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Despite the widespread use of cancer chemotherapy drugs, the molecular mechanisms of action of many of them remain unclear. Some of these drugs, such as taxol, are known to affect the dynamics of microtubule assembly and stop the process of cell division in prophase-prometaphase. Recently, new spatial structures of microtubules and individual tubulin oligomers have emerged associated with various regulatory proteins and cancer chemotherapy drugs. However, knowledge of the spatial structure in itself does not provide information about the mechanism of action of drugs.

In this work, we applied the molecular dynamics method to study the behavior of taxol-bound tubulin oligomers and used our previously developed method for analyzing the conformation of tubulin protofilaments, based on the calculation of modified Euler angles. Recent structures of microtubule fragments have demonstrated that tubulin protofilaments bend not in the radial direction, as many researchers assume, but at an angle of approximately 45◦ from the radial direction. However, in the presence of taxol, the bending direction shifts closer to the radial direction. There was no significant difference between the mean bending and torsion angles of the studied tubulin structures when bound to the various natural regulatory ligands, guanosine triphosphate and guanosine diphosphate. The intra-dimer bending angle was found to be greater than the interdimer bending angle in all analyzed trajectories. This indicates that the bulk of the deformation energy is stored within the dimeric tubulin subunits and not between them. Analysis of the structures of the latest generation of tubulins indicated that the presence of taxol in the tubulin beta subunit pocket allosterically reduces the torsional rigidity of the tubulin oligomer, which could explain the underlying mechanism of taxol’s effect on microtubule dynamics. Indeed, a decrease in torsional rigidity makes it possible to maintain lateral connections between protofilaments, and therefore should lead to the stabilization of microtubules, which is what is observed in experiments. The results of the work shed light on the phenomenon of dynamic instability of microtubules and allow to come closer to understanding the molecular mechanisms of cell division.

This paper studies a model of a population with non-overlapping generations and density-dependent regulation of birth rate. The population breeds seasonally, and its reproductive potential is determined genetically. The model proposed combines an ecological dynamic model of a limited population with non-overlapping generations and microevolutionary model of its genetic structure dynamics for the case when adaptive trait of birth rate controlled by a single diallelic autosomal locus with allelomorphs A and a. The study showed the genetic composition of the population, namely, will it be polymorphic or monomorphic, is mainly determined by the values of the reproductive potentials of heterozygote and homozygotes. Moreover, the average reproductive potential of mature individuals and intensity of self-regulation processes determine population dynamics. In particularly, increasing the average value of the reproductive potential leads to destabilization of the dynamics of age group sizes. The intensity of self-regulation processes determines the nature of emerging oscillations, since scenario of stability loss of fixed points depends on the values of this parameter. It is shown that patterns of occurrence and evolution of cyclic dynamics regimes are mainly determined by the features of life cycle of individuals in population. The life cycle leading to existence of non-overlapping generation gives isolated subpopulations in different years, which results in the possibility of independent microevolution of these subpopulations and, as a result, the complex dynamics emergence of both stage structure and genetic one. Fixing various adaptive mutations will gradually lead to genetic (and possibly morphological) differentiation and to differences in the average reproductive potentials of subpopulations that give different values of equilibrium subpopulation sizes. Further evolutionary growth of reproductive potentials of limited subpopulations leads to their number fluctuations which can differ in both amplitude and phase.

Muscle contraction is controlled by Ca2+ ions via regulatory proteins, troponin and tropomyosin, associated with thin actin filaments in sarcomeres. Depending on the Ca2+ concentration, the thin filament rearranges so that tropomyosin moves along its surface, opening or closing access to actin for the motor domains of myosin molecules, and causing contraction or relaxation, respectively. Numerous point amino acid substitutions in tropomyosin are known, leading to genetic pathologies — myo- and cardiomyopathies caused by changes in the structural and functional properties of the thin filament. The results of molecular dynamics modeling of a fragment of a thin filament of cardiac muscle sarcomeres formed by fibrillar actin and wildtype tropomyosin or with amino acid substitutions: the double stabilizing substitution D137L/G126R and the cardiomyopathic substitution S215L are presented. For numerical calculations, we used a new model of a thin filament fragment containing 26 actin monomers and 4 tropomyosin dimers, with a refined structure of the region of overlap of neighboring tropomyosin molecules in each of the two tropomyosin strands. The simulation results showed that tropomyosin significantly increases the bending stiffness of the thin filament, as previously found experimentally. The double stabilizing replacement D137L/G126R leads to a further increase in this rigidity, and the replacement S215L, on the contrary, leads to its decrease, which also corresponds to experimental data. At the same time, these substitutions have different effects on the angular mobility of the actin helix and only slightly modulate the angular mobility of tropomyosin cables relative to the actin helix and the population of hydrogen bonds between negatively charged tropomyosin residues and positively charged actin residues. The results of the verification of the new model demonstrate that its quality is sufficient for the numerical study of the effect of single amino acid substitutions on the structure and dynamics of thin filaments and study the effects leading to dysregulation of muscle contraction. This model can be used as a useful tool for elucidating the molecular mechanisms of some genetic diseases and assessing the pathogenicity of newly discovered genetic variants.

