Changes in the content and antioxidative activity of β-carotene and its metabolite vitamin A during gastrointestinal digestion and absorption and optimisation of HPLC-based detection

The β-Carotene (BC), an important precursor of vitamin A (VA), possesses antioxidant activity but is fat-soluble and has low bioavailability. In previous in-vitro assays evaluating antioxidant and 2,2′-azobis(2-amidinopropane) dihydrochloride (AAPH) free radical scavenging, both BC and VA showed a strong ability to scavenge radicals and protected cells from oxidative stress. Here, we used artificially simulated gastrointestinal digestion and Caco-2 cell absorption models to evaluate the bioavailability of the BC during gastrointestinal digestion and absorption using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis. We observed high absorptive and transfer rates of BC and detected retinol metabolites (Vitamin A). Therefore, BC can be detected in the acidic gastrointestinal environment using HPLC. Optimised method provided better separation of BC and VA in the column, improving the accuracy of the test results.     

肠靶向海藻酸钙基微胶囊的制备及控释性能研究

利用毛细管共挤出技术结合静电吸附和仿生硅化的方法，制备了海藻酸钙-壳聚糖/精蛋白/二氧化硅(ACPSi)复合微胶囊。ACPSi复合微胶囊的平均粒径约3.18 mm，单分散性好，囊壁最外层的二氧化硅层可抑制其在肠液pH环境中的溶胀，增强囊的机械稳定性。将羟丙甲基纤维素邻苯二甲酸酯(HPMCP)肠溶微球作为释药“微阀门”，嵌入囊壁可以更好地控制微胶囊的释药行为。以吲哚美辛为模型药物，当药物浓度为22.5 mg/ml时，ACPSi载药微胶囊在pH 2.5模拟胃液中3 h时累计释药率仅为0.33%，而转移至pH 6.8模拟肠液中19 h时累计释药率为77.78%；囊壁嵌入HPMCP微球后，22 h时累计释药率可提高约4%。因此，该复合微胶囊具有良好的肠靶向作用和控释特性，作为口服肠靶向缓控释制剂具有良好的应用前景。     

Metal-polyphenol-network coated CaCO3 as pH-responsive nanocarriers to enable effective intratumoral penetration and reversal of multidrug resistance for augmented cancer treatments

Construction of multifunctional stimuli-responsive nanotherapeutics enabling improved intratumoral penetration of therapeutics and reversal of multiple-drug resistance (MDR) is potent to achieve effective cancer treatment. Herein, we report a general method to synthesize pH-dissociable calcium carbonate (CaCO₃) hollow nanoparticles with amorphous CaCO₃ as the template, gallic acid (GA) as the organic ligand, and ferrous ions as the metallic center via a one-pot coordination reaction. The obtained GA–Fe@CaCO₃ exhibits high loading efficiencies to both oxidized cisplatin prodrug and doxorubicin, yielding drug loaded GA–Fe@CaCO₃ nanotherapeutics featured in pH-responsive size shrinkage, drug release, and Fenton catalytic activity. Compared to nonresponsive GA–Fe@silica nanoparticles prepared with silica nanoparticles as the template, such GA–Fe@CaCO₃ confers significantly improved intratumoral penetration capacity. Moreover, both types of drug-loaded GA–Fe@CaCO₃ nanotherapeutics exhibit synergistic therapeutic efficacies to corresponding MDR cancer cells because of the GA–Fe mediated intracellular oxidative stress amplification that could reduce the efflux of engulfed drugs by impairing the mitochondrial-mediated production of adenosine triphosphate (ATP). As a result, it is found that the doxorubicin loaded GA–Fe@CaCO₃ exhibits superior therapeutic effect towards doxorubicin-resistant 4T1 breast tumors via combined chemodynamic and chemo-therapies. This work highlights the preparation of pH-dissociable CaCO₃-based nanotherapeutics to enable effective tumor penetration for enhanced treatment of drug-resistant tumors.

