[Functional and laboratory characteristics in the concomitance of asthma and obesity at a young age].

AIM: To study the peripheral blood level of leptin and adiponectin and their possible effect on the functional status of the respiratory system in young asthmatic patients in relation to body mass index (BMI) for the optimization of asthma therapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Examinations were made in 133 people, including a study group of 93 patients with asthma who were divided into 2 groups according to BMI: 1) those with a BMI of less 25 kg/m2 and 2) those with a BMI of 30 kg/m2 or more, as well as a control group of 40 apparently healthy patients. The investigators studied external respiratory function (ERF), the peripheral blood levels of leptin and adiponectin, the biochemical composition of plasma, by determining total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and triglycerides. RESULTS: Lipid metabolic disorders as dyslipidemia and hypercholesterolemia, increased severity of disease, and decreased ERF were recorded in the concomitance of obesity and asthma. The peripheral blood level of leptin in young asthmatic patients with obesity was found to be associated with higher BMI. CONCLUSION: A more severe course of disease presenting with decreased ERF, impaired lipid metabolism, and elevated peripheral blood leptin levels were noted in the concomitance of asthma and obesity at a young age.

On the collapse transition of a polymer brush: the case of lateral mobility.

We consider a polymer brush composed of end-grafted polymer chains. Classical theory advocates that a worsening of the solvent quality results in a smooth decrease of the brush height from a swollen to a dense brush. We report that a homogeneous brush under poor solvent conditions can have a negative surface pressure, indicating an instability in favour of lateral segregation. Also by using a two-gradient version of the self-consistent field (SCF) theory we show that, in contradiction to the classical result, but in line with the negative pressure, the collapse transition for laterally mobile chains has a first-order character, exemplified by the presence of a compact brush that coexists with a dilute gas of end-grafted chains. The dense brush assumes a pancake shape wherein the chains balance the stretching entropy against surface energies. The height of the pancake scales sub-linearly with the chain length because the local grafting density decreases with increasing chain length. In analogy with wetting studies we discuss how the spreading parameter has an influence on the pancake structure. Accordingly, the height increases with worsening of the solvent quality and decreases with increased affinity for the substrate. The two-phase state is expected in many practical situations.

Insertion of nanoparticles into polymer brush under variable solvent conditions.

In this work, two-dimensional lattice-based self-consistent field theory is used to study the free energy cost associated with the insertion of a nanoparticle into a polymer brush. The nanoparticle is modeled as a cylinder and the self-consistent field equations are formulated on a cylindrical lattice. The use of two-dimensional formalism makes it possible to take into account the distortion of the brush density profile due to the embedded nanoinclusion. The insertion free energy penalty is analyzed as a function of the particle size, the brush grafting density, and the solvent quality. In agreement with the earlier simulation work, we find that the insertion free energy cost increases both with the particle size and the brush grafting density and decreases with deteriorating solvent quality. For nanoparticles located deep inside the brush, the insertion free energy is shown to scale with either squared (good solvent) or cubed (poor solvent) monomer volume fraction profile, in agreement with the earlier theoretical results. For shallow nanoinclusions located close to the brush surface, the insertion free energy is shown to scale linearly with the monomer volume fraction profile under both good and theta solvent conditions, again in agreement with the earlier work.

Effect of solvent quality on the dispersibility of polymer-grafted spherical nanoparticles in polymer solutions.

In this work, lattice-based self consistent field theory is used to study the structural properties of individual polymer-grafted spherical nanopartices and particle-particle interactions in polymer melts and solutions under variable solvent conditions. Our study has focused on the depth of the minimum in the potential of mean force between the two brush-coated nanoparticles, if such a minimum occurs, and we have also addressed the corresponding radial density profiles of free and grafted chains around a single nanoparticle, in an attempt to clarify the extent of correlation between the depth of the minimum, W(min), and the parameter δ characterizing the interpenetration between the profiles of free and grafted chains. Although one cannot establish a simple one-to-one correspondence between W(min) and δ, we do find common trends, in particular, if the solvent conditions for free and grafted chains differ: varying the volume fraction of the free chains, δ typically exhibits a broad minimum, corresponding to a region where the magnitude of W(min) exceeds thermal energy k(B)T, leading to particle aggregation.

Surface instabilities of minority chains in dense polymer brushes: a comparison of density functional theory and quasi-off-lattice self-consistent field theory.

This work studies surface instabilities in switchable homopolymer brushes where the minority chain differs in length from the brush chains. Both off-lattice numerical self-consistent field theory and classical density functional theory are employed. It is found that the two methods agree well with each other as long as the same equation of state for the polymer chains is used.

