Travelling Waves in a SI Endemic Model

In this paper we consider an endemic SI model with standard incidence and prove the existence of monotone and unimodal travelling waves with large velocity. The birth and death rates can be quite general. When the birth rate is constant we prove the existence of two kinds of travelling waves and give the minimal velocity of one of the types.     

Experimental and theoretical investigation of the micellar-assisted solubilization of ibuprofen in aqueous media

Surfactants can be used to increase the solubility of poorly soluble drugs in water and to increase drug bioavailability. In this article, the aqueous solubilization of the nonsteroidal, antiinflammatory drug ibuprofen is studied experimentally and theoretically in micellar solutions of anionic (sodium dodecyl sulfate, SDS), cationic (dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide, DTAB), and nonionic (dodecyl octa(ethylene oxide), C12E8) surfactants possessing the same hydrocarbon "tail" length but differing in their hydrophilic headgroups. We find that, for these three surfactants, the aqueous solubility of ibuprofen increases linearly with increasing surfactant concentration. In particular, we observed a 16-fold increase in the solubility of ibuprofen relative to that in the aqueous buffer upon the addition of 80 mM DTAB and 80 mM C12E8 but only a 5.5-fold solubility increase upon the addition of 80 mM SDS. The highest value of the molar solubilization capacity (chi) was obtained for DTAB (chi = 0.97), followed by C12E8 (chi = 0.72) and finally by SDS (chi = 0.23). A recently developed computer simulation/molecular-thermodynamic modeling approach was extended to predict theoretically the solubilization behavior of the three ibuprofen/surfactant mixtures considered. In this modeling approach, molecular-dynamics (MD) simulations were used to identify which portions of ibuprofen are exposed to water (hydrated) in a micellar environment by simulating a single ibuprofen molecule at an oil/water interface (modeling the micelle core/water interface). On the basis of this input, molecular-thermodynamic modeling was then implemented to predict (i) the micellar composition as a function of surfactant concentration, (ii) the aqueous solubility of ibuprofen as a function of surfactant concentration, and (iii) the molar solubilization capacity (chi). Our theoretical results on the solubility of ibuprofen in aqueous SDS and C12E8 surfactant solutions are in good agreement with the experimental data. The ibuprofen solubility in aqueous DTAB solutions was somewhat overpredicted because of challenges associated with accurately modeling the strong electrostatic interactions between the anionic ibuprofen and the cationic DTAB. Our results indicate that computer simulations of ibuprofen at a flat oil/water interface can be used to obtain accurate information about the hydrated and the unhydrated portions of ibuprofen in a micellar environment. This information can then be used as input to a molecular-thermodynamic model of self-assembly to successfully predict the aqueous solubilization behavior of ibuprofen in the three surfactant systems studied.     

Surface tension of ionic liquids and ionic liquid solutions

Some of the most active scientific research fronts of the past decade are centered on ionic liquids. These fluids present characteristic surface behavior and distinctive trends of their surface tension versus temperature. One way to explore and understand their unique nature is to study their surface properties. This critical review analyses most of the surface tension data reported between 2001 and 2010 (187 references).     

A Light-Triggerable Nanoparticle Library for the Controlled Release of Non-Coding RNAs

RNA-based therapies offer a wide range of therapeutic interventions including the treatment of skin diseases; however, the strategies to efficiently deliver these biomolecules are still limited due to obstacles related to the cellular uptake and cytoplasmic delivery. Herein, we report the synthesis of a triggerable polymeric nanoparticle (NP) library composed of 160 formulations, presenting physico-chemical diversity and differential responsiveness to light. Six formulations were more efficient (up to 500 %) than commercially available lipofectamine in gene-knockdown activity. These formulations showed differential internalization by skin cells and the endosomal escape was rapid (minutes range). The NPs were effective in the release of siRNA and miRNA. Acute skin wounds treated with the top hit NP complexed with miRNA-150-5p healed faster than wounds treated with scrambled miRNA. Light-activatable NPs offer a new strategy to topically deliver non-coding RNAs.     

A note on a modified version of the Poincaré-Birkhoff theorem

We show, by constructing a suitable area preserving homeomorphism without fixed points, that the twist condition considered at zero and at infinity in a recent modified version of the Poincaré-Birkhoff fixed point theorem cannot be interchanged.     

Condensed phase behaviour of ionic liquid-benzene mixtures: congruent melting of a [emim][NTf2].C6H6 inclusion crystal

The solid-liquid phase diagram of the (1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis{(trifluoromethyl) sulfonyl} amide + benzene) system was determined and allowed us to identify and characterize an equimolar inclusion compound, [emim][NTf2].C6H6, with a congruent melting temperature: this type of behaviour, reported here for the first time, together with the X-ray structure of the inclusion compound lays emphasis upon the interactions that are responsible for the existence of liquid clathrates at higher benzene concentrations.     

Long-time behaviour of a one-dimensional BGK model: convergence to macroscopic rarefaction waves

For one-dimensional kinetic BGK models, regarded as relaxation models for scalar conservation laws with genuinely nonlinear fluxes, we prove that the macroscopic density converges to the rarefaction wave solution of the corresponding scalar conservation law in the long time limit, and that the phase space density approaches an equilibrium distribution with the rarefaction wave as macroscopic density. The proof requires a smallness assumption on the amplitude of the rarefaction waves and uses a micro-macro decomposition of the perturbation equation.     

Feedstock recycling of polyethylene over AlTUD-1 mesoporous catalyst

The catalytic degradation of high density polyethylene (HDPE) was investigated using AlTUD-1 as catalyst, a recently discovered mesoporous aluminosilicate. The catalytic activity of AlTUD-1 was evaluated by TGA measurements, using a polymer/catalyst ratio of 9:1. AlTUD-1 has a Brønsted acidic behaviour, three-dimensional (3D) connectivities and a pore diameters between 2 and 50 nm. Compared to HY zeolite, the large pore size of AlTUD-1 enhances a selective catalytic degradation of the polymer and prevents rapid deactivation. Moreover, the apparent activation energy of polymer cracking is much lower than with HY zeolite. For these reasons, AlTUD-1 is a potentially interesting catalyst for the catalytic cracking of plastic waste into liquid fuels.     

Three-dimensional structure determination of N-(p-Tolyl)-dodecylsulfonamide from powder diffraction data and validation of structure using solid-state NMR spectroscopy

The three-dimensional structure, conformation, and packing of molecules in the solid state are crucial components used in the optimization of many technologically useful materials properties. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction is the traditional and most effective method of determining 3-D structures in the solid state. Obtaining single crystals that are sufficiently large and free of imperfections is often laborious, time-consuming, and, occasionally, impossible. The feasibility of an integrated approach to the determination and verification of a complete three-dimensional structure for a medium-sized organic molecule without using single crystals is demonstrated for the case of an organic stabilizer compound N-(p-tolyl)-dodecylsulfonamide. The approach uses a combination of powder XRD data, several computational packages involving Monte Carlo simulations and ab initio quantum mechanical calculations, and experimental solid-state NMR chemical shifts. Structure elucidation of N-(p-tolyl)-dodecylsulfonamide revealed that the Bravais lattice is monoclinic, with cell dimensions of a = 38.773 A, b = 5.507 A, c = 9.509 A, and beta = 86.35 degrees, and a space group of P21/c.