Agreement. Large-scale bioenergy deployment could be related to sustainability issues and requires major infrastructure investments. It, therefore, needs to be studied carefully. The Bioenergy and Land Optimization Spatially Explicit Model (BLOEM) presented here allows for assessing different bioenergy pathways while encompassing various dimensions that influence their optimal deployment. In this study, BLOEM was applied to the Brazilian context by coupling it with the Brazilian Land Use and Energy Systems (BLUES) model. This allowed investigating the most cost-effective ways of attending future bioenergy supply projections and studying the role of recovered degraded pasture lands in improving land availability in a sustainable and competitive manner. The results show optimizing for limiting deforestation and minimizing logistics costs results in different outcomes. It also indicates that recovering degraded pasture lands is attractive from both logistics and climate perspectives. The systemic approach of BLOEM provides spatial results, highlighting the trade-offs between crop allocation, land use and the logistics dynamics between production, conversion, and demand, providing valuable insights for regional and national climate policy design. This makes it a useful tool for mapping sustainable bioenergy value chain pathways.     

Do NOE distances contain enough information to assess the relative populations of multi-conformer structures?

Summary The feasibility of determining the relative populations of multi-conformer structures from NOE-derived distances alone is assessed. Without cross-validation of the NOE restraints, any population ratio can be refined to a similar quality of the fit. Complete cross-validation provides a less biased measure of fit and allows the estimation of the correct population ratio when used in conjunction with very tight distance restraints. With the qualitative distance restraints most commonly used in NMR structure determination, cross-validation is unsuccessful in providing the correct answer. Other experimental sources are therefore needed to determine relative populations of multi-conformer structures.To whom correspondence should be addressed.