Biodegradable polycaprolactone–polyanhydrides blends

Biodegradable polymers based on a blend of polycaprolactone (PCL) and aliphatic polyanhydrides with various monomer lengths were prepared to obtain desired polymer blends for use as drug carriers. The physicochemical, mechanical, and drug‐release properties of these blends were investigated by various techniques to evaluate the uniformity degree of the polymer blends to establish their potential applications in drug delivery. The results demonstrated that the heat of fusion (ΔH) of the polyanhydride or the blend is increased in relation to the length of the aliphatic chain. However, the blends had different properties than pure polyanhydride, and the crystallization degree of the blends, as expressed by the ΔH, decreased in relation to the ΔH of the pure polyanhydride. Drug‐release studies from blends of PCL and aliphatic polyanhydrides demonstrated first‐order kinetics of the release rate. Polymer degradation was independent at the polyanhydride monomer length. On the basis of theoretical calculation of the interaction factor, a blend of PCL and poly(dodecanedeoic anhydride) was chosen for further elucidation of its thermal, mechanical, and degradation properties. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 41: 3781–3787, 2003     

The zero set $$\Lambda $$ of exponential polynomials and the Riesz property of its exponential system $$E_{\Lambda }$$ in $$L^2(0,T)$$

Archiv der Mathematik - Consider the class of exponential polynomials of the form $$\begin{aligned} f(z)=\sum _{n=0}^{N}\left( \sum _{k=0}^{m_n}c_{n,k}z^k\right) e^{h_n z}, \qquad 0=h_0<...     

Bubble growth predictions by the hyperbolic and parabolic heat conduction equations

A model for bubble growth in a uniformly superheated liquid is presented which is valid for both inertia and heat diffusion controlled growth. Two different heat transfer equations are considered: The Fourier (parabolic) equation and the hyperbolic heat conduction equation. It is shown that for short times, bubble growth prediction based on the Fourier equation, differs considerably from that based on the hyperbolic heat conduction equation. For long times, both predictions coincide. Using the hyperbolic heat conduction equation is important for bubble growth prediction in fluids like Helium II, in which thermal disturbances have a low speed of propagation. In such liquids the second sound effects must be considered long after the inertia and dynamic effects become unimportant.The validity of using a semi-infinite approximation to the heat conduction problem during the bubble growth period is investigated. An analytical solution in spherical coordinates reveals that the ratio between the spherical and semi-infinite solutions is a function of the Jakob number. Results of the present model, using the Fourier equation, are shown to be in better agreement with data for bubble growth in water, than other published solutions.

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Beschreibung des Blasenwachstums durch Wärmeleitungs-Gleichungen von hyperbolischer und parabolischer Form

Zusammenfassung Es wird ein Modell für Blasenwachstum in überhitzter Flüssigkeit vorgestellt, das sowohl bei durch Trägheit als auch bei durch Wärmediffusion kontrolliertem Blasenwachstum verwendbar ist. Zwei unterschiedliche Wärmeübertragungsbeziehungen werden in Betracht gezogen: Die Fourier-Gleichung (parabolisch) und eine Wärmeleitungs-Gleichung in hyperbolischer Form.Es wird gezeigt, daß die Modellergebnisse basierend auf der Fourier-Gleichung für schnelle Blasenwachstumszeiten signifikant von vergleichbaren Ergebnissen basierend auf der hyperbolischen Gleichung abweichen, während sie für langsames Wachstum mehr oder weniger identisch sind. Die Verwendung der hyperbolischen Wärmeleitungsgleichung in Blasenwachstumsmodellen ist vor allem in Fluiden wie Helium II von Bedeutung, wo thermische Störungen eine geringe Ausbreitungsgeschwindigkeit haben. Hier müssen die second sound-Effekte noch berücksichtigt werden, wenn die dynamischen und die Einflüsse der Trägheit schon vernachlässigbar sind.Es wurde untersucht, ob die Benutzung einer semi-unendlichen Approximation des Wärmeleitungsproblems während des Blasenwachstums zulässig ist. Eine analytische Lösung in Kugelkoordinaten zeigt, daß das Verhältnis zwischen letzteren und semi-unendlichen Ergebnissen eine Funktion der Jakob-Zahl ist.Schließlich wird gezeigt, daß die Resultate des vorgestellten Modells bei Benutzung der Fourier-Gleichung experimentelle Ergebnisse von Blasenwachstum in Wasser besser wiedergeben als andere bekannte Lösungen.

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Nomenclature a thermal diffusivity - B _s sphericity correction factor - b temperature decay coefficient - c propagation speed of thermal disturbances - E parameter, Eq. (37) - f function of the dimensionless time and bubble radius, Eq. (34) - h _v heat of evaporation - Ja Jakob number, Eq. (35) - k thermal conductivity - N /T - P pressure - P _i initial system pressure - P _v vapour pressure - Q* dimensionless heat flux (Stanton number) - q heat flux - transformed heat flux - q _wL heat flux into the liquid at the bubble boundary - R bubble radius - R* dimensionless bubble radius, Eq. (16) - R ₀ initial (critical) bubble radius - r radial coordinate - s the Laplace transform parameter - T temperature - T _i initial liquid temperature - T _s saturation temperature - T _v instantaneous bubble temperature - T ₀ initial saturation temperature,T _s (0) - T temperature difference,T _i–T _s (0) - t time - t* dimensionless time, Eq. (16) - y dimensionless distance from the bubble surface - Z constant of integration, Appendix A - a proportionality constant - temperature function, Eq. (8) - transformed temperature function - _v vapour density - _L liquid density - _vi initial vapour density - relaxation time,a/c ² - normalized temperature distribution, Eq. (15)     

