Spectroscopic Studies of water-soluble porphyrins with protein encapsulated in bis(2-ethylhexyl)sulfosuccinate (AOT) reverse micelles: aggregation versus complexation

We have investigated the interaction of two water-soluble free-base porphyrins (negatively charged meso-tetrakis(p-sulfonatophenyl)porphyrin sodium salt (TSPP) and positively charged meso-tetrakis(N-methylpyridinium-4-yl)porphyrin (TMpyP)) with two drug-carrier proteins (human serum albumin (HSA) and beta-lactoglobulin (betaLG)) in bis(2-ethylhexyl)sulfosuccinate (AOT)/isooctane/water reverse micelles (RM) by using steady-state and transient-state fluorescence spectroscopy. TSPP exhibited a complex pattern of aggregation on varying the RM size and pH in the absence of the protein: at low omega0 (the ratio of water concentration to AOT concentration, the emission of H-aggregates prevails under acidic or neutral "pH(ext)" conditions. Upon formation of the water-pool, J-aggregates and monomeric diacid species dominate at low "pH(ext)" but only monomer is detected at neutral "pH(ext)". The aggregation number increases with omega0 and the presence of the protein does not seem to contribute to further growth of the aggregate. The presence of protein leads to H-deaggregation but promotes J-aggregation up to a certain protein/porphyrin ratio above which, complexation with the monomer bound to a hydrophobic site of the protein prevails. The effective complex binding constants are smaller than in free aqueous solution; this indicates a weaker binding in these RM probably due to some conformational changes imposed by encapsulation. Only a weak quenching of TMpyP fluorescence is detected due to the presence of protein in contrast to the negative porphyrin.     

Effect of compressed CO2 on the critical micelle concentration and aggregation number of AOT reverse micelles in isooctane

The effect of compressed CO2 on the critical micelle concentration (cmc) and aggregation number of sodium bis-2-ethylhexylsulfosuccinate (AOT) reverse micelles in isooctane solution was studied by UV/Vis and fluorescence spectroscopy methods in the temperature range of 303.2-318.2 K and at different pressures or mole fractions of CO2 (X(CO2)). The capacity of the reverse micelles to solubilize water was also determined by direct observation. The standard Gibbs free energy (DeltaGo(m)), standard enthalpy (DeltaHo(m)), and standard entropy (DeltaSo(m)) for the formation of the reverse micelles were calculated by using the cmc data determined. It was discovered that the cmc versus X(CO2) curve and the DeltaGo(m) versus X(CO2) curve for a fixed temperature have a minimum, and the aggregation number and water-solubilization capacity of the reverse micelles reach a maximum at the X(CO2) value corresponding to that minimum. These results indicate that CO2 at a suitable concentration favors the formation of and can stabilize AOT reverse micelles. A detailed thermodynamic study showed that the driving force for the formation of the reverse micelles is entropy.     

Physics of RNA and viral assembly

The overview discusses the application of physical arguments to structure and function of single-stranded viral RNA genomes.     

Mechanisms of structure formation in particulate gels of β-lactoglobulin formed near the isoelectric point

Particulate gels are known to be formed by bovine β-lactoglobulin near the isoelectric point when partial unfolding is allowed to occur under heating. The aggregation process of the protein has been investigated within the context of a nucleation and growth process by preparing gels under precisely controlled thermal histories. This was achieved using a Differential Scanning Calorimeter (DSC) to provide controlled heating rates, and known final temperatures and incubation times. The resulting particulate gels were characterized by their particle size and polydispersity using Environmental Scanning Electron Microscopy (ESEM), which permits hydrated samples to be observed. Particle size was found to decrease with increasing final temperature, with the aggregation taking longer to reach completion for lower temperatures. Particle size was also found to decrease with increasing heating rate. This system could be modelled as evolving via nucleation and growth by taking into account the fact that the concentration of the aggregating species was varying as a function of temperature as well as time. The intrinsic tryptophan fluorescence as a function of temperature was used as a guide to the fraction of unfolded protein in solution, thereby permitting successful comparisons between the model predictions and the particle sizes to be made.-1     

A Predictive Coarse‐Grained Model for Semiflexible Polymers in Specific Solvents

A predictive CG model based on a conventional freely rotating chain was developed to describe semiflexible polymers on a relatively large length/time scale. Parameterization of the model requires only two material properties such as, the Kuhn length and coil density. The diameter of spherical “beads” employed in the model is used as an effective parameter that needs to be determined from preliminary data. Once determined for a particular solvent system, this parameter can then be used to model general solvent systems on a parameter‐free basis. Comparison with SANS data on dilute conjugated polymer solutions reveals that the CG polymer model can well describe material properties ranging from local rodlike segments to bulk interchain aggregates.

