Self-assembly of surfactant aqueous solution confined in a Janus amphiphilic nanotube

Abstract

In recent years, Janus amphiphilic nanotubes with complex surfaces have been synthesized. However, the self-assembly behaviour of surfactant solutions confined in a Janus amphiphilic nanotube has not been investigated so far. We performed molecular simulations to investigate the morphologies and phase diagrams of a surfactant confined in Janus amphiphilic nanotube consisting of both hydrophobic and hydrophilic surfaces. We derived a phase diagram of the representative snapshots of equilibrium morphologies. Morphologies that were not observed in the bulk eventuated in confined systems. Moreover, the self-assembled structures were found to be dependent on the spatial confinement. Furthermore, the self-assembled structures confined in hydroneutral and Janus amphiphilic nanotubes were compared. The results suggested that the self-assembled structures confined in the Janus amphiphilic nanotube resembled that confined in the hydroneutral nanotube owing to a strong confinement effect. Further developments in controlling the morphologies and self-assemblies will greatly advance their applications of these materials in nanofluidic devices, or for nanopatterning.     

响应面法优化微波辅助提取山苍子核仁油的研究

通过微波辅助提取技术结合响应面法优化山苍子核仁油提取条件,以期建立更高产率的提取方法。该研究在单因素设计基础上,选取液料比、微波功率、萃取时间、萃取温度4个主要因素,分析这4个因素对山苍子核仁油提取率的影响。结果表明:通过建立多元回归拟合分析,得出山苍子核仁油提取最佳工艺条件为液料比1∶16,萃取温度为69℃,微波功率为337 W,萃取时间为63 min,在此条件下山苍子核仁油提取率为37.42%,与环己烷溶剂回流法相比较提取率提高了30.11%。气质联用仪分析结果显示,山苍子核仁油主要成分有16种占总成分的88.21%,鉴定出10种脂肪酸占总成分的78.24%,饱和脂肪酸有4种占总成分的43.23%,不饱和脂肪酸有6种占总成分的35.01%,脂肪酸中含量最高的为月桂酸(31.36%)。该研究结果表明该方法严谨、可靠,采用微波辅助提取山苍子核仁油是可行的。     

蜂蜜中内源性物质苯甲酸的研究进展

蜂蜜是一种蜜蜂采集植物花蜜后酿制而成的天然甜味物质,具有丰富营养成分和多种生理活性功能。本文明确了苯甲酸是蜂蜜中天然存在的一种特征性风味物质,且含量与蜜源植物有关,并对其检测方法、形成机理、代谢途径和稳定性等进行了概述。最后,提出应深入细化蜂蜜等食品中苯甲酸形成机理的基础研究,不仅可针对性降低加工工艺导致的含量升高,更可为传统产业科技转型升级提供技术支持。     

Three-dimensional discrete element method for the prediction of protoplasmic seepage through membrane in a biological cell

This paper presents a three-dimensional and compressible biological cell model based on discrete element method using multiple interacting agent that represent cellular structures within a simulated environment. The cytoplasm and nucleoplasm fluid behavior in the cell is time dependent. When taking this approach, it is important to calibrate protoplasmic flow behaviors through simulation techniques such as compressing the cell and examining the agents representing the cell cytoplasm seeping between the ones representing the confining cell membrane. This type of modelling may motivate future work on simulating simultaneous operations and interactions of multiple cellular agents in an attempt to re-create and predict the appearance of complex phenomena such as protoplasmic seepage that is caused by the force actuations of neighboring cells. Seepage occurs when a cytoplasm agent passes between three membrane particles connected in a triangular network. Based on the force–deformation response of spheres having variable size and stiffness, semi-analytic expressions are developed for the force required to cause seepage and solved numerically to find the maximum resistance offered by the membrane against cytoplasm seepage. The equations are based on force equilibrium and the constitutive relations for particle contact and membrane stiffness. In multi-particle representations of an individual cell undergoing deformation, different modes of cytoplasm seepage through confining cell membranes can occur. This can be avoided if simple criteria are satisfied. These findings can lead to certain fundamental laws for the improvement of novel cell-to-organ simulation techniques based on discrete element method.     

Computational study to investigate effect of tonometer geometry and patient-specific variability on radial artery tonometry

Tonometry-based devices are valuable method for vascular function assessment and for measurement of blood pressure. However current design and calibration methods rely on simple models, neglecting key geometrical features, and anthropometric and property variability among patients. Understanding impact of these influences on tonometer measurement is thus essential for improving outcomes of current devices, and for proposing improved design. Towards this goal, we present a realistic computational model for tissue-device interaction using complete wrist section with hyperelastic material and frictional contact. Three different tonometry geometries were considered including a new design, and patient-specific influences incorporated via anthropometric and age-dependent tissue stiffness variations. The results indicated that the new design showed stable surface contact stress with minimum influence of the parameters analyzed. The computational predictions were validated with experimental data from a prototype based on the new design. Finally, we showed that the underlying mechanics of vascular unloading in tonometry to be fundamentally different from that of oscillatory method. Due to directional loading in tonometry, pulse amplitude maxima was observed to occur at a significantly lower compression level (around 31%) than previously reported, which can impact blood pressure calibration approaches based on maximum pulse pressure recordings.     

