超高压调节酶催化功能及其作用机制

在酶学领域中,超高压和温度类似,作为一种物理学方法,可以用来调节酶催化功能,促使酶的构象发生变化。对超高压调节酶催化功能的原理、影响酶构象的作用机制,以及一些新型研究方法等进行了综述。展望了此项新技术的发展前景。     

Structural stability of ternary D8m–Ti5Sb2X (X=Al,Ga, In,Si, Ge,Sn) compounds

The crystal and electronic structures of Ti₅Sb₂X (X=Al, Ga, In, Si, Ge, Sn) ternary compounds in the Nb₅Sn₂Si-type structure (ternary-D8_m) have been investigated by means of first principles calculations. The calculated structural parameters are in good agreement with the experimental data. The total electronic densities of states as well as the Bader charges of the atoms have been computed. Both electronic and size effects allow to explain the stability of the Ti₅Sb₂X (X=Al, Ga, In, Si, Ge, Sn) ternary compounds in the ternary D8_m structure. The enthalpies of formation of the ternary D8_m compounds have been obtained. The off-stoichiometry domains of D8_m–Ti₅Sb₂Ga and D8_m–Ti₅Sb₂Si are discussed.     

高路堤预应力锚索桩板墙承载特性分析

以昆明—曼谷国际公路k70路堤加固工程为背景,采用原位测试方法,完成了不同工况下预应力锚索桩板墙承载特性的现场试验。通过观测结构位移、土压力、桩身内力以及锚索预应力等,系统分析了预应力锚索桩板墙的受力特性与力学行为。锚索桩板墙对高路堤的加固效果显著,填筑初期结构位移随填土高度线性增加,锚索施工后增速有所减缓;初始填筑阶段,抗滑桩变形以刚性倾斜为主,随着锚索张拉和桩后填土不断增高桩身产生了较为明显的弯曲变形。作用在抗滑桩后的土压力大致呈三角形分布,板后土压力大致呈抛物线型分布;相同埋深条件下作用在抗滑桩上的土压力明显大于挡板,原因在于相邻抗滑桩间产生了明显的土拱效应,下部相邻抗滑桩间的土拱效应更强;与解析解的对比结果表明,实测最大桩后土压力与滑坡推力接近,远小于被动土压力;实测板后土压力与主动土压力接近,工程设计中可选取Rankine主动土压力作为挡板的设计荷载,在不利位置采取增大板厚等措施避免挡板发生破坏。采用弹性弯曲梁理论对锚索桩板墙内力计算的结果与实测结果基本一致。张拉锁定初期锚索预应力损失较大,约为设计荷载的10%,后期锚索预应力逐渐趋于稳定,锚索预应力长期损失约为设计荷载值的12%~15%。     

Prebiotic Pathway from Ribose to RNA Formation

At the focus of abiotic chemical reactions is the synthesis of ribose. No satisfactory explanation was provided as to the missing link between the prebiotic synthesis of ribose and prebiotic RNA (preRNA). Hydrogen cyanide (HCN) is assumed to have been the principal precursor in the prebiotic formation of aldopentoses in the formose reaction and in the synthesis of ribose. Ribose as the best fitting aldopentose became the exclusive sugar component of RNA. The elevated yield of ribose synthesis at higher temperatures and its protection from decomposition could have driven the polymerization of the ribose-phosphate backbone and the coupling of nucleobases to the backbone. RNA could have come into being without the involvement of nucleotide precursors. The first nucleoside monophosphate is likely to have appeared upon the hydrolysis of preRNA contributed by the presence of reactive 2′-OH moieties in the preRNA chain. As a result of phosphorylation, nucleoside monophosphates became nucleoside triphosphates, substrates for the selective synthesis of genRNA.     

Irradiation-induced large bubble formation and grain growth in super nano-grained ceramic

In this work, 0.5TRPO•0.5Gd₂Zr₂O₇ ceramic with an average grain size of only ∼15 nm was prepared by a high pressure (5 GPa/520 °C) sintering method. Phase evolutions and microstructure changes of the as-fabricated super nano and micron-grained ceramics under a high-dose displacement damage induced by 300 keV Kr²⁺ ions were investigated. The results show that the super nano-grained ceramic has low degree of amorphization, obvious grain growth (2–3 times in grain size) and big Kr bubbles (10–68 nm) formation after irradiation. The micron-grained ceramic was severely amorphized after irradiation and many microcracks were formed parallel to its surface. The formation mechanism of Kr bubbles in the super nano-grained ceramic is on account of grain boundary diffusion and migration induced by the accumulation of the injecting Kr ions and irradiation defects. Nevertheless, microcracks formed in the micron-grained sample are caused by the accumulation of Kr atoms.     