The paper considers the basic model of competitive interactions and its use for the analysis and description of social processes. The peculiarity of the model is that it describes the interaction of several competing actors, while actors can vary the strategy of their actions, in particular, form coalitions to jointly counter a common enemy. As a result of modeling, various modes of competitive interaction were identified, their classification was conducted, and their features were described. In the course of the study, the attention is paid to the so-called “rough” (according to A.A. Andronov) cases of the implementation of competitive interaction, which until now have rarely been considered in the scientific literature, but are quite common in real life. Using a basic mathematical model, the conditions for the implementation of various modes of competitive interactions are considered, the conditions for the transition from one mode to another are determined, examples of the implementation of these modes in the economy, social and political life are given. It is shown that with a relatively low level of competition, which is non-antagonistic in nature, competition can lead to an increase in the activity of interacting actors and to overall economic growth. Moreover, in the presence of expanding resource opportunities (as long as such opportunities remain), this growth may have a hyperbolic character. With a decrease in resource capabilities and increased competition, there is a transition to an oscillatory mode, when weaker actors unite to jointly counteract stronger ones. With a further decrease in resource opportunities and increased competition, there is a transition to the formation of stable hierarchical structures. At the same time, the model shows that at a certain moment there is a loss of stability, the system becomes “rough” according to A.A. Andronov and sensitive to fluctuations in parameter changes. As a result, the existing hierarchies may collapse and be replaced by new ones. With a further increase in the intensity of competition, the actor-leader completely suppresses his opponents and establishes monopolism. Examples from economic, social, and political life are given, illustrating the patterns identified on the basis of modeling using the basic model of competition. The obtained results can be used in the analysis, modeling and forecasting of socioeconomic and political processes.

We propose a four-component model of a plankton community with discrete time. The model considers the competitive relationships of phytoplankton groups exhibited between each other and the trophic characteristics zooplankton displays: it considers the division of zooplankton into predatory and non-predatory components. The model explicitly represents the consumption of non-predatory zooplankton by predatory. Non-predatory zooplankton feeds on phytoplankton, which includes two competing components: toxic and non-toxic types, with the latter being suitable for zooplankton food. A model of two coupled Ricker equations, focused on describing the dynamics of a competitive community, describes the interaction of two phytoplanktons and allows implicitly taking into account the limitation of each of the competing components of biomass growth by the availability of external resources. The model describes the prey consumption by their predators using a Holling type II trophic function, considering predator saturation.

The analysis of scenarios for the transition from stationary dynamics to fluctuations in the population size of community members showed that the community loses the stability of the non-trivial equilibrium corresponding to the coexistence of the complete community both through a cascade of period-doubling bifurcations and through a Neimark – Sacker bifurcation leading to the emergence of quasi-periodic oscillations. Although quite simple, the model proposed in this work demonstrates dynamics of comunity similar to that natural systems and experiments observe: with a lag of predator oscillations relative to the prey by about a quarter of the period, long-period antiphase cycles of predator and prey, as well as hidden cycles in which the prey density remains almost constant, and the predator density fluctuates, demonstrating the influence fast evolution exhibits that masks the trophic interaction. At the same time, the variation of intra-population parameters of phytoplankton or zooplankton can lead to pronounced changes the community experiences in the dynamic mode: sharp transitions from regular to quasi-periodic dynamics and further to exact cycles with a small period or even stationary dynamics. Quasi-periodic dynamics can arise at sufficiently small phytoplankton growth rates corresponding to stable or regular community dynamics. The change of the dynamic mode in this area (the transition from stable dynamics to quasi-periodic and vice versa) can occur due to the variation of initial conditions or external influence that changes the current abundances of components and shifts the system to the basin of attraction of another dynamic mode.

