| 1. |
- Aad, G., et al.
(author)
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The ATLAS Experiment at the CERN Large Hadron Collider
- 2008
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In: Journal of Instrumentation. - 1748-0221. ; 3:S08003
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Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The ATLAS detector as installed in its experimental cavern at point 1 at CERN is described in this paper. A brief overview of the expected performance of the detector when the Large Hadron Collider begins operation is also presented.
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| 2. |
- Árnadóttir, Thóra, et al.
(author)
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Glacial rebound and plate spreading : results from the first countrywide GPS observations in Iceland
- 2009
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In: Geophysical Journal International. - 0956-540X .- 1365-246X. ; 177:2, s. 691-716
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Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Iceland is one of the few places on Earth where a divergent plate boundary can be observed on land. Direct observations of crustal deformation for the whole country are available for the first time from nationwide Global Positioning System (GPS) campaigns in 1993 and 2004. The plate spreading across the island is imaged by the horizontal velocity field and high uplift rates (>= 10 mm yr(-1)) are observed over a large part of central and southeastern Iceland. Several earthquakes, volcanic intrusions and eruptions occurred during the time spanned by the measurements, causing local disturbances of the deformation field. After correcting for the largest earthquakes during the observation period, we calculate the strain rate field and find that the main feature of the field is the extension across the rift zones, subparallel to the direction of plate motion. Kinematic models of the horizontal plate spreading signal indicate a slightly elevated rate of spreading in the Northern Volcanic Zone (NVZ) (23 +/- 2 mm yr(-1)), while the rates at the other plate boundary segments agree fairly well with the predicted rate of plate spreading (similar to 20 mm yr(-1)) across Iceland. The horizontal ISNET velocities across north Iceland therefore indicate that the excessive spreading rate (>30 mm yr(-1)) observed by GPS in 1987-1992 following the 1975-1984 Krafla rifting episode was significantly slower during 1993-2004. We model the vertical velocities using glacial isostatic adjustment (GIA) due to the recent thinning of the largest glaciers in Iceland. A layered earth model with a 10-km thick elastic layer, underlain by a 30-km thick viscoelastic layer with viscosity 1 x 10(20) Pa s, over a half-space with viscosity similar to 1 x 10(19) Pa s can explain the broad area of uplift in central and southeastern Iceland. A wide area of significant residual uplift ( up to 8 mm yr(-1)) is evident in north Iceland after we subtract the rebound signal from the observed rates, whereas the Reykjanes Peninsula and the Western Volcanic Zone (WVZ) appear to be subsiding at a rate of 4-8 mm yr(-1). We observe a coherent pattern of small but significant residual horizontal motion (up to 3 mm yr(-1)) away from Vatnajokull and the smaller glaciers that is most likely caused by glacial rebound. Our study demonstrates that the velocity field over a large part of Iceland is affected by deglaciation and that this effect needs to be considered when interpreting deformation data to monitor subglacial volcanoes in Iceland.
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| 3. |
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| 4. |
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| 5. |
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| 6. |
- Boström, Tobias, 1975-
(author)
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Solution-Chemically Derived Spectrally Selective Solar Absorbers : With System Perspectives on Solar Heating
- 2006
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- This thesis consists of two parts, one dominating part concerning spectrally selective solar absorbers and one dealing with thermal solar systems. The appended papers I to VIII concern the solar absorber part, papers dealing with the systems part have not been included in the thesis.A new spectrally selective absorber derived from a novel solution-chemistry method has been developed and optimized. The main objective was to investigate the potential of the spectrally selective surface. Some of the questions at issue were; would it be possible to create a suitable absorber composite using this method, how high selectivity could be obtained, could the performance be enhanced by using anti-reflection coatings, which was the optimal layer composition, would the thin films be durable and what was the structure and morphology like on a nano scale? The absorber consists of absorbing thin films of nickel nano-particles embedded in a dielectric matrix of alumina and an overlying anti-reflection film consisting of one of the following materials silica, hybrid-silica, alumina or silica-titania. Solution and sol-gel chemistry were used in the process. The thin films were spin-coated onto an aluminum substrate followed by a heat-treatment that generated the multi layer selective solar absorber. The optical constants for the thin film materials in question were determined. An optimal three layer structure was modeled using the experimentally determined optical constants. The theoretical three layer stack was experimentally confirmed and achieved a solar absorptance of 0.97 and a thermal emittance of 0.05 which definitely are commercially competitive values. The configuration of the three layer stack is: an 80%nickel-20%alumina film at the base, a 40%nickel-60%alumina film in the middle and a silica or hybrid-silica film at the top. The three layer absorber was subjected to high temperature and condensation accelerated ageing tests designed by IEA Task 27. The condensation test did not degrade the absorber whatsoever but the high temperature test did reveal some oxidation of the nickel particles. The oxidation occurs initially and then stops. A formed nickel-oxide layer hinders further oxidation. The level of oxidation is small and the absorber is qualified according to the IEA Task 27 test procedure.
