Non-uniform membrane probe distribution in resonance energy transfer: application to protein-lipid selectivity.

Biological membranes are, at the molecular level, quasi-two dimensional systems. Membrane components are often distributed non-uniformly in the bilayer plane, as a consequence of lipid phase separation/domain formation or local enrichment/depletion of particular lipid species arising form favorable/unfavorable lipid-membrane protein interactions. Due to its explicit dependence on donor-acceptor distance or local acceptor concentration, resonance energy transfer (RET) has large potential in the characterization of membrane heterogeneity.

[Reevaluation of work disability in chronic bronchitis and functional criteria at rest].

As part of an investigation to reassess disability which was performed in 579 subjects with an internist's diagnosis, disability was reassessed in 68 males with chronic bronchitis as the main diagnosis. Disability reassessment was carried out by an informal team of physicians consisting of pulmologists and members of a second degree disability board. The aim of the study was to define the differences between disability reevaluation and residual working capacity.