Characterization, Exchange Dynamics, and Supported Bilayer Formation of Phosphatidylcholine Vesicles

Liposomes and supported lipid bilayers (SLBs) are used as surrogates for cell membranes in a number of applications, including basic studies, in biotechnology applications, as nanoreactors, as sensors, and in environmental applications. It is crucial that the behavior of liposomes and supported lipid bilayers be understood in order that they may be better utilized in future applications. The effect of lamellarity and size on calorimetric phase transition in single component phosphatidylcholine vesicles was studied using nano-differential scanning calorimetry, dynamic light scattering and cryo-transmission electron microscopy. It was determined that the two phase transition peaks, appearing as a doublet, are attributed to mixtures of oligolamellar and unilamellar vesicles. The mechanism of supported bilayer formation of lipids on silica nanoparticles was investigated for a system of ~100 nm silica nanoparticles and zwitterionic lipids in the form of ~100 nm small unilamellar vesicles (SUVs) at high and low ionic strength, as a function of the surface area ratios of the SUVs and silica. The effect of defects, ionic strength, and size on lipid exchange and transfer on nanoparticle supported bilayers was also studied. Exchange kinetics for SUVs decreased with increasing ionic strength, a trend that was even more pronounced for SLBs. Defects on SLBs were found to occur at phase boundaries between gel and fluid phases, in bare regions of exposed silica, and during cycling due to changes in lipid area at Tm. Lastly, the behavior of styryl dyes in lipid bilayers was explored. Styrl dyes are a useful tool in a variety of biophysical application due to their properties depending on their external environment, such as a dramatic increase in their fluorescence in a hydrophobic environment as opposed to their fluorescence in the aqueous phase. Despite many applications of styrl dyes, the method of incorporation of the dyes into cell membranes, or vesicle model systems, is not resolved. Nano-differential scanning calorimetry and dynamic light scattering were used to investigate the incorporation of the styrl dyes into multilamellar (MLVs) and small unilamellar (SUVs) vesicles composed of DMPC.Chemistr

SMC framework in motion control systems

Design of a motion control system should take into account both the unconstrained motion performed without interaction with environment or other system, and the constrained motion where system is in contact with environment or has certain functional interaction with another system. In this paper control systems design approach, based on siding mode methods, that allows selection of control for generic tasks as trajectory and/or force tracking as well as for systems that require maintain some functional relation like bilateral or multilateral systems, establisment of virtual relation among mobile robots or control of haptic systems is presented. It is shown that all basic motion control problems - trajectory tracking, force control, hybrid position/force control scheme and the impedance control - can be treated in the same way while avoiding the structural change of the controller and guarantying stable behavior of the system In order to show applicability of the proposed techniques simulation and experimental results for high precision systems in microsystems assembly tasks and bilateral control systems are presente

Dynamics and determinants of emigration: the case of Croatia and the experience of new EU member states

This paper analyzes the emigration flows from Croatia and other new EU member states to the core EU countries after their EU accession. In order to assess the magnitude and dynamics of the recent emigration wave properly, we construct the series of indirect emigration flows, resorting to the national statistical offices of the selected core EU destination countries. We compare the Croatian experience with that of other NMS and show that the intensity of Croatia’s emigration flows after EU accession is proportional to that of the Romanian and Bulgarian cases. Finally, we empirically analyze the economic and non-economic drivers of emigration from NMS to the core EU in the 2000-2016 period. Results show that both economic (measured by different GDP and labour market indicators) and noneconomic factors (capturing the EU accession, the level of corruption in the economy and demographic characteristics of the origin country population) are relevant for emigration decisions

The biennial cycle of respiratory syncytial virus outbreaks in Croatia

The paper analyses the epidemic pattern of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) outbreaks in children in Croatia. Over a period of 11 consecutive winter seasons (1994–2005) 3,435 inpatients from Zagreb County aged from infancy to 10 years who were hospitalised with acute respiratory tract infections were tested for RSV-infection. RSV was identified in nasopharyngeal secretions of patients by virus isolation in cell culture and by detection of viral antigen with monoclonal antibodies

The potential risks and impact of the start of the 2015–2016 influenza season in the WHO European Region: a rapid risk assessment

