Limit cycles in nonlinear excitation of clusters of classical oscillators

In this paper we develop a numerical procedure for detecting the existence of limit cycles in nonlinear excitation of clusters of classical harmonic oscillators. Our technique is able to compute also the main parameters of a limit cycle, that is the amplitudes and the period. The numerical method, based on the propagation matrix formalism, is transparent and easy to apply. It may find application in various areas where nonlinear excitations are involved, e.g., sound and mechanic vibrations in musical instruments, ground vibrations in volcanic areas, and sea tides.     

Complex Refractive Indices of Cd<Subscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">x</Emphasis></Subscript>Zn<Subscript>1−<Emphasis Type="Italic">x</Emphasis></Subscript>O Thin Films Grown by Molecular Beam Epitaxy

The complex refractive indices of Cd _x Zn_1−x O thin films were determined by transmission spectrophotometry. Transmission spectra were modeled from 375 nm to 800 nm for samples having cadmium concentrations ranging from 2% to 77%. The transparent and absorptive regimes were fitted separately by Sellmeier and Forouhi–Bloomer models, respectively. Real refractive indices of Cd _x Zn_1−x O shift to higher values in the transparent region and the optical absorption edge shifts to longer wavelengths with increasing cadmium concentration. Spectroscopic ellipsometry was carried out on one sample from λ = 190 nm to 1.8 μm. Comparison between the two methods shows that the results are in general agreement.     

In vitro evaluation of freeze-dried bone allografts combined with platelet rich plasma and human bone marrow stromal cells for tissue engineering

Freeze-dried bone allograft (FDBA) might be more effective in combination with platelet rich plasma (PRP) and bone marrow stromal cells (BMSC) in accelerating bone healing. The isolation of BMSC through density gradient (pBMSC) is not extensively applicable in clinical practice, because it increases the risk of infection. Alternatively, BMSC can be concentrated by simple centrifugation (wBMSC) directly in the operating room. However, we do not know if wBMSC act in the same way as pBMSC. BMSC from 10 donors were tested whether, in the presence of a combination of FDBA and autologous PRP, the osteogenic differentiation of the cells concentrated by simple centrifugation (wBMSC + FDBA + PRP) was similar to that of pBMSC. Cell-associated alkaline phosphatase, osterix and fibroblast growth factor-2 were higher in wBMSC + FDBA + PRP. In conclusion, the combination of FDBA and PRP had a favouring effect on the differentiation towards osteoblasts and allowed BMSC concentrated by simple centrifugation to differentiate as fast as BMSC purified by density gradient.     

Exploring the effect of fluid dynamics and kinetic mechanisms on n-heptane autoignition in transient jets

The influence of physical parameters and of flow patterns on the prediction of n-heptane ignition dynamic in transient reacting n-heptane jets, in high pressure environment under laminar conditions, has been explored by using different kinetic mechanisms. Some preliminary transient laminar flamelet computations have been performed, thus showing that the sensitivity of the ignition time to strain rate depends on the kinetic mechanism used.Therefore, the structure of the reacting jet, in particular the localization of ignition spots, is investigated. The results show that, if the initial temperature of the reacting mixture is out of the intermediate range (800–1000 K) towards lower values, the fluid dynamics has an essential role. In this case, the ignition delay time is almost insensitive to the specific kinetic mechanism adopted, conversely it is severely shortened by increasing the streamwise velocity. The burning spot is located in the core of fuel roll-up, where low values of scalar dissipation rate occur. Nevertheless, the most reactive mixture fraction conditions are well predicted by chemical kinetics, as they are in good agreement with those computed for the one-dimensional diffusion layer. When the initial temperature of fuel and air is increased in the intermediate range, ignition is strongly dependent on the kinetic mechanism used. In these cases, the choice of an accurate chemical scheme is fundamental in order to obtain reliable results.     

All-trans-retinoic acid counteracts endothelial cell procoagulant activity induced by a human promyelocytic leukemia-derived cell line (NB4)

Therapy with all-trans-retinoic acid (ATRA) can rapidly improve the coagulopathy of acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL). This study was designed to evaluate whether the APL cell line NB4 induces the procoagulant activity (PCA) of human endothelial cells (ECs) in vitro, and whether this property is modified after ATRA-induced NB4 maturation. EC monolayers were incubated for 4 hours at 37 degrees C with the conditioned media (CM) of NB4 treated with 1 mumol/L ATRA (ATRA-NB4-CM) or the vehicle (control-NB4-CM). EC lysates were tested for PCA. ATRA-NB4-CM induced significantly more PCA:tissue factor (TF) than control-NB4-CM (P < .01). To identify the cause of TF induction, interleukin (IL)-1 beta antigen levels were measured in CM samples. ATRA-NB4-CM contained significantly more IL-1 beta than control-NB4-CM. EC PCA was significantly inhibited by an anti-IL-1 beta antibody. The addition to the media of 10 mumol/L ATRA counteracted the EC TF expression induced by NB4-CM. These data indicate that ATRA increases the promyelocyte-induced EC TF, partly through increased IL-1 beta production. However, ATRA can protect the endothelium from the procoagulant stimulus of leukemic cells.     

Design and Characterization of a Peptide Mimotope of the HIV-1 gp120 Bridging Sheet

The Bridging Sheet domain of HIV-1 gp120 is highly conserved among the HIV-1 strains and allows HIV-1 binding to host cells via the HIV-1 coreceptors. Further, the bridging sheet domain is a major target to neutralize HIV-1 infection. We rationally designed four linear peptide epitopes that mimic the three-dimensional structure of bridging sheet by using molecular modeling. Chemically synthesized peptides BS3 and BS4 showed a fair degree of antigenicity when tested in ELISA with IgG purified from HIV(+) broadly neutralizing sera while the production of synthetic peptides BS1 and BS2 failed due to their high degree of hydrophobicity. To overcome this limitation, we linked all four BS peptides to the COOH-terminus of GST protein to test both their antigenicity and immunogenicity. Only the BS1 peptide showed good antigenicity; however, no envelope specific antibodies were elicited upon mice immunization. Therefore we performed further analyses by linking BS1 peptide to the NH2-terminus of the E2 scaffold from the Geobacillus Stearothermophylus PDH complex. The E2-BS1 fusion peptide showed good antigenic results, however only one immunized rabbit elicited good antibody titers towards both the monomeric and oligomeric viral envelope glycoprotein (Env). In addition, moderate neutralizing antibodies response was elicited against two HIV-1 clade B and one clade C primary isolates. These preliminary data validate the peptide mimotope approach as a promising tool to obtain an effective HIV-1 vaccine.