Model cell membranes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Günther-Pomorski, Thomas; Nylander, Tommy; Cardenas Gomez, Marite

2014-01-01

The high complexity of biological membranes has motivated the development and application of a wide range of model membrane systems to study biochemical and biophysical aspects of membranes in situ under well defined conditions. The aim is to provide fundamental understanding of processes control...

Heterogeneous traffic flow modelling using second-order macroscopic continuum model

Science.gov (United States)

Mohan, Ranju; Ramadurai, Gitakrishnan

2017-01-01

Modelling heterogeneous traffic flow lacking in lane discipline is one of the emerging research areas in the past few years. The two main challenges in modelling are: capturing the effect of varying size of vehicles, and the lack in lane discipline, both of which together lead to the 'gap filling' behaviour of vehicles. The same section length of the road can be occupied by different types of vehicles at the same time, and the conventional measure of traffic concentration, density (vehicles per lane per unit length), is not a good measure for heterogeneous traffic modelling. First aim of this paper is to have a parsimonious model of heterogeneous traffic that can capture the unique phenomena of gap filling. Second aim is to emphasize the suitability of higher-order models for modelling heterogeneous traffic. Third, the paper aims to suggest area occupancy as concentration measure of heterogeneous traffic lacking in lane discipline. The above mentioned two main challenges of heterogeneous traffic flow are addressed by extending an existing second-order continuum model of traffic flow, using area occupancy for traffic concentration instead of density. The extended model is calibrated and validated with field data from an arterial road in Chennai city, and the results are compared with those from few existing generalized multi-class models.

Mathematical modelling of membrane separation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vinther, Frank

This thesis concerns mathematical modelling of membrane separation. The thesis consists of introductory theory on membrane separation, equations of motion, and properties of dextran, which will be the solute species throughout the thesis. Furthermore, the thesis consist of three separate mathemat......This thesis concerns mathematical modelling of membrane separation. The thesis consists of introductory theory on membrane separation, equations of motion, and properties of dextran, which will be the solute species throughout the thesis. Furthermore, the thesis consist of three separate...... mathematical models, each with a different approach to membrane separation. The first model is a statistical model investigating the interplay between solute shape and the probability of entering the membrane. More specific the transition of solute particles from being spherical to becoming more elongated...

Structure and physical properties of bio membranes and model membranes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tibor Hianik

2006-01-01

Bio membranes belong to the most important structures of the cell and the cell organelles. They play not only structural role of the barrier separating the external and internal part of the membrane but contain also various functional molecules, like receptors, ionic channels, carriers and enzymes. The cell membrane also preserves non-equilibrium state in a cell which is crucial for maintaining its excitability and other signaling functions. The growing interest to the bio membranes is also due to their unique physical properties. From physical point of view the bio membranes, that are composed of lipid bilayer into which are incorporated integral proteins and on their surface are anchored peripheral proteins and polysaccharides, represent liquid s crystal of smectic type. The bio membranes are characterized by anisotropy of structural and physical properties. The complex structure of bio membranes makes the study of their physical properties rather difficult. Therefore several model systems that mimic the structure of bio membranes were developed. Among them the lipid monolayers at an air-water interphase, bilayer lipid membranes, supported bilayer lipid membranes and liposomes are most known. This work is focused on the introduction into the physical word of the bio membranes and their models. After introduction to the membrane structure and the history of its establishment, the physical properties of the bio membranes and their models are stepwise presented. The most focus is on the properties of lipid monolayers, bilayer lipid membranes, supported bilayer lipid membranes and liposomes that were most detailed studied. This lecture has tutorial character that may be useful for undergraduate and graduate students in the area of biophysics, biochemistry, molecular biology and bioengineering, however it contains also original work of the author and his co-worker and PhD students, that may be useful also for specialists working in the field of bio membranes and model

Introducing Membrane Charge and Membrane Potential to T Cell Signaling

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yuanqing Ma

2017-11-01

Full Text Available While membrane models now include the heterogeneous distribution of lipids, the impact of membrane charges on regulating the association of proteins with the plasma membrane is often overlooked. Charged lipids are asymmetrically distributed between the two leaflets of the plasma membrane, resulting in the inner leaflet being negatively charged and a surface potential that attracts and binds positively charged ions, proteins, and peptide motifs. These interactions not only create a transmembrane potential but they can also facilitate the formation of charged membrane domains. Here, we reference fields outside of immunology in which consequences of membrane charge are better characterized to highlight important mechanisms. We then focus on T cell receptor (TCR signaling, reviewing the evidence that membrane charges and membrane-associated calcium regulate phosphorylation of the TCR–CD3 complex and discuss how the immunological synapse exhibits distinct patterns of membrane charge distribution. We propose that charged lipids, ions in solution, and transient protein interactions form a dynamic equilibrium during T cell activation.

Radiation effects on bovine taste bud membranes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shatzman, A.R.; Mossman, K.L.

1982-01-01

In order to investigate the mechanisms of radiation-induced taste loss, the effects of radiation on preparations of enriched bovine taste bud membranes were studied. Taste buds containing circumvallate papilae, and surrounding control epithelial tissues devoid of taste buds, were obtained from steers and given radiation doses of 0-7000 cGy (rad). Tissue fractions were isolated into membrane-enriched and heterogeneous components using differential and sucrose gradient centrifugation of tissue homogenates. The yield of membranes, as measured by protein content in the buoyant membrane-enriched fractions, was reduced in quantity with increasing radiation dose. The relation between radiation dose and membrane quantity in membrane-enriched fractions could be fit by a simple exponential model with taste bud-derived membranes twice as radiosensitive as membranes from control epithelial tissue. Binding of sucrose, sodium, and acetate and fluoride stimulation of adenylate cyclase were nearly identical in both irradiated and nonirradiated intact membranes. Radiation had no effect on fractions of heterogeneous components. While it is not clear what changes are occurring in enriched taste cell membranes, damage to membranes may play an important role in the taste loss observed in patients following radiotherapy

Membrane interaction of antimicrobial peptides using E. coli lipid extract as model bacterial cell membranes and SFG spectroscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Soblosky, Lauren; Ramamoorthy, Ayyalusamy; Chen, Zhan

2015-04-01

Supported lipid bilayers are used as a convenient model cell membrane system to study biologically important molecule-lipid interactions in situ. However, the lipid bilayer models are often simple and the acquired results with these models may not provide all pertinent information related to a real cell membrane. In this work, we use sum frequency generation (SFG) vibrational spectroscopy to study molecular-level interactions between the antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) MSI-594, ovispirin-1 G18, magainin 2 and a simple 1,2-dipalmitoyl-d62-sn-glycero-3-phosphoglycerol (dDPPG)/1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoglycerol (POPG) bilayer. We compared such interactions to those between the AMPs and a more complex dDPPG/Escherichia coli (E. coli) polar lipid extract bilayer. We show that to fully understand more complex aspects of peptide-bilayer interaction, such as interaction kinetics, a heterogeneous lipid composition is required, such as the E. coli polar lipid extract. The discrepancy in peptide-bilayer interaction is likely due in part to the difference in bilayer charge between the two systems since highly negative charged lipids can promote more favorable electrostatic interactions between the peptide and lipid bilayer. Results presented in this paper indicate that more complex model bilayers are needed to accurately analyze peptide-cell membrane interactions and demonstrates the importance of using an appropriate lipid composition to study AMP interaction properties. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Membrane fouling mechanism of biofilm-membrane bioreactor (BF-MBR): Pore blocking model and membrane cleaning.

Science.gov (United States)

Zheng, Yi; Zhang, Wenxiang; Tang, Bing; Ding, Jie; Zheng, Yi; Zhang, Zhien

2018-02-01

Biofilm membrane bioreactor (BF-MBR) is considered as an important wastewater treatment technology that incorporates advantages of both biofilm and MBR process, as well as can alleviate membrane fouling, with respect to the conventional activated sludge MBR. But, to be efficient, it necessitates the establishment of proper methods for the assessment of membrane fouling. Four Hermia membrane blocking models were adopted to quantify and evaluate the membrane fouling of BF-MBR. The experiments were conducted with various operational conditions, including membrane types, agitation speeds and transmembrane pressure (TMP). Good agreement between cake formation model and experimental data was found, confirming the validity of the Hermia models for assessing the membrane fouling of BF-MBR and that cake layer deposits on membrane. Moreover, the influences of membrane types, agitation speeds and transmembrane pressure on the Hermia pore blocking coefficient of cake layer were investigated. In addition, the permeability recovery after membrane cleaning at various operational conditions was studied. This work confirms that, unlike conventional activated sludge MBR, BF-MBR possesses a low degree of membrane fouling and a higher membrane permeability recovery after cleaning. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Drug-model membrane interactions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deniz, Usha K.

1994-01-01

In the present day world, drugs play a very important role in medicine and it is necessary to understand their mode of action at the molecular level, in order to optimise their use. Studies of drug-biomembrane interactions are essential for gaining such as understanding. However, it would be prohibitively difficult to carry out such studies, since biomembranes are highly complex systems. Hence, model membranes (made up of these lipids which are important components of biomembranes) of varying degrees of complexity are used to investigate drug-membrane interactions. Bio- as well as model-membranes undergo a chain melting transition when heated, the chains being in a disordered state above the transition point, T CM . This transition is of physiological importance since biomembranes select their components such that T CM is less than the ambient temperature but not very much so, so that membrane flexibility is ensured and porosity, avoided. The influence of drugs on the transition gives valuable clues about various parameters such as the location of the drug in the membrane. Deep insights into drug-membrane interactions are obtained by observing the effect of drugs on membrane structure and the mobilities of the various groups in lipids, near T CM . Investigation of such changes have been carried out with several drugs, using techniques such as DSC, XRD and NMR. The results indicate that the drug-membrane interaction not only depends on the nature of drug and lipids but also on the form of the model membrane - stacked bilayer or vesicles. The light that these results shed on the nature of drug-membrane interactions is discussed. (author). 13 refs., 13 figs., 1 tab

Averaging principle for second-order approximation of heterogeneous models with homogeneous models.

Science.gov (United States)

Fibich, Gadi; Gavious, Arieh; Solan, Eilon

2012-11-27

Typically, models with a heterogeneous property are considerably harder to analyze than the corresponding homogeneous models, in which the heterogeneous property is replaced by its average value. In this study we show that any outcome of a heterogeneous model that satisfies the two properties of differentiability and symmetry is O(ε(2)) equivalent to the outcome of the corresponding homogeneous model, where ε is the level of heterogeneity. We then use this averaging principle to obtain new results in queuing theory, game theory (auctions), and social networks (marketing).

Averaging principle for second-order approximation of heterogeneous models with homogeneous models

Science.gov (United States)

Fibich, Gadi; Gavious, Arieh; Solan, Eilon

2012-01-01

Typically, models with a heterogeneous property are considerably harder to analyze than the corresponding homogeneous models, in which the heterogeneous property is replaced by its average value. In this study we show that any outcome of a heterogeneous model that satisfies the two properties of differentiability and symmetry is O(ɛ2) equivalent to the outcome of the corresponding homogeneous model, where ɛ is the level of heterogeneity. We then use this averaging principle to obtain new results in queuing theory, game theory (auctions), and social networks (marketing). PMID:23150569

Pore surface fractal analysis of palladium-alumina ceramic membrane using Frenkel-Halsey-Hill (FHH) model.

Science.gov (United States)

Ahmad, A L; Mustafa, N N N

2006-09-15

The alumina ceramic membrane has been modified by the addition of palladium in order to improve the H(2) permeability and selectivity. Palladium-alumina ceramic membrane was prepared via a sol-gel method and subjected to thermal treatment in the temperature range 500-1100 degrees C. Fractal analysis from nitrogen adsorption isotherm is used to study the pore surface roughness of palladium-alumina ceramic membrane with different chemical composition (nitric acid, PVA and palladium) and calcinations process in terms of surface fractal dimension, D. Frenkel-Halsey-Hill (FHH) model was used to determine the D value of palladium-alumina membrane. Following FHH model, the D value of palladium-alumina membrane increased as the calcinations temperature increased from 500 to 700 degrees C but decreased after calcined at 900 and 1100 degrees C. With increasing palladium concentration from 0.5 g Pd/100 ml H(2)O to 2 g Pd/100 ml H(2)O, D value of membrane decreased, indicating to the smoother surface. Addition of higher amount of PVA and palladium reduced the surface fractal of the membrane due to the heterogeneous distribution of pores. However, the D value increased when nitric acid concentration was increased from 1 to 15 M. The effect of calcinations temperature, PVA ratio, palladium and acid concentration on membrane surface area, pore size and pore distribution also studied.

Genetic Manipulation of Outer Membrane Permeability: Generating Porous Heterogeneous Catalyst Analogs in Escherichia coli

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Patel, TN; Park, AHA; Bantat, S

2014-12-01

The limited permeability of the E. coli outer membrane can significantly hinder whole-cell biocatalyst performance. In this study, the SARS coronavirus small envelope protein (SCVE) was expressed in E. coli cells previously engineered for periplasmic expression of carbonic anhydrase (CA) activity. This maneuver increased small molecule uptake by the cells, resulting in increased apparent CA activity of the biocatalysts. The enhancements in activity were quantified using methods developed for traditional heterogeneous catalysis. The expression of the SCVE protein was found to significantly reduce the Thiele moduli (phi), as well as increase the effectiveness factors (eta), effective diffusivities (D-e), and permeabilities (P) of the biocatalysts. These catalytic improvements translated into superior performance of the biocatalysts for the precipitation of calcium carbonate from solution which is an attractive strategy for long-term sequestration of captured carbon dioxide. Overall, these results demonstrate that synthetic biology approaches can be used to enhance heterogeneous catalysts incorporated into microbial whole-cell scaffolds.

Mechanisms of proton conductance in polymer electrolyte membranes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Eikerling, M.; Kornyshev, A. A.; Kuznetsov, A. M.

2001-01-01

We provide a phenomenological description of proton conductance in polymer electrolyte membranes, based on contemporary views of proton transfer processes in condensed media and a model for heterogeneous polymer electrolyte membrane structure. The description combines the proton transfer events...... in a single pore with the total pore-network performance and, thereby, relates structural and kinetic characteristics of the membrane. The theory addresses specific experimentally studied issues such as the effect of the density of proton localization sites (equivalent weight) of the membrane material...

Model of monopolistic competition with heterogeneous labor

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Filatov Alexander

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The paper presents a tool for modelling monopolistic competition markets, based on Dixit-Stiglitz ideology but taking into account heterogeneity at labor market. We analyse several modifications of a two-sector general equilibrium model. In the basic one with two levels of workers qualification their shares are determined endogenously on the base of comparison between the higher wage of the skilled worker and heterogeneous education costs, also taking into account the labor mobility between the manufacture and agriculture sector. The model is generalized for the case of continuous distribution of labor qualification. The impact of the model parameters (ratio of fixed and variable costs, market size, heterogeneity in productivity, elasticity of substitution, etc. on the obtained equilibrium prices, quantities, wages, number and size of firms, social welfare is investigated.

Giant plasma membrane vesicles: models for understanding membrane organization.

Science.gov (United States)

Levental, Kandice R; Levental, Ilya

2015-01-01

The organization of eukaryotic membranes into functional domains continues to fascinate and puzzle cell biologists and biophysicists. The lipid raft hypothesis proposes that collective lipid interactions compartmentalize the membrane into coexisting liquid domains that are central to membrane physiology. This hypothesis has proven controversial because such structures cannot be directly visualized in live cells by light microscopy. The recent observations of liquid-liquid phase separation in biological membranes are an important validation of the raft hypothesis and enable application of the experimental toolbox of membrane physics to a biologically complex phase-separated membrane. This review addresses the role of giant plasma membrane vesicles (GPMVs) in refining the raft hypothesis and expands on the application of GPMVs as an experimental model to answer some of key outstanding problems in membrane biology. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Detection of Diffusion Heterogeneity in Single Particle Tracking Trajectories Using a Hidden Markov Model with Measurement Noise Propagation

Science.gov (United States)

Slator, Paddy J.; Cairo, Christopher W.; Burroughs, Nigel J.

2015-01-01

We develop a Bayesian analysis framework to detect heterogeneity in the diffusive behaviour of single particle trajectories on cells, implementing model selection to classify trajectories as either consistent with Brownian motion or with a two-state (diffusion coefficient) switching model. The incorporation of localisation accuracy is essential, as otherwise false detection of switching within a trajectory was observed and diffusion coefficient estimates were inflated. Since our analysis is on a single trajectory basis, we are able to examine heterogeneity between trajectories in a quantitative manner. Applying our method to the lymphocyte function-associated antigen 1 (LFA-1) receptor tagged with latex beads (4 s trajectories at 1000 frames s−1), both intra- and inter-trajectory heterogeneity were detected; 12–26% of trajectories display clear switching between diffusive states dependent on condition, whilst the inter-trajectory variability is highly structured with the diffusion coefficients being related by D 1 = 0.68D 0 − 1.5 × 104 nm2 s−1, suggestive that on these time scales we are detecting switching due to a single process. Further, the inter-trajectory variability of the diffusion coefficient estimates (1.6 × 102 − 2.6 × 105 nm2 s−1) is very much larger than the measurement uncertainty within trajectories, suggesting that LFA-1 aggregation and cytoskeletal interactions are significantly affecting mobility, whilst the timescales of these processes are distinctly different giving rise to inter- and intra-trajectory variability. There is also an ‘immobile’ state (defined as D models within membranes incorporating aggregation, binding to the cytoskeleton, or traversing membrane microdomains. PMID:26473352

Planar Optical Nanoantennas Resolve Cholesterol-Dependent Nanoscale Heterogeneities in the Plasma Membrane of Living Cells

Science.gov (United States)

Regmi, Raju; Winkler, Pamina M.; Flauraud, Valentin; Borgman, Kyra J. E.; Manzo, Carlo; Brugger, Jürgen; Rigneault, Hervé; Wenger, Jérôme; García-Parajo, María F.

2017-10-01

Optical nanoantennas can efficiently confine light into nanoscopic hotspots, enabling single-molecule detection sensitivity at biological relevant conditions. This innovative approach to breach the diffraction limit offers a versatile platform to investigate the dynamics of individual biomolecules in living cell membranes and their partitioning into cholesterol-dependent lipid nanodomains. Here, we present optical nanoantenna arrays with accessible surface hotspots to study the characteristic diffusion dynamics of phosphoethanolamine (PE) and sphingomyelin (SM) in the plasma membrane of living cells at the nanoscale. Fluorescence burst analysis and fluorescence correlation spectroscopy performed on nanoantennas of different gap sizes show that, unlike PE, SM is transiently trapped in cholesterol-enriched nanodomains of 10 nm diameter with short characteristic times around 100 {\\mu}s. The removal of cholesterol led to the free diffusion of SM, consistent with the dispersion of nanodomains. Our results are consistent with the existence of highly transient and fluctuating nanoscale assemblies enriched by cholesterol and sphingolipids in living cell membranes, also known as lipid rafts. Quantitative data on sphingolipids partitioning into lipid rafts is crucial to understand the spatiotemporal heterogeneous organization of transient molecular complexes on the membrane of living cells at the nanoscale. The proposed technique is fully biocompatible and thus provides various opportunities for biophysics and live cell research to reveal details that remain hidden in confocal diffraction-limited measurements.

Heterogeneous neutron-leakage model for PWR pin-by-pin calculation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Yunzhao; Zhang, Bin; Wu, Hongchun; Shen, Wei

2017-01-01

Highlights: •The derivation of the formula of the leakage model is introduced. This paper evaluates homogeneous and heterogeneous leakage models used in PWR pin-by-pin calculation. •The implements of homogeneous and heterogeneous leakage models used in pin-cell homogenization of the lattice calculation are studied. A consistent method of cooperation between the heterogeneous leakage model and the pin-cell homogenization theory is proposed. •Considering the computational cost, a new buckling search scheme is proposed to reach the convergence faster. The computational cost of the newly proposed neutron balance scheme is much less than the power-method scheme and the linear-interpolation scheme. -- Abstract: When assembly calculation is performed with the reflective boundary condition, a leakage model is usually required in the lattice code. The previous studies show that the homogeneous leakage model works effectively for the assembly homogenization. However, it becomes different and unsettled for the pin-cell homogenization. Thus, this paper evaluates homogeneous and heterogeneous leakage models used in pin-by-pin calculation. The implements of homogeneous and heterogeneous leakage models used in pin-cell homogenization of the lattice calculation are studied. A consistent method of cooperation between the heterogeneous leakage model and the pin-cell homogenization theory is proposed. Considering the computational cost, a new buckling search scheme is proposed to reach the convergence faster. For practical reactor-core applications, the diffusion coefficients determined by the transport cross-section or by the leakage model are compared with each other to determine which one is more accurate for the Pressurized Water Reactor pin-by-pin calculation. Numerical results have demonstrated that the heterogeneous leakage model together with the diffusion coefficient determined by the heterogeneous leakage model would have the higher accuracy. The new buckling search

Pulse radiolysis studies of model membranes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heijman, M.G.J.

1984-01-01

In this thesis the influence of the structure of membranes on the processes in cell membranes were examined. Different models of the membranes were evaluated. Pulse radiolysis was used as the technique to examine the membranes. (R.B.)

Heterogeneous chromatin target model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Watanabe, Makoto

1996-01-01

The higher order structure of the entangled chromatin fibers in a chromosome plays a key role in molecular control mechanism involved in chromosome mutation due to ionizing radiations or chemical mutagens. The condensed superstructure of chromatin is not so rigid and regular as has been postulated in general. We have proposed a rheological explanation for the flexible network system ('chromatin network') that consists of the fluctuating assembly of nucleosome clusters linked with supertwisting DNA in a chromatin fiber ('Supertwisting Particulate Model'). We have proposed a 'Heterosensitive Target Model' for cellular radiosensitivity that is a modification of 'Heterogeneous Target Model'. The heterogeneity of chromatin target is derived from the highly condensed organization of chromatin segments consist of unstable and fragile sites in the fluctuating assembly of nucleosome clusters, namely 'supranucleosomal particles' or 'superbeads'. The models have been principally supported by our electron microscopic experiments employing 'surface - spreading whole - mount technique' since 1967. However, some deformation and artifacts in the chromatin structure are inevitable with these electron microscopic procedures. On the contrary, the 'atomic force microscope (AFM)' can be operated in liquid as well as in the air. A living specimen can be examined without any preparative procedures. Micromanipulation of the isolated chromosome is also possible by the precise positional control of a cantilever on the nanometer scale. The living human chromosomes were submerged in a solution of culture medium and observed by AFM using a liquid immersion cell. The surface - spreading whole - mount technique was applicable for this observation. The particulate chromatin segments of nucleosome clusters were clearly observed within mitotic human chromosomes in a living hydrated condition. These findings support the heterogeneity of chromatin target in a living cell. (J.P.N.)

Modeling heterogeneous unsaturated porous media flow at Yucca Mountain

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Robey, T.H.

1994-01-01

Geologic systems are inherently heterogeneous and this heterogeneity can have a significant impact on unsaturated flow through porous media. Most previous efforts to model groundwater flow through Yucca Mountain have used stratigraphic units with homogeneous properties. However, modeling heterogeneous porous and fractured tuff in a more realistic manner requires numerical methods for generating heterogeneous simulations of the media, scaling of material properties from core scale to computational scale, and flow modeling that allows channeling. The Yucca Mountain test case of the INTRAVAL project is used to test the numerical approaches. Geostatistics is used to generate more realistic representations of the stratigraphic units and heterogeneity within units is generated using sampling from property distributions. Scaling problems are reduced using an adaptive grid that minimizes heterogeneity within each flow element. A flow code based on the dual mixed-finite-element method that allows for heterogeneity and channeling is employed. In the Yucca Mountain test case, the simulated volumetric water contents matched the measured values at drill hole USW UZ-16 except in the nonwelded portion of Prow Pass

Advances in nonmarket valuation econometrics: Spatial heterogeneity in hedonic pricing models and preference heterogeneity in stated preference models

Science.gov (United States)

Yoo, Jin Woo

In my 1st essay, the study explores Pennsylvania residents. willingness to pay for development of renewable energy technologies such as solar power, wind power, biomass electricity, and other renewable energy using a choice experiment method. Principle component analysis identified 3 independent attitude components that affect the variation of preference, a desire for renewable energy and environmental quality and concern over cost. The results show that urban residents have a higher desire for environmental quality and concern less about cost than rural residents and consequently have a higher willingness to pay to increase renewable energy production. The results of sub-sample analysis show that a representative respondent in rural (urban) Pennsylvania is willing to pay 3.8(5.9) and 4.1(5.7)/month for increasing the share of Pennsylvania electricity generated from wind power and other renewable energy by 1 percent point, respectively. Mean WTP for solar and biomass electricity was not significantly different from zero. In my second essay, heterogeneity of individual WTP for various renewable energy technologies is investigated using several different variants of the multinomial logit model: a simple MNL with interaction terms, a latent class choice model, a random parameter mixed logit choice model, and a random parameter-latent class choice model. The results of all models consistently show that respondents. preference for individual renewable technology is heterogeneous, but the degree of heterogeneity differs for different renewable technologies. In general, the random parameter logit model with interactions and a hybrid random parameter logit-latent class model fit better than other models and better capture respondents. heterogeneity of preference for renewable energy. The impact of the land under agricultural conservation easement (ACE) contract on the values of nearby residential properties is investigated using housing sales data in two Pennsylvania

Membrane Compartmentalization Reducing the Mobility of Lipids and Proteins within a Model Plasma Membrane.

Science.gov (United States)

Koldsø, Heidi; Reddy, Tyler; Fowler, Philip W; Duncan, Anna L; Sansom, Mark S P

2016-09-01

The cytoskeleton underlying cell membranes may influence the dynamic organization of proteins and lipids within the bilayer by immobilizing certain transmembrane (TM) proteins and forming corrals within the membrane. Here, we present coarse-grained resolution simulations of a biologically realistic membrane model of asymmetrically organized lipids and TM proteins. We determine the effects of a model of cytoskeletal immobilization of selected membrane proteins using long time scale coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations. By introducing compartments with varying degrees of restraints within the membrane models, we are able to reveal how compartmentalization caused by cytoskeletal immobilization leads to reduced and anomalous diffusional mobility of both proteins and lipids. This in turn results in a reduced rate of protein dimerization within the membrane and of hopping of membrane proteins between compartments. These simulations provide a molecular realization of hierarchical models often invoked to explain single-molecule imaging studies of membrane proteins.

A general model for membrane-based separation processes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Soni, Vipasha; Abildskov, Jens; Jonsson, Gunnar Eigil

2009-01-01

behaviour will play an important role. In this paper, modelling of membrane-based processes for separation of gas and liquid mixtures are considered. Two general models, one for membrane-based liquid separation processes (with phase change) and another for membrane-based gas separation are presented....... The separation processes covered are: membrane-based gas separation processes, pervaporation and various types of membrane distillation processes. The specific model for each type of membrane-based process is generated from the two general models by applying the specific system descriptions and the corresponding...

Modelling firm heterogeneity with spatial 'trends'

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sarmiento, C. [North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND (United States). Dept. of Agricultural Business & Applied Economics

2004-04-15

The hypothesis underlying this article is that firm heterogeneity can be captured by spatial characteristics of the firm (similar to the inclusion of a time trend in time series models). The hypothesis is examined in the context of modelling electric generation by coal powered plants in the presence of firm heterogeneity.

[Effects of silver nitrate on the phase state of model multibilayer membranes].

Science.gov (United States)

Vashchenko, O V; Iermak, Yu L; Krasnikova, A O; Lisetski, L N

2015-01-01

In order to study the effects caused by silver nitrate (AgNO3) on model lipid membranes, we studied multibilayer membranes based on L-α-dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) and AgNO3 aqueous soluitions in a wide concentration range (up to 30 wt%) by means of differential scanning calorimetry. It has been shown that the presence of AgNO3 leads both to an increase in the main phase transition temperature (T(m)) and appearance of an additional phase transition peak (T(m)), suggesting increasing of both density and heterogeneity of the lipid membrane. The effect of nitrate ions (NO ) was shown to be of the opposite nature (bilayer fluidizing), so the integral densifying effect of AgNO3 can be referred solely to the action of silver ions (Ag(+)). With increasing AgNO3 concentration, the tendency was observed to opposite changes in T(m) and T'(m) peaks intensity, thereby at about 26. wt% of AgNO3 the initial peak (T(m)) disappeared. In the range of Ag+ therapeutic concentrations (up to 2 wt%) no significant changes in the DPPC membrane were revealed. This can be one of the reasons of the absence of a damaging effect of silver drugs on a host organism with simultaneous pronounced bactericidal effect.

Probing lipid membrane electrostatics

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Yi

The electrostatic properties of lipid bilayer membranes play a significant role in many biological processes. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) is highly sensitive to membrane surface potential in electrolyte solutions. With fully characterized probe tips, AFM can perform quantitative electrostatic analysis of lipid membranes. Electrostatic interactions between Silicon nitride probes and supported zwitterionic dioleoylphosphatidylcholine (DOPC) bilayer with a variable fraction of anionic dioleoylphosphatidylserine (DOPS) were measured by AFM. Classical Gouy-Chapman theory was used to model the membrane electrostatics. The nonlinear Poisson-Boltzmann equation was numerically solved with finite element method to provide the potential distribution around the AFM tips. Theoretical tip-sample electrostatic interactions were calculated with the surface integral of both Maxwell and osmotic stress tensors on tip surface. The measured forces were interpreted with theoretical forces and the resulting surface charge densities of the membrane surfaces were in quantitative agreement with the Gouy-Chapman-Stern model of membrane charge regulation. It was demonstrated that the AFM can quantitatively detect membrane surface potential at a separation of several screening lengths, and that the AFM probe only perturbs the membrane surface potential by external field created by the internai membrane dipole moment. The analysis yields a dipole moment of 1.5 Debye per lipid with a dipole potential of +275 mV for supported DOPC membranes. This new ability to quantitatively measure the membrane dipole density in a noninvasive manner will be useful in identifying the biological effects of the dipole potential. Finally, heterogeneous model membranes were studied with fluid electric force microscopy (FEFM). Electrostatic mapping was demonstrated with 50 nm resolution. The capabilities of quantitative electrostatic measurement and lateral charge density mapping make AFM a unique and powerful

Simulation Model of Membrane Gas Separator Using Aspen Custom Modeler

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Song, Dong-keun [Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); Shin, Gahui; Yun, Jinwon; Yu, Sangseok [Chungnam Nat’l Univ., Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2016-12-15

Membranes are used to separate pure gas from gas mixtures. In this study, three different types of mass transport through a membrane were developed in order to investigate the gas separation capabilities of a membrane. The three different models typically used are a lumped model, a multi-cell model, and a discretization model. Despite the multi-cell model producing similar results to a discretization model, the discretization model was selected for this investigation, due to the cell number dependence of a multi-cell model. The mass transport model was then used to investigate the effects of pressure difference, flow rate, total exposed area, and permeability. The results showed that the pressure difference increased with the stage cut, but the selectivity was a trade-off for the increasing pressure difference. Additionally, even though permeability is an important parameter, the selectivity and stage cut of the membrane converged as permeability increased.

Heterogeneity in Models of Electoral Choice

OpenAIRE

Rivers, Douglas

1983-01-01

Heterogeneity or the presence of a variety of decision rules in a population has usually been ignored in voting research. A method for handling heterogeneous preferences using rank order data is developed and applied to a simple issue-voting model. The estimated average effect of partisanship is substantially higher when the assumption of homogeneity is relaxed, though many self-identified partisans also use ideological criteria to evaluate candidates and many independents rely on partisan cr...

Two-Phase Contiguous Supported Lipid Bilayer Model for Membrane Rafts via Polymer Blotting and Stenciling.

Science.gov (United States)

Richards, Mark J; Daniel, Susan

2017-02-07

The supported lipid bilayer has been portrayed as a useful model of the cell membrane compatible with many biophysical tools and techniques that demonstrate its appeal in learning about the basic features of the plasma membrane. However, some of its potential has yet to be realized, particularly in the area of bilayer patterning and phase/composition heterogeneity. In this work, we generate contiguous bilayer patterns as a model system that captures the general features of membrane domains and lipid rafts. Micropatterned polymer templates of two types are investigated for generating patterned bilayer formation: polymer blotting and polymer lift-off stenciling. While these approaches have been used previously to create bilayer arrays by corralling bilayers patches with various types of boundaries impenetrable to bilayer diffusion, unique to the methods presented here, there are no physical barriers to diffusion. In this work, interfaces between contiguous lipid phases define the pattern shapes, with continuity between them allowing transfer of membrane-bound biomolecules between the phases. We examine effectors of membrane domain stability including temperature and cholesterol content to investigate domain dynamics. Contiguous patterning of supported bilayers as a model of lipid rafts expands the application of the SLB to an area with current appeal and brings with it a useful toolset for characterization and analysis. These combined tools should be helpful to researchers investigating lipid raft dynamics and function and biomolecule partitioning studies. Additionally, this patterning technique may be useful for applications such as bioseparations that exploit differences in lipid phase partitioning or creation of membranes that bind species like viruses preferentially at lipid phase boundaries, to name a few.

Modeling and Analysis of Wrinkled Membranes: An Overview

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, B.; Ding, H.; Lou, M.; Fang, H.; Broduer, Steve (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

Thin-film membranes are basic elements of a variety of space inflatable/deployable structures. Wrinkling degrades the performance and reliability of these membrane structures, and hence has been a topic of continued interest. Wrinkling analysis of membranes for general geometry and arbitrary boundary conditions is quite challenging. The objective of this presentation is two-fold. Firstly, the existing models of wrinkled membranes and related numerical solution methods are reviewed. The important issues to be discussed are the capability of a membrane model to characterize taut, wrinkled and slack states of membranes in a consistent and physically reasonable manner; the ability of a wrinkling analysis method to predict the formation and growth of wrinkled regions, and to determine out-of-plane deformation and wrinkled waves; the convergence of a numerical solution method for wrinkling analysis; and the compatibility of a wrinkling analysis with general-purpose finite element codes. According to this review, several opening issues in modeling and analysis of wrinkled membranes that are to be addressed in future research are summarized, The second objective of this presentation is to discuss a newly developed membrane model of two viable parameters (2-VP model) and associated parametric finite element method (PFEM) for wrinkling analysis are introduced. The innovations and advantages of the proposed membrane model and PFEM-based wrinkling analysis are: (1) Via a unified stress-strain relation; the 2-VP model treat the taut, wrinkled, and slack states of membranes consistently; (2) The PFEM-based wrinkling analysis has guaranteed convergence; (3) The 2-VP model along with PFEM is capable of predicting membrane out-of-plane deformations; and (4) The PFEM can be integrated into any existing finite element code. Preliminary numerical examples are also included in this presentation to demonstrate the 2-VP model and PFEM-based wrinkling analysis approach.

Mechanisms underlying anomalous diffusion in the plasma membrane.

Science.gov (United States)

Krapf, Diego

2015-01-01

The plasma membrane is a complex fluid where lipids and proteins undergo diffusive motion critical to biochemical reactions. Through quantitative imaging analyses such as single-particle tracking, it is observed that diffusion in the cell membrane is usually anomalous in the sense that the mean squared displacement is not linear with time. This chapter describes the different models that are employed to describe anomalous diffusion, paying special attention to the experimental evidence that supports these models in the plasma membrane. We review models based on anticorrelated displacements, such as fractional Brownian motion and obstructed diffusion, and nonstationary models such as continuous time random walks. We also emphasize evidence for the formation of distinct compartments that transiently form on the cell surface. Finally, we overview heterogeneous diffusion processes in the plasma membrane, which have recently attracted considerable interest. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Modeling and simulation of heterogeneous catalytic processes

CERN Document Server

Dixon, Anthony

2014-01-01

Heterogeneous catalysis and mathematical modeling are essential components of the continuing search for better utilization of raw materials and energy, with reduced impact on the environment. Numerical modeling of chemical systems has progressed rapidly due to increases in computer power, and is used extensively for analysis, design and development of catalytic reactors and processes. This book presents reviews of the state-of-the-art in modeling of heterogeneous catalytic reactors and processes. Reviews by leading authorities in the respective areas Up-to-date reviews of latest techniques in modeling of catalytic processes Mix of US and European authors, as well as academic/industrial/research institute perspectives Connections between computation and experimental methods in some of the chapters.

Diffusion in inhomogeneous polymer membranes

Science.gov (United States)

Kasargod, Sameer S.; Adib, Farhad; Neogi, P.

1995-10-01

The dual mode sorption solubility isotherms assume, and in instances Zimm-Lundberg analysis of the solubilities show, that glassy polymers are heterogeneous and that the distribution of the solute in the polymer is also inhomogeneous. Under some conditions, the heterogeneities cannot be represented as holes. A mathematical model describing diffusion in inhomogeneous polymer membranes is presented using Cahn and Hilliard's gradient theory. The fractional mass uptake is found to be proportional to the fourth root of time rather than the square root, predicted by Fickian diffusion. This type of diffusion is classified as pseudo-Fickian. The model is compared with one experimental result available. A negative value of the persistence factor is obtained and the results are interpreted.

Heat stress causes spatially-distinct membrane re-modelling in K562 leukemia cells.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gábor Balogh

Full Text Available Cellular membranes respond rapidly to various environmental perturbations. Previously we showed that modulations in membrane fluidity achieved by heat stress (HS resulted in pronounced membrane organization alterations which could be intimately linked to the expression and cellular distribution of heat shock proteins. Here we examine heat-induced membrane changes using several visualisation methods. With Laurdan two-photon microscopy we demonstrate that, in contrast to the enhanced formation of ordered domains in surface membranes, the molecular disorder is significantly elevated within the internal membranes of cells preexposed to mild HS. These results were compared with those obtained by anisotropy, fluorescence lifetime and electron paramagnetic resonance measurements. All probes detected membrane changes upon HS. However, the structurally different probes revealed substantially distinct alterations in membrane heterogeneity. These data call attention to the careful interpretation of results obtained with only a single label. Subtle changes in membrane microstructure in the decision-making of thermal cell killing could have potential application in cancer therapy.

Effect of heterogeneity on the characterization of cell membrane compartments: I. Uniform size and permeability.

Science.gov (United States)

Hall, Damien

2010-03-15

Observations of the motion of individual molecules in the membrane of a number of different cell types have led to the suggestion that the outer membrane of many eukaryotic cells may be effectively partitioned into microdomains. A major cause of this suggested partitioning is believed to be due to the direct/indirect association of the cytosolic face of the cell membrane with the cortical cytoskeleton. Such intimate association is thought to introduce effective hydrodynamic barriers into the membrane that are capable of frustrating molecular Brownian motion over distance scales greater than the average size of the compartment. To date, the standard analytical method for deducing compartment characteristics has relied on observing the random walk behavior of a labeled lipid or protein at various temporal frequencies and different total lengths of time. Simple theoretical arguments suggest that the presence of restrictive barriers imparts a characteristic turnover to a plot of mean squared displacement versus sampling period that can be interpreted to yield the average dimensions of the compartment expressed as the respective side lengths of a rectangle. In the following series of articles, we used computer simulation methods to investigate how well the conventional analytical strategy coped with heterogeneity in size, shape, and barrier permeability of the cell membrane compartments. We also explored questions relating to the necessary extent of sampling required (with regard to both the recorded time of a single trajectory and the number of trajectories included in the measurement bin) for faithful representation of the actual distribution of compartment sizes found using the SPT technique. In the current investigation, we turned our attention to the analytical characterization of diffusion through cell membrane compartments having both a uniform size and permeability. For this ideal case, we found that (i) an optimum sampling time interval existed for the analysis

Modelling of proteins in membranes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sperotto, Maria Maddalena; May, S.; Baumgaertner, A.

2006-01-01

This review describes some recent theories and simulations of mesoscopic and microscopic models of lipid membranes with embedded or attached proteins. We summarize results supporting our understanding of phenomena for which the activities of proteins in membranes are expected to be significantly ...

Emergence of heterogeneity in an agent-based model

OpenAIRE

Abdullah, Wan Ahmad Tajuddin Wan

2002-01-01

We study an interacting agent model of a game-theoretical economy. The agents play a minority-subsequently-majority game and they learn, using backpropagation networks, to obtain higher payoffs. We study the relevance of heterogeneity to performance, and how heterogeneity emerges.

Applications of membrane computing in systems and synthetic biology

CERN Document Server

Gheorghe, Marian; Pérez-Jiménez, Mario

2014-01-01

Membrane Computing was introduced as a computational paradigm in Natural Computing. The models introduced, called Membrane (or P) Systems, provide a coherent platform to describe and study living cells as computational systems. Membrane Systems have been investigated for their computational aspects and employed to model problems in other fields, like: Computer Science, Linguistics, Biology, Economy, Computer Graphics, Robotics, etc. Their inherent parallelism, heterogeneity and intrinsic versatility allow them to model a broad range of processes and phenomena, being also an efficient means to solve and analyze problems in a novel way. Membrane Computing has been used to model biological systems, becoming with time a thorough modeling paradigm comparable, in its modeling and predicting capabilities, to more established models in this area. This book is the result of the need to collect, in an organic way, different facets of this paradigm. The chapters of this book, together with the web pages accompanying th...

Modeling electrically active viscoelastic membranes.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sitikantha Roy

Full Text Available The membrane protein prestin is native to the cochlear outer hair cell that is crucial to the ear's amplification and frequency selectivity throughout the whole acoustic frequency range. The outer hair cell exhibits interrelated dimensional changes, force generation, and electric charge transfer. Cells transfected with prestin acquire unique active properties similar to those in the native cell that have also been useful in understanding the process. Here we propose a model describing the major electromechanical features of such active membranes. The model derived from thermodynamic principles is in the form of integral relationships between the history of voltage and membrane resultants as independent variables and the charge density and strains as dependent variables. The proposed model is applied to the analysis of an active force produced by the outer hair cell in response to a harmonic electric field. Our analysis reveals the mechanism of the outer hair cell active (isometric force having an almost constant amplitude and phase up to 80 kHz. We found that the frequency-invariance of the force is a result of interplay between the electrical filtering associated with prestin and power law viscoelasticity of the surrounding membrane. Paradoxically, the membrane viscoelasticity boosts the force balancing the electrical filtering effect. We also consider various modes of electromechanical coupling in membrane with prestin associated with mechanical perturbations in the cell. We consider pressure or strains applied step-wise or at a constant rate and compute the time course of the resulting electric charge. The results obtained here are important for the analysis of electromechanical properties of membranes, cells, and biological materials as well as for a better understanding of the mechanism of hearing and the role of the protein prestin in this mechanism.

Gas Permeation Characteristics across Nano-Porous Inorganic Membranes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M.R Othman, H. Mukhtar

2012-10-01

Full Text Available An overview of parameters affecting gas permeation in inorganic membranes is presented. These factors include membrane physical characteristics, operational parameters and gas molecular characteristics. The membrane physical characteristics include membrane materials and surface area, porosity, pore size and pore size distribution and membrane morphology. The operational parameters include feed flow rate and concentration, stage cut, temperature and pressure. The gas molecular characteristics include gas molecular weight, diameter, critical temperature, critical pressure, Lennard-Jones parameters and diffusion volumes. The current techniques of material characterization may require complementary method in describing microscopic heterogeneity of the porous ceramic media. The method to be incorporated in the future will be to apply a stochastic model and/or fractal dimension. Keywords: Inorganic membrane, surface adsorption, Knudsen diffusion, Micro-porous membrane, permeation, gas separation.

Interaction of Defensins with Model Cell Membranes

Science.gov (United States)

Sanders, Lori K.; Schmidt, Nathan W.; Yang, Lihua; Mishra, Abhijit; Gordon, Vernita D.; Selsted, Michael E.; Wong, Gerard C. L.

2009-03-01

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) comprise a key component of innate immunity for a wide range of multicellular organisms. For many AMPs, activity comes from their ability to selectively disrupt and lyse bacterial cell membranes. There are a number of proposed models for this action, but the detailed molecular mechanism of selective membrane permeation remains unclear. Theta defensins are circularized peptides with a high degree of selectivity. We investigate the interaction of model bacterial and eukaryotic cell membranes with theta defensins RTD-1, BTD-7, and compare them to protegrin PG-1, a prototypical AMP, using synchrotron small angle x-ray scattering (SAXS). The relationship between membrane composition and peptide induced changes in membrane curvature and topology is examined. By comparing the membrane phase behavior induced by these different peptides we will discuss the importance of amino acid composition and placement on membrane rearrangement.

Modelling Configuration Knowledge in Heterogeneous Product Families

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Queva, Matthieu Stéphane Benoit; Männistö, Tomi; Ricci, Laurent

2011-01-01

Product configuration systems play an important role in the development of Mass Customisation. The configuration of complex product families may nowadays involve multiple design disciplines, e.g. hardware, software and services. In this paper, we present a conceptual approach for modelling...... the variability in such heterogeneous product families. Our approach is based on a framework that aims to cater for the different stakeholders involved in the modelling and management of the product family. The modelling approach is centred around the concepts of views, types and constraints and is illustrated...... by a motivation example. Furthermore, as a proof of concept, a prototype has been implemented for configuring a non-trivial heterogeneous product family....

Heterogeneous Deformable Modeling of Bio-Tissues and Haptic Force Rendering for Bio-Object Modeling

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Shiyong; Lee, Yuan-Shin; Narayan, Roger J.

This paper presents a novel technique for modeling soft biological tissues as well as the development of an innovative interface for bio-manufacturing and medical applications. Heterogeneous deformable models may be used to represent the actual internal structures of deformable biological objects, which possess multiple components and nonuniform material properties. Both heterogeneous deformable object modeling and accurate haptic rendering can greatly enhance the realism and fidelity of virtual reality environments. In this paper, a tri-ray node snapping algorithm is proposed to generate a volumetric heterogeneous deformable model from a set of object interface surfaces between different materials. A constrained local static integration method is presented for simulating deformation and accurate force feedback based on the material properties of a heterogeneous structure. Biological soft tissue modeling is used as an example to demonstrate the proposed techniques. By integrating the heterogeneous deformable model into a virtual environment, users can both observe different materials inside a deformable object as well as interact with it by touching the deformable object using a haptic device. The presented techniques can be used for surgical simulation, bio-product design, bio-manufacturing, and medical applications.

Tumor heterogeneity and progression: conceptual foundations for modeling.

Science.gov (United States)

Greller, L D; Tobin, F L; Poste, G

1996-01-01

A conceptual foundation for modeling tumor progression, growth, and heterogeneity is presented. The purpose of such models is to aid understanding, test ideas, formulate experiments, and to model cancer 'in machina' to address the dynamic features of tumor cell heterogeneity, progression, and growth. The descriptive capabilities of such an approach provides a consistent language for qualitatively reasoning about tumor behavior. This approach provides a schema for building conceptual models that combine three key phenomenological driving elements: growth, progression, and genetic instability. The growth element encompasses processes contributing to changes in tumor bulk and is distinct from progression per se. The progression element subsumes a broad collection of processes underlying phenotypic progression. The genetics elements represents heritable changes which potentially affect tumor character and behavior. Models, conceptual and mathematical, can be built for different tumor situations by drawing upon the interaction of these three distinct driving elements. These models can be used as tools to explore a diversity of hypotheses concerning dynamic changes in cellular populations during tumor progression, including the generation of intratumor heterogeneity. Such models can also serve to guide experimentation and to gain insight into dynamic aspects of complex tumor behavior.

Stochastic modeling for reliability shocks, burn-in and heterogeneous populations

CERN Document Server

Finkelstein, Maxim

2013-01-01

Focusing on shocks modeling, burn-in and heterogeneous populations, Stochastic Modeling for Reliability naturally combines these three topics in the unified stochastic framework and presents numerous practical examples that illustrate recent theoretical findings of the authors.  The populations of manufactured items in industry are usually heterogeneous. However, the conventional reliability analysis is performed under the implicit assumption of homogeneity, which can result in distortion of the corresponding reliability indices and various misconceptions. Stochastic Modeling for Reliability fills this gap and presents the basics and further developments of reliability theory for heterogeneous populations. Specifically, the authors consider burn-in as a method of elimination of ‘weak’ items from heterogeneous populations. The real life objects are operating in a changing environment. One of the ways to model an impact of this environment is via the external shocks occurring in accordance with some stocha...

