This thesis is devoted to the study the mixed dispersion fourth order nonlinear Schrodinger equations. Our main concern is standing wave solutions. Our approach is based on minimization methods with constraints. Under suitable conditions, we establish existence of minimizers and we investigate their qualitative properties, namely their sign, symmetry and decay at infinity as well as their uniqueness, nondegeneracy and orbital stability. / Doctorat en Sciences / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

Hidrolisados proteicos possuem propriedades terapêuticas e são absorvidos mais facilmente pelo organismo quando comparados às proteínas, no entanto sua aplicação em alimentos é dificultada por serem higroscópicos, reativos e apresentarem gosto amargo. A microencapsulação por spray chilling pode ser uma alternativa para solucionar essas limitações. Este método de encapsulação consiste na atomização de uma mistura, formada pela dispersão ou emulsão do material ativo com o carreador fundido, em uma câmara com temperatura inferior ao ponto de fusão do carreador, que nessas condições solidifica, formando micropartículas esféricas. O objetivo deste trabalho foi elaborar micropartículas de hidrolisado de proteína de soja utilizando o método de spray chilling e gordura vegetal (PF 51°C) como carreador. Foram realizados ensaios para obtenção das micropartículas avaliando a alimentação por emulsão e dispersãoe diferentes formulações variando a proporção material ativo:encapsulante (1:5 e 1:10), velocidades de rotação no ultra-turrax (6000 e 8000 rpm) e três diferentes temperaturas (60, 70 e 80°C), totalizando dezoito tratamentos. As misturas foram submetidas à análise reológica para determinação de viscosidade e após serem atomizadas em spray chiller as micropartículas obtidas foram caracterizadas por FTIR, Difração de Raio-X, distribuição e tamanho médio por difração a laser e morfologia por microscopia eletrônica de varredura e confocal. Foram obtidas micropartículas lipídicas sólidas esféricas e aglomeradas, o tamanho médio variou de 53,06 ± 2,17 µm e 68,03 ± 14,07 µm, sem diferenças significativas entre os tratamentos. Partículas obtidas pela atomização da emulsão apresentaram poros, todavia exibiram maior capacidade de carregamento do hidrolisado, cerca de 96%, enquanto as obtidas por dispersão apresentaram 54%. Variações durante o preparo da emulsão não proporcionaram alterações na morfologia e tamanho de partícula nas micropartículas, apesar de terem tido influência sobre as propriedades reológicas do sistema. A análise de difração de raios-X indicou que as micropartículas após 90 dias de preparo apresentaram a estrutura na forma polimórfica mais estável. A espectroscopia na região do infravermelho (FTIR) revelou que não ocorreu interação entre os ingredientes independentemente do modo de preparo das micropartículas. Tais resultados demonstram que a técnica de spray chilling é eficiente na microencapsulação de hidrolisado proteico de soja, possibilitando uma futura aplicação em alimentos. / Protein hydrolysates possess therapeutic properties and absorption easier than to proteins; however its application in food is limited due to its bitter taste, hygroscopic and reactivity. Encapsulation byspray chilling could be an alternative to minimize these limitations. This method consists in the atomization of a mixture formed by the dispersion or emulsion of the active material with the molten carrier, into an environment with temperature below the melting point of the carrier, under these conditions it solidifies to form spherical microparticles. The aim of this work was to develop microparticles loaded with hydrolyzed soy protein using the method of spray chilling and vegetable fat (PF 51°C) as carrier. Tests were conducted to obtain microparticles evaluating the feed by emulsion and dispersion and different formulations by varying the proportions active materials:carrier (1:5 and 1:10), homogenization speed by Ultra-Turrax (6000 and 8000 rpm) and temperature (60, 70 and 80°C ), totaling eighteen treatments. The mixtures were subjected to rheological analysis for determination of viscosity and after being atomized at spray chiller obtained microparticles were characterized by infrared spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction, particle size distribution and mean diameter measured using a laser light diffraction instrument and morphology was observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and confocal microscopy. Solid lipid microparticles obtained were spherical and agglomerated the average size between 53.06 ± 2.17 µm and 68.03 ± 14.07 µm, there was no significant difference between formulations. Particles obtained by atomization of emulsion had presence of pores, but exhibited a higher loading capacity of the hydrolyzed, about 96%, while that obtained by dispersion had 54%. Changes during the preparation of the emulsion no provided changes at morphology and particle size of the microparticles, despite having influence on the rheological properties of the system. The analysis of X-ray diffraction showed that the microparticles after 90 days of storage had β polymorphic form. The infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) showed that there was no interaction between the ingredients regardless of the mode of preparation of the microparticles. These results demonstrate that the technique spray chilling is efficient in microencapsulation of soy protein hydrolyzate, allowing future use in foods.