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| 7. |
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| 8. |
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| 9. |
- Bängtsson, Erik, et al.
(author)
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A comparison between two solution techniques to solve the equations of linear isostasy
- 2006
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Reports (other academic/artistic)abstract
- In this paper we compare two models to compute the isostatic response of the Earths lithosphere to an external load. The lithosphere is modeled as a linear elastic solid. The two models differ in the mathematical formulation of the problem, their applicability in the incompressible limit, the choice of the finite elements used for discretization, and the solution strategy for the arising algebraic problem. The efficiency and accuracy of both models are compared via extensive numerical experiments in 2D and 3D.
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| 10. |
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| 11. |
- Gallo, Valentina, et al.
(author)
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Smoking and risk for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis : analysis of the EPIC cohort
- 2009
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In: Annals of Neurology. - New York : J. Wiley & Sons. - 0364-5134 .- 1531-8249. ; 65:4, s. 378-385
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objective: Cigarette smoking has been reported as "probable" risk factor for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), a poorly understood disease in terms of aetiology. The extensive longitudinal data of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) were used to evaluate age-specific mortality rates from ALS and the role of cigarette smoking on the risk of dying from ALS. Methods: A total of 517,890 healthy subjects were included, resulting in 4,591,325 person-years. ALS cases were ascertained through death certificates. Cox hazard models were built to investigate the role of smoking on the risk of ALS, using packs/years and smoking duration to study dose-response. Results: A total of 118 subjects died from ALS, resulting in a crude mortality rate of 2.69 per 100,000/year. Current smokers at recruitment had an almost two-fold increased risk of dying from ALS compared to never smokers (HR = 1.89, 95% C.I. 1.14-3.14), while former smokers at the time of enrollment had a 50% increased risk (HR = 1.48, 95% C.I. 0.94-2.32). The number of years spent smoking increased the risk of ALS (p for trend = 0.002). Those who smoked more than 33 years had more than a two-fold increased risk of ALS compared with never smokers (HR = 2.16, 95% C.I. 1.33-3.53). Conversely, the number of years since quitting smoking was associated with a decreased risk of ALS compared with continuing smoking. Interpretation: These results strongly support the hypothesis of a role of cigarette smoking in aetiology of ALS. We hypothesize that this could occur through lipid peroxidation via formaldehyde exposure.
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| 12. |
- Hagos, Lijam, et al.
(author)
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An application of relative moment tensor inversion to aftershocks of the June 1998 Hengill earthquake in southwest Iceland
- 2008
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In: Bulletin of The Seismological Society of America (BSSA). - : Seismological Society of America (SSA). - 0037-1106 .- 1943-3573. ; 98:2, s. 636-650
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Using spectral amplitudes from the South Iceland Lowland (SIL) seismic network, we conduct a relative moment tensor inversion (RMTI) on aftershocks of the June 1998 M-w 5: 4 event that occurred at the Hengill triple junction, southwest Iceland. Three distinct groups of spatially clustered events are observed in the region for 25 selected events that occurred during the period from 4-5 June 1998. These clusters have previously been relocated with very high accuracy using cross-correlation techniques. We use the RMTI method to determine the focal mechanisms of these events and compare our results with the SIL network mechanisms obtained using spectral amplitudes. Most focal mechanisms obtained in this study show a predominantly right-lateral strike-slip motion, similar to those obtained by the SIL network, but more consistently in agreement with the orientations of the surface faults in the area. The spectral amplitude grouping method was used to investigate discrepancies between some of the focal mechanisms obtained using RMTI and the method used in the SIL network. This resolved apparent differences in the focal mechanism solutions for two of the studied events. Cluster alignment across the presumed fault and the individual event mechanisms agree well, suggesting the occurrence of the events along a fault plane dipping steeply towards the east. Consistency in the pressure and tension axes of the focal mechanisms suggests that the region was under northeast-southwest-oriented compression during the activity. Decomposition of the moment tensors into double-couple and isotropic components and the resulting insignificant isotropic component also suggests that the styles of failure for the analyzed events was mainly due to shearing.