Wavelets and Sentiment in the Heterogeneous Agents Model

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Vácha, Lukáš; Vošvrda, Miloslav

2008-01-01

Roč. 15, č. 25 (2008), s. 41-56 ISSN 1212-074X R&D Projects: GA ČR GP402/08/P207; GA ČR GA402/07/1113; GA ČR(CZ) GA402/06/0990 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10750506 Keywords : heterogeneous agents model * market sentiment * Hurst exponent * wavelets Subject RIV: AH - Economics http://library.utia.cas.cz/separaty/2008/E/vacha-wavelets and sentiment in the heterogeneous agents model.pdf

Increasing selectivity of a heterogeneous ion-exchange membrane

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Křivčík, J.; Neděla, D.; Hadrava, J.; Brožová, Libuše

2015-01-01

Roč. 56, č. 12 (2015), s. 3160-3166 ISSN 1944-3994. [International Conference on Membrane and Electromembrane Processes - MELPRO 2014. Prague, 18.05.2014-21.05.2014] Institutional support: RVO:61389013 Keywords : ion-exchange membrane * selectivity * permselectivity Subject RIV: JP - Industrial Processing Impact factor: 1.272, year: 2015

Nonparametric estimation in models for unobservable heterogeneity

OpenAIRE

Hohmann, Daniel

2014-01-01

Nonparametric models which allow for data with unobservable heterogeneity are studied. The first publication introduces new estimators and their asymptotic properties for conditional mixture models. The second publication considers estimation of a function from noisy observations of its Radon transform in a Gaussian white noise model.

A LATENT CLASS POISSON REGRESSION-MODEL FOR HETEROGENEOUS COUNT DATA

NARCIS (Netherlands)

WEDEL, M; DESARBO, WS; BULT, [No Value; RAMASWAMY, [No Value

1993-01-01

In this paper an approach is developed that accommodates heterogeneity in Poisson regression models for count data. The model developed assumes that heterogeneity arises from a distribution of both the intercept and the coefficients of the explanatory variables. We assume that the mixing

Tissue heterogeneity as a mechanism for localized neural stimulation by applied electric fields

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miranda, P C; Correia, L; Salvador, R; Basser, P J

2007-01-01

We investigate the heterogeneity of electrical conductivity as a new mechanism to stimulate excitable tissues via applied electric fields. In particular, we show that stimulation of axons crossing internal boundaries can occur at boundaries where the electric conductivity of the volume conductor changes abruptly. The effectiveness of this and other stimulation mechanisms was compared by means of models and computer simulations in the context of transcranial magnetic stimulation. While, for a given stimulation intensity, the largest membrane depolarization occurred where an axon terminates or bends sharply in a high electric field region, a slightly smaller membrane depolarization, still sufficient to generate action potentials, also occurred at an internal boundary where the conductivity jumped from 0.143 S m -1 to 0.333 S m -1 , simulating a white-matter-grey-matter interface. Tissue heterogeneity can also give rise to local electric field gradients that are considerably stronger and more focal than those impressed by the stimulation coil and that can affect the membrane potential, albeit to a lesser extent than the two mechanisms mentioned above. Tissue heterogeneity may play an important role in electric and magnetic 'far-field' stimulation

Tissue heterogeneity as a mechanism for localized neural stimulation by applied electric fields

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Miranda, P C [Institute of Biophysics and Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon, 1749-016 Lisbon (Portugal); Correia, L [Institute of Biophysics and Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon, 1749-016 Lisbon (Portugal); Salvador, R [Institute of Biophysics and Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon, 1749-016 Lisbon (Portugal); Basser, P J [Section on Tissue Biophysics and Biomimetics, NICHD, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892-1428 (United States)

2007-09-21

We investigate the heterogeneity of electrical conductivity as a new mechanism to stimulate excitable tissues via applied electric fields. In particular, we show that stimulation of axons crossing internal boundaries can occur at boundaries where the electric conductivity of the volume conductor changes abruptly. The effectiveness of this and other stimulation mechanisms was compared by means of models and computer simulations in the context of transcranial magnetic stimulation. While, for a given stimulation intensity, the largest membrane depolarization occurred where an axon terminates or bends sharply in a high electric field region, a slightly smaller membrane depolarization, still sufficient to generate action potentials, also occurred at an internal boundary where the conductivity jumped from 0.143 S m{sup -1} to 0.333 S m{sup -1}, simulating a white-matter-grey-matter interface. Tissue heterogeneity can also give rise to local electric field gradients that are considerably stronger and more focal than those impressed by the stimulation coil and that can affect the membrane potential, albeit to a lesser extent than the two mechanisms mentioned above. Tissue heterogeneity may play an important role in electric and magnetic 'far-field' stimulation.

Simple membrane-based model of the Min oscillator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Petrášek, Zdeněk; Schwille, Petra

2015-01-01

Min proteins in E. coli bacteria organize into a dynamic pattern oscillating between the two cell poles. This process identifies the middle of the cell and enables symmetric cell division. In an experimental model system consisting of a flat membrane with effectively infinite supply of proteins and energy source, the Min proteins assemble into travelling waves. Here we propose a simple one-dimensional model of the Min dynamics that, unlike the existing models, reproduces the sharp decrease of Min concentration when the majority of protein detaches from the membrane, and even the narrow MinE maximum immediately preceding the detachment. The proposed model thus provides a possible mechanism for the formation of the MinE ring known from cells. The model is restricted to one dimension, with protein interactions described by chemical kinetics allowing at most bimolecular reactions, and explicitly considering only three, membrane-bound, species. The bulk solution above the membrane is approximated as being well-mixed, with constant concentrations of all species. Unlike other models, our proposal does not require autocatalytic binding of MinD to the membrane. Instead, it is assumed that two MinE molecules are necessary to induce the dissociation of the MinD dimer and its subsequent detachment from the membrane. We investigate which reaction schemes lead to unstable homogeneous steady states and limit cycle oscillations, and how diffusion affects their stability. The suggested model qualitatively describes the shape of the Min waves observed on flat membranes, and agrees with the experimental dependence of the wave period on the MinE concentration. These results highlight the importance of MinE presence on the membrane without being bound to MinD, and of the reactions of Min proteins on the membrane. (paper)

Mesoscopic models of biological membranes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Venturoli, M.; Sperotto, Maria Maddalena; Kranenburg, M.

2006-01-01

Phospholipids are the main components of biological membranes and dissolved in water these molecules self-assemble into closed structures, of which bilayers are the most relevant from a biological point of view. Lipid bilayers are often used, both in experimental and by theoretical investigations...... to coarse grain a biological membrane. The conclusion of this comparison is that there can be many valid different strategies, but that the results obtained by the various mesoscopic models are surprisingly consistent. A second objective of this review is to illustrate how mesoscopic models can be used...

With or without rafts? Alternative views on cell membranes.

Science.gov (United States)

Sevcsik, Eva; Schütz, Gerhard J

2016-02-01

The fundamental mechanisms of protein and lipid organization at the plasma membrane have continued to engage researchers for decades. Among proposed models, one idea has been particularly successful which assumes that sterol-dependent nanoscopic phases of different lipid chain order compartmentalize proteins, thereby modulating protein functionality. This model of membrane rafts has sustainably sparked the fields of membrane biophysics and biology, and shifted membrane lipids into the spotlight of research; by now, rafts have become an integral part of our terminology to describe a variety of cell biological processes. But is the evidence clear enough to continue supporting a theoretical concept which has resisted direct proof by observation for nearly twenty years? In this essay, we revisit findings that gave rise to and substantiated the raft hypothesis, discuss its impact on recent studies, and present alternative mechanisms to account for plasma membrane heterogeneity. © 2015 WILEY Periodicals, Inc.

Recent progress on lipid lateral heterogeneity in plasma membranes: from rafts to submicrometric domains

Science.gov (United States)

Carquin, Mélanie; D'Auria, Ludovic; Pollet, Hélène; Bongarzone, Ernesto R.; Tyteca, Donatienne

2016-01-01

The concept of transient nanometric domains known as lipid rafts has brought interest to reassess the validity of the Singer-Nicholson model of a fluid bilayer for cell membranes. However, this new view is still insufficient to explain the cellular control of surface lipid diversity or membrane deformability. During the past decade, the hypothesis that some lipids form large (submicrometric/mesoscale vs nanometric rafts) and stable (> min vs sec) membrane domains has emerged, largely based on indirect methods. Morphological evidence for stable submicrometric lipid domains, well-accepted for artificial and highly specialized biological membranes, was further reported for a variety of living cells from prokaryotes to yeast and mammalian cells. However, results remained questioned based on limitations of available fluorescent tools, use of poor lipid fixatives, and imaging artifacts due to non-resolved membrane projections. In this review, we will discuss recent evidence generated using powerful and innovative approaches such as lipid-specific toxin fragments that support the existence of submicrometric domains. We will integrate documented mechanisms involved in the formation and maintenance of these domains, and provide a perspective on their relevance on membrane deformability and regulation of membrane protein distribution. PMID:26738447

Heterogeneous expectations in monetary DSGE models

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Massaro, D.

2013-01-01

This paper derives a general New Keynesian framework with heterogeneous expectations by explicitly solving the micro-foundations underpinning the model. The resulting reduced form is analytically tractable and encompasses the representative rational agent benchmark as a special case. We specify a

Effect of material property heterogeneity on biomechanical modeling of prostate under deformation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Samavati, Navid; McGrath, Deirdre M; Ménard, Cynthia; Jewett, Michael A S; Van der Kwast, Theo; Brock, Kristy K

2015-01-01

Biomechanical model based deformable image registration has been widely used to account for prostate deformation in various medical imaging procedures. Biomechanical material properties are important components of a biomechanical model. In this study, the effect of incorporating tumor-specific material properties in the prostate biomechanical model was investigated to provide insight into the potential impact of material heterogeneity on the prostate deformation calculations. First, a simple spherical prostate and tumor model was used to analytically describe the deformations and demonstrate the fundamental effect of changes in the tumor volume and stiffness in the modeled deformation. Next, using a clinical prostate model, a parametric approach was used to describe the variations in the heterogeneous prostate model by changing tumor volume, stiffness, and location, to show the differences in the modeled deformation between heterogeneous and homogeneous prostate models. Finally, five clinical prostatectomy examples were used in separately performed homogeneous and heterogeneous biomechanical model based registrations to describe the deformations between 3D reconstructed histopathology images and ex vivo magnetic resonance imaging, and examine the potential clinical impact of modeling biomechanical heterogeneity of the prostate. The analytical formulation showed that increasing the tumor volume and stiffness could significantly increase the impact of the heterogeneous prostate model in the calculated displacement differences compared to the homogeneous model. The parametric approach using a single prostate model indicated up to 4.8 mm of displacement difference at the tumor boundary compared to a homogeneous model. Such differences in the deformation of the prostate could be potentially clinically significant given the voxel size of the ex vivo MR images (0.3  ×  0.3  ×  0.3 mm). However, no significant changes in the registration accuracy were

Transferable coarse-grained model for perfluorosulfonic acid polymer membranes

Science.gov (United States)

Kuo, An-Tsung; Okazaki, Susumu; Shinoda, Wataru

2017-09-01

Perfluorosulfonic acid (PFSA) polymer membranes are widely used as proton exchange membranes. Because the structure of the aqueous domain within the PFSA membrane is expected to directly influence proton conductance, many coarse-grained (CG) simulation studies have been performed to investigate the membrane morphology; these studies mostly used phenomenological models, such as dissipative particle dynamics. However, a chemically accurate CG model is required to investigate the morphology in realistic membranes and to provide a concrete molecular design. Here, we attempt to construct a predictive CG model for the structure and morphology of PFSA membranes that is compatible with the Sinoda-DeVane-Klein (SDK) CG water model [Shinoda et al., Mol. Simul. 33, 27 (2007)]. First, we extended the parameter set for the SDK CG force field to examine a hydrated PFSA membrane based on thermodynamic and structural data from experiments and all-atom (AA) molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. However, a noticeable degradation of the morphology motivated us to improve the structural properties by using the iterative Boltzmann inversion (IBI) approach. Thus, we explored a possible combination of the SDK and IBI approaches to describe the nonbonded interaction. The hybrid SDK/IBI model improved the structural issues of SDK, showing a better agreement with AA-MD in the radial distribution functions. The hybrid SDK/IBI model was determined to reasonably reproduce both the thermodynamic and structural properties of the PFSA membrane for all examined water contents. In addition, the model demonstrated good transferability and has considerable potential for application to realistic long-chained PFSA membranes.

Phenotypic heterogeneity in modeling cancer evolution.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ali Mahdipour-Shirayeh

Full Text Available The unwelcome evolution of malignancy during cancer progression emerges through a selection process in a complex heterogeneous population structure. In the present work, we investigate evolutionary dynamics in a phenotypically heterogeneous population of stem cells (SCs and their associated progenitors. The fate of a malignant mutation is determined not only by overall stem cell and non-stem cell growth rates but also differentiation and dedifferentiation rates. We investigate the effect of such a complex population structure on the evolution of malignant mutations. We derive exactly calculated results for the fixation probability of a mutant arising in each of the subpopulations. The exactly calculated results are in almost perfect agreement with the numerical simulations. Moreover, a condition for evolutionary advantage of a mutant cell versus the wild type population is given in the present study. We also show that microenvironment-induced plasticity in invading mutants leads to more aggressive mutants with higher fixation probability. Our model predicts that decreasing polarity between stem and non-stem cells' turnover would raise the survivability of non-plastic mutants; while it would suppress the development of malignancy for plastic mutants. The derived results are novel and general with potential applications in nature; we discuss our model in the context of colorectal/intestinal cancer (at the epithelium. However, the model clearly needs to be validated through appropriate experimental data. This novel mathematical framework can be applied more generally to a variety of problems concerning selection in heterogeneous populations, in other contexts such as population genetics, and ecology.

N-3 fatty acids and membrane microdomains: from model membranes to lymphocyte function.

Science.gov (United States)

Shaikh, Saame Raza; Teague, Heather

2012-12-01

This article summarizes the author's research on fish oil derived n-3 fatty acids, plasma membrane organization and B cell function. We first cover basic model membrane studies that investigated how docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) targeted the organization of sphingolipid-cholesterol enriched lipid microdomains. A key finding here was that DHA had a relatively poor affinity for cholesterol. This work led to a model that predicted DHA acyl chains in cells would manipulate lipid-protein microdomain organization and thereby function. We then review how the predictions of the model were tested with B cells in vitro followed by experiments using mice fed fish oil. These studies reveal a highly complex picture on how n-3 fatty acids target lipid-protein organization and B cell function. Key findings are as follows: (1) n-3 fatty acids target not just the plasma membrane but also endomembrane organization; (2) DHA, but not eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), disrupts microdomain spatial distribution (i.e. clustering), (3) DHA alters protein lateral organization and (4) changes in membrane organization are accompanied by functional effects on both innate and adaptive B cell function. Altogether, the research over the past 10 years has led to an evolution of the original model on how DHA reorganizes membrane microdomains. The work raises the intriguing possibility of testing the model at the human level to target health and disease. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Modelling solute dispersion in periodic heterogeneous porous media: Model benchmarking against intermediate scale experiments

Science.gov (United States)

Majdalani, Samer; Guinot, Vincent; Delenne, Carole; Gebran, Hicham

2018-06-01

This paper is devoted to theoretical and experimental investigations of solute dispersion in heterogeneous porous media. Dispersion in heterogenous porous media has been reported to be scale-dependent, a likely indication that the proposed dispersion models are incompletely formulated. A high quality experimental data set of breakthrough curves in periodic model heterogeneous porous media is presented. In contrast with most previously published experiments, the present experiments involve numerous replicates. This allows the statistical variability of experimental data to be accounted for. Several models are benchmarked against the data set: the Fickian-based advection-dispersion, mobile-immobile, multirate, multiple region advection dispersion models, and a newly proposed transport model based on pure advection. A salient property of the latter model is that its solutions exhibit a ballistic behaviour for small times, while tending to the Fickian behaviour for large time scales. Model performance is assessed using a novel objective function accounting for the statistical variability of the experimental data set, while putting equal emphasis on both small and large time scale behaviours. Besides being as accurate as the other models, the new purely advective model has the advantages that (i) it does not exhibit the undesirable effects associated with the usual Fickian operator (namely the infinite solute front propagation speed), and (ii) it allows dispersive transport to be simulated on every heterogeneity scale using scale-independent parameters.

EVALUATION OF SODIUM CHLORIDE CRYSTALLIZATION IN MEMBRANE DISTILLATION CRYSTALLIZATION APPLIED TO WATER DESALINATION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Y. N. Nariyoshi

Full Text Available Abstract Crystallization in a Direct Contact Membrane Distillation (DCMD process was studied both theoretically and experimentally. A mathematical model was proposed in order to predict the transmembrane flux in DCMD. The model fitted well experimental data for the system NaCl-H2O from undersaturated to supersaturated conditions in a specially designed crystallization setup at a bench scale. It was found that higher transmembrane fluxes induce higher temperature and concentration polarizations, as well as higher supersaturation in the vicinity of the solution-vapor interface. In this region, the supersaturation ratio largely exceeded the metastable limit for NaCl crystallization for the whole range of transmembrane fluxes of 0.37 to 1.54 kg/ (m2 h, implying that heterogeneous primary nucleation occurred close to such interface either in solution or on the membrane surface. Solids formed in solution accounted for 14 to 36% of the total solids, whereas solid formed on the membrane surface (fouling was responsible for 6 to 19%. The remaining solids deposited on other surfaces such as in pumps and pipe fittings. It was also discovered that, by increasing the supersaturation ratio, heterogeneous nucleation in solution increased and on the membrane surface decreased. Heterogeneous nuclei in solution grew in size both by a molecular mechanism and by agglomeration. Single crystals were cubic shaped with well-formed edges and dominant size of about 40 µm whereas agglomerates were about 240 µm in size. The approach developed here may be applied to understanding crystallization phenomena in Membrane Distillation Crystallization (MDC processes of any scale.

Smart Agents and Sentiment in the Heterogeneous Agent Model

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Vácha, Lukáš; Baruník, Jozef; Vošvrda, Miloslav

2009-01-01

Roč. 18, č. 3 (2009), s. 209-219 ISSN 1210-0455 R&D Projects: GA MŠk(CZ) LC06075; GA ČR GP402/08/P207; GA ČR(CZ) GA402/09/0965 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10750506 Keywords : heterogeneous agent model * market structure * smart traders * Hurst exponent Subject RIV: AH - Economics http://library.utia.cas.cz/separaty/2009/E/vacha- smart agent s and sentiment in the heterogeneous agent model.pdf

Hierarchical unilamellar vesicles of controlled compositional heterogeneity.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maik Hadorn

Full Text Available Eukaryotic life contains hierarchical vesicular architectures (i.e. organelles that are crucial for material production and trafficking, information storage and access, as well as energy production. In order to perform specific tasks, these compartments differ among each other in their membrane composition and their internal cargo and also differ from the cell membrane and the cytosol. Man-made structures that reproduce this nested architecture not only offer a deeper understanding of the functionalities and evolution of organelle-bearing eukaryotic life but also allow the engineering of novel biomimetic technologies. Here, we show the newly developed vesicle-in-water-in-oil emulsion transfer preparation technique to result in giant unilamellar vesicles internally compartmentalized by unilamellar vesicles of different membrane composition and internal cargo, i.e. hierarchical unilamellar vesicles of controlled compositional heterogeneity. The compartmentalized giant unilamellar vesicles were subsequently isolated by a separation step exploiting the heterogeneity of the membrane composition and the encapsulated cargo. Due to the controlled, efficient, and technically straightforward character of the new preparation technique, this study allows the hierarchical fabrication of compartmentalized giant unilamellar vesicles of controlled compositional heterogeneity and will ease the development of eukaryotic cell mimics that resemble their natural templates as well as the fabrication of novel multi-agent drug delivery systems for combination therapies and complex artificial microreactors.

Empirical membrane lifetime model for heavy duty fuel cell systems

Science.gov (United States)

Macauley, Natalia; Watson, Mark; Lauritzen, Michael; Knights, Shanna; Wang, G. Gary; Kjeang, Erik

2016-12-01

Heavy duty fuel cells used in transportation system applications such as transit buses expose the fuel cell membranes to conditions that can lead to lifetime-limiting membrane failure via combined chemical and mechanical degradation. Highly durable membranes and reliable predictive models are therefore needed in order to achieve the ultimate heavy duty fuel cell lifetime target of 25,000 h. In the present work, an empirical membrane lifetime model was developed based on laboratory data from a suite of accelerated membrane durability tests. The model considers the effects of cell voltage, temperature, oxygen concentration, humidity cycling, humidity level, and platinum in the membrane using inverse power law and exponential relationships within the framework of a general log-linear Weibull life-stress statistical distribution. The obtained model is capable of extrapolating the membrane lifetime from accelerated test conditions to use level conditions during field operation. Based on typical conditions for the Whistler, British Columbia fuel cell transit bus fleet, the model predicts a stack lifetime of 17,500 h and a membrane leak initiation time of 9200 h. Validation performed with the aid of a field operated stack confirmed the initial goal of the model to predict membrane lifetime within 20% of the actual operating time.

Simulations of simple linoleic acid-containing lipid membranes and models for the soybean plasma membranes.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhuang, Xiaohong; Ou, Anna; Klauda, Jeffery B

2017-06-07

The all-atom CHARMM36 lipid force field (C36FF) has been tested with saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated lipids; however, it has not been validated against the 18:2 linoleoyl lipids with an unsaturated sn-1 chain. The linoleoyl lipids are common in plants and the main component of the soybean membrane. The lipid composition of soybean plasma membranes has been thoroughly characterized with experimental studies. However, there is comparatively less work done with computational modeling. Our molecular dynamics (MD) simulation results show that the pure linoleoyl lipids, 1-stearoyl-2-linoleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (18:0/18:2) and 1,2-dilinoleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (di-18:2), agree very well with the experiments, which demonstrates the accuracy of the C36FF for the computational study of soybean membranes. Based on the experimental composition, the soybean hypocotyl and root plasma membrane models are developed with each containing seven or eight types of linoleoyl phospholipids and two types of sterols (sitosterol and stigmasterol). MD simulations are performed to characterize soybean membranes, and the hydrogen bonds and clustering results demonstrate that the lipids prefer to interact with the lipids of the same/similar tail unsaturation. All the results suggest that these two soybean membrane models can be used as a basis for further research in soybean and higher plant membranes involving membrane-associated proteins.

3D modeling of carbonates petro-acoustic heterogeneities

Science.gov (United States)

Baden, Dawin; Guglielmi, Yves; Saracco, Ginette; Marié, Lionel; Viseur, Sophie

2015-04-01

Characterizing carbonate reservoirs heterogeneity is a challenging issue for Oil & Gas Industry, CO2 sequestration and all kinds of fluid manipulations in natural reservoirs, due to the significant impact of heterogeneities on fluid flow and storage within the reservoir. Although large scale (> meter) heterogeneities such as layers petrophysical contrasts are well addressed by computing facies-based models, low scale (ultrasonic apparatus and using different sensors allowing acoustic characterization through a bandwidth varying from 50 to 500 kHz. Comprehensive measurements realized on each samples allowed statistical analyses of petro-acoustic properties such as attenuation, shear and longitudinal wave velocity. The cores properties (geological and acoustic facies) were modeled in 3D using photogrammetry and GOCAD geo-modeler. This method successfully allowed detecting and imaging in three dimensions differential diagenesis effects characterized by the occurrence of decimeter-scale diagenetic horizons in samples assumed to be homogeneous and/or different diagenetic sequences between shells filling and the packing matrix. We then discuss how small interfaces such as cracks, stylolithes and laminations which are also imaged may have guided these differential effects, considering that understanding the processes may be taken as an analogue to actual fluid drainage complexity in deep carbonate reservoir.

Biophysical studies of cholesterol in unsaturated phospholipid model membranes

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, Justin Adam

Cellular membranes contain a staggering diversity of lipids. The lipids are heterogeneously distributed to create regions, or domains, whose physical properties differ from the bulk membrane and play an essential role in modulating the function of resident proteins. Many basic questions pertaining to the formation of these lateral assemblies remain. This research employs model membranes of well-defined composition to focus on the potential role of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and their interaction with cholesterol (chol) in restructuring the membrane environment. Omega-3 (n-3) PUFAs are the main bioactive components of fish oil, whose consumption alleviates a variety of health problems by a molecular mechanism that is unclear. We hypothesize that the incorporation of PUFAs into membrane lipids and the effect they have on molecular organization may be, in part, responsible. Chol is a major constituent in the plasma membrane of mammals. It determines the arrangement and collective properties of neighboring lipids, driving the formation of domains via differential affinity for different lipids. The molecular organization of 1-[2H31]palmitoyl-2-eicosapentaenoylphosphatidylcholine (PEPC-d31) and 1-[2H31]palmitoyl-2-docosahexaenoylphosphatidylcholine (PDPC-d31) in membranes with sphingomyelin (SM) and chol (1:1:1 mol) was compared by solid-state 2H NMR spectroscopy. Eicosapentaenoic (EPA) and docosahexaenoic (DHA) acids are the two major n-3 PUFAs found in fish oil, while PEPC-d31 and PDPC-d31 are phospholipids containing the respective PUFAs at the sn-2 position and a perdeuterated palmitic acid at the sn-1 position. Analysis of spectra recorded as a function of temperature indicates that in both cases, formation of PUFA-rich (less ordered) and SM-rich (more ordered) domains occurred. A surprisingly substantial proportion of PUFA was found to infiltrate the more ordered domain. There was almost twice as much DHA (65%) as EPA (30%). The implication is that n-3

Plants and fungi in the era of heterogeneous plasma membranes.

Science.gov (United States)

Opekarová, M; Malinsky, J; Tanner, W

2010-09-01

Examples from yeast and plant cells are described that show that their plasma membrane is laterally compartmented. Distinct lateral domains encompassing both specific lipids and integral proteins coexist within the plane of the plasma membrane. The compartments are either spatially stable and include distinct sets of proteins, or they are transiently formed to accomplish diverse functions. They are not related to lipid rafts or their clusters, as defined for mammalian cells. This review summarises only well-documented compartments of plasma membranes from plants and fungi, which have been recognised using microscopic approaches. In several cases, physiological functions of the membrane compartmentation are revealed.

Performance modeling of direct contact membrane distillation (DCMD) seawater desalination process using a commercial composite membrane

KAUST Repository

Lee, Junggil

2015-01-10

This paper presents the development of a rigorous theoretical model to predict the transmembrane flux of a flat sheet hydrophobic composite membrane, comprising both an active layer of polytetrafluoroethylene and a scrim-backing support layer of polypropylene, in the direct contact membrane distillation (DCMD) process. An integrated model includes the mass, momentum, species and energy balances for both retentate and permeate flows, coupled with the mass transfer of water vapor through the composite membrane and the heat transfer across the membrane and through the boundary layers adjacent to the membrane surfaces. Experimental results and model predictions for permeate flux and performance ratio are compared and shown to be in good agreement. The permeate flux through the composite layer can be ignored in the consideration of mass transfer pathways at the composite membrane. The effect of the surface porosity and the thickness of active and support layers on the process performance of composite membrane has also been studied. Among these parameters, surface porosity is identified to be the main factor significantly influencing the permeate flux and performance ratio, while the relative influence of the surface porosity on the performance ratio is less than that on flux.

Two-dimensional stochastic modeling of membrane fouling

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wessling, Matthias

2001-01-01

The phenomenon of fouling of microfiltration membranes by much smaller particles such as proteins is described by a new developed simulation algorithm based on diffusion limited aggregation simulation techniques. The model specifies the membrane morphology explicitly and allows to (a) characterize

Polyether sulfone membrane modeling and construction for the ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Polyether sulfone membrane modeling and construction for the removal of nitrate from water using ion interference sulfate and iron nano-particle. ... The aim of this study was constructed the polyether sulfone membrane and modelling it, and for checking impact pressure, the amount of iron nanoparticles and sulfate iron ...

Interaction of elaiophylin with model bilayer membrane

Science.gov (United States)

Genova, J.; Dencheva-Zarkova, M.

2017-01-01

Elaiophylin is a new macrodiolide antibiotic, which is produced by the Streptomyces strains [1]. It displays biological activities against Gram-positive bacteria and fungi. The mode of action of this antibiotic has been attributed to an alteration of the membrane permeability. When this antibiotic is inserted into the bilayer membranes destabilization of the membrane and formation of ion-penetrable channels is observed. The macrodiolide antibiotic forms stable cation selective ion channels in synthetic lipid bilayer membranes. The aim of this work was to study the interactions of Elaiophylin with model bilayer membranes and to get information on the mechanical properties of lipid bilayers in presence of this antibiotic. Patch-clamp technique [2] were used in the study

Stochastic description of heterogeneities of permeability within groundwater flow models

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cacas, M.C.; Lachassagne, P.; Ledoux, E.; Marsily, G. de

1991-01-01

In order to model radionuclide migration in the geosphere realistically at the field scale, the hydrogeologist needs to be able to simulate groundwater flow in heterogeneous media. Heterogeneity of the medium can be described using a stochastic approach, that affects the way in which a flow model is formulated. In this paper, we discuss the problems that we have encountered in modelling both continuous and fractured media. The stochastic approach leads to a methodology that enables local measurements of permeability to be integrated into a model which gives a good prediction of groundwater flow on a regional scale. 5 Figs.; 8 Refs

Modeling connected and autonomous vehicles in heterogeneous traffic flow

Science.gov (United States)

Ye, Lanhang; Yamamoto, Toshiyuki

2018-01-01

The objective of this study was to develop a heterogeneous traffic-flow model to study the possible impact of connected and autonomous vehicles (CAVs) on the traffic flow. Based on a recently proposed two-state safe-speed model (TSM), a two-lane cellular automaton (CA) model was developed, wherein both the CAVs and conventional vehicles were incorporated in the heterogeneous traffic flow. In particular, operation rules for CAVs are established considering the new characteristics of this emerging technology, including autonomous driving through the adaptive cruise control and inter-vehicle connection via short-range communication. Simulations were conducted under various CAV-penetration rates in the heterogeneous flow. The impact of CAVs on the road capacity was numerically investigated. The simulation results indicate that the road capacity increases with an increase in the CAV-penetration rate within the heterogeneous flow. Up to a CAV-penetration rate of 30%, the road capacity increases gradually; the effect of the difference in the CAV capability on the growth rate is insignificant. When the CAV-penetration rate exceeds 30%, the growth rate is largely decided by the capability of the CAV. The greater the capability, the higher the road-capacity growth rate. The relationship between the CAV-penetration rate and the road capacity is numerically analyzed, providing some insights into the possible impact of the CAVs on traffic systems.

Role of spatial heterogeneity in the collective dynamics of cilia beating in a minimal one-dimensional model

Science.gov (United States)

Dey, Supravat; Massiera, Gladys; Pitard, Estelle

2018-01-01

Cilia are elastic hairlike protuberances of the cell membrane found in various unicellular organisms and in several tissues of most living organisms. In some tissues such as the airway tissues of the lung, the coordinated beating of cilia induces a fluid flow of crucial importance as it allows the continuous cleaning of our bronchia, known as mucociliary clearance. While most of the models addressing the question of collective dynamics and metachronal wave consider homogeneous carpets of cilia, experimental observations rather show that cilia clusters are heterogeneously distributed over the tissue surface. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the role of spatial heterogeneity on the coherent beating of cilia using a very simple one-dimensional model for cilia known as the rower model. We systematically study systems consisting of a few rowers to hundreds of rowers and we investigate the conditions for the emergence of collective beating. When considering a small number of rowers, a phase drift occurs, hence, a bifurcation in beating frequency is observed as the distance between rower clusters is changed. In the case of many rowers, a distribution of frequencies is observed. We found in particular the pattern of the patchy structure that shows the best robustness in collective beating behavior, as the density of cilia is varied over a wide range.

Performance modeling of direct contact membrane distillation (DCMD) seawater desalination process using a commercial composite membrane

KAUST Repository

Lee, Junggil; Kim, Youngdeuk; Kim, Wooseung; Francis, Lijo; Amy, Gary L.; Ghaffour, NorEddine

2015-01-01

membrane and the heat transfer across the membrane and through the boundary layers adjacent to the membrane surfaces. Experimental results and model predictions for permeate flux and performance ratio are compared and shown to be in good agreement

An Integrated Framework Advancing Membrane Protein Modeling and Design.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rebecca F Alford

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Membrane proteins are critical functional molecules in the human body, constituting more than 30% of open reading frames in the human genome. Unfortunately, a myriad of difficulties in overexpression and reconstitution into membrane mimetics severely limit our ability to determine their structures. Computational tools are therefore instrumental to membrane protein structure prediction, consequently increasing our understanding of membrane protein function and their role in disease. Here, we describe a general framework facilitating membrane protein modeling and design that combines the scientific principles for membrane protein modeling with the flexible software architecture of Rosetta3. This new framework, called RosettaMP, provides a general membrane representation that interfaces with scoring, conformational sampling, and mutation routines that can be easily combined to create new protocols. To demonstrate the capabilities of this implementation, we developed four proof-of-concept applications for (1 prediction of free energy changes upon mutation; (2 high-resolution structural refinement; (3 protein-protein docking; and (4 assembly of symmetric protein complexes, all in the membrane environment. Preliminary data show that these algorithms can produce meaningful scores and structures. The data also suggest needed improvements to both sampling routines and score functions. Importantly, the applications collectively demonstrate the potential of combining the flexible nature of RosettaMP with the power of Rosetta algorithms to facilitate membrane protein modeling and design.

Prediction of power consumption and performance in ultrafiltration of simulated latex effluent using non-uniform pore sized membranes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Abdelrasoul, Amira; Doan, Huu; Lohi, Ali; Cheng, Chil-Hung [Ryerson University, 350 Victoria Street, Toronto (Canada)

2016-03-15

Tha aim of the present study was to develop a series of numerical models for an accurate prediction of the power consumption in ultrafiltration of simulated latex effluent. The developed power consumption model incorporated fouling attachment, as well as chemical and physical factors in membrane fouling, in order to ensure accurate prediction and scale-up. This model was applied to heterogeneous membranes with non-uniform pore sizes at a given operating conditions and membrane surface charges. Polysulfone flat membrane, with a membrane molecular weight cutoff (MWCO) of 60,000 dalton, at different surface charges was used under a constant flow rate and cross-flow mode. In addition, the developed models were examined using various membranes at a variety of surface charges so as to test the overall reliability and accuracy of these models. The power consumption predicted by the models corresponded to the calculated values from the experimental data for various hydrophilic and hydrophobic membranes with an error margin of 6.0% up to 19.1%.

Model of SNARE-mediated membrane adhesion kinetics.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jason M Warner

Full Text Available SNARE proteins are conserved components of the core fusion machinery driving diverse membrane adhesion and fusion processes in the cell. In many cases micron-sized membranes adhere over large areas before fusion. Reconstituted in vitro assays have helped isolate SNARE mechanisms in small membrane adhesion-fusion and are emerging as powerful tools to study large membrane systems by use of giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs. Here we model SNARE-mediated adhesion kinetics in SNARE-reconstituted GUV-GUV or GUV-supported bilayer experiments. Adhesion involves many SNAREs whose complexation pulls apposing membranes into contact. The contact region is a tightly bound rapidly expanding patch whose growth velocity v(patch increases with SNARE density Gamma(snare. We find three patch expansion regimes: slow, intermediate, fast. Typical experiments belong to the fast regime where v(patch ~ (Gamma(snare(2/3 depends on SNARE diffusivities and complexation binding constant. The model predicts growth velocities ~10 - 300 microm/s. The patch may provide a close contact region where SNAREs can trigger fusion. Extending the model to a simple description of fusion, a broad distribution of fusion times is predicted. Increasing SNARE density accelerates fusion by boosting the patch growth velocity, thereby providing more complexes to participate in fusion. This quantifies the notion of SNAREs as dual adhesion-fusion agents.

Modelling Preference Heterogeneity for Theatre Tickets

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Baldin, Andrea; Bille, Trine

2018-01-01

This article analyses the behavioural choice for theatre tickets using a rich data set for 2010–2013 from the sale system of the Royal Danish National Theatre. A consumer who decides to attend a theatre production faces multiple sources of price variation that involves a choice by the consumer...... among different ticket alternatives. Three modelling approaches are proposed in order to model ticket purchases: conditional logit with socio-demographic characteristics, nested logit and latent class. These models allow us explicitly to take into account consumers’ preference heterogeneity with respect...... of behaviour in the choice of theatre ticket....

Programming strategy for efficient modeling of dynamics in a population of heterogeneous cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Hald, Bjørn Olav; Garkier Hendriksen, Morten; Sørensen, Preben Graae

2013-05-15

Heterogeneity is a ubiquitous property of biological systems. Even in a genetically identical population of a single cell type, cell-to-cell differences are observed. Although the functional behavior of a given population is generally robust, the consequences of heterogeneity are fairly unpredictable. In heterogeneous populations, synchronization of events becomes a cardinal problem-particularly for phase coherence in oscillating systems. The present article presents a novel strategy for construction of large-scale simulation programs of heterogeneous biological entities. The strategy is designed to be tractable, to handle heterogeneity and to handle computational cost issues simultaneously, primarily by writing a generator of the 'model to be simulated'. We apply the strategy to model glycolytic oscillations among thousands of yeast cells coupled through the extracellular medium. The usefulness is illustrated through (i) benchmarking, showing an almost linear relationship between model size and run time, and (ii) analysis of the resulting simulations, showing that contrary to the experimental situation, synchronous oscillations are surprisingly hard to achieve, underpinning the need for tools to study heterogeneity. Thus, we present an efficient strategy to model the biological heterogeneity, neglected by ordinary mean-field models. This tool is well posed to facilitate the elucidation of the physiologically vital problem of synchronization. The complete python code is available as Supplementary Information. bjornhald@gmail.com or pgs@kiku.dk Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.

A Multianalyzer Machine Learning Model for Marine Heterogeneous Data Schema Mapping

Science.gov (United States)

Yan, Wang; Jiajin, Le; Yun, Zhang

2014-01-01

The main challenges that marine heterogeneous data integration faces are the problem of accurate schema mapping between heterogeneous data sources. In order to improve the schema mapping efficiency and get more accurate learning results, this paper proposes a heterogeneous data schema mapping method basing on multianalyzer machine learning model. The multianalyzer analysis the learning results comprehensively, and a fuzzy comprehensive evaluation system is introduced for output results' evaluation and multi factor quantitative judging. Finally, the data mapping comparison experiment on the East China Sea observing data confirms the effectiveness of the model and shows multianalyzer's obvious improvement of mapping error rate. PMID:25250372

Modeling and optimization of membrane lifetime in dead-end ultra filtration

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Zondervan, E.; Roffel, B.

2008-01-01

In this paper, a membrane lifetime model is developed and experimentally validated. The lifetime model is based on the Weibull probability density function. The lifetime model can be used to determine an unambiguous characteristic membrane lifetime. Experimental results showed that membrane lifetime

Initial assessment of a model relating intratumoral genetic heterogeneity to radiological morphology

Science.gov (United States)

Noterdaeme, O; Kelly, M; Friend, P; Soonowalla, Z; Steers, G; Brady, M

2010-01-01

Tumour heterogeneity has major implications for tumour development and response to therapy. Tumour heterogeneity results from mutations in the genes responsible for mismatch repair or maintenance of chromosomal stability. Cells with different genetic properties may grow at different rates and exhibit different resistance to therapeutic interventions. To date, there exists no approach to non-invasively assess tumour heterogeneity. Here we present a biologically inspired model of tumour growth, which relates intratumoral genetic heterogeneity to gross morphology visible on radiological images. The model represents the development of a tumour as a set of expanding spheres, each sphere representing a distinct clonal centre, with the sprouting of new spheres corresponding to new clonal centres. Each clonal centre may possess different characteristics relating to genetic composition, growth rate and response to treatment. We present a clinical example for which the model accurately tracks tumour growth and shows the correspondence to genetic variation (as determined by array comparative genomic hybridisation). One clinical implication of our work is that the assessment of heterogeneous tumours using Response Evaluation Criteria In Solid Tumours (RECIST) or volume measurements may not accurately reflect tumour growth, stability or the response to treatment. We believe that this is the first model linking the macro-scale appearance of tumours to their genetic composition. We anticipate that our model will provide a more informative way to assess the response of heterogeneous tumours to treatment, which is of increasing importance with the development of novel targeted anti-cancer treatments. PMID:19690073

Viscosity of Heterogeneous Silicate Melts: A Non-Newtonian Model

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Zhuangzhuang; Blanpain, Bart; Guo, Muxing

2017-12-01

The recently published viscosity data of heterogeneous silicate melts with well-documented structure and experimental conditions are critically re-analyzed and tabulated. By using these data, a non-Newtonian viscosity model incorporating solid fraction, solid shape, and shear rate is proposed on the basis of the power-law equation. This model allows calculating the viscosity of the heterogeneous silicate melts with solid fraction up to 34 vol pct. The error between the calculated and measured data is evaluated to be 32 pct, which is acceptable considering the large error in viscosity measurement of the completely liquid silicate melt.

Observed and unobserved heterogeneity in stochastic frontier models: An application to the electricity distribution industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kopsakangas-Savolainen, Maria; Svento, Rauli

2011-01-01

In this study we combine different possibilities to model firm level heterogeneity in stochastic frontier analysis. We show that both observed and unobserved heterogeneities cause serious biases in inefficiency results. Modelling observed and unobserved heterogeneities treat individual firms in different ways and even though the expected mean inefficiency scores in both cases diminish the firm level efficiency rank orders turn out to be very different. The best fit with the data is obtained by modelling unobserved heterogeneity through randomizing frontier parameters and at the same time explicitly modelling the observed heterogeneity into the inefficiency distribution. These results are obtained by using data from Finnish electricity distribution utilities and the results are relevant in relation to electricity distribution pricing and regulation. -- Research Highlights: → We show that both observed and unobserved heterogeneities of firms cause biases in inefficiency results. → Different ways of accounting firm level heterogeneity end up with very different rank orders of firms. → The model which combines the characteristics of unobserved and observed heterogeneity fits the data best.

Lipid packing drives the segregation of transmembrane helices into disordered lipid domains in model membranes

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Schaefer, Lars V.; de Jong, Djurre H.; Holt, Andrea; Rzepiela, Andrzej J.; de Vries, Alex H.; Poolman, Bert; Killian, J. Antoinette; Marrink, Siewert J.

2011-01-01

Cell membranes are comprised of multicomponent lipid and protein mixtures that exhibit a complex partitioning behavior. Regions of structural and compositional heterogeneity play a major role in the sorting and self-assembly of proteins, and their clustering into higher-order oligomers. Here, we use

Formal heterogeneous system modeling with SystemC

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Niaki, Seyed Hosein Attarzadeh; Jakobsen, Mikkel Koefoed; Sulonen, Tero

2012-01-01

Electronic System Level (ESL) design of embedded systems proposes raising the abstraction level of the design entry to cope with the increasing complexity of such systems. To exploit the benefits of ESL, design languages should allow specification of models which are a) heterogeneous, to describe...

Modeling of Multicomponent Mixture Separation Processes Using Hollow fiber Membrane

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Sin-Ah; Kim, Jin-Kuk; Lee, Young Moo; Yeo, Yeong-Koo [Hanyang University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2015-02-15

So far, most of research activities on modeling of membrane separation processes have been focused on binary feed mixture. But, in actual separation operations, binary feed is hard to find and most separation processes involve multicomponent feed mixture. In this work models for membrane separation processes treating multicomponent feed mixture are developed. Various model types are investigated and validity of proposed models are analysed based on experimental data obtained using hollowfiber membranes. The proposed separation models show quick convergence and exhibit good tracking performance.

Interaction of Mastoparan with Model Membranes

Science.gov (United States)

Haloot, Justin

2010-10-01

The use of antimicrobial agents began during the 20th century to reduce the effects of infectious diseases. Since the 1990s, antimicrobial resistance has become an ever-increasing global problem. Our laboratory recently found that small antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have potent antimicrobial activity against a wide range of Gram-negative and Gram-positive organisms including antibiotic resistant organisms. These AMPs are potential therapeutic agents against the growing problem of antimicrobial resistance. AMPs are small peptides produced by plants, insects and animals. Several hypotheses concede that these peptides cause some type of structural perturbations and increased membrane permeability in bacteria however, how AMPs kill bacteria remains unclear. The goal of this study was to design an assay that would allow us to evaluate and monitor the pore forming ability of an AMP, Mastoparan, on model membrane structures called liposomes. Development of this model will facilitate the study of how mastoparan and related AMPs interact with the bacterial membrane.

Accounting for small scale heterogeneity in ecohydrologic watershed models

Science.gov (United States)

Burke, W.; Tague, C.

2017-12-01

Spatially distributed ecohydrologic models are inherently constrained by the spatial resolution of their smallest units, below which land and processes are assumed to be homogenous. At coarse scales, heterogeneity is often accounted for by computing store and fluxes of interest over a distribution of land cover types (or other sources of heterogeneity) within spatially explicit modeling units. However this approach ignores spatial organization and the lateral transfer of water and materials downslope. The challenge is to account both for the role of flow network topology and fine-scale heterogeneity. We present a new approach that defines two levels of spatial aggregation and that integrates spatially explicit network approach with a flexible representation of finer-scale aspatial heterogeneity. Critically, this solution does not simply increase the resolution of the smallest spatial unit, and so by comparison, results in improved computational efficiency. The approach is demonstrated by adapting Regional Hydro-Ecologic Simulation System (RHESSys), an ecohydrologic model widely used to simulate climate, land use, and land management impacts. We illustrate the utility of our approach by showing how the model can be used to better characterize forest thinning impacts on ecohydrology. Forest thinning is typically done at the scale of individual trees, and yet management responses of interest include impacts on watershed scale hydrology and on downslope riparian vegetation. Our approach allow us to characterize the variability in tree size/carbon reduction and water transfers between neighboring trees while still capturing hillslope to watershed scale effects, Our illustrative example demonstrates that accounting for these fine scale effects can substantially alter model estimates, in some cases shifting the impacts of thinning on downslope water availability from increases to decreases. We conclude by describing other use cases that may benefit from this approach

Modeling and forecasting energy consumption for heterogeneous buildings using a physical–statistical approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lü, Xiaoshu; Lu, Tao; Kibert, Charles J.; Viljanen, Martti

2015-01-01

Highlights: • This paper presents a new modeling method to forecast energy demands. • The model is based on physical–statistical approach to improving forecast accuracy. • A new method is proposed to address the heterogeneity challenge. • Comparison with measurements shows accurate forecasts of the model. • The first physical–statistical/heterogeneous building energy modeling approach is proposed and validated. - Abstract: Energy consumption forecasting is a critical and necessary input to planning and controlling energy usage in the building sector which accounts for 40% of the world’s energy use and the world’s greatest fraction of greenhouse gas emissions. However, due to the diversity and complexity of buildings as well as the random nature of weather conditions, energy consumption and loads are stochastic and difficult to predict. This paper presents a new methodology for energy demand forecasting that addresses the heterogeneity challenges in energy modeling of buildings. The new method is based on a physical–statistical approach designed to account for building heterogeneity to improve forecast accuracy. The physical model provides a theoretical input to characterize the underlying physical mechanism of energy flows. Then stochastic parameters are introduced into the physical model and the statistical time series model is formulated to reflect model uncertainties and individual heterogeneity in buildings. A new method of model generalization based on a convex hull technique is further derived to parameterize the individual-level model parameters for consistent model coefficients while maintaining satisfactory modeling accuracy for heterogeneous buildings. The proposed method and its validation are presented in detail for four different sports buildings with field measurements. The results show that the proposed methodology and model can provide a considerable improvement in forecasting accuracy

A heterogeneous lattice gas model for simulating pedestrian evacuation

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Xiwei; Chen, Jianqiao; Zheng, Yaochen; Wei, Junhong

2012-02-01

Based on the cellular automata method (CA model) and the mobile lattice gas model (MLG model), we have developed a heterogeneous lattice gas model for simulating pedestrian evacuation processes in an emergency. A local population density concept is introduced first. The update rule in the new model depends on the local population density and the exit crowded degree factor. The drift D, which is one of the key parameters influencing the evacuation process, is allowed to change according to the local population density of the pedestrians. Interactions including attraction, repulsion, and friction between every two pedestrians and those between a pedestrian and the building wall are described by a nonlinear function of the corresponding distance, and the repulsion forces increase sharply as the distances get small. A critical force of injury is introduced into the model, and its effects on the evacuation process are investigated. The model proposed has heterogeneous features as compared to the MLG model or the basic CA model. Numerical examples show that the model proposed can capture the basic features of pedestrian evacuation, such as clogging and arching phenomena.

