In this study, pharmaceutical-grade and food-grade linker-based lecithin self-emulsifying delivery systems (SEDS) were developed with a combination of lipophilic and hydrophilic linkers. These additives at suggested concentrations are safe for pharmaceutical and food applications. The ratio of surfactant lecithin and linkers in these systems was optimized to develop surfactant in oil preconcentrates. The preconcentrates containing different surfactant concentrations and oil were diluted with fed state simulated intestinal fluid to produce pseudo-ternary phase diagrams and to identify the formulations that produced self-emulsifying or self-microemulsifying delivery systems. Optimal SEDS preconcentrates were evaluated using a dialyzer model to simulate intestinal uptake. An uptake of 39.6 mg/cm2 for the pharmaceutical-grade SEDS was obtained within 72 minutes, which promises substantial improvement in the bioavailability of hydrophobic actives. The optimal uptake of 12.2 mg/cm2 for food-grade SEDS suggests enhancement in the bioavailability of omega-3 fatty acids.

Metallic fuels have an important role to play in "fast breeder" Gen-IV type nuclear reactors, and U-Pu-Zr is one of the prototypical systems. Because of the variability in fuel chemistry during burn-up, it is important to understand the effect of minor actinides and fission products on phase stability. Within this framework, we present a study on phase equilibria in the binary Np-Zr alloy system on which little work has been published. To resolve the contradictory reports on the ordering/ clustering trends of the bcc phase, a thermodynamic study is performed using the CALPHAD method. The calculated Np-Zr phase diagram is consistent with two sets of data: formation enthalpies of the bcc phase that are calculated with ab initio KKR-ASA-CPA electronic-structure method and lattice stabilities of solution phases obtained from first-principles technique. Another important feature in the Np-Zr alloy system is the non-stoichiometric delta-NpZr2 phase that forms in a hexagonal C32 structure similar to the delta-phase in the U-Zr system and the w-phase in pure Zr. An increase in the homogeneity range of the delta-phase when going from Pu to Np and to U is attributed to a lowering of its heat of formation that is caused by an increase in d-band occupation. Two different possibilities for the stability of the delta- and w- phases have been proposed in the present work. Additionally, calculated changes in enthalpy versus temperature are plotted for two alloy compositions of the Np-Zr system to guide future experimental work in resolving important issues in this system. Finally, an ab initio study, implemented with the L(S)DA U formalism, is performed for pure Np that reveals a transition from a non-magnetic to a magnetic state at a critical U parameter.

Zielstellung dieser Arbeit ist die experimentelle Aufklärung und computergestützte Simulation von Phasengleichgewichten im binären System Kupfer-Sauerstoff und im quaternären System Eisen-Samarium-Zirkonium-Molybdän. Damit wird ein Beitrag zu Phasendiagrammen in den Stoffgruppen der keramischen Materialien und der Seltenerd-basierenden magnetischen Materialien geleistet. Zur Charakterisierung der einzelnen Systeme und ihrer Subsysteme nach der CALPHAD-Methode werden die Stöchiometrie der einzelnen Phasen, ihre Phasenanteile in den jeweiligen Legierungen sowie ihre druckabhängige und thermische Stabilität unter angenäherten Gleichgewichtsbedingungen betrachtet. Zusammen mit den kristallographischen und magnetischen Eigenschaften der Phasen ergeben sich daraus thermodynamische Modelle, die durch ihre parametrisierte Darstellungsweise eine Optimierung an die jeweiligen experimentellen Befunde gestatten. Durch Extra- und Interpolation der so gewonnenen Zustandsfunktionen der einzelnen Phasen ergibt sich ein möglichst weitgehendes Bild aller wesentlichen, das stoffliche Gesamtsystem charakterisierenden thermodynamischen Zustände, welches auch über die experimentellen Einschränkungen hinaus noch Aussagen über die Phasenkonstitution, etwa die Primärkristallisation von Phasen bei hohen Drücken und Temperaturen sowie die Phasenstabilität in höherkomponentigen Systemen, ermöglicht. Schließlich werden die thermodynamischen Funktionen in einer Datenbank zusammengefasst, womit auch die Möglichkeit ihrer Weiterverwendung in anderen Systemen besteht. Die Arbeit kann in den Bereich der Grundlagenuntersuchungen zu den behandelten Stoffsystemen mit werkstoffwissenschaftlichem Hintergrund eingeordnet werden.