     

不同含量低污染水对人工湿地中细菌的影响研究

探究水平流人工湿地(HFCW)系统处理低污染水过程中,相同COD/ρ(TN)下不同碳氮含量对细菌群落结构的影响。结果表明,进水为较高碳氮含量的HFCW(HF1)和进水为较低碳氮含量的HFCW(HF2)对COD和TN的去除效率具有一定的差异,HF1和HF2对COD的去除效率分别为48.26%和28.89%,对TN的去除率分别为79.06%和81.87%。HF1中细菌的丰富度和多样性均高于HF2,HF1中富集的优势细菌为Chloroflexaceae、Comamonadaceae和Rhodocyclaceae,均具有异养反硝化功能,HF2中富集的优势细菌为Xanthomonadaceae和Rhodocyclaceae,其中Xanthomonadaceae具有自养反硝化功能。COD、NH4^+-N和NO3^--N对HF1中细菌群落的影响大于对HF2中细菌群落的影响,HF1中COD对细菌群落的影响大于NH4^+-N和NO3^--N。     

A unified critical state model for geomaterials with an application to tunnelling

This paper is prepared in honour of Professor E.T. Brown for his outstanding contributions to rock mechanics and geotechnical engineering and also for his personal influence on the first author's research career in geomechanics and geotechnical engineering. As a result, we have picked a topic that reflects two key research areas in which Professor E.T. Brown has made seminal contributions over a long and distinguished career. These two areas are concerned with the application of the critical state concept to modelling geomaterials and the analysis of underground excavation or tunnelling in geomaterials.Partially due to Professor Brown's influence, the first author has also been conducting research in these two areas over many years. In particular, this paper aims to describe briefly the development of a unified critical state model for geomaterials together with an application to cavity contraction problems and tunnelling in soils.     

A miniature triaxial apparatus for investigating the micromechanics of granular soils with in situ X-ray micro-tomography scanning

The development of a miniature triaxial apparatus is presented. In conjunction with an X-ray micro-tomography (termed as X-ray μCT hereafter) facility and advanced image processing techniques, this apparatus can be used for in situ investigation of the micro-scale mechanical behavior of granular soils under shear. The apparatus allows for triaxial testing of a miniature dry sample with a size of \mathrm{8}\hspace{0.17em}\mathrm{mm}\times \mathrm{16}\hspace{0.17em}\mathrm{mm} (diameter \times height). In situ triaxial testing of a 0.4–0.8 mm Leighton Buzzard sand (LBS) under a constant confining pressure of 500 kPa is presented. The evolutions of local porosities (i.e., the porosities of regions associated with individual particles), particle kinematics (i.e., particle translation and particle rotation) of the sample during the shear are quantitatively studied using image processing and analysis techniques. Meanwhile, a novel method is presented to quantify the volumetric strain distribution of the sample based on the results of local porosities and particle tracking. It is found that the sample, with nearly homogenous initial local porosities, starts to exhibit obvious inhomogeneity of local porosities and localization of particle kinematics and volumetric strain around the peak of deviatoric stress. In the post-peak shear stage, large local porosities and volumetric dilation mainly occur in a localized band. The developed triaxial apparatus, in its combined use of X-ray μCT imaging techniques, is a powerful tool to investigate the micro-scale mechanical behavior of granular soils.     

芳烃联合装置节能降耗方法探讨

结合芳烃联合装置的发展形势，通过对国内某4套典型芳烃联合装置运行能耗的构成进行分析，确定该类装置的主要能耗在于燃料、电和蒸汽的消耗。总结了目前国内外常用的芳烃联合装置节能降耗方法，利用实际经验和调研结果，从采用新型吸附剂、采用单台吸附塔新工艺、采用轻质解吸剂替代对二乙苯（PDEB）、优化吸附塔运行参数、加热炉节能优化和选用高效节能设备等角度探讨芳烃联合装置的节能降耗方法。芳烃联合装置节能降耗应该由设计单位和生产单位紧密结合，在设计阶段就应充分考虑生产过程面临的问题，充分优化工艺路线、方案和设备设计，尽可能降低装置的能耗。同样，装置运行过程中，生产部门应标准化、精细化管理，优化日常操作，从而进一步降低装置的操作能耗。     

低渗低温低压水敏性储气层压裂改造技术研究与应用

低渗低温低压水敏性储气层因压裂液快速破胶困难、黏土膨胀水敏伤害严重和压后压裂液返排动力不足等因素，使得压裂增产面临诸多难题。针对上述难题进行了技术攻关，形成了弱交联、低温活化剂与超量破胶剂的低温储层快速破胶技术、有机盐与无机盐双元体系复合防膨技术以及高比例液氮全程助排的排液技术。该压裂增产改造技术使牛101井头屯河组首次获得工业油气流，扩展了三塘湖盆地勘探空间。     

相关条件下基于N-P准则的分布式检测理论研究

本文针对并行网络、二元局部判决的情况,研究了在相关条件下基于N-P准则的分布式检测融合算法,给出了在联合概率密度已知和未知两种情况下的最优融合规则的理论推导及相应的解决方案,并在实验仿真的基础上,得到了部分有益的结论。