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| 13. |
- Jónsdóttir, Kristín, et al.
(author)
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Glacial long period seismic events at Katla volcano, Iceland
- 2009
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In: Geophysical Research Letters. - : American Geophysical Union (AGU). - 0094-8276 .- 1944-8007. ; 36:11
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Repeating long-period (lp) earthquakes are commonly observed in volcanic regions worldwide. They are usually explained in terms of a volcanic source effect or anomalous propagation through the volcano. Recently, large lp events have also been associated with the motion of massive ice streams. Our joint analysis of climatic and new seismic data shows that small lp events observed at Katla volcano, Iceland, are in fact related to ice movement in a steep outlet glacier and not, as previously thought, to volcanic intrusive activity. The over 13000 lp events recorded since 2000 are consistent in character and magnitude with seasonal changes of the glacier. As the current global warming trend could cause similar earthquake sequences at other glacier covered volcanoes, identifying them as glacial rather than eruption precursors is vital.
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| 14. |
- Jónsdóttir, Kristín, et al.
(author)
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Habits of a glacier-covered volcano : Seismicity patterns and velocity structure of Katla volcano, Iceland
- 2007
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In: Annals of Glaciology. - : International Glaciological Society. - 0260-3055 .- 1727-5644. ; 45, s. 169-177
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The Katla volcano, overlain by the Mýrdalsjökull glacier, is one of the most active and hazardous volcanoes in Iceland. Earthquakes show anomalous magnitude-frequency behaviour and mainly occur in two distinct areas: within the oval caldera and around Goðabunga, a bulge on its western flank. The seismicity differs between the areas; earthquakes in Goðabunga are low frequency and shallow whereas those beneath the caldera occur at greater depths and are volcano-tectonic. The seismicity shows seasonal variations but the rates peak at different times in the two areas. A snow budget model, which gives an estimate of the glacial loading, shows good correlation with seismic activity on an annual scale. Data recorded by the permanent network South Iceland Lowland (SIL), as well as by a temporary network, are used to invert for a 3D seismic velocity model underneath Eyjafjallajökull, Goðabunga and the Katla caldera. The tomography resolves a 15 km wide, aseismic, high-velocity structure at a depth of more than 4 km between the Eyjafjallajökull volcano in the west and the Katla volcano in the east. Anomalously low velocities are observed beneath the Katla caldera, which is interpreted as being a significantly fractured area of anomalously high temperature.
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| 15. |
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| 16. |
- Jónsdóttir, Kristin, et al.
(author)
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Modelling fundamental waiting time distributions for earthquake sequences
- 2006
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In: Tectonophysics. - : Elsevier BV. - 0040-1951 .- 1879-3266. ; 424:3-4, s. 195-208
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The distribution of waiting times between time-neighbouring events for a time series obeying the Omori law is examined theoretically and numerically with the aim of understanding the characteristics of these distributions, how these characteristics change (e.g. scale) with the parameters of the Omori series, and thus how empirical waiting time data may be correctly interpreted. It is found that the waiting time distribution, for a single Omori aftershock sequence, consists in general of two power law segments followed by a rapid decay at larger waiting times. The analyses are illustrated using real data from the SIL network on Iceland. This data often shows characteristics predominantly consistent with the Omori law, but there are significant exceptions. We conclude that waiting time distributions and related statistical analysis has meaningful potential for the analysis of earthquake data sets, as a step towards developing physical models of the earthquake process.
