裂纹对石墨烯拉伸力学性能影响的数值仿真

为研究裂纹对石墨烯力学性能的影响,以锯齿型石墨烯为研究对象,基于分子动力学方法,采用Tersoff势函数分析裂纹长度对石墨烯拉伸力学性能的影响以及含有裂纹的石墨烯在不同应变率下的拉伸变形破坏过程.结果表明,裂纹长度的增加大大减小石墨烯的抗拉强度和抗拉应变,对弹性模量有一定影响;裂纹降低石墨烯的抗拉应变对应变率的敏感性,但对于含有裂纹的石墨烯,仍可以增大加载速率来提高石墨烯的抗拉性能.     

Roll‐to‐roll UV embossing process applied for light bar‐based sub‐wavelength gratings for backlight

This study proposes a roll‐to‐roll process‐based sub‐wavelength grating, which is attached on a light bar to turn the side‐lit red/green/blue (620, 520, and 450 nm) incident rays into a uniformly and normally output white light with high illuminance from the light bar's surface. On the basis of the rigorous coupling wave analysis, the relationship between the first‐order transmission/reflection efficiency and the pitch of the gratings with different shapes was analyzed. The optimal design can effectively reduce the coupling length and enhance the white color balance for display applications.     

Viscosities of nonelectrolyte liquid mixtures. I. binary mixtures containing p-dioxane

Viscosity measurements are reported for p-dioxans with cyclohexane, n-hexane, benzene, toluene, carbon tetrachloride, tetrachloroethane, chloroform, pentachloroethane, and ethyl acetate at 303.15 K. Excess Gibbs energies of activation G ^*E of viscous flow have been calculated with Eyring's theory of absolute reaction rates. The deviations of the viscosities from a linear dependence on the mole fraction and values of G ^*E for binary mixtures have been explained in terms of molecular interactions between unlike pairs. The Prigogine-Flory-Patterson theory has been used to estimate the excess viscosity, ln , and corresponding enthalpy ln _H, entropy ln _S, and free volume ln _v terms for binary mixtures of p-dioxane with cyclohexane, n-hexane, benzene, toluene, carbon tetrachloride, and chloroform. Estimates of excess viscosities from this theory for p-dioxane with benzene, toluene, and carbon tetrachloride are good, while for the other three mixtures they are poor. The local-composition thermodynamic model of Wei and Rowley estimates the excess viscosity quite well even for p-dioxane mixtures with cyclohexane and n-hexane.     

单晶镍纳米薄膜单向拉伸破坏的分子动力学模拟

应用分子动力学方法模拟了单晶镍纳米薄膜受单向拉伸破坏的过程, 得出纳米尺度单晶镍薄膜的应力-应变关系、能量演化曲线和镍薄膜构型的变化及微损伤的形成和扩展过程. 模拟采用原子镶嵌势描述原子间作用, 得到镍单晶薄膜的弹性模量, 分析了拉伸过程中系统原子能量、应力变化和外荷载的关系. 结果表明: 纳米薄膜的自由表面影响拉伸过程中原子的运动和薄膜整体力学性能, 纳米薄膜破坏的几何特征是原子空位的连接和晶胞缺陷的扩展; 单晶的断裂接近脆性断裂, 模拟得到纳米薄膜的断裂强度符合Griffith脆性断裂的能量平衡理论.     

水杨醛亚胺钛络合物的负载及在催化乙烯聚合中的应用

以3,5-二枯基水杨醛与2,3,4,5,6-五氟苯胺为原料缩合反应合成了水杨醛亚胺配体(Ⅰ),利用四氯化钛和水杨醛亚胺配体(Ⅰ)反应制得了相应的水杨醛亚胺钛络合物(Ⅱ),用核磁共振氢谱(¹H NMR)和核磁共振碳谱(¹³C NMR)表征了配体及络合物的结构。以甲基铝氧烷(MAO)为助催化剂,在60℃、1.0 MPa压力下,水杨醛亚胺钛络合物(Ⅱ)在甲苯中催化乙烯聚合活性为4.6×10⁷ g PE/(mol Ti),所得聚合物黏均分子质量为7.6×10⁵g/mol。以氯化镁/铝化合物为载体,制得高活性负载型水杨醛亚胺钛络合物(Ⅱ)催化剂,在60℃、1.0 MPa压力下,催化乙烯淤浆聚合活性达到24390 g PE/(g Ti),聚乙烯的黏均分子质量提升至4.3×10⁶g/mol,为超高分子量聚乙烯。     

Secondary Metabolic Profile as a Tool for Distinction and Characterization of Cultivars of Black Pepper (Piper nigrum L.) Cultivated in Pará State,Brazil

This study evaluated the chemical compositions of the leaves and fruits of eight black pepper cultivars cultivated in Pará State (Amazon, Brazil). Hydrodistillation and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry were employed to extract and analyze the volatile compounds, respectively. Sesquiterpene hydrocarbons were predominant (58.5–90.9%) in the cultivars “Cingapura”, “Equador”, “Guajarina”, “Iaçará”, and “Kottanadan”, and “Bragantina”, “Clonada”, and “Uthirankota” displayed oxygenated sesquiterpenoids (50.6–75.0%). The multivariate statistical analysis applied using volatile composition grouped the samples into four groups: γ-Elemene, curzerene, and δ-elemene (“Equador”/“Guajarina”, I); δ-elemene (“Iaçará”/“Kottanadan”/“Cingapura”, II); elemol (“Clonada”/“Uthirankota”, III) and α-muurolol, bicyclogermacrene, and cubebol (“Bragantina”, IV). The major compounds in all fruit samples were monoterpene hydrocarbons such as α-pinene, β-pinene, and limonene. Among the cultivar leaves, phenolics content (44.75–140.53 mg GAE·g⁻¹ FW), the enzymatic activity of phenylalanine-ammonia lyase (20.19–57.22 µU·mL⁻¹), and carotenoids (0.21–2.31 µg·mL⁻¹) displayed significant variations. Due to black pepper’s susceptibility to Fusarium infection, a molecular docking analysis was carried out on Fusarium protein targets using each cultivar’s volatile components. F. oxysporum endoglucanase was identified as the preferential protein target of the compounds. These results can be used to identify chemical markers related to the susceptibility degree of black pepper cultivars to plant diseases prevalent in Pará State.     

