Synthesis of Janus polyaniline–polyelectrolyte complex membrane via in situ confined polymerization

Polyelectrolyte complex (PEC) membranes prepared from poly(styrene sulfonate) (PSS) and poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDADMAC) were modified by crossflow polymerization of aniline (ANI). The PEC membranes were used as separators in a two-compartment setup where ANI monomer and ammonium persulfate (APS) oxidant diffused through the membranes to form polyaniline (PANI). APS and ANI having different distributions throughout the membranes, the reaction led to the asymmetric polymerization of PANI on one face of each PEC membrane thus producing Janus membranes. Due to the excess PANI content, the membrane displayed distinct asymmetric electrical conductivities on each face. Interestingly, very different ANI polymerizations were obtained when nonstoichiometric PEC membranes having different molar ratio of cationic and anionic polyelectrolytes (P⁺:P^? represents PDADMAC:PSS) were used and transport of APS was fastest through the 2:1 PEC when compared to the 1:2 PEC. In all experiments, the polymerization was most intense on the ANI side of the membranes. Also, the influence of NaCl both during PEC fabrication and during polymerization was studied and found to have some effect on the solute permeability. Results showed that a higher content of PANI was formed on PEC membranes having excess P⁺ and with no NaCl added during PEC fabrication. Although X-ray diffraction confirmed the presence of PANI on both sides of each membrane, scanning electron microscopy images demonstrated that both sides of each membrane had different PANI content deposited. Electrical conductivity measurements using a four-point probe setup also showed that the PEC–PANI exhibits asymmetric electrical property on different sides. © 2021 Society of Industrial Chemistry.     

矿用履带式运输车在复杂开采条件下的应用

为了方便煤炭的运输，某矿使用了矿用履带式搬运车。履带运输车解决了轮式运输车在恶劣道路条件下不能行走的问题，这种履带车是一种新型的运输工具，其特点是体积小、转弯灵活、动力强大，可在不受场地限制的情况下轻松通过狭窄的地方，能有效解决山区、土壤、陡坡等恶劣条件下物料的运输问题，适合普通运输车辆无法通行的地方。介绍了矿用履带式搬运车的主要结构以及工作原理，并给出了实际应用中应注意的事项。     

Chemically complex intermetallic alloys: A new frontier for innovative structural materials

Intermetallic materials are bestowed by diverse ordered superlattice structures together with many unusual properties. In particular, the advent of chemically complex intermetallic alloys (CCIMAs) has received considerable attention in recent years and offers a new paradigm to develop novel metallic materials for advanced structural applications. These newly emerged CCIMAs exhibit synergistic modulations of structural and chemical features, such as self-assembled long-range close-packed ordering, complex sublattice occupancy, and interfacial disordered nanoscale layer, potentially allowing for superb physical and mechanical properties that are unmatched in conventional metallic materials. In this paper, we critically review the historical developments and recent advances in ordered intermetallic materials from the simple binary to chemically complex alloy systems. We are focused on the unique multicomponent superlattice microstructures, nanoscale grain-boundary segregation, and disordering, as well as the various extraordinary mechanical and functional properties of these newly developed CCIMAs. Finally, perspectives on the future research orientation, challenges, and opportunities of this new frontier are provided.     

Gluten-free cakes with walnut flour: a technological,sensory, and microstructural approach

Walnut flour (WF), a by-product of walnut oil production, is characterised by high polyunsaturated fatty acids, proteins, and fibre contents and presents suitability for bakery products. However, when using non-traditional ingredients, it is essential to evaluate the effect on the quality properties of the final product. So, this work aimed to assess the impact of WF on the technological, physicochemical, and sensory properties of gluten-free (GF) cakes. WF was added at a flour blend (cassava (CS) and maize (MS) starches and rice flour) at 0, 10%, 15%, and 20%. The results showed that WF modified starch gelatinisation, increased amylose–lipid complex (ALC) content, and made crumbs easier to chew. Besides, the total dietary fibre (TDF) and protein content significantly increased. Cakes with 15% WF presented the highest specific volume (SV) and no differences in overall acceptability with respect to control. Hence, WF is a suitable ingredient for gluten-free bakery products.     

