The stability and modulation of if-then rules versus prospective planning in movement selection under dual-tasking conditions.

Two approaches to movement selection, if-then rules versus prospective planning, were investigated. Studies have shown that the rule-based approach leads to more efficient movement selection than the plan-based approach, though the resulting movements are the same. This dual-tasking study investigates two hypotheses explaining this discrepancy: The efficiency hypothesis states that the rule-based approach to movement selection is more efficient, and its advantage over the plan-based approach increases under any kind of enhanced task demands.

From microalgae to gastropods: Understanding the kinetics and toxicity of silver nanoparticles in freshwater aquatic environment.

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are increasingly used in various consumer products and industrial applications, raising concerns about their environmental impact on aquatic ecosystems. This study investigated the physicochemical stability, trophic transfer, and toxic effects of citrate-coated AgNPs in a freshwater food chain including the diatom Cyclotella meneghiniana and the gastropod Lymnaea stagnalis. AgNPs remained stable in the exposure medium, with a minimal dissolution (<0.

Protein Modeling with DEER Spectroscopy.

Double electron-electron resonance (DEER) combined with site-directed spin labeling can provide distance distributions between selected protein residues to investigate protein structure and conformational heterogeneity. The utilization of the full quantitative information contained in DEER data requires effective protein and spin label modeling methods. Here, we review the application of DEER data to protein modeling.

Design of facilitated dissociation enables control over cytokine signaling duration.

Protein design has focused primarily on the design of ground states, ensuring they are sufficiently low energy to be highly populated. Designing the kinetics and dynamics of a system requires, in addition, the design of excited states that are traversed in transitions from one low-lying state to another. This is a challenging task as such states must be sufficiently strained to be poorly populated, but not so strained that they are not populated at all, and because protein design methods have generally focused on creating near-ideal structures.