Improvements on the accuracy of derivative estimation from DPIV velocity measurements

Accuracy of out-of-plane vorticity estimation from in-plane experimental velocity measurements is investigated with particular application to digital particle image velocimetry (DPIV). Simulations of known flow fields are used to quantify errors associated with amplification of the velocity measurement noise and method bias error due to spatial sampling resolution. A novel, adaptable, hybrid estimation scheme combining implicit compact finite difference and Richardson extrapolation schemes is proposed for improved vorticity estimation. The scheme delivers higher-order truncation error with less noise amplification than an explicit second order finite difference scheme. Finally, a complete framework for predicting, a priori, the random, bias, and total error of the vorticity estimation on the basis of the error of the resolved velocities and the choice of differentiation scheme is developed and presented. A portion of this work was presented at ASME IMECE 2003 conference An erratum to this article is available at .     

Sand consolidation with calcium phosphate-polyelectrolyte composites

A new method for the consolidation of loose sand formations has been developed. The method involves in situ precipitation of a composite calcium phosphate-polyelectrolyte salt that binds together with loose sand grains, thus resulting to their consolidation. Three different polyelectrolytes (PE) were tested, i.e., polyacrylic acid (PAA), polyallylamine hydrochloride (PAH), and polyethylenimine (PEI). The effect of PE tested on the thermodynamics and the kinetics of precipitation of calcium phosphate salts was investigated. Three types of experiments were done. Investigation of the adsorption of PE on either hydroxyapatite (Ca(5)(PO(4))(3)OH, HAP) crystals or on sand grains. Measurement of the kinetics of heterogeneous nucleation of HAP on the solid substrates and the mechanical properties of the obtained crystals in batch experiments of low and high supersaturation solutions, respectively. Evaluation of the consolidation in sand packs in order to investigate the effectiveness of the method. The crystallization rates, R(p), on HAP crystals in the presence of the PE tested were found in the order R(p)(PAA)>R(p)(PEI)>R(p)(PAH), while nucleation and crystal growth on silicate sand took place only in the absence of adsorbed PE. PAH favored strongly the consolidation process, whereas PEI and PAA resulted in the formation of poorly consolidated grain agglomerates.     

An experimental approach probing the conformational transitions and energy landscape of antibodies: a glimmer of hope for reviving lost therapeutic candidates using ionic liquid

Understanding protein folding in different environmental conditions is fundamentally important for predicting protein structures and developing innovative antibody formulations. While the thermodynamics and kinetics of folding and unfolding have been extensively studied by computational methods, experimental methods for determining antibody conformational transition pathways are lacking. Motivated to fill this gap, we prepared a series of unique formulations containing a high concentration of a chimeric immunoglobin G4 (IgG4) antibody with different excipients in the presence and absence of the ionic liquid (IL) choline dihydrogen phosphate. We determined the effects of different excipients and IL on protein thermal and structural stability by performing variable temperature circular dichroism and bio-layer interferometry analyses. To further rationalise the observations of conformational changes with temperature, we carried out molecular dynamics simulations on a single antibody binding fragment from IgG4 in the different formulations, at low and high temperatures. We developed a methodology to study the conformational transitions and associated thermodynamics of biomolecules, and we showed IL-induced conformational transitions. We showed that the increased propensity for conformational change was driven by preferential binding of the dihydrogen phosphate anion to the antibody fragment. Finally, we found that a formulation containing IL with sugar, amino acids and surfactant is a promising candidate for stabilising proteins against conformational destabilisation and aggregation. We hope that ultimately, we can help in the quest to understand the molecular basis of the stability of antibodies and protein misfolding phenomena and offer new candidate formulations with the potential to revive lost therapeutic candidates.

Probing the energy landscape and thermodynamics of biomolecules for drug design.     

An Overview on Target-Based Drug Design against Kinetoplastid Protozoan Infections: Human African Trypanosomiasis,Chagas Disease and Leishmaniases

The protozoan diseases Human African Trypanosomiasis (HAT), Chagas disease (CD), and leishmaniases span worldwide and therefore their impact is a universal concern. The present regimen against kinetoplastid protozoan infections is poor and insufficient. Target-based design expands the horizon of drug design and development and offers novel chemical entities and potential drug candidates to the therapeutic arsenal against the aforementioned neglected diseases. In this review, we report the most promising targets of the main kinetoplastid parasites, as well as their corresponding inhibitors. This overview is part of the Special Issue, entitled “Advances of Medicinal Chemistry against Kinetoplastid Protozoa (Trypanosoma brucei, Trypanosoma cruzi and Leishmania spp.) Infections: Drug Design, Synthesis and Pharmacology”.     

Cyclotomic torsion on Fermat Jacobians

We prove that the torsion part of the Mordell–Weil group of the Jacobian of a Fermat curve over a cyclotomic field is contained in the kernel of a certain isogeny. This provides a natural analogue of a similar result on Jacobians of Fermat quotient curves.     

Parametric exponential energy decay for dissipative electron-ion plasma waves

We consider the following evolution system of Klein-Gordon-Schrödinger type

Controlled photochemical release of nitric oxide from O(2)-naphthylmethyl- and O(2)-naphthylallyl-substituted diazeniumdiolates

The photochemistry of O2-naphthylmethyl- and O2-naphthylallyl-substituted diazeniumdiolates has been investigated. Electron-donating methoxy group substitution is shown to have a significant effect on the observed photochemistry, with the appropriate substitution pattern resulting in efficient diazeniumdiolate photorelease. Observed nitric oxide release rates from these photoprecursors are consistent with those expected for normal thermal dissociation of the diazeniumdiolate in aqueous solutions and show the same pH dependence.