Response of Soil Bacterial Community Structure to Permafrost Degradation in the Upstream Regions of the Shule River Basin,Qinghai–Tibet Plateau

Permafrost degradation affects soil properties and vegetation, but little is known about its consequent effects on the soil bacterial community. In this study, we analyzed the bacterial community structure of 12 permafrost-affected soil samples from four principal permafrost types, sub-stable permafrost (SSP), transition permafrost (TP), unstable permafrost (UP) and extremely unstable permafrost (EUP), to investigate the effects of vegetation characteristics and soil properties on bacterial community structure during the process of permafrost degradation. Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria, Actinobacteria and Bacteroidetes were the predominant phyla in all four permafrost soil types. The relative abundance of Proteobacteria decreased in the order SSP > TP> UP > EUP, whereas the abundance of Actinobacteria increased in the order SSP < TP < UP < EUP. Moreover, the Actinobacteria/Proteobacteria ratio increased significantly in the order SSP < TP < UP < EUP along with permafrost degradation, which may be useful as a sign of permafrost degradation. Redundancy analysis (RDA) showed that bacterial communities could be clustered by permafrost types. Analysis of single factors revealed that soil moisture (SM) was the most important factor affecting the bacterial community structure and diversity, followed by soil total nitrogen (STN) and vegetation cover (VC). Partial RDA analysis showed that the soil properties and vegetation characteristics jointly shaped the bacterial community structure. Hence, we can conclude that permafrost degradation, caused by global warming, affects vegetation and soil properties and consequently drives changes in the soil bacterial community structure.     

食品中桔霉素控制方法的研究进展

桔霉素(Citrinin,CIT)是由青霉、曲霉和红曲霉属产生的一种具有肾毒性的真菌毒素。许多食品和饲料中均含有桔霉素,污染范围十分庞大。桔霉素可与其他真菌毒素发生协同作用,如展青霉素(Patulin,PAT)、赭曲霉毒素(Ochratoxin,OTA)等,从而增强其毒性作用,对人及动物健康造成更大的危害。现阶段常用的控制手段主要有物理、化学和生物方法,均取得了一定的成就。本文简单介绍了桔霉素的毒性及污染状况,对桔霉素控制方法的研究进展进行了综述。     

Western blot免疫印迹法检测磷酸化蛋白表达条件优化研究

目的:探讨Western blot免疫印迹法不同转膜方法和不同抗原抗体比例对磷酸化蛋白表达的检测效果。方法:选择肌球蛋白轻链(myosin light chain,MLC)及其磷酸化蛋白作为研究对象,比较半干转印法、湿转法和1:3000、1:5000、1:10000等抗体稀释比例对磷酸化蛋白检测效果的影响。结果:半干转印法(恒压16V,30 min)观察到蛋白信号断续;而同样样品利用湿转法(恒压130 V,1h)检测发现信号连续且强度明显增高;对于磷酸化蛋白,半干转印法无法观察到磷酸化蛋白信号;而同样样品湿转法检测出现连续信号。统一利用湿转方法进行后续蛋白磷酸化检测,当抗体稀释比为1:3000时,结果出现非特异性条带;降低抗体稀释比为1:5000时无非特异性条带,且蛋白信号效果较好;抗体稀释比为1:10000时条带图像出现弥散且背景较高。结论:选择合适的转膜方式和抗原抗体比例有助于磷酸化蛋白表达检测。     

黑水虻幼虫血细胞类型的研究

黑水虻Hermetia illucens(L.)是一种重要的资源昆虫。本文旨在筛选出适合黑水虻血细胞观察的染色方法,明确黑水虻血细胞类型、数量及组成,为黑水虻血细胞免疫研究奠定基础。采用Giemsa和Giemsa-Wright's染色方法和血球计数板法,对黑水虻血细胞染色方法和血细胞数量及形态进行研究。结果表明,甲醇固定4 min,Giemsa-Wright's染液染色9 min、pH 7.2磷酸盐缓冲液分色10 min是黑水虻幼虫血细胞最佳染色方法;黑水虻幼虫血细胞包括原血细胞、浆血细胞、粒血细胞、类绛血细胞、珠血细胞5类;4龄黑水虻幼虫血细胞数量大约为2917个/μL,其中浆血细胞占53.20%±2.78%,粒血细胞占37.49%±3.96%,原血细胞占7.97%±1.51%,类绛血细胞占1.02%±0.24%,珠血细胞占0.62%±0.08%。Giemsa-Wright's染色法为黑水虻幼虫血细胞最佳染色方法,黑水虻幼虫血细胞可分为5类10种。     

环状RNA研究进展

环状RNA(circRNA)是一类内源性非编码RNA(Non-coding RNA;ncRNA),与传统线性RNA不同,它是由反向剪接形成的、没有5'端帽子和3'端多聚腺苷酸尾巴的环状闭合结构。起初人们认为circRNA是错误剪接或者低丰度mRNA转录过程中的副产物,但随着高通量测序技术和生物信息学的发展,越来越多的circRNA已被发现和鉴定。circRNA在哺乳动物细胞中具有内生、丰富、保守、稳定、组织特异性、时空特异性等特点,且亚细胞定位存在差异。大量研究发现它可以通过多种机制参与动物生长发育调控,疾病等的发生和发展。综述了circRNA的发现与形成、特征、作用机制、研究方法及与疾病相关的研究进展,以期为circRNA的进一步研究提供参考。