<p>The main focus in the present work concerns calculations on steel/slag equilibria. Thermodynamic software and databases are now powerful and accurate enough to give reliable results when applied to complex metallurgical processes. One example is the decarburization process of high alloyed steels. It is shown that using advanced thermodynamic models, without a complicated kinetic description of the system, reasonable agreement with experimental data is obtained. The calculations are performed using the Thermo-Calc software.</p><p>Within this work a Java interface for Thermo-Calc has been implemented. Java gives graphical possibilities and a graphical interface has been created that facilitates calculations that involve both metallic phases as well as oxides and make them feasible also for an industrial user.</p>

<p>X-ray and neutron crystallography are the predominant methods for obtaining atomic-scale information on bimolecular macromolecules. Despite the success of these techniques, generating well diffracting crystals critically limits going from protein to structure. In practice, the crystallization process proceeds through knowledge-informed empiricism. Better physico-chemical understanding remains elusive because of the large number of variables involved, hence little guidance is available to systematically identify solution conditions that promote crystallization. </p><p>The fields of structural biology and soft matter have independently sought out fundamental principles to rationalize protein crystallization. Yet the conceptual differences and limited overlap between the two disciplines may have prevented a comprehensive understanding of the phenomenon to emerge. Part of this dissertation focuses on computational studies of rubredoxin and human uniquitin that bridge the two fields.</p><p>Using atomistic simulations, the protein crystal contacts are characterized, and patchy particle models are accordingly parameterized. Comparing the phase diagrams of these schematic models with experimental results enables the critical review of the assumptions behind the two approaches, and reveals insights about protein-protein interactions that can be leveraged to crystallize proteins more generally. In addition, exploration of the model parameter space provides a rationale for several experimental observations, such as the success and occasional failure of George and Wilson's proposal for protein crystallization conditions and the competition between different crystal forms.</p><p>These simple physical models enlighten the connection between protein phase behavior and protein-protein interactions, which are, however, remarkably sensitive to the protein chemical environment. To help determine relationships between the physico-chemical protein properties and crystallization propensity, statistical models are trained on samples for 182 proteins supplied by the Northeast Structural Genomics consortium. Gaussian processes, which capture trends beyond the reach of linear statistical models, distinguish between two main physico-chemical mechanisms driving crystallization. One is characterized by low levels of side chain entropy and has been extensively reported in the literature. The other identifies specific electrostatic interactions not previously described in the crystallization context. Because evidence for two distinct mechanisms can be gleaned both from crystal contacts and from solution conditions leading to successful crystallization, the model offers future avenues for optimizing crystallization screens based on partial structural information. The availability of crystallization data coupled with structural outcomes analyzed through state-of-the-art statistical models may thus guide macromolecular crystallization toward a more rational basis.</p><p>To conclude, the behavior of water in protein crystals is specifically examined. Water is not only essential for the correct functioning and folding of proteins, but it is also a key player in protein crystal assembly. Although water occupies up to 80% of the volume fraction of a protein crystal, its structure has so far received little attention and it is often overly simplified in the structural refinement process. Merging information derived from molecular dynamics simulations and original structural information provides a way to better understand the behavior of water in crystals and to develop a method that enriches standard structural refinement.</p> / Dissertation