Mathematical model of a PEMFC using a PBI membrane

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cheddie, Denver; Munroe, Norman

2006-01-01

Proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC) operating with Nafion[reg] membranes have encountered numerous problems associated with water management and CO poisoning because of their low temperature of operation. Alternative high temperature membranes have been investigated, one such membrane being polybenzimidazole (PBI). This paper presents a one dimensional mathematical model, which predicts the polarization performance of a PEMFC using a PBI membrane. Peak power densities in the same order as Nafion[reg] are predicted. Results indicate that the greatest scope for improving PBI PEMFC performance is increasing the membrane conductivity and improving the catalyst performance as it interfaces with the PBI membrane

A Multianalyzer Machine Learning Model for Marine Heterogeneous Data Schema Mapping

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wang Yan

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The main challenges that marine heterogeneous data integration faces are the problem of accurate schema mapping between heterogeneous data sources. In order to improve the schema mapping efficiency and get more accurate learning results, this paper proposes a heterogeneous data schema mapping method basing on multianalyzer machine learning model. The multianalyzer analysis the learning results comprehensively, and a fuzzy comprehensive evaluation system is introduced for output results’ evaluation and multi factor quantitative judging. Finally, the data mapping comparison experiment on the East China Sea observing data confirms the effectiveness of the model and shows multianalyzer’s obvious improvement of mapping error rate.

Modeling of Hollow-Fiber Membrane System During Ultrafiltration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

EI-Bialy, S.H.

2004-01-01

The present study aims to evaluate the performance of hollow fiber membrane module during ultrafiltration of aqueous solutions. The model is represented by a set of differential equations for permeate and residue pressure drop and volumetric flow rates in the axial direction, beside the principle equations of both solvent and solute fluxes through the membrane, while osmotic pressure was neglected in model equations. The shell and tube module type was considered where feed pass in the shell and permeate in the bore side. Tortousily factor of membrane pores in addition to concentration polarization modulus were taken into account in calculations. The model was solved numerically with the help of suitable program in both co current and countercurrent flow pattern and comparison of results were carried out

A realistic closed-form radiobiological model of clinical tumor-control data incorporating intertumor heterogeneity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roberts, Stephen A.; Hendry, Jolyon H.

1998-01-01

Purpose: To investigate the role of intertumor heterogeneity in clinical tumor control datasets and the relationship to in vitro measurements of tumor biopsy samples. Specifically, to develop a modified linear-quadratic (LQ) model incorporating such heterogeneity that it is practical to fit to clinical tumor-control datasets. Methods and Materials: We developed a modified version of the linear-quadratic (LQ) model for tumor control, incorporating a (lagged) time factor to allow for tumor cell repopulation. We explicitly took into account the interpatient heterogeneity in clonogen number, radiosensitivity, and repopulation rate. Using this model, we could generate realistic TCP curves using parameter estimates consistent with those reported from in vitro studies, subject to the inclusion of a radiosensitivity (or dose)-modifying factor. We then demonstrated that the model was dominated by the heterogeneity in α (tumor radiosensitivity) and derived an approximate simplified model incorporating this heterogeneity. This simplified model is expressible in a compact closed form, which it is practical to fit to clinical datasets. Using two previously analysed datasets, we fit the model using direct maximum-likelihood techniques and obtained parameter estimates that were, again, consistent with the experimental data on the radiosensitivity of primary human tumor cells. This heterogeneity model includes the same number of adjustable parameters as the standard LQ model. Results: The modified model provides parameter estimates that can easily be reconciled with the in vitro measurements. The simplified (approximate) form of the heterogeneity model is a compact, closed-form probit function that can readily be fitted to clinical series by conventional maximum-likelihood methodology. This heterogeneity model provides a slightly better fit to the datasets than the conventional LQ model, with the same numbers of fitted parameters. The parameter estimates of the clinically

Cation-exchange membranes: comparison of homopolymer, block copolymer, and heterogeneous membranes

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Schauer, Jan; Llanos, J.; Žitka, Jan; Hnát, J.; Bouzek, K.

2012-01-01

Roč. 124, SI 1 (2012), E66-E72 ISSN 0021-8995 R&D Projects: GA MŠk(CZ) 7E08005 EU Projects: European Commission(XE) 212903 - WELTEMP Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z40500505 Keywords : cation-exchange membranes * poly(phenylene oxide) * poly(ether ketones ) Subject RIV: CF - Physical ; Theoretical Chemistry Impact factor: 1.395, year: 2012

Response Mixture Modeling: Accounting for Heterogeneity in Item Characteristics across Response Times.

Science.gov (United States)

Molenaar, Dylan; de Boeck, Paul

2018-06-01

In item response theory modeling of responses and response times, it is commonly assumed that the item responses have the same characteristics across the response times. However, heterogeneity might arise in the data if subjects resort to different response processes when solving the test items. These differences may be within-subject effects, that is, a subject might use a certain process on some of the items and a different process with different item characteristics on the other items. If the probability of using one process over the other process depends on the subject's response time, within-subject heterogeneity of the item characteristics across the response times arises. In this paper, the method of response mixture modeling is presented to account for such heterogeneity. Contrary to traditional mixture modeling where the full response vectors are classified, response mixture modeling involves classification of the individual elements in the response vector. In a simulation study, the response mixture model is shown to be viable in terms of parameter recovery. In addition, the response mixture model is applied to a real dataset to illustrate its use in investigating within-subject heterogeneity in the item characteristics across response times.

Evaluation of neutron streaming in fast breeder reactor fuel assembly by double heterogeneous modelling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Unesaki, Hironobu; Takeda, Toshikazu

1988-01-01

Neutron streaming in a fast breeder reactor fuel assembly caused by the double heterogeneity structure is estimated by double heterogeneous modelling. The conventional pin cell model, a two-region subassembly model and the exact pin cluster model are used to take into account the streaming effect caused by the pin cell structure and the surrounding wrapper tube structure. The heterogeneity of wrapper tube and its surrounding sodium is explicitly considered. The streaming effect is evaluated based on Benoist's diffusion coefficient. The total streaming effect caused by the double heterogeneity structure of a fuel subassembly is found to be -0.2 % dk/kk' for k eff , which is almost twice that obtained from the conventional pin cell model of -0.1 % dk/kk'. (author)

The nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug indomethacin induces heterogeneity in lipid membranes: potential implication for its diverse biological action.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yong Zhou

2010-01-01

Full Text Available The nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID, indomethacin (Indo, has a large number of divergent biological effects, the molecular mechanism(s for which have yet to be fully elucidated. Interestingly, Indo is highly amphiphilic and associates strongly with lipid membranes, which influence localization, structure and function of membrane-associating proteins and actively regulate cell signaling events. Thus, it is possible that Indo regulates diverse cell functions by altering micro-environments within the membrane. Here we explored the effect of Indo on the nature of the segregated domains in a mixed model membrane composed of dipalmitoyl phosphatidyl-choline (di16:0 PC, or DPPC and dioleoyl phosphatidyl-choline (di18:1 PC or DOPC and cholesterol that mimics biomembranes.Using a series of fluorescent probes in a fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET study, we found that Indo induced separation between gel domains and fluid domains in the mixed model membrane, possibly by enhancing the formation of gel-phase domains. This effect originated from the ability of Indo to specifically target the ordered domains in the mixed membrane. These findings were further confirmed by measuring the ability of Indo to affect the fluidity-dependent fluorescence quenching and the level of detergent resistance of membranes.Because the tested lipids are the main lipid constituents in cell membranes, the observed formation of gel phase domains induced by Indo potentially occurs in biomembranes. This marked Indo-induced change in phase behavior potentially alters membrane protein functions, which contribute to the wide variety of biological activities of Indo and other NSAIDs.

Membrane Heterogeneity in Akt Activation in Prostate Cancer

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Hager, Martin H

2008-01-01

This project focuses on the novel finding from our group that the serine-threonine kinase Akt1 partitions into specialized membrane microdomains, termed lipid rafts, and that this localization event...

A theoretical model for gas permeability in a composite membrane

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Serrano, D. A

2009-01-01

We present in this work an analytical expression for permeability in a two-layer composite membrane, which was derived assuming the same hypothesis as those of Adzumi model for permeability in a homogeneous membrane. Whereas in Adzumi model permeability shows a linear dependence on the mean pressure, our model for a composite membrane related permeability to pressure through a rather complex expression, which covers the whole range of flow, from molecular-Knudsen to viscous-Poiseuille regimes. The expression obtained for permeability contained information of membrane structural properties as pore size, porosity and thickness of each layer, as well as gas nature and operational conditions. Our two-layer-model expression turns into Adzumi formula when the structure of the layers approach to each other. [es

Membrane-elasticity model of Coatless vesicle budding induced by ESCRT complexes.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bartosz Różycki

Full Text Available The formation of vesicles is essential for many biological processes, in particular for the trafficking of membrane proteins within cells. The Endosomal Sorting Complex Required for Transport (ESCRT directs membrane budding away from the cytosol. Unlike other vesicle formation pathways, the ESCRT-mediated budding occurs without a protein coat. Here, we propose a minimal model of ESCRT-induced vesicle budding. Our model is based on recent experimental observations from direct fluorescence microscopy imaging that show ESCRT proteins colocalized only in the neck region of membrane buds. The model, cast in the framework of membrane elasticity theory, reproduces the experimentally observed vesicle morphologies with physically meaningful parameters. In this parameter range, the minimum energy configurations of the membrane are coatless buds with ESCRTs localized in the bud neck, consistent with experiment. The minimum energy configurations agree with those seen in the fluorescence images, with respect to both bud shapes and ESCRT protein localization. On the basis of our model, we identify distinct mechanistic pathways for the ESCRT-mediated budding process. The bud size is determined by membrane material parameters, explaining the narrow yet different bud size distributions in vitro and in vivo. Our membrane elasticity model thus sheds light on the energetics and possible mechanisms of ESCRT-induced membrane budding.

Modeling and validation of directional reflectance for heterogeneous agro-forestry scenarios

Science.gov (United States)

Yelu, Z.; Jing, L.; Qinhuo, L.; Huete, A. R.

2015-12-01

Landscape heterogeneity is a common natural phenomenon but is seldom considered in current radiative transfer models for predicting the surface reflectance. This paper developed an explicit analytical Radiative Transfer model for heterogeneous Agro-Forestry scenarios (RTAF) by dividing the scenario into non-boundary regions and boundary regions. The scattering contribution of the non-boundary regions that are treated as homogeneous canopies can be estimated from the SAILH model, whereas that of the boundary regions with lengths, widths, canopy heights, and orientations of the field patches, is calculated based on the bidirectional gap probability by considering the interactions and mutual shadowing effects among different patches. The hot spot factor is extended for heterogeneous scenarios, the Hapke model for soil anisotropy is incorporated, and the contributions of the direct and diffuse radiation are separately calculated. The multi-angular airborne observations and the Discrete Anisotropic Radiative Transfer (DART) model simulations were used for validating and evaluating the RTAF model over an agro-forestry scenario in Heihe River Basin, China. It indicates that the RTAF model can accurately simulate the hemispherical-directional reflectance factors (HDRFs) of the heterogeneous agro-forestry scenario, with an RMSE of 0.0016 and 0.0179 in the red and near-infrared (NIR) bands, respectively. The RTAF model was compared with two widely used models, the dominant cover type (DCT) model and the spectral linear mixture (SLM) model, which either neglected the interactions and mutual shadowing effects between the shelterbets and crops, or did not account for the contribution of the shelterbets. Results suggest that the boundary effect can significantly influence the angular distribution of the HDRFs, and consequently enlarged the HDRF variations between the backward and forward directions in the principle plane. The RTAF model reduced the maximum relative error from 25

Interactions of Model Cell Membranes with Nanoparticles

Science.gov (United States)

D'Angelo, S. M.; Camesano, T. A.; Nagarajan, R.

2011-12-01

The same properties that give nanoparticles their enhanced function, such as high surface area, small size, and better conductivity, can also alter the cytotoxicity of nanomaterials. Ultimately, many of these nanomaterials will be released into the environment, and can cause cytotoxic effects to environmental bacteria, aquatic organisms, and humans. Previous results from our laboratory suggest that nanoparticles can have a detrimental effect on cells, depending on nanoparticle size. It is our goal to characterize the properties of nanomaterials that can result in membrane destabilization. We tested the effects of nanoparticle size and chemical functionalization on nanoparticle-membrane interactions. Gold nanoparticles at 2, 5,10, and 80 nm were investigated, with a concentration of 1.1x1010 particles/mL. Model cell membranes were constructed of of L-α-phosphatidylcholine (egg PC), which has negatively charged lipid headgroups. A quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation (QCM-D) was used to measure frequency changes at different overtones, which were related to mass changes corresponding to nanoparticle interaction with the model membrane. In QCM-D, a lipid bilayer is constructed on a silicon dioxide crystal. The crystals, oscillate at different harmonic frequencies depending upon changes in mass or energy dissipation. When mass is added to the crystal surface, such as through addition of a lipid vesicle solution, the frequency change decreases. By monitoring the frequency and dissipation, we could verify that a supported lipid bilayer (SLB) formed on the silica surface. After formation of the SLB, the nanoparticles can be added to the system, and the changes in frequency and dissipation are monitored in order to build a mechanistic understanding of nanoparticle-cell membrane interactions. For all of the smaller nanoparticles (2, 5, and 10 nm), nanoparticle addition caused a loss of mass from the lipid bilayer, which appears to be due to the formation of holes

Field verification of advanced transport models of radionuclides in heterogeneous soils

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Visser, W.; Meurs, G.A.M.; Weststrate, F.A.

1991-01-01

This report deals with a verification study of advanced transport models of radionuclides in heterogeneous soils. The study reported here is the third phase of a research program carried out by Delft Geotechnics concerning the influence of soil heterogeneities on the migration of radionuclides in the soil and soil-water system. Phases 1 and 2 have been reported earlier in the EC Nuclear Science and technology series (EUR 12111 EN, 1989). The verification study involves the predictive modelling of a field tracer experiment carried out by the British Geological Survey (BGS) at Drigg, Cumbria (UK). Conservative (I 131 , Cl-, H 3 ) as well as non-conservative (Co-EDTA) tracers were used. The inverse modelling shows that micro dispersion may be considered as a soil constant related to grainsize. Micro dispersion shows a slow increase with distance from the source. This increase is caused by mass transfer between adjacent layers of different permeability. Macro dispersion is observed when sampling over a larger interval then permitted by the detail with which the heterogeneity is described in the model. The prediction of the migration of radionuclides through heterogeneous soils is possible. The advection dispersion equation seems to be an adequate description of the migration of conservative tracers. The models based on this equation give comparable results on a small field test scale (3.5 m). The prediction of the migration of adsorbing species is more difficult. The mathematical descriptions seem appropriate, but the heterogeneity in soils seems to create a higher order of uncertainty which can not be described as yet with calculation strategies available at this moment

Concurrent heterogeneous neural model simulation on real-time neuromimetic hardware.

Science.gov (United States)

Rast, Alexander; Galluppi, Francesco; Davies, Sergio; Plana, Luis; Patterson, Cameron; Sharp, Thomas; Lester, David; Furber, Steve

2011-11-01

Dedicated hardware is becoming increasingly essential to simulate emerging very-large-scale neural models. Equally, however, it needs to be able to support multiple models of the neural dynamics, possibly operating simultaneously within the same system. This may be necessary either to simulate large models with heterogeneous neural types, or to simplify simulation and analysis of detailed, complex models in a large simulation by isolating the new model to a small subpopulation of a larger overall network. The SpiNNaker neuromimetic chip is a dedicated neural processor able to support such heterogeneous simulations. Implementing these models on-chip uses an integrated library-based tool chain incorporating the emerging PyNN interface that allows a modeller to input a high-level description and use an automated process to generate an on-chip simulation. Simulations using both LIF and Izhikevich models demonstrate the ability of the SpiNNaker system to generate and simulate heterogeneous networks on-chip, while illustrating, through the network-scale effects of wavefront synchronisation and burst gating, methods that can provide effective behavioural abstractions for large-scale hardware modelling. SpiNNaker's asynchronous virtual architecture permits greater scope for model exploration, with scalable levels of functional and temporal abstraction, than conventional (or neuromorphic) computing platforms. The complete system illustrates a potential path to understanding the neural model of computation, by building (and breaking) neural models at various scales, connecting the blocks, then comparing them against the biology: computational cognitive neuroscience. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Zero-inflated count models for longitudinal measurements with heterogeneous random effects.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Huirong; Luo, Sheng; DeSantis, Stacia M

2017-08-01

Longitudinal zero-inflated count data arise frequently in substance use research when assessing the effects of behavioral and pharmacological interventions. Zero-inflated count models (e.g. zero-inflated Poisson or zero-inflated negative binomial) with random effects have been developed to analyze this type of data. In random effects zero-inflated count models, the random effects covariance matrix is typically assumed to be homogeneous (constant across subjects). However, in many situations this matrix may be heterogeneous (differ by measured covariates). In this paper, we extend zero-inflated count models to account for random effects heterogeneity by modeling their variance as a function of covariates. We show via simulation that ignoring intervention and covariate-specific heterogeneity can produce biased estimates of covariate and random effect estimates. Moreover, those biased estimates can be rectified by correctly modeling the random effects covariance structure. The methodological development is motivated by and applied to the Combined Pharmacotherapies and Behavioral Interventions for Alcohol Dependence (COMBINE) study, the largest clinical trial of alcohol dependence performed in United States with 1383 individuals.

Numerical calculation on a two-step subdiffusion behavior of lateral protein movement in plasma membranes

Science.gov (United States)

Sumi, Tomonari; Okumoto, Atsushi; Goto, Hitoshi; Sekino, Hideo

2017-10-01

A two-step subdiffusion behavior of lateral movement of transmembrane proteins in plasma membranes has been observed by using single-molecule experiments. A nested double-compartment model where large compartments are divided into several smaller ones has been proposed in order to explain this observation. These compartments are considered to be delimited by membrane-skeleton "fences" and membrane-protein "pickets" bound to the fences. We perform numerical simulations of a master equation using a simple two-dimensional lattice model to investigate the heterogeneous diffusion dynamics behavior of transmembrane proteins within plasma membranes. We show that the experimentally observed two-step subdiffusion process can be described using fence and picket models combined with decreased local diffusivity of transmembrane proteins in the vicinity of the pickets. This allows us to explain the two-step subdiffusion behavior without explicitly introducing nested double compartments.

Probabilistic models for reactive behaviour in heterogeneous condensed phase media

Science.gov (United States)

Baer, M. R.; Gartling, D. K.; DesJardin, P. E.

2012-02-01

This work presents statistically-based models to describe reactive behaviour in heterogeneous energetic materials. Mesoscale effects are incorporated in continuum-level reactive flow descriptions using probability density functions (pdfs) that are associated with thermodynamic and mechanical states. A generalised approach is presented that includes multimaterial behaviour by treating the volume fraction as a random kinematic variable. Model simplifications are then sought to reduce the complexity of the description without compromising the statistical approach. Reactive behaviour is first considered for non-deformable media having a random temperature field as an initial state. A pdf transport relationship is derived and an approximate moment approach is incorporated in finite element analysis to model an example application whereby a heated fragment impacts a reactive heterogeneous material which leads to a delayed cook-off event. Modelling is then extended to include deformation effects associated with shock loading of a heterogeneous medium whereby random variables of strain, strain-rate and temperature are considered. A demonstrative mesoscale simulation of a non-ideal explosive is discussed that illustrates the joint statistical nature of the strain and temperature fields during shock loading to motivate the probabilistic approach. This modelling is derived in a Lagrangian framework that can be incorporated in continuum-level shock physics analysis. Future work will consider particle-based methods for a numerical implementation of this modelling approach.

Comment on Hoffman and Rovine (2007): SPSS MIXED can estimate models with heterogeneous variances.

Science.gov (United States)

Weaver, Bruce; Black, Ryan A

2015-06-01

Hoffman and Rovine (Behavior Research Methods, 39:101-117, 2007) have provided a very nice overview of how multilevel models can be useful to experimental psychologists. They included two illustrative examples and provided both SAS and SPSS commands for estimating the models they reported. However, upon examining the SPSS syntax for the models reported in their Table 3, we found no syntax for models 2B and 3B, both of which have heterogeneous error variances. Instead, there is syntax that estimates similar models with homogeneous error variances and a comment stating that SPSS does not allow heterogeneous errors. But that is not correct. We provide SPSS MIXED commands to estimate models 2B and 3B with heterogeneous error variances and obtain results nearly identical to those reported by Hoffman and Rovine in their Table 3. Therefore, contrary to the comment in Hoffman and Rovine's syntax file, SPSS MIXED can estimate models with heterogeneous error variances.

Modelling of heterogenous neutron leakages in a nuclear reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wohleber, X.

1997-01-01

The TIBERE Model is a neutron leakage method based on B 1 heterogeneous transport equation resolution. In this work, we have studied the influence of the reflection mode at the boundary of the assembly. In particular the White boundary condition has been implemented in the APOLLO2 neutron transport code. We have compared the two TIBERE kinds of boundary conditions (specular and white) with the classical B 1 homogeneous leakage method in the modelling of some reactors. We have remarked the better capability of the TIBERE Model to compute voided assemblies. The white boundary condition is also able to compute a completely voided assembly and, besides, wins a factor 10 in CPU time in comparison with the specular boundary condition. These two heterogenous leakage formalisms have been tested on a partially voided experiment and have shown that the TIBERE Model can compute this kind of situation with a greater precision than the classical B 1 homogeneous leakage method, and with a shorter computational time. (author)

Prospect Theory in the Heterogeneous Agent Model

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Polach, J.; Kukačka, Jiří

(2018) ISSN 1860-711X R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GBP402/12/G097 Institutional support: RVO:67985556 Keywords : Heterogeneous Agent Model * Prospect Theory * Behavioral finance * Stylized facts Subject RIV: AH - Economic s OBOR OECD: Finance Impact factor: 0.931, year: 2016 http://library.utia.cas.cz/separaty/2018/E/kukacka-0488438.pdf

Smart predictors in the heterogeneous agent model

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Baruník, Jozef; Vácha, Lukáš; Vošvrda, Miloslav

2009-01-01

Roč. 4, č. 2 (2009), s. 163-172 ISSN 1860-711X R&D Projects: GA ČR GP402/08/P207; GA ČR GA402/09/0965 Grant - others:GAUK(CZ) 46108 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10750506 Keywords : Heterogeneous agent model * Market structure * Smart traders * Hurst exponent Subject RIV: AH - Economics

A Membrane Model from Implicit Elasticity Theory

Science.gov (United States)

Freed, A. D.; Liao, J.; Einstein, D. R.

2014-01-01

A Fungean solid is derived for membranous materials as a body defined by isotropic response functions whose mathematical structure is that of a Hookean solid where the elastic constants are replaced by functions of state derived from an implicit, thermodynamic, internal-energy function. The theory utilizes Biot’s (1939) definitions for stress and strain that, in 1-dimension, are the stress/strain measures adopted by Fung (1967) when he postulated what is now known as Fung’s law. Our Fungean membrane model is parameterized against a biaxial data set acquired from a porcine pleural membrane subjected to three, sequential, proportional, planar extensions. These data support an isotropic/deviatoric split in the stress and strain-rate hypothesized by our theory. These data also demonstrate that the material response is highly non-linear but, otherwise, mechanically isotropic. These data are described reasonably well by our otherwise simple, four-parameter, material model. PMID:24282079

Heterogeneous modelling and finite element analysis of the femur

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhang Binkai

2017-01-01

Full Text Available As the largest and longest bone in the human body, the femur has important research value and application prospects. This paper introduces a fast reconstruction method with Mimics and ANSYS software to realize the heterogeneous modelling of the femur according to Hu distribution of the CT series, and simulates it in various situations by finite element analysis to study the mechanical characteristics of the femur. The femoral heterogeneous model shows the distribution of bone mineral density and material properties, which can be used to assess the diagnosis and treatment of bone diseases. The stress concentration position of the femur under different conditions can be calculated by the simulation, which can provide reference for the design and material selection of prosthesis.

Temperature dependent heterogeneous rotational correlation in lipids.

Science.gov (United States)

Dadashvand, Neda; Othon, Christina M

2016-11-15

Lipid structures exhibit complex and highly dynamic lateral structure; and changes in lipid density and fluidity are believed to play an essential role in membrane targeting and function. The dynamic structure of liquids on the molecular scale can exhibit complex transient density fluctuations. Here the lateral heterogeneity of lipid dynamics is explored in free standing lipid monolayers. As the temperature is lowered the probes exhibit increasingly broad and heterogeneous rotational correlation. This increase in heterogeneity appears to exhibit a critical onset, similar to those observed for glass forming fluids. We explore heterogeneous relaxation in in a single constituent lipid monolayer of 1, 2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine  by measuring the rotational diffusion of a fluorescent probe (1-palmitoyl-2-[1]-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine), which is embedded in the lipid monolayer at low labeling density. Dynamic distributions are measured using wide-field time-resolved fluorescence anisotropy. The observed relaxation exhibits a narrow, liquid-like distribution at high temperatures (τ ∼ 2.4 ns), consistent with previous experimental measures (Dadashvand et al 2014 Struct. Dyn. 1 054701, Loura and Ramalho 2007 Biochim. Biophys. Acta 1768 467-478). However, as the temperature is quenched, the distribution broadens, and we observe the appearance of a long relaxation population (τ ∼ 16.5 ns). This supports the heterogeneity observed for lipids at high packing densities, and demonstrates that the nanoscale diffusion and reorganization in lipid structures can be significantly complex, even in the simplest amorphous architectures. Dynamical heterogeneity of this form can have a significant impact on the organization, permeability and energetics of lipid membrane structures.

[Temporal and spatial heterogeneity analysis of optimal value of sensitive parameters in ecological process model: The BIOME-BGC model as an example.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Yi Zhe; Zhang, Ting Long; Liu, Qiu Yu; Li, Ying

2018-01-01

The ecological process models are powerful tools for studying terrestrial ecosystem water and carbon cycle at present. However, there are many parameters for these models, and weather the reasonable values of these parameters were taken, have important impact on the models simulation results. In the past, the sensitivity and the optimization of model parameters were analyzed and discussed in many researches. But the temporal and spatial heterogeneity of the optimal parameters is less concerned. In this paper, the BIOME-BGC model was used as an example. In the evergreen broad-leaved forest, deciduous broad-leaved forest and C3 grassland, the sensitive parameters of the model were selected by constructing the sensitivity judgment index with two experimental sites selected under each vegetation type. The objective function was constructed by using the simulated annealing algorithm combined with the flux data to obtain the monthly optimal values of the sensitive parameters at each site. Then we constructed the temporal heterogeneity judgment index, the spatial heterogeneity judgment index and the temporal and spatial heterogeneity judgment index to quantitatively analyze the temporal and spatial heterogeneity of the optimal values of the model sensitive parameters. The results showed that the sensitivity of BIOME-BGC model parameters was different under different vegetation types, but the selected sensitive parameters were mostly consistent. The optimal values of the sensitive parameters of BIOME-BGC model mostly presented time-space heterogeneity to different degrees which varied with vegetation types. The sensitive parameters related to vegetation physiology and ecology had relatively little temporal and spatial heterogeneity while those related to environment and phenology had generally larger temporal and spatial heterogeneity. In addition, the temporal heterogeneity of the optimal values of the model sensitive parameters showed a significant linear correlation

Expansion of thermodynamic model of solute permeation through reverse osmosis membrane

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nishimaki, Kenzo; Koyama, Akio

1994-01-01

Many studies have been performed on permeation mechanism of solute and solvent in membrane separation process like reverse osmosis or ultrafiltration, and several models of solute/solvent permeation through membrane are proposed. Among these models, Kedem and Katchalsky, based on the theory of thermodynamics of irreversible processes, formulated the one-solute permeation process in their mathematical model, which treats membrane as a black box, not giving consideration to membrane structure and to interaction between membrane material and permeates, viz. solute and solvent. According to this theory, the driving force of solute/solvent permeation through membrane is the difference of their chemical potential between both sides of membrane, and the linear phenomenological equation is applied to describing the relation between driving force and flux of solute/solvent. This equation can be applied to the irreversible process only when the process is almost in equilibrium. This condition is supposed to be satisfied in the solute/solvent permeation process through compact membrane with fine pores like reverse osmosis membrane. When reverse osmosis is applied to treatment process for liquid waste, which usually contains a lot of solutes as contaminants, we can not predict the behavior of contaminants by the above one-solute process model. In the case of multi-solutes permeation process for liquid waste, the number of parameter in thermodynamic model increases rapidly with the number of solute, because of coupling phenomenon among solutes. In this study, we expanded the above thermodynamic model to multi-solute process applying operational calculus to the differential equations which describe the irreversible process of the system, and expressed concisely solute concentration vector as a matrix product. In this way, we predict the behavior of solutes in multi-solutes process, using values of parameters obtained in two-solutes process. (author)

Directional heterogeneity in WTP models for environmental valuation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Schaafsma, M.; Brouwer, R.; Rose, J.

2012-01-01

Many studies in the stated preference literature on environmental valuation do not include the effects of substitutes and distance in willingness-to-pay (WTP) models, in spite of the relevance of these effects in aggregation and benefit transfer. Heterogeneity in the availability of substitutes over

The memory formalism in the diffusion of drugs through skin membrane

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Caputo, Michele; Cametti, Cesare, E-mail: cesare.cametti@roma1.infn.i [Dipartimento di Fisica, Universita di Roma ' La Sapienza' , Piazzale A. Moro 2, I-00185 Rome (Italy) and CNR-INFM-SOFT, Unita di Roma1 Rome (Italy)

2009-06-21

The diffusion of drugs across a composite structure such as a biological membrane is a rather complex phenomenon, where the assumptions on which the Fick equations are based are not always true, because of the inhomogeneous nature of the lipid membrane, the diffusion rate and the solubility of the drug being strongly dependent on the local position across the membrane. These problems are particularly strengthened in composite structures of a considerable thickness such as the human skin, where the high heterogeneity provokes the transport through different simultaneous pathways. In this note, we generalize the diffusion model based on Fick's second equation by the introduction of a space-dependent diffusion constant within the memory formalism (diffusion with memory) approach. The model predictions have been compared with experimental results concerning the permeation of two different compounds through human skin in vivo, such as piroxicam, an anti-inflammatory drug and 4-cyanophenol, a test chemical model compound. In both cases, reasonably good agreement has been found.

The memory formalism in the diffusion of drugs through skin membrane

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Caputo, Michele; Cametti, Cesare

2009-01-01

The diffusion of drugs across a composite structure such as a biological membrane is a rather complex phenomenon, where the assumptions on which the Fick equations are based are not always true, because of the inhomogeneous nature of the lipid membrane, the diffusion rate and the solubility of the drug being strongly dependent on the local position across the membrane. These problems are particularly strengthened in composite structures of a considerable thickness such as the human skin, where the high heterogeneity provokes the transport through different simultaneous pathways. In this note, we generalize the diffusion model based on Fick's second equation by the introduction of a space-dependent diffusion constant within the memory formalism (diffusion with memory) approach. The model predictions have been compared with experimental results concerning the permeation of two different compounds through human skin in vivo, such as piroxicam, an anti-inflammatory drug and 4-cyanophenol, a test chemical model compound. In both cases, reasonably good agreement has been found.

Modelling long-distance seed dispersal in heterogeneous landscapes.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Levey, Douglas, J.; Tewlsbury, Joshua, J.; Bolker, Benjamin, M.

2008-01-01

1. Long-distance seed dispersal is difficult to measure, yet key to understanding plant population dynamics and community composition. 2. We used a spatially explicit model to predict the distribution of seeds dispersed long distances by birds into habitat patches of different shapes. All patches were the same type of habitat and size, but varied in shape. They occurred in eight experimental landscapes, each with five patches of four different shapes, 150 m apart in a matrix of mature forest. The model was parameterized with smallscale movement data collected from field observations of birds. In a previous study we validated the model by testing its predictions against observed patterns of seed dispersal in real landscapes with the same types and spatial configuration of patches as in the model. 3. Here we apply the model more broadly, examining how patch shape influences the probability of seed deposition by birds into patches, how dispersal kernels (distributions of dispersal distances) vary with patch shape and starting location, and how movement of seeds between patches is affected by patch shape. 4. The model predicts that patches with corridors or other narrow extensions receive higher numbers of seeds than patches without corridors or extensions. This pattern is explained by edgefollowing behaviour of birds. Dispersal distances are generally shorter in heterogeneous landscapes (containing patchy habitat) than in homogeneous landscapes, suggesting that patches divert the movement of seed dispersers, ‘holding’ them long enough to increase the probability of seed defecation in the patches. Dispersal kernels for seeds in homogeneous landscapes were smooth, whereas those in heterogenous landscapes were irregular. In both cases, long-distance (> 150 m) dispersal was surprisingly common, usually comprising approximately 50% of all dispersal events. 5. Synthesis . Landscape heterogeneity has a large influence on patterns of long-distance seed dispersal. Our

Heterogenous Agents Model with the Worst Out Algorithm

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Vácha, Lukáš; Vošvrda, Miloslav

-, č. 8 (2006), s. 3-19 ISSN 1801-5999 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10750506 Keywords : efficient market hypothesis * fractal market hypothesis * agents' investment horizons * agents' trading strategies * technical trading rules * heterogeneous agent model with stochastic memory * Worst out algorithm Subject RIV: AH - Economics

Multi-layer membrane model for mass transport in a direct ethanol fuel cell using an alkaline anion exchange membrane

Science.gov (United States)

Bahrami, Hafez; Faghri, Amir

2012-11-01

A one-dimensional, isothermal, single-phase model is presented to investigate the mass transport in a direct ethanol fuel cell incorporating an alkaline anion exchange membrane. The electrochemistry is analytically solved and the closed-form solution is provided for two limiting cases assuming Tafel expressions for both oxygen reduction and ethanol oxidation. A multi-layer membrane model is proposed to properly account for the diffusive and electroosmotic transport of ethanol through the membrane. The fundamental differences in fuel crossover for positive and negative electroosmotic drag coefficients are discussed. It is found that ethanol crossover is significantly reduced upon using an alkaline anion exchange membrane instead of a proton exchange membrane, especially at current densities higher than 500 A m

Physical model for membrane protrusions during spreading

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chamaraux, F; Ali, O; Fourcade, B; Keller, S; Bruckert, F

2008-01-01

During cell spreading onto a substrate, the kinetics of the contact area is an observable quantity. This paper is concerned with a physical approach to modeling this process in the case of ameboid motility where the membrane detaches itself from the underlying cytoskeleton at the leading edge. The physical model we propose is based on previous reports which highlight that membrane tension regulates cell spreading. Using a phenomenological feedback loop to mimic stress-dependent biochemistry, we show that the actin polymerization rate can be coupled to the stress which builds up at the margin of the contact area between the cell and the substrate. In the limit of small variation of membrane tension, we show that the actin polymerization rate can be written in a closed form. Our analysis defines characteristic lengths which depend on elastic properties of the membrane–cytoskeleton complex, such as the membrane–cytoskeleton interaction, and on molecular parameters, the rate of actin polymerization. We discuss our model in the case of axi-symmetric and non-axi-symmetric spreading and we compute the characteristic time scales as a function of fundamental elastic constants such as the strength of membrane–cytoskeleton adherence

Modeling of GPR Clutter Caused by Soil Heterogeneity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kazunori Takahashi

2012-01-01

Full Text Available In small-scale measurements, ground-penetrating radar (GPR often uses a higher frequency to detect a small object or structural changes in the ground. GPR becomes more sensitive to the natural heterogeneity of the soil when a higher frequency is used. Soil heterogeneity scatters electromagnetic waves, and the scattered waves are in part observed as unwanted reflections that are often referred to as clutter. Data containing a great amount of clutter are difficult to analyze and interpret because clutter disturbs reflections from objects of interest. Therefore, modeling GPR clutter is useful to assess the effectiveness of GPR measurements. In this paper, the development of such a technique is discussed. This modeling technique requires the permittivity distribution of soil (or its geostatistical properties and gives a nominal value of clutter power. The paper demonstrates the technique with the comparison to the data from a GPR time-lapse measurement. The proposed technique is discussed in regard to its applicability and limitations based on the results.

Carbon dioxide (hydrogen sulfide) membrane separations and WGS membrane reactor modeling for fuel cells

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Jin

Acid-gas removal is of great importance in many environmental or energy-related processes. Compared to current commercial technologies, membrane-based CO2 and H2S capture has the advantages of low energy consumption, low weight and space requirement, simplicity of installation/operation, and high process flexibility. However, the large-scale application of the membrane separation technology is limited by the relatively low transport properties. In this study, CO2 (H2S)-selective polymeric membranes with high permeability and high selectivity have been studied based on the facilitated transport mechanism. The membrane showed facilitated effect for both CO2 and H2S. A CO2 permeability of above 2000 Barrers, a CO2/H2 selectivity of greater than 40, and a CO2/N2 selectivity of greater than 200 at 100--150°C were observed. As a result of higher reaction rate and smaller diffusing compound, the H2S permeability and H2S/H2 selectivity were about three times higher than those properties for CO2. The novel CO2-selective membrane has been applied to capture CO 2 from flue gas and natural gas. In the CO2 capture experiments from a gas mixture with N2 and H2, a permeate CO 2 dry concentration of greater than 98% was obtained by using steam as the sweep gas. In CO2/CH4 separation, decent CO 2 transport properties were obtained with a feed pressure up to 500 psia. With the thin-film composite membrane structure, significant increase on the CO2 flux was achieved with the decrease of the selective layer thickness. With the continuous removal of CO2, CO2-selective water-gas-shift (WGS) membrane reactor is a promising approach to enhance CO conversion and increase the purity of H2 at process pressure under relatively low temperature. The simultaneous reaction and transport process in the countercurrent WGS membrane reactor was simulated by using a one-dimensional non-isothermal model. The modeling results show that a CO concentration of less than 10 ppm and a H2 recovery of greater

Novel thermal efficiency-based model for determination of thermal conductivity of membrane distillation membranes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vanneste, Johan; Bush, John A.; Hickenbottom, Kerri L.; Marks, Christopher A.; Jassby, David

2017-01-01

Development and selection of membranes for membrane distillation (MD) could be accelerated if all performance-determining characteristics of the membrane could be obtained during MD operation without the need to recur to specialized or cumbersome porosity or thermal conductivity measurement techniques. By redefining the thermal efficiency, the Schofield method could be adapted to describe the flux without prior knowledge of membrane porosity, thickness, or thermal conductivity. A total of 17 commercially available membranes were analyzed in terms of flux and thermal efficiency to assess their suitability for application in MD. The thermal-efficiency based model described the flux with an average %RMSE of 4.5%, which was in the same range as the standard deviation on the measured flux. The redefinition of the thermal efficiency also enabled MD to be used as a novel thermal conductivity measurement device for thin porous hydrophobic films that cannot be measured with the conventional laser flash diffusivity technique.

A Model of Direct Contact Membrane Distillation of Black Currant Juice

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Morten Busch; Christensen, Knud Villy; Andrésen, René

2011-01-01

A numerical model to describe a direct contact membrane distillation proces has been developed. Said model is based on the Dusty Gas model and shell mass and energy balances over a tubular membrane module.  "The solution is applicable to laminar, incompressible and continuous flow in shell......-side spacing of tubular-type unit."  Turtuosity and porosity are characteristics of the membrane in use and have been estimated base don eksperimental studies on destillation of pure water. The fitted model shows a good fit to experimental data obtained by destillation of black currant juice....

Membrane Modeling, Simulation and Optimization for Propylene/Propane Separation

KAUST Repository

Alshehri, Ali

2015-06-01

Energy efficiency is critical for sustainable industrial growth and the reduction of environmental impacts. Energy consumption by the industrial sector accounts for more than half of the total global energy usage and, therefore, greater attention is focused on enhancing this sector’s energy efficiency. It is predicted that by 2020, more than 20% of today’s energy consumption can be avoided in countries that have effectively implemented an action plan towards efficient energy utilization. Breakthroughs in material synthesis of high selective membranes have enabled the technology to be more energy efficient. Hence, high selective membranes are increasingly replacing conventional energy intensive separation processes, such as distillation and adsorption units. Moreover, the technology offers more special features (which are essential for special applications) and its small footprint makes membrane technology suitable for platform operations (e.g., nitrogen enrichment for oil and gas offshore sites). In addition, its low maintenance characteristics allow the technology to be applied to remote operations. For these reasons, amongst other, the membrane technology market is forecast to reach $16 billion by 2017. This thesis is concerned with the engineering aspects of membrane technology and covers modeling, simulation and optimization of membranes as a stand-alone process or as a unit operation within a hybrid system. Incorporating the membrane model into a process modeling software simplifies the simulation and optimization of the different membrane processes and hybrid configurations, since all other unit operations are pre-configured. Various parametric analyses demonstrated that only the membrane selectivity and transmembrane pressure ratio parameters define a membrane’s ability to accomplish a certain separation task. Moreover, it was found that both membrane selectivity and pressure ratio exhibit a minimum value that is only defined by the feed composition

Modeling of hydrodynamics in hollow fiber membrane bioreactor for mammalian cells cultivation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

N. V. Menshutina

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The mathematical modelling in CFD-packages are powerfull instrument for design and calculation of any engineering tasks. CFD-package contains the set of programs that allow to model the different objects behavior based on the mathematical lows. ANSYS Fluent are widely used for modelling of biotechnological and chemical-technological processes. This package is convenient to describe their hydrodynamics. As cell cultivation is one of the actual scientific direction in modern biotechnology ANSYS Fluent was used to create the model of hollow fiber membrane bioreactor. The fibers are hollow cylindrical membrane to be used for cell cultivation. The criterion of process effectiveness for cell growth is full filling of the membrane surface by cells in the bioreactor. While the cell growth the fiber permeability is decreased which effects to feed flow through membrane pores. The specific feature of this process is to ensure such feed flow to deliver the optimal nutrition for the cells on the external membrane surface. The velocity distribution inside the fiber and in all bioreactor as a whole has been calculated based on mass an impulse conservation equations taking into account the mathematical model assumptions. The hydrodynamics analysis in hollow fiber membrane bioreactor is described by the three-dimensional model created in ANSYS Fluent. The specific features of one membrane model are considered and for whole bioreactor too.

Pore-scale modeling and simulation of flow, transport, and adsorptive or osmotic effects in membranes: the influence of membrane microstructure

KAUST Repository

Calo, Victor M.

2015-07-17

The selection of an appropriate membrane for a particular application is a complex and expensive process. Computational modeling can significantly aid membrane researchers and manufacturers in this process. The membrane morphology is highly influential on its efficiency within several applications, but is often overlooked in simulation. Two such applications which are very important in the provision of clean water are forward osmosis and filtration using functionalized micro/ultra/nano-filtration membranes. Herein, we investigate the effect of the membrane morphology in these two applications. First we present results of the separation process using resolved finger- and sponge-like support layers. Second, we represent the functionalization of a typical microfiltration membrane using absorptive pore walls, and illustrate the effect of different microstructures on the reactive process. Such numerical modeling will aid manufacturers in optimizing operating conditions and designing efficient membranes.

Cholesterol catalyses Aβ42 aggregation through a heterogeneous nucleation pathway in the presence of lipid membranes

Science.gov (United States)

Habchi, Johnny; Chia, Sean; Galvagnion, Céline; Michaels, Thomas C. T.; Bellaiche, Mathias M. J.; Ruggeri, Francesco Simone; Sanguanini, Michele; Idini, Ilaria; Kumita, Janet R.; Sparr, Emma; Linse, Sara; Dobson, Christopher M.; Knowles, Tuomas P. J.; Vendruscolo, Michele

2018-06-01

Alzheimer's disease is a neurodegenerative disorder associated with the aberrant aggregation of the amyloid-β peptide. Although increasing evidence implicates cholesterol in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease, the detailed mechanistic link between this lipid molecule and the disease process remains to be fully established. To address this problem, we adopt a kinetics-based strategy that reveals a specific catalytic role of cholesterol in the aggregation of Aβ42 (the 42-residue form of the amyloid-β peptide). More specifically, we demonstrate that lipid membranes containing cholesterol promote Aβ42 aggregation by enhancing its primary nucleation rate by up to 20-fold through a heterogeneous nucleation pathway. We further show that this process occurs as a result of cooperativity in the interaction of multiple cholesterol molecules with Aβ42. These results identify a specific microscopic pathway by which cholesterol dramatically enhances the onset of Aβ42 aggregation, thereby helping rationalize the link between Alzheimer's disease and the impairment of cholesterol homeostasis.

Development of permeate flux model for municipal wastewater treatment using membrane bioreactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Geissler, S.; Zhou, H.; Zytner, R.; Melin, T.

2002-01-01

In municipal wastewater treatment, membrane filtration technologies receive great attention because they usually produce the better quality effluent, generate less sludge and require a smaller aeration tank volume. However, one main challenge of using membranes is membrane fouling, which results in a permeate flux decrease or transmembrane pressure increase over the time. Many efforts have been directed to develop the mechanistic permeate flux model to correlate the permeate flux with process parameters. However, their applicability has been largely thwarted due to complicated membrane fouling mechanisms and the interactions of many factors affecting the membrane bioreactor. This paper proposes a semi-empirical permeate flux model for the membrane bioreactor (MBR) process using ZENON immersed hollow fibre membrane modules. The semi-empirical model was proposed by assuming that the permeate flux is equal to transmembrane pressure divided by total resistance. The total resistance is divided into two components: an inside membrane resistance and an outer fouling layer resistance. These membrane resistances are then related to the ageing of membrane used. Good correlation was found between the predicted and measured flux, with the mean absolute deviation being less than 4%. The observations also identified some general rules for operating membrane systems. Ideally, it is advisable that high pressure periods be avoided as this leads to a faster increase of non-reversal membrane resistance. It was also observed that membrane preservatives should be washed out carefully prior to use. (author)

Large-scale model of flow in heterogeneous and hierarchical porous media

Science.gov (United States)

Chabanon, Morgan; Valdés-Parada, Francisco J.; Ochoa-Tapia, J. Alberto; Goyeau, Benoît

2017-11-01

Heterogeneous porous structures are very often encountered in natural environments, bioremediation processes among many others. Reliable models for momentum transport are crucial whenever mass transport or convective heat occurs in these systems. In this work, we derive a large-scale average model for incompressible single-phase flow in heterogeneous and hierarchical soil porous media composed of two distinct porous regions embedding a solid impermeable structure. The model, based on the local mechanical equilibrium assumption between the porous regions, results in a unique momentum transport equation where the global effective permeability naturally depends on the permeabilities at the intermediate mesoscopic scales and therefore includes the complex hierarchical structure of the soil. The associated closure problem is numerically solved for various configurations and properties of the heterogeneous medium. The results clearly show that the effective permeability increases with the volume fraction of the most permeable porous region. It is also shown that the effective permeability is sensitive to the dimensionality spatial arrangement of the porous regions and in particular depends on the contact between the impermeable solid and the two porous regions.