Dispersion is a natural part of a biofilm life cycle in many bacterial species. Dispersion occurs when bacteria revert from a stationary, sessile state to a free-swimming, planktonic state and are freed from a biofilm. Bacterial biofilms consist of proteins, polysaccharides, and extracellular DNA that together make up the extracellular polymeric substances. Surrounded by this mucus-like substance, sessile cells can be extremely difficult to eradicate as compared to the planktonic form of Listeria monocytogenes. Biofilms are robust due to increased surface adherence, inhibition of diffusion of harmful compounds, and increased genetic diversity that exists within a biofilm. As a result, traditional biofilm removal methods are often inadequate; and a novel method for the eradication of Listeria monocytogenes biofilms is needed. Here it is shown that two known biofilm dispersal agents, nitric oxide and cis-2-Decenoic acid, do not induce dispersion in Listeria monocytogenes strain LM23. Nitric oxide and cis-2-Decenoic acid do not influence planktonic cell numbers or biofilm biomass. Ten carbohydrates were screened for their influence on biofilm biomass for use in investigation into natural biofilm dispersion in Listeria monocytogenes strain LM23. Carbohydrate source can significantly increase or decrease biofilm biomass as compared to glucose. Natural biofilm dispersion in Listeria monocytogenes remains inconclusive, yet warrants further investigation. Changes in planktonic cells numbers, sessile cell numbers, and biofilm biomass were tracked under static growth conditions, and suggested a possible dispersion event. However, treatment of biofilms with spent media and observation using scanning electron microscopy did not clarify the results obtained. This research deems the nitric oxide donors, molsidomine (N- (ethoxycarbonyl)-3-(4-morpholinyl)-sydnone imine) and MAHMA NONOate (6-(2-Hydroxy-1-methyl-2-nitrosohydrazino)-N-methyl-1-hexanamine), as well as cis-2-Decenoic acid as ineffective in inducing biofilm dispersion. It also brings about new research questions into natural biofilm dispersion in Listeria monocytogenes.

Polarization mode dispersion, PMD influence of fibres. Next includes optic dispersion measurement and compensation of optics dispersion follows. In the end thesis analyze measure of existing fibres, simulating and suggest optimal solutions.

e van der Waals (vdW) interactions, or dispersion forces, are crucial in many chem- ical, physical and biological processes and received much attention from developers of density functional theory (DFT) methods. e most popular non-empirical DFT method for treating vdW interactions is the vdW density functional by Dion et al. (vdW-DF). Despite its success, vdW-DF is not accurate enough for many chemical applications. Here, we investigate two possible ways how to improve its accuracy. First, we reoptimize the only weakly speci ed parameter of vdW-DF for several semi-local functionals. On the S benchmark database set, we nd that revPBE is the best performer, decreasing the error from . % to . %. Second, a system-speci c but very accurate (∼ . kcal/mol) DFT correction scheme is proposed for precise calcula- tions of adsorbent−adsorbate interactions by combining vdW-DF and the empirical DFT/CC correction scheme. e new approach is applied to small molecules (CH , CO , H , H O, N ) interacting with a quartz surface and a lamella of UTL zeolite. e very high accuracy of the new scheme and its relatively easy use and numerical stability compared to the earlier DFT/CC scheme o er a straightforward solution for obtaining reliable predictions of adsorption energies.