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| 17. |
- Jónsdóttir, Kristín
(author)
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Studies of Unusual Seismicity and Long Period Events at the Glacier Overlain Katla Volcano, Iceland
- 2009
-
Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Earthquake catalogues are usually dominated by diffusive behaviour consistent with the Omori law of aftershocks. This is investigated in terms of waiting times, i.e. the time between successive events in a time-sorted earthquake catalogue. The theoretical waiting time probability distribution for the Omori law is derived and shown to predict the numerically produced Omori aftershock sequence well. These results enhance our understanding of aftershock processes and demonstrate that previous waiting time interpretations were severely flawed.Iceland earthquake catalogues are studied in terms of waiting times. Omori aftershock sequences are shown to predict most datasets well but there are some significant exceptions. One of these is data from the glacier covered Katla volcano in South Iceland, with few aftershocks. This dataset can be further split into two geographical groups: Several hundred volcano-tectonic earthquakes occurring within the caldera, reaching depths down to 15 km, and thousands of emergent low frequency earthquakes with a poorly defined shallow source in Goðabunga, in the western part of Katla. These events are investigated further.The lp events at Goðabunga have been recorded for decades and show a clear seasonal and climate-related correlation where their number increases in the autumn as well as during warmer years. Many of them form groups with very with similar waveforms. New broad-band seismic data suggests that the lp events originate in a steep outlet glacier covering Katla. Here, ice movement leads to ice falls over the steep escarpment, and we now believe that the lp events are generated by large ice falls rather than being related to gas or magma movements within the volcano, and are not precursors to an eruption as previously suspected. This observation probably has major significance for hazard estimation at the many ice-covered volcanoes around the world.We report near-field (vlp) signals simultaneous with the largest lp events. Our data is partly consistent in character with surface deformation (displacement and tilt) due to the ice movements. However, in line with results from elsewhere, the magnitudes of the observed effects are large relative to those from mathematical modelling. Our analysis suggests that the signal is not an instrumental artefact. Possible explanations are discussed.
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| 18. |
- Keiding, M, et al.
(author)
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Earthquakes, stress, and strain along an obliquely divergent plate boundary : Reykjanes Peninsula, southwest Iceland
- 2009
-
In: Journal of Geophysical Research. - 0148-0227 .- 2156-2202 .- 2169-9313 .- 2169-9356. ; 114, s. B09306-
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We investigate the seismicity and the state of stress along the obliquely divergent Reykjanes Peninsula plate boundary and compare the directions of stress from inversion of earthquake focal mechanisms with the directions of strain rate from GPS data. The seismicity on the peninsula since early instrumental recordings in 1926 shows a systematic change from primarily earthquake swarms in the west to main shock-aftershock sequences in the east. The largest earthquakes on the Reykjanes Peninsula typically occur by right-lateral slip on N-S faults and reach magnitude 6 on the eastern part of the peninsula. During 1997-2006 most earthquakes on the Reykjanes Peninsula were located in two areas, Fagradalsfjall and Krisuvik on the central part of the peninsula, as recorded by the South Iceland Lowland (SIL) seismic network. The state of stress estimated by inversion of microearthquake focal mechanisms from the SIL catalogue is mainly oblique strike slip, with a tendency toward a normal stress state. Mapping the directions of the least compressive horizontal stress (S-hmin) shows an average Shmin direction of N(120 +/- 6)degrees E and a remarkable agreement with the directions of greatest extensional strain rate ((epsilon) over dot(Hmax)) derived from GPS velocities during 2000-2006. The agreement between the directions of stress at depth and strain rate observed at the surface indicate that the earthquakes are primarily driven by plate motion.
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| 19. |
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| 20. |
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| 21. |
- Lindman, Mattias, et al.
(author)
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Earthquakes Descaled: On Waiting Time Distributions and Scaling Laws
- 2005
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In: Physical Review Letters. - 0031-9007 .- 1079-7114. ; 94:10, s. 108501-
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Recently, several authors have used waiting time distributions for large earthquake data sets to draw conclusions regarding the physics of earthquake processes. We show, theoretically and by simulation, that a characteristic kink in observed waiting time distributions does not have the physical significance of separating correlated and uncorrelated earthquakes. It also follows from our discussion that the Omori law is not trivially related to a proposed scaling law and that caution must be taken before the spatial scaling exponent of the law is interpreted as a fractal dimension of seismicity.
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| 22. |
- Lindman, Mattias, et al.