Anomalous nanoparticle diffusion in polymer solutions and melts: a mode-coupling theory study.

Mode-coupling theory is employed to study diffusion of nanoparticles in polymer melts and solutions. Theoretical results are directly compared with molecular dynamics simulation data for a similar model. The theory correctly reproduces the effects of the nanoparticle size, mass, particle-polymer interaction strength, and polymer chain length on the nanoparticle diffusion coefficient. In accord with earlier experimental, simulation, and theoretical work, it is found that when the polymer radius of gyration exceeds the nanoparticle radius, the Stokes-Einstein relation underestimates the particle diffusion coefficient by as much as an order of magnitude. Within the mode-coupling theory framework, a microscopic interpretation of this phenomenon is given, whereby the total diffusion coefficient is decomposed into microscopic and hydrodynamic contributions, with the former dominant in the small particle limit, and the latter dominant in the large particle limit. This interpretation is in agreement with previous mode-coupling theory studies of anomalous diffusion of solutes in simple dense fluids.

Sterically stabilized lock and key colloids: a self-consistent field theory study.

A self-consistent field theory study of lock and key type interactions between sterically stabilized colloids in polymer solution is performed. Both the key particle and the lock cavity are assumed to have cylindrical shape and their surfaces are uniformly grafted with polymer chains. The lock-key potential of mean force is computed for various model parameters, such as length of free and grafted chains, lock and key size matching, free chain volume fraction, grafting density, and various enthalpic interactions present in the system. The lock-key interaction is found to be highly tunable, which is important in the rapidly developing field of particle self-assembly.

Hydrophobic interactions with coarse-grained model for water.

Integral equation theory is applied to a coarse-grained model of water to study potential of mean force between hydrophobic solutes. Theory is shown to be in good agreement with the available simulation data for methane-methane and fullerene-fullerene potential of mean force in water; the potential of mean force is also decomposed into its entropic and enthalpic contributions. Mode coupling theory is employed to compute self-diffusion coefficient of water as well as diffusion coefficient of a dilute hydrophobic solute; good agreement with molecular dynamics simulation results is found.

Structural and dynamical properties of a core-softened fluid in a supercritical region.

We present a theoretical study of the structural, thermodynamic, and transport properties of a supercritical fluid comprising particles interacting via isotropic attractive core-softened potential. The shear viscosity and self-diffusion coefficient are computed on the basis of the mode-coupling theory, with required structural input obtained from the thermodynamically self-consistent integral equation theory. We also consider dilute solutes in a core-softened fluid and use the anisotropic integral equation theory to obtain the solute-solute potential of mean force, which yields the second virial coefficient. We analyze its dependence on the solvent density and solute-solvent interaction strength.

Interactions between polymer brushes in solvents of variable quality: a density functional theory study.

We present a density functional theory study of interactions between sterically stabilized colloidal particles in solvents of variable quality. Both flat and spherical polymer brushes are considered, as well as both monatomic and polymeric solvents. It is shown that the interaction between sterically stabilized particles can be tuned from repulsive to attractive by varying the solvent quality, the relative length of free and grafted chains, and by employing a mixed brush consisting of both well and poorly solvated chains.

Absorption and emission lineshapes and ultrafast solvation dynamics of NO in parahydrogen.

We perform a theoretical study on the electronic spectroscopy of dilute NO impurity embedded in parahydrogen (p-H(2)). Absorption and emission lineshapes for the A (2)Sigma(+)<--X (2)Pi Rydberg transition of NO in parahydrogen have been previously measured and simulated, which yielded results for the NO/p-H(2) ground and excited state pair potentials [L. Bonacina et al., J. Chem. Phys. 125, 054507 (2006)]. Using these potentials, we performed molecular dynamics simulation, theoretical statistical mechanical calculations of absorption and emission lineshapes, and both equilibrium and nonequilibrium solvation correlation functions for NO chromophore in parahydrogen. Theory was shown to be in good agreement with simulation. Linear response treatment of solvation dynamics was shown to break down due to a dramatic change in the solute-solvent microstructure upon solute excitation to the Rydberg state and the concomitant increase of the solute size.

A mode-coupling theory of vibrational line broadening in near-critical fluids.

We present a fully microscopic mode-coupling theory of near-critical line broadening. All the structural and dynamical input required by the theory is calculated directly from intermolecular potentials. We compute vibrational frequency time-correlation functions and line shapes as the critical point is approached along both the critical isochore and the liquid-gas coexistence curve. Theory is shown to be in good agreement with simulation.

Interactions between nanoparticles in supercritical fluids: from repulsion to attraction.

