Purification and renaturation of recombinant human lymphotoxin (tumour necrosis factor beta) expressed in Escherichia coli as inclusion bodies

High level expression of recombinant human tumour necrosis factor β (rh TNF-β) in Escherichia coli results in the formation of two portions of protein, namely soluble active protein and insoluble protein which is inactive and aggregates in the form of inclusion bodies (IBs). In this study, a procedure for purification and renaturation of rh TNF-β from inclusion bodies has been designed and verified experimentally with a product purity of more than 90% and a recovery of about 30%. The procedure includes washing of IBs with specific wash buffer (Triton X-100/EDTA/lysozyme/PMSF), their solubilization with 8 mol dm^?3 alkaline urea, purification with ion-exchange columns, refolding with renaturation buffer and finally concentration and desalination with an ultrafiltration membrane. The characteristics of the renatured protein were identical with those of purified protein from the soluble fraction as demonstrated by (1) SDS-PAGE, (2) cytotoxic activity on mouse L929 cells, (3) N-terminal amino acid sequence, and (4) gel filtration chromatography.     

Restraining the associations of anthracene fluorophore by chemically linking to poly(methyl methacrylate)

Associations (dimer or aggregate) of anthracene (An) fluorophores tend to interrupt the monomer emission and reduce the quantum yield (Φ_PL); therefore, poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) chain was used in this study to chemically link to anthracene and to block the mutual associations among the anthracene fluorophores. With this aim, the target polymers were prepared by anionic polymerizations with 9,10‐dibromoanthracene/s‐butyllithium as initiating system to proceed polymerizations of methyl methacrylate (MMA) directly or in the presence of 1,1‐diphenylethylene (DPE). Use of DPE before addition of MMA produces stable initiating anionic species and avoids potential side reactions during polymerization; however, it also introduces four β‐phenylene rings around the central anthracene ring, which interfere with the corresponding emission pattern and reduce the Φ_PL (32%) value due to potential interactions between phenylene rings and anthracene. On the contrast, polymerization without participation of DPE results in polymer with central anthracene ring directly connected to two PMMA chains, which gives clean vibronic emission pattern with limited association emissions and enhanced Φ_PL (52%) value. Physical blending of anthracene by PMMA is less efficient to restrain the associations and results in a film of lower Φ_PL (20%). © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008     

Intercalated clays from pentaerythritol stearate for use in polymer nanocomposites

Smectite clays treated with quaternary ammonium salts have been utilized for decades in paints, greases, cosmetics, and personal care products as rheological modifiers. They have also been used in industrial wastewater treatment extensively. In more recent times these surface modified clays have demonstrated benefits in polymer/clay nanocomposites. The use of quaternary ammonium modifiers limits the usefulness of these composites in food packaging because they are not approved for direct food contact. It would be advantageous to have surface modifying chemicals acceptable for direct food contact in these composites. This article reports research conducted on a promising surface modifier pentaerythritol stearate (PS), which is approved by the FDA for inclusion in food as a preservative. The surface modification of montmorillonite with PS is reported in detail as well as the production of nanocomposites with selected polymers made with the modified clay. Molecular modeling and purification of commercial PS samples indicate that the mono‐ and diesters are the critical surface modifiers, although the as received commercial material works well in forming intercalated clay complexes. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008     

Viscoelastic properties of polyarylene ether nitriles/thermotropic liquid crystalline polymer blend

Polyarylene ether nitriles (PEN)/thermotropic liquid crystalline polymer (TLCP) blend was prepared via melt mixing. The immiscible phase morphologies, linear and nonlinear, as well as transient viscoelastic properties of the blend were studied using SEM, rheometer, and DMA. The linear dynamic viscoelastic behavior of the blend shows temperature dependence due to further evolution of the immiscible morphology and, as a result, the principle of time‐temperature superposition (TTS) is invalid. In the steady shear flow, the discrete TLCP phase is difficult to be broken up because of the high viscosity ratio of the blend systems, while is easy to be coarsened and followed by elongation, and finally, to form fibrous morphology at high TLCP content and high shear level. During this morphological evolution process, the transient stress response presents step increase and nonzero residual relaxation behavior, leading to increase of the dynamic viscoelastic responses after steady preshear. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008     

Preparation of brush-like crystals of poly[2,6-(1,4-phenylene)-benzobisimidazole]

Poly[2,6-(1,4-phenylene)-benzobisimidazole] (PPBI) crystals were prepared by using reaction-induced crystallization of oligomers during solution polymerization of 1,2,4,5-tetraaminobenzene and diphenyl terephthalate. Polymerizations were carried out at a monomer concentration of 4.3 × 10⁻² mol L⁻¹ at 350 °C for 6 h. Brush-like PPBI crystals were obtained in a mixture of structural isomers of dibenzyltoluene, in which many needle-like crystals came out vertically from the surface of the ribbon-like crystals. Average width and thickness of the ribbon-like crystals were 0.75 μm and 0.11 μm, respectively. And average length and diameter of the needle-like crystals were 0.36 μm and 50 nm, respectively. The brush-like crystals possessed high crystallinity and exhibited good thermal resistance. The ribbon-like crystals were formed by the crystallization of imidazole oligomers at an initial stage of polymerization, and then the needle-like crystals grew from the surface of the ribbon-like crystals. Polymerization occurred on the crystals when the oligomers were crystallized, leading to the high molecular weight PPBI crystals.     

Piezoelectric Nanogenerators for Self-Powered Nanodevices

A novel approach converts nanoscale mechanical energy into electric energy for self-powering nanodevices.In our own work, we've used piezoelectric zinc-oxide nanowire (ZnO NW) arrays to demonstrate a novel approach for converting nanoscale mechanical energy into electric energy. Here, we review the fundamental principle behind the nanogenerator, present an approach for improving its performance, and discuss some of the challenges we face in pushing this technology to reach its potential.     

务实创新与发展水文科学

简要回顾了水文学科的发展历史和列述了近期新出现的分支学科.简述了理论联系实际、自主创新和普及与提高并重对发展水文科学的重要性.提及"好资料、好模型、好经验"为做好水文工作的必要条件.建议有组织地对新学科分支进行研究.     

ASS-1钻井完井液及其在DP35-1和CB1-1气井钻井中的应用

报道了鄂尔多斯盆地低压低渗气藏水平使用的事生物降解钻(完)井液ASS-1的组成和性能.其组分包括粒度适宜的碳酸钙粉(暂堵剂和加重剂),改性淀粉(可变形暂堵剂和降滤失剂),优质生物聚的(提黏切剂),pH调节剂,无荧光润滑剂DRH(加量1%)及防腐剂等,给出了基础配方.该钻(完)井液对岩心的伤害率约为5%(4种其他体系钻(完)井液的伤害率在21.9%～96.6%);经高压气体反向驱排后,伤害后岩心渗透率恢复率可由88%提高到92%;在≤110℃热滚16 h后黏度损失率＜50%;经过4次热滚(91℃×16 h),每次热滚后作适当维护处理,均可使变坏的性能恢复到要求值.该钻(完)井液用于水平段长800 m、地温83℃的DP35-1井和两分支水平段长各1500 m、地温91℃的CB1-1中,根据技术要求采用适当技术措施,在钻进中特别是CB1-1井长达4个月的钻进中,API滤失量＜5 mL,密度1.04～1.07 g/cm3,漏斗黏度41～53 s,塑性黏度10～15 mPa·s,屈服值6～18 Pa,两口井均顺利完钻且可裸眼完井.图5表4参2.