Asymmetric simple exclusion process (ASEP) is a driven stochastic lattice model of particles that move preferentially in one direction. If particles move only in one direction, the model is known as totally asymmetric process. Conventionally, preferred direction of motion is chosen to be to the right. Particles interact through the hard core exclusion rule, meaning that no more than one particle is allowed to occupy one lattice site. In this work following ASEP models are presented. First we study square diagonal lattice with particles that occupy one lattice site and move along the square diagonals. Mean-field theory was developed for this model. The results that were obtained are the dependency of the current on density of the particles, spatial density distribution along the horizontal direction and the phase diagram of the system. Mean-field theory results were compared to simulations. Next model was lattice with extended particles, i.e. particles that occupy more than one lattice site. Unlike the first model, in this system the particle-hole symmetry is broken. Results for current flow, density distribution and phase diagrams were obtained both by mean-field theory and Monte-Carlo (MC) simulations. Another system was the lattice with vertical particle drift. Now particles that occupy one lattice site jump not only in one preferred horizontal directions but there is also one preferred vertical direction for particle flow. Both mean-field theory and simulations were studied for this system and results were compared. Also we explore the system with immovable obstacle. Obstacle is one or several particles located at fixed positions. In this model we observe increase in particle density in front of the obstacle and "shadow" behind it. It is expected that the shape and size of those formations are symmetrical in transverse direction.

In this study, pharmaceutical-grade and food-grade linker-based lecithin self-emulsifying delivery systems (SEDS) were developed with a combination of lipophilic and hydrophilic linkers. These additives at suggested concentrations are safe for pharmaceutical and food applications. The ratio of surfactant lecithin and linkers in these systems was optimized to develop surfactant in oil preconcentrates. The preconcentrates containing different surfactant concentrations and oil were diluted with fed state simulated intestinal fluid to produce pseudo-ternary phase diagrams and to identify the formulations that produced self-emulsifying or self-microemulsifying delivery systems. Optimal SEDS preconcentrates were evaluated using a dialyzer model to simulate intestinal uptake. An uptake of 39.6 mg/cm2 for the pharmaceutical-grade SEDS was obtained within 72 minutes, which promises substantial improvement in the bioavailability of hydrophobic actives. The optimal uptake of 12.2 mg/cm2 for food-grade SEDS suggests enhancement in the bioavailability of omega-3 fatty acids.