We present a density functional theory study of interactions between sterically stabilized spherical nanoparticles in a supercritical solvent. The theory is used to analyze the effect of particle size, solvent density, and solvent-ligand interaction strength on the potential of mean force between the particles. Experimentally observed size-selective precipitation of nanoparticles is rationalized in terms of the behavior of the density profiles of stabilizing ligands as a function of particle size and solvent thermodynamic conditions. The theory yields the same general trends as observed in experiments, namely, an increased stability of nanoparticle dispersions at higher solvent densities and for smaller particle sizes.

Effect of repulsive and attractive interactions on depletion forces in colloidal suspensions: a density functional theory treatment.

The author employs density functional theory to study colloidal interactions in solution. Hardcore Yukawa potentials with soft tails, either repulsive or attractive, are used to model colloid-solvent and solvent-solvent interactions. We analyze the effect of these interactions on the solvent-mediated potential of mean force between two colloids in solution. Overall, theory is shown to be in good agreement with recent simulation data. We use the theory to study the density dependence of the colloid-colloid second virial coefficient.

A mode-coupling theory treatment of the transport coefficients of the Lennard-Jones fluid.

We apply mode-coupling theory to study shear viscosity and self-diffusion coefficient of the Lennard-Jones fluid throughout the entire fluid region of the phase diagram. Theoretical results are compared with the extensive simulation data and good agreement is found. In addition, theory is compared to the experimental data on the transport coefficients of inert gas fluids.

Waterlike dynamic anomalies in a liquid described by a core-softened potential.

We present a theoretical study of transport properties of a liquid comprised of particles interacting via isotropic core-softened potential. Shear viscosity and self-diffusion coefficient are computed on the basis of the mode-coupling theory, with required structural input obtained from thermodynamically self-consistent integral equation theory. Both self-diffusion coefficient and viscosity display waterlike anomalous density dependence, with diffusivity increasing and viscosity decreasing with density within a particular density range along several isotherms below a certain temperature. Our theoretical results for both transport coefficients are in good agreement with the simulation data.

Absorption and emission lineshapes and solvation dynamics of NO in supercritical Ar.

We perform a theoretical study of electronic spectroscopy of dilute NO in supercritical Ar fluid. Absorption and emission lineshapes for the A(2)Sigma(+)<--X(2)Pi Rydberg transition of NO in argon have been previously measured and simulated, which yielded results for the NO/Ar ground- and excited-state pair potentials [Larregaray et al., Chem. Phys. 308, 13 (2005)]. Using these potentials, we have performed molecular dynamics simulations and theoretical statistical mechanical calculations of absorption and emission lineshapes and nonequilibrium solvation correlation functions for a wide range of solvent densities and temperatures. Theory was shown to be in good agreement with simulation. Linear response treatment of solvation dynamics was shown to break down at near-critical temperature due to dramatic change in the solute-solvent microstructure upon solute excitation to the Rydberg state and the concomitant increase of the solute size.

Interactions between colloidal particles in amphiphilic mixtures: a density functional theory study.

We present a density functional theory study of interactions between spherical colloidal particles in amphiphile solutions. Theory is found to be in good agreement with previously published molecular dynamics simulations. It is used to analyze the effect of the amphiphile solution bulk density, the chain length, and the solvent mole fraction on the potential of mean force between the particles. The general features of the potential of mean force are rationalized in terms of formation of layers and bilayers of amphiphilic molecules in the intercolloidal gap. Theory yields the same general trends as observed in simulations and in experiments. In particular, the computed mean force changes its character from repulsive to attractive and back to repulsive as the solvent mole fraction is gradually increased.

Steric stabilization of spherical colloidal particles: Implicit and explicit solvent.

We present the results of Monte Carlo simulations and density functional theory treatment of interactions between spherical colloidal brushes both in implicit (good) solvent and in an explicit polymeric solution. Overall, theory is seen to be in good agreement with simulations. We find that interactions between hard-sphere particles grafted with hard-sphere chains are always repulsive in implicit solvent. The range and steepness of the repulsive interaction is sensitive to the grafting density and the length of the grafted chains. When the brushes are immersed in an explicit solvent of hard-sphere chains, a weak mid-range attraction arises, provided the length of the free chains exceeds that of the grafted chains.

Interactions between sterically stabilized nanoparticles in supercritical fluids: a simulation study.

The authors report a simulation study of the interaction between gold nanoparticles stabilized with both linear and branched alkane chains in supercritical ethane. In agreement with experimental and previous theoretical work, the authors find that increasing solvent density and making ligands more branched make the nanoparticle interaction more repulsive. These findings are analyzed in terms of the extent of the chain interdigitation and chain-solvent interaction energy.