The properties of polymer–nanoparticle (NP) mixtures significantly depend on the dispersion of the NPs. Using molecular dynamics simulations, we demonstrate that, in the presence of polymer–NP attraction, the dispersion of NPs in semidilute and concentrated polymers can be stabilized by increasing the polymer concentration. A lower polymer concentration facilitates the aggregation of NPs bridged by polymer chains, as well as a further increase of the polymer–NP attraction. Evaluating the binding of NPs through shared polymer segments in an adsorption blob, we derive a linear relationship between the polymer concentration and the polymer–NP attraction at the phase boundary between dispersed and aggregated NPs. Our theoretical findings are directly relevant for understanding and controlling many self-assembly processes that use either dispersion or aggregation of NPs to yield the desired materials.

In the ocean, natural and artificial processes generate clouds of bubbles which scatter and attenuate sound. Measurements have shown that at the individual bubble resonance frequency, sound propagation in this medium is highly attenuated and dispersive. Theory to explain this behavior exists in the literature, and is adequate away from resonance. However, due to excessive attenuation near resonance, little experimental data exists for comparison. An impedance tube was developed specifically for exploring this regime. Using the instrument, unique phase speed and attenuation measurements were made for void fractions ranging from 6.2 × 10^−5 to 2.7 × 10^−3 and bubble sizes centered around 0.62 mm in radius. Improved measurement speed, accuracy and precision is possible with the new instrument, and both instantaneous and time-averaged measurements were obtained. Behavior at resonance was observed to be sensitive to the bubble population statistics and agreed with existing theory, within the uncertainty of the bubble population parameters. Scattering from acoustically compact bubble clouds can be predicted from classical scattering theory by using an effective medium description of the bubbly fluid interior. Experimental verification was previously obtained up to the lowest resonance frequency. A novel bubble production technique has been employed to obtain unique scattering measurements with a bubbly-liquid-filled latex tube in a large indoor tank. The effective scattering model described these measurements up to three times the lowest resonance frequency of the structure. / United States Navy Office of Naval Research Ocean Acoustics Program

Profiles of height-dependent diffusion which accommodate site-specific diffusivities were produced. A numerical model was adapted to incorporate the profiles. The model represented three-dimensional steady-state advection and diffusion of aerosols from an elevated point source. Sorption effects were simulated with surface attachment coefficients greater than unity. This proved effective in depleting the plume differentially upward from the surface.

I investigated how shrub-induced spatial heterogeneity influenced and was manifested by a representative ground-story plant species at a sagebrush-steppe site in southwestern Wyoming. The dispersion of cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) reflected differences between undershrub (higher plant densities) and interspace (between shrubs, supporting lower densities) microenvironments, hence the population ecology of this annual species served as a biological probe of shrub-associated patch structure in this community. Since cheatgrass is an annual, factors affecting the seed portion of its life cycle were of special interest. First, attributes of the above- and below-ground seed pool were characterized. The environment-wide seed depositional pattern was assessed using seed traps of several designs, and the legacy of seed incorporation into the soil was examined by separating seeds from soil samples. For both components of the seed pool, annuals' seeds predominated. Seeds at the surface were subject to substantial redistribution, moving readilythrough interspace, and their deposition was related to both the interaction of wind and shrub canopies and the presence of litter. More annuals' seeds were encountered in undershrub than in interspace soils; seeds of cheatgrass were restricted to the soil surface. Second, a manipulative experiment tested effects of granivoryfherbivory and presence/absence of a replicate shrub's canopy upon success of cheatgrass plants arising from known numbers of seeds introduced into undershrub versus interspace microenvironments. While biomass of plants in treatments accessible to herbivores was less than that of protected plants, consumers did not affect plant densities, and herbivore effects were not microenvironment-specific . Shrub canopy removal had no effect on plant success, and, contrary to expectations based on the dispersion of indigenous plants, interspace plants fared better than undershrub counterparts. Finally, demographic fates of individually marked seeds were observed, to disentangle effects of microenvironment from effects of microenvironment-specific surface types on determining safe sites. Littered microsites were strongly associated with undershrub microenvironments, and on these surfaces, cheatgrass seeds were less likely to move and to suffer depredation, and more likely to become favorably positioned for subsequent germination and establishment, than on bare ground surfaces typifying interspace. \

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