Lipid clustering correlates with membrane curvature as revealed by molecular simulations of complex lipid bilayers.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Heidi Koldsø

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Cell membranes are complex multicomponent systems, which are highly heterogeneous in the lipid distribution and composition. To date, most molecular simulations have focussed on relatively simple lipid compositions, helping to inform our understanding of in vitro experimental studies. Here we describe on simulations of complex asymmetric plasma membrane model, which contains seven different lipids species including the glycolipid GM3 in the outer leaflet and the anionic lipid, phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphophate (PIP2, in the inner leaflet. Plasma membrane models consisting of 1500 lipids and resembling the in vivo composition were constructed and simulations were run for 5 µs. In these simulations the most striking feature was the formation of nano-clusters of GM3 within the outer leaflet. In simulations of protein interactions within a plasma membrane model, GM3, PIP2, and cholesterol all formed favorable interactions with the model α-helical protein. A larger scale simulation of a model plasma membrane containing 6000 lipid molecules revealed correlations between curvature of the bilayer surface and clustering of lipid molecules. In particular, the concave (when viewed from the extracellular side regions of the bilayer surface were locally enriched in GM3. In summary, these simulations explore the nanoscale dynamics of model bilayers which mimic the in vivo lipid composition of mammalian plasma membranes, revealing emergent nanoscale membrane organization which may be coupled both to fluctuations in local membrane geometry and to interactions with proteins.

Modeling heterogeneous populations of thermostatically controlled loads using diffusion-advection PDEs

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Moura, Scott; Ruiz, Victor; Bendtsen, Jan Dimon

2013-01-01

This paper focuses on developing a partial differential equation (PDE)-based model and parameter identification scheme for heterogeneous populations of thermostatically controlled loads (TCLs). First, a coupled two-state hyperbolic PDE model for homogenous TCL populations is derived. This model i...

Giant Plasma Membrane Vesicles: An Experimental Tool for Probing the Effects of Drugs and Other Conditions on Membrane Domain Stability.

Science.gov (United States)

Gerstle, Zoe; Desai, Rohan; Veatch, Sarah L

2018-01-01

Giant plasma membrane vesicles (GPMVs) are isolated directly from living cells and provide an alternative to vesicles constructed of synthetic or purified lipids as an experimental model system for use in a wide range of assays. GPMVs capture much of the compositional protein and lipid complexity of intact cell plasma membranes, are filled with cytoplasm, and are free from contamination with membranes from internal organelles. GPMVs often exhibit a miscibility transition below the growth temperature of their parent cells. GPMVs labeled with a fluorescent protein or lipid analog appear uniform on the micron-scale when imaged above the miscibility transition temperature, and separate into coexisting liquid domains with differing membrane compositions and physical properties below this temperature. The presence of this miscibility transition in isolated GPMVs suggests that a similar phase-like heterogeneity occurs in intact plasma membranes under growth conditions, albeit on smaller length scales. In this context, GPMVs provide a simple and controlled experimental system to explore how drugs and other environmental conditions alter the composition and stability of phase-like domains in intact cell membranes. This chapter describes methods to generate and isolate GPMVs from adherent mammalian cells and to interrogate their miscibility transition temperatures using fluorescence microscopy. © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

CQPSO scheduling algorithm for heterogeneous multi-core DAG task model

Science.gov (United States)

Zhai, Wenzheng; Hu, Yue-Li; Ran, Feng

2017-07-01

Efficient task scheduling is critical to achieve high performance in a heterogeneous multi-core computing environment. The paper focuses on the heterogeneous multi-core directed acyclic graph (DAG) task model and proposes a novel task scheduling method based on an improved chaotic quantum-behaved particle swarm optimization (CQPSO) algorithm. A task priority scheduling list was built. A processor with minimum cumulative earliest finish time (EFT) was acted as the object of the first task assignment. The task precedence relationships were satisfied and the total execution time of all tasks was minimized. The experimental results show that the proposed algorithm has the advantage of optimization abilities, simple and feasible, fast convergence, and can be applied to the task scheduling optimization for other heterogeneous and distributed environment.

Homogeneous versus heterogeneous shielding modeling of spent-fuel casks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carbajo, J.J.; Lindner, C.N.

1992-01-01

The design of spent-fuel casks for storage and transport requires modeling the cask for criticality, shielding, thermal, and structural analyses. While some parts of the cask are homogeneous, other regions are heterogeneous with different materials intermixed. For simplicity, some of the heterogeneous regions may be modeled as homogeneous. This paper evaluates the effect of homogenizing some regions of a cask on calculating radiation dose rates outside the cask. The dose rate calculations were performed with the one-dimensional discrete ordinates shielding XSDRNPM code coupled with the XSDOSE code and with the three-dimensional QAD-CGGP code. Dose rates were calculated radially at the midplane of the cask at two locations, cask surface and 2.3 m from the radial surface. The last location corresponds to a point 2 m from the lateral sides of a transport railroad car

Effect of Amphotericin B antibiotic on the properties of model lipid membrane

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kiryakova, S; Dencheva-Zarkova, M; Genova, J

2014-01-01

Model membranes formed from natural and synthetic lipids are an interesting object for scientific investigations due to their similarity to biological cell membrane and their simple structure with controlled composition and properties. Amphotericin B is an important polyene antifungal antibiotic, used for treatment of systemic fungal infections. It is known from the literature that the studied antibiotic has a substantial effect on the transmembrane ionic channel structures. When applied to the lipid membranes it has the tendency to create pores and in this way to affect the structure and the properties of the membrane lipid bilayer. In this work the thermally induced shape fluctuations of giant quasi-spherical liposomes have been used to study the influence of polyene antibiotic amphotericin B on the elastic properties of model lipid membranes. It have been shown experimentally that the presence of 3 mol % of AmB in the lipid membrane reduces the bending elasticity of the lipid membrane for both studied cases: pure SOPC membrane and mixed SOPC-Cholesterol membrane. Interaction of the amphotericin B with bilayer lipid membranes containing channels have been studied in this work. Model membranes were self-assembled using the patch-clamp and tip-dip patch clamp technique. We have found that amphotericin B is an ionophore and reduces the resistance of the lipid bilayer

A MODEL OF HETEROGENEOUS DISTRIBUTED SYSTEM FOR FOREIGN EXCHANGE PORTFOLIO ANALYSIS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dragutin Kermek

2006-06-01

Full Text Available The paper investigates the design of heterogeneous distributed system for foreign exchange portfolio analysis. The proposed model includes few separated and dislocated but connected parts through distributed mechanisms. Making system distributed brings new perspectives to performance busting where software based load balancer gets very important role. Desired system should spread over multiple, heterogeneous platforms in order to fulfil open platform goal. Building such a model incorporates different patterns from GOF design patterns, business patterns, J2EE patterns, integration patterns, enterprise patterns, distributed design patterns to Web services patterns. The authors try to find as much as possible appropriate patterns for planned tasks in order to capture best modelling and programming practices.

The lipid organisation of the cell membrane

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ladha, S.

2000-04-01

Full Text Available Lipids and proteins in biological membranes are arranged in a mosaic of domains in the membrane. These domains represent small-scale heterogeneities in composition, shape and fluidity within the plane of the membrane, over the range of hundreds of nanometers to a few micrometers. They arise from the complex interactions of the heterogeneous mixtures of phospholipids, sterols, and proteins that make up all biological membranes.Los lípidos y las proteínas en las membranas biológicas están dispuestos en un mosaico de campos en la membrana. Estos campos representan heterogeneidades a pequeña escala en la composición, forma y fluidez dentro del plano de la membrana, en un rango que va de los cientos de nanómetros a los pocos micrómetros. Estos campos se originan de las complejas interacciones de las mezclas heterogéneas de fosfolípidos, esteroles y proteínas de las que están hechas todas y cada una de las membranas biológicas.

Nano-scale structure in membranes in relation to enzyme action - computer simulation vs. experiment

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Høyrup, P.; Jørgensen, Kent; Mouritsen, O.G.

2002-01-01

There is increasing theoretical and experimental evidence indicating that small-scale domain structure and dynamical heterogeneity develop in lipid membranes as a consequence of the the underlying phase transitions and the associated density and composition fluctuations. The relevant coherence...... lengths are in the nano-meter range. The nano-scale structure is believed to be important for controlling the activity of enzymes, specifically phospholipases, which act at bilayer membranes. We propose here a lattice-gas statistical mechanical model with appropriate dynamics to account for the non......-equilibrium action of the enzyme phospholipase A(2) which hydrolyses lipid-bilayer substrates. The resulting product molecules are assumed to induce local variations in the membrane interfacial pressure. Monte Carlo simulations of the non-equilibrium properties of the model for one-component as well as binary lipid...

Modeling hydrogen starvation conditions in proton-exchange membrane fuel cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ohs, Jan Hendrik; Sauter, Ulrich; Maass, Sebastian [Robert Bosch GmbH, Robert-Bosch-Platz 1, 70839 Gerlingen-Schillerhoehe (Germany); Stolten, Detlef [Forschungszentrum Juelich GmbH, IEF-3: Fuel Cells, 52425 Juelich (Germany)

2011-01-01

In this study, a steady state and isothermal 2D-PEM fuel cell model is presented. By simulation of a single cell along the channel and in through-plane direction, its behaviour under hydrogen starvation due to nitrogen dilution is analysed. Under these conditions, carbon corrosion and water electrolysis are observed on the cathode side. This phenomenon, causing severe cell degradation, is known as reverse current decay mechanism in literature. Butler-Volmer equations are used to model the electrochemical reactions. In addition, we account for permeation of gases through the membrane and for the local water content within the membrane. The results show that the membrane potential locally drops in areas starved from hydrogen. This leads to potential gradients >1.2 V between electrode and membrane on the cathode side resulting in significant carbon corrosion and electrolysis reaction rates. The model enables the analysis of sub-stoichiometric states occurring during anode gas recirculation or load transients. (author)

Modeling of a membrane bioreactor for production of biodiesel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Solano, Paola Andrea; Moncada, Jorge Andres; Cardona, Carlos Ariel; Ruiz, Orlando Simon

2008-01-01

Through the use of an enzymatic catalyst lipase, produced by Candida Antarctica a membrane bioreactor was modeled and simulated to obtain biodiesel from palm oil and ethanol. A conversion of 0.97 was reached for a residence time of 10.64 min. The membrane bioreactor was compared to a CSTR reactor, where a conversion of 0.76 was obtained. It was concluded that the membrane bioreactor is a better way of producing biodiesel than the CSTR

Modeling and Simulation for Fuel Cell Polymer Electrolyte Membrane

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Takahiro Hayashi

2013-01-01

Full Text Available We have established methods to evaluate key properties that are needed to commercialize polyelectrolyte membranes for fuel cell electric vehicles such as water diffusion, gas permeability, and mechanical strength. These methods are based on coarse-graining models. For calculating water diffusion and gas permeability through the membranes, the dissipative particle dynamics–Monte Carlo approach was applied, while mechanical strength of the hydrated membrane was simulated by coarse-grained molecular dynamics. As a result of our systematic search and analysis, we can now grasp the direction necessary to improve water diffusion, gas permeability, and mechanical strength. For water diffusion, a map that reveals the relationship between many kinds of molecular structures and diffusion constants was obtained, in which the direction to enhance the diffusivity by improving membrane structure can be clearly seen. In order to achieve high mechanical strength, the molecular structure should be such that the hydrated membrane contains narrow water channels, but these might decrease the proton conductivity. Therefore, an optimal design of the polymer structure is needed, and the developed models reviewed here make it possible to optimize these molecular structures.

Heterogeneity in Wage Setting Behavior in a New-Keynesian Model

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Eijffinger, S.C.W.; Grajales Olarte, A.; Uras, R.B.

2015-01-01

In this paper we estimate a New-Keynesian DSGE model with heterogeneity in price and wage setting behavior. In a recent study, Coibion and Gorodnichenko (2011) develop a DSGE model, in which firms follow four different types of price setting schemes: sticky prices, sticky information, rule of thumb,

A REMARK ON FORMAL MODELS FOR NONLINEARLY ELASTIC MEMBRANE SHELLS

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

无

2001-01-01

This paper gives all the two-dimensional membrane models obtained from formal asymptotic analysis of the three-dimensional geometrically exact nonlinear model of a thin elastic shell made with a Saint Venant-Kirchhoff material. Therefore, the other models can be quoted as flexural nonlinear ones. The author also gives the formal equations solved by the associated stress tensor and points out that only one of those models leads, by linearization, to the “classical” linear limiting membrane model, whose juetification has already been established by a convergence theorem.

Conditions that Stabilize Membrane Domains Also Antagonize n-Alcohol Anesthesia

Science.gov (United States)

Machta, Benjamin B.; Gray, Ellyn; Nouri, Mariam; McCarthy, Nicola L. C.; Gray, Erin M.; Miller, Ann L.; Brooks, Nicholas J.; Veatch, Sarah L.

2016-08-01

Diverse molecules induce general anesthesia with potency strongly correlated both with their hydrophobicity and their effects on certain ion channels. We recently observed that several n-alcohol anesthetics inhibit heterogeneity in plasma membrane derived vesicles by lowering the critical temperature ($T_c$) for phase separation. Here we exploit conditions that stabilize membrane heterogeneity to further test the correlation between the anesthetic potency of n-alcohols and effects on $T_c$. First we show that hexadecanol acts oppositely to n-alcohol anesthetics on membrane mixing and antagonizes ethanol induced anesthesia in a tadpole behavioral assay. Second, we show that two previously described `intoxication reversers' raise $T_c$ and counter ethanol's effects in vesicles, mimicking the findings of previous electrophysiological and behavioral measurements. Third, we find that hydrostatic pressure, long known to reverse anesthesia, also raises $T_c$ in vesicles with a magnitude that counters the effect of butanol at relevant concentrations and pressures. Taken together, these results demonstrate that $\\Delta T_c$ predicts anesthetic potency for n-alcohols better than hydrophobicity in a range of contexts, supporting a mechanistic role for membrane heterogeneity in general anesthesia.

Modelling and sequential simulation of multi-tubular metallic membrane and techno-economics of a hydrogen production process employing thin-layer membrane reactor

KAUST Repository

Shafiee, Alireza

2016-09-24

A theoretical model for multi-tubular palladium-based membrane is proposed in this paper and validated against experimental data for two different sized membrane modules that operate at high temperatures. The model is used in a sequential simulation format to describe and analyse pure hydrogen and hydrogen binary mixture separations, and then extended to simulate an industrial scale membrane unit. This model is used as a sub-routine within an ASPEN Plus model to simulate a membrane reactor in a steam reforming hydrogen production plant. A techno-economic analysis is then conducted using the validated model for a plant producing 300 TPD of hydrogen. The plant utilises a thin (2.5 μm) defect-free and selective layer (Pd75Ag25 alloy) membrane reactor. The economic sensitivity analysis results show usefulness in finding the optimum operating condition that achieves minimum hydrogen production cost at break-even point. A hydrogen production cost of 1.98 $/kg is estimated while the cost of the thin-layer selective membrane is found to constitute 29% of total process capital cost. These results indicate the competiveness of this thin-layer membrane process against conventional methods of hydrogen production. © 2016 Hydrogen Energy Publications LLC

Progress in surface and membrane science

CERN Document Server

Cadenhead, D A

1981-01-01

Progress in Surface and Membrane Science, Volume 14 covers the advances in the study of surface and membrane science. The book discusses statistical thermodynamics of monolayer adsorption from gas and liquid mixtures on homogeneous and heterogeneous solid surfaces; and the structure of the boundary layers of liquids and its influence on the mass transfer in fine pores. The text then describes the coupling of ionic and non-electrolyte fluxes in ion selective membranes; the electrocatalytic properties of matalloporphins at the interface; and the adsorption from binary gas and liquid phases. Phas

Bounding the heterogeneous gas uptake on aerosols and ground using resistance model

Science.gov (United States)

Su, H.; Li, M.; Cheng, Y.

2017-12-01

Heterogeneous uptake on aerosols and ground are potential important atmospheric sinks for gases. Different schemes have been used to characterize the dry deposition and heterogeneous aerosol gas uptake, although they share similar characteristics. In this work, we propose a unified resistance model to compare the uptake flux on both ground and aerosols, to identify the dominate heterogeneous process within the planetary boundary layer (PBL). The Gamma(eq) is introduced to represent the reactive uptake coefficient on aerosols when these two processes are equally important. It's shown that Gamma(eq) is proportional to the dry deposition velocity, inversely proportional to aerosol surface area concentration. Under typical regional background condition, Gamma(eq) vary from 1x10-5 to 4x10-4 with gas species, land-use type and season, which indicates that aerosol gas uptake should be included in atmospheric models when uptake coefficient higher than 10-5. We address the importance of heterogeneous gas uptake on aerosols over ground especially for ozone uptake on liquid organic aerosols and for marine PBL atmosphere.

Enthalpy recovery in glassy materials: Heterogeneous versus homogenous models

Science.gov (United States)

Mazinani, Shobeir K. S.; Richert, Ranko

2012-05-01

Models of enthalpy relaxations of glasses are the basis for understanding physical aging, scanning calorimetry, and other phenomena that involve non-equilibrium and non-linear dynamics. We compare models in terms of the nature of the relaxation dynamics, heterogeneous versus homogeneous, with focus on the Kovacs-Aklonis-Hutchinson-Ramos (KAHR) and the Tool-Narayanaswamy-Moynihan (TNM) approaches. Of particular interest is identifying the situations for which experimental data are capable of discriminating the heterogeneous from the homogeneous scenario. The ad hoc assumption of a single fictive temperature, Tf, is common to many models, including KAHR and TNM. It is shown that only for such single-Tf models, enthalpy relaxation of a glass is a two-point correlation function in reduced time, implying that experimental results are not decisive regarding the underlying nature of the dynamics of enthalpy relaxation. We also find that the restriction of the common TNM model to a Kohlrausch-Williams-Watts type relaxation pattern limits the applicability of this approach, as the particular choice regarding the distribution of relaxation times is a more critical factor compared with isothermal relaxation experiments. As a result, significant improvements in fitting calorimetry data can be achieved with subtle adjustments in the underlying relaxation time distribution.

Critical Review of Membrane Bioreactor Models

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Naessens, W.; Maere, T.; Ratkovich, Nicolas Rios

2012-01-01

Membrane bioreactor technology exists for a couple of decades, but has not yet overwhelmed the market due to some serious drawbacks of which operational cost due to fouling is the major contributor. Knowledge buildup and optimisation for such complex systems can heavily benefit from mathematical...... modelling. In this paper, the vast literature on hydrodynamic and integrated modelling in MBR is critically reviewed. Hydrodynamic models are used at different scales and focus mainly on fouling and only little on system design/optimisation. Integrated models also focus on fouling although the ones...

Robust Membranes for Sustainable Wastewater Treatment by Forward Osmosis in FOBs

Science.gov (United States)

2017-05-09

ADDRESS(ES) 8. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION REPORT NUMBER Yale University Department of Chemical & Environmental Engineering 17 Hillhouse Avenue New Haven...membrane processes (ODMPs) hold significant promise in augmenting water supplies using seawater and wastewater [5, 6]. The potential of engineered ...membrane surface with low functional group density, as membrane surface chemistry and morphology are known to be heterogeneous [46, 47]. FO membranes

Computer-aided modeling framework – a generic modeling template for catalytic membrane fixed bed reactors

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fedorova, Marina; Sin, Gürkan; Gani, Rafiqul

2013-01-01

and users to generate and test models systematically, efficiently and reliably. In this way, development of products and processes can be faster, cheaper and very efficient. In this contribution, as part of the framework a generic modeling template for the systematic derivation of problem specific catalytic...... membrane fixed bed models is developed. The application of the modeling template is highlighted with a case study related to the modeling of a catalytic membrane reactor coupling dehydrogenation of ethylbenzene with hydrogenation of nitrobenzene....

Heterogeneous characters modeling of instant message services users' online behavior.

Science.gov (United States)

Cui, Hongyan; Li, Ruibing; Fang, Yajun; Horn, Berthold; Welsch, Roy E

2018-01-01

Research on temporal characteristics of human dynamics has attracted much attentions for its contribution to various areas such as communication, medical treatment, finance, etc. Existing studies show that the time intervals between two consecutive events present different non-Poisson characteristics, such as power-law, Pareto, bimodal distribution of power-law, exponential distribution, piecewise power-law, et al. With the occurrences of new services, new types of distributions may arise. In this paper, we study the distributions of the time intervals between two consecutive visits to QQ and WeChat service, the top two popular instant messaging services in China, and present a new finding that when the value of statistical unit T is set to 0.001s, the inter-event time distribution follows a piecewise distribution of exponential and power-law, indicating the heterogeneous character of IM services users' online behavior in different time scales. We infer that the heterogeneous character is related to the communication mechanism of IM and the habits of users. Then we develop a combination model of exponential model and interest model to characterize the heterogeneity. Furthermore, we find that the exponent of the inter-event time distribution of the same service is different in two cities, which is correlated with the popularity of the services. Our research is useful for the application of information diffusion, prediction of economic development of cities, and so on.

Seismic modeling of multidimensional heterogeneity scales of Mallik gas hydrate reservoirs, Northwest Territories of Canada

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Jun-Wei; Bellefleur, Gilles; Milkereit, Bernd

2009-07-01

In hydrate-bearing sediments, the velocity and attenuation of compressional and shear waves depend primarily on the spatial distribution of hydrates in the pore space of the subsurface lithologies. Recent characterizations of gas hydrate accumulations based on seismic velocity and attenuation generally assume homogeneous sedimentary layers and neglect effects from large- and small-scale heterogeneities of hydrate-bearing sediments. We present an algorithm, based on stochastic medium theory, to construct heterogeneous multivariable models that mimic heterogeneities of hydrate-bearing sediments at the level of detail provided by borehole logging data. Using this algorithm, we model some key petrophysical properties of gas hydrates within heterogeneous sediments near the Mallik well site, Northwest Territories, Canada. The modeled density, and P and S wave velocities used in combination with a modified Biot-Gassmann theory provide a first-order estimate of the in situ volume of gas hydrate near the Mallik 5L-38 borehole. Our results suggest a range of 528 to 768 × 106 m3/km2 of natural gas trapped within hydrates, nearly an order of magnitude lower than earlier estimates which did not include effects of small-scale heterogeneities. Further, the petrophysical models are combined with a 3-D finite difference modeling algorithm to study seismic attenuation due to scattering and leaky mode propagation. Simulations of a near-offset vertical seismic profile and cross-borehole numerical surveys demonstrate that attenuation of seismic energy may not be directly related to the intrinsic attenuation of hydrate-bearing sediments but, instead, may be largely attributed to scattering from small-scale heterogeneities and highly attenuate leaky mode propagation of seismic waves through larger-scale heterogeneities in sediments.

Monte-Carlo model development for evaluation of current clinical target volume definition for heterogeneous and hypoxic glioblastoma.

Science.gov (United States)

Moghaddasi, L; Bezak, E; Harriss-Phillips, W

2016-05-07

Clinical target volume (CTV) determination may be complex and subjective. In this work a microscopic-scale tumour model was developed to evaluate current CTV practices in glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) external radiotherapy. Previously, a Geant4 cell-based dosimetry model was developed to calculate the dose deposited in individual GBM cells. Microscopic extension probability (MEP) models were then developed using Matlab-2012a. The results of the cell-based dosimetry model and MEP models were combined to calculate survival fractions (SF) for CTV margins of 2.0 and 2.5 cm. In the current work, oxygenation and heterogeneous radiosensitivity profiles were incorporated into the GBM model. The genetic heterogeneity was modelled using a range of α/β values (linear-quadratic model parameters) associated with different GBM cell lines. These values were distributed among the cells randomly, taken from a Gaussian-weighted sample of α/β values. Cellular oxygen pressure was distributed randomly taken from a sample weighted to profiles obtained from literature. Three types of GBM models were analysed: homogeneous-normoxic, heterogeneous-normoxic, and heterogeneous-hypoxic. The SF in different regions of the tumour model and the effect of the CTV margin extension from 2.0-2.5 cm on SFs were investigated for three MEP models. The SF within the beam was increased by up to three and two orders of magnitude following incorporation of heterogeneous radiosensitivities and hypoxia, respectively, in the GBM model. However, the total SF was shown to be overdominated by the presence of tumour cells in the penumbra region and to a lesser extent by genetic heterogeneity and hypoxia. CTV extension by 0.5 cm reduced the SF by a maximum of 78.6  ±  3.3%, 78.5  ±  3.3%, and 77.7  ±  3.1% for homogeneous and heterogeneous-normoxic, and heterogeneous hypoxic GBMs, respectively. Monte-Carlo model was developed to quantitatively evaluate SF for genetically

In search of laterally heterogeneous viscosity models of Glacial Isostatic Adjustment with the ICE-6G_C global ice history model

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Tanghua; Wu, Patrick; Steffen, Holger; Wang, Hansheng

2018-05-01

Most models of Glacial Isostatic Adjustment (GIA) assume that the Earth is laterally homogeneous. However, seismic and geological observations clearly show that the Earth's mantle is laterally heterogeneous. Previous studies of GIA with lateral heterogeneity mostly focused on its effect or sensitivity on GIA predictions, and it is not clear to what extent can lateral heterogeneity solve the misfits between GIA predictions and observations. Our aim is to search for the best 3D viscosity models that can simultaneously fit the global relative sea-level (RSL) data, the peak uplift rates (u-dot from GNSS) and peak gravity-rate-of-change (g-dot from the GRACE satellite mission) in Laurentia and Fennoscandia. However, the search is dependent on the ice and viscosity model inputs - the latter depends on the background viscosity and the seismic tomography models used. In this paper, the ICE-6G_C ice model, with Bunge & Grand's seismic tomography model and background viscosity models close to VM5 will be assumed. A Coupled Laplace-Finite Element Method is used to compute gravitationally self-consistent sea level change with time dependent coastlines and rotational feedback in addition to changes in deformation, gravity and the state of stress. Several laterally heterogeneous models are found to fit the global sea level data better than laterally homogeneous models. Two of these laterally heterogeneous models also fit the ICE-6G_C peak g-dot and u-dot rates observed in Laurentia simultaneously. However, even with the introduction of lateral heterogeneity, no model that is able to fit the present-day g-dot and uplift rate data in Fennoscandia has been found. Therefore, either the ice history of ICE-6G_C in Fennoscandia and Barent Sea needs some modifications, or the sub-lithospheric property/non-thermal effect underneath northern Europe must be different from that underneath Laurentia.

Advanced Wastewater Treatment Engineering—Investigating Membrane Fouling in both Rotational and Static Membrane Bioreactor Systems Using Empirical Modelling

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Parneet Paul

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Advanced wastewater treatment using membranes are popular environmental system processes since they allow reuse and recycling. However, fouling is a key limiting factor and so proprietary systems such as Avanti’s RPU-185 Flexidisks membrane bioreactor (MBR use novel rotating membranes to assist in ameliorating it. In earlier research, this rotating process was studied by creating a simulation model based on first principles and traditional fouling mechanisms. In order to directly compare the potential benefits of this rotational system, this follow-up study was carried out using Avanti’s newly developed static (non-rotating Flexidisks MBR system. The results from operating the static pilot unit were simulated and modelled using the rotational fouling model developed earlier however with rotational switching functions turned off and rotational parameters set to a static mode. The study concluded that a rotating MBR system could increase flux throughput when compared against a similar static system. It is thought that although the slowly rotating spindle induces a weak crossflow shear, it is still able to even out cake build up across the membrane surface, thus reducing the likelihood of localised critical flux being exceeded at the micro level and lessening the potential of rapid trans-membrane pressure increases at the macro level.

Modelling Geomechanical Heterogeneity of Rock Masses Using Direct and Indirect Geostatistical Conditional Simulation Methods

Science.gov (United States)

Eivazy, Hesameddin; Esmaieli, Kamran; Jean, Raynald

2017-12-01

An accurate characterization and modelling of rock mass geomechanical heterogeneity can lead to more efficient mine planning and design. Using deterministic approaches and random field methods for modelling rock mass heterogeneity is known to be limited in simulating the spatial variation and spatial pattern of the geomechanical properties. Although the applications of geostatistical techniques have demonstrated improvements in modelling the heterogeneity of geomechanical properties, geostatistical estimation methods such as Kriging result in estimates of geomechanical variables that are not fully representative of field observations. This paper reports on the development of 3D models for spatial variability of rock mass geomechanical properties using geostatistical conditional simulation method based on sequential Gaussian simulation. A methodology to simulate the heterogeneity of rock mass quality based on the rock mass rating is proposed and applied to a large open-pit mine in Canada. Using geomechanical core logging data collected from the mine site, a direct and an indirect approach were used to model the spatial variability of rock mass quality. The results of the two modelling approaches were validated against collected field data. The study aims to quantify the risks of pit slope failure and provides a measure of uncertainties in spatial variability of rock mass properties in different areas of the pit.

A layer model of ethanol partitioning into lipid membranes.

Science.gov (United States)

Nizza, David T; Gawrisch, Klaus

2009-06-01

The effect of membrane composition on ethanol partitioning into lipid bilayers was assessed by headspace gas chromatography. A series of model membranes with different compositions have been investigated. Membranes were exposed to a physiological ethanol concentration of 20 mmol/l. The concentration of membranes was 20 wt% which roughly corresponds to values found in tissue. Partitioning depended on the chemical nature of polar groups at the lipid/water interface. Compared to phosphatidylcholine, lipids with headgroups containing phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylserine, and sphingomyelin showed enhanced partitioning while headgroups containing phosphatidylethanolamine resulted in a lower partition coefficient. The molar partition coefficient was independent of a membrane's hydrophobic volume. This observation is in agreement with our previously published NMR results which showed that ethanol resides almost exclusively within the membrane/water interface. At an ethanol concentration of 20 mmol/l in water, ethanol concentrations at the lipid/water interface are in the range from 30-15 mmol/l, corresponding to one ethanol molecule per 100-200 lipids.

Models of dynamic extraction of lipid tethers from cell membranes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nowak, Sarah A; Chou, Tom

2010-01-01

When a ligand that is bound to an integral membrane receptor is pulled, the membrane and the underlying cytoskeleton can deform before either the membrane delaminates from the cytoskeleton or the ligand detaches from the receptor. If the membrane delaminates from the cytoskeleton, it may be further extruded and form a membrane tether. We develop a phenomenological model for this process by assuming that deformations obey Hooke's law up to a critical force at which the cell membrane locally detaches from the cytoskeleton and a membrane tether forms. We compute the probability of tether formation and show that tethers can be extruded only within an intermediate range of force loading rates and pulling velocities. The mean tether length that arises at the moment of ligand detachment is computed as are the force loading rates and pulling velocities that yield the longest tethers

Antimicrobial mechanism of flavonoids against Escherichia coli ATCC 25922 by model membrane study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

He, Mengying; Wu, Ting; Pan, Siyi; Xu, Xiaoyun

2014-01-01

Antimicrobial mechanism of four flavonoids (kaempferol, hesperitin, (+)-catechin hydrate, biochanin A) against Escherichia coli ATCC 25922 was investigated through cell membranes and a liposome model. The release of bacterial protein and images from transmission electron microscopy demonstrated damage to the E. coli ATCC 25922 membrane. A liposome model with dipalmitoylphosphatidylethanolamine (DPPE) (0.6 molar ratio) and dipalmitoylphosphatidylglycerol (DPPG) (0.4 molar ratio), representative of the phospholipid membrane of E. coli ATCC 25922, was used to specify the mode of action of four selected flavonoids through Raman spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry. It is suggested that for flavonoids, to be effective antimicrobials, interaction with the polar head-group of the model membrane followed by penetration into the hydrophobic regions must occur. The antimicrobial efficacies of the flavonoids were consistent with liposome interaction activities, kaempferol > hesperitin > (+)-catechin hydrate > biochanin A. This study provides a liposome model capable of mimicking the cell membrane of E. coli ATCC 25922. The findings are important in understanding the antibacterial mechanism on cell membranes.

Antimicrobial mechanism of flavonoids against Escherichia coli ATCC 25922 by model membrane study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

He, Mengying; Wu, Ting; Pan, Siyi; Xu, Xiaoyun, E-mail: xiaoyunxu88@gmail.com

2014-06-01

Antimicrobial mechanism of four flavonoids (kaempferol, hesperitin, (+)-catechin hydrate, biochanin A) against Escherichia coli ATCC 25922 was investigated through cell membranes and a liposome model. The release of bacterial protein and images from transmission electron microscopy demonstrated damage to the E. coli ATCC 25922 membrane. A liposome model with dipalmitoylphosphatidylethanolamine (DPPE) (0.6 molar ratio) and dipalmitoylphosphatidylglycerol (DPPG) (0.4 molar ratio), representative of the phospholipid membrane of E. coli ATCC 25922, was used to specify the mode of action of four selected flavonoids through Raman spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry. It is suggested that for flavonoids, to be effective antimicrobials, interaction with the polar head-group of the model membrane followed by penetration into the hydrophobic regions must occur. The antimicrobial efficacies of the flavonoids were consistent with liposome interaction activities, kaempferol > hesperitin > (+)-catechin hydrate > biochanin A. This study provides a liposome model capable of mimicking the cell membrane of E. coli ATCC 25922. The findings are important in understanding the antibacterial mechanism on cell membranes.

Heterogeneity reduces sensitivity of cell death for TNF-Stimuli

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Schliemann Monica

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Apoptosis is a form of programmed cell death essential for the maintenance of homeostasis and the removal of potentially damaged cells in multicellular organisms. By binding its cognate membrane receptor, TNF receptor type 1 (TNF-R1, the proinflammatory cytokine Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF activates pro-apoptotic signaling via caspase activation, but at the same time also stimulates nuclear factor κB (NF-κB-mediated survival pathways. Differential dose-response relationships of these two major TNF signaling pathways have been described experimentally and using mathematical modeling. However, the quantitative analysis of the complex interplay between pro- and anti-apoptotic signaling pathways is an open question as it is challenging for several reasons: the overall signaling network is complex, various time scales are present, and cells respond quantitatively and qualitatively in a heterogeneous manner. Results This study analyzes the complex interplay of the crosstalk of TNF-R1 induced pro- and anti-apoptotic signaling pathways based on an experimentally validated mathematical model. The mathematical model describes the temporal responses on both the single cell level as well as the level of a heterogeneous cell population, as observed in the respective quantitative experiments using TNF-R1 stimuli of different strengths and durations. Global sensitivity of the heterogeneous population was quantified by measuring the average gradient of time of death versus each population parameter. This global sensitivity analysis uncovers the concentrations of Caspase-8 and Caspase-3, and their respective inhibitors BAR and XIAP, as key elements for deciding the cell's fate. A simulated knockout of the NF-κB-mediated anti-apoptotic signaling reveals the importance of this pathway for delaying the time of death, reducing the death rate in the case of pulse stimulation and significantly increasing cell-to-cell variability. Conclusions Cell

Heterogeneous Community-based mobility model for human opportunistic network

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hu, Liang; Dittmann, Lars

2009-01-01

a heterogeneous community-based random way-point (HC-RWP) mobility model that captures the four important properties of real human mobility. These properties are based on both intuitive observations of daily human mobility and analysis of empirical mobility traces. By discrete event simulation, we show HC...

TUNABLE TENSOR VOTING FOR REGULARIZING PUNCTATE PATTERNS OF MEMBRANE-BOUND PROTEIN SIGNALS

OpenAIRE

Loss, Leandro

2009-01-01

Membrane-bound protein, expressed in the basal-lateral region, is heterogeneous and an important endpoint for understanding biological processes. At the optical resolution, membrane-bound protein can be visualized as being diffused (e.g., E-cadherin), punctate (e.g., connexin), or simultaneously diffused and punctate as a result of sample preparation or conditioning. Furthermore, there is a significant amount of heterogeneity as a result of technical and biological variations. This paper aims...

Estimation of heterogeneity in malaria transmission by stochastic modelling of apparent deviations from mass action kinetics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Smith Thomas A

2008-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Quantifying heterogeneity in malaria transmission is a prerequisite for accurate predictive mathematical models, but the variance in field measurements of exposure overestimates true micro-heterogeneity because it is inflated to an uncertain extent by sampling variation. Descriptions of field data also suggest that the rate of Plasmodium falciparum infection is not proportional to the intensity of challenge by infectious vectors. This appears to violate the principle of mass action that is implied by malaria biology. Micro-heterogeneity may be the reason for this anomaly. It is proposed that the level of micro-heterogeneity can be estimated from statistical models that estimate the amount of variation in transmission most compatible with a mass-action model for the relationship of infection to exposure. Methods The relationship between the entomological inoculation rate (EIR for falciparum malaria and infection risk was reanalysed using published data for cohorts of children in Saradidi (western Kenya. Infection risk was treated as binomially distributed, and measurement-error (Poisson and negative binomial models were considered for the EIR. Models were fitted using Bayesian Markov chain Monte Carlo algorithms and model fit compared for models that assume either mass-action kinetics, facilitation, competition or saturation of the infection process with increasing EIR. Results The proportion of inocula that resulted in infection in Saradidi was inversely related to the measured intensity of challenge. Models of facilitation showed, therefore, a poor fit to the data. When sampling error in the EIR was neglected, either competition or saturation needed to be incorporated in the model in order to give a good fit. Negative binomial models for the error in exposure could achieve a comparable fit while incorporating the more parsimonious and biologically plausible mass action assumption. Models that assume negative binomial micro-heterogeneity

Membrane models and generalized Z2 gauge theories

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lowe, M.J.; Wallace, D.J.

1980-01-01

We consider models of (d-n)-dimensional membranes fluctuating in a d-dimensional space under the action of surface tension. We investigate the renormalization properties of these models perturbatively and in 1/n expansion. The potential relationships of these models to generalized Z 2 gauge theories are indicated. (orig.)

Unobserved Heterogeneity in the Binary Logit Model with Cross-Sectional Data and Short Panels

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Holm, Anders; Jæger, Mads Meier; Pedersen, Morten

This paper proposes a new approach to dealing with unobserved heterogeneity in applied research using the binary logit model with cross-sectional data and short panels. Unobserved heterogeneity is particularly important in non-linear regression models such as the binary logit model because, unlike...... in linear regression models, estimates of the effects of observed independent variables are biased even when omitted independent variables are uncorrelated with the observed independent variables. We propose an extension of the binary logit model based on a finite mixture approach in which we conceptualize...

On the Modeling and Analysis of Heterogeneous Radio Access Networks using a Poisson Cluster Process

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Suryaprakash, Vinay; Møller, Jesper; Fettweis, Gerhard P.

processes, some of which are alluded to (later) in this paper. We model a heterogeneous network consisting of two types of base stations by using a particular Poisson cluster process model. The main contributions are two-fold. First, a complete description of the interference in heterogeneous networks...

Ice formation in model biological membranes in the presence of cryoprotectors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kiselev, M.A. E-mail: kiselev@nf.jinr.ru; Lesieur, P.; Kisselev, A.M.; Ollivon, M

2000-06-21

Ice formation in model biological membranes is studied by SAXS and WAXS in the presence of cryoprotectors: dimethyl sulfoxide and glycerol. Three types of phospholipid membranes: DPPC, DMPC, DSPC are chosen for the investigation as well-studied model biological membranes. A special cryostat is used for sample cooling from 14.1 deg. C to -55.4 deg. C. The ice formation is detected only by WAXS in binary phospholipid/water and ternary phospholipid/cryoprotector/water systems in the condition of excess solvent. Ice formation in a binary phospholipid/water system creates an abrupt decrease of the membrane repeat distance by {delta}d, the so-called ice-induced dehydration of intermembrane space. The value of {delta}d decreases as the cryoprotector concentration increases. The formation of ice does not influence the membrane structure ({delta}d=0) for cryoprotector mole fractions higher than 0.05.

Hot news recommendation system from heterogeneous websites based on bayesian model.

Science.gov (United States)

Xia, Zhengyou; Xu, Shengwu; Liu, Ningzhong; Zhao, Zhengkang

2014-01-01

The most current news recommendations are suitable for news which comes from a single news website, not for news from different heterogeneous news websites. Previous researches about news recommender systems based on different strategies have been proposed to provide news personalization services for online news readers. However, little research work has been reported on utilizing hundreds of heterogeneous news websites to provide top hot news services for group customers (e.g., government staffs). In this paper, we propose a hot news recommendation model based on Bayesian model, which is from hundreds of different news websites. In the model, we determine whether the news is hot news by calculating the joint probability of the news. We evaluate and compare our proposed recommendation model with the results of human experts on the real data sets. Experimental results demonstrate the reliability and effectiveness of our method. We also implement this model in hot news recommendation system of Hangzhou city government in year 2013, which achieves very good results.

Mathematical models of membrane fouling in cross-flow micro-filtration

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mónica Jimena Ortíz Jerez

2008-01-01

Full Text Available The greatest difficulty arising during cross-flow micro-filtration is the formation of a cake layer on the membrane sur-face (also called fouling, thereby affecting system performance. Fouling has been related to permeate flux decay re-sulting from changes in operating variables. Many articles have been published in an attempt to explain this phe-nomenon but it has not yet been fully understood because it depends on specific solution/membrane interactions and differing parameters. This work was aimed at presenting an analytical review of recently published mathematical models to explain fouling. Although the reviewed models can be adjusted to any type of application, a simple “con-centration polarisation” model is advisable in the particular case of tropical fruit juices for describing the insoluble solids being deposited on membrane surface.

Assessing and accounting for time heterogeneity in stochastic actor oriented models

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lospinoso, Joshua A.; Schweinberger, Michael; Snijders, Tom A. B.; Ripley, Ruth M.

This paper explores time heterogeneity in stochastic actor oriented models (SAOM) proposed by Snijders (Sociological methodology. Blackwell, Boston, pp 361-395, 2001) which are meant to study the evolution of networks. SAOMs model social networks as directed graphs with nodes representing people,

Study on evaluation method for heterogeneous sedimentary rocks based on forward model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Masui, Yasuhiro; Kawada, Koji; Katoh, Arata; Tsuji, Takashi; Suwabe, Mizue

2004-02-01

It is very important to estimate the facies distribution of heterogeneous sedimentary rocks for geological disposal of high level radioactive waste. The heterogeneousness of sedimentary rocks is due to variable distribution of grain size and mineral composition. The objective of this study is to establish the evaluation method for heterogeneous sedimentary rocks based on forward model. This study consisted of geological study for Horonobe area and the development of soft wear for sedimentary model. Geological study was composed of following items. 1. The sedimentary system for Koetoi and Wakkanai formations in Horonobe area was compiled based on papers. 2. The cores of HDB-1 were observed mainly from sedimentological view. 3. The facies and compaction property of argillaceous rocks were studied based on physical logs and core analysis data of wells. 4. The structure maps, isochrone maps, isopach maps and restored geological sections were made. The soft wear for sedimentary model to show sedimentary system on a basin scale was developed. This soft wear estimates the facies distribution and hydraulic conductivity of sedimentary rocks on three dimensions scale by numerical simulation. (author)

An open, object-based modeling approach for simulating subsurface heterogeneity

Science.gov (United States)

Bennett, J.; Ross, M.; Haslauer, C. P.; Cirpka, O. A.

2017-12-01

Characterization of subsurface heterogeneity with respect to hydraulic and geochemical properties is critical in hydrogeology as their spatial distribution controls groundwater flow and solute transport. Many approaches of characterizing subsurface heterogeneity do not account for well-established geological concepts about the deposition of the aquifer materials; those that do (i.e. process-based methods) often require forcing parameters that are difficult to derive from site observations. We have developed a new method for simulating subsurface heterogeneity that honors concepts of sequence stratigraphy, resolves fine-scale heterogeneity and anisotropy of distributed parameters, and resembles observed sedimentary deposits. The method implements a multi-scale hierarchical facies modeling framework based on architectural element analysis, with larger features composed of smaller sub-units. The Hydrogeological Virtual Reality simulator (HYVR) simulates distributed parameter models using an object-based approach. Input parameters are derived from observations of stratigraphic morphology in sequence type-sections. Simulation outputs can be used for generic simulations of groundwater flow and solute transport, and for the generation of three-dimensional training images needed in applications of multiple-point geostatistics. The HYVR algorithm is flexible and easy to customize. The algorithm was written in the open-source programming language Python, and is intended to form a code base for hydrogeological researchers, as well as a platform that can be further developed to suit investigators' individual needs. This presentation will encompass the conceptual background and computational methods of the HYVR algorithm, the derivation of input parameters from site characterization, and the results of groundwater flow and solute transport simulations in different depositional settings.

Continuous esterification to produce biodiesel by SPES/PES/NWF composite catalytic membrane in flow-through membrane reactor: experimental and kinetic studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Shi, Wenying; He, Benqiao; Cao, Yuping; Li, Jianxin; Yan, Feng; Cui, Zhenyu; Zou, Zhiqun; Guo, Shiwei; Qian, Xiaomin

2013-02-01

A novel composite catalytic membrane (CCM) was prepared from sulfonated polyethersulfone (SPES) and polyethersulfone (PES) blend supported by non-woven fabrics, as a heterogeneous catalyst to produce biodiesel from continuous esterification of oleic acid with methanol in a flow-through mode. A kinetic model of esterification was established based on a plug-flow assumption. The effects of the CCM structure (thickness, area, porosity, etc.), reaction temperature and the external and internal mass transfer resistances on esterification were investigated. The results showed that the CCM structure had a significant effect on the acid conversion. The external mass transfer resistance could be neglected when the flow rate was over 1.2 ml min(-1). The internal mass transfer resistance impacted on the conversion when membrane thickness was over 1.779 mm. An oleic acid conversion kept over 98.0% for 500 h of continuous running. The conversions obtained from the model are in good agreement with the experimental data. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Analysis of mass transfer characteristics in a tubular membrane using CFD modeling.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Jixiang; Vedantam, Sreepriya; Spanjers, Henri; Nopens, Ingmar; van Lier, Jules B

2012-10-01

In contrast to the large amount of research into aerobic membrane bioreactors, little work has been reported on anaerobic membrane bioreactors (AMBRs). As to the application of membrane bioreactors, membrane fouling is a key issue. Membrane fouling generally occurs more seriously in AMBRs than in aerobic membrane bioreactors. However, membrane fouling could be managed through the application of suitable shear stress that can be introduced by the application of a two-phase flow. When the two-phase flow is applied in AMBRs, little is known about the mass transfer characteristics, which is of particular importance, in tubular membranes of AMBRs. In our present work, we have employed fluid dynamic modeling to analyze the mass transfer characteristics in the tubular membrane of a side stream AMBR in which, gas-lift two-phase flow was applied. The modeling indicated that the mass transfer capacity at the membrane surface at the noses of gas bubbles was higher than the mass transfer capacity at the tails of the bubbles, which is in contrast to the results when water instead of sludge is applied. At the given mass transfer rate, the filterability of the sludge was found to have a strong influence on the transmembrane pressure at a steady flux. In addition, the model also showed that the shear stress in the internal space of the tubular membrane was mainly around 20 Pa but could be as high as about 40 Pa due to gas bubble movements. Nonetheless, at these shear stresses a stable particle size distribution was found for sludge particles. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Understanding Detergent Effects on Lipid Membranes: A Model Study of Lysolipids

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Henriksen, Jonas Rosager; Andresen, Thomas Lars; Feldborg, Lise Nørkjær

2010-01-01

Lysolipids and fatty acids are the natural products formed by the hydrolysis of phospholipids. Lysolipids and fatty acids form micelles in solution and acts as detergents in the presence of lipid membranes. In this study, we investigate the detergent strength of a homologous series of lyso......-chain mismatch between LPC and POPC determines the magnitude of the membrane mechanical perturbation per LPC molecule in the membrane. Finally, the three-stage model describing detergent membrane interaction has been extended by a parameter D-MCI, which governs the membrane curvature stability in the detergent...

Heterogeneous network architectures

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christiansen, Henrik Lehrmann

2006-01-01

is flexibility. This thesis investigates such heterogeneous network architectures and how to make them flexible. A survey of algorithms for network design is presented, and it is described how using heuristics can increase the speed. A hierarchical, MPLS based network architecture is described......Future networks will be heterogeneous! Due to the sheer size of networks (e.g., the Internet) upgrades cannot be instantaneous and thus heterogeneity appears. This means that instead of trying to find the olution, networks hould be designed as being heterogeneous. One of the key equirements here...... and it is discussed that it is advantageous to heterogeneous networks and illustrated by a number of examples. Modeling and simulation is a well-known way of doing performance evaluation. An approach to event-driven simulation of communication networks is presented and mixed complexity modeling, which can simplify...

