Dynamical phases of the Hindmarsh-Rose neuronal model: studies of the transition from bursting to spiking chaos

The dynamical phases of the Hindmarsh-Rose neuronal model are analyzed in detail by varying the external current I. For increasing current values, the model exhibits a peculiar cascade of nonchaotic and chaotic period-adding bifurcations leading the system from the silent regime to a chaotic state dominated by bursting events. At higher I-values, this phase is substituted by a regime of continuous chaotic spiking and finally via an inverse period doubling cascade the system returns to silence. The analysis is focused on the transition between the two chaotic phases displayed by the model: one dominated by spiking dynamics and the other by bursts. At the transition an abrupt shrinking of the attractor size associated with a sharp peak in the maximal Lyapunov exponent is observable. However, the transition appears to be continuous and smoothed out over a finite current interval, where bursts and spikes coexist. The beginning of the transition (from the bursting side) is signaled from a structural modification in the interspike interval return map. This change in the map shape is associated with the disappearance of the family of solutions responsible for the onset of the bursting chaos. The successive passage from bursting to spiking chaos is associated with a progressive pruning of unstable long-lasting bursts.     

A global qualitative view of bifurcations and dynamics in the Rössler system

The aim of the Letter is a global study of the well-known Rössler system to point out the main complex dynamics that it can exhibit. The structural analysis is based on the periodic solutions of the system investigated by a harmonic balance technique. Simplified expressions of such limit cycles are first derived and characterized, then their local bifurcations are denoted, also giving indications to predict possible homoclinic orbits with the same unifying approach. These analytical results give a general picture of the system behaviours in the parameter space and numerical analysis and simulations confirm the qualitative accuracy of the whole. Such predictions have also an important role in applying efficiently the above numerical procedures.     

Conformational analysis,part 43. A theoretical and LIS/NMR investigation of the conformations of substituted benzamides

A refined Lanthanide‐Induced‐Shift Analysis (LISA) is used with molecular mechanics and ab initio calculations to investigate the conformations of benzamide ( 1 ), N‐methylbenzamide ( 2 ), N,N‐dimethylbenzamide ( 3 ) and the conformational equilibria of 2‐fluoro ( 4 ), 2‐chloro ( 5 ) and N‐methyl‐2‐methoxy benzamide ( 6 ). The amino group in 1 is planar in the crystal but is calculated to be pyramidal with the CO/phenyl torsional angle (ω) of 20–25°. The LISA analysis gave acceptable agreement factors (Rcryst ≤ 1%) for the ab initio geometries when ω was decreased to 0°, the other geometries were not as good. In 2 , the N‐methyl is coplanar with the carbonyl group in all the geometries. Good agreement was obtained for the RHF geometries, with ω 25°, the other geometries were only acceptable with increased values of ω. In 3 , good agreement for the RHF and PCModel geometries was found when ω was changed from the calculated values of 40° (RHF) and 90° (PCModel) to ca. 60°, the X‐ray and B3LYP geometries were not as good. The two substituted compounds 4 , 5 and 6 are interconverting between the cis (O,X) and trans (O,X) conformers. The more stable trans conformer is planar in 4 and 6 but the cis form non‐planar. Both the cis and trans conformers of 5 are non‐planar. There is an additional degree of freedom in 6 due to the 2‐methoxy group, which can be either planar or orthogonal to the phenyl ring in both conformers. The conformer ratios were obtained from the LISA analysis to give Ecis‐Etrans in 4 > 2.3 kcal/mol (CDCl₃) and 1.7 kcal/mol (CD₃CN), in 5 0.0 kcal/mol (CD₃CN) and in 6 > 2.5 kcal/mol (CDCl₃) and 2.0 kcal/mol (CD₃CN). These values were used with the observed versus calculated ¹H shifts to determine the conformer ratios and energies in DMSO solvent to give Ecis‐Etrans 1.1, ?0.1 and 1.8 kcal/mol for ( 4 ), ( 5 ) and ( 6 ). Comparison of the observed versus calculated conformer energies show that both the MM and ab initio calculations overestimate the NH..F hydrogen bond in ( 4 ) by ca. 2 kcal/mol. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A Frequency Method for Predicting Limit Cycle Bifurcations

The paper studies the bifurcations of limit cycles in a rather general class of nonlinear dynamic systems. Relying on the classical harmonic balance approach as applied in control engineering neat frequency conditions for such bifurcations are derived. These results, approximate in nature, make clear the structural mechanism of the considered phenomena and can be applied to predict the occurrence of bifurcations as a function of system parameters. The application to several examples of different complexity shows the simplicity and accuracy of the proposed method for solving complicated problems of nonlinear dynamics.     

Structural Features of the β-CD Complexes with Naringin and its Dihydrochalcone and Aglycon Derivatives by 1H NMR

The -CD inclusion complexes of naringin 1, naringin dihydrochalcone 2 and the aglycon of naringin dihydrochalcone 3 have been investigated by ¹H NMR spectroscopy. Continuous variation plots show the stoichiometry of all complexes to be 1 : 1. Thestructure of complexes was determined from 2D ROESY and 1D ROE experiments. For 1 and 2 the inclusion involves the aromatic rings leaving the disaccharide unit -L-Rha-(1-2)--D-Glc outside the -CD cavity. For naringin 1 the inclusion occurs preferentially from the wider rim of the -CD truncated cone with the terminal phenolic ring deeply inserted into the -CD cavity while for naringin dihydrochalcon 2 it occurs from the side of the -CD narrower rim. The -CD/aglycon 3 complex exists as an equilibrium of the two inclusion modes.