Synergistic Biophysical Techniques Reveal Structural Mechanisms of Engineered Cationic Antimicrobial Peptides in Lipid Model Membranes

In the quest for new antibiotics, two novel engineered cationic antimicrobial peptides (eCAPs) have been rationally designed. WLBU2 and D8 (all 8 valines are the d -enantiomer) efficiently kill both Gram-negative and -positive bacteria, but WLBU2 is toxic and D8 nontoxic to eukaryotic cells. We explore protein secondary structure, location of peptides in six lipid model membranes, changes in membrane structure and pore evidence. We suggest that protein secondary structure is not a critical determinant of bactericidal activity, but that membrane thinning and dual location of WLBU2 and D8 in the membrane headgroup and hydrocarbon region may be important. While neither peptide thins the Gram-negative lipopolysaccharide outer membrane model, both locate deep into its hydrocarbon region where they are primed for self-promoted uptake into the periplasm. The partially α-helical secondary structure of WLBU2 in a red blood cell (RBC) membrane model containing 50 % cholesterol, could play a role in destabilizing this RBC membrane model causing pore formation that is not observed with the D8 random coil, which correlates with RBC hemolysis caused by WLBU2 but not by D8.     

Fluid Structure Interaction of Blood Vessels in Circle of Willis

This work involves studying the role of the Brain Blood Barriers (BBB) on damping the stress applied on brain tissue through blood pressure that is the main cause of brain aneurysm. The numerical simulations are focused on the geometry of the Anterior Communicating Artery (ACoA) because there is a 30 % higher probability for a brain aneurysm in this location. A linear elastic model is used to model the structure part including BBB and brain tissue. Regarding the fluid properties, blood is assumed to behave as a Newtonian fluid. The stress and deformation of the brain tissue is analyzed. (© 2016 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

On the fuzzy minimum entropy control to stabilize the unstable fixed points of chaotic maps

This paper presents a fuzzy algorithm for controlling chaos in nonlinear systems via minimum entropy approach. The proposed fuzzy logic algorithm is used to minimize the Shannon entropy of a chaotic dynamics. The fuzzy laws are determined in such a way that the entropy function descends until the chaotic trajectory of the system is replaced by a regular one. The Logistic and the Henon maps as two discrete chaotic systems, and the Duffing equation as a continuous one are used to validate the proposed scheme and show the effectiveness of the control method in chaotic dynamical systems.     

Selenium heterocycles. XXXV . Synthesis and pyrrolysis of aryloxy-, arylthio-, and arylseleno-1,2,3-selenadiazoles

A series of 4-substituted-5-arylthio-1,2,3-selenadiazoles, 4-substituted-5-arylseleno-1,2,3-selenadiazoles and 4-aryloxymethyl-1,2,3-selenadiazoles were synthesized. Pyrrolysis of these compounds afforded the corresponding acetylenes XI, XIII (X = S, Se) and XII, respectively. Oxidation of 4-substituted-5-arylthio-1,2,3-selenadiazoles (XIV) with m-chloroperbenzoic acid gave 4-substituted-5-arylsulfinyl-1,2,3-selenadiazoles (XV) and 4-substituted-5-arylsulfonyl-1,2,3-selenadiazoles (XVI).     

Atomic scale design and control of cation distribution in hexagonal ferrite

Using a novel alternating target laser ablation deposition technique, Mn cations were placed in specific interstitial sites of BaFe12O19 thin films as opposed to being distributed throughout the unit cell as in conventional bulk materials. The distribution of Mn cations has been confirmed experimentally and predicted theoretically. As a result of site selection, the saturation magnetization increased 12%-22%, and the Néel temperature increased by 40-60 K compared to bulk materials. This technique implies a new methodology to design and process a new generation of ferrite, oxide, and alloy materials.     

Nonlinear forced vibration of strain gradient microbeams

In this paper, the strain gradient theory, a non-classical continuum theory able to capture the size effect happening in micro-scale structures, is employed in order to investigate the size-dependent nonlinear forced vibration of Euler–Bernoulli microbeams. The nonlinearities are caused by mid-plane stretching and nonlinear external forces such as van-der-Waals force. The nonlinear governing equations of the microbeams are solved analytically utilizing the perturbation techniques. The primary, super-harmonic and sub-harmonic resonances of a microbeam are studied and the size-dependency of the frequency responses is assessed. The results indicate that the nonlinear forced vibration behavior of microbeams is size-dependent and the ratio of the microbeam thickness to the material length scale parameter, an additional material property appearing in the strain gradient theory, plays an important role.     

Exact boundary controllability of vibrating non-classical Euler–Bernoulli micro-scale beams

This study investigates the exact controllability problem for a vibrating non-classical Euler–Bernoulli micro-beam whose governing partial differential equation (PDE) of motion is derived based on the non-classical continuum mechanics. In this paper, it is proved that via boundary controls, it is possible to obtain exact controllability which consists of driving the vibrating system to rest in finite time. This control objective is achieved based on the PDE model of the system which causes that spillover instabilities do not occur.     

On the fractional-order extended Kalman filter and its application to chaotic cryptography in noisy environment

In this paper via a novel method of discretized continuous-time Kalman filter, the problem of synchronization and cryptography in fractional-order systems has been investigated in presence of noisy environment for process and output signals. The fractional-order Kalman filter equation, applicable for linear systems, and its extension called the extended Kalman filter, which can be used for nonlinear systems, are derived. The result is utilized for chaos synchronization with the aim of cryptography while the transmitter system is fractional-order, and both the transmitter and transmission channel are noisy. The fractional-order stochastic chaotic Chen system is then presented to apply the proposed method for chaotic signal cryptography. The results show the effectiveness of the proposed method.     

Supramolecular Fe3O4@PEG/−diaza crown ether@Ni: a novel magnetically reusable nano catalyst for the clean synthesis of 2‐aryl‐2,3‐dihydroquinazolin‐4(1H)‐ones

Ni@diaza crown ether complex supported on magnetic nanoparticle was provided by grafting technique. The catalytic activity of Fe₃O₄@diaza crown ether@Ni was explored through one‐pot synthesis of 2,3‐dihydroquinazolin‐4(1H)‐ones and it was used as an efficient and recoverably constant nanocatalyst. FT‐IR, SEM, TEM, XRD, BET, ICP, EDS, and TGA techniques were employed to specify the nanocatalyst. This heterogeneous catalyst demonstrated acceptable recyclability and could be used again several times with no considerable loss of its catalytic activity.     

Stabilizing periodic orbits of fractional order chaotic systems via linear feedback theory

In this paper stabilizing unstable periodic orbits (UPO) in a chaotic fractional order system is studied. Firstly, a technique for finding unstable periodic orbits in chaotic fractional order systems is stated. Then by applying this technique to the fractional van der Pol and fractional Duffing systems as two demonstrative examples, their unstable periodic orbits are found. After that, a method is presented for stabilization of the discovered UPOs based on the theories of stability of linear integer order and fractional order systems. Finally, based on the proposed idea a linear feedback controller is applied to the systems and simulations are done for demonstration of controller performance.