Fluctuation Analysis of the Far-Infrared Background - Information from the Confusion

We are investigating to what extent one can use a P(D) analysis to extract number counts of unclustered sources from maps of the far infrared background. Currently available such maps, and those expected to emerge in near future are dominated by confusion noise due to poor resolution. We simulate background maps with an underlying two slope model for N(S) and we find that in an experiment of FIRBACK type we can extract the high flux slope with an error of few percent while other parameters are not so well constrained. We find, however, that in a SIRTF type experiment all parameters of this N(S) model can be extracted with errors of only few percent.Comment: 21 pages, latex, 6 figures. Accepted for publication, MNRA

Tuning molecular interactions in lipid-oligonucleotides assemblies via locked nucleic acid (LNA)-based lipids

Hybrid nucleotide-lipids containing locked nucleic acid (LNA) show enhanced hybridization properties with complementary single strand RNAs compared to DNA lipid analogues. The LNA adenosine lipid features unique binding properties with a high binding affinity for poly-uridine and the entropically driven formation of a stable complex (Kd ≈ 43 nM). Enhanced hybridization properties of LNA-based lipids should be applicable for the development of oligonucleotide (ON) delivery systems or as small molecule binders to RNA for novel therapeutic strategies

Impact of the Formulation Pathway on the Colloidal State and Crystallinity of Poly-ε-caprolactone Particles Prepared by Solvent Displacement

The formulation pathway and/or the mixing method are known to be relevant in many out-of-equilibrium processes. In this work, we studied the effect of the mixing conditions on the physicochemical properties of poly-ε-caprolactone (PCL) particles prepared by solvent displacement. More specifically, water was added in one shot (fast addition) or drop by drop to PCL solution in tetrahydrofuran (THF) to study the impact of the mixing process on particle properties including size, stability, and crystallinity. Two distinct composition maps representing the Ouzo domain characteristic of the presence of metastable nanoparticles have been established for each mixing method. Polymer nanoparticles are formed in the Ouzo domain according to a nucleation and growth (or aggregation) mechanism. The fast addition promotes a larger nucleation rate, thus favoring the formation of small and uniform particles. For the drop-by-drop addition, for which the polymer solubility gradually decreases, the composition trajectories systematically cross an intermediate unstable region between the solubility limit of the polymer and the Ouzo domain. This leads to heterogeneous nucleation as shown by the formation of larger and less stable particles. Particles formed in the Ouzo domain have semi-crystalline properties. The PCL melting point is decreased with the THF fraction trapped in particles in accordance with Flory’s theory for melt crystallization. On the other hand, the degree of crystallinity is constant, around 20% regardless of the THF fraction. No difference between fast and slow addition could be detected on the semi-crystalline properties of the particles which emphasize that thermodynamic rather than kinetic factors drive the polymer crystallization in particles. The recovery of bulk PCL crystallinity after the removal of THF from particles tends to confirm this hypothesis.Assemblage Macromoléculaire Hors-équilibre Compréhension, Contrôle & nouvelles structure

Convolution kernels for multi-wavelength imaging

7 pages, 6 figure. Accepted for publication in A&A ; code available at https://github.com/aboucaud/pypherInternational audienceAstrophysical images issued from different instruments and/or spectral bands often require to be processed together, either for fitting or comparison purposes. However each image is affected by an instrumental response, also known as PSF, that depends on the characteristics of the instrument as well as the wavelength and the observing strategy. Given the knowledge of the PSF in each band, a straightforward way of processing images is to homogenise them all to a target PSF using convolution kernels, so that they appear as if they had been acquired by the same instrument. We propose an algorithm that generates such PSF-matching kernels, based on Wiener filtering with a tunable regularisation parameter. This method ensures all anisotropic features in the PSFs to be taken into account. We compare our method to existing procedures using measured Herschel/PACS and SPIRE PSFs and simulated JWST/MIRI PSFs. Significant gains up to two orders of magnitude are obtained with respect to the use of kernels computed assuming Gaussian or circularised PSFs

Importance of thermal gradient in the bitumen bees genesis

Bitumen can be regarded as a complex colloidal suspension. Indeed, the heaviest molecules in bitumen, the asphaltenes, are known to self-associate to form solid particles suspended in a fluid called maltenes. Bitumen is also composed of a crystallizable fraction that partitions between asphaltenes and maltenes. This complex colloidal system exhibits peculiar patterns at their surface called ‘‘bees.’’ By varying the bitumen formulation and also tuning process parameters such as the temperature cooling rate, we demonstrate the role of the various components: asphaltenes, maltenes, and the crystallizable fraction on thebee existence and we evidence that the bee formation results from a complex coupling between different physico-chemical phenomena such as phase separation, crystallization, and buckling. We then propose a mechanism of bee genesis based on the thermal properties of the various fractions and especially on the heat capacity of both asphaltenes and maltenes. We demonstrate that a thermal gradient in the sample is required for the formation of bees and put into evidence the importance of kinetic aspects. We also discuss the bitumen general bulk properties

Multilamellar liposomes entrapping aminosilane-modified maghemite nanoparticles: "magnetonions".

4.6 nm-sized aminosilane-modified maghemite (γ-Fe(2)O(3)) nanoparticles (aMNPs) were synthesized and encapsulated into onion-type multilamellar vesicles of soybean phosphatidylcholine (90%mol) and monoolein (10%mol). The magnetic multilamellar vesicles were obtained by shearing lipids with an aqueous dispersion of the preformed aMNPs (ferrofluid). The influence of ferrofluid concentration on the stability of the constitutive lamellar phase and the resulting dispersed onions was analyzed by small-angle X-ray diffraction (SAXD) and cryo-TEM imaging, respectively. When [Fe(III)] 60 mM, uni- or oligolamellar vesicles in addition to onions formed, probably because of a two-phase separation between an aMNP-rich phase and an aMNP-containing lamellar phase as revealed by SAXD

Effects of Chain Length of Chitosan Oligosaccharides on Solution Properties and Complexation with siRNA

In the context of gene delivery, chitosan has been widely used as a safe and effective polycation to complex DNA, RNA and more recently, siRNA. However, much less attention has been paid to chitosan oligosaccharides (COS) despite their biological properties. This study proposed to carry out a physicochemical study of COS varying in degree of polymerization (DP) from 5 to 50, both from the point of view of the solution properties and the complexing behavior with siRNA. The main parameters studied as a function of DP were the apparent pKa, the solubility versus pH, the binding affinity with siRNA and the colloidal properties of complexes. Some parameters, like the pKa or the binding enthalpy with siRNA, showed a marked transition from DP 5 to DP 13, suggesting that electrostatic properties of COS vary considerably in this range of DP. The colloidal properties of siRNA/COS complexes were affected in a different way by the COS chain length. In particular, COS of relatively high DP (≥50) were required to form small complex particles with good stability.Marquage non-covalent de siRNA par de petites séquences de copolymères à blocs pour une meilleure administration ciblé