The Interfacial Interactions of Glycine and Short Glycine Peptides in Model Membrane Systems

The interactions of amino acids and peptides at model membrane interfaces have considerable implications for biological functions, with the ability to act as chemical messengers, hormones, neurotransmitters, and even as antibiotics and anticancer agents. In this study, glycine and the short glycine peptides diglycine, triglycine, and tetraglycine are studied with regards to their interactions at the model membrane interface of Aerosol-OT (AOT) reverse micelles via ¹H NMR spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering (DLS), and Langmuir trough measurements. It was found that with the exception of monomeric glycine, the peptides prefer to associate between the interface and bulk water pool of the reverse micelle. Monomeric glycine, however, resides with the N-terminus in the ordered interstitial water (stern layer) and the C-terminus located in the bulk water pool of the reverse micelle.     

Beneficial Changes in Rat Vascular Endocannabinoid System in Primary Hypertension and under Treatment with Chronic Inhibition of Fatty Acid Amide Hydrolase by URB597

Our study aimed to examine the effects of hypertension and the chronic administration of the fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) inhibitor URB597 on vascular function and the endocannabinoid system in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). Functional studies were performed on small mesenteric G3 arteries (sMA) and aortas isolated from SHR and normotensive Wistar Kyoto rats (WKY) treated with URB597 (1 mg/kg; twice daily for 14 days). In the aortas and sMA of SHR, endocannabinoid levels and cannabinoid CB<sub>;1sub>; receptor (CB<sub>;1sub>;R) expression were elevated. The CB<sub>;1sub>;R antagonist AM251 diminished the methanandamide-evoked relaxation only in the sMA of SHR and enhanced the vasoconstriction induced by phenylephrine and the thromboxane analog U46619 in sMA in SHR and WKY. In the sMA of SHR, URB597 elevated anandamide levels, improved the endothelium-dependent vasorelaxation to acetylcholine, and in the presence of AM251 reduced the vasoconstriction to phenylephrine and enhanced the vasodilatation to methanandamide, and tended to reduce hypertrophy. In the aortas, URB597 elevated endocannabinoid levels improved the endothelium-dependent vasorelaxation to acetylcholine and decreased CB<sub>;1sub>;R expression. Our study showed that hypertension and chronic administration of URB597 caused local, resistance artery-specific beneficial alterations in the vascular endocannabinoid system, which may bring further advantages for therapeutic application of pharmacological inhibition of FAAH.     

VO2/GaAs异质结的制备及其光电特性研究

采用直流磁控溅射和后退火氧化工艺在p型GaAs单晶衬底上成功制备了n-VO_2/pGaAs异质结,研究了不同退火温度和退火时间对VO_2/GaAs异质结性能的影响,并分析其结晶取向、化学组分、膜层质量以及光电特性。结果表明,在退火时间2 h和退火温度693 K下能得到相变性能最佳的VO_2薄膜,相变前后电阻变化约2个数量级。VO_2/GaAs异质结在308 K、318 K和328 K温度下具有较好的整流特性,对应温度下的阈值跳变电压分别为6.9 V、6.6 V和6.2 V,该结果为基于VO_2相变特性的异质结光电器件的设计与应用提供了可行性。     

水产品及养殖水中丁香酚类化合物风险研究

目的 检测水产品及养殖水中丁香酚类化合物。方法 应用食品补充检验方法BJS 201908《水产品及水中丁香酚类化合物的测定》，以海水鱼、淡水鱼、海水虾、淡水虾及养殖水作为基质，测定6种丁香酚类化合物的含量。结果 通过对实际样品测定后发现，在水产品中检出了丁香酚类化合物，主要为丁香酚，检出率为28.9%，其中海水鱼相对突出。结论 本研究为丁香酚作为渔用麻醉剂提供了方法论，为丁香酚类化合物在水产运输的合理使用提供理论依据。     

Novel KCND3 Variant Underlying Nonprogressive Congenital Ataxia or SCA19/22 Disrupt KV4.3 Protein Expression and K+ Currents with Variable Effects on Channel Properties