ARAÚJO, Jorge Luiz Bezerra de. Auto-organização de partículas patchy carregadas. 2014. 75 f. Dissertação (Mestrado em Física) - Programa de Pós-Graduação em Física, Departamento de Física, Centro de Ciências, Universidade Federal do Ceará, Fortaleza, 2014. / Submitted by Edvander Pires (edvanderpires@gmail.com) on 2014-08-29T19:48:06Z No. of bitstreams: 1 2014_dis_jlbaraujo.pdf: 26529309 bytes, checksum: 0b19a8cf79d0505ad5749c382dddd8c7 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Edvander Pires(edvanderpires@gmail.com) on 2014-08-29T20:27:12Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 2014_dis_jlbaraujo.pdf: 26529309 bytes, checksum: 0b19a8cf79d0505ad5749c382dddd8c7 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2014-08-29T20:27:12Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 2014_dis_jlbaraujo.pdf: 26529309 bytes, checksum: 0b19a8cf79d0505ad5749c382dddd8c7 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014 / The current stage of development of experimental techniques allow the synthesis of particles complex colloidal, whose surface can be precisely "decorated" with physical properties and/or chemical combinations. Such colloids are usually defined as patchy particles. As result of the modification of parts of the surface of such particles, the interaction between them is generally characterized by an anisotropic potential. Study and understand the process of self-organization of this particular system is of great interest both from the scientific point of view as technology, because of its use in functional materials. In this dissertation, we study. The behavior of a two-dimensional system patchy charged particles, in which the surface is decorated with a timely charge sign opposite that located in the particle center. Thus, patchy each particle has a net charge C, which is result of the difference between the point charges on the surface and that in the particle center patchy. This study uses the technique of computer simulation of molecular dynamics to study the process of self-organization of particles patchy depending on the density and temperature. Initially, we present the model of patchy particles studied here and there is the behavior of the interaction energy between two particles and its dependence on load effective particle (liquid charge) and the number of active sites (p) that decorate the surfaces of colloids, called patches . The study of these parameters is important for understanding the self-organized structures obtained. Presents the stable structures of minimum energy a system with p=2 and C=0 as a function of temperature and density. In general, we observe two well defined phases were distinguished by calculation of thermodynamic properties during the simulation. Results for different values of p and C are also presented order to show the influence of this parameter in the system configuration. In general, it is observed that for large values of the charge and/or number of patches, the repulsive potential prevails causing the system to stabilize in a crystalline configuration. On the other hand, for a system composed of particles with a low value of charge and/or the number od patches interaction potential is attractive inducing predominantly resulting composite structures in the form of clusters of ring and lines particles. / O atual estágio de desenvolvimento de técnicas experimentais permite a síntese de partículas coloidais complexas, cuja superfície pode ser precisamente "decorada" com propriedades físicas e/ou químicas diferentes. Tais coloides são usualmente definidos como partículas patchy. Como resultado da modificação de partes da superfície de tais partículas, a interação entre as mesmas é geralmente caracterizada por um potencial anisotrópico. Estudar e compreender o processo de auto-organização desse sistema particular é de grande interesse tanto do ponto de vista científico como tecnológico devido sua utilização em materiais funcionais. Nessa dissertação, estuda-se o comportamento de um sistema bidimensional de partículas patchy carregadas, nas quais a superfície é decorada pontualmente com uma carga de sinal contrário do centro da mesma de modo que cada coloide possua uma carga total C responsável pelo potencial de interação. Neste trabalho foi utilizada a técnica de simulação Dinâmica Molecular para estudar o processo de auto-organização dessas partículas para diversas densidades e temperaturas. Contudo, antes de apresentar resultados numéricos apresenta-se o modelo de partícula patchy e verifica-se o comportamento da energia de interação com dependência na carga efetiva da partícula e com o número de sítios ativos (p) que decoram as superfícies dos coloides, chamados de patches. Nota-se que o estudo de tais parâmetros é fundamental na previsão de estruturas que o sistema se estabiliza. Apresentam-se as estruturas de mínima energia estáveis, de um sistema com p=2 e carga total neutra, em um diagrama de fases com dependência na temperatura e densidade para p=2. Esse diagrama apresenta claramente duas fases bem definidas que foram distinguidas através de cálculos de propriedades termodinâmicas durante a simulação. Resultados para diferente p e carga total também são apresentados a fim de mostrar a influencia do número de patches, e da carga total, na configuração do sistema. Em geral, observa-se que para altos valores da carga total e/ou número de patches de cada partícula, o potencial repulsivo prevalece fazendo com que o sistema se estabilize em uma configuração cristalina. Por outro lado, um sistema composto de partículas com baixo valor de carga total ou numero de patches as partículas apresentam um potencial atrativo induzindo diferentes tipos de configurações no sistema, como, por exemplo, estruturas na forma de anéis e linhas de partículas.

At their discovery in 2008, iron pnictide superconductors (IPS) provoked tremendous scientific interest, comparable to the discovery of the cuprate superconductors. So far, IPS reached critical temperatures T c up to 56K. Typically, they show an antiferromagnetic (afm) spin density wave (SDW) which has to be suppressed by doping before superconductivity develops, which then is supported by further doping. Due to the close vicinity of the magnetic and the superconducting (sc) phase, magnetic fluctuations are discussed to be responsible for the sc pairing mechanism in IPS. A special member of the IPS is LiFeAs, because it does not need doping to become sc. It is a stoichiometric superconductor at a T c of 18K. In fact, doping is suppressing its T c . Also, there is no sign of an afm SDW present. Therefore, LiFeAs is a interesting material to study the properties of the IPS in an undisturbed material. In 2010, experiments of the Leibniz Institute for Solid State and Materials Research Dresden (IFW Dresden) revealed further surprising properties of LiFeAs. Samples with a Li deficiency undergo a ferromagnetic (fm) phase transition at 165K. Theoretical calculations suggest that fm fluctuations could induce triplet superconductivity in LiFeAs. This would cause a nonvanishing dynamic susceptibility below T c , which is supported by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) experiments. This thesis is discussing the results of the IFW Dresden experiments, and concludes that this ferromagnetism is of weak itinerant nature. The origin might be an increase of the density of states (DOS) at the Fermi level, which is causing an instability towards fm order, as proposed by the Stoner model. For further doping experiments, the synthesis procedure of polycrystalline LiFeAs was optimized to get samples with maximum T c and minimum impurities. Therefore, nuclear quadrupole resonance (NQR) was used. The NQR line width is a measure of impurities in the sample. By minimizing the NQR line width, optimal samples were synthesized. These samples are able to compete with the properties of single crystals. To investigate the doping behavior of LiFeAs, a scenario with four different kinds of impurities and deficiencies was performed with the optimized synthesis procedure. 24 different samples were analyzed, by means of NQR and electrical conductivity. It was found that in fact Fe excess is responsible for changing the physical properties of LiFeAs, and not Li deficiency. It is causing a shrinking of the unit cell volume, as seen by X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements and it causes a decrease of T c . It also leads to a decrease of room temperature resistivity, which is supporting an increase of the DOS at the Fermi level. The NQR frequency is scaling with the amount of Fe excess and can be used to draw the sc and fm phase diagram of off-stoichiometric LiFeAs. At an amount between 3.2 and 3.6% o f Fe excess LiFeAs undergoes the fm transition.