A Holistic Evolutionary and 3D Pharmacophore Modelling Study Provides Insights into the Metabolism,Function, and Substrate Selectivity of the Human Monocarboxylate Transporter 4 (hMCT4)

Monocarboxylate transporters (MCTs) are of great research interest for their role in cancer cell metabolism and their potential ability to transport pharmacologically relevant compounds across the membrane. Each member of the MCT family could potentially provide novel therapeutic approaches to various diseases. The major differences among MCTs are related to each of their specific metabolic roles, their relative substrate and inhibitor affinities, the regulation of their expression, their intracellular localization, and their tissue distribution. MCT4 is the main mediator for the efflux of L-lactate produced in the cell. Thus, MCT4 maintains the glycolytic phenotype of the cancer cell by supplying the molecular resources for tumor cell proliferation and promotes the acidification of the extracellular microenvironment from the co-transport of protons. A promising therapeutic strategy in anti-cancer drug design is the selective inhibition of MCT4 for the glycolytic suppression of solid tumors. A small number of studies indicate molecules for dual inhibition of MCT1 and MCT4; however, no selective inhibitor with high-affinity for MCT4 has been identified. In this study, we attempt to approach the structural characteristics of MCT4 through an in silico pipeline for molecular modelling and pharmacophore elucidation towards the identification of specific inhibitors as a novel anti-cancer strategy.     

The Role of Rigid Residues in Modulating TEM-1 β-Lactamase Function and Thermostability

The relationship between protein motions (i.e., dynamics) and enzymatic function has begun to be explored in β-lactamases as a way to advance our understanding of these proteins. In a recent study, we analyzed the dynamic profiles of TEM-1 (a ubiquitous class A β-lactamase) and several ancestrally reconstructed homologues. A chief finding of this work was that rigid residues that were allosterically coupled to the active site appeared to have profound effects on enzyme function, even when separated from the active site by many angstroms. In the present work, our aim was to further explore the implications of protein dynamics on β-lactamase function by altering the dynamic profile of TEM-1 using computational protein design methods. The Rosetta software suite was used to mutate amino acids surrounding either rigid residues that are highly coupled to the active site or to flexible residues with no apparent communication with the active site. Experimental characterization of ten designed proteins indicated that alteration of residues surrounding rigid, highly coupled residues, substantially affected both enzymatic activity and stability; in contrast, native-like activities and stabilities were maintained when flexible, uncoupled residues, were targeted. Our results provide additional insight into the structure-function relationship present in the TEM family of β-lactamases. Furthermore, the integration of computational protein design methods with analyses of protein dynamics represents a general approach that could be used to extend our understanding of the relationship between dynamics and function in other enzyme classes.     

Molecular Docking Studies and Biological Evaluation of Berberine–Benzothiazole Derivatives as an Anti-Influenza Agent via Blocking of Neuraminidase

In this study, we have introduced newly synthesized substituted benzothiazole based berberine derivatives that have been analyzed for their in vitro and in silico biological properties. The activity towards various kinds of influenza virus strains by employing the cytopathic effect (CPE) and sulforhodamine B (SRB) assay. Several berberine–benzothiazole derivatives (BBDs), such as BBD1, BBD3, BBD4, BBD5, BBD7, and BBD11, demonstrated interesting anti-influenza virus activity on influenza A viruses (A/PR/8/34, A/Vic/3/75) and influenza B viral (B/Lee/40, and B/Maryland/1/59) strain, respectively. Furthermore, by testing neuraminidase activity (NA) with the neuraminidase assay kit, it was identified that BBD7 has potent neuraminidase activity. The molecular docking analysis further suggests that the BBD1–BBD14 compounds’ antiviral activity may be because of interaction with residues of NA, and the same as in oseltamivir.     

Prediction of Functional Consequences of Missense Mutations in ANO4 Gene

The anoctamin (TMEM16) family of transmembrane protein consists of ten members in vertebrates, which act as Ca²⁺-dependent ion channels and/or Ca²⁺-dependent scramblases. ANO4 which is primarily expressed in the CNS and certain endocrine glands, has been associated with various neuronal disorders. Therefore, we focused our study on prioritizing missense mutations that are assumed to alter the structure and stability of ANO4 protein. We employed a wide array of evolution and structure based in silico prediction methods to identify potentially deleterious missense mutations in the ANO4 gene. Identified pathogenic mutations were then mapped to the modeled human ANO4 structure and the effects of missense mutations were studied on the atomic level using molecular dynamics simulations. Our data show that the G80A and A500T mutations significantly alter the stability of the mutant proteins, thus providing new perspective on the role of missense mutations in ANO4 gene. Results obtained in this study may help to identify disease associated mutations which affect ANO4 protein structure and function and might facilitate future functional characterization of ANO4.