The mechanical stability of cell adhesion protein Cadherin with explicit model of water is studied by the method of molecular dynamics. The protein in apo-form and with the ions of different types (Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, Na⁺, K⁺) was unfolding with a constant speed by applying the force to the ends. Eight independent experiments were done for each form of the protein. It was shown that univalent ions stabilize the structure less than bivalent one under mechanical unfolding of the protein. A model system composed of two amino acids and the metal ion between them demonstrates properties similar to that of the cadherin in the stretching experiments. The systems with potassium and sodium ions have less mechanical stability then the systems with calcium and magnesium ions.

The data of episodic field measurements of carbon dioxide balance components (soil respiration — R_soil, ecosystem respiration — R_eco, net ecosystem exchange — NEE) of hayfields under use and abandoned one are interpreted by modelling. The field measurements were carried within five field campaigns in 2018 and 2019 on the drained part of the Dubna Peatland in Taldom District, Moscow Oblast, Russia. The territory is within humid continental climate zone. Peatland drainage was done out for milled peat extraction. After extraction was stopped, the residual peat deposit (1–1.5 m) was ploughed and grassed (Poa pratensis L.) for hay production. The current ground water level (GWL) varies from 0.3–0.5 m below the surface during wet and up to 1.0 m during dry periods. Daily dynamics of CO2 fluxes was measured using dynamic chamber method in 2018 (August) and 2019 (May, June, August) for abandoned ditch spacing only with sanitary mowing once in 5 years and the ditch spacing with annual mowing. NEE and Reco were measured on the sites with original vegetation, and Rsoil — after vegetation removal. To model a seasonal dynamics of NEE, the dependence of its components (Reco, Rsoil, and Gross ecosystematmosphere exchange of carbon dioxide — GEE) from soil and air temperature, GWL, photosynthetically active radiation, underground and aboveground plant biomass were used. The parametrization of the models has been carried out considering the stability of coefficients estimated by the bootstrap method. R2 (α = 0.05) between simulated and measured Reco was 0.44 (p < 0.0003) on abandoned and 0.59 (p < 0.04) on under use hayfield, and GEE was 0.57 (p < 0.0002) and 0.77 (p < 0.00001), respectively. Numerical experiments were carried out to assess the influence of different haymaking regime on NEE. It was found that NEE for the season (May 15 – September 30) did not differ much between the hayfield without mowing (4.5±1.0 tC·ha–1·season–1) and the abandoned one (6.2±1.4). Single mowing during the season leads to increase of NEE up to 6.5±0.9, and double mowing — up to 7.5±1.4 tC·ha–1·season–1. This means increase of carbon losses and CO2 emission into the atmosphere. Carbon loss on hayfield for both single and double mowing scenario was comparable with abandoned hayfield. The value of removed phytomass for single and double mowing was 0.8±0.1 tC·ha^–1·season^–1 and 1.4±0.1 (45% carbon content in dry phytomass) or 3.0 and 4.4 t·ha^–1·season^–1 of hay (17% moisture content). In comparison with the fallow, the removal of biomass of 0.8±0.1 at single and 1.4±0.1 tC·ha^–1·season^–1 double mowing is accompanied by an increase in carbon loss due to CO2 emissions, i.e., the growth of NEE by 0.3±0.1 and 1.3±0.6 tC·ha–1·season–1, respectively. This corresponds to the growth of NEE for each ton of withdrawn phytomass per hectare of 0.4±0.2 tС·ha–1·season–1 at single mowing, and 0.9±0.7 tС·ha^–1·season^–1 at double mowing. Therefore, single mowing is more justified in terms of carbon loss than double mowing. Extensive mowing does not increase CO2 emissions into the atmosphere and allows, in addition, to “replace” part of the carbon loss by agricultural production.

This paper presents a model of replenishment of bank liquidity by additional income of banks. Given the methodological basis for the necessity for bank stabilization funds to cover losses during the economy crisis. An econometric derivation of the equations describing the behavior of the bank financial and operating activity performed. In accordance with the purpose of creating a stabilization fund introduces an optimality criterion used controls. Based on the equations of the behavior of the bank by the method of dynamic programming is derived a vector of optimal controls.