How Far Are We from Prescribing Fasting as Anticancer Medicine?

(1) Background: the present review provides a comprehensive and up-to date overview of the potential exploitation of fasting as an anticancer strategy. The rationale for this concept is that fasting elicits a differential stress response in the setting of unfavorable conditions, empowering the survival of normal cells, while killing cancer cells. (2) Methods: the present narrative review presents the basic aspects of the hormonal, molecular, and cellular response to fasting, focusing on the interrelationship of fasting with oxidative stress. It also presents nonclinical and clinical evidence concerning the implementation of fasting as adjuvant to chemotherapy, highlighting current challenges and future perspectives. (3) Results: there is ample nonclinical evidence indicating that fasting can mitigate the toxicity of chemotherapy and/or increase the efficacy of chemotherapy. The relevant clinical research is encouraging, albeit still in its infancy. The path forward for implementing fasting in oncology is a personalized approach, entailing counteraction of current challenges, including: (i) patient selection; (ii) fasting patterns; (iii) timeline of fasting and refeeding; (iv) validation of biomarkers for assessment of fasting; and (v) establishment of protocols for patients’ monitoring. (4) Conclusion: prescribing fasting as anticancer medicine may not be far away if large randomized clinical trials consolidate its safety and efficacy.     

Component spectroscopic properties of light-harvesting complexes with DFT calculations

Photosynthesis is a fundamental process in biosciences and biotechnology that influences profoundly the research in other disciplines. In this paper, we focus on the characterization of fundamental components, present in pigment-protein complexes, in terms of their spectroscopic properties such as infrared spectra, nuclear magnetic resonance, as well as nuclear quadrupole resonance, which are of critical importance for many applications. Such components include chlorophylls and bacteriochlorophylls. Based on the density functional theory method, we calculate the main spectroscopic characteristics of these components for the Fenna-Matthews-Olson light-harvesting complex, analyze them and compare them with available experimental results. Future outlook is discussed in the context of current and potential applications of the presented results.     

[数据驱动的产品设计]基于功能模型和层次分析法的智能产品服务系统概念方案构建

为研究智能产品服务系统概念方案的构建，解决系统的复杂特性和功能耦合特性，提出应用发明问题解决理论（TRIZ）功能模型和层次分析法(AHP)两种工具，在概念设计阶段利用TRIZ功能模型定性地对其进行分析建模，并借助层次分析法对不同服务供应商所提供的服务功能模块进行定量的决策分析，通过择优集成相关功能模块，形成智能产品服务系统概念方案的构建方法。最后以3家服务供应商的服务功能模块构建为例，验证该方法的有效性。     

基于化学监督的超(超)临界机组关键控制节能指标分析及建议

针对超(超)临界机组参数提高、材质升级,化学技术监督中的监督指标对机组经济性和可靠性影响较大的问题,本文通过机组典型案例分析、技术监督报告、现场实测等,对目前化学监督中影响较大的、关键的技术指标进行了系统性的分析研究。研究结果找出了6项化学监督中超(超)临界机组关键的、影响较大的控制监督指标,且提出了指标控制值和控制方法。这项系统性研究分析方法对指导超(超)临界机组化学监督具有重要的借鉴作用,以控制超(超)临界机组因参数提高和材质升级带来的新问题和新挑战。     

Systematic convergence of nonlinear stochastic estimators on the Special Orthogonal Group SO(3)

This paper introduces two novel nonlinear stochastic attitude estimators developed on the Special Orthogonal Group with the tracking error of the normalized Euclidean distance meeting predefined transient and steady‐state characteristics. The tracking error is confined to initially start within a predetermined large set such that the transient performance is guaranteed to obey dynamically reducing boundaries and decrease smoothly and asymptotically to the origin in probability from almost any initial condition. The proposed estimators produce accurate attitude estimates with remarkable convergence properties using measurements obtained from low‐cost inertial measurement units. The estimators proposed in continuous form are complemented by their discrete versions for the implementation purposes. The simulation results illustrate the effectiveness and robustness of the proposed estimators against uncertain measurements and large initialization error, whether in continuous or discrete form.     