(author)
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Lindman et al. reply
- 2006
-
In: Physical Review Letters. ; 96:10, s. 109802-
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)
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| 23. |
- Lindman, Mattias, 1973-
(author)
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Physics of Aftershocks in the South Iceland Seismic Zone : Insights into the earthquake process from statistics and numerical modelling of aftershock sequences
- 2009
-
Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- In seismology, an important goal is to attain a better understanding of the earthquake process. In this study of the physics of aftershock generation, I couple statistical analysis with modelling of physical processes in the postseismic period. I present a theoretical formulation for the distribution of interevent times for aftershock sequences obeying the empirically well established Omori law. As opposed to claims by other authors, this work demonstrates that the duration of the time interval between two successive earthquakes cannot be used to identify whether or not they belong to the same aftershock sequence or occur as a result of the same underlying process. This implies that a proper understanding of earthquake interevent time distributions is necessary before conclusions regarding the physics of the earthquake process are drawn.In a discussion of self-organised criticality (SOC) in relation to empirical laws in seismology, I find that Omori's law for aftershocks cannot be used as evidence for the theory of SOC. Instead, I consider that the occurrence of aftershocks in accordance with Omori's law is a result of a physical process that can be modelled and understood.I analyse characteristic features in the spatiotemporal distribution of aftershocks in the south Iceland seismic zone, following the two M6.5 June 2000 earthquakes and a M4.5 earthquake in September, 1999. These features include an initially constant aftershock rate, whose duration is larger following a larger main shock, and a subsequent power law decay that is interrupted by distinct and temporary deviations in terms of rate increases and decreases. Based on pore pressure diffusion modelling, I interpret these features in terms of main shock initiated diffusion processes. I conclude that thorough data analysis and physics-based modelling are essential components in attempts to improve our understanding of processes governing the occurrence of earthquakes.
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| 24. |
- Lindman, Mattias, et al.
(author)
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Physics of the Omori law: Inferences from interevent time distributions and pore pressure diffusion modeling
- 2006
-
In: Tectonophysics. - : Elsevier BV. - 0040-1951 .- 1879-3266. ; 424:3-4, s. 209-222
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Empirical laws and statistics of earthquakes are valuable as a basis for a better understanding of the earthquake cycle. In this paper we focus on the postseismic phase and the physics of aftershock sequences. Using interevent time distributions for a catalogue of Icelandic seismicity, we infer that the parameter C2 in the Omori law, often considered to represent incomplete detection of aftershocks, is at least in part related to the physics of the earthquake process. We investigate the role of postseismic pore pressure diffusion after two Icelandic earthquakes on the rate of aftershocks and what we can infer about the physical meaning of C2 from the diffusion process. Using the Mohr–Coulomb failure criterion we obtain a rate of triggered points in our diffusion model that agrees with the modified Omori law, with a value of C2 that is consistent with data. Our pore pressure diffusion model suggests that C2 is related to the process of reducing high pore pressure gradients existing across a fault zone at short times after a main shock.
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| 25. |
- Lund, Björn, et al.
(author)
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Calculating horizontal stress orientations with full or partial knowledge of the tectonic stress tensor
- 2007
-
In: Geophysical Journal International. - 0956-540X .- 1365-246X. ; 170:3, s. 1328-1335
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Earthquakes potentially serve as abundant and cost-effective gauges of tectonic stress provided that reliable means exist of extracting robust stress parameters. Several algorithms have been developed for this task, each of which typically provides information on the orientations of the three principal stresses and a single stress magnitude parameter. A convenient way of displaying tectonic stress results is to map the azimuth of maximum horizontal compressive stress, which is usually approximated using the azimuth of the larger subhorizontal principal stress. This approximation introduces avoidable errors that depend not only on the principal stress axes' plunges but also on the value of the stress magnitude parameter. Here we outline a method of computing the true direction of maximum horizontal compressive stress (SH) and show that this computation can be performed using only the four stress parameters obtained in routine focal mechanism stress estimation. Using theoretical examples and new stress inversion results obtained with focal mechanism data from the central Grímsey lineament, northern Iceland, we show that the SH axis may differ by tens of degrees from its commonly adopted proxy. In order to most appropriately compare tectonic stress estimates with other geophysical parameters, such as seismic fast directions or geodetically measured strain rate tensors, or to investigate spatiotemporal variations in stress, we recommend that full use be made of the routinely estimated stress parameters and that a formal axis of maximum horizontal compression be calculated.
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| 26. |
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| 27. |
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| 28. |
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| 29. |
- Lund, Mikael, et al.
(author)
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FAUNUS: An object oriented framework for molecular simulation
- 2008
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In: Source Code for Biology and Medicine. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1751-0473. ; 3
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- BACKGROUND: We present a C++ class library for Monte Carlo simulation of molecular systems, including proteins in solution. The design is generic and highly modular, enabling multiple developers to easily implement additional features. The statistical mechanical methods are documented by extensive use of code comments that - subsequently - are collected to automatically build a web-based manual. RESULTS: We show how an object oriented design can be used to create an intuitively appealing coding framework for molecular simulation. This is exemplified in a minimalistic C++ program that can calculate protein protonation states. We further discuss performance issues related to high level coding abstraction. CONCLUSION: C++ and the Standard Template Library (STL) provide a high-performance platform for generic molecular modeling. Automatic generation of code documentation from inline comments has proven particularly useful in that no separate manual needs to be maintained.