LDRD final report : mesoscale modeling of dynamic loading of heterogeneous materials

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Robbins, Joshua [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Dingreville, Remi Philippe Michel [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Voth, Thomas Eugene [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Furnish, Michael David [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

2013-12-01

Material response to dynamic loading is often dominated by microstructure (grain structure, porosity, inclusions, defects). An example critically important to Sandia's mission is dynamic strength of polycrystalline metals where heterogeneities lead to localization of deformation and loss of shear strength. Microstructural effects are of broad importance to the scientific community and several institutions within DoD and DOE; however, current models rely on inaccurate assumptions about mechanisms at the sub-continuum or mesoscale. Consequently, there is a critical need for accurate and robust methods for modeling heterogeneous material response at this lower length scale. This report summarizes work performed as part of an LDRD effort (FY11 to FY13; project number 151364) to meet these needs.

Lipid-Mediated Clusters of Guest Molecules in Model Membranes and Their Dissolving in the Presence of Lipid Rafts.

Science.gov (United States)

Kardash, Maria E; Dzuba, Sergei A

2017-05-25

The clustering of molecules is an important feature of plasma membrane organization. It is challenging to develop methods for quantifying membrane heterogeneities because of their transient nature and small size. Here, we obtained evidence that transient membrane heterogeneities can be frozen at cryogenic temperatures which allows the application of solid-state experimental techniques sensitive to the nanoscale distance range. We employed the pulsed version of electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy, the electron spin echo (ESE) technique, for spin-labeled molecules in multilamellar lipid bilayers. ESE decays were refined for pure contribution of spin-spin magnetic dipole-dipolar interaction between the labels; these interactions manifest themselves at a nanometer distance range. The bilayers were prepared from different types of saturated and unsaturated lipids and cholesterol (Chol); in all cases, a small amount of guest spin-labeled substances 5-doxyl-stearic-acid (5-DSA) or 3β-doxyl-5α-cholestane (DChl) was added. The local concentration found of 5-DSA and DChl molecules was remarkably higher than the mean concentration in the bilayer, evidencing the formation of lipid-mediated clusters of these molecules. To our knowledge, formation of nanoscale clusters of guest amphiphilic molecules in biological membranes is a new phenomenon suggested only recently. Two-dimensional 5-DSA molecular clusters were found, whereas flat DChl molecules were found to be clustered into stacked one-dimensional structures. These clusters disappear when the Chol content is varied between the boundaries known for lipid raft formation at room temperatures. The room temperature EPR evidenced entrapping of DChl molecules in the rafts.

Investigation of membrane mechanics using spring networks: application to red-blood-cell modelling.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Mingzhu; Boyle, Fergal J

2014-10-01

In recent years a number of red-blood-cell (RBC) models have been proposed using spring networks to represent the RBC membrane. Some results predicted by these models agree well with experimental measurements. However, the suitability of these membrane models has been questioned. The RBC membrane, like a continuum membrane, is mechanically isotropic throughout its surface, but the mechanical properties of a spring network vary on the network surface and change with deformation. In this work spring-network mechanics are investigated in large deformation for the first time via an assessment of the effect of network parameters, i.e. network mesh, spring type and surface constraint. It is found that a spring network is conditionally equivalent to a continuum membrane. In addition, spring networks are employed for RBC modelling to replicate the optical tweezers test. It is found that a spring network is sufficient for modelling the RBC membrane but strain-hardening springs are required. Moreover, the deformation profile of a spring network is presented for the first time via the degree of shear. It is found that spring-network deformation approaches continuous as the mesh density increases. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Heterogeneous characters modeling of instant message services users' online behavior.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hongyan Cui

Full Text Available Research on temporal characteristics of human dynamics has attracted much attentions for its contribution to various areas such as communication, medical treatment, finance, etc. Existing studies show that the time intervals between two consecutive events present different non-Poisson characteristics, such as power-law, Pareto, bimodal distribution of power-law, exponential distribution, piecewise power-law, et al. With the occurrences of new services, new types of distributions may arise. In this paper, we study the distributions of the time intervals between two consecutive visits to QQ and WeChat service, the top two popular instant messaging services in China, and present a new finding that when the value of statistical unit T is set to 0.001s, the inter-event time distribution follows a piecewise distribution of exponential and power-law, indicating the heterogeneous character of IM services users' online behavior in different time scales. We infer that the heterogeneous character is related to the communication mechanism of IM and the habits of users. Then we develop a combination model of exponential model and interest model to characterize the heterogeneity. Furthermore, we find that the exponent of the inter-event time distribution of the same service is different in two cities, which is correlated with the popularity of the services. Our research is useful for the application of information diffusion, prediction of economic development of cities, and so on.

Heterogeneous characters modeling of instant message services users’ online behavior

Science.gov (United States)

Fang, Yajun; Horn, Berthold

2018-01-01

Research on temporal characteristics of human dynamics has attracted much attentions for its contribution to various areas such as communication, medical treatment, finance, etc. Existing studies show that the time intervals between two consecutive events present different non-Poisson characteristics, such as power-law, Pareto, bimodal distribution of power-law, exponential distribution, piecewise power-law, et al. With the occurrences of new services, new types of distributions may arise. In this paper, we study the distributions of the time intervals between two consecutive visits to QQ and WeChat service, the top two popular instant messaging services in China, and present a new finding that when the value of statistical unit T is set to 0.001s, the inter-event time distribution follows a piecewise distribution of exponential and power-law, indicating the heterogeneous character of IM services users’ online behavior in different time scales. We infer that the heterogeneous character is related to the communication mechanism of IM and the habits of users. Then we develop a combination model of exponential model and interest model to characterize the heterogeneity. Furthermore, we find that the exponent of the inter-event time distribution of the same service is different in two cities, which is correlated with the popularity of the services. Our research is useful for the application of information diffusion, prediction of economic development of cities, and so on. PMID:29734327

Human Lipoproteins at Model Cell Membranes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Browning, K L; Lind, T K; Maric, S

2017-01-01

High and low density lipoproteins (HDL and LDL) are thought to play vital roles in the onset and development of atherosclerosis; the biggest killer in the western world. Key issues of initial lipoprotein (LP) interactions at cellular membranes need to be addressed including LP deposition and lipid...... exchange. Here we present a protocol for monitoring the in situ kinetics of lipoprotein deposition and lipid exchange/removal at model cellular membranes using the non-invasive, surface sensitive methods of neutron reflection and quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation. For neutron reflection, lipid...... support the notion of HDL acting as the 'good' cholesterol, removing lipid material from lipid-loaded cells, whereas LDL acts as the 'bad' cholesterol, depositing lipid material into the vascular wall....

Modelling of heterogenous neutron leakages in a nuclear reactor; Modelisation des fuites heterogenes de neutrons dans un reacteur nucleaire

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wohleber, X

1997-11-17

The TIBERE Model is a neutron leakage method based on B{sub 1} heterogeneous transport equation resolution. In this work, we have studied the influence of the reflection mode at the boundary of the assembly. In particular the White boundary condition has been implemented in the APOLLO2 neutron transport code. We have compared the two TIBERE kinds of boundary conditions (specular and white) with the classical B{sub 1} homogeneous leakage method in the modelling of some reactors. We have remarked the better capability of the TIBERE Model to compute voided assemblies. The white boundary condition is also able to compute a completely voided assembly and, besides, wins a factor 10 in CPU time in comparison with the specular boundary condition. These two heterogenous leakage formalisms have been tested on a partially voided experiment and have shown that the TIBERE Model can compute this kind of situation with a greater precision than the classical B{sub 1} homogeneous leakage method, and with a shorter computational time. (author)

A membrane model for cytosolic calcium oscillations. A study using Xenopus oocytes.

OpenAIRE

Jafri, M S; Vajda, S; Pasik, P; Gillo, B

1992-01-01

Cytosolic calcium oscillations occur in a wide variety of cells and are involved in different cellular functions. We describe these calcium oscillations by a mathematical model based on the putative electrophysiological properties of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane. The salient features of our membrane model are calcium-dependent calcium channels and calcium pumps in the ER membrane, constant entry of calcium into the cytosol, calcium dependent removal from the cytosol, and buffering ...

Fish skin as a model membrane: structure and characteristics.

Science.gov (United States)

Konrádsdóttir, Fífa; Loftsson, Thorsteinn; Sigfússon, Sigurdur Dadi

2009-01-01

Synthetic and cell-based membranes are frequently used during drug formulation development for the assessment of drug availability. However, most of the currently used membranes do not mimic mucosal membranes well, especially the aqueous mucous layer of the membranes. In this study we evaluated catfish (Anarichas lupus L) skin as a model membrane. Permeation of hydrocortisone, lidocaine hydrochloride, benzocaine, diethylstilbestrol, naproxen, picric acid and sodium nitrate through skin from a freshly caught catfish was determined in Franz diffusion cells. Both lipophilic and hydrophilic molecules permeate through catfish skin via hydrated channels or aqueous pores. No correlation was observed between the octanol/water partition coefficient of the permeating molecules and their permeability coefficient through the skin. Permeation through catfish skin was found to be diffusion controlled. The results suggest that permeation through the fish skin proceeds via a diffusion-controlled process, a process that is similar to drug permeation through the aqueous mucous layer of a mucosal membrane. In addition, the fish skin, with its collagen matrix structure, appears to possess similar properties to the eye sclera.

Molecular dynamics studies of simple membrane-water interfaces: Structure and functions in the beginnings of cellular life

Science.gov (United States)

Pohorille, Andrew; Wilson, Michael A.

1995-01-01

Molecular dynamics computer simulations of the structure and functions of a simple membrane are performed in order to examine whether membranes provide an environment capable of promoting protobiological evolution. Our model membrane is composed of glycerol 1-monooleate. It is found that the bilayer surface fluctuates in time and space, occasionally creating thinning defects in the membrane. These defects are essential for passive transport of simple ions across membranes because they reduce the Born barrier to this process by approximately 40%. Negative ions are transferred across the bilayer more readily than positive ions due to favorable interactions with the electric field at the membrane-water interface. Passive transport of neutral molecules is, in general, more complex than predicted by the solubility-diffusion model. In particular, molecules which exhibit sufficient hydrophilicity and lipophilicity concentrate near membrane surfaces and experience 'interfacial resistance' to transport. The membrane-water interface forms an environment suitable for heterogeneous catalysis. Several possible mechanisms leading to an increase of reaction rates at the interface are discussed. We conclude that vesicles have many properties that make them very good candidates for earliest protocells. Some potentially fruitful directions of experimental and theoretical research on this subject are proposed.

Dynamic modeling of ultrafiltration membranes for whey separation processes

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Saltik, M.B.; Ozkan, L.; Jacobs, M.; van der Padt, A.

2017-01-01

In this paper, we present a control relevant rigorous dynamic model for an ultrafiltration membrane unit in a whey separation process. The model consists of a set of differential algebraic equations and is developed for online model based applications such as model based control and process

Modeling the ion transfer and polarization of ion exchange membranes in bioelectrochemical systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Harnisch, Falk; Warmbier, Robert; Schneider, Ralf; Schröder, Uwe

2009-06-01

An explicit numerical model for the charge balancing ion transfer across monopolar ion exchange membranes under conditions of bioelectrochemical systems is presented. Diffusion and migration equations have been solved according to the Nernst-Planck Equation and the resulting ion concentrations, pH values and the resistance values of the membrane for different conditions were computed. The modeling results underline the principle limitations of the application of ion exchange membranes in biological fuel cells and electrolyzers, caused by the inherent occurrence of a pH-gradient between anode and cathode compartment, and an increased ohmic membrane resistance at decreasing electrolyte concentrations. Finally, the physical and numerical limitations of the model are discussed.

Optimization of a membrane reactor for hydrogen production with genetic algorithms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Raceanu, Mircea; Iordache, Ioan; Curuia, Marian; Rasoi, Gabriel; Patularu, Laurentiu; Enache, Adrian

2009-01-01

Full text: Hydrogen is produced via steam reforming of hydrocarbons such as natural gas or methane by using conventional systems. Unfortunately, these systems need at least four different stages, consisting of three reactors and a purification system. Moreover, the steam reforming reaction is an endothermic thermodynamically limited system, meaning that high temperature energy supply is needed for complete conversion. Among different technologies related to production, separation and purification of H 2 , membrane technologies seem to really play a fundamental role. The specific thermodynamic limits are overcome using the so-called membrane reactors, systems in which both reaction and separation occur simultaneously. The hydrogen is driven across the membrane by the pressure difference, depending on the temperature, pressure and reactor length the methane can be completely converted and consequently very pure hydrogen is produced. A membrane reactor has two components which can be optimized namely, the membrane and the reactor dimensions. This paper presents a study on optimization of membrane reactor for enhancing the overall production. A mathematical heterogeneous model of the reactor was used for optimization of reactor performance. Genetic algorithms were used as powerful methods for optimization of complex problems. (authors)

A single molecule approach for measuring the transport properties and energetics of membrane proteins in heterogeneous planar bio-mimetic assemblies

Science.gov (United States)

Poudel, Kumud Raj

The significance of transmembrane protein research is well documented. Numerous studies have clearly established the biological, biophysical and pharmaceutical importance that these membrane components serve. Communications through receptors regulate countless body functions and they also provide structural support to the cell. However, a lack of high-resolution structure data has limited our understanding of these proteins that make it necessary to study them in in-vitro platforms or 'bio-mimetic' assemblies. Albeit that an assortment of platforms have been suggested for in-vitro studies, the issues, however, remain the same. The lack of mobility of the proteins in artificial environments, the question of functionality that arises with mobility and the search in general for the best assembly, is still a work in progress. In this work, we have taken some of the most accepted platforms in the field and characterized them through the lens of single molecule spectroscopy. We have addressed the question of mobility by reducing it down to a single molecule and comparing it with the bulk. By utilizing the Serotonin Receptor 5HT3A we have shown that techniques such as passivation of the substrates in the assemblies by Bovine Serum Albumin has a significant effect at the molecular level. The larger size of the intracellular domain for the 5HT3A served as a great probe to understand and evaluate the interaction of a surface passivator with the integrated membrane protein. We have also taken this a step further by developing a novel, single cushion 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DMPC) assembly and added another degree of complexity- through a phase transition. We have utilized phase transition to get an insight into the local protein environment, activation energies, heterogeneity and diffusion characteristics by using Annexin V as our probe. The work presented here studies two completely different biological platforms using two entirely different transmembrane

Heterotypic mouse models of canine osteosarcoma recapitulate tumor heterogeneity and biological behavior

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Milcah C. Scott

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Osteosarcoma (OS is a heterogeneous and rare disease with a disproportionate impact because it mainly affects children and adolescents. Lamentably, more than half of patients with OS succumb to metastatic disease. Clarification of the etiology of the disease, development of better strategies to manage progression, and methods to guide personalized treatments are among the unmet health needs for OS patients. Progress in managing the disease has been hindered by the extreme heterogeneity of OS; thus, better models that accurately recapitulate the natural heterogeneity of the disease are needed. For this study, we used cell lines derived from two spontaneous canine OS tumors with distinctly different biological behavior (OS-1 and OS-2 for heterotypic in vivo modeling that recapitulates the heterogeneous biology and behavior of this disease. Both cell lines demonstrated stability of the transcriptome when grown as orthotopic xenografts in athymic nude mice. Consistent with the behavior of the original tumors, OS-2 xenografts grew more rapidly at the primary site and had greater propensity to disseminate to lung and establish microscopic metastasis. Moreover, OS-2 promoted formation of a different tumor-associated stromal environment than OS-1 xenografts. OS-2-derived tumors comprised a larger percentage of the xenograft tumors than OS-1-derived tumors. In addition, a robust pro-inflammatory population dominated the stromal cell infiltrates in OS-2 xenografts, whereas a mesenchymal population with a gene signature reflecting myogenic signaling dominated those in the OS-1 xenografts. Our studies show that canine OS cell lines maintain intrinsic features of the tumors from which they were derived and recapitulate the heterogeneous biology and behavior of bone cancer in mouse models. This system provides a resource to understand essential interactions between tumor cells and the stromal environment that drive the progression and metastatic propensity of

Heterotypic mouse models of canine osteosarcoma recapitulate tumor heterogeneity and biological behavior.

Science.gov (United States)

Scott, Milcah C; Tomiyasu, Hirotaka; Garbe, John R; Cornax, Ingrid; Amaya, Clarissa; O'Sullivan, M Gerard; Subramanian, Subbaya; Bryan, Brad A; Modiano, Jaime F

2016-12-01

Osteosarcoma (OS) is a heterogeneous and rare disease with a disproportionate impact because it mainly affects children and adolescents. Lamentably, more than half of patients with OS succumb to metastatic disease. Clarification of the etiology of the disease, development of better strategies to manage progression, and methods to guide personalized treatments are among the unmet health needs for OS patients. Progress in managing the disease has been hindered by the extreme heterogeneity of OS; thus, better models that accurately recapitulate the natural heterogeneity of the disease are needed. For this study, we used cell lines derived from two spontaneous canine OS tumors with distinctly different biological behavior (OS-1 and OS-2) for heterotypic in vivo modeling that recapitulates the heterogeneous biology and behavior of this disease. Both cell lines demonstrated stability of the transcriptome when grown as orthotopic xenografts in athymic nude mice. Consistent with the behavior of the original tumors, OS-2 xenografts grew more rapidly at the primary site and had greater propensity to disseminate to lung and establish microscopic metastasis. Moreover, OS-2 promoted formation of a different tumor-associated stromal environment than OS-1 xenografts. OS-2-derived tumors comprised a larger percentage of the xenograft tumors than OS-1-derived tumors. In addition, a robust pro-inflammatory population dominated the stromal cell infiltrates in OS-2 xenografts, whereas a mesenchymal population with a gene signature reflecting myogenic signaling dominated those in the OS-1 xenografts. Our studies show that canine OS cell lines maintain intrinsic features of the tumors from which they were derived and recapitulate the heterogeneous biology and behavior of bone cancer in mouse models. This system provides a resource to understand essential interactions between tumor cells and the stromal environment that drive the progression and metastatic propensity of OS. © 2016

Nuclide separation modeling through reverse osmosis membranes in radioactive liquid waste

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Byung-Sik Lee

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The aim of this work is to investigate the transport mechanism of radioactive nuclides through the reverse osmosis (RO membrane and to estimate its effectiveness for nuclide separation from radioactive liquid waste. An analytical model is developed to simulate the RO separation, and a series of experiments are set up to confirm its estimated separation behavior. The model is based on the extended Nernst–Plank equation, which handles the convective flux, diffusive flux, and electromigration flux under electroneutrality and zero electric current conditions. The distribution coefficient which arises due to ion interactions with the membrane material and the electric potential jump at the membrane interface are included as boundary conditions in solving the equation. A high Peclet approximation is adopted to simplify the calculation, but the effect of concentration polarization is included for a more accurate prediction of separation. Cobalt and cesium are specifically selected for the experiments in order to check the separation mechanism from liquid waste composed of various radioactive nuclides and nonradioactive substances, and the results are compared with the estimated cobalt and cesium rejections of the RO membrane using the model. Experimental and calculated results are shown to be in excellent agreement. The proposed model will be very useful for the prediction of separation behavior of various radioactive nuclides by the RO membrane.

Nuclide separation modeling through reverse osmosis membranes in radioactive liquid waste

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Byung Sik [KEPCO Engineering and Construction, Gimcheon (Korea, Republic of)

2015-12-15

The aim of this work is to investigate the transport mechanism of radioactive nuclides through the reverse osmosis (RO) membrane and to estimate its effectiveness for nuclide separation from radioactive liquid waste. An analytical model is developed to simulate the RO separation, and a series of experiments are set up to confirm its estimated separation behavior. The model is based on the extended Nernst-Plank equation, which handles the convective flux, diffusive flux, and electromigration flux under electroneutrality and zero electric current conditions. The distribution coefficient which arises due to ion interactions with the membrane material and the electric potential jump at the membrane interface are included as boundary conditions in solving the equation. A high Peclet approximation is adopted to simplify the calculation, but the effect of concentration polarization is included for a more accurate prediction of separation. Cobalt and cesium are specifically selected for the experiments in order to check the separation mechanism from liquid waste composed of various radioactive nuclides and nonradioactive substances, and the results are compared with the estimated cobalt and cesium rejections of the RO membrane using the model. Experimental and calculated results are shown to be in excellent agreement. The proposed model will be very useful for the prediction of separation behavior of various radioactive nuclides by the RO membrane.

Heterogeneous Agent Model with Memory and Asset Price Behaviour

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Vošvrda, Miloslav; Vácha, Lukáš

2003-01-01

Roč. 12, č. 2 (2003), s. 155-168 ISSN 1210-0455 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA402/00/0439; GA ČR GA402/01/0034 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z1075907 Keywords : efficient markets hypothesis * technical trading rules * heterogeneous agent model with memory and learning Subject RIV: AH - Economics

Modeling CO2-facilitated transport across a diethanolamine liquid membrane

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lihong Bao; Michael C. Trachtenberg [Carbozyme Inc., Monmouth Junction, NJ (United States)

2005-12-15

We compared experimental and model data for the facilitated transport of CO2 from a CO2-air mixture across an aqueous solution of diethanolamine (DEA) via a hollow fiber, contained liquid membrane (HFCLM) permeator. A two-step carbamate formation model was devised to analyze the data instead of the one-step mechanism used by previous investigators. The effects of DEA concentration, liquid membrane thickness and feed CO2 concentration were also studied. With a 20% (wt) DEA liquid membrane and feed of 15% CO2 in CO2-air mixture at atmosphere pressure, the permeance reached 1.51E-8 mol/m{sup 2} s Pa with a CO2/N2 selectivity of 115. Model predictions compared well with the experimental results at CO2 concentrations of industrial importance. Short-term stability of the HFCLM permeator performance was examined. The system was stable during 5-days of testing.

Hot News Recommendation System from Heterogeneous Websites Based on Bayesian Model

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhengyou Xia

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The most current news recommendations are suitable for news which comes from a single news website, not for news from different heterogeneous news websites. Previous researches about news recommender systems based on different strategies have been proposed to provide news personalization services for online news readers. However, little research work has been reported on utilizing hundreds of heterogeneous news websites to provide top hot news services for group customers (e.g., government staffs. In this paper, we propose a hot news recommendation model based on Bayesian model, which is from hundreds of different news websites. In the model, we determine whether the news is hot news by calculating the joint probability of the news. We evaluate and compare our proposed recommendation model with the results of human experts on the real data sets. Experimental results demonstrate the reliability and effectiveness of our method. We also implement this model in hot news recommendation system of Hangzhou city government in year 2013, which achieves very good results.

Fuzzy Logic-Based Model That Incorporates Personality Traits for Heterogeneous Pedestrians

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhuxin Xue

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Most models designed to simulate pedestrian dynamical behavior are based on the assumption that human decision-making can be described using precise values. This study proposes a new pedestrian model that incorporates fuzzy logic theory into a multi-agent system to address cognitive behavior that introduces uncertainty and imprecision during decision-making. We present a concept of decision preferences to represent the intrinsic control factors of decision-making. To realize the different decision preferences of heterogeneous pedestrians, the Five-Factor (OCEAN personality model is introduced to model the psychological characteristics of individuals. Then, a fuzzy logic-based approach is adopted for mapping the relationships between the personality traits and the decision preferences. Finally, we have developed an application using our model to simulate pedestrian dynamical behavior in several normal or non-panic scenarios, including a single-exit room, a hallway with obstacles, and a narrowing passage. The effectiveness of the proposed model is validated with a user study. The results show that the proposed model can generate more reasonable and heterogeneous behavior in the simulation and indicate that individual personality has a noticeable effect on pedestrian dynamical behavior.

Business models for open innovation: Matching heterogeneous open innovation strategies with business model dimensions

OpenAIRE

Saebi, Tina; Foss, Nicolai Juul

2015-01-01

-This is the author's version of the article:"Business models for open innovation: Matching heterogeneous open innovation strategies with business model dimensions", European Management Journal, Volume 33, Issue 3, June 2015, Pages 201–213 Research on open innovation suggests that companies benefit differentially from adopting open innovation strategies; however, it is unclear why this is so. One possible explanation is that companies' business models are not attuned to open strategies. Ac...

Assessment of Genetic Heterogeneity in Structured Plant Populations Using Multivariate Whole-Genome Regression Models.

Science.gov (United States)

Lehermeier, Christina; Schön, Chris-Carolin; de Los Campos, Gustavo

2015-09-01

Plant breeding populations exhibit varying levels of structure and admixture; these features are likely to induce heterogeneity of marker effects across subpopulations. Traditionally, structure has been dealt with as a potential confounder, and various methods exist to "correct" for population stratification. However, these methods induce a mean correction that does not account for heterogeneity of marker effects. The animal breeding literature offers a few recent studies that consider modeling genetic heterogeneity in multibreed data, using multivariate models. However, these methods have received little attention in plant breeding where population structure can have different forms. In this article we address the problem of analyzing data from heterogeneous plant breeding populations, using three approaches: (a) a model that ignores population structure [A-genome-based best linear unbiased prediction (A-GBLUP)], (b) a stratified (i.e., within-group) analysis (W-GBLUP), and (c) a multivariate approach that uses multigroup data and accounts for heterogeneity (MG-GBLUP). The performance of the three models was assessed on three different data sets: a diversity panel of rice (Oryza sativa), a maize (Zea mays L.) half-sib panel, and a wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) data set that originated from plant breeding programs. The estimated genomic correlations between subpopulations varied from null to moderate, depending on the genetic distance between subpopulations and traits. Our assessment of prediction accuracy features cases where ignoring population structure leads to a parsimonious more powerful model as well as others where the multivariate and stratified approaches have higher predictive power. In general, the multivariate approach appeared slightly more robust than either the A- or the W-GBLUP. Copyright © 2015 by the Genetics Society of America.

Developing Verification Systems for Building Information Models of Heritage Buildings with Heterogeneous Datasets

Science.gov (United States)

Chow, L.; Fai, S.

2017-08-01

The digitization and abstraction of existing buildings into building information models requires the translation of heterogeneous datasets that may include CAD, technical reports, historic texts, archival drawings, terrestrial laser scanning, and photogrammetry into model elements. In this paper, we discuss a project undertaken by the Carleton Immersive Media Studio (CIMS) that explored the synthesis of heterogeneous datasets for the development of a building information model (BIM) for one of Canada's most significant heritage assets - the Centre Block of the Parliament Hill National Historic Site. The scope of the project included the development of an as-found model of the century-old, six-story building in anticipation of specific model uses for an extensive rehabilitation program. The as-found Centre Block model was developed in Revit using primarily point cloud data from terrestrial laser scanning. The data was captured by CIMS in partnership with Heritage Conservation Services (HCS), Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC), using a Leica C10 and P40 (exterior and large interior spaces) and a Faro Focus (small to mid-sized interior spaces). Secondary sources such as archival drawings, photographs, and technical reports were referenced in cases where point cloud data was not available. As a result of working with heterogeneous data sets, a verification system was introduced in order to communicate to model users/viewers the source of information for each building element within the model.

Modelling Preference Heterogeneity for Theatre Tickets

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Baldin, Andrea; Bille, Trine

This paper analyzes the behavioural choice for theatre tickets using a rich dataset for 2010-2013 from the sale system of the Royal Danish National Theatre. A consumer who decides to attend a theater production faces multiple sources of price variation that depends on: socio-economic characterist......This paper analyzes the behavioural choice for theatre tickets using a rich dataset for 2010-2013 from the sale system of the Royal Danish National Theatre. A consumer who decides to attend a theater production faces multiple sources of price variation that depends on: socio......-economic characteristics, quality of the seat, day of the performance and timing of purchase. Except for the first case, factors of price differentiation involves a choice by the consumer among different ticket alternatives. Two modelling approaches, namely multinomial logit (with socio-demographic characteristics......) and latent class are proposed in order to model ticket purchase behaviour. These models allow us explicitly to take into account consumers' preference heterogeneity with respect to the attributes associated to each ticket alternative In addition, the distribution of the willingness-to-pay (WTP) of choice...

Cell-substrate interaction with cell-membrane-stress dependent adhesion.

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, H; Yang, B

2012-01-10

Cell-substrate interaction is examined in a two-dimensional mechanics model. The cell and substrate are treated as a shell and an elastic solid, respectively. Their interaction through adhesion is treated using nonlinear springs. Compared to previous cell mechanics models, the present model introduces a cohesive force law that is dependent not only on cell-substrate distance but also on internal cell-membrane stress. It is postulated that a living cell would establish focal adhesion sites with density dependent on the cell-membrane stress. The formulated mechanics problem is numerically solved using coupled finite elements and boundary elements for the cell and the substrate, respectively. The nodes in the adhesion zone from either side are linked by the cohesive springs. The specific cases of a cell adhering to a homogeneous substrate and a heterogeneous bimaterial substrate are examined. The analyses show that the substrate stiffness affects the adhesion behavior significantly and regulates the direction of cell adhesion, in good agreement with the experimental results in the literature. By introducing a reactive parameter (i.e., cell-membrane stress) linking biological responses of a living cell to a mechanical environment, the present model offers a unified mechanistic vehicle for characterization and prediction of living cell responses to various kinds of mechanical stimuli including local extracellular matrix and neighboring cells. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A matrix approach to the statistics of longevity in heterogeneous frailty models

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Hal Caswell

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Background: The gamma-Gompertz model is a fixed frailty model in which baseline mortality increasesexponentially with age, frailty has a proportional effect on mortality, and frailty at birth follows a gamma distribution. Mortality selects against the more frail, so the marginal mortality rate decelerates, eventually reaching an asymptote. The gamma-Gompertz is one of a wider class of frailty models, characterized by the choice of baseline mortality, effects of frailty, distributions of frailty, and assumptions about the dynamics of frailty. Objective: To develop a matrix model to compute all the statistical properties of longevity from thegamma-Gompertz and related models. Methods: I use the vec-permutation matrix formulation to develop a model in which individuals are jointly classified by age and frailty. The matrix is used to project the age and frailty dynamicsof a cohort and the fundamental matrix is used to obtain the statistics of longevity. Results: The model permits calculation of the mean, variance, coefficient of variation, skewness and all moments of longevity, the marginal mortality and survivorship functions, the dynamics of the frailty distribution, and other quantities. The matrix formulation extends naturally to other frailty models. I apply the analysis to the gamma-Gompertz model (for humans and laboratory animals, the gamma-Makeham model, and the gamma-Siler model, and to a hypothetical dynamic frailty model characterized by diffusion of frailty with reflecting boundaries.The matrix model permits partitioning the variance in longevity into components due to heterogeneity and to individual stochasticity. In several published human data sets, heterogeneity accounts for less than 10Š of the variance in longevity. In laboratory populations of five invertebrate animal species, heterogeneity accounts for 46Š to 83Š ofthe total variance in longevity.

Modeling of air-gap membrane distillation process: A theoretical and experimental study

KAUST Repository

Alsaadi, Ahmad Salem

2013-06-03

A one dimensional (1-D) air gap membrane distillation (AGMD) model for flat sheet type modules has been developed. This model is based on mathematical equations that describe the heat and mass transfer mechanisms of a single-stage AGMD process. It can simulate AGMD modules in both co-current and counter-current flow regimes. The theoretical model was validated using AGMD experimental data obtained under different operating conditions and parameters. The predicted water vapor flux was compared to the flux measured at five different feed water temperatures, two different feed water salinities, three different air gap widths and two MD membranes with different average pore sizes. This comparison showed that the model flux predictions are strongly correlated with the experimental data, with model predictions being within +10% of the experimentally determined values. The model was then used to study and analyze the parameters that have significant effect on scaling-up the AGMD process such as the effect of increasing the membrane length, and feed and coolant flow rates. The model was also used to analyze the maximum thermal efficiency of the AGMD process by tracing changes in water production rate and the heat input to the process along the membrane length. This was used to understand the gain in both process production and thermal efficiency for different membrane surface areas and the resultant increases in process capital and water unit cost. © 2013 Elsevier B.V.

Finsler Geometry Modeling of an Orientation-Asymmetric Surface Model for Membranes

Science.gov (United States)

Proutorov, Evgenii; Koibuchi, Hiroshi

2017-12-01

In this paper, a triangulated surface model is studied in the context of Finsler geometry (FG) modeling. This FG model is an extended version of a recently reported model for two-component membranes, and it is asymmetric under surface inversion. We show that the definition of the model is independent of how the Finsler length of a bond is defined. This leads us to understand that the canonical (or Euclidean) surface model is obtained from the FG model such that it is uniquely determined as a trivial model from the viewpoint of well definedness.

A Generalized Estimating Equations Approach to Model Heterogeneity and Time Dependence in Capture-Recapture Studies

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Akanda Md. Abdus Salam

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Individual heterogeneity in capture probabilities and time dependence are fundamentally important for estimating the closed animal population parameters in capture-recapture studies. A generalized estimating equations (GEE approach accounts for linear correlation among capture-recapture occasions, and individual heterogeneity in capture probabilities in a closed population capture-recapture individual heterogeneity and time variation model. The estimated capture probabilities are used to estimate animal population parameters. Two real data sets are used for illustrative purposes. A simulation study is carried out to assess the performance of the GEE estimator. A Quasi-Likelihood Information Criterion (QIC is applied for the selection of the best fitting model. This approach performs well when the estimated population parameters depend on the individual heterogeneity and the nature of linear correlation among capture-recapture occasions.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in model bacterial membranes - Langmuir monolayer studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Broniatowski, Marcin; Binczycka, Martyna; Wójcik, Aneta; Flasiński, Michał; Wydro, Paweł

2017-12-01

High molecular weight polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (HMW-PAHs) are persistent organic pollutants which due to their limited biodegradability accumulate in soils where their increased presence can lead to the impoverishment of the decomposer organisms. As very hydrophobic PAHs easily penetrate cellular membranes of soil bacteria and can be incorporated therein, changing the membrane fluidity and other functions which in consequence can lead to the death of the organism. The structure and size of PAH molecule can be crucial for its membrane activity; however the correlation between PAH structure and its interaction with phospholipids have not been investigated so far. In our studies we applied phospholipid Langmuir monolayers as model bacterial membranes and investigated how the incorporation of six structurally different PAH molecules change the membrane texture and physical properties. In our studies we registered surface pressure and surface potential isotherms upon the monolayer compression, visualized the monolayer texture with the application of Brewster angle microscopy and searched the ordering of the film-forming molecules with molecular resolution with the application of grazing incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXD) method. It turned out that the phospholipid-PAH interactions are strictly structure dependent. Four and five-ring PAHs of the angular or cluster geometry can be incorporated into the model membranes changing profoundly their textures and fluidity; whereas linear or large cluster PAHs cannot be incorporated and separate from the lipid matrix. The observed phenomena were explained based on structural similarities of the applied PAHs with membrane steroids and hopanoids. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Nanoscale high-content analysis using compositional heterogeneities of single proteoliposomes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mathiasen, Signe; Christensen, Sune M.; Fung, Juan José

2014-01-01

Proteoliposome reconstitution is a standard method to stabilize purified transmembrane proteins in membranes for structural and functional assays. Here we quantified intrareconstitution heterogeneities in single proteoliposomes using fluorescence microscopy. Our results suggest that compositional...... heterogeneities can severely skew ensemble-average proteoliposome measurements but also enable ultraminiaturized high-content screens. We took advantage of this screening capability to map the oligomerization energy of the β2-adrenergic receptor using ∼10(9)-fold less protein than conventional assays....

Heterogeneity in preferences and behavior in threshold models

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Philip R Neary

2017-12-01

Full Text Available A coordination game is repeatedly played on a graph by players (vertices who have heterogeneous cardinal preferences and whose strategy choice is governed by the individualistic asynchronous logit dynamic. The idea of potential driven autonomy of sets of players is used to derive results on the possibility of heterogeneous preferences leading to heterogeneous behavior. In particular, a class of graphs is identified such that for large enough graphs in this class, diversity in ordinal preferences will nearly always lead to heterogeneity in behavior, regardless of the cardinal strength of the preferences. These results have implications for network design problems, such as when a social planner wishes to induce homogeneous/heterogeneous behavior in a population.

Solving Problem of Graph Isomorphism by Membrane-Quantum Hybrid Model

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Artiom Alhazov

2015-10-01

Full Text Available This work presents the application of new parallelization methods based on membrane-quantum hybrid computing to graph isomorphism problem solving. Applied membrane-quantum hybrid computational model was developed by authors. Massive parallelism of unconventional computing is used to implement classic brute force algorithm efficiently. This approach does not suppose any restrictions of considered graphs types. The estimated performance of the model is less then quadratic that makes a very good result for the problem of \\textbf{NP} complexity.

Heterogeneous Agents Model with the Worst Out Algorithm

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Vošvrda, Miloslav; Vácha, Lukáš

I, č. 1 (2007), s. 54-66 ISSN 1802-4696 R&D Projects: GA MŠk(CZ) LC06075; GA ČR(CZ) GA402/06/0990 Grant - others:GA UK(CZ) 454/2004/A-EK/FSV Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10750506 Keywords : Efficient Market s Hypothesis * Fractal Market Hypothesis * agents' investment horizons * agents' trading strategies * technical trading rules * heterogeneous agent model with stochastic memory * Worst out Algorithm Subject RIV: AH - Economics

Stability of model membranes in extreme environments.

Science.gov (United States)

Namani, Trishool; Deamer, David W

2008-08-01

The first forms of cellular life required a source of amphiphilic compounds capable of assembling into stable boundary structures. Membranes composed of fatty acids have been proposed as model systems of primitive membranes, but their bilayer structure is stable only within a narrow pH range and low ionic strength. They are particularly sensitive to aggregating effects of divalent cations (Mg+2, Ca+2, Fe+2) that would be present in Archaean sea water. Here we report that mixtures of alkyl amines and fatty acids form vesicles at strongly basic and acidic pH ranges which are resistant to the effects of divalent cations up to 0.1 M. Vesicles formed by mixtures of decylamine and decanoic acid (1:1 mole ratio) are relatively permeable to pyranine, a fluorescent anionic dye, but permeability could be reduced by adding 2 mol% of a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon such as pyrene. Permeability to the dye was also reduced by increasing the chain length of the amphiphiles. For instance, 1:1 mole ratio mixtures of dodecylamine and dodecanoic acid were able to retain pyranine dye during and following gel filtration. We conclude that primitive cell membranes were likely to be composed of mixtures of amphiphilic and hydrophobic molecules that manifested increased stability over pure fatty acid membranes.

Mathematical modelling of dextran filtration through hollow fibre membranes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vinther, Frank; Pinelo, Manuel; Brøns, Morten

2014-01-01

In this paper we present a mathematical model of an ultrafiltration process. The results of the model are produced using standard numerical techniques with Comsol Multiphysics. The model describes the fluid flow and separation in hollow fibre membranes. The flow of solute and solvent within the h...

Mass and Heat Transfer Analysis of Membrane Humidifier with a Simple Lumped Mass Model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Young Duk; Bae, Ho June; Ahn, Kook Young; Yu, Sang Seok; Hwang, Joon Young

2009-01-01

The performance of proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) is seriously changed by the humidification condition which is intrinsic characteristics of the PEMFC. Typically, the humidification of fuel cell is carried out with internal or external humidifier. A membrane humidifier is applied to the external humidification of residential power generation fuel cell due to its convenience and high performance. In this study, a simple static model is constructed to understand the physical phenomena of the membrane humidifier in terms of geometric parameters and operating parameters. The model utilizes the concept of shell and tube heat exchanger but the model is also able to estimate the mass transport through the membrane. Model is constructed with FORTRAN under Matlab/Simulink □ environment to keep consistency with other components model which we already developed. Results shows that the humidity of wet gas and membrane thickness are critical parameters to improve the performance of the humidifier

Zebrafish as a model to assess cancer heterogeneity, progression and relapse

Science.gov (United States)

Blackburn, Jessica S.; Langenau, David M.

2014-01-01

Clonal evolution is the process by which genetic and epigenetic diversity is created within malignant tumor cells. This process culminates in a heterogeneous tumor, consisting of multiple subpopulations of cancer cells that often do not contain the same underlying mutations. Continuous selective pressure permits outgrowth of clones that harbor lesions that are capable of enhancing disease progression, including those that contribute to therapy resistance, metastasis and relapse. Clonal evolution and the resulting intratumoral heterogeneity pose a substantial challenge to biomarker identification, personalized cancer therapies and the discovery of underlying driver mutations in cancer. The purpose of this Review is to highlight the unique strengths of zebrafish cancer models in assessing the roles that intratumoral heterogeneity and clonal evolution play in cancer, including transgenesis, imaging technologies, high-throughput cell transplantation approaches and in vivo single-cell functional assays. PMID:24973745

Evaluating 3-D and 1-D mathematical models for mass transport in heterogeneous biofilms

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Morgenroth, Eberhard Friedrich; Eberl, H.; van Loosdrecht, M. C. M.

2000-01-01

Results from a three dimensional model for heterogeneous biofilms including the numerical solution of hydrodynamics were compared to simplified one dimensional models. A one dimensional model with a variable diffusion coefficient over the thickness of the biofilm was well suited to approximate...... average concentration profiles of three dimensional simulations of rough biofilms. A new compartmentalized one dimensional model is presented that is then used to evaluate effects of pores and channels on microbial competition in heterogeneous biofilms. Surface and pore regions of the biofilm are modeled...... using separate compartments coupled by a convective link. Local concentration profiles from the three dimensional simulations could be adequately reproduced using the compartmentalized one dimensional model. The compartmentalized one dimensional model was then used to evaluate bacterial competition...

Bias and Uncertainty in Regression-Calibrated Models of Groundwater Flow in Heterogeneous Media

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Cooley, R.L.; Christensen, Steen

2006-01-01

by a lumped or smoothed m-dimensional approximation γθ*, where γ is an interpolation matrix and θ* is a stochastic vector of parameters. Vector θ* has small enough dimension to allow its estimation with the available data. The consequence of the replacement is that model function f(γθ*) written in terms......Groundwater models need to account for detailed but generally unknown spatial variability (heterogeneity) of the hydrogeologic model inputs. To address this problem we replace the large, m-dimensional stochastic vector β that reflects both small and large scales of heterogeneity in the inputs...... small. Model error is accounted for in the weighted nonlinear regression methodology developed to estimate θ* and assess model uncertainties by incorporating the second-moment matrix of the model errors into the weight matrix. Techniques developed by statisticians to analyze classical nonlinear...

Multienzyme Immobilized Polymeric Membrane Reactor for the Transformation of a Lignin Model Compound

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rupam Sarma

2018-04-01

Full Text Available We have developed an integrated, multienzyme functionalized membrane reactor for bioconversion of a lignin model compound involving enzymatic catalysis. The membrane bioreactors were fabricated through the layer-by-layer assembly approach to immobilize three different enzymes (glucose oxidase, peroxidase and laccase into pH-responsive membranes. This novel membrane reactor couples the in situ generation of hydrogen peroxide (by glucose oxidase to oxidative conversion of a lignin model compound, guaiacylglycerol-β-guaiacyl ether (GGE. Preliminary investigation of the efficacy of these functional membranes towards GGE degradation is demonstrated under convective flow mode. Over 90% of the initial feed could be degraded with the multienzyme immobilized membranes at a residence time of approximately 22 s. GGE conversion product analysis revealed the formation of oligomeric oxidation products upon reaction with peroxidase, which may be a potential hazard to membrane bioreactors. These oxidation products could further be degraded by laccase enzymes in the multienzymatic membranes, explaining the potential of multi enzyme membrane reactors. The multienzyme incorporated membrane reactors were active for more than 30 days of storage time at 4 °C. During this time span, repetitive use of the membrane reactor was demonstrated involving 5–6 h of operation time for each cycle. The membrane reactor displayed encouraging performance, losing only 12% of its initial activity after multiple cycles of operation.

A Coarse Grained Model for a Lipid Membrane with Physiological Composition and Leaflet Asymmetry.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Satyan Sharma

Full Text Available The resemblance of lipid membrane models to physiological membranes determines how well molecular dynamics (MD simulations imitate the dynamic behavior of cell membranes and membrane proteins. Physiological lipid membranes are composed of multiple types of phospholipids, and the leaflet compositions are generally asymmetric. Here we describe an approach for self-assembly of a Coarse-Grained (CG membrane model with physiological composition and leaflet asymmetry using the MARTINI force field. An initial set-up of two boxes with different types of lipids according to the leaflet asymmetry of mammalian cell membranes stacked with 0.5 nm overlap, reliably resulted in the self-assembly of bilayer membranes with leaflet asymmetry resembling that of physiological mammalian cell membranes. Self-assembly in the presence of a fragment of the plasma membrane protein syntaxin 1A led to spontaneous specific positioning of phosphatidylionositol(4,5bisphosphate at a positively charged stretch of syntaxin consistent with experimental data. An analogous approach choosing an initial set-up with two concentric shells filled with different lipid types results in successful assembly of a spherical vesicle with asymmetric leaflet composition. Self-assembly of the vesicle in the presence of the synaptic vesicle protein synaptobrevin 2 revealed the correct position of the synaptobrevin transmembrane domain. This is the first CG MD method to form a membrane with physiological lipid composition as well as leaflet asymmetry by self-assembly and will enable unbiased studies of the incorporation and dynamics of membrane proteins in more realistic CG membrane models.

Modelling of a tubular membrane contactor for pre-combustion CO2 capture using ionic liquids: Influence of the membrane configuration, absorbent properties and operation parameters

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhongde Dai

2016-10-01

Full Text Available A membrane contactor using ionic liquids (ILs as solvent for pre-combustion capture CO2 at elevated temperature (303–393 K and pressure (20 bar has been studied using mathematic model in the present work. A comprehensive two-dimensional (2D mass-transfer model was developed based on finite element method. The effects of liquid properties, membrane configurations, as well as operation parameters on the CO2 removal efficiency were systematically studied. The simulation results show that CO2 can be effectively removed in this process. In addition, it is found that the liquid phase mass transfer dominated the overall mass transfer. Membranes with high porosity and small thickness could apparently reduce the membrane resistance and thus increase the separation efficiency. On the other hand, the membrane diameter and membrane length have a relatively small influence on separation performance within the operation range. Keywords: CO2 capture, Pre-combustion, Membrane contactor, Ionic liquids, Modelling

An improved multi-value cellular automata model for heterogeneous bicycle traffic flow

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jin, Sheng [College of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058 China (China); Qu, Xiaobo [Griffith School of Engineering, Griffith University, Gold Coast, 4222 Australia (Australia); Xu, Cheng [Department of Transportation Management Engineering, Zhejiang Police College, Hangzhou, 310053 China (China); College of Transportation, Jilin University, Changchun, 130022 China (China); Ma, Dongfang, E-mail: mdf2004@zju.edu.cn [Ocean College, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058 China (China); Wang, Dianhai [College of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058 China (China)

2015-10-16

This letter develops an improved multi-value cellular automata model for heterogeneous bicycle traffic flow taking the higher maximum speed of electric bicycles into consideration. The update rules of both regular and electric bicycles are improved, with maximum speeds of two and three cells per second respectively. Numerical simulation results for deterministic and stochastic cases are obtained. The fundamental diagrams and multiple states effects under different model parameters are analyzed and discussed. Field observations were made to calibrate the slowdown probabilities. The results imply that the improved extended Burgers cellular automata (IEBCA) model is more consistent with the field observations than previous models and greatly enhances the realism of the bicycle traffic model. - Highlights: • We proposed an improved multi-value CA model with higher maximum speed. • Update rules are introduced for heterogeneous bicycle traffic with maximum speed 2 and 3 cells/s. • Simulation results of the proposed model are consistent with field bicycle data. • Slowdown probabilities of both regular and electric bicycles are calibrated.