Development of adaptive modeling techniques for non-linear hysteretic systems

Adaptive estimation procedures have gained significant attention by the research community to perform real-time identification of non-linear hysteretic structural systems under arbitrary dynamic excitations. Such techniques promise to provide real-time, robust tracking of system response as well as the ability to track time variation within the system being modeled. An overview of some of the authors’ previous work in this area is presented, along with a discussion of some of the emerging issues being tackled with regard to this class of problems. The trade-offs between parametric-based modeling and non-parametric modeling of non-linear hysteretic dynamic system behavior are discussed. Particular attention is given to (1) the effects of over- and under-parameterization on parameter convergence and system output tracking performance, (2) identifiability in multi-degree-of-freedom structural systems, (3) trade-offs in setting user-defined parameters for adaptive laws, and (4) the effects of noise on measurement integration. Both simulation and experimental results indicating the performance of the parametric and non-parametric methods are presented and their implications are discussed in the context of adaptive structures and structural health monitoring.     

Multiplex Detection of Enzymatic Activity with Responsive Lanthanide‐Based Luminescent Probes

Multiplex analyte detection in complex dynamic systems is desirable for the investigation of cellular communication networks as well as in medical diagnostics. A family of lanthanide‐based responsive luminescent probes for multiplex detection is reported. The high modularity of the probe design enabled the rapid assembly of both green and red emitters for a large variety of analytes by the simple exchange of the lanthanide or an analyte‐cleavable caging group, respectively. The real‐time three‐color detection of up to three analytes was demonstrated, thus setting the stage for the non‐invasive investigation of interconnected biological processes.     

Molden 2.0: quantum chemistry meets proteins

Since the first distribution of Molden in 1995 and the publication of the first article about this software in 2000 work on Molden has continued relentlessly. A few of the many improved or fully novel features such as improved and broadened support for quantum chemistry calculations, preparation of ligands for use in drug design related softwares, and working with proteins for the purpose of ligand docking.     

Mechanically-induced dimensional extensibility of fibers towards tough fiber networks

The beneficial effect of materials with high aspect ratio as composite reinforcement has prompted continuous interest towards cellulosic fibers. Besides providing stiffness, fibers can potentially contribute to composite extensibility. While mechanical treatments are typically used to adjust the physical and surface properties of fibers, less is known about ensuing effects on their extensibility and that of associated networks. Fiber network dimensional extensibility of 16% was achieved by processing the precursor aqueous fiber dispersions following a simple mechanical treatment with a judicious combination of low (PFI refining) and high concentrations and temperatures (Wing defibrator). Consequently, deformation of fibers and increased inter-fiber bonding resulted in a three-fold increase in strength to rupture of the fiber network leading to the structures with unprecedented toughness.     

Biosynthesis,characterization, and antimicrobial effect of silver nanoparticles obtained using <Emphasis Type="Italic">Lavandula</Emphasis> × <Emphasis Type="Italic">intermedia</Emphasis>

The use..... of aqueous leaf extract of Lavandula × intermedia for biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) is presented. The plant extract was obtained by boiling dried leaves and using the obtained filtrate for the synthesis of AgNPs. The study was conducted to investigate an ecofriendly approach to metal nanoparticle synthesis and to evaluate the antimicrobial potential of both the aqueous plant extract and resulting silver nanoparticles against different microbes using the disc diffusion method. The synthesis of silver nanoparticles was monitored using ultraviolet–visible (UV–v is) spectroscopy, which showed a localized surface plasmon resonance band at 411 nm and a shift of the band to higher wavenumber of 422 nm after 90 min of reaction. Powder X-ray diffraction analysis and transmission electron microscopy of the obtained AgNPs revealed their crystalline nature, with average size of 12.6 nm. Presence of elemental silver was further confirmed by energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy confirmed presence of phytochemicals from Lavandula × intermedia leaf extract on the AgNPs. The AgNPs showed good antimicrobial activity with inhibition zone ranging from 10 to 23 mm; the largest inhibition zone (23 mm) occurred against Escherichia coli. Generally, the AgNPs displayed more antimicrobial activity against all investigated pathogens compared with Lavandula × intermedia leaf extract, and were also more active than streptomycin against Klebsiella oxytoca and E. coli at the same concentration. The silver nanoparticles showed prominent antimicrobial activity with a lowest minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) value of 15 μg/mL against E. coli, K. oxytoca, and Candida albicans.     

Spectrophotometric flow injection monitoring of sulfide during sugar fermentation

A spectrophotometric flow injection procedure involving N,N-dimethyl-p-phenylenediamine (DMPD) is applied to the sulfide monitoring of a sugar fermentation by Saccharomyces cerevisiae under laboratory conditions. The gaseous chemical species evolving from the fermentative process, mainly CO₂, are trapped allowing a cleaned sample aliquot to be collected and introduced into the flow injection analyzer. Measurement rate, signal repeatability, detection limit and reagent consumption per measurement were estimated as 150 h⁻¹, 0.36% (n = 20), 0.014 mg L⁻¹ S and 120 μg DMPD, respectively. The main characteristics of the monitoring record are discussed. The strategy is worthwhile for selecting yeast strain, increasing the industrial ethanol production and improving the quality of wines.