The insertion of a synthetic amphiphilic, α-helical peptide into a supported hybrid bilayer membrane (HBM) was studied by neutron reflectometry to elucidate the resulting nanostructure. The HBM consisted of a self-assembled monolayer of perdeuterated octadecanethiol on gold and an overlying leaflet of acyl-deuterated phosphatidylcholine (d-DMPC). Using contrast variation, several reflectivity s...

The structure and membrane interaction of the antimicrobial peptide aurein 2.2 (GLFDIVKKVVGALGSL-CONH(2)), aurein 2.3 (GLFDIVKKVVGAIGSL-CONH(2)), both from Litoria aurea, and a carboxy C-terminal analog of aurein 2.3 (GLFDIVKKVVGAIGSL-COOH) were studied to determine which features of this class of peptides are key to activity. Circular dichroism and solution-state NMR data indicate that all thr...

Mixtures of long- and short-chain phospholipids, specifically 14:0 and 6:0 phosphatidylcholines (DMPC and DHPC), have been used successfully in NMR studies as magnetically alignable substrates for membrane-associated proteins. However, recent publications have shown that the phase behavior of these mixtures is much more complex than originally thought. Using polarized light microscopy and small...

Complexes formed between dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine (DMPC) and the peptide pentagastrin or [Arg4]pentagastrin were examined by 31P- and 2H-NMR. The cationic [Arg4]pentagastrin produces larger changes in the lipid NMR spectra than does the anionic pentagastrin. 31P-NMR spectra of DMPC with [Arg4]pentagastrin below the phase transition exhibits two components one of which is motionally restri...

A distributed model predictive control (DMPC) framework is proposed. The physical plant structure and the plant mathematical model are used to partition the control duties over self-sufficient estimation and control nodes. Linear models and local measurements at the nodes are used to estimate the relevant plant states. This information is then used in the model predictive control calculations. ...

The membrane interactions of the antimicrobial peptide aurein 1.2 were studied using a range of biophysical techniques to determine the location and the mechanism of action in DMPC (dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine) and DMPC/DMPG (dimyristoylphosphatidylglycerol) model membranes that mimic characteristics of eukaryotic and prokaryotic membranes, respectively. Neutron reflectometry and solid-state...

Distributed model predictive control (DMPC) schemes have become a popular choice for networked problems. Under this approach, local controllers use to predict its subsystem behavior during certain horizon so as find the sequence of inputs that optimizes evolution according given criterion. Some convenient features method are explicit handling constraints and exchange information between coordin...

Weather-dependent energy sources such as wind and solar power lack the flexibility to adjust their power supply in response to the demand. To facilitate the integration of these renewable sources the electricity demand needs to respond to the available electricity supply. Thermostatically controlled loads such as refrigerators and electric water heaters are useful for this due to their autonomo...

Measurements of normal and shear (frictional) forces between mica surfaces across small unilamellar vesicle (SUV) dispersions of the phosphatidylcholine (PC) lipids DMPC (14:0), DPPC (16:0) and DSPC (18:0) and POPC (16:0, 18:1), at physiologically high pressures, are reported. We have previously studied the normal and shear forces between two opposing surfaces bearing PC vesicles across pure wa...

Several hypotheses link the molecular mechanism of action of the antiarrhythmic drugs (AAD) that belong to class I to non-specific interactions with phospholipids sited in the neighborhood of sodium channels in the membrane of the myocardium. Procainamide (PROC), one of the least lipophilic drugs of this group, was induced to interact with bilayers of dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine (DMPC) and d...