An improved multi-value cellular automata model for heterogeneous bicycle traffic flow

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jin, Sheng; Qu, Xiaobo; Xu, Cheng; Ma, Dongfang; Wang, Dianhai

2015-01-01

This letter develops an improved multi-value cellular automata model for heterogeneous bicycle traffic flow taking the higher maximum speed of electric bicycles into consideration. The update rules of both regular and electric bicycles are improved, with maximum speeds of two and three cells per second respectively. Numerical simulation results for deterministic and stochastic cases are obtained. The fundamental diagrams and multiple states effects under different model parameters are analyzed and discussed. Field observations were made to calibrate the slowdown probabilities. The results imply that the improved extended Burgers cellular automata (IEBCA) model is more consistent with the field observations than previous models and greatly enhances the realism of the bicycle traffic model. - Highlights: • We proposed an improved multi-value CA model with higher maximum speed. • Update rules are introduced for heterogeneous bicycle traffic with maximum speed 2 and 3 cells/s. • Simulation results of the proposed model are consistent with field bicycle data. • Slowdown probabilities of both regular and electric bicycles are calibrated

A least-effort principle based model for heterogeneous pedestrian flow considering overtaking behavior

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Chi; Ye, Rui; Lian, Liping; Song, Weiguo; Zhang, Jun; Lo, Siuming

2018-05-01

In the context of global aging, how to design traffic facilities for a population with a different age composition is of high importance. For this purpose, we propose a model based on the least effort principle to simulate heterogeneous pedestrian flow. In the model, the pedestrian is represented by a three-disc shaped agent. We add a new parameter to realize pedestrians' preference to avoid changing their direction of movement too quickly. The model is validated with numerous experimental data on unidirectional pedestrian flow. In addition, we investigate the influence of corridor width and velocity distribution of crowds on unidirectional heterogeneous pedestrian flow. The simulation results reflect that widening corridors could increase the specific flow for the crowd composed of two kinds of pedestrians with significantly different free velocities. Moreover, compared with a unified crowd, the crowd composed of pedestrians with great mobility differences requires a wider corridor to attain the same traffic efficiency. This study could be beneficial in providing a better understanding of heterogeneous pedestrian flow, and quantified outcomes could be applied in traffic facility design.

Interleaflet Coupling, Pinning, and Leaflet Asymmetry—Major Players in Plasma Membrane Nanodomain Formation

Science.gov (United States)

Fujimoto, Toyoshi; Parmryd, Ingela

2017-01-01

The plasma membrane has a highly asymmetric distribution of lipids and contains dynamic nanodomains many of which are liquid entities surrounded by a second, slightly different, liquid environment. Contributing to the dynamics is a continuous repartitioning of components between the two types of liquids and transient links between lipids and proteins, both to extracellular matrix and cytoplasmic components, that temporarily pin membrane constituents. This make plasma membrane nanodomains exceptionally challenging to study and much of what is known about membrane domains has been deduced from studies on model membranes at equilibrium. However, living cells are by definition not at equilibrium and lipids are distributed asymmetrically with inositol phospholipids, phosphatidylethanolamines and phosphatidylserines confined mostly to the inner leaflet and glyco- and sphingolipids to the outer leaflet. Moreover, each phospholipid group encompasses a wealth of species with different acyl chain combinations whose lateral distribution is heterogeneous. It is becoming increasingly clear that asymmetry and pinning play important roles in plasma membrane nanodomain formation and coupling between the two lipid monolayers. How asymmetry, pinning, and interdigitation contribute to the plasma membrane organization is only beginning to be unraveled and here we discuss their roles and interdependence. PMID:28119914

Particle-based modeling of heterogeneous chemical kinetics including mass transfer.

Science.gov (United States)

Sengar, A; Kuipers, J A M; van Santen, Rutger A; Padding, J T

2017-08-01

Connecting the macroscopic world of continuous fields to the microscopic world of discrete molecular events is important for understanding several phenomena occurring at physical boundaries of systems. An important example is heterogeneous catalysis, where reactions take place at active surfaces, but the effective reaction rates are determined by transport limitations in the bulk fluid and reaction limitations on the catalyst surface. In this work we study the macro-micro connection in a model heterogeneous catalytic reactor by means of stochastic rotation dynamics. The model is able to resolve the convective and diffusive interplay between participating species, while including adsorption, desorption, and reaction processes on the catalytic surface. Here we apply the simulation methodology to a simple straight microchannel with a catalytic strip. Dimensionless Damkohler numbers are used to comment on the spatial concentration profiles of reactants and products near the catalyst strip and in the bulk. We end the discussion with an outlook on more complicated geometries and increasingly complex reactions.

Particle-based modeling of heterogeneous chemical kinetics including mass transfer

Science.gov (United States)

Sengar, A.; Kuipers, J. A. M.; van Santen, Rutger A.; Padding, J. T.

2017-08-01

Connecting the macroscopic world of continuous fields to the microscopic world of discrete molecular events is important for understanding several phenomena occurring at physical boundaries of systems. An important example is heterogeneous catalysis, where reactions take place at active surfaces, but the effective reaction rates are determined by transport limitations in the bulk fluid and reaction limitations on the catalyst surface. In this work we study the macro-micro connection in a model heterogeneous catalytic reactor by means of stochastic rotation dynamics. The model is able to resolve the convective and diffusive interplay between participating species, while including adsorption, desorption, and reaction processes on the catalytic surface. Here we apply the simulation methodology to a simple straight microchannel with a catalytic strip. Dimensionless Damkohler numbers are used to comment on the spatial concentration profiles of reactants and products near the catalyst strip and in the bulk. We end the discussion with an outlook on more complicated geometries and increasingly complex reactions.

Distribution of macular xanthophylls between domains in a model of photoreceptor outer segment membranes.

Science.gov (United States)

Wisniewska, Anna; Subczynski, Witold K

2006-10-15

A model of photoreceptor outer segment (POS) membranes has been proposed, consisting of an equimolar ternary mixture of 1-palmitoyl-2-docosahexaenoylphosphatidylcholine/distearoylphosphatidylcholine/cholesterol. It was shown that, as in membranes made from the raft-forming mixture, in the model of POS membranes, two domains are formed: the raft domain (detergent resistant membranes, DRM), and the bulk domain (detergent soluble membranes, DSM). Saturation-recovery EPR discrimination by oxygen transport method also demonstrated the presence of two domains in this model system in situ at a wide range of temperatures (10-55 degrees C), showing additionally that neither lutein nor zeaxanthin at 1 mol% affect the formation of these domains. These membrane domains have been separated using cold Triton X-100 extraction from a model of POS membranes containing 1 mol% of either lutein or zeaxanthin. The results indicated that the macular xanthophylls lutein and zeaxanthin are substantially excluded from DRM and remain concentrated in DSM, a domain enriched in highly unsaturated docosahexaenoyl acid which is abundant in retina membranes. The concentration of xanthophylls in DRM and DSM calculated as the mol ratio of either xanthophyll to total lipid (phospholipid+cholesterol) was 0.0028 and 0.0391, respectively. Thus, xanthophylls are about 14 times more concentrated in DSM than in DRM. No significant difference in the distribution of lutein and zeaxanthin was found. The obtained results suggest that in POS membranes macular xanthophylls should also be concentrated in domains enriched in polyunsaturated chains.

DEVELOPING VERIFICATION SYSTEMS FOR BUILDING INFORMATION MODELS OF HERITAGE BUILDINGS WITH HETEROGENEOUS DATASETS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

L. Chow

2017-08-01

Full Text Available The digitization and abstraction of existing buildings into building information models requires the translation of heterogeneous datasets that may include CAD, technical reports, historic texts, archival drawings, terrestrial laser scanning, and photogrammetry into model elements. In this paper, we discuss a project undertaken by the Carleton Immersive Media Studio (CIMS that explored the synthesis of heterogeneous datasets for the development of a building information model (BIM for one of Canada’s most significant heritage assets – the Centre Block of the Parliament Hill National Historic Site. The scope of the project included the development of an as-found model of the century-old, six-story building in anticipation of specific model uses for an extensive rehabilitation program. The as-found Centre Block model was developed in Revit using primarily point cloud data from terrestrial laser scanning. The data was captured by CIMS in partnership with Heritage Conservation Services (HCS, Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC, using a Leica C10 and P40 (exterior and large interior spaces and a Faro Focus (small to mid-sized interior spaces. Secondary sources such as archival drawings, photographs, and technical reports were referenced in cases where point cloud data was not available. As a result of working with heterogeneous data sets, a verification system was introduced in order to communicate to model users/viewers the source of information for each building element within the model.

[Computer modeling the hydrostatic pressure characteristics of the membrane potential for polymeric membrane, separated non-homogeneous electrolyte solutions].

Science.gov (United States)

Slezak, Izabella H; Jasik-Slezak, Jolanta; Rogal, Mirosława; Slezak, Andrzej

2006-01-01

On the basis of model equation depending the membrane potential deltapsis, on mechanical pressure difference (deltaP), concentration polarization coefficient (zetas), concentration Rayleigh number (RC) and ratio concentration of solutions separated by membrane (Ch/Cl), the characteristics deltapsis = f(deltaP)zetas,RC,Ch/Cl for steady values of zetas, RC and Ch/Cl in single-membrane system were calculated. In this system neutral and isotropic polymeric membrane oriented in horizontal plane, the non-homogeneous binary electrolytic solutions of various concentrations were separated. Nonhomogeneity of solutions is results from creations of the concentration boundary layers on both sides of the membrane. Calculations were made for the case where on a one side of the membrane aqueous solution of NaCl at steady concentration 10(-3) mol x l(-1) (Cl) was placed and on the other aqueous solutions of NaCl at concentrations from 10(-3) mol x l(-1) to 2 x 10(-2) mol x l(-1) (Ch). Their densities were greater than NaCl solution's at 10(-3) mol x l(-1). It was shown that membrane potential depends on hydrodynamic state of a complex concentration boundary layer-membrane-concentration boundary layer, what is controlled by deltaP, Ch/Cl, RC and zetas.

Computational Model of Antidepressant Response Heterogeneity as Multi-pathway Neuroadaptation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mariam B. Camacho

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Current hypotheses cannot fully explain the clinically observed heterogeneity in antidepressant response. The therapeutic latency of antidepressants suggests that therapeutic outcomes are achieved not by the acute effects of the drugs, but rather by the homeostatic changes that occur as the brain adapts to their chronic administration. We present a computational model that represents the known interactions between the monoaminergic neurotransmitter-producing brain regions and associated non-monoaminergic neurotransmitter systems, and use the model to explore the possible ways in which the brain can homeostatically adjust to chronic antidepressant administration. The model also represents the neuron-specific neurotransmitter receptors that are known to adjust their strengths (expressions or sensitivities in response to chronic antidepressant administration, and neuroadaptation in the model occurs through sequential adjustments in these receptor strengths. The main result is that the model can reach similar levels of adaptation to chronic administration of the same antidepressant drug or combination along many different pathways, arriving correspondingly at many different receptor strength configurations, but not all of those adapted configurations are also associated with therapeutic elevations in monoamine levels. When expressed as the percentage of adapted configurations that are also associated with elevations in one or more of the monoamines, our modeling results largely agree with the percentage efficacy rates of antidepressants and antidepressant combinations observed in clinical trials. Our neuroadaptation model provides an explanation for the clinical reports of heterogeneous outcomes among patients chronically administered the same antidepressant drug regimen.

Time and spatial concentration profile inside a membrane by means of a memory formalism

Science.gov (United States)

Caputo, Michele; Cametti, Cesare; Ruggero, Vittorio

2008-03-01

In this note, the profile concentration of diffusing particles inside a membrane has been calculated on the basis of the Fick diffusion equation modified by introducing a memory formalism. In highly heterogeneous systems, such as biological membranes, the intrinsic structural complexity of the medium restricts the applicability of continuum diffusion models and suggests that diffusion parameters could depend at a certain time or position on what happens at preceding times (diffusion with memory). Here, we deal with two particular cases, the diffusion of glucose across an erythrocyte membrane, when the concentration at both sides of the membrane are assigned, and the permeation transport of small molecular weight solute through an artificial hydrogel polymeric membrane. However, the present procedure can be easily extended to more general conditions. The knowledge of the concentration profile within a membranous structure, which is usually not easily experimentally accessible, completes the description of the rather complex phenomenon of the transport across a highly structured confined medium and can also lead to an improvement in controlled drug-delivery systems.

The implications of heterogeneity for repository performance assessments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jackson, C.P.; Porter, J.D.; Morris, S.T.; Herbert, A.W.

1991-01-01

We outline the current views of the Nirex Disposal Safety Assessment Team on heterogeneity, we describe the pragmatic approach to modelling the consequences of heterogeneity that is being currently used, we present work that is being undertaken in the Nirex Safety Assessment Research Programme to develop improved models and we discuss the implications of heterogeneity for site investigation. We point out the need to develop simple models for use in probabilistic analyses. Heterogeneity leads to dispersion, which is currently modelled using a simple diffusion-like model. We discuss the differences between structured heterogeneity, such as fracture zones, and random heterogeneity. We consider that the geostatistical approach to modelling random heterogeneity is probably that most suitable for the needs of Nirex. More measurements are needed in order to characterize heterogeneous media than to characterize homogeneous media. 18 refs., 4 figs

Radiative transfer model for heterogeneous 3-D scenes

Science.gov (United States)

Kimes, D. S.; Kirchner, J. A.

1982-01-01

A general mathematical framework for simulating processes in heterogeneous 3-D scenes is presented. Specifically, a model was designed and coded for application to radiative transfers in vegetative scenes. The model is unique in that it predicts (1) the directional spectral reflectance factors as a function of the sensor's azimuth and zenith angles and the sensor's position above the canopy, (2) the spectral absorption as a function of location within the scene, and (3) the directional spectral radiance as a function of the sensor's location within the scene. The model was shown to follow known physical principles of radiative transfer. Initial verification of the model as applied to a soybean row crop showed that the simulated directional reflectance data corresponded relatively well in gross trends to the measured data. However, the model can be greatly improved by incorporating more sophisticated and realistic anisotropic scattering algorithms

Thermal experiments in the ADS target model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Efanov, A.D.; Orlov, Yu.I.; Sorokin, A.P.; Ivanov, E.F.; Bogoslovskaya, G.P.; Li, N.

2002-01-01

Experiments on the development of the target heat model project and method of investigation into heat exchange in target were conducted with the aim of analysis of thermomechanical and strength characteristics of device; experimental data on the temperature distribution in coolant and membrane were obtained. Obtained data demonstrate that the temperature heterogeneity of membrane and coolant are connected with the temperature distribution variability near the membrane. Peculiarities of the experiment are noted: maximal temperature of oscillations at high point of the membrane, and power bearing temperature oscillations in the range 0 - 1 Hz [ru

Induced mitochondrial membrane potential for modeling solitonic conduction of electrotonic signals.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

R R Poznanski

Full Text Available A cable model that includes polarization-induced capacitive current is derived for modeling the solitonic conduction of electrotonic potentials in neuronal branchlets with microstructure containing endoplasmic membranes. A solution of the nonlinear cable equation modified for fissured intracellular medium with a source term representing charge 'soakage' is used to show how intracellular capacitive effects of bound electrical charges within mitochondrial membranes can influence electrotonic signals expressed as solitary waves. The elastic collision resulting from a head-on collision of two solitary waves results in localized and non-dispersing electrical solitons created by the nonlinearity of the source term. It has been shown that solitons in neurons with mitochondrial membrane and quasi-electrostatic interactions of charges held by the microstructure (i.e., charge 'soakage' have a slower velocity of propagation compared with solitons in neurons with microstructure, but without endoplasmic membranes. When the equilibrium potential is a small deviation from rest, the nonohmic conductance acts as a leaky channel and the solitons are small compared when the equilibrium potential is large and the outer mitochondrial membrane acts as an amplifier, boosting the amplitude of the endogenously generated solitons. These findings demonstrate a functional role of quasi-electrostatic interactions of bound electrical charges held by microstructure for sustaining solitons with robust self-regulation in their amplitude through changes in the mitochondrial membrane equilibrium potential. The implication of our results indicate that a phenomenological description of ionic current can be successfully modeled with displacement current in Maxwell's equations as a conduction process involving quasi-electrostatic interactions without the inclusion of diffusive current. This is the first study in which solitonic conduction of electrotonic potentials are generated by

Analysis and optimization of a proton exchange membrane fuel cell using modeling techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Torre Valdés, Ing. Raciel de la; García Parra, MSc. Lázaro Roger; González Rodríguez, MSc. Daniel

2015-01-01

This paper proposes a three-dimensional, non-isothermal and steady-state model of Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell using Computational Fluid Dynamic techniques, specifically ANSYS FLUENT 14.5. It's considered multicomponent diffusion and two-phasic flow. The model was compared with experimental published data and with another model. The operation parameters: reactants pressure and temperature, gases flow direction, gas diffusion layer and catalyst layer porosity, reactants humidification and oxygen concentration are analyzed. The model allows the fuel cell design optimization taking in consideration the channels dimensions, the channels length and the membrane thickness. Furthermore, fuel cell performance is analyzed working with SPEEK membrane, an alternative electrolyte to Nafion. In order to carry on membrane material study, it's necessary to modify the expression that describes the electrolyte ionic conductivity. It's found that the device performance has got a great sensibility to pressure, temperature, reactant humidification and oxygen concentration variations. (author)

Interaction of multiple biomimetic antimicrobial polymers with model bacterial membranes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Baul, Upayan, E-mail: upayanb@imsc.res.in; Vemparala, Satyavani, E-mail: vani@imsc.res.in [The Institute of Mathematical Sciences, C.I.T. Campus, Taramani, Chennai 600113 (India); Kuroda, Kenichi, E-mail: kkuroda@umich.edu [Department of Biologic and Materials Sciences, University of Michigan School of Dentistry, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109 (United States)

2014-08-28

Using atomistic molecular dynamics simulations, interaction of multiple synthetic random copolymers based on methacrylates on prototypical bacterial membranes is investigated. The simulations show that the cationic polymers form a micellar aggregate in water phase and the aggregate, when interacting with the bacterial membrane, induces clustering of oppositely charged anionic lipid molecules to form clusters and enhances ordering of lipid chains. The model bacterial membrane, consequently, develops lateral inhomogeneity in membrane thickness profile compared to polymer-free system. The individual polymers in the aggregate are released into the bacterial membrane in a phased manner and the simulations suggest that the most probable location of the partitioned polymers is near the 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-phosphatidylglycerol (POPG) clusters. The partitioned polymers preferentially adopt facially amphiphilic conformations at lipid-water interface, despite lacking intrinsic secondary structures such as α-helix or β-sheet found in naturally occurring antimicrobial peptides.

Experimental oligopolies modeling: A dynamic approach based on heterogeneous behaviors

Science.gov (United States)

Cerboni Baiardi, Lorenzo; Naimzada, Ahmad K.

2018-05-01

In the rank of behavioral rules, imitation-based heuristics has received special attention in economics (see [14] and [12]). In particular, imitative behavior is considered in order to understand the evidences arising in experimental oligopolies which reveal that the Cournot-Nash equilibrium does not emerge as unique outcome and show that an important component of the production at the competitive level is observed (see e.g.[1,3,9] or [7,10]). By considering the pioneering groundbreaking approach of [2], we build a dynamical model of linear oligopolies where heterogeneous decision mechanisms of players are made explicit. In particular, we consider two different types of quantity setting players characterized by different decision mechanisms that coexist and operate simultaneously: agents that adaptively adjust their choices towards the direction that increases their profit are embedded with imitator agents. The latter ones use a particular form of proportional imitation rule that considers the awareness about the presence of strategic interactions. It is noteworthy that the Cournot-Nash outcome is a stationary state of our models. Our thesis is that the chaotic dynamics arousing from a dynamical model, where heterogeneous players are considered, are capable to qualitatively reproduce the outcomes of experimental oligopolies.

Multiscale Molecular Dynamics Model for Heterogeneous Charged Systems

Science.gov (United States)

Stanton, L. G.; Glosli, J. N.; Murillo, M. S.

2018-04-01

Modeling matter across large length scales and timescales using molecular dynamics simulations poses significant challenges. These challenges are typically addressed through the use of precomputed pair potentials that depend on thermodynamic properties like temperature and density; however, many scenarios of interest involve spatiotemporal variations in these properties, and such variations can violate assumptions made in constructing these potentials, thus precluding their use. In particular, when a system is strongly heterogeneous, most of the usual simplifying assumptions (e.g., spherical potentials) do not apply. Here, we present a multiscale approach to orbital-free density functional theory molecular dynamics (OFDFT-MD) simulations that bridges atomic, interionic, and continuum length scales to allow for variations in hydrodynamic quantities in a consistent way. Our multiscale approach enables simulations on the order of micron length scales and 10's of picosecond timescales, which exceeds current OFDFT-MD simulations by many orders of magnitude. This new capability is then used to study the heterogeneous, nonequilibrium dynamics of a heated interface characteristic of an inertial-confinement-fusion capsule containing a plastic ablator near a fuel layer composed of deuterium-tritium ice. At these scales, fundamental assumptions of continuum models are explored; features such as the separation of the momentum fields among the species and strong hydrogen jetting from the plastic into the fuel region are observed, which had previously not been seen in hydrodynamic simulations.

Seismic Modeling Of Reservoir Heterogeneity Scales: An Application To Gas Hydrate Reservoirs

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, J.; Bellefleur, G.; Milkereit, B.

2008-12-01

Natural gas hydrates, a type of inclusion compound or clathrate, are composed of gas molecules trapped within a cage of water molecules. The occurrence of gas hydrates in permafrost regions has been confirmed by core samples recovered from the Mallik gas hydrate research wells located within Mackenzie Delta in Northwest Territories of Canada. Strong vertical variations of compressional and shear sonic velocities and weak surface seismic expressions of gas hydrates indicate that lithological heterogeneities control the distribution of hydrates. Seismic scattering studies predict that typical scales and strong physical contrasts due to gas hydrate concentration will generate strong forward scattering, leaving only weak energy captured by surface receivers. In order to understand the distribution of hydrates and the seismic scattering effects, an algorithm was developed to construct heterogeneous petrophysical reservoir models. The algorithm was based on well logs showing power law features and Gaussian or Non-Gaussian probability density distribution, and was designed to honor the whole statistical features of well logs such as the characteristic scales and the correlation among rock parameters. Multi-dimensional and multi-variable heterogeneous models representing the same statistical properties were constructed and applied to the heterogeneity analysis of gas hydrate reservoirs. The petrophysical models provide the platform to estimate rock physics properties as well as to study the impact of seismic scattering, wave mode conversion, and their integration on wave behavior in heterogeneous reservoirs. Using the Biot-Gassmann theory, the statistical parameters obtained from Mallik 5L-38, and the correlation length estimated from acoustic impedance inversion, gas hydrate volume fraction in Mallik area was estimated to be 1.8%, approximately 2x108 m3 natural gas stored in a hydrate bearing interval within 0.25 km2 lateral extension and between 889 m and 1115 m depth

Analysis of heterogeneity and epistasis in physiological mixed populations by combined structural equation modelling and latent class analysis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fenger, Mogens; Linneberg, A.; Werge, Thomas Mears

2008-01-01

and genetic variations of such networks. METHODS: In this study on type 2 diabetes mellitus, heterogeneity was resolved in a latent class framework combined with structural equation modelling using phenotypic indicators of distinct physiological processes. We modelled the clinical condition "the metabolic......BACKGROUND: Biological systems are interacting, molecular networks in which genetic variation contributes to phenotypic heterogeneity. This heterogeneity is traditionally modelled as a dichotomous trait (e.g. affected vs. non-affected). This is far too simplistic considering the complexity...

A two-phase model of aquifer heterogeneity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moltyaner, G.L.

1994-11-01

A two-phase model of a fluid-saturated geologic medium is developed with groundwater velocity (rather than the hydraulic conductivity) as the primary model parameter. The model describes the groundwater flow, contaminant transport processes, and geologic medium structure at the local-scale of a continuum representation and relates structure to processes quantitatively. In this model, the heterogeneity of a geologic medium is characterized either in terms of the spatial variability in the bulk (local-scale) fluid density and sediment density, or in terms of variability in the local-scale porosity and effective grain diameter. The local-scale continuity equations resulting from these properties are derived for both phases. The effective grain diameter is employed to quantify the geologic structure. Velocity is employed to quantify the transport process. Since structure controls process, a high correlation is observed between the effective grain diameter and velocity. The observed correlation leads to a new formulation of Darcy's law without invoking the concept of a fictitious (Darcy's) velocity. The local-scale groundwater flow equation is developed on the basis of the new formulation. (author). 16 refs., 4 figs

On the study of catalytic membrane reactor for water detritiation: Modeling approach

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liger, Karine, E-mail: karine.liger@cea.fr [CEA, DEN, DTN/SMTA/LIPC Cadarache, Saint Paul-lez-Durance F-13108 (France); Mascarade, Jérémy [CEA, DEN, DTN/SMTA/LIPC Cadarache, Saint Paul-lez-Durance F-13108 (France); Joulia, Xavier; Meyer, Xuan-Mi [Université de Toulouse, INPT, UPS, Laboratoire de Génie Chimique, 4, Allée Emile Monso, Toulouse F-31030 (France); CNRS, Laboratoire de Génie Chimique, Toulouse F-31030 (France); Troulay, Michèle; Perrais, Christophe [CEA, DEN, DTN/SMTA/LIPC Cadarache, Saint Paul-lez-Durance F-13108 (France)

2016-11-01

Highlights: • Experimental results for the conversion of tritiated water (using deuterium as a simulant of tritium) by means of a catalytic membrane reactor in view of tritium recovery. • Phenomenological 2D model to represent catalytic membrane reactor behavior including the determination of the compositions of gaseous effluents. • Good agreement between the simulation results and experimental measurements performed on the dedicated facility. • Explanation of the unexpected behavior of the catalytic membrane reactor by the modeling results and in particular the gas composition estimation. - Abstract: In the framework of tritium recovery from tritiated water, efficiency of packed bed membrane reactors have been successfully demonstrated. Thanks to protium isotope swamping, tritium bonded water can be recovered under the valuable Q{sub 2} form (Q = H, D or T) by means of isotope exchange reactions occurring on catalyst surface. The use of permselective Pd-based membrane allows withdrawal of reactions products all along the reactor, and thus limits reverse reaction rate to the benefit of the direct one (shift effect). The reactions kinetics, which are still little known or unknown, are generally assumed to be largely greater than the permeation ones so that thermodynamic equilibriums of isotope exchange reactions are generally assumed. This paper proposes a new phenomenological 2D model to represent catalytic membrane reactor behavior with the determination of gas effluents compositions. A good agreement was obtained between the simulation results and experimental measurements performed on a dedicated facility. Furthermore, the gas composition estimation permits to interpret unexpected behavior of the catalytic membrane reactor. In the next future, further sensitivity analysis will be performed to determine the limits of the model and a kinetics study will be conducted to assess the thermodynamic equilibrium of reactions.

On the study of catalytic membrane reactor for water detritiation: Modeling approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liger, Karine; Mascarade, Jérémy; Joulia, Xavier; Meyer, Xuan-Mi; Troulay, Michèle; Perrais, Christophe

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Experimental results for the conversion of tritiated water (using deuterium as a simulant of tritium) by means of a catalytic membrane reactor in view of tritium recovery. • Phenomenological 2D model to represent catalytic membrane reactor behavior including the determination of the compositions of gaseous effluents. • Good agreement between the simulation results and experimental measurements performed on the dedicated facility. • Explanation of the unexpected behavior of the catalytic membrane reactor by the modeling results and in particular the gas composition estimation. - Abstract: In the framework of tritium recovery from tritiated water, efficiency of packed bed membrane reactors have been successfully demonstrated. Thanks to protium isotope swamping, tritium bonded water can be recovered under the valuable Q_2 form (Q = H, D or T) by means of isotope exchange reactions occurring on catalyst surface. The use of permselective Pd-based membrane allows withdrawal of reactions products all along the reactor, and thus limits reverse reaction rate to the benefit of the direct one (shift effect). The reactions kinetics, which are still little known or unknown, are generally assumed to be largely greater than the permeation ones so that thermodynamic equilibriums of isotope exchange reactions are generally assumed. This paper proposes a new phenomenological 2D model to represent catalytic membrane reactor behavior with the determination of gas effluents compositions. A good agreement was obtained between the simulation results and experimental measurements performed on a dedicated facility. Furthermore, the gas composition estimation permits to interpret unexpected behavior of the catalytic membrane reactor. In the next future, further sensitivity analysis will be performed to determine the limits of the model and a kinetics study will be conducted to assess the thermodynamic equilibrium of reactions.

A space-fractional Monodomain model for cardiac electrophysiology combining anisotropy and heterogeneity on realistic geometries

Science.gov (United States)

Cusimano, N.; Gerardo-Giorda, L.

2018-06-01

Classical models of electrophysiology do not typically account for the effects of high structural heterogeneity in the spatio-temporal description of excitation waves propagation. We consider a modification of the Monodomain model obtained by replacing the diffusive term of the classical formulation with a fractional power of the operator, defined in the spectral sense. The resulting nonlocal model describes different levels of tissue heterogeneity as the fractional exponent is varied. The numerical method for the solution of the fractional Monodomain relies on an integral representation of the nonlocal operator combined with a finite element discretisation in space, allowing to handle in a natural way bounded domains in more than one spatial dimension. Numerical tests in two spatial dimensions illustrate the features of the model. Activation times, action potential duration and its dispersion throughout the domain are studied as a function of the fractional parameter: the expected peculiar behaviour driven by tissue heterogeneities is recovered.

in Heterogeneous Media

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Saeed Balouchi

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Fractured reservoirs contain about 85 and 90 percent of oil and gas resources respectively in Iran. A comprehensive study and investigation of fractures as the main factor affecting fluid flow or perhaps barrier seems necessary for reservoir development studies. High degrees of heterogeneity and sparseness of data have incapacitated conventional deterministic methods in fracture network modeling. Recently, simulated annealing (SA has been applied to generate stochastic realizations of spatially correlated fracture networks by assuming that the elastic energy of fractures follows Boltzmann distribution. Although SA honors local variability, the objective function of geometrical fracture modeling is defined for homogeneous conditions. In this study, after the introduction of SA and the derivation of the energy function, a novel technique is presented to adjust the model with highly heterogeneous data for a fractured field from the southwest of Iran. To this end, the regular object-based model is combined with a grid-based technique to cover the heterogeneity of reservoir properties. The original SA algorithm is also modified by being constrained in different directions and weighting the energy function to make it appropriate for heterogeneous conditions. The simulation results of the presented approach are in good agreement with the observed field data.

Heterogeneity and contaminant transport modeling for the Savannah River integrated demonstration site

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chesnut, D.A.

1992-11-01

The effectiveness of remediating aquifers and vadose zone sediments is frequently controlled by spatial heterogeneities. A continuing and long-recognized problem in selecting, planning, implementing, and operating remediation projects is the development of methods for quantitatively describing heterogeneity and predicting its effects on process performance. The similarity to and differences from modeling oil recovery processes in the petroleum industry are illustrated by the extension to contaminant extraction processes of an analytic model originally developed for waterflooding petroleum reservoirs. The resulting equations incorporate the effects of heterogeneity through a single parameter, σ. Fitting this model to the Savannah River in situ Air Stripping test data suggests that the injection of air into a horizontal well below the water table may have improved performance by changing the flow pattern in the vadose zone. This change increased the capture volume, and consequently the contaminant mass inventory, of the horizontal injection well completed in the vadose zone. The apparent increases (compared to extraction only from the horizontal well) are from 10,200 to 21,000 pounds for TCE and from 3,600 pounds to 59,800 pounds for PCE. The predominance of PCE in this calculated increase suggests that redistribution of flow paths in the vadose zone, rather than in-situ stripping, may provide most of the improvement. Although this preliminary conclusion remains to be reinforced by more sophisticated modeling currently in progress, there appears to be a definite improvement, which is attributable to air injection, over conventional remediation methods

A Finite Element Solution of Lateral Periodic Poisson–Boltzmann Model for Membrane Channel Proteins

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Jingjie; Lu, Benzhuo

2018-01-01

Membrane channel proteins control the diffusion of ions across biological membranes. They are closely related to the processes of various organizational mechanisms, such as: cardiac impulse, muscle contraction and hormone secretion. Introducing a membrane region into implicit solvation models extends the ability of the Poisson–Boltzmann (PB) equation to handle membrane proteins. The use of lateral periodic boundary conditions can properly simulate the discrete distribution of membrane proteins on the membrane plane and avoid boundary effects, which are caused by the finite box size in the traditional PB calculations. In this work, we: (1) develop a first finite element solver (FEPB) to solve the PB equation with a two-dimensional periodicity for membrane channel proteins, with different numerical treatments of the singular charges distributions in the channel protein; (2) add the membrane as a dielectric slab in the PB model, and use an improved mesh construction method to automatically identify the membrane channel/pore region even with a tilt angle relative to the z-axis; and (3) add a non-polar solvation energy term to complete the estimation of the total solvation energy of a membrane protein. A mesh resolution of about 0.25 Å (cubic grid space)/0.36 Å (tetrahedron edge length) is found to be most accurate in linear finite element calculation of the PB solvation energy. Computational studies are performed on a few exemplary molecules. The results indicate that all factors, the membrane thickness, the length of periodic box, membrane dielectric constant, pore region dielectric constant, and ionic strength, have individually considerable influence on the solvation energy of a channel protein. This demonstrates the necessity to treat all of those effects in the PB model for membrane protein simulations. PMID:29495644

Electrical Thermal Network for Direct Contact Membrane Distillation Modeling and Analysis

KAUST Repository

Karam, Ayman M.

2015-02-04

Membrane distillation is an emerging water distillation technology that offers several advantages compared to conventional water desalination processes. Although progress has been made to model and understand the physics of the process, many studies are based on steady-state assumptions or are computationally not appropriate for real time control. This paper presents the derivation of a novel dynamical model, based on analogy between electrical and thermal systems, for direct contact membrane distillation (DCMD). The proposed model captures the dynamics of temperature distribution and distilled water flux. To demonstrate the adequacy of the proposed model, validation with transient and steady-state experimental data is presented.

Large-scale Modeling of Nitrous Oxide Production: Issues of Representing Spatial Heterogeneity

Science.gov (United States)

Morris, C. K.; Knighton, J.

2017-12-01

Nitrous oxide is produced from the biological processes of nitrification and denitrification in terrestrial environments and contributes to the greenhouse effect that warms Earth's climate. Large scale modeling can be used to determine how global rate of nitrous oxide production and consumption will shift under future climates. However, accurate modeling of nitrification and denitrification is made difficult by highly parameterized, nonlinear equations. Here we show that the representation of spatial heterogeneity in inputs, specifically soil moisture, causes inaccuracies in estimating the average nitrous oxide production in soils. We demonstrate that when soil moisture is averaged from a spatially heterogeneous surface, net nitrous oxide production is under predicted. We apply this general result in a test of a widely-used global land surface model, the Community Land Model v4.5. The challenges presented by nonlinear controls on nitrous oxide are highlighted here to provide a wider context to the problem of extraordinary denitrification losses in CLM. We hope that these findings will inform future researchers on the possibilities for model improvement of the global nitrogen cycle.

Converting differential-equation models of biological systems to membrane computing.

Science.gov (United States)

Muniyandi, Ravie Chandren; Zin, Abdullah Mohd; Sanders, J W

2013-12-01

This paper presents a method to convert the deterministic, continuous representation of a biological system by ordinary differential equations into a non-deterministic, discrete membrane computation. The dynamics of the membrane computation is governed by rewrite rules operating at certain rates. That has the advantage of applying accurately to small systems, and to expressing rates of change that are determined locally, by region, but not necessary globally. Such spatial information augments the standard differentiable approach to provide a more realistic model. A biological case study of the ligand-receptor network of protein TGF-β is used to validate the effectiveness of the conversion method. It demonstrates the sense in which the behaviours and properties of the system are better preserved in the membrane computing model, suggesting that the proposed conversion method may prove useful for biological systems in particular. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Electrostatic models of electron-driven proton transfer across a lipid membrane

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Smirnov, Anatoly Yu; Nori, Franco [Advanced Science Institute, RIKEN, Wako-shi, Saitama, 351-0198 (Japan); Mourokh, Lev G [Department of Physics, Queens College, The City University of New York, Flushing, NY 11367 (United States)

2011-06-15

We present two models for electron-driven uphill proton transport across lipid membranes, with the electron energy converted to the proton gradient via the electrostatic interaction. In the first model, associated with the cytochrome c oxidase complex in the inner mitochondria membranes, the electrostatic coupling to the site occupied by an electron lowers the energy level of the proton-binding site, making proton transfer possible. In the second model, roughly describing the redox loop in a nitrate respiration of E. coli bacteria, an electron displaces a proton from the negative side of the membrane to a shuttle, which subsequently diffuses across the membrane and unloads the proton to its positive side. We show that both models can be described by the same approach, which can be significantly simplified if the system is separated into several clusters, with strong Coulomb interaction inside each cluster and weak transfer couplings between them. We derive and solve the equations of motion for the electron and proton creation/annihilation operators, taking into account the appropriate Coulomb terms, tunnel couplings, and the interaction with the environment. For the second model, these equations of motion are solved jointly with a Langevin-type equation for the shuttle position. We obtain expressions for the electron and proton currents and determine their dependence on the electron and proton voltage build-ups, on-site charging energies, reorganization energies, temperature, and other system parameters. We show that the quantum yield in our models can be up to 100% and the power-conversion efficiency can reach 35%.

Electrostatic models of electron-driven proton transfer across a lipid membrane

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smirnov, Anatoly Yu; Nori, Franco; Mourokh, Lev G

2011-01-01

We present two models for electron-driven uphill proton transport across lipid membranes, with the electron energy converted to the proton gradient via the electrostatic interaction. In the first model, associated with the cytochrome c oxidase complex in the inner mitochondria membranes, the electrostatic coupling to the site occupied by an electron lowers the energy level of the proton-binding site, making proton transfer possible. In the second model, roughly describing the redox loop in a nitrate respiration of E. coli bacteria, an electron displaces a proton from the negative side of the membrane to a shuttle, which subsequently diffuses across the membrane and unloads the proton to its positive side. We show that both models can be described by the same approach, which can be significantly simplified if the system is separated into several clusters, with strong Coulomb interaction inside each cluster and weak transfer couplings between them. We derive and solve the equations of motion for the electron and proton creation/annihilation operators, taking into account the appropriate Coulomb terms, tunnel couplings, and the interaction with the environment. For the second model, these equations of motion are solved jointly with a Langevin-type equation for the shuttle position. We obtain expressions for the electron and proton currents and determine their dependence on the electron and proton voltage build-ups, on-site charging energies, reorganization energies, temperature, and other system parameters. We show that the quantum yield in our models can be up to 100% and the power-conversion efficiency can reach 35%.

An extended heterogeneous car-following model accounting for anticipation driving behavior and mixed maximum speeds

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Fengxin; Wang, Jufeng; Cheng, Rongjun; Ge, Hongxia

2018-02-01

The optimal driving speeds of the different vehicles may be different for the same headway. In the optimal velocity function of the optimal velocity (OV) model, the maximum speed vmax is an important parameter determining the optimal driving speed. A vehicle with higher maximum speed is more willing to drive faster than that with lower maximum speed in similar situation. By incorporating the anticipation driving behavior of relative velocity and mixed maximum speeds of different percentages into optimal velocity function, an extended heterogeneous car-following model is presented in this paper. The analytical linear stable condition for this extended heterogeneous traffic model is obtained by using linear stability theory. Numerical simulations are carried out to explore the complex phenomenon resulted from the cooperation between anticipation driving behavior and heterogeneous maximum speeds in the optimal velocity function. The analytical and numerical results all demonstrate that strengthening driver's anticipation effect can improve the stability of heterogeneous traffic flow, and increasing the lowest value in the mixed maximum speeds will result in more instability, but increasing the value or proportion of the part already having higher maximum speed will cause different stabilities at high or low traffic densities.

Biofouling patterns in spacer filled channels: High resolution imaging for characterization of heterogeneous biofilms

KAUST Repository

Staal, Marc

2017-08-15

Biofilms develop in heterogeneous patterns at a µm scale up to a cm scale, and patterns become more pronounced when biofilms develop under complex hydrodynamic flow regimes. Spatially heterogeneous biofilms are especially known in spiral wound reverse osmosis (RO) and nanofiltration (NF) membrane filtration systems used for desalination and wastewater reuse to produce high quality (drinking) water. These spiral wound membrane modules contain mesh-like spacer structures used to create an intermembrane space and improve water mixing. Spacers create inhomogeneous water flow patterns resulting in zones favouring biofilm growth, possibly leading to biofouling thus hampering water production. Oxygen sensing planar optodes were used to visualize variations in oxygen decrease rates (ODR). ODR is an indication of biofilm activity. In this study, ODR images of multiple repetitive spacer areas in a membrane fouling simulator were averaged to produce high resolution, low noise ODR images. Averaging 40 individual spacer areas improved the ODR distribution image significantly and allowed comparison of biofilm patterning over a spacer structure at different positions in an RO filter. This method clearly showed that most active biofilm accumulated on and in direct vicinity of the spacer. The averaging method was also used to calculate the deviation of ODR patterning from individual spacer areas to the average ODR pattern, proposing a new approach to determine biofilm spatial heterogeneity. This study showed that the averaging method can be applied and that the improved, averaged ODR images can be used as an analytical, in-situ, non-destructive method to assess and quantify the effect of membrane installation operational parameters or different spacer geometries on biofilm development in spiral wound membrane systems characterized by complex hydrodynamic conditions.

Aroma Stripping under various Forms of Membrane Distillation Processes: Experiments and modeling

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jonsson, Gunnar Eigil

Concentration of fruit juices by membrane distillation is an interesting process as it can be done at low temperature giving a gentle concentration process with little deterioration of the juices. Since the juices contains many different aroma compounds with a wide range of chemical properties...... such as volatility, activity coefficient and vapor pressure, it is important to know how these aroma compounds will eventually pass through the membrane. Experiments have been made on an aroma model solution and on black currant juice in a lab scale membrane distillation set up which can be operated in various types...... of MD configurations: Vacuum Membrane Distillation , Sweeping Gas Membrane Distillation , Direct Contact Membrane Distillation and Osmotic Membrane Distillation. The influence of feed temperature and feed flow rate on the permeate flux and concentration factor for different types of aroma compounds have...

Modeling Site Heterogeneity with Posterior Mean Site Frequency Profiles Accelerates Accurate Phylogenomic Estimation.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Huai-Chun; Minh, Bui Quang; Susko, Edward; Roger, Andrew J

2018-03-01

Proteins have distinct structural and functional constraints at different sites that lead to site-specific preferences for particular amino acid residues as the sequences evolve. Heterogeneity in the amino acid substitution process between sites is not modeled by commonly used empirical amino acid exchange matrices. Such model misspecification can lead to artefacts in phylogenetic estimation such as long-branch attraction. Although sophisticated site-heterogeneous mixture models have been developed to address this problem in both Bayesian and maximum likelihood (ML) frameworks, their formidable computational time and memory usage severely limits their use in large phylogenomic analyses. Here we propose a posterior mean site frequency (PMSF) method as a rapid and efficient approximation to full empirical profile mixture models for ML analysis. The PMSF approach assigns a conditional mean amino acid frequency profile to each site calculated based on a mixture model fitted to the data using a preliminary guide tree. These PMSF profiles can then be used for in-depth tree-searching in place of the full mixture model. Compared with widely used empirical mixture models with $k$ classes, our implementation of PMSF in IQ-TREE (http://www.iqtree.org) speeds up the computation by approximately $k$/1.5-fold and requires a small fraction of the RAM. Furthermore, this speedup allows, for the first time, full nonparametric bootstrap analyses to be conducted under complex site-heterogeneous models on large concatenated data matrices. Our simulations and empirical data analyses demonstrate that PMSF can effectively ameliorate long-branch attraction artefacts. In some empirical and simulation settings PMSF provided more accurate estimates of phylogenies than the mixture models from which they derive.

Improving sub-pixel imperviousness change prediction by ensembling heterogeneous non-linear regression models

Science.gov (United States)

Drzewiecki, Wojciech

2016-12-01

In this work nine non-linear regression models were compared for sub-pixel impervious surface area mapping from Landsat images. The comparison was done in three study areas both for accuracy of imperviousness coverage evaluation in individual points in time and accuracy of imperviousness change assessment. The performance of individual machine learning algorithms (Cubist, Random Forest, stochastic gradient boosting of regression trees, k-nearest neighbors regression, random k-nearest neighbors regression, Multivariate Adaptive Regression Splines, averaged neural networks, and support vector machines with polynomial and radial kernels) was also compared with the performance of heterogeneous model ensembles constructed from the best models trained using particular techniques. The results proved that in case of sub-pixel evaluation the most accurate prediction of change may not necessarily be based on the most accurate individual assessments. When single methods are considered, based on obtained results Cubist algorithm may be advised for Landsat based mapping of imperviousness for single dates. However, Random Forest may be endorsed when the most reliable evaluation of imperviousness change is the primary goal. It gave lower accuracies for individual assessments, but better prediction of change due to more correlated errors of individual predictions. Heterogeneous model ensembles performed for individual time points assessments at least as well as the best individual models. In case of imperviousness change assessment the ensembles always outperformed single model approaches. It means that it is possible to improve the accuracy of sub-pixel imperviousness change assessment using ensembles of heterogeneous non-linear regression models.

Bridging Models and Business: Understanding heterogeneity in hidden drivers of customer purchase behavior

NARCIS (Netherlands)

E. Korkmaz (Evsen)

2014-01-01

markdownabstract__Abstract__ Recent years have seen many advances in quantitative models in the marketing literature. Even though these advances enable model building for a better understanding of customer purchase behavior and customer heterogeneity such that firms develop optimal targeting and

Membrane dynamics

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bendix, Pól Martin

2015-01-01

Current topics include membrane-protein interactions with regard to membrane deformation or curvature sensing by BAR domains. Also, we study the dynamics of membrane tubes of both cells and simple model membrane tubes. Finally, we study membrane phase behavior which has important implications...... for the lateral organization of membranes as wells as for physical properties like bending, permeability and elasticity...

A continuous time random walk model for Darcy-scale anomalous transport in heterogeneous porous media.

Science.gov (United States)

Comolli, Alessandro; Hakoun, Vivien; Dentz, Marco

2017-04-01

Achieving the understanding of the process of solute transport in heterogeneous porous media is of crucial importance for several environmental and social purposes, ranging from aquifers contamination and remediation, to risk assessment in nuclear waste repositories. The complexity of this aim is mainly ascribable to the heterogeneity of natural media, which can be observed at all the scales of interest, from pore scale to catchment scale. In fact, the intrinsic heterogeneity of porous media is responsible for the arising of the well-known non-Fickian footprints of transport, including heavy-tailed breakthrough curves, non-Gaussian spatial density profiles and the non-linear growth of the mean squared displacement. Several studies investigated the processes through which heterogeneity impacts the transport properties, which include local modifications to the advective-dispersive motion of solutes, mass exchanges between some mobile and immobile phases (e.g. sorption/desorption reactions or diffusion into solid matrix) and spatial correlation of the flow field. In the last decades, the continuous time random walk (CTRW) model has often been used to describe solute transport in heterogenous conditions and to quantify the impact of point heterogeneity, spatial correlation and mass transfer on the average transport properties [1]. Open issues regarding this approach are the possibility to relate measurable properties of the medium to the parameters of the model, as well as its capability to provide predictive information. In a recent work [2] the authors have shed new light on understanding the relationship between Lagrangian and Eulerian dynamics as well as on their evolution from arbitrary initial conditions. On the basis of these results, we derive a CTRW model for the description of Darcy-scale transport in d-dimensional media characterized by spatially random permeability fields. The CTRW approach models particle velocities as a spatial Markov process, which is

A Bio-Inspired QoS-Oriented Handover Model in Heterogeneous Wireless Networks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daxin Tian

2014-01-01

Full Text Available We propose a bio-inspired model for making handover decision in heterogeneous wireless networks. It is based on an extended attractor selection model, which is biologically inspired by the self-adaptability and robustness of cellular response to the changes in dynamic environments. The goal of the proposed model is to guarantee multiple terminals’ satisfaction by meeting the QoS requirements of those terminals’ applications, and this model also attempts to ensure the fairness of network resources allocation, in the meanwhile, to enable the QoS-oriented handover decision adaptive to dynamic wireless environments. Some numerical simulations are preformed to validate our proposed bio-inspired model in terms of adaptive attractor selection in different noisy environments. And the results of some other simulations prove that the proposed handover scheme can adapt terminals’ network selection to the varying wireless environment and benefits the QoS of multiple terminal applications simultaneously and automatically. Furthermore, the comparative analysis also shows that the bio-inspired model outperforms the utility function based handover decision scheme in terms of ensuring a better QoS satisfaction and a better fairness of network resources allocation in dynamic heterogeneous wireless networks.

