Kinetic description of water transport during spontaneous emulsification induced by Span 80.

Spontaneous emulsification is a phenomenon that forms nanometer-sized droplets (nanodroplets) without the application of any external force, and the mechanism has been actively studied for application to various technologies. In this study, we analyzed the kinetics of spontaneous emulsification induced by Span 80. The measurement of water concentration in Span 80 hexadecane solution indicated that the chemical potential of water in the nanodroplets decreased as the amount of water in the nanodroplets decreased.

[A Case of Sigmoid Colon Cancer Identified by Gastric Perforation].

We report a case of sigmoid colon cancer that was incidentally found using CT that was performed for upper abdominal pain. An 83-year-old man with a long history of lung tuberculosis and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis presented with upper abdominal pain. CT findings revealed free gas around the stomach.

Free-Energy Analysis of Peptide Binding in Lipid Membrane Using All-Atom Molecular Dynamics Simulation Combined with Theory of Solutions.

All-atom molecular dynamics (MD) simulations are performed to examine the stabilities of a variety of binding configurations of alamethicin, a 20-amino-acid amphipathic peptide, in the bilayers of 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl phosphatidylcholine (POPC) and 1,2-dimyristoyl- sn-glycero-3-phosphatidylcholine (DMPC). The binding free energy of alamethicin is calculated through a combination of MD simulation and the energy-representation theory of solutions, and it is seen that the transmembrane configuration is stable in both membranes. A surface-bound state is also found to be stable due to the balance between the attractive and repulsive interactions of the peptide with lipid and water, and the key role of water is pointed out for the stability in the interfacial region.

Critical nucleus size for crystallization of supercooled liquids in two dimensions.

Using molecular dynamics simulations, we study the crystallization of supercooled liquids in two dimensions in which particles interact with other particles via the Lennard-Jones-Gauss potential. We first prepare supercooled liquids at various temperatures by rapid quenching from the melt. The simulations are performed with a crystalline seed inserted at the center of the initial system.

Glass formation and crystallization of a simple monatomic liquid.

A simple monatomic system in two dimensions with a double-well interaction potential is investigated in a wide range of temperatures by molecular-dynamics simulation. The system is melted and equilibrated well above the melting temperature, and then it is quenched to a temperature 88% below the melting temperature at several cooling rates to produce an amorphous state. Various thermodynamic quantities are measured as functions of temperature while the system is heated at a constant rate.