     

基于三值编码的非正弦时域正交调制方法

在带宽受限的通信系统中,系统的频带利用率是非常重要的性能指标。为了提高非正弦时域正交调制系统的频带利用率,该文提出一种基于三值编码的高效非正弦时域正交调制方法。通过将待调制的二进制数据转换为多路并行的三进制数据,分别与多路正交脉冲的3种发送相位状态对应,增加了每个码元携带的信息量,从而提高系统的频带利用率。给出了系统的调制解调模型,理论推导了系统的频带利用率和误码性能,并与已有的非正弦时域正交调制系统进行了对比分析和仿真。结果表明,基于三值编码的非正弦时域正交调制方法可以有效提高系统的频带利用率,而信噪比的增加不超过0.3 dB。该方法适用于对信息传输速率要求高但带宽受限的场合,也有助于降低系统的实现复杂度。     

DSP+FPGA折反射全景视频处理系统中双核高速数据通信

对于嵌入式折反射全景视频处理系统,由于计算量大,一般采用多处理器协同的结构,但在该结构下多个处理器之间需要进行高速的数据通信。该文提出一种基于DSP+FPGA架构的双核高速数据通信方法,该方法通过基于地址总线的控制指令编码解析方法协同双核工作,通过逆向波形分析和基于乒乓缓存的间接DMA通信方式,实现DSP与FPGA之间的双核DMA数据通信。实验结果表明,使用上述方法实现的DSP与FPGA之间数据通信速度高达585 MBps。     

复杂卫星抖动下的星敏感器姿态测量数据处理技术

由于复杂卫星在轨运行中不可避免地存在着抖动振动,从而导致星敏感器数据不稳和精度降低,这给低信噪比条件下的敏感器姿态测量数据处理带来了很大困难。该文针对复杂卫星抖动情况下数据的处理进行了讨论,分析了星敏感器测量原理及各类误差源产生机理,并在此基础上,重点研究了抖动条件下的星敏感器姿态测量数据处理技术,结合抖动幅频特性,通过寻找用于处理抖动引起误差的幅频分界点,分析了抖动对星敏感器姿态测量精度的影响,并结合卫星姿态确定过程,给出了抖动情况下星敏感器姿态测量数据的处理方法,可有效地提高星敏感器数据处理精度,使不经稳态控制就可对抖动测量数据进行处理成为可能,大大降低了系统的设计成本,缩短了设计周期。     

基于高斯粒子JPDA滤波的多目标跟踪算法

在多目标跟踪中,由于观测的不确定性带来数据关联问题,并且,多目标状态空间尺寸的增长带来了维数增大问题,该文提出了一种新的高斯粒子联合概率数据关联滤波算法(GP-JPDAF),在JPDA框架中引入高斯粒子滤波(GPF)的思想,通过高斯粒子而不是高斯量,来近似目标与观测的边缘关联概率,利用GPF计算目标状态的预测及更新分布。将其应用于被动多传感器多目标跟踪,仿真结果表明该算法比MC-JPDAF具有更好的跟踪性能。     

基于分簇的无线多媒体传感器网络数据聚合方案研究

该文提出了一种基于分簇的无线多媒体传感器网络(WMSNs)数据聚合方案(Cluster-based Data Aggregation Algorithm, CDAA)。利用新的分簇方法和数据聚合策略,CDAA可以有效延长网络生命期。根据多媒体节点数据采集的方向性和节点剩余能耗,该文提出新的无线多媒体传感器网络的分簇方法,并基于该分簇方法进行网内多媒体数据聚合。仿真结果表明,该方法能够有效减少冗余数据的传送,与LEACH, PEGASIS等传统WSNs路由协议和针对WMSNs的AntSensNet协议相比,在能耗均衡和节能方面表现出更好的性能。