Modeling Of Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell Systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Mads Pagh

The objective of this doctoral thesis was to develop reliable steady-state and transient component models suitable to asses-, develop- and optimize proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell systems. Several components in PEM fuel cell systems were characterized and modeled. The developed component...... cell systems. Consequences of indirectly fueling PEM stacks with hydrocarbons using reforming technology were investigated using a PEM stack model including CO poisoning kinetics and a transient Simulink steam reforming system model. Aspects regarding the optimization of PEM fuel cell systems...

Two-dimensional analytical model of a proton exchange membrane fuel cell

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, Jia Xing; Guo, Hang; Ye, Fang; Ma, Chong Fang

2017-01-01

In this study, a two-dimensional full cell analytical model of a proton exchange membrane fuel cell is developed. The analytical model describes electrochemical reactions on the anode and cathode catalyst layer, reactants diffusion in the gas diffusion layer, and gases flow in the gas channel, etc. The analytical solution is derived according to the basic physical equations. The performance predicted by the model is in good agreement with the experimental data. The results show that the polarization mainly occurs in the cathode side of the proton exchange membrane fuel cell. The anodic overpotential cannot be neglected. The hydrogen and oxygen concentrations decrease along the channel flow direction. The hydrogen and oxygen concentrations in the catalyst layer decrease with the current density. As predicted by the model, concentration polarization mainly occurs in the cathode side. - Highlights: • A 2D full cell analytical model of a proton exchange membrane fuel cell is developed. • The analytical solution is deduced according to the basic equations. • The anode overpotential is not so small that it cannot be neglected. • Species concentration distributions in the fuel cell is obtained and analyzed.

Optimization of large-scale heterogeneous system-of-systems models.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Parekh, Ojas; Watson, Jean-Paul; Phillips, Cynthia Ann; Siirola, John; Swiler, Laura Painton; Hough, Patricia Diane (Sandia National Laboratories, Livermore, CA); Lee, Herbert K. H. (University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA); Hart, William Eugene; Gray, Genetha Anne (Sandia National Laboratories, Livermore, CA); Woodruff, David L. (University of California, Davis, Davis, CA)

2012-01-01

Decision makers increasingly rely on large-scale computational models to simulate and analyze complex man-made systems. For example, computational models of national infrastructures are being used to inform government policy, assess economic and national security risks, evaluate infrastructure interdependencies, and plan for the growth and evolution of infrastructure capabilities. A major challenge for decision makers is the analysis of national-scale models that are composed of interacting systems: effective integration of system models is difficult, there are many parameters to analyze in these systems, and fundamental modeling uncertainties complicate analysis. This project is developing optimization methods to effectively represent and analyze large-scale heterogeneous system of systems (HSoS) models, which have emerged as a promising approach for describing such complex man-made systems. These optimization methods enable decision makers to predict future system behavior, manage system risk, assess tradeoffs between system criteria, and identify critical modeling uncertainties.

Bidirectional interconversion of stem and non-stem cancer cell populations: A reassessment of theoretical models for tumor heterogeneity

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Neerven, Sanne M.; Tieken, Mathijs; Vermeulen, Louis; Bijlsma, Maarten F.

2016-01-01

Resolving the origin of intratumor heterogeneity has proven to be one of the central challenges in cancer research during recent years. Two theoretical models explaining the emergence of intratumor heterogeneity have come to dominate cancer biology literature: the clonal evolution model and the

Monodisperse Platinum and Rhodium Nanoparticles as Model Heterogeneous Catalysts

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Grass, Michael Edward [Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States)

2008-09-01

Model heterogeneous catalysts have been synthesized and studied to better understand how the surface structure of noble metal nanoparticles affects catalytic performance. In this project, monodisperse rhodium and platinum nanoparticles of controlled size and shape have been synthesized by solution phase polyol reduction, stabilized by polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP). Model catalysts have been developed using these nanoparticles by two methods: synthesis of mesoporous silica (SBA-15) in the presence of nanoparticles (nanoparticle encapsulation, NE) to form a composite of metal nanoparticles supported on SBA-15 and by deposition of the particles onto a silicon wafer using Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) monolayer deposition. The particle shapes were analyzed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and high resolution TEM (HRTEM) and the sizes were determined by TEM, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and in the case of NE samples, room temperature H₂ and CO adsorption isotherms. Catalytic studies were carried out in homebuilt gas-phase reactors. For the nanoparticles supported on SBA-15, the catalysts are in powder form and were studied using the homebuilt systems as plug-flow reactors. In the case of nanoparticles deposited on silicon wafers, the same systems were operated as batch reactors. This dissertation has focused on the synthesis, characterization, and reaction studies of model noble metal heterogeneous catalysts. Careful control of particle size and shape has been accomplished though solution phase synthesis of Pt and Rh nanoparticles in order to elucidate further structure-reactivity relationships in noble metal catalysis.

A Sharable and Efficient Metadata Model for Heterogeneous Earth Observation Data Retrieval in Multi-Scale Flood Mapping

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nengcheng Chen

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Remote sensing plays an important role in flood mapping and is helping advance flood monitoring and management. Multi-scale flood mapping is necessary for dividing floods into several stages for comprehensive management. However, existing data systems are typically heterogeneous owing to the use of different access protocols and archiving metadata models. In this paper, we proposed a sharable and efficient metadata model (APEOPM for constructing an Earth observation (EO data system to retrieve remote sensing data for flood mapping. The proposed model contains two sub-models, an access protocol model and an enhanced encoding model. The access protocol model helps unify heterogeneous access protocols and can achieve intelligent access via a semantic enhancement method. The enhanced encoding model helps unify a heterogeneous archiving metadata model. Wuhan city, one of the most important cities in the Yangtze River Economic Belt in China, is selected as a study area for testing the retrieval of heterogeneous EO data and flood mapping. The past torrential rain period from 25 March 2015 to 10 April 2015 is chosen as the temporal range in this study. To aid in comprehensive management, mapping is conducted at different spatial and temporal scales. In addition, the efficiency of data retrieval is analyzed, and validation between the flood maps and actual precipitation was conducted. The results show that the flood map coincided with the actual precipitation.

Stochastic equilibria of an asset pricing model with heterogeneous beliefs and random dividends

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Zhu, M.; Wang, D.; Guo, M.

2011-01-01

We investigate dynamical properties of a heterogeneous agent model with random dividends and further study the relationship between dynamical properties of the random model and those of the corresponding deterministic skeleton, which is obtained by setting the random dividends as their constant mean

Harnessing Big Data to Represent 30-meter Spatial Heterogeneity in Earth System Models

Science.gov (United States)

Chaney, N.; Shevliakova, E.; Malyshev, S.; Van Huijgevoort, M.; Milly, C.; Sulman, B. N.

2016-12-01

Terrestrial land surface processes play a critical role in the Earth system; they have a profound impact on the global climate, food and energy production, freshwater resources, and biodiversity. One of the most fascinating yet challenging aspects of characterizing terrestrial ecosystems is their field-scale (˜30 m) spatial heterogeneity. It has been observed repeatedly that the water, energy, and biogeochemical cycles at multiple temporal and spatial scales have deep ties to an ecosystem's spatial structure. Current Earth system models largely disregard this important relationship leading to an inadequate representation of ecosystem dynamics. In this presentation, we will show how existing global environmental datasets can be harnessed to explicitly represent field-scale spatial heterogeneity in Earth system models. For each macroscale grid cell, these environmental data are clustered according to their field-scale soil and topographic attributes to define unique sub-grid tiles. The state-of-the-art Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory (GFDL) land model is then used to simulate these tiles and their spatial interactions via the exchange of water, energy, and nutrients along explicit topographic gradients. Using historical simulations over the contiguous United States, we will show how a robust representation of field-scale spatial heterogeneity impacts modeled ecosystem dynamics including the water, energy, and biogeochemical cycles as well as vegetation composition and distribution.

Actin filaments growing against an elastic membrane: Effect of membrane tension

Science.gov (United States)

Sadhu, Raj Kumar; Chatterjee, Sakuntala

2018-03-01

We study the force generation by a set of parallel actin filaments growing against an elastic membrane. The elastic membrane tries to stay flat and any deformation from this flat state, either caused by thermal fluctuations or due to protrusive polymerization force exerted by the filaments, costs energy. We study two lattice models to describe the membrane dynamics. In one case, the energy cost is assumed to be proportional to the absolute magnitude of the height gradient (gradient model) and in the other case it is proportional to the square of the height gradient (Gaussian model). For the gradient model we find that the membrane velocity is a nonmonotonic function of the elastic constant μ and reaches a peak at μ =μ* . For μ membrane energy keeps increasing with time. For the Gaussian model, the system always reaches a steady state and the membrane velocity decreases monotonically with the elastic constant ν for all nonzero values of ν . Multiple filaments give rise to protrusions at different regions of the membrane and the elasticity of the membrane induces an effective attraction between the two protrusions in the Gaussian model which causes the protrusions to merge and a single wide protrusion is present in the system. In both the models, the relative time scale between the membrane and filament dynamics plays an important role in deciding whether the shape of elasticity-velocity curve is concave or convex. Our numerical simulations agree reasonably well with our analytical calculations.

Mesoscale organization of domains in the plasma membrane - beyond the lipid raft.

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Stella M; Fairn, Gregory D

2018-04-01

The plasma membrane is compartmentalized into several distinct regions or domains, which show a broad diversity in both size and lifetime. The segregation of lipids and membrane proteins is thought to be driven by the lipid composition itself, lipid-protein interactions and diffusional barriers. With regards to the lipid composition, the immiscibility of certain classes of lipids underlies the "lipid raft" concept of plasmalemmal compartmentalization. Historically, lipid rafts have been described as cholesterol and (glyco)sphingolipid-rich regions of the plasma membrane that exist as a liquid-ordered phase that are resistant to extraction with non-ionic detergents. Over the years the interest in lipid rafts grew as did the challenges with studying these nanodomains. The term lipid raft has fallen out of favor with many scientists and instead the terms "membrane raft" or "membrane nanodomain" are preferred as they connote the heterogeneity and dynamic nature of the lipid-protein assemblies. In this article, we will discuss the classical lipid raft hypothesis and its limitations. This review will also discuss alternative models of lipid-protein interactions, annular lipid shells, and larger membrane clusters. We will also discuss the mesoscale organization of plasmalemmal domains including visible structures such as clathrin-coated pits and caveolae.

A new assessment model for tumor heterogeneity analysis with [18]F-FDG PET images.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Ping; Xu, Wengui; Sun, Jian; Yang, Chengwen; Wang, Gang; Sa, Yu; Hu, Xin-Hua; Feng, Yuanming

2016-01-01

It has been shown that the intratumor heterogeneity can be characterized with quantitative analysis of the [18]F-FDG PET image data. The existing models employ multiple parameters for feature extraction which makes it difficult to implement in clinical settings for the quantitative characterization. This article reports an easy-to-use and differential SUV based model for quantitative assessment of the intratumor heterogeneity from 3D [18]F-FDG PET image data. An H index is defined to assess tumor heterogeneity by summing voxel-wise distribution of differential SUV from the [18]F-FDG PET image data. The summation is weighted by the distance of SUV difference among neighboring voxels from the center of the tumor and can thus yield increased values for tumors with peripheral sub-regions of high SUV that often serves as an indicator of augmented malignancy. Furthermore, the sign of H index is used to differentiate the rate of change for volume averaged SUV from its center to periphery. The new model with the H index has been compared with a widely-used model of gray level co-occurrence matrix (GLCM) for image texture characterization with phantoms of different configurations and the [18]F-FDG PET image data of 6 lung cancer patients to evaluate its effectiveness and feasibility for clinical uses. The comparison of the H index and GLCM parameters with the phantoms demonstrate that the H index can characterize the SUV heterogeneity in all of 6 2D phantoms while only 1 GLCM parameter can do for 1 and fail to differentiate for other 2D phantoms. For the 8 3D phantoms, the H index can clearly differentiate all of them while the 4 GLCM parameters provide complicated patterns in the characterization. Feasibility study with the PET image data from 6 lung cancer patients show that the H index provides an effective single-parameter metric to characterize tumor heterogeneity in terms of the local SUV variation, and it has higher correlation with tumor volume change after

Relating transport modeling to nanofiltration membrane fabrication: Navigating the permeability-selectivity trade-off in desalination pretreatment

OpenAIRE

Labban, Omar; Lienhard, John H

2018-01-01

Faced with a pressing need for membranes with a higher permeability and selectivity, the field of membrane technology can benefit from a systematic framework for designing membranes with the necessary physical characteristics. In this work, we present an approach through which transport modeling is employed in fabricating specialized nanofiltration membranes, that experimentally demonstrate enhanced selectivity. Specifically, the Donnan-Steric Pore Model with dielectric exclusion (DSPM-DE) is...

Influence of heterogeneity on rock strength and stiffness using discrete element method and parallel bond model

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Spyridon Liakas

2017-08-01

Full Text Available The particulate discrete element method (DEM can be employed to capture the response of rock, provided that appropriate bonding models are used to cement the particles to each other. Simulations of laboratory tests are important to establish the extent to which those models can capture realistic rock behaviors. Hitherto the focus in such comparison studies has either been on homogeneous specimens or use of two-dimensional (2D models. In situ rock formations are often heterogeneous, thus exploring the ability of this type of models to capture heterogeneous material behavior is important to facilitate their use in design analysis. In situ stress states are basically three-dimensional (3D, and therefore it is important to develop 3D models for this purpose. This paper revisits an earlier experimental study on heterogeneous specimens, of which the relative proportions of weaker material (siltstone and stronger, harder material (sandstone were varied in a controlled manner. Using a 3D DEM model with the parallel bond model, virtual heterogeneous specimens were created. The overall responses in terms of variations in strength and stiffness with different percentages of weaker material (siltstone were shown to agree with the experimental observations. There was also a good qualitative agreement in the failure patterns observed in the experiments and the simulations, suggesting that the DEM data enabled analysis of the initiation of localizations and micro fractures in the specimens.

Effects of Heterogeneity in Residential Preferences on an Agent-Based Model of Urban Sprawl

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daniel G. Brown

2006-06-01

Full Text Available The ability of agent-based models (ABMs to represent heterogeneity in the characteristics and behaviors of actors enables analyses about the implications of this heterogeneity for system behavior. The importance of heterogeneity in the specification of ABMs, however, creates new demands for empirical support. An earlier analysis of a survey of residential preferences within southeastern Michigan revealed seven groups of residents with similar preferences on similar characteristics of location. In this paper, we present an ABM that represents the process of residential development within an urban system and run it for a hypothetical pattern of environmental variation. Residential locations are selected by residential agents, who evaluate locations on the basis of preference for nearness to urban services, including jobs, aesthetic quality of the landscape, and their similarity to their neighbors. We populate our ABM with a population of residential preferences drawn from the survey results in five different ways: (1 preferences drawn at random; (2 equal preferences based on the mean from the entire survey sample; (3 preferences drawn from a single distribution, whose mean and standard deviation are derived from the survey sample; (4 equal preferences within each of seven groups, based on the group means; and (5 preferences drawn from distributions for each of seven groups, defined by group means and standard deviations. Model sensitivity analysis, based on multiple runs of our model under each case, revealed that adding heterogeneity to agents has a significant effect on model outcomes, measured by aggregate patterns of development sprawl and clustering.

Smart Agents and Sentiment in the Heterogeneous Agent Model

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Vácha, Lukáš; Baruník, Jozef; Vošvrda, Miloslav

-, č. 81 (2010), s. 39-40 ISSN 0926-4981 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GA402/09/0965; GA ČR GP402/08/P207 Grant - others:GAUK(CZ) GAUK 46108 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10750506 Keywords : Smart traders * price movements * smart traders concept Subject RIV: AH - Economics http://library.utia.cas.cz/separaty/2010/E/vacha- smart agent s and sentiment in the heterogeneous agent model.pdf

A review of predictive nonlinear theories for multiscale modeling of heterogeneous materials

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Matouš, Karel, E-mail: kmatous@nd.edu [Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556 (United States); Geers, Marc G.D.; Kouznetsova, Varvara G. [Department of Mechanical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven (Netherlands); Gillman, Andrew [Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556 (United States)

2017-02-01

Since the beginning of the industrial age, material performance and design have been in the midst of innovation of many disruptive technologies. Today's electronics, space, medical, transportation, and other industries are enriched by development, design and deployment of composite, heterogeneous and multifunctional materials. As a result, materials innovation is now considerably outpaced by other aspects from component design to product cycle. In this article, we review predictive nonlinear theories for multiscale modeling of heterogeneous materials. Deeper attention is given to multiscale modeling in space and to computational homogenization in addressing challenging materials science questions. Moreover, we discuss a state-of-the-art platform in predictive image-based, multiscale modeling with co-designed simulations and experiments that executes on the world's largest supercomputers. Such a modeling framework consists of experimental tools, computational methods, and digital data strategies. Once fully completed, this collaborative and interdisciplinary framework can be the basis of Virtual Materials Testing standards and aids in the development of new material formulations. Moreover, it will decrease the time to market of innovative products.

A review of predictive nonlinear theories for multiscale modeling of heterogeneous materials

Science.gov (United States)

Matouš, Karel; Geers, Marc G. D.; Kouznetsova, Varvara G.; Gillman, Andrew

2017-02-01

Since the beginning of the industrial age, material performance and design have been in the midst of innovation of many disruptive technologies. Today's electronics, space, medical, transportation, and other industries are enriched by development, design and deployment of composite, heterogeneous and multifunctional materials. As a result, materials innovation is now considerably outpaced by other aspects from component design to product cycle. In this article, we review predictive nonlinear theories for multiscale modeling of heterogeneous materials. Deeper attention is given to multiscale modeling in space and to computational homogenization in addressing challenging materials science questions. Moreover, we discuss a state-of-the-art platform in predictive image-based, multiscale modeling with co-designed simulations and experiments that executes on the world's largest supercomputers. Such a modeling framework consists of experimental tools, computational methods, and digital data strategies. Once fully completed, this collaborative and interdisciplinary framework can be the basis of Virtual Materials Testing standards and aids in the development of new material formulations. Moreover, it will decrease the time to market of innovative products.

A review of predictive nonlinear theories for multiscale modeling of heterogeneous materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matouš, Karel; Geers, Marc G.D.; Kouznetsova, Varvara G.; Gillman, Andrew

2017-01-01

Since the beginning of the industrial age, material performance and design have been in the midst of innovation of many disruptive technologies. Today's electronics, space, medical, transportation, and other industries are enriched by development, design and deployment of composite, heterogeneous and multifunctional materials. As a result, materials innovation is now considerably outpaced by other aspects from component design to product cycle. In this article, we review predictive nonlinear theories for multiscale modeling of heterogeneous materials. Deeper attention is given to multiscale modeling in space and to computational homogenization in addressing challenging materials science questions. Moreover, we discuss a state-of-the-art platform in predictive image-based, multiscale modeling with co-designed simulations and experiments that executes on the world's largest supercomputers. Such a modeling framework consists of experimental tools, computational methods, and digital data strategies. Once fully completed, this collaborative and interdisciplinary framework can be the basis of Virtual Materials Testing standards and aids in the development of new material formulations. Moreover, it will decrease the time to market of innovative products.

Impact of two different saponins on the organization of model lipid membranes.

Science.gov (United States)

Korchowiec, Beata; Gorczyca, Marcelina; Wojszko, Kamila; Janikowska, Maria; Henry, Max; Rogalska, Ewa

2015-10-01

Saponins, naturally occurring plant compounds are known for their biological and pharmacological activity. This activity is strongly related to the amphiphilic character of saponins that allows them to aggregate in aqueous solution and interact with membrane components. In this work, Langmuir monolayer techniques combined with polarization modulation infrared reflection-absorption spectroscopy (PM-IRRAS) and Brewster angle microscopy were used to study the interaction of selected saponins with lipid model membranes. Two structurally different saponins were used: digitonin and a commercial Merck Saponin. Membranes of different composition, namely, cholesterol, 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine or 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phospho-rac-(1-glycerol) were formed at the air/water and air/saponin solution interfaces. The saponin-lipid interaction was characterized by changes in surface pressure, surface potential, surface morphology and PM-IRRAS signal. Both saponins interact with model membranes and change the physical state of membranes by perturbing the lipid acyl chain orientation. The changes in membrane fluidity were more significant upon the interaction with Merck Saponin. A higher affinity of saponins for cholesterol than phosphatidylglycerols was observed. Moreover, our results indicate that digitonin interacts strongly with cholesterol and solubilize the cholesterol monolayer at higher surface pressures. It was shown, that digitonin easily penetrate to the cholesterol monolayer and forms a hydrogen bond with the hydroxyl groups. These findings might be useful in further understanding of the saponin action at the membrane interface and of the mechanism of membrane lysis. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Interaction of the antimicrobial peptide polymyxin B1 with both membranes of E. coli: a molecular dynamics study.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nils A Berglund

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Antimicrobial peptides are small, cationic proteins that can induce lysis of bacterial cells through interaction with their membranes. Different mechanisms for cell lysis have been proposed, but these models tend to neglect the role of the chemical composition of the membrane, which differs between bacterial species and can be heterogeneous even within a single cell. Moreover, the cell envelope of Gram-negative bacteria such as E. coli contains two membranes with differing compositions. To this end, we report the first molecular dynamics simulation study of the interaction of the antimicrobial peptide, polymyxin B1 with complex models of both the inner and outer membranes of E. coli. The results of >16 microseconds of simulation predict that polymyxin B1 is likely to interact with the membranes via distinct mechanisms. The lipopeptides aggregate in the lipopolysaccharide headgroup region of the outer membrane with limited tendency for insertion within the lipid A tails. In contrast, the lipopeptides readily insert into the inner membrane core, and the concomitant increased hydration may be responsible for bilayer destabilization and antimicrobial function. Given the urgent need to develop novel, potent antibiotics, the results presented here reveal key mechanistic details that may be exploited for future rational drug development.

Force Sensor Based Tool Condition Monitoring Using a Heterogeneous Ensemble Learning Model

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Guofeng Wang

2014-11-01

Full Text Available Tool condition monitoring (TCM plays an important role in improving machining efficiency and guaranteeing workpiece quality. In order to realize reliable recognition of the tool condition, a robust classifier needs to be constructed to depict the relationship between tool wear states and sensory information. However, because of the complexity of the machining process and the uncertainty of the tool wear evolution, it is hard for a single classifier to fit all the collected samples without sacrificing generalization ability. In this paper, heterogeneous ensemble learning is proposed to realize tool condition monitoring in which the support vector machine (SVM, hidden Markov model (HMM and radius basis function (RBF are selected as base classifiers and a stacking ensemble strategy is further used to reflect the relationship between the outputs of these base classifiers and tool wear states. Based on the heterogeneous ensemble learning classifier, an online monitoring system is constructed in which the harmonic features are extracted from force signals and a minimal redundancy and maximal relevance (mRMR algorithm is utilized to select the most prominent features. To verify the effectiveness of the proposed method, a titanium alloy milling experiment was carried out and samples with different tool wear states were collected to build the proposed heterogeneous ensemble learning classifier. Moreover, the homogeneous ensemble learning model and majority voting strategy are also adopted to make a comparison. The analysis and comparison results show that the proposed heterogeneous ensemble learning classifier performs better in both classification accuracy and stability.

Development of models for fast fluid pathways through unsaturated heterogeneous porous media

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Robey, T.H.

1994-11-01

The pre-waste-emplacement ground water travel time requirement is a regulatory criterion that specifies ground water travel time to the accessible environment shall be greater than 1,000 years. Satisfying the ground water travel time criterion for the potential repository at Yucca Mountain requires the study of fast travel path formation in the unsaturated zone and development of models that simulate the formation of fast paths. Conceptual models for unsaturated flow that have been used for total-systems performance assessment generally fall into the categories of composite-porosity or fracture models. The actual hydrologic conditions at Yucca Mountain are thought to lie somewhere between the extremes of these two types of models. The current study considers the effects of heterogeneities on composite-porosity models and seeks to develop numerical methods (and models) that can produce locally saturated zones where fracture flow can occur. The credibility of the model and numerical methods is investigated by using test data from the INTRAVAL project (Swedish Nuclear Inspectorate, 1992) to attempt to predict in-situ volumetric water content at specific locations in Yucca Mountain. Work based on the numerical methods presented in this study is eventually intended to allow the calculation of ground water travel times in heterogeneous media. 60 refs

Models of plasma membrane organization can be applied to mitochondrial membranes to target human health and disease with polyunsaturated fatty acids.

Science.gov (United States)

Raza Shaikh, Saame; Brown, David A

2013-01-01

Bioactive n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), abundant in fish oil, have potential for treating symptoms associated with inflammatory and metabolic disorders; therefore, it is essential to determine their fundamental molecular mechanisms. Recently, several labs have demonstrated the n-3 PUFA docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) exerts anti-inflammatory effects by targeting the molecular organization of plasma membrane microdomains. Here we briefly review the evidence that DHA reorganizes the spatial distribution of microdomains in several model systems. We then emphasize how models on DHA and plasma membrane microdomains can be applied to mitochondrial membranes. We discuss the role of DHA acyl chains in regulating mitochondrial lipid-protein clustering, and how these changes alter several aspects of mitochondrial function. In particular, we summarize effects of DHA on mitochondrial respiration, electron leak, permeability transition, and mitochondrial calcium handling. Finally, we conclude by postulating future experiments that will augment our understanding of DHA-dependent membrane organization in health and disease. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Phase behavior and reactive transport of partial melt in heterogeneous mantle model

Science.gov (United States)

Jordan, J.; Hesse, M. A.

2013-12-01

The reactive transport of partial melt is the key process that leads to the chemical and physical differentiation of terrestrial planets and smaller celestial bodies. The essential role of the lithological heterogeneities during partial melting of the mantle is increasingly recognized. How far can enriched melts propagate while interacting with the ambient mantle? Can the melt flow emanating from a fertile heterogeneity be localized through a reactive infiltration feedback in a model without exogenous factors or contrived initial conditions? A full understanding of the role of heterogeneities requires reactive melt transport models that account for the phase behavior of major elements. Previous work on reactive transport in the mantle focuses on trace element partitioning; we present the first nonlinear chromatographic analysis of reactive melt transport in systems with binary solid solution. Our analysis shows that reactive melt transport in systems with binary solid solution leads to the formation of two separate reaction fronts: a slow melting/freezing front along which enthalpy change is dominant and a fast dissolution/precipitation front along which compositional changes are dominated by an ion-exchange process over enthalpy change. An intermediate state forms between these two fronts with a bulk-rock composition and enthalpy that are not necessarily bounded by the bulk-rock composition and enthalpy of either the enriched heterogeneity or the depleted ambient mantle. The formation of this intermediate state makes it difficult to anticipate the porosity changes and hence the stability of reaction fronts. Therefore, we develop a graphical representation for the solution that allows identification of the intermediate state by inspection, for all possible bulk-rock compositions and enthalpies of the heterogeneity and the ambient mantle. We apply the analysis to the partial melting of an enriched heterogeneity. This leads to the formation of moving precipitation

Modeling of the axon membrane skeleton structure and implications for its mechanical properties.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yihao Zhang

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Super-resolution microscopy recently revealed that, unlike the soma and dendrites, the axon membrane skeleton is structured as a series of actin rings connected by spectrin filaments that are held under tension. Currently, the structure-function relationship of the axonal structure is unclear. Here, we used atomic force microscopy (AFM to show that the stiffness of the axon plasma membrane is significantly higher than the stiffnesses of dendrites and somata. To examine whether the structure of the axon plasma membrane determines its overall stiffness, we introduced a coarse-grain molecular dynamics model of the axon membrane skeleton that reproduces the structure identified by super-resolution microscopy. Our proposed computational model accurately simulates the median value of the Young's modulus of the axon plasma membrane determined by atomic force microscopy. It also predicts that because the spectrin filaments are under entropic tension, the thermal random motion of the voltage-gated sodium channels (Nav, which are bound to ankyrin particles, a critical axonal protein, is reduced compared to the thermal motion when spectrin filaments are held at equilibrium. Lastly, our model predicts that because spectrin filaments are under tension, any axonal injuries that lacerate spectrin filaments will likely lead to a permanent disruption of the membrane skeleton due to the inability of spectrin filaments to spontaneously form their initial under-tension configuration.

Modeling of the axon membrane skeleton structure and implications for its mechanical properties.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Yihao; Abiraman, Krithika; Li, He; Pierce, David M; Tzingounis, Anastasios V; Lykotrafitis, George

2017-02-01

Super-resolution microscopy recently revealed that, unlike the soma and dendrites, the axon membrane skeleton is structured as a series of actin rings connected by spectrin filaments that are held under tension. Currently, the structure-function relationship of the axonal structure is unclear. Here, we used atomic force microscopy (AFM) to show that the stiffness of the axon plasma membrane is significantly higher than the stiffnesses of dendrites and somata. To examine whether the structure of the axon plasma membrane determines its overall stiffness, we introduced a coarse-grain molecular dynamics model of the axon membrane skeleton that reproduces the structure identified by super-resolution microscopy. Our proposed computational model accurately simulates the median value of the Young's modulus of the axon plasma membrane determined by atomic force microscopy. It also predicts that because the spectrin filaments are under entropic tension, the thermal random motion of the voltage-gated sodium channels (Nav), which are bound to ankyrin particles, a critical axonal protein, is reduced compared to the thermal motion when spectrin filaments are held at equilibrium. Lastly, our model predicts that because spectrin filaments are under tension, any axonal injuries that lacerate spectrin filaments will likely lead to a permanent disruption of the membrane skeleton due to the inability of spectrin filaments to spontaneously form their initial under-tension configuration.

Transport lattice models of heat transport in skin with spatially heterogeneous, temperature-dependent perfusion

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Martin Gregory T

2004-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Investigation of bioheat transfer problems requires the evaluation of temporal and spatial distributions of temperature. This class of problems has been traditionally addressed using the Pennes bioheat equation. Transport of heat by conduction, and by temperature-dependent, spatially heterogeneous blood perfusion is modeled here using a transport lattice approach. Methods We represent heat transport processes by using a lattice that represents the Pennes bioheat equation in perfused tissues, and diffusion in nonperfused regions. The three layer skin model has a nonperfused viable epidermis, and deeper regions of dermis and subcutaneous tissue with perfusion that is constant or temperature-dependent. Two cases are considered: (1 surface contact heating and (2 spatially distributed heating. The model is relevant to the prediction of the transient and steady state temperature rise for different methods of power deposition within the skin. Accumulated thermal damage is estimated by using an Arrhenius type rate equation at locations where viable tissue temperature exceeds 42°C. Prediction of spatial temperature distributions is also illustrated with a two-dimensional model of skin created from a histological image. Results The transport lattice approach was validated by comparison with an analytical solution for a slab with homogeneous thermal properties and spatially distributed uniform sink held at constant temperatures at the ends. For typical transcutaneous blood gas sensing conditions the estimated damage is small, even with prolonged skin contact to a 45°C surface. Spatial heterogeneity in skin thermal properties leads to a non-uniform temperature distribution during a 10 GHz electromagnetic field exposure. A realistic two-dimensional model of the skin shows that tissue heterogeneity does not lead to a significant local temperature increase when heated by a hot wire tip. Conclusions The heat transport system model of the

Bayesian random-effect model for predicting outcome fraught with heterogeneity--an illustration with episodes of 44 patients with intractable epilepsy.

Science.gov (United States)

Yen, A M-F; Liou, H-H; Lin, H-L; Chen, T H-H

2006-01-01

The study aimed to develop a predictive model to deal with data fraught with heterogeneity that cannot be explained by sampling variation or measured covariates. The random-effect Poisson regression model was first proposed to deal with over-dispersion for data fraught with heterogeneity after making allowance for measured covariates. Bayesian acyclic graphic model in conjunction with Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) technique was then applied to estimate the parameters of both relevant covariates and random effect. Predictive distribution was then generated to compare the predicted with the observed for the Bayesian model with and without random effect. Data from repeated measurement of episodes among 44 patients with intractable epilepsy were used as an illustration. The application of Poisson regression without taking heterogeneity into account to epilepsy data yielded a large value of heterogeneity (heterogeneity factor = 17.90, deviance = 1485, degree of freedom (df) = 83). After taking the random effect into account, the value of heterogeneity factor was greatly reduced (heterogeneity factor = 0.52, deviance = 42.5, df = 81). The Pearson chi2 for the comparison between the expected seizure frequencies and the observed ones at two and three months of the model with and without random effect were 34.27 (p = 1.00) and 1799.90 (p dispersion attributed either to correlated property or to subject-to-subject variability.

Three-dimensional dynamic modelling of Polymer-Electrolyte-Membrane-Fuel-Cell-Systems; Dreidimensionale dynamische Modellierung und Berechnung von Polymer-Elektrolyt-Membran-Brennstoffzellen

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vath, Andreas

2008-12-15

This thesis deals with dynamic and multi-dimensional modelling of Polymer- Electrolyte-Membrane-Fuel-Cells (PEMFC). The developed models include all the different layers of the fuel cell e.g. flow field, gas diffusion layer, catalyst layer and membrane with their particular physical, chemical and electrical characteristics. The simulation results have been verified by detailed measurements performed at the research centre for hydrogen and solar energy in Ulm (ZSW Ulm). The developed three dimensional model describes the time- and spatial-dependent charge and mass transport in a fuel cell. Additionally, this model allows the analysis of critical operating conditions. For example, the current density distribution for different membranes is shown during insufficient humidification which results in local overstraining and degradation. The model also allows to analyse extreme critical operating conditions, e.g. short time breakdown of the humidification. Furthermore, the model shows the available potential of improvement opportunities in power density and efficiency of PEMFC due to optimisation of the gas diffusion layer, the catalyst and membrane. In the second part of the work the application of PEMFC systems for combined heat and power units is described by one-dimensional models for an electrical power range between 1 kW and 5 kW. This model contains the necessary components, e.g. gas processing, humidification, gas supply, fuel cell stack, heat storage, pumps, auxiliary burner, power inverter und additional aggregates. As a main result, it is possible to distinctly reduce the energy demand and the carbon dioxide exhaust for different load profiles. Today the costs for fuel cell systems are considerably higher than that of the conventional electrical energy supply. (orig.)

Scale-Up Design Analysis and Modelling of Cobalt Oxide Silica Membrane Module for Hydrogen Processing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Guozhao Ji

2013-08-01

Full Text Available This work shows the application of a validated mathematical model for gas permeation at high temperatures focusing on demonstrated scale-up design for H2 processing. The model considered the driving force variation with spatial coordinates and the mass transfer across the molecular sieve cobalt oxide silica membrane to predict the separation performance. The model was used to study the process of H2 separation at 500 °C in single and multi-tube membrane modules. Parameters of interest included the H2 purity in the permeate stream, H2 recovery and H2 yield as a function of the membrane length, number of tubes in a membrane module, space velocity and H2 feed molar fraction. For a single tubular membrane, increasing the length of a membrane tube led to higher H2 yield and H2 recovery, owing to the increase of the membrane area. However, the H2 purity decreased as H2 fraction was depleted, thus reducing the driving force for H2 permeation. By keeping the membrane length constant in a multi-tube arrangement, the H2 yield and H2 recovery increase was attributed to the higher membrane area, but the H2 purity was again compromised. Increasing the space velocity avoided the reduction of H2 purity and still delivered higher H2 yield and H2 recovery than in a single membrane arrangement. Essentially, if the membrane surface is too large, the driving force becomes lower at the expense of H2 purity. In this case, the membrane module is over designed. Hence, maintaining a driving force is of utmost importance to deliver the functionality of process separation.

Dynamic heterogeneity in life histories

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tuljapurkar, Shripad; Steiner, Uli; Orzack, Steven Hecht

2009-01-01

or no fixed heterogeneity influences this trait. We propose that dynamic heterogeneity provides a 'neutral' model for assessing the possible role of unobserved 'quality' differences between individuals. We discuss fitness for dynamic life histories, and the implications of dynamic heterogeneity...... generate dynamic heterogeneity: life-history differences produced by stochastic stratum dynamics. We characterize dynamic heterogeneity in a range of species across taxa by properties of the Markov chain: the entropy, which describes the extent of heterogeneity, and the subdominant eigenvalue, which...... distributions of lifetime reproductive success. Dynamic heterogeneity contrasts with fixed heterogeneity: unobserved differences that generate variation between life histories. We show by an example that observed distributions of lifetime reproductive success are often consistent with the claim that little...

Analysis of Surface Heterogeneity Effects with Mesoscale Terrestrial Modeling Platforms

Science.gov (United States)

Simmer, C.

2015-12-01

An improved understanding of the full variability in the weather and climate system is crucial for reducing the uncertainty in weather forecasting and climate prediction, and to aid policy makers to develop adaptation and mitigation strategies. A yet unknown part of uncertainty in the predictions from the numerical models is caused by the negligence of non-resolved land surface heterogeneity and the sub-surface dynamics and their potential impact on the state of the atmosphere. At the same time, mesoscale numerical models using finer horizontal grid resolution [O(1)km] can suffer from inconsistencies and neglected scale-dependencies in ABL parameterizations and non-resolved effects of integrated surface-subsurface lateral flow at this scale. Our present knowledge suggests large-eddy-simulation (LES) as an eventual solution to overcome the inadequacy of the physical parameterizations in the atmosphere in this transition scale, yet we are constrained by the computational resources, memory management, big-data, when using LES for regional domains. For the present, there is a need for scale-aware parameterizations not only in the atmosphere but also in the land surface and subsurface model components. In this study, we use the recently developed Terrestrial Systems Modeling Platform (TerrSysMP) as a numerical tool to analyze the uncertainty in the simulation of surface exchange fluxes and boundary layer circulations at grid resolutions of the order of 1km, and explore the sensitivity of the atmospheric boundary layer evolution and convective rainfall processes on land surface heterogeneity.

Catalytic Ionic-Liquid Membranes: The Convergence of Ionic-Liquid Catalysis and Ionic-Liquid Membrane Separation Technologies.

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Izák, Pavel; Bobbink, F.D.; Hulla, M.; Klepic, M.; Friess, K.; Hovorka, Š.; Dyson, P.J.

2018-01-01

Roč. 83, č. 1 (2018), s. 7-18 ISSN 2192-6506 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GA17-00089S; GA ČR GA17-05421S Institutional support: RVO:67985858 Keywords : heterogeneous catalysis * ionic liquids * membranes Subject RIV: CI - Industrial Chemistry, Chemical Engineering OBOR OECD: Chemical process engineering Impact factor: 2.797, year: 2016

Homogenization of a Directed Dispersal Model for Animal Movement in a Heterogeneous Environment.

Science.gov (United States)

Yurk, Brian P

2016-10-01

The dispersal patterns of animals moving through heterogeneous environments have important ecological and epidemiological consequences. In this work, we apply the method of homogenization to analyze an advection-diffusion (AD) model of directed movement in a one-dimensional environment in which the scale of the heterogeneity is small relative to the spatial scale of interest. We show that the large (slow) scale behavior is described by a constant-coefficient diffusion equation under certain assumptions about the fast-scale advection velocity, and we determine a formula for the slow-scale diffusion coefficient in terms of the fast-scale parameters. We extend the homogenization result to predict invasion speeds for an advection-diffusion-reaction (ADR) model with directed dispersal. For periodic environments, the homogenization approximation of the solution of the AD model compares favorably with numerical simulations. Invasion speed approximations for the ADR model also compare favorably with numerical simulations when the spatial period is sufficiently small.

An heterogeneous nucleation model for the irradiation coloring of alkali halides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aguilar, M.; Jaque, F.; Agullo-Lopez, F.

1980-01-01

An heterogeneous nucleation model for the radiation-induced coloring of alkali halides is presented. The model assumes a primary mechanism producing F and H pairs, followed by secondary thermally activated reactions including F-H recombination as well interstitial capture. The existence of a very unstable interstitial aggregate is explicitely considered. The model is able to account for the three-stages structure of the F-coloring curve and the inhibition in the occurrence of the late-stage by lowering dose-rate or by impurity doping

Dimer-based model for heptaspanning membrane receptors.

Science.gov (United States)

Franco, Rafael; Casadó, Vicent; Mallol, Josefa; Ferré, Sergi; Fuxe, Kjell; Cortés, Antonio; Ciruela, Francisco; Lluis, Carmen; Canela, Enric I

2005-07-01

The existence of intramembrane receptor-receptor interactions for heptaspanning membrane receptors is now fully accepted, but a model considering dimers as the basic unit that binds to two ligand molecules is lacking. Here, we propose a two-state-dimer model in which the ligand-induced conformational changes from one component of the dimer are communicated to the other. Our model predicts cooperativity in binding, which is relevant because the other current models fail to address this phenomenon satisfactorily. Our two-state-dimer model also predicts the variety of responses elicited by full or partial agonists, neutral antagonists and inverse agonists. This model can aid our understanding of the operation of heptaspanning receptors and receptor channels, and, potentially, be important for improving the treatment of cardiovascular, neurological and neuropsychyatric diseases.

Smart membranes for monitoring membrane based desalination processes

KAUST Repository

Laleg-Kirati, Taous-Meriem

2017-10-12

Various examples are related to smart membranes for monitoring membrane based process such as, e.g., membrane distillation processes. In one example, a membrane, includes a porous surface and a plurality of sensors (e.g., temperature, flow and/or impedance sensors) mounted on the porous surface. In another example, a membrane distillation (MD) process includes the membrane. Processing circuitry can be configured to monitor outputs of the plurality of sensors. The monitored outputs can be used to determine membrane degradation, membrane fouling, or to provide an indication of membrane replacement or cleaning. The sensors can also provide temperatures or temperature differentials across the porous surface, which can be used to improve modeling or control the MD process.

A FTIR study water in membrane of nitrocellulose prepared by phase inversion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Benosmane, N.; Boutemeur, B.; Hamdi, M.

2004-01-01

Full text.Cellulose derivates were the first biopolymers used to produce synthesis membranes for technical applications, in this study the state of water in asymmetric membrane of nitrocellulose, prepared by the phase inversion process, was investigated using infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), after membrane preparation by the wet inversion process in acetone, the spectre FTIR of wet asymmetric membrane of nitrocellulose after immersion in water (after one week) is compared to the spectre of dried asymmetric membrane of nitrocellulose, the difference in spectre of dried and wet membrane indicate a weakly hydrogen-bonded to the polymer hydroxyl groups between water and hydroxyl groups in surface of membrane, the results demonstrate the amount of water species present in the surface of asymmetric membrane and heterogeneous of surface

Heterogeneous continuous-time random walks

Science.gov (United States)

Grebenkov, Denis S.; Tupikina, Liubov

2018-01-01

We introduce a heterogeneous continuous-time random walk (HCTRW) model as a versatile analytical formalism for studying and modeling diffusion processes in heterogeneous structures, such as porous or disordered media, multiscale or crowded environments, weighted graphs or networks. We derive the exact form of the propagator and investigate the effects of spatiotemporal heterogeneities onto the diffusive dynamics via the spectral properties of the generalized transition matrix. In particular, we show how the distribution of first-passage times changes due to local and global heterogeneities of the medium. The HCTRW formalism offers a unified mathematical language to address various diffusion-reaction problems, with numerous applications in material sciences, physics, chemistry, biology, and social sciences.

Probing Mantle Heterogeneity Across Spatial Scales

Science.gov (United States)

Hariharan, A.; Moulik, P.; Lekic, V.

2017-12-01

Inferences of mantle heterogeneity in terms of temperature, composition, grain size, melt and crystal structure may vary across local, regional and global scales. Probing these scale-dependent effects require quantitative comparisons and reconciliation of tomographic models that vary in their regional scope, parameterization, regularization and observational constraints. While a range of techniques like radial correlation functions and spherical harmonic analyses have revealed global features like the dominance of long-wavelength variations in mantle heterogeneity, they have limited applicability for specific regions of interest like subduction zones and continental cratons. Moreover, issues like discrepant 1-D reference Earth models and related baseline corrections have impeded the reconciliation of heterogeneity between various regional and global models. We implement a new wavelet-based approach that allows for structure to be filtered simultaneously in both the spectral and spatial domain, allowing us to characterize heterogeneity on a range of scales and in different geographical regions. Our algorithm extends a recent method that expanded lateral variations into the wavelet domain constructed on a cubed sphere. The isolation of reference velocities in the wavelet scaling function facilitates comparisons between models constructed with arbitrary 1-D reference Earth models. The wavelet transformation allows us to quantify the scale-dependent consistency between tomographic models in a region of interest and investigate the fits to data afforded by heterogeneity at various dominant wavelengths. We find substantial and spatially varying differences in the spectrum of heterogeneity between two representative global Vp models constructed using different data and methodologies. Applying the orthonormality of the wavelet expansion, we isolate detailed variations in velocity from models and evaluate additional fits to data afforded by adding such complexities to long

Federated Access Control in Heterogeneous Intercloud Environment: Basic Models and Architecture Patterns

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Demchenko, Y.; Ngo, C.; de Laat, C.; Lee, C.

2014-01-01

This paper presents on-going research to define the basic models and architecture patterns for federated access control in heterogeneous (multi-provider) multi-cloud and inter-cloud environment. The proposed research contributes to the further definition of Intercloud Federation Framework (ICFF)

A Mixture Innovation Heterogeneous Autoregressive Model for Structural Breaks and Long Memory

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nonejad, Nima

We propose a flexible model to describe nonlinearities and long-range dependence in time series dynamics. Our model is an extension of the heterogeneous autoregressive model. Structural breaks occur through mixture distributions in state innovations of linear Gaussian state space models. Monte...... Carlo simulations evaluate the properties of the estimation procedures. Results show that the proposed model is viable and flexible for purposes of forecasting volatility. Model uncertainty is accounted for by employing Bayesian model averaging. Bayesian model averaging provides very competitive...... forecasts compared to any single model specification. It provides further improvements when we average over nonlinear specifications....

Quantifying geological uncertainty for flow and transport modeling in multi-modal heterogeneous formations

Science.gov (United States)

Feyen, Luc; Caers, Jef

2006-06-01

In this work, we address the problem of characterizing the heterogeneity and uncertainty of hydraulic properties for complex geological settings. Hereby, we distinguish between two scales of heterogeneity, namely the hydrofacies structure and the intrafacies variability of the hydraulic properties. We employ multiple-point geostatistics to characterize the hydrofacies architecture. The multiple-point statistics are borrowed from a training image that is designed to reflect the prior geological conceptualization. The intrafacies variability of the hydraulic properties is represented using conventional two-point correlation methods, more precisely, spatial covariance models under a multi-Gaussian spatial law. We address the different levels and sources of uncertainty in characterizing the subsurface heterogeneity, and explore their effect on groundwater flow and transport predictions. Typically, uncertainty is assessed by way of many images, termed realizations, of a fixed statistical model. However, in many cases, sampling from a fixed stochastic model does not adequately represent the space of uncertainty. It neglects the uncertainty related to the selection of the stochastic model and the estimation of its input parameters. We acknowledge the uncertainty inherent in the definition of the prior conceptual model of aquifer architecture and in the estimation of global statistics, anisotropy, and correlation scales. Spatial bootstrap is used to assess the uncertainty of the unknown statistical parameters. As an illustrative example, we employ a synthetic field that represents a fluvial setting consisting of an interconnected network of channel sands embedded within finer-grained floodplain material. For this highly non-stationary setting we quantify the groundwater flow and transport model prediction uncertainty for various levels of hydrogeological uncertainty. Results indicate the importance of accurately describing the facies geometry, especially for transport

Interaction pathways between soft lipid nanodiscs and plasma membranes: A molecular modeling study.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Shixin; Luo, Zhen; Xu, Yan; Ren, Hao; Deng, Li; Zhang, Xianren; Huang, Fang; Yue, Tongtao

2017-10-01

Lipid nanodisc, a model membrane platform originally synthesized for study of membrane proteins, has recently been used as the carrier to deliver amphiphilic drugs into target tumor cells. However, the central question of how cells interact with such emerging nanomaterials remains unclear and deserves our research for both improving the delivery efficiency and reducing the side effect. In this work, a binary lipid nanodisc is designed as the minimum model to investigate its interactions with plasma membranes by using the dissipative particle dynamics method. Three typical interaction pathways, including the membrane attachment with lipid domain exchange of nanodiscs, the partial membrane wrapping with nanodisc vesiculation, and the receptor-mediated endocytosis, are discovered. For the first pathway, the boundary normal lipids acting as ligands diffuse along the nanodisc rim to gather at the membrane interface, repelling the central bola lipids to reach a stable membrane attachment. If bola lipids are positioned at the periphery and act as ligands, they diffuse to form a large aggregate being wrapped by the membrane, leaving the normal lipids exposed on the membrane exterior by assembling into a vesicle. Finally, by setting both central normal lipids and boundary bola lipids as ligands, the receptor-mediated endocytosis occurs via both deformation and self-rotation of the nanodiscs. All above pathways for soft lipid nanodiscs are quite different from those for rigid nanoparticles, which may provide useful guidelines for design of soft lipid nanodiscs in widespread biomedical applications. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Model determination in a case of heterogeneity of variance using sampling techniques.