Preparation and properties of chitosan/acidified attapulgite composite proton exchange membranes for fuel cell applications

A composite proton exchange membrane chitosan (CS)/attapulgite (ATP) was prepared with the organic–inorganic compounding of ATP and CS. The composite membranes were characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The mechanical properties, thermal stability, water uptake, and proton conductivity of the composite membranes were fully investigated. The composite membranes exhibited an enhanced mechanical property, dimensional and thermal stability compared to CS membrane, owing to the interface interaction between ATP and CS. The maximum tensile strength of 53.1 MPa and decomposition temperature of 223.4°C was obtained, respectively. More importantly, the proton conductivity of the composite membrane is also enhanced, the composite membrane with 4 wt% ATP content (CS/ATP-4) exhibited the highest proton conductivity of 26.2 mS cm⁻¹ at 80°C with 100% relative humidity, which is 25.1% higher than pure CS membrane. These results may explore a simple and green strategy to prepare CS-based PEMs, which have a great potential in the application of proton exchange membrane fuel cells.     

含芳香氨基酸三肽及其衍生物自由基离子的形成和解离机理研究

铜-配体(L)-三肽组成的三元复合物［Cu(L)M］²⁺，其中，L表示4′-氯-2,2′:6′,2″-三联吡啶(缩写为4Cl-tpy)；M表示酪氨酰-甘氨酰-色氨酸(YGW)及其修饰型三肽(CH₃CO-YGW-OCH₃，缩写 Ac-YGW-OMe)。使用该复合物，通过碰撞诱导解离 (collision-induced dissociation, CID)产生两种自由基离子 (［YGW］^·+和［Ac-YGW-OMe］^·+)。采用串联质谱结合密度泛函理论 (density functional theory, DFT)得到气相稳定结构，并研究其气相解离行为。研究结果表明，［YGW］^·+和［Ac-YGW-OMe］^·+的气相解离行为截然不同，［YGW］^·+主要产生［M-CO₂-116］⁺和［M-CO₂］^·+碎片离子；而［Ac-YGW-OMe］^·+在气相中主要产生［M-CH₃OH］^·+碎片离子。推测这两种离子的气相裂解机理分别为：［YGW］^·+羧基上的质子重排到多肽骨架中羰基氧上，经历 C_α-C键的断裂产生［M-CO₂］^·+、断裂色氨酸侧链 C_β-C_γ键产生［M-CO₂-116］⁺离子；［Ac-YGW-OMe］^·+则先经历质子重排到酯基氧上，然后经过C-O酯键的断裂形成［M-CH₃OH］^·+离子。参与重排的质子可能有3个来源：Ac-YGW-OMe中甘氨酸的C_α-H、色氨酸的C_α-H 或C_β-H，该机理有待进一步验证。本研究将为其他类型多肽及衍生物的结构及气相反应机理研究提供参考。     

Application of ultrasound treatment for modulating the structural,functional and rheological properties of black bean protein isolates

The modulating effect of ultrasound treatments at varying powers and times on the structural and functional properties of black bean protein isolate (BBPI) was investigated. Compared with native BBPI, low-power (150 W) and medium-power (300 W) ultrasound treatments increased the solubility, foaming and emulsifying properties of BBPI, especially at 300 W, 24 min. This effect arises predominantly due to increased exposure of hydrophobic groups, which serve to increase the interactions between the protein and water molecules. Additionally, an increase in the protein surface activity improved the absorption of protein molecules at the oil–water and air–water interfaces. Rheology data showed that increased hydrophobic and hydrogen-bonding interactions improved the water-holding capacity of BBPI gels following ultrasound treatment. However, high-power (450 W) ultrasound treatment weakened the functional properties of BBPI, and this was likely due to the formation of macromolecular BBPI aggregates. Overall, this study indicates that ultrasound treatment could be a promising approach for modulating other plant protein resources as well as expanding the application of black bean protein.     

基于差分进化算法的手眼标定方法

针对眼在手机器人视觉系统的手眼标定问题，提出了一种基于差分进化算法的手眼标定方法。首先建立了眼在手机器人视觉系统手眼标定的数学模型，通过李群李代数理论，将手眼标定问题转化为误差函数的优化问题，同时保证了优化问题的最优解落在特殊欧氏群ＳＥ（３）上。通过差分进化算法对优化问题进行求解，避免了求解过程中的局部最优问题。最后在实物平台上进行了手眼标定实验，实验结果验证了算法的可行性和有效性。