Search

•Thermosyphon with L/D ≤ 50 present internal convective phenomena dispersion index of 0.0089.•For the remaining studied ratios, dispersion index increases and remains cohesive ranging between 0.11 and 0.14.•Evaporation is the dominant internal mechanism based on entropy generation rates 25 to 45% higher than condensation or vapour core transport.•For all instances, as heat supply rises entropy generation rates associated to internal vapour core decrease by 10–15%•Internal condensation is the most susceptible internal process with dispersion index between 1.98 and 5.2 times higher than the remaining processes.

In this work the theoretical model of multidimensional physical systems, representable as chains of nonlinearly coupled chaotic pendula subjected to harmonic excitations, is formulated and its nonlinear dynamics and synchronization characteristics are studied by means of a numerical approach. Some considerations on the role of the main system parameters are drawn. Dynamic perturbations, due for example to background interactions or to intrinsic pathological imperfections of the chain, are also taken into account. Their effect is analyzed with reference to two distinct situations: uniform application to all the pendula and localized application to the extremities of the chain.

In this work the theoretical model of multidimensional physical systems, representable as chains of nonlinearly coupled chaotic pendula subjected to harmonic excitations, is formulated and its nonlinear dynamics and synchronization characteristics are studied by means of a numerical approach. Some considerations on the role of the main system parameters are drawn. Dynamic perturbations, due for example to background interactions or to intrinsic pathological imperfections of the chain, are also taken into account. Their effect is analyzed with reference to two distinct situations: uniform application to all the pendula and localized application to the extremities of the chain.

Abstract:: Melnikov-method-based theoretical results are demonstrated concerning the relative effectiveness of any two weak excitations in suppressing homoclinic/heteroclinic chaos of a relevant class of dissipative, low-dimensional and non-autonomous systems for the main resonance between the chaos-inducing and chaos-suppressing excitations. General analytical expressions are derived from the analysis of generic Melnikov functions providing the boundaries of the regions as well as the enclosed area in the amplitude/initial phase plane of the chaos-suppressing excitation where homoclinic/heteroclinic chaos is inhibited. The relevance of the theoretical results on chaotic attractor elimination is confirmed by means of Lyapunov exponent calculations for a two-well Duffing oscillator.

Secretory carrier membrane proteins (SCAMPs) are ubiquitous components of recycling vesicles that shuttle between the plasma membrane, endosomes, and the trans-Golgi complex. SCAMPs contain multiple N-terminal NPF repeats and four highly conserved transmembrane regions. NPF repeats often interact with EH domain proteins that function in budding of transport vesicles from the plasma membrane or the Golgi complex. We now show that the NPF repeats of SCAMP1 bind to two EH domain proteins, intersectin 1, which is involved in endocytic budding at the plasma membrane, and gamma-synergin, which may mediate the budding of vesicles in the trans-Golgi complex. Expression of SCAMP1 lacking the N-terminal NPF repeats potently inhibited transferrin uptake by endocytosis. Our data suggest that one of the functions of SCAMPs is to participate in endocytosis via a mechanism which may involve the recruitment of clathrin coats to the plasma membrane and the trans-Golgi network.

Secretory carrier membrane proteins (SCAMPs) comprise a family of ubiquitous membrane proteins of transport vesicles with no known function. Their universal presence in all cells suggests a fundamental role in membrane traffic. SCAMPs are particularly highly expressed in organelles that undergo regulated exocytosis, such as synaptic vesicles and mast cell granules. Of the three currently known SCAMPs, SCAMP1 is the most abundant. To investigate the possible functions of SCAMP1, we generated mice that lack SCAMP1. SCAMP1-deficient mice are viable and fertile. They exhibit no changes in the overall architecture or the protein composition of the brain or alterations in peripheral organs. Capacitance measurements in mast cells demonstrated that exocytosis could be triggered reliably by GTPgammaS in SCAMP1-deficient cells. The initial overall capacitance of mast cells was similar between wild type and mutant mice, but the final cell capacitance after completion of exocytosis, was significantly smaller in SCAMP1-deficient cells than in wild type cells. Furthermore, there was an increased proportion of reversible fusion events, which may have caused the decrease in the overall capacitance change observed after exocytosis. Our data show that SCAMP1 is not essential for exocytosis, as such, and does not determine the stability or size of secretory vesicles, but is required for the full execution of stable exocytosis in mast cells. This phenotype could be the result of a function of SCAMP1 in the formation of stable fusion pores during exocytosis or of a role of SCAMP1 in the regulation of endocytosis after formation of fusion pores.

We have investigated the changes of cytosolic [Ca2+] and the secretory activity in single glomus cells dispersed from rabbit carotid bodies during exposure to solutions with variable O2 tension (Po2). In normoxic conditions (Po2 = 145 mmHg; 1 mmHg = 133 Pa), intracellular [Ca2+] was 58 +/- 29 nM, and switching to low Po2 (between 10 and 60 mmHg) led to a reversible increase of [Ca2+] up to 800 nM. The response to hypoxia completely disappeared after removal of external Ca2+ or with the addition of 0.2 mM Cd2+ to the external solution. These same solutions also abolished both the Ca2+ current of the cells and the increase of internal [Ca2+] elicited by high external K+. Elevations of cytosolic [Ca2+] in response to hypoxia or to direct membrane depolarization elicited the release of dopamine, which was detected by amperometric techniques. Dopamine secretion occurred in episodes of spike-like activity that appear to represent the release from single secretory vesicles. From the mean charge of well-resolved secretory events, we estimated the average number of dopamine molecules per vesicle to be approximately 140,000, a value about 15 times smaller than a previous estimate in chromaffin granules of adrenomedullary cells. These results directly demonstrate in a single-cell preparation the secretory response of glomus cells to hypoxia. The data indicate that the enhancement of cellular excitability upon exposure to low Po2 results in Ca2+ entry through voltage-gated channels, which leads to an increase in intracellular [Ca2+] and exocytotic transmitter release.

((Without abstract.))

The immune system is subject to destruction and dysfunction as a result of attacks by pathogenic and environmental agents. In addition, many clinical situations exist in which it is desirable to stimulate or suppress the immune system. The present study evaluated the screening efficacy of flow cytometric lymphocyte subset typing in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from healthy individuals (HI) and from patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) treated with different concentrations of FR-91, a standardized lysate of microbial cells belonging to the Bacillus genus, and in vitro cytokine production. Increased expression of subset markers (CD3, CD4, CD8) in NHL and CD3 in HI suggests an immunomodulating effect of FR-91. In addition the results of cytokine production also demonstrated a clear effect of FR-91 on both populations. A significant increase of IL-6, IL-12, IFN-γ and TNF-α was observed in the HI group after treatment with FR-91. In a similar manner an increase of IL-2, IL-6, IL-12, IFN-γ and TNF-α was also observed in the NHL group. In conclusion FR-91 seems to affect lymphocyte subpopulations, in vitro cytokine production, as well as mitogen-induced lymphocyte activation in a dose-dependent manner in both healthy individuals and NHL patients.