建筑物掏土纠倾法单孔与多孔塑性区特性研究及工程应用

在建筑物水平掏土纠倾工程中，掏土孔间距是影响纠倾工程安全与工期的重要因素。为了快速准确地确定纠倾工程中的水平掏土孔间距，研究了单个掏土孔和多个掏土孔情况下孔周边土体塑性区发展特性。利用土体塑性力学分析计算得到了单孔下的孔周土塑性区半径，而后通过有限元模拟得到孔周土体塑性区半径的数值解，将孔周塑性区半径解析解与数值解进行了对比。并通过有限元数值模型研究了多个掏土孔相互影响情况下的塑性区发展规律，以孔间土体塑性区贯通时的距离作为掏土孔间距。考虑土体参数随机特性的影响，研究不同上部荷载作用下掏土孔间距的取值变化规律，上部面荷载与地基承载力特征值比值用p表示，孔间距与掏土孔直径比值用n表示。研究发现：多孔塑性区半径（孔间塑性区贯通时）是单孔塑性区半径的1.3倍左右;标准化荷载p与孔间距比值n二者呈线性关系;通过不同土体参数及上部荷载的不同情况下的p-n曲线，给出了掏土孔间距建议值。同时，将研究结果与三个实际工程进行对比，发现p-n曲线法与实际结果更为接近。     

Identification of the Primary Factors Determining the Specificity of Human VKORC1 Recognition by Thioredoxin-Fold Proteins

Redox (reduction–oxidation) reactions control many important biological processes in all organisms, both prokaryotes and eukaryotes. This reaction is usually accomplished by canonical disulphide-based pathways involving a donor enzyme that reduces the oxidised cysteine residues of a target protein, resulting in the cleavage of its disulphide bonds. Focusing on human vitamin K epoxide reductase (hVKORC1) as a target and on four redoxins (protein disulphide isomerase (PDI), endoplasmic reticulum oxidoreductase (ERp18), thioredoxin-related transmembrane protein 1 (Tmx1) and thioredoxin-related transmembrane protein 4 (Tmx4)) as the most probable reducers of VKORC1, a comparative in-silico analysis that concentrates on the similarity and divergence of redoxins in their sequence, secondary and tertiary structure, dynamics, intraprotein interactions and composition of the surface exposed to the target is provided. Similarly, hVKORC1 is analysed in its native state, where two pairs of cysteine residues are covalently linked, forming two disulphide bridges, as a target for Trx-fold proteins. Such analysis is used to derive the putative recognition/binding sites on each isolated protein, and PDI is suggested as the most probable hVKORC1 partner. By probing the alternative orientation of PDI with respect to hVKORC1, the functionally related noncovalent complex formed by hVKORC1 and PDI was found, which is proposed to be a first precursor to probe thiol–disulphide exchange reactions between PDI and hVKORC1.     

Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy Analysis of Effect of Molecular Crowding on Self-Assembly of β-Annulus Peptide into Artificial Viral Capsid

Recent progress in the de novo design of self-assembling peptides has enabled the construction of peptide-based viral capsids. Previously, we demonstrated that 24-mer β-annulus peptides from tomato bushy stunt virus spontaneously self-assemble into an artificial viral capsid. Here we propose to use the artificial viral capsid through the self-assembly of β-annulus peptide as a simple model to analyze the effect of molecular crowding environment on the formation process of viral capsid. Artificial viral capsids formed by co-assembly of fluorescent-labelled and unmodified β-annulus peptides in dilute aqueous solutions and under molecular crowding conditions were analyzed using fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS). The apparent particle size and the dissociation constant (K_d) of the assemblies decreased with increasing concentration of the molecular crowding agent, i.e., polyethylene glycol (PEG). This is the first successful in situ analysis of self-assembling process of artificial viral capsid under molecular crowding conditions.     

Superradiant Emission from Coherent Excitons in van Der Waals Heterostructures

Recent advancements in isolation and stacking of layered van der Waals materials have created an unprecedented paradigm for demonstrating varieties of 2D quantum materials. Rationally designed van der Waals heterostructures composed of monolayer transition-metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) and few-layer hBN show several unique optoelectronic features driven by correlations. However, entangled superradiant excitonic species in such systems have not been observed before. In this report, it is demonstrated that strong suppression of phonon population at low temperature results in a formation of a coherent excitonic-dipoles ensemble in the heterostructure, and the collective oscillation of those dipoles stimulates a robust phase synchronized ultra-narrow band superradiant emission even at extremely low pumping intensity. Such emitters are in high demand for a multitude of applications, including fundamental research on many-body correlations and other state-of-the-art technologies. This timely demonstration paves the way for further exploration of ultralow-threshold quantum-emitting devices with unmatched design freedom and spectral tunability.