this discrete model can be approximated by a continuous energy defined on special functions with bounded variation. In fact, if we limit the interactions in the sum to the nearest neighbors in the portion of εZ contained in some fixed Ω, and we interpret the values ui as the discretization of a function defined in Ω, then these energies can be studied using the methods of Γ-convergence, and the...

We study the asymptotic behavior of functionals associated to the energy of a thin nonlinear elastic spherical shell in the limit of vanishing thickness (proportional to a small parameter) ε and under the assumption of radial deformations. The functionals are characterized by the presence of a nonlocal potential term and defined on suitable weighted functional spaces. The transition shell-membr...

In this paper, we study the relation between the second inner variations of the Allen-Cahn functional and its Gamma-limit, the area functional. Our result implies that the Allen-Cahn functional only approximates well the area functional up to the first order. However, as an application of our result, we prove, assuming the singlemultiplicity property of the limiting energy, that the Morse indic...

We present the second of two articles on the small volume-fraction limit of a nonlocal Cahn–Hilliard functional introduced to model microphase separation of diblock copolymers. After having established the results for the sharp-interface version of the functional [SIAM J. Math. Anal., 42 (2010), pp. 1334–1370], we consider here the full diffuse-interface functional and address the limit in whic...

Background: Malassezia furfur is alipophilic yeast that causes skin disease. Objective: To evaluate the level of IL-10, IFN-γ and IL-12P70 in co-incubation of M. furfur grown on different forms of natural oils with PBMCs of healthy individuals. Methods: PBMCs were obtained from blood samples of normal volunteers. M. furfur was cultured in different culture media containing almond oil, fish oil,...

background: there is evidence that cd36 promotes foam cell formation through internalizing oxidized ldl (ox-ldl) into macrophages therefore, it plays a key role in pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. in addition, cd36 expression seems to be mediated by nuclear receptor peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (ppar-γ). the aim of the present study was to evaluate and compare the effect of ...