Search results for " potential"
showing 10 items of 2713 documents
Efficient prediction of thermodynamic properties of quadrupolar fluids from simulation of a coarse-grained model: the case of carbon dioxide.
2008
Monte Carlo simulations are presented for a coarse-grained model of real quadrupolar fluids. Molecules are represented by particles interacting with Lennard-Jones forces plus the thermally averaged quadrupole-quadrupole interaction. The properties discussed include the vapor-liquid coexistence curve, the vapor pressure along coexistence, and the surface tension. The full isotherms are also accessible over a wide range of temperatures and densities. It is shown that the critical parameters (critical temperature, density, and pressure) depend almost linearly on a quadrupolar parameter q=Q(*4)T*, where Q* is the reduced quadrupole moment of the molecule and T* the reduced temperature. The mode…
Design, characterization and in vitro evaluation of 5-aminosalicylic acid loaded N-succinyl-chitosan microparticles for colon specific delivery
2011
The objective of this study was to prepare NS-chitosan microparticles for the delivery of 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA) to the colon. Microparticles can spread out over a large area of colon allowing a more effective local efficacy of 5-ASA. N-Succinyl-chitosan was chosen as carrier system because of its excellent pharmaceutical properties in colon drug targeting such as poor solubility in acid environment, biocompatibility, mucoadhesive properties, and low toxicity. It was prepared by introducing succinic group into chitosan N-terminals of the glucosamine units. 5-ASA loaded NS-chitosan microparticles were prepared using spray-drying. As a control, a matrix obtained by freeze-drying techni…
Use of rumen microorganisms to boost the anaerobic biodegradability of microalgae
2017
[EN] A laboratory bioreactor using rumen microorganisms to treat Scenedesmus spp. biomass was operated for 190 days. At first the bioreactor operated as a Rumen-like Fermenter (RF) with a Sludge Retention Time (SRT) of 7 days. The RF was subsequently transformed into an anaerobic digestion system including two configurations: continuously-stirred tank reactor and anaerobic membrane bioreactor in which different SRT values of up to 100 days were assessed. Methane production peaked at 214 mL CH4 g−1 CODIn with a SRT of 100 days. COD removal and BDP peaked at above 70% and 60%, respectively, at the highest SRT, with no pre-treatment prior to microalgae digestion. The waste sludge product…
Design and validation of a wireless Body Sensor Network for integrated EEG and HD-sEMG acquisitions
2022
Sensorimotor integration is the process through which the human brain plans the motor program execution according to external sources. Within this context, corticomuscular and corticokinematic coherence analyses are common methods to investigate the mechanism underlying the central control of muscle activation. This requires the synchronous acquisition of several physiological signals, including EEG and sEMG. Nevertheless, physical constraints of the current, mostly wired, technologies limit their application in dynamic and naturalistic contexts. In fact, although many efforts were made in the development of biomedical instrumentation for EEG and High Density-surface EMG (HD-sEMG) signal ac…
An ab initio potential energy surface for the C2H2-N2 system
2012
International audience; An ab initio potential energy surface determined at the CCSD(T) level of theory is presented for the van der Waals complex C2H2-N2. Additional calculations performed with the HF- and DFT-SAPT methods compare well with the CCSD(T) results and allow a better understanding of the main features of this interaction potential surface. An expansion of this surface over spherical harmonics has also been performed. The global energy minimum of the complex is obtained for the linear conformation. The T conformations are the least attractive. Such characteristics mainly arise because of the variation, in sign and in absolute value of the electrostatic energy between all these c…
Exosome-associated polysialic acid modulates membrane potentials, membrane thermotropic properties, and raft-dependent interactions between vesicles.
2020
In mammals, polysialic acid (polySia) attached to a small number of transmembrane protein carriers occurs on the surface of plasma membranes of neural, cancer, immune, and placental trophoblast cells. Here, our goal was to demonstrate the presence of polySia on exosomes and its effect on membrane properties. We isolated exosomes and found that polysialylated exosomes in fetal bovine serum originate mostly from placental trophoblasts, while in calf bovine serum, they originate from immune cells. Enzymatic removal of polySia chains from the exosomal surface makes the membrane surface potential more positive, transmembrane potential more negative, and reduces the activation energy for membrane…
Minireview: pH and synaptic transmission
2013
AbstractAs a general rule a rise in pH increases neuronal activity, whereas it is dampened by a fall of pH. Neuronal activity per se also challenges pH homeostasis by the increase of metabolic acid equivalents. Moreover, the negative membrane potential of neurons promotes the intracellular accumulation of protons. Synaptic key players such as glutamate receptors or voltage-gated calcium channels show strong pH dependence and effects of pH gradients on synaptic processes are well known. However, the processes and mechanisms that allow controlling the pH in synaptic structures and how these mechanisms contribute to normal synaptic function are only beginning to be resolved.
Experimental study of electrical FitzHugh-Nagumo neurons with modified excitability
2006
International audience; We present an electronical circuit modelling a FitzHugh-Nagumo neuron with a modified excitability. To characterize this basic cell, the bifurcation curves between stability with excitation threshold, bistability and oscillations are investigated. An electrical circuit is then proposed to realize a unidirectional coupling between two cells, mimicking an inter-neuron synaptic coupling. In such a master-slave configuration, we show experimentally how the coupling strength controls the dynamics of the slave neuron, leading to frequency locking, chaotic behavior and synchronization. These phenomena are then studied by phase map analysis. The architecture of a possible ne…
Ventricular remodelling in rabbits with sustained high-fat diet.
2013
Aim Excess weight gain and obesity are one of the most serious health problems in the western societies. These conditions enhance risk of cardiac disease and have been linked with increased prevalence for cardiac arrhythmias and sudden death. Our goal was to study the ventricular remodelling occurring in rabbits fed with high-fat diet (HFD) and its potential arrhythmogenic mechanisms. Methods We used 15 NZW rabbits that were randomly assigned to a control (n = 7) or HFD group (n = 8) for 18 weeks. In vivo studies included blood glucose, electrocardiographic, and echocardiographic measurements. Optical mapping was performed in Langendorff-perfused isolated hearts. Results Body weight (3.69 ±…
Dual role of the p38 MAPK/cPLA2 pathway in the regulation of platelet apoptosis induced by ABT-737 and strong platelet agonists.
2013
p38 Mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase is involved in the apoptosis of nucleated cells. Although platelets are anucleated cells, apoptotic proteins have been shown to regulate platelet lifespan. However, the involvement of p38 MAP kinase in platelet apoptosis is not yet clearly defined. Therefore, we investigated the role of p38 MAP kinase in apoptosis induced by a mimetic of BH3-only proteins, ABT-737, and in apoptosis-like events induced by such strong platelet agonists as thrombin in combination with convulxin (Thr/Cvx), both of which result in p38 MAP kinase phosphorylation and activation. A p38 inhibitor (SB202190) inhibited the apoptotic events induced by ABT-737 but did not influ…