Science.gov (United States)

Varona, L; Moreno, C; Garcia-Cortes, L A; Altarriba, J

1997-01-12

A sampling determination procedure has been described in a case of heterogeneity of variance. The procedure makes use of the predictive distributions of each data given the rest of the data and the structure of the assumed model. The computation of these predictive distributions is carried out using a Gibbs Sampling procedure. The final criterion to compare between models is the Mean Square Error between the expectation of predictive distributions and real data. The procedure has been applied to a data set of weight at 210 days in the Spanish Pirenaica beef cattle breed. Three proposed models have been compared: (a) Single Trait Animal Model; (b) Heterogeneous Variance Animal Model; and (c) Multiple Trait Animal Model. After applying the procedure, the most adjusted model was the Heterogeneous Variance Animal Model. This result is probably due to a compromise between the complexity of the model and the amount of available information. The estimated heritabilities under the preferred model have been 0.489 ± 0.076 for males and 0.331 ± 0.082 for females. RESUMEN: Contraste de modelos en un caso de heterogeneidad de varianzas usando métodos de muestreo Se ha descrito un método de contraste de modelos mediante técnicas de muestreo en un caso de heterogeneidad de varianza entre sexos. El procedimiento utiliza las distribucviones predictivas de cada dato, dado el resto de datos y la estructura del modelo. El criterio para coparar modelos es el error cuadrático medio entre la esperanza de las distribuciones predictivas y los datos reales. El procedimiento se ha aplicado en datos de peso a los 210 días en la raza bovina Pirenaica. Se han propuesto tres posibles modelos: (a) Modelo Animal Unicaracter; (b) Modelo Animal con Varianzas Heterogéneas; (c) Modelo Animal Multicaracter. El modelo mejor ajustado fue el Modelo Animal con Varianzas Heterogéneas. Este resultado es probablemente debido a un compromiso entre la complejidad del modelo y la cantidad de datos

Rethinking the evolution of specialization: A model for the evolution of phenotypic heterogeneity.

Science.gov (United States)

Rubin, Ilan N; Doebeli, Michael

2017-12-21

Phenotypic heterogeneity refers to genetically identical individuals that express different phenotypes, even when in the same environment. Traditionally, "bet-hedging" in fluctuating environments is offered as the explanation for the evolution of phenotypic heterogeneity. However, there are an increasing number of examples of microbial populations that display phenotypic heterogeneity in stable environments. Here we present an evolutionary model of phenotypic heterogeneity of microbial metabolism and a resultant theory for the evolution of phenotypic versus genetic specialization. We use two-dimensional adaptive dynamics to track the evolution of the population phenotype distribution of the expression of two metabolic processes with a concave trade-off. Rather than assume a Gaussian phenotype distribution, we use a Beta distribution that is capable of describing genotypes that manifest as individuals with two distinct phenotypes. Doing so, we find that environmental variation is not a necessary condition for the evolution of phenotypic heterogeneity, which can evolve as a form of specialization in a stable environment. There are two competing pressures driving the evolution of specialization: directional selection toward the evolution of phenotypic heterogeneity and disruptive selection toward genetically determined specialists. Because of the lack of a singular point in the two-dimensional adaptive dynamics and the fact that directional selection is a first order process, while disruptive selection is of second order, the evolution of phenotypic heterogeneity dominates and often precludes speciation. We find that branching, and therefore genetic specialization, occurs mainly under two conditions: the presence of a cost to maintaining a high phenotypic variance or when the effect of mutations is large. A cost to high phenotypic variance dampens the strength of selection toward phenotypic heterogeneity and, when sufficiently large, introduces a singular point into

Industrial Membrane Filtration and Short-bed Fractal Separation Systems for Separating Monomers from Heterogeneous Plant Material

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kearney, M; Kochergin, V; Hess, R; Foust, T; Herbst, R; Mann, N

2005-03-31

Large-scale displacement of petroleum will come from low-cost cellulosic feedstocks such as straw and corn stover crop residues. This project has taken a step toward making this projection a reality by reducing capital and energy costs, the two largest cost factors associated with converting cellulosic biomass to chemicals and fuels. The technology exists for using acid or enzyme hydrolysis processes to convert biomass feedstock (i.e., waste cellulose such as straw, corn stover, and wood) into their base monomeric sugar building blocks, which can, in turn, be processed into chemicals and fuels using a number of innovative fermentation technologies. However, while these processes are technically possible, practical and economic barriers make these processes only marginally feasible or not feasible at all. These barriers are due in part to the complexity and large fixed and recurring capital costs of unit operations including filtration, chromatographic separation, and ion exchange. This project was designed to help remove these barriers by developing and implementing new purification and separation technologies that will reduce the capital costs of the purification and chromatographic separation units by 50% to 70%. The technologies fundamental to these improvements are: (a) highly efficient clarification and purification systems that use screening and membrane filtration to eliminate suspended solids and colloidal material from feed streams and (b) fractal technology based chromatographic separation and ion exchange systems that can substitute for conventional systems but at much smaller size and cost. A non-hazardous ''raw sugar beet juice'' stream (75 to 100 gal/min) was used for prototype testing of these technologies. This raw beet juice stream from the Amalgamated Sugar LLC plant in Twin Falls, Idaho contained abrasive materials and membrane foulants. Its characteristics were representative of an industrial-scale heterogeneous plant extract

Cell-element simulations to optimize the performance of osmotic processes in porous membranes

KAUST Repository

Calo, Victor M.

2018-05-11

We present a new module of the software tool PoreChem for 3D simulations of osmotic processes at the cell-element scale. We consider the most general fully coupled model (see e.g., Sagiv and Semiat (2011)) in 3D to evaluate the impact on the membrane performance of both internal and external concentration polarization, which occurs in a cell-element for different operational conditions. The model consists of the Navier–Stokes–Brinkman system to describe the free fluid flow and the flow within the membrane with selective and support layers, a convection–diffusion equation to describe the solute transport, and nonlinear interface conditions to fully couple these equations. First, we briefly describe the mathematical model and discuss the discretization of the continuous model, the iterative solution, and the software implementation. Then, we present the analytical and numerical validation of the simulation tool. Next, we perform and discuss numerical simulations for a case study. The case study concerns the design of a cell element for the forward osmosis experiments. Using the developed software tool we qualitatively and quantitatively investigate the performance of a cell element that we designed for laboratory experiments of forward osmosis, and discuss the differences between the numerical solutions obtained with the full 3D and reduced 2D models. Finally, we demonstrate how the software enables investigating membrane heterogeneities.

Membrane paradigm

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Price, R.H.; Thorne, K.S.

1986-01-01

The membrane paradigm is a modified frozen star approach to modeling black holes, with particles and fields assuming a complex, static, boundary-layer type structure (membrane) near the event horizon. The membrane has no effects on the present or future evolution of particles and fields above itself. The mathematical representation is a combination of a formalism containing terms for the shear and bulk viscosity, surface pressure, momentum, temperature, entropy, etc., of the horizon and the 3+1 formalism. The latter model considers a family of three-dimensional spacelike hypersurfaces in one-dimensional time. The membrane model considers a magnetic field threading the hole and undergoing torque from the hole rotation. The field is cleaned by the horizon and distributed over the horizon so that ohmic dissipation is minimized. The membrane paradigm is invalid inside the horizon, but is useful for theoretically probing the properties of slowly evolving black holes

A co-cultured skin model based on cell support membranes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dai, N.-T.; Yeh, M.-K.; Liu, Demeral David; Adams, E.F.; Chiang, C.-H.; Yen, C.-Y.; Shih, C.-M.; Sytwu, H.-K.; Chen, Tim-Mo; Wang, H.-J.; Williamson, M.R.; Coombes, A.G.A.

2005-01-01

Tissue engineering of skin based on collagen: PCL biocomposites using a designed co-culture system is reported. The collagen: PCL biocomposites having collagen: PCL (w/w) ratios of 1:4, 1:8, and 1:20 have been proven to be biocompatible materials to support both adult normal human epidermal Keratinocyte (NHEK) and mouse 3T3 fibroblast growth in cell culture, respectively, by Dai, Coombes, et al. in 2004. Films of collagen: PCL biocomposites were prepared using non-crosslinking method by impregnation of lyophilized collagen mats with PCL/dichloromethane solutions followed by solvent evaporation. To mimic the dermal/epidermal structure of skin, the 1:20 collagen: PCL biocomposites were selected for a feasibility study of a designed co-culture technique that would subsequently be used for preparing fibroblast/biocomposite/keratinocyte skin models. A 55.3% increase in cell number was measured in the designed co-culture system when fibroblasts were seeded on both sides of a biocomposite film compared with cell culture on one surface of the biocomposite in the feasibility study. The co-culture of human keratinocytes and 3T3 fibroblasts on each side of the membrane was therefore studied using the same co-culture system by growing keratinocytes on the top surface of membrane for 3 days and 3T3 fibroblasts underneath the membrane for 6 days. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and immunohistochemistry assay revealed good cell attachment and proliferation of both human keratinocytes and 3T3 fibroblasts with these two types of cells isolated well on each side of the membrane. Using a modified co-culture technique, a co-cultured skin model presenting a confluent epidermal sheet on one side of the biocomposite film and fibroblasts populated on the other side of the film was developed successfully in co-culture system for 28 days under investigations by SEM and immunohistochemistry assay. Thus, the design of a co-culture system based on 1:20 (w/w) collagen: PCL biocomposite

Research on Biomimetic Models and Nanomechanical Behaviour of Membranous Wings of Chinese Bee Apis cerana cerana Fabricius

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yanru Zhao

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The structures combining the veins and membranes of membranous wings of the Chinese bee Apis cerana cerana Fabricius into a whole have excellent load-resisting capacity. The membranous wings of Chinese bees were taken as research objects and the mechanical properties of a biomimetic model of membranous wings as targets. In order to understand and learn from the biosystem and then make technical innovation, the membranous wings of Chinese bees were simulated and analysed with reverse engineering and finite element method. The deformations and stress states of the finite element model of membranous wings were researched under the concentrated force, uniform load, and torque. It was found that the whole model deforms evenly and there are no unusual deformations arising. The displacements and deformations are small and transform uniformly. It was indicated that the veins and membranes combine well into a whole to transmit loads effectively, which illustrates the membranous wings of Chinese bees having excellent integral mechanical behaviour and structure stiffness. The realization of structure models of the membranous wings of Chinese bees and analysis of the relativity of structures and performances or functions will provide an inspiration for designing biomimetic thin-film materials with superior load-bearing capacity.

Control-oriented model of a membrane humidifier for fuel cell applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Solsona, Miguel; Kunusch, Cristian; Ocampo-Martinez, Carlos

2017-01-01

Highlights: • A control-oriented model of a Nafion® membrane gas humidifier has been developed. • The control-oriented model has been experimentally validated. • A non-linear control strategy has been used to test its suitability for control purposes. - Abstract: Improving the humidification of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel-cells (PEMFC) is essential to optimize its performance and stability. Therefore, this paper presents an experimentally validated model of a low temperature PEMFC cathode humidifier for control/observation design purposes. A multi-input/multi-output non-linear fourth order model is derived, based on the mass and heat dynamics of circulating air. In order to validate the proposed model and methodology, experimental results are provided. Finally, a non-linear control strategy based on second order sliding mode is designed and analyzed in order to show suitability and usefulness of the approach.

Assessing Age-Related Etiologic Heterogeneity in the Onset of Islet Autoimmunity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Brittni N. Frederiksen

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Type 1 diabetes (T1D, a chronic autoimmune disease, is often preceded by a preclinical phase of islet autoimmunity (IA where the insulin-producing beta cells of the pancreas are destroyed and circulating autoantibodies can be detected. The goal of this study was to demonstrate methods for identifying exposures that differentially influence the disease process at certain ages by assessing age-related heterogeneity. The Diabetes Autoimmunity Study in the Young (DAISY has followed 2,547 children at increased genetic risk for T1D from birth since 1993 in Denver, Colorado, 188 of whom developed IA. Using the DAISY population, we evaluated putative determinants of IA, including non-Hispanic white (NHW ethnicity, maternal age at birth, and erythrocyte membrane n-3 fatty acid (FA levels, for age-related heterogeneity. A supremum test, weighted Schoenfeld residuals, and restricted cubic splines were used to assess nonproportional hazards, that is, an age-related association of the exposure with IA risk. NHW ethnicity, maternal age, and erythrocyte membrane n-3 FA levels demonstrated a significant age-related association with IA risk. Assessing heterogeneity in disease etiology enables researchers to identify associations that may lead to better understanding of complex chronic diseases.

Heterogeneous studies in pulping of wood: Modelling mass transfer of alkali

OpenAIRE

Simão, João P. F.; Egas, Ana P. V.; Carvalho, M. Graça; Baptista, Cristina M. S. G.; Castro, José Almiro A. M.

2008-01-01

In this paper a heterogeneous lumped parameter model is proposed to describe the mass transfer of effective alkali during the kraft pulping of wood. This model, based on the spatial mean of the concentration profile of effective alkali along the chip thickness, enables the estimation of the effective diffusion coefficient that characterizes the internal resistance to mass transfer and the contribution of the external resistance to mass transfer which has often been neglected. http://www.sc...

Modeling and Simulation of Membrane-Based Dehumidification and Energy Recovery Process

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gao, Zhiming [ORNL; Abdelaziz, Omar [ORNL; Qu, Ming [ORNL

2017-01-01

This paper introduces a first-order physics-based model that accounts for the fundamental heat and mass transfer between a humid-air vapor stream on feed side to another flow stream on permeate side. The model comprises a few optional submodels for membrane mass transport; and it adopts a segment-by-segment method for discretizing heat and mass transfer governing equations for flow streams on feed and permeate sides. The model is able to simulate both dehumidifiers and energy recovery ventilators in parallel-flow, cross-flow, and counter-flow configurations. The predicted tresults are compared reasonably well with the measurements. The open-source codes are written in C++. The model and open-source codes are expected to become a fundament tool for the analysis of membrane-based dehumidification in the future.

Modeling Transport of Cesium in Grimsel Granodiorite With Micrometer Scale Heterogeneities and Dynamic Update of Kd

Science.gov (United States)

Voutilainen, Mikko; Kekäläinen, Pekka; Siitari-Kauppi, Marja; Sardini, Paul; Muuri, Eveliina; Timonen, Jussi; Martin, Andrew

2017-11-01

Transport and retardation of cesium in Grimsel granodiorite taking into account heterogeneity of mineral and pore structure was studied using rock samples overcored from an in situ diffusion test at the Grimsel Test Site. The field test was part of the Long-Term Diffusion (LTD) project designed to characterize retardation properties (diffusion and distribution coefficients) under in situ conditions. Results of the LTD experiment for cesium showed that in-diffusion profiles and spatial concentration distributions were strongly influenced by the heterogeneous pore structure and mineral distribution. In order to study the effect of heterogeneity on the in-diffusion profile and spatial concentration distribution, a Time Domain Random Walk (TDRW) method was applied along with a feature for modeling chemical sorption in geological materials. A heterogeneous mineral structure of Grimsel granodiorite was constructed using X-ray microcomputed tomography (X-μCT) and the map was linked to previous results for mineral specific porosities and distribution coefficients (Kd) that were determined using C-14-PMMA autoradiography and batch sorption experiments, respectively. After this the heterogeneous structure contains information on local porosity and Kd in 3-D. It was found that the heterogeneity of the mineral structure on the micrometer scale affects significantly the diffusion and sorption of cesium in Grimsel granodiorite at the centimeter scale. Furthermore, the modeled in-diffusion profiles and spatial concentration distributions show similar shape and pattern to those from the LTD experiment. It was concluded that the use of detailed structure characterization and quantitative data on heterogeneity can significantly improve the interpretation and evaluation of transport experiments.

Modelling complex systems of heterogeneous agents to better design sustainability transitions policy

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Mercure, J.F.A.; Pollitt, H.; Bassi, A.M.; Viñuales, J.E.; Edwards, N.R.

2016-01-01

This article proposes a fundamental methodological shift in the modelling of policy interventions for sustainability transitions in order to account for complexity (e.g. self-reinforcing mechanisms, such as technology lock-ins, arising from multi-agent interactions) and agent heterogeneity (e.g.

Boundedly rational learning and heterogeneous trading strategies with hybrid neuro-fuzzy models

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bekiros, S.D.

2009-01-01

The present study deals with heterogeneous learning rules in speculative markets where heuristic strategies reflect the rules-of-thumb of boundedly rational investors. The major challenge for "chartists" is the development of new models that would enhance forecasting ability particularly for time

A coarse-grained model for the simulations of biomolecular interactions in cellular environments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xie, Zhong-Ru; Chen, Jiawen; Wu, Yinghao

2014-01-01

The interactions of bio-molecules constitute the key steps of cellular functions. However, in vivo binding properties differ significantly from their in vitro measurements due to the heterogeneity of cellular environments. Here we introduce a coarse-grained model based on rigid-body representation to study how factors such as cellular crowding and membrane confinement affect molecular binding. The macroscopic parameters such as the equilibrium constant and the kinetic rate constant are calibrated by adjusting the microscopic coefficients used in the numerical simulations. By changing these model parameters that are experimentally approachable, we are able to study the kinetic and thermodynamic properties of molecular binding, as well as the effects caused by specific cellular environments. We investigate the volumetric effects of crowded intracellular space on bio-molecular diffusion and diffusion-limited reactions. Furthermore, the binding constants of membrane proteins are currently difficult to measure. We provide quantitative estimations about how the binding of membrane proteins deviates from soluble proteins under different degrees of membrane confinements. The simulation results provide biological insights to the functions of membrane receptors on cell surfaces. Overall, our studies establish a connection between the details of molecular interactions and the heterogeneity of cellular environments

Anode partial flooding modelling of proton exchange membrane fuel cells: Model development and validation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xing, Lei; Du, Shangfeng; Chen, Rui; Mamlouk, Mohamed; Scott, Keith

2016-01-01

A two-dimensional along-the-channel CFD (computational fluid dynamic) model, coupled with a two-phase flow model of liquid water and gas transport for a PEM (proton exchange membrane) fuel cell is described. The model considers non-isothermal operation and thus the non-uniform temperature distribution in the cell structure. Water phase-transfer between the vapour, liquid water and dissolved phase is modelled with the combinational transport mechanism through the membrane. Liquid water saturation is simulated inside the electrodes and channels at both the anode and cathode sides. Three types of models are compared for the HOR (hydrogen oxidation reaction) and ORR (oxygen reduction reaction) in catalyst layers, including Butler–Volmer (B–V), liquid water saturation corrected B–V and agglomerate mechanisms. Temperature changes in MEA (membrane electrode assembly) and channels due to electrochemical reaction, ohmic resistance and water phase-transfer are analysed as a function of current density. Nonlinear relations of liquid water saturations with respect to current densities at both the anode and cathode are regressed. At low and high current densities, liquid water saturation at the anode linearly increases as a consequence of the linear increase of liquid water saturation at the cathode. In contrast, exponential relation is found to be more accurate at medium current densities. - Highlights: • A fully coupled 2D, along-the-channel, two-phase flow, non-isothermal, CFD model is developed. • Temperature rise due to electrochemical reactions, ohmic resistance and water phase-transfer is analysed. • Mathematical expressions of liquid water saturation against current density at anode and cathode are regressed. • Relationship between the liquid water saturation at anode and cathode is built.

[Computer modeling the dependences of the membrane potential for polymeric membrane separated non-homogeneous electrolyte solutions on concentration Rayleigh number].

Science.gov (United States)

Slezak, Izabella H; Jasik-Slezak, Jolanta; Bilewicz-Wyrozumska, Teresa; Slezak, Andrzej

2006-01-01

On the basis of model equation describing the membrane potential delta psi(s) on concentration Rayleigh number (R(C)), mechanical pressure difference (deltaP), concentration polarization coefficient (zeta s) and ratio concentration of solutions separated by membrane (Ch/Cl), the characteristics delta psi(s) = f(Rc)(delta P, zeta s, Ch/Cl) for steady values of zeta s, R(C) and Ch/Cl in single-membrane system were calculated. In this system neutral and isotropic polymeric membrane oriented in horizontal plane, the non-homogeneous binary electrolytic solutions of various concentrations were separated. Nonhomogeneity of solutions is results from creations of the concentration boundary layers on both sides of the membrane. Calculations were made for the case where on a one side of the membrane aqueous solution of NaCl at steady concentration 10(-3) mol x l(-1) (Cl) was placed and on the other aqueous solutions of NaCl at concentrations from 10(-3) mol x l(-1) to 2 x 10(-2) mol x l(-1) (Ch). Their densities were greater than NaCl solution's at 10(-3) mol x l(-1). It was shown that membrane potential depends on hydrodynamic state of a complex concentration boundary layer-membrane-concentration boundary layer, what is controlled by deltaP, Ch/Cl, Rc and Zeta(s).

SC lipid model membranes designed for studying impact of ceramide species on drug diffusion and permeation--part II: diffusion and permeation of model drugs.

Science.gov (United States)

Ochalek, M; Podhaisky, H; Ruettinger, H-H; Wohlrab, J; Neubert, R H H

2012-10-01

The barrier function of two quaternary stratum corneum (SC) lipid model membranes, which were previously characterized with regard to the lipid organization, was investigated based on diffusion studies of model drugs with varying lipophilicities. Diffusion experiments of a hydrophilic drug, urea, and more lipophilic drugs than urea (i.e. caffeine, diclofenac sodium) were conducted using Franz-type diffusion cells. The amount of permeated drug was analyzed using either HPLC or CE technique. The subjects of interest in the present study were the investigation of the influence of physicochemical properties of model drugs on their diffusion and permeation through SC lipid model membranes, as well as the study of the impact of the constituents of these artificial systems (particularly ceramide species) on their barrier properties. The diffusion through both SC lipid model membranes and the human SC of the most hydrophilic model drug, urea, was faster than the permeation of the more lipophilic drugs. The slowest rate of permeation through SC lipid systems occurred in the case of caffeine. The composition of SC lipid model membranes has a significant impact on their barrier function. Model drugs diffused and permeated faster through Membrane II (presence of Cer [EOS]). In terms of the barrier properties, Membrane II is much more similar to the human SC than Membrane I. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Degradation mechanisms of sulfonated poly-aromatic membranes in fuel cell; Mecanismes de degradation des membranes polyaromatiques sulfonees en pile a combustible

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Perrot, C

2006-11-15

Fuel cell development requires an improvement in the electrode-membrane assembly durability which depends on both the polymer used and the fuel cell operating conditions. The origin of the degradation can be either electrochemical, chemical and/or mechanical. This study deals with the understanding of alternative membranes ageing mechanisms, i.e. non fluorinated membranes, such as sPEEK and sPI. For this kind of membranes, the first process is chemical. Understanding these mechanisms is the first essential step to develop more stable structures. An original approach is developed to overcome the analytical difficulties encountered with polymers. It consists in studying the degradation mechanism on model structures. Ageing are carried out in water, with H{sub 2}O{sub 2} in some cases (identified as a cause of membrane chemical ageing in the fuel cell system), and at different temperatures. The approach consists in separating the different products formed by chromatography. Then they are identified (NMR, IR, MS) and quantified. This method allows us to establish the ageing mechanism. We show that the ageing of a sPEEK structure mainly results from an attack by end chains which spreads to the whole. This mechanism is confirmed on ex-situ and in-situ aged membranes. These two kinds of ageing lead to an important decrease in polymerisation degree (determined by SEC). Formation of the same degradation products is observed. In fuel cells, a heterogeneous degradation is noticed. It takes place mainly on the cathode side. sPI are known for their high sensitivity to hydrolysis. Nevertheless, we highlight a limited degradation at 80 Celsius degrees due to the recombination of hydrolyzed species at this temperature. (author)

Stylized facts from a threshold-based heterogeneous agent model

Science.gov (United States)

Cross, R.; Grinfeld, M.; Lamba, H.; Seaman, T.

2007-05-01

A class of heterogeneous agent models is investigated where investors switch trading position whenever their motivation to do so exceeds some critical threshold. These motivations can be psychological in nature or reflect behaviour suggested by the efficient market hypothesis (EMH). By introducing different propensities into a baseline model that displays EMH behaviour, one can attempt to isolate their effects upon the market dynamics. The simulation results indicate that the introduction of a herding propensity results in excess kurtosis and power-law decay consistent with those observed in actual return distributions, but not in significant long-term volatility correlations. Possible alternatives for introducing such long-term volatility correlations are then identified and discussed.

The malignant pleural effusion as a model to investigate intratumoral heterogeneity in lung cancer.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Saroj K Basak

Full Text Available Malignant Pleural Effusions (MPE may be useful as a model to study hierarchical progression of cancer and/or intratumoral heterogeneity. To strengthen the rationale for developing the MPE-model for these purposes, we set out to find evidence for the presence of cancer stem cells (CSC in MPE and demonstrate an ability to sustain intratumoral heterogeneity in MPE-primary cultures. Our studies show that candidate lung CSC-expression signatures (PTEN, OCT4, hTERT, Bmi1, EZH2 and SUZ12 are evident in cell pellets isolated from MPE, and MPE-cytopathology also labels candidate-CSC (CD44, cMET, MDR-1, ALDH subpopulations. Moreover, in primary cultures that use MPE as the source of both tumor cells and the tumor microenvironment (TME, candidate CSC are maintained over time. This allows us to live-sort candidate CSC-fractions from the MPE-tumor mix on the basis of surface markers (CD44, c-MET, uPAR, MDR-1 or differences in xenobiotic metabolism (ALDH. Thus, MPE-primary cultures provide an avenue to extract candidate CSC populations from individual (isogenic MPE-tumors. This will allow us to test whether these cells can be discriminated in functional bioassays. Tumor heterogeneity in MPE-primary cultures is evidenced by variable immunolabeling, differences in colony-morphology, and differences in proliferation rates of cell subpopulations. Collectively, these data justify the ongoing development of the MPE-model for the investigation of intratumoral heterogeneity, tumor-TME interactions, and phenotypic validation of candidate lung CSC, in addition to providing direction for the pre-clinical development of rational therapeutics.

Bird diversity and environmental heterogeneity in North America: A test of the area-heterogeneity trade-off

Science.gov (United States)

Rachel Chocron; Curtis H. Flather; Ronen Kadmon

2015-01-01

Aim: Deterministic niche theory predicts that increasing environmental heterogeneity increases species richness. In contrast, a recent stochastic model suggests that heterogeneity has a unimodal effect on species richness since high levels of heterogeneity reduce the effective area available per species, thereby increasing the likelihood of stochastic...

Loss Performance Modeling for Hierarchical Heterogeneous Wireless Networks With Speed-Sensitive Call Admission Control

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Huang, Qian; Huang, Yue-Cai; Ko, King-Tim

2011-01-01

. This approach avoids unnecessary and frequent handoff between cells and reduces signaling overheads. An approximation model with guaranteed accuracy and low computational complexity is presented for the loss performance of multiservice traffic. The accuracy of numerical results is validated by comparing......A hierarchical overlay structure is an alternative solution that integrates existing and future heterogeneous wireless networks to provide subscribers with better mobile broadband services. Traffic loss performance in such integrated heterogeneous networks is necessary for an operator's network...

Modeling in biopharmaceutics, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics homogeneous and heterogeneous approaches

CERN Document Server

Macheras, Panos

2016-01-01

The state of the art in Biopharmaceutics, Pharmacokinetics, and Pharmacodynamics Modeling is presented in this new second edition book. It shows how advanced physical and mathematical methods can expand classical models in order to cover heterogeneous drug-biological processes and therapeutic effects in the body. The book is divided into four parts; the first deals with the fundamental principles of fractals, diffusion and nonlinear dynamics; the second with drug dissolution, release, and absorption; the third with epirical, compartmental, and stochastic pharmacokinetic models, with two new chapters, one on fractional pharmacokinetics and one on bioequivalence; and the fourth mainly with classical and nonclassical aspects of pharmacodynamics. The classical models that have relevance and application to these sciences are also considered throughout. This second edition has new information on reaction limited models of dissolution, non binary biopharmaceutic classification system, time varying models, and interf...

Air gap membrane distillation. 2. Model validation and hollow fibre module performance analysis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Guijt, C.M.; Meindersma, G.W.; Reith, T.; de Haan, A.B.

2005-01-01

In this paper the experimental results of counter current flow air gap membrane distillation experiments are presented and compared with predictive model calculations. Measurements were carried out with a cylindrical test module containing a single hollow fibre membrane in the centre and a

Heterogeneous inflation expectations, learning, and market outcomes

OpenAIRE

Madeira, Carlos; Zafar, Basit

2012-01-01

Using the panel component of the Michigan Survey of Consumers, we show that individuals, in particular women and ethnic minorities, are highly heterogeneous in their expectations of inflation. We estimate a model of inflation expectations based on learning from experience that also allows for heterogeneity in both private information and updating. Our model vastly outperforms existing models of inflation expectations in explaining the heterogeneity in the data. We find that women, ethnic mino...

Modeling heterogeneous (co)variances from adjacent-SNP groups improves genomic prediction for milk protein composition traits

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gebreyesus, Grum; Lund, Mogens Sandø; Buitenhuis, Albert Johannes

2017-01-01

Accurate genomic prediction requires a large reference population, which is problematic for traits that are expensive to measure. Traits related to milk protein composition are not routinely recorded due to costly procedures and are considered to be controlled by a few quantitative trait loci...... of large effect. The amount of variation explained may vary between regions leading to heterogeneous (co)variance patterns across the genome. Genomic prediction models that can efficiently take such heterogeneity of (co)variances into account can result in improved prediction reliability. In this study, we...... developed and implemented novel univariate and bivariate Bayesian prediction models, based on estimates of heterogeneous (co)variances for genome segments (BayesAS). Available data consisted of milk protein composition traits measured on cows and de-regressed proofs of total protein yield derived for bulls...

Model-based fault detection for proton exchange membrane fuel cell ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

In this paper, an intelligent model-based fault detection (FD) is developed for proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) dynamic systems using an independent radial basis function (RBF) networks. The novelty is that this RBF networks is used to model the PEMFC dynamic systems and residuals are generated based ...

Finsler Geometry Modeling of Phase Separation in Multi-Component Membranes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Satoshi Usui

2016-08-01

Full Text Available A Finsler geometric surface model is studied as a coarse-grained model for membranes of three components, such as zwitterionic phospholipid (DOPC, lipid (DPPC and an organic molecule (cholesterol. To understand the phase separation of liquid-ordered (DPPC rich L o and liquid-disordered (DOPC rich L d , we introduce a binary variable σ ( = ± 1 into the triangulated surface model. We numerically determine that two circular and stripe domains appear on the surface. The dependence of the morphological change on the area fraction of L o is consistent with existing experimental results. This provides us with a clear understanding of the origin of the line tension energy, which has been used to understand these morphological changes in three-component membranes. In addition to these two circular and stripe domains, a raft-like domain and budding domain are also observed, and the several corresponding phase diagrams are obtained.

A distributed dynamic model of a monolith hydrogen membrane reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Michelsen, Finn Are; Wilhelmsen, Øivind; Zhao, Lei; Aasen, Knut Ingvar

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► We model a rigorous distributed dynamic model for a HMR unit. ► The model includes enough complexity for steady-state and dynamic analysis. ► Simulations show that the model is non-linear within the normal operating range. ► The model is useful for studying and handling disturbances such as inlet changes and membrane leakage. - Abstract: This paper describes a distributed mechanistic dynamic model of a hydrogen membrane reformer unit (HMR) used for methane steam reforming. The model is based on a square channel monolith structure concept, where air flows adjacent to a mix of natural gas and water distributed in a chess pattern of channels. Combustion of hydrogen gives energy to the endothermic steam reforming reactions. The model is used for both steady state and dynamic analyses. It therefore needs to be computationally attractive, but still include enough complexity to study the important steady state and dynamic features of the process. Steady-state analysis of the model gives optimum for the steam to carbon and steam to oxygen ratios, where the conversion of methane is 92% and the hydrogen used as energy for the endothermic reactions is 28% at the nominal optimum. The dynamic analysis shows that non-linear control schemes may be necessary for satisfactory control performance

Tumour model with intrusive morphology, progressive phenotypical heterogeneity and memory

Science.gov (United States)

Atangana, Abdon; Alqahtani, Rubayyi T.

2018-03-01

The model of a tumour, taking into account invasive morphology, progressive phenotypical heterogeneity and also memory, is developed and analyzed in this paper. Three models are investigated: first we consider the model describing the proliferation concentrates in proximity of tumour boundaries, in which the oxygen levels are pronounced. Then we consider the model where the oxygen around the tumour is considered to be unchanged by the vascular system. Finally, we investigate the model of growth of tumours using the concept of non-local operators with the Mittag-Leffler kernel. We provide the numerical solution using the extended 3/8 Simpson method for the new trends of fractional integration for the proliferation concentrates in the proximity of the tumour model. Then we provide the exact solutions of the Gompertz model with three different fractional differentiations involving power law, exponential decay law and the Mittag-Leffler law.

Molecular dynamics study of lipid bilayers modeling the plasma membranes of mouse hepatocytes and hepatomas.

Science.gov (United States)

Andoh, Yoshimichi; Aoki, Noriyuki; Okazaki, Susumu

2016-02-28

Molecular dynamics (MD) calculations of lipid bilayers modeling the plasma membranes of normal mouse hepatocytes and hepatomas in water have been performed under physiological isothermal-isobaric conditions (310.15 K and 1 atm). The changes in the membrane properties induced by hepatic canceration were investigated and were compared with previous MD calculations included in our previous study of the changes in membrane properties induced by murine thymic canceration. The calculated model membranes for normal hepatocytes and hepatomas comprised 23 and 24 kinds of lipids, respectively. These included phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylserine, phosphatidylinositol, sphingomyelin, lysophospholipids, and cholesterol. We referred to previously published experimental values for the mole fraction of the lipids adopted in the present calculations. The calculated structural and dynamic properties of the membranes such as lateral structure, order parameters, lateral self-diffusion constants, and rotational correlation times all showed that hepatic canceration causes plasma membranes to become more ordered laterally and less fluid. Interestingly, this finding contrasts with the less ordered structure and increased fluidity of plasma membranes induced by thymic canceration observed in our previous MD study.

The problem of fouling in submerged membrane bioreactors - Model validation and experimental evidence

Science.gov (United States)

Tsibranska, Irene; Vlaev, Serafim; Tylkowski, Bartosz

2018-01-01

Integrating biological treatment with membrane separation has found a broad area of applications and industrial attention. Submerged membrane bioreactors (SMBRs), based on membrane modules immersed in the bioreactor, or side stream ones connected in recycle have been employed in different biotechnological processes for separation of thermally unstable products. Fouling is one of the most important challenges in the integrated SMBRs. A number of works are devoted to fouling analysis and its treatment, especially exploring the opportunity for enhanced fouling control in SMBRs. The main goal of the review is to provide a comprehensive yet concise overview of modeling the fouling in SMBRs in view of the problematics of model validation, either by real system measurements at different scales or by analysis of the obtained theoretical results. The review is focused on the current state of research applying computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling techniques.

Initiation and dynamics of a spiral wave around an ionic heterogeneity in a model for human cardiac tissue.

Science.gov (United States)

Defauw, Arne; Dawyndt, Peter; Panfilov, Alexander V

2013-12-01

In relation to cardiac arrhythmias, heterogeneity of cardiac tissue is one of the most important factors underlying the onset of spiral waves and determining their type. In this paper, we numerically model heterogeneity of realistic size and value and study formation and dynamics of spiral waves around such heterogeneity. We find that the only sustained pattern obtained is a single spiral wave anchored around the heterogeneity. Dynamics of an anchored spiral wave depend on the extent of heterogeneity, and for certain heterogeneity size, we find abrupt regional increase in the period of excitation occurring as a bifurcation. We study factors determining spatial distribution of excitation periods of anchored spiral waves and discuss consequences of such dynamics for cardiac arrhythmias and possibilities for experimental testings of our predictions.

Unobserved heterogeneity in the power law nonhomogeneous Poisson process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Asfaw, Zeytu Gashaw; Lindqvist, Bo Henry

2015-01-01

A study of possible consequences of heterogeneity in the failure intensity of repairable systems is presented. The basic model studied is the nonhomogeneous Poisson process with power law intensity function. When several similar systems are under observation, the assumption that the corresponding processes are independent and identically distributed is often questionable. In practice there may be an unobserved heterogeneity among the systems. The heterogeneity is modeled by introduction of unobserved gamma distributed frailties. The relevant likelihood function is derived, and maximum likelihood estimation is illustrated. In a simulation study we then compare results when using a power law model without taking into account heterogeneity, with the corresponding results obtained when the heterogeneity is accounted for. A motivating data example is also given. - Highlights: • Consequences of overlooking heterogeneity in similar repairable systems are studied. • Likelihood functions are established for power law NHPP w/ and w/o heterogeneity. • ML estimators for parameters of power law NHPP with heterogeneity are derived. • A simulation study shows the effects of heterogeneity and its ignorance in models

I h and HCN channels in murine spiral ganglion neurons: tonotopic variation, local heterogeneity, and kinetic model.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Qing; Manis, Paul B; Davis, Robin L

2014-08-01

One of the major contributors to the response profile of neurons in the auditory pathways is the I h current. Its properties such as magnitude, activation, and kinetics not only vary among different types of neurons (Banks et al., J Neurophysiol 70:1420-1432, 1993; Fu et al., J Neurophysiol 78:2235-2245, 1997; Bal and Oertel, J Neurophysiol 84:806-817, 2000; Cao and Oertel, J Neurophysiol 94:821-832, 2005; Rodrigues and Oertel, J Neurophysiol 95:76-87, 2006; Yi et al., J Neurophysiol 103:2532-2543, 2010), but they also display notable diversity in a single population of spiral ganglion neurons (Mo and Davis, J Neurophysiol 78:3019-3027, 1997), the first neural element in the auditory periphery. In this study, we found from somatic recordings that part of the heterogeneity can be attributed to variation along the tonotopic axis because I h in the apical neurons have more positive half-activation voltage levels than basal neurons. Even within a single cochlear region, however, I h current properties are not uniform. To account for this heterogeneity, we provide immunocytochemical evidence for variance in the intracellular density of the hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated channel α-subunit 1 (HCN1), which mediates I h current. We also observed different combinations of HCN1 and HCN4 α-subunits from cell to cell. Lastly, based on the physiological data, we performed kinetic analysis for the I h current and generated a mathematical model to better understand varied I h on spiral ganglion function. Regardless of whether I h currents are recorded at the nerve terminals (Yi et al., J Neurophysiol 103:2532-2543, 2010) or at the somata of spiral ganglion neurons, they have comparable mean half-activation voltage and induce similar resting membrane potential changes, and thus our model may also provide insights into the impact of I h on synaptic physiology.

Interaction of arsenic compounds with model phospholipid membranes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jemiola-Rzeminska, Malgorzata; Rivera, Cecilia; Suwalsky, Mario; Strzalka, Kazimierz

2007-01-01

This study is part of a project aimed at examining the influence of arsenic on biological membranes. By the use of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) we have followed the thermotropic behavior of multilamellar vesicles prepared from dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine (DMPC) and dimyristoylphosphatidylethanolamine (DMPE) upon incorporation of sodium arsenite (AsI), disodium arsenate (AsII), cacodylic acid (AsIII) and disodium methyl arsenate (AsIV). The effectiveness of perturbations exerted by various arsenic compounds on thermotropic phase transition was further analysed in terms of thermodynamic parameters: transition temperature, enthalpy and molar heat capacity, determined for lipid/As systems on the basis of heating and cooling scans. It is found that while it only has a slight influence on the thermotropic properties of DMPC, arsenic is able to significantly modify DMPE model membranes

Ion transport Modeling in a Bipolar Membrane

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Jung Soo; Park, Kwang Heon; Kim, Kwang Wook

2010-01-01

The COL(Carbonate-based Oxidative Leaching) process is an environmentally-friendly technique for collecting only uranium from spent fuel with oxidation leaching/ precipitation of carbonate solution. The bipolar membrane used for the electrolyte circulation of the salt used in the COL process is a special form of ion exchange membrane which combines CEM(cation exchange membrane) and AEM(anion exchange membrane). After arranging positive ion exchange layer toward negative terminal and positive ion exchange layer toward positive terminal, then supply electricity, water molecules are decomposed into protons and hydroxyl ions by a strong electric field in the transition region inside bipolar membrane.1) In this study, a theoretical approach to increase the efficiency of Na + and NO3 - ion collecting device using bipolar membrane was taken and simulating using the COMSOL program was tried. The details of results are also discussed

Adrenal Chromaffin Cells Exposed to 5-ns Pulses Require Higher Electric Fields to Porate Intracellular Membranes than the Plasma Membrane: An Experimental and Modeling Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Zaklit, Josette; Craviso, Gale L; Leblanc, Normand; Yang, Lisha; Vernier, P Thomas; Chatterjee, Indira

2017-10-01

Nanosecond-duration electric pulses (NEPs) can permeabilize the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), causing release of Ca 2+ into the cytoplasm. This study used experimentation coupled with numerical modeling to understand the lack of Ca 2+ mobilization from Ca 2+ -storing organelles in catecholamine-secreting adrenal chromaffin cells exposed to 5-ns pulses. Fluorescence imaging determined a threshold electric (E) field of 8 MV/m for mobilizing intracellular Ca 2+ whereas whole-cell recordings of membrane conductance determined a threshold E-field of 3 MV/m for causing plasma membrane permeabilization. In contrast, a 2D numerical model of a chromaffin cell, which was constructed with internal structures representing a nucleus, mitochondrion, ER, and secretory granule, predicted that exposing the cell to the same 5-ns pulse electroporated the plasma and ER membranes at the same E-field amplitude, 3-4 MV/m. Agreement of the numerical simulations with the experimental results was obtained only when the ER interior conductivity was 30-fold lower than that of the cytoplasm and the ER membrane permittivity was twice that of the plasma membrane. A more realistic intracellular geometry for chromaffin cells in which structures representing multiple secretory granules and an ER showed slight differences in the thresholds necessary to porate the membranes of the secretory granules. We conclude that more sophisticated cell models together with knowledge of accurate dielectric properties are needed to understand the effects of NEPs on intracellular membranes in chromaffin cells, information that will be important for elucidating how NEPs porate organelle membranes in other cell types having a similarly complex cytoplasmic ultrastructure.

Modeling in biopharmaceutics, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics homogeneous and heterogeneous approaches

CERN Document Server

Macheras, Panos

2006-01-01

The state of the art in Biopharmaceutics, Pharmacokinetics, and Pharmacodynamics Modeling is presented in this book. It shows how advanced physical and mathematical methods can expand classical models in order to cover heterogeneous drug-biological processes and therapeutic effects in the body. The book is divided into four parts; the first deals with the fundamental principles of fractals, diffusion and nonlinear dynamics; the second with drug dissolution, release, and absorption; the third with empirical, compartmental, and stochastic pharmacokinetic models, and the fourth mainly with nonclassical aspects of pharmacodynamics. The classical models that have relevance and application to these sciences are also considered throughout. Many examples are used to illustrate the intrinsic complexity of drug administration related phenomena in the human, justifying the use of advanced modeling methods. This timely and useful book will appeal to graduate students and researchers in pharmacology, pharmaceutical scienc...

Aroma Stripping under various Forms of Membrane Distillation Processes: Experiments and modeling

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jonsson, Gunnar Eigil

the large different in permeate flux and concentration factor that was observed for the different MD configurations. This is highly related to the heat and mass transfer resistances in the membrane as well as in the boundary layers adjacent to the membrane surface and how the driving force develops along......Concentration of fruit juices by membrane distillation is an interesting process as it can be done at low temperature giving a gentle concentration process with little deterioration of the juices. Since the juices contains many different aroma compounds with a wide range of chemical properties...... such as volatility, activity coefficient and vapor pressure, it is important to know how these aroma compounds will eventually pass through the membrane. Experiments have been made on an aroma model solution and on black currant juice in a lab scale membrane distillation set up which can be operated in various types...

Mathematical modeling in mechanics of heterogeneous media

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fedorov, A.V.; Fomin, V.M.

1991-01-01

The paper reviews the work carried out at the Department of Multi-Phase Media Mechanics of the Institute of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics of the Siberian Division of the USSR Academy of Sciences. It deals with mathematical models for the flow of gas mixtures and solid particles that account for phase transitions and chemical reactions. This work is concerned with the problems of construction of laws of conservation, determination of the type of equations of heterogeneous media mechanics, structure of shock waves, and combined discontinuities in mixtures. The theory of ideal and nonideal detonation in suspension of matter in gases is discussed. Self-similar flows of gas mixtures and responding particles, as well as the problem of breakup of discontinuity for suspension of matter in gases, is studied. 42 refs

Torsion of DNA modeled as a heterogeneous fluctuating rod

Science.gov (United States)

Argudo, David; Purohit, Prashant K.

2014-01-01

We discuss the statistical mechanics of a heterogeneous elastic rod with bending, twisting and stretching. Our model goes beyond earlier works where only homogeneous rods were considered in the limit of high forces and long lengths. Our methods allow us to consider shorter fluctuating rods for which boundary conditions can play an important role. We use our theory to study structural transitions in torsionally constrained DNA where there is coexistence of states with different effective properties. In particular, we examine whether a newly discovered left-handed DNA conformation called L-DNA is a mixture of two known states. We also use our model to investigate the mechanical effects of the binding of small molecules to DNA. For both these applications we make experimentally falsifiable predictions.

Neutrons and model membranes

Science.gov (United States)

Fragneto, G.

2012-11-01

Current research in membrane protein biophysics highlights the emerging role of lipids in shaping membrane protein function. Cells and organisms have developed sophisticated mechanisms for controlling the lipid composition and many diseases are related to the failure of these mechanisms. One of the recent advances in the field is the discovery of the existence of coexisting micro-domains within a single membrane, important for regulating some signaling pathways. Many important properties of these domains remain poorly characterized. The characterization and analysis of bio-interfaces represent a challenge. Performing measurements on these few nanometer thick, soft, visco-elastic and dynamic systems is close to the limits of the available tools and methods. Neutron scattering techniques including small angle scattering, diffraction, reflectometry as well as inelastic methods are rapidly developing for these studies and are attracting an increasing number of biologists and biophysicists at large facilities. This manuscript will review some recent progress in the field and provide perspectives for future developments. It aims at highlighting neutron reflectometry as a versatile method to tackle questions dealing with the understanding and function of biomembranes and their components. The other important scattering methods are only briefly introduced.

New insights into the organization of plasma membrane and its role in signal transduction.

Science.gov (United States)

Suzuki, Kenichi G N