Os métodos de primeiros princípios dentro da Teoria do Funcional Densidade têm se desenvolvido bastante, devido aos avanços computacionais ocorridos nas últimas décadas. Por outro lado, a Termodinâmica e a Mecânica Estatística têm representado um papel importante na compreenssão da Física de Materiais, em especial no estudo dos materiais intermetálicos ordenados. A aliança entre estas duas abordagens têm se tornado cada vez mais factível, uma vez que os cálculos de estrutura eletrônica de primeiros princípios são hoje capazes de proporcionar resultados extremamente precisos para energias de formação de compostos estequiométricos. É dentro deste contexto que neste trabalho investigamos o diagrama de fases composição-temperatura do sistema Fe-Al-Mo, na estrutura cúbica de corpo centrado utilizando o método Full-Potential Linear Augmented Plane Wave (FP-LAPW) aliado ao Método Variacional de Clusters (CVM) na aproximação do tetraedro irregular. Através do método FP-LAPW determinamos a energia total de configurações cristalinas do sistema Fe-Mo-Al cúbico de corpo centrado. Estes valores são utilizados como parâmetros de entrada do CVM para determinação do potencial termodinâmico do sistema em suas diferentes fases e os correspondentes equilíbrio entre estas fases em função da composição e da temperatura, ou seja, o diagrama de fases do sistema. Embora o Fe-Al tenha grande interesse tecnológico, o seu comportamento magnético é bastante complicado e normalmente mal descrito pelos métodos de cálculos usuais. Este trabalho procura enfrentar este problema com ferramentas \"estados de arte\" e apontam para as limitações inerentes ao procedimento geral aqui utilizado. / First-principles methods within the framework of Density Functional Theory, have been developed sufficiently, due to the computational advances occurrences in the last decades. On the other hand, the Thermodynamics and the Statistical Mechanics have represented an important role in the understanding of the Physics of Materials, in special in the study to ordered intermetallic compounds. The alliance between these two approaches has become each more feasible with the time due to the fact that electronic structure calculations of first principles are today to provide almost exact results for the formations energies of stoichiometric compounds. It is inside of this context that in this work we investigate the composition-temperature phases diagram of the Fe-Al-Mo system, in the body centered cubic structure (BCC), using the Full-Potential Liner Augmented Plane Wave (FP-LAPW) method allied to the Cluster Variation Method (CVM) in the irregular tetrahedron approximation. Through the FP-LAPW method we determined the total energy of crystalline configurations of BCC Fe-Mo-Al system. These values are used as input parameters of the CVM for the determination of the thermodynamic potential of the system in its different phases and corresponding to the equilibria between these phases as a function of the composition and the temperature, that is the phase diagram of the system. Although the Fe-Al has great technological interest, its magnetic behavior is complicated and badly described by the methods used in the actual ab-initio calculations. This work faces this problem with state-of-art tools and points to the inherent limitations of the general procedure used here.