Influence of bunch maturation and chemical precursors on acrylamide formation in starchy banana chips

The present study investigated the effect of ripening stages and chemical precursors on acrylamide formation in deep-fried chips of five plantains and one cooking banana. The highest level of acrylamide was found in the cooking banana, followed by False Horn plantain and French plantain, respectively. French plantain hybrids exhibited a significantly lower (P < 0.05) level of acrylamide when compared to French plantain. The ripening stage demonstrated a positive Pearson correlation (P < 0.05, r = 0.57) with acrylamide formation. As ripening progressed, the levels of glucose and fructose significantly increased (P < 0.05) and showed a positive correlation with acrylamide formation (r = 0.85 and 0.96, respectively). The level of the amino acid asparagine during ripening was not correlated with acrylamide formation. In contrast, the level of histidine, arginine, iso-leucine and cystine during ripening was positively correlated (P < 0.05, r > 0.60) with acrylamide formation in fried chips. The higher level of TP was significantly related (P < 0.05) to the lower level of acrylamide (r = −0.62). The reduced levels of carotenoid isomers, except lutein, during fruit ripening were positively correlated (P < 0.05) with acrylamide formation, especially trans-BC (r = 0.72) and 9-cis-BC(r = 0.64).     

In the Right Place at the Right Time: miRNAs as Key Regulators in Developing Axons

During neuronal circuit formation, axons progressively develop into a presynaptic compartment aided by extracellular signals. Axons display a remarkably high degree of autonomy supported in part by a local translation machinery that permits the subcellular production of proteins required for their development. Here, we review the latest findings showing that microRNAs (miRNAs) are critical regulators of this machinery, orchestrating the spatiotemporal regulation of local translation in response to cues. We first survey the current efforts toward unraveling the axonal miRNA repertoire through miRNA profiling, and we reveal the presence of a putative axonal miRNA signature. We also provide an overview of the molecular underpinnings of miRNA action. Our review of the available experimental evidence delineates two broad paradigms: cue-induced relief of miRNA-mediated inhibition, leading to bursts of protein translation, and cue-induced miRNA activation, which results in reduced protein production. Overall, this review highlights how a decade of intense investigation has led to a new appreciation of miRNAs as key elements of the local translation regulatory network controlling axon development.     

石英砂粒径大小对甲烷水合物形成及分布的影响

为了研究不同粒径多孔介质体系中甲烷水合物的形成，本文采用粒径分别为0.075~0.5mm、0.5~1mm、1~2mm和2~3mm的石英砂作为多孔介质，在初始压力7.0MPa、温度0.5℃条件下进行水合物形成实验并进行取样观察、分层分解，得出不同粒径大小石英砂中甲烷水合物形成及分布的特征。结果表明：随着石英砂粒径的增大，石英砂砂体中的水合物形成量和初始水合物形成速率在逐渐减小；在粒径为0.075~0.5mm、1~2mm和2~3mm石英砂中，充气过程中水合物便开始形成，且并未出现明显的水合物大量形成阶段，而在粒径为0.5~1mm石英砂体系中出现了水合物大量形成的阶段；通过计算发现，0.5~1mm石英砂体系的气体消耗量最大，为0.47mol，2~3mm石英砂体系的气体消耗量最小，仅为0.05mol；在这4种粒径的石英砂体表面的甲烷水合物主要以分散状均匀分布于颗粒之间或胶结成块，但这一观察结果与通过分解的方法所得到的石英砂上部水合物形成量大于下部的结果存在差异；重复实验也发现，仅在粒径为0.5~1mm石英砂顶部出现了水合物大量富集的现象，因此推断认为在一定粒径的介质体系同时上部存在较大空隙时，水合物有可能会在空隙中大量富集存在。这一实验结果对自然环境中水合物的赋存区域及形态的预测具有一定的参考价值。