KCND3 encodes the voltage-gated potassium channel K<sub>;Vsub>;4.3 that is highly expressed in the cerebellum, where it regulates dendritic excitability and calcium influx. Loss-of-function K<sub>;Vsub>;4.3 mutations have been associated with dominant spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA19/22). By targeted NGS sequencing, we identified two novel KCND3 missense variants of the K<sub>;Vsub>;4.3 channel: p.S347W identified in a patient with adult-onset pure cerebellar syndrome and p.W359G detected in a child with congenital nonprogressive ataxia. Neuroimaging showed mild cerebellar atrophy in both patients. We performed a two-electrode voltage-clamp recording of K<sub>;Vsub>;4.3 currents in Xenopus oocytes: both the p.G345V (previously reported in a SCA19/22 family) and p.S347W mutants exhibited reduced peak currents by 50%, while no K+ current was detectable for the p.W359G mutant. We assessed the effect of the mutations on channel gating by measuring steady-state voltage-dependent activation and inactivation properties: no significant alterations were detected in p.G345V and p.S347W disease-associated variants, compared to controls. K<sub>;Vsub>;4.3 expression studies in HEK293T cells showed 53% (p.G345V), 45% (p.S347W) and 75% (p.W359G) reductions in mutant protein levels compared with the wildtype. The present study broadens the spectrum of the known phenotypes and identifies additional variants for KCND3-related disorders, outlining the importance of SCA gene screening in early-onset and congenital ataxia.     

Room temperature R-curve and stable crack growth behaviour of ZrB2–SiC ceramic composites

ABSTRACT

R-curve and controlled stable crack growth behaviour of ZrB<sub>;2sub>;–17vol.-%SiC and ZrB<sub>;2sub>;–45vol.-%SiC ceramic composites was studied on V-notched samples using four-point bending at room temperature. The rising K<sub>;1Rsub>; behaviour was determined as a function of the crack extension Δa with a crack bridging mechanism being dominant in such behaviour. Significant differences in crack growth rates were found within the same composition of ceramics simply as the crack length varied during crack growth processes. These differences are indicative of the significant influence of microstructural parameters of the ceramics on crack propagation. The peculiarities of stress intensity factor K<sub>;1sub>; and the crack growth-specific behaviour in ZrB<sub>;2sub>;–SiC particulate ceramic composites are discussed.     

Deposition of UF5 on the surface of steel material having oxide coating in contact with gaseous UF6

When UF6 is handled in leak tight system, the amount of uranium compound formed on the surface of containers, valves, and others in UF6 handling facilities is not so significant for a short term that special attention has not been given to this problem. The present work was done to throw some more light on this problem based on the recent experiment. We discuss the possibility that the intermolecular transfer of a fluorine atom from UF6 to UF5 may participate in the formation of uranium compound. The discussion includes also the unique features contained in the experimental result, the reaction processes assumed in this problem, and the derivation of a rate equation for expressing the deposition of uranium compound. Furthermore, we propose a new method for determining nonlinear parameters included in a governing differential equation having two variables for expressing the deposition of uranium compound from experimental raw data.     

高效液相色谱法测定维生素K胶囊中维生素K2含量不确定度评估

目的评估高效液相色谱法测定维生素K胶囊中的维生素K_2含量的不确定度。方法采用高效液相色谱法测定维生素K胶囊中的维生素K_2含量,建立数学模型,对测定过程的主要不确定度分量进行计算,得出合成不确定度和扩展不确定度。结果维生素K胶囊中维生素K_2的含量为181.2μg/g时,在置信区间95%下,其扩展不确定度为7.5μg/g(k=2)。结论不确定度的主要来源为标准曲线配制的过程,该评估模型为维生素K胶囊中维生素K_2的含量测定的准确性提供了参考依据。     

Electrical oscillation generation with current-induced resistivity switching in VO2 micro-channel devices

We report large amplitude modulation waveforms as large as ~ 10 V using vanadium dioxide micro-channel devices operating under current-controlled conditions. The self-sustained electrical oscillations were generated by controlling the applied current in the negative differential resistance region of the investigated devices. An appropriate value of internal capacitance was achieved as parasitic capacitance in the device structure to stabilize the electrical oscillations. This eliminates the need of an external pulsed source or any external passive component connected to the micro-channel devices. Amplitude and frequency of the oscillation were tuned by illuminating the device micro-channel with an external laser. An equivalent circuit model was developed to simulate the waveforms. A good agreement between experiment and simulation was verified.     

New exact solutions of the Tzitzéica-type equations in non-linear optics using the expa function method

One specific class of non-linear evolution equations, known as the Tzitzéica-type equations, has received great attention from a group of researchers involved in non-linear science. In this article, new exact solutions of the Tzitzéica-type equations arising in non-linear optics, including the Tzitzéica, Dodd–Bullough–Mikhailov and Tzitzéica–Dodd–Bullough equations, are obtained using the exp<sub>;asub>; function method. The integration technique actually suggests a useful and reliable method to extract new exact solutions of a wide range of non-linear evolution equations.