Background: Countries in the World Health Organization (WHO) European Region are reporting more severe influenza activity in the 2015–2016 season compared to previous seasons. Objectives: To conduct a rapid risk assessment to provide interim information on the severity of the current influenza season. Methods: Using the WHO manual for rapid risk assessment of acute public health events and surveillance data available from Flu News Europe, an assessment of the current influenza season from 28 September 2015 (week 40/2015) up to 31 January 2016 (week 04/2016) was made compared with the four previous seasons. Results: The current influenza season started around week 51/2015 with higher influenza activity reported in Eastern Europe compared to Western Europe. There is a strong predominance of influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 compared to previous seasons, but the virus is antigenically similar to the strain included in the seasonal influenza vaccine. Compared to the 2014/2015 season, there was a rapid increase in the number of severe cases in Eastern European countries with the majority of such cases occurring among adults aged < 65 years. Conclusions: The current influenza season is characterized by an early start in Eastern European countries, with indications of a more severe season. Currently circulating influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 viruses are antigenically similar to those included in the seasonal influenza vaccine, and the vaccine is expected to be effective. Authorities should provide information to the public and health providers about the current influenza season, recommendations for the treatment of severe disease and effective public health measures to prevent influenza transmission

On Sliding Mode Observers for Systems with Unknown Inputs

International audienceThis paper considers the problem of designing an observer for a linear system subject to unknown inputs. This problem has been extensively studied in the literature with respect to both linear and nonlinear (sliding mode) observers. Necessary and sufficient conditions to enable a linear unknown input observer to be designed have been established for many years. One way to express these conditions is that the transfer function matrix between the unknown input and the measured output must be minimum phase and relative degree one. Identical conditions must be met in order to design a 'classical' sliding mode observer for the same problem. This paper shows how the relative degree condition can be weakened if a classical sliding mode observer is combined with sliding mode exact differentiators to essentially generate additional independent output signals from the available measurements. A practical example dedicated to actuator fault detection and identification of a winding machine demonstrates the efficacy of the approach

A theoretical study of discrete air phase migration contaminated with a volatile organic

Due to the character of the original source materials and the nature of batch digitization, quality control issues may be present in this document. Please report any quality issues you encounter to [email protected], referencing the URI of the item.Includes bibliographical references: p. 234-238.Issued also on microfiche from Lange Micrographics.A theoretical study of discrete air phase migration contaminated with a volatile organic is developed in order to study air bubble migration through granular porous media in air sparging technology. The experiment is performed in a homogeneous, isotropic, and stationary porous medium presented by a fully saturated cylindrical column filled with 0.4-cm glass beads in an orthorhombic packing order. This study consists of two parts. The first part of the study describes the air bubble motion through saturated porous media, while the second part presents volatile contaminant transport in bubbly air flow. The first part of the study is developed in order to determine bubble rise velocity in four flow regimes i.e., steady state, quasi-steady state, unsteady state with the local term of the total acceleration only, and unsteady state, including the convective component of the total acceleration. The bubble rise velocity for each state is derived from the momentum balance equation for corresponding flow. Since in the quasi-steady state bubble rise velocity reaches the steady state over the short distance and in the unsteady state, with the local term of the total acceleration only it reaches the steady state over the short time, it may be considered that bubble's motion in a porous medium is in a steady state. The steady state solution shows that bubble rise velocity is dependent on the bubble size. In order to study the impacts of liquid and structural medium properties on bubble rise velocity, the Peeble and Garber's analyses of four types of bubble's motion in liquids are applied on the porous medium. Dimensional analyses show that motion of an air bubble rise in water is in the region IV, in which fluid flow is in a steady state. Moreover in this region, fluid flow can be assumed to be inviscid because of the large Reynolds numbers i.e., greater than 1400. The second part of the study is elaborated in Order to estimate the con contaminant ma s quantity accumulated in the air Phase 'mass transfer model between inimobile water and mobile gas Phase is al presented by advective-diffusion volatile contaminant transport equation in bubbly air flow Presented by Of this equation demonstrate that gas mass co,, contaminant. The results the bubble reaches the equilibrium concentrate concentration accumulated inside the number of bubbles on with liquid Phase instantly. injection. is larger in the continuous type than in the ai

Investment Pitch Slide Deck - Lorin Drazenovic

My presentation is a pitch on Designer Brands inc. I am advocating to buy the stock, I present many charts and data proving it is a good investment