STANDING AND TRAVELLING WAVES IN A PARABOLIC-HYPERBOLIC SYSTEM

We consider a nonlinear system of partial differential equations which describes the dynamics of two types of cell densities with contact inhibition. After a change of variables the system turns out to be parabolic-hyperbolic and admits travelling wave solutions which solve a 3D dynamical system. Compared to the scalar Fisher-KPP equation, the structure of the travelling wave solutions is surprisingly rich and to unravel part of it is the aim of the present paper. In particular, we consider a parameter regime where the minimal wave velocity of the travelling wave solutions is negative.

Modelling drug release from composite capsules and nanoparticles

We present a general mechanistic model of mass diffusion for a composite sphere placed in a large ambient medium. The multi-layer problem is described by a system of diffusion equations coupled via interlayer boundary conditions such as those imposing a finite mass resistance at the external surface of the sphere. While the work is applicable to the generic problem of heat or mass transfer in a multi-layer sphere, the analysis and results are presented in the context of drug kinetics for desorbing and absorbing spherical microcapsules.

Glatiramer Acetate modulates ion channels expression and calcium homeostasis in B cell of patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis

To investigate the effects of Glatiramer Acetate (GA) on B cells by an integrated computational and experimental approach. GA is an immunomodulatory drug approved for the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS). GA effect on B cells is yet to be fully elucidated. We compared transcriptional profiles of B cells from treatment-naive relapsing remitting MS patients, treated or not with GA for 6 hours in vitro, and of B cells before and after six months of GA administration in vivo.

Numerical optimization of plasmid DNA delivery combined with hyaluronidase injection for electroporation protocol

Background and Objective: The paper focuses on the numerical strategies to optimize a plasmid DNA delivery protocol, which combines hyaluronidase and electroporation. Methods: A well-defined continuum mechanics model of muscle porosity and advanced numerical optimization strategies have been used, to propose a substantial improvement of a pre-existing experimental protocol of DNA transfer in mice. Our work suggests that a computational model might help in the definition of innovative therapeutic procedures, thanks to the fine tuning of all the involved experimental steps.

Molecular Aging of Human Liver: An Epigenetic/Transcriptomic Signature.

The feasibility of liver transplantation from old healthy donors suggests that this organ is able to preserve its functionality during aging. To explore the biological basis of this phenomenon, we characterized the epigenetic profile of liver biopsies collected from 45 healthy liver donors ranging from 13 to 90 years old using the Infinium HumanMethylation450 BeadChip. The analysis indicates that a large remodeling in DNA methylation patterns occurs, with 8823 age-associated differentially methylated CpG probes.

Uniform weighted approximation by multivariate filtered polynomials

The paper concerns the weighted uniform approximation of a real function on the d-cube [-1, 1]^d, with d > 1, by means of some multivariate filtered polynomials. These polynomials have been deduced, via tensor product, from certain de la Vallée Poussin type means on [-1, 1], which generalize classical delayed arithmetic means of Fourier partial sums. They are based on arbitrary sequences of filter coefficients, not necessarily connected with a smooth filter function.