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| 30. |
- Pagli, Carolina, et al.
(author)
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Glacio-isostatic deformation around the Vatnajökull ice cap, Iceland, induced by recent climate warming : GPS observations and finite element modeling
- 2007
-
In: Journal of Geophysical Research. - 0148-0227 .- 2156-2202. ; 112:B8, s. B08405-
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- [1] Glaciers in Iceland began retreating around 1890, and since then the Vatnajokull ice cap has lost over 400 km 3 of ice. The associated unloading of the crust induces a glacio-isostatic response. From 1996 to 2004 a GPS network was measured around the southern edge of Vatnajokull. These measurements, together with more extended time series at several other GPS sites, indicate vertical velocities around the ice cap ranging from 9 to 25 mm/yr, and horizontal velocities in the range 3 to 4 mm/yr. The vertical velocities have been modeled using the finite element method (FEM) in order to constrain the viscosity structure beneath Vatnajokull. We use an axisymmetric Earth model with an elastic plate over a uniform viscoelastic half-space. The observations are consistent with predictions based on an Earth model made up of an elastic plate with a thickness of 10-20 km and an underlying viscosity in the range 4-10 x 10(18) Pa s. Knowledge of the Earth structure allows us to predict uplift around Vatnajokull in the next decades. According to our estimates of the rheological parameters, and assuming that ice thinning will continue at a similar rate during this century (about 4 km 3/year), a minimum uplift of 2.5 meters between 2000 to 2100 is expected near the current ice cap edge. If the thinning rates were to double in response to global warming (about 8 km 3/year), then the minimum uplift between 2000 to 2100 near the current ice cap edge is expected to be 3.7 meters.
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| 31. |
- Persson, Björn, et al.
(author)
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Association and electrostatic steering of alpha-lactalbumin-lysozyme heterodimers
- 2009
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In: Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics. - : Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC). - 1463-9084 .- 1463-9076. ; 11:39, s. 8879-8885
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The salt and pH dependent association of hen egg white lysozyme with alpha-lactalbumin whey proteins has been studied using molecular level Monte Carlo simulations. A highly uneven charge distribution of alpha-lactalbumin leads to strongly ordered heterodimers that may facilitate the formation of structured, mesoscopic aggregates. This electrostatic steering gives rise to 80% alignment at 5 mM 1:1 salt which, due to screening, diminishes to 60% at 100 mM salt. The free energy of interaction minima, dominated by electrostatics, ranges between -9 kT at 1 mM salt to -2 kT at 100 mM (neutral pH). Calculated osmotic second virial cross coefficients indicate complexation in the pH interval 6-10. Multivalent ions are found to effectively destabilize the protein complex and, at constant ionic strength, the order is La3+ > Ca2+ > Mg2+ > Na+. Upon binding of calcium to alpha-lactalbumin both the interaction and orientational alignment with lysozyme are reduced due to induced changes in the whey protein charge distribution. This potentially explains the experimentally observed absence of supramolecular structuring for the calcium loaded holo alpha-lactalbumin. Where available, good agreement is found with experimental data.
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| 32. |
- Persson, Björn, et al.
(author)
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Enhanced Protein Steering: Cooperative Electrostatic and van der Waals Forces in Antigen-Antibody Complexes.
- 2009
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In: The Journal of Physical Chemistry Part B. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 1520-5207 .- 1520-6106. ; 113:30, s. 10459-10464
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We study the association of the cationic protein lysozyme with several almost neutral protein fragments but with highly uneven charge distributions. Using mesoscopic protein models, we show how electrostatic interactions can align or steer protein complexes into specific constellations dictated by the specific charge distributions of the interacting biomolecules. Including van der Waals forces significantly amplifies the electrostatically induced orientational steering at physiological solution conditions, demonstrating that different intermolecular interactions can work in a cooperative way in order to optimize specific biochemical mechanisms. Individually, the electrostatic and van der Waals interactions lead only to a relatively weak intermolecular alignment, but when combined, the effect increases significantly.
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| 33. |
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