Antioxidant activity of anacardic acids

Anacardic acids, 6-pentadec(en)ylsalicylic acids isolated from the cashew Anacardium occidentale L. (Anacardiaceae) nut and apple, were found to possess preventive antioxidant activity while salicylic acid did not show this activity. These anacardic acids prevent generation of superoxide radicals by inhibiting xanthine oxidase (EC 1.1.3.22, Grade IV) without radical-scavenging activity. Notably, the inhibition kinetics of anacardic acids do not follow hyperbolic dependence of enzyme inhibition on inhibitor contents (Michaelis–Menten equation) but follow the Hill equation instead. Anacardic acid (C_15:1) inhibited the soybean lipoxygenase-1 (EC 1.13.11.12, Type 1) catalyzed oxidation of linoleic acid with an IC₅₀ of 6.8 μM. The inhibition is a slow and reversible reaction without residual enzyme activity. The inhibition kinetics indicate that anacardic acid (C_15:1) is a competitive inhibitor and the inhibition constant, K_I, was 2.8 μM. Anacardic acids act as antioxidants in a variety ways, including inhibition of various prooxidant enzymes involved in the production of the reactive oxygen species and chelate divalent metal ions such as Fe²⁺ or Cu²⁺, but do not quench reactive oxygen species. The C₁₅-alkenyl side chain is largely associated with the activity.     

A localized surface plasmon resonance based immunosensor for the detection of casein in milk

In this research, a localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) immunosensor based on gold-capped nanoparticle substrate for detecting casein, one of the most potent allergens in milk, was developed. The fabrication of the gold-capped nanoparticle substrate involved a surface-modified silica nanoparticle layer (core) on the slide glass substrate between bottom and top gold layers (shell). The absorbance peak of the gold-capped nanoparticle substrate was observed at ∼520 nm. In addition, the atomic force microscopy (AFM) images demonstrated that the nanoparticles formed a monolayer on the slide glass. After immobilizing anti-casein antibody on the surface, our device, casein immunosensor, could be applied easily for the detection of casein in the raw milk sample without a difficult pretreatment. Under the optimum conditions, the detection limit of the casein immunosensor was determined as 10 ng/mL. Our device brings several advantages to the existing LSPR-based biosensors with its easy fabrication, simple handling, low-cost, and high sensitivity.     

Thermal properties and crystalline structure of liquid crystalline poly(ethylene terephthalate‐co‐2(3)‐chloro‐1,4‐phenylene terephthalate)

Thermal properties and crystalline structure of liquid crystalline (LC) poly(ethylene terephthalate‐co‐2(3)‐chloro‐1,4‐phenylene terephthalate) [copoly(ET/CPT)] were investigated using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetry (TGA), limiting oxygen index (LOI) measurement, electron dispersive X‐ray analysis (EDX), X‐ray diffractometry, and infrared spectrometry (IR). The thermal transition temperatures of copoly(ET/CPT) were changed with the composition. Copoly(ET/CPT) showed two thermal decomposition steps and the residues at 700°C and LOI values of copoly(ET/CPT) were almost proportional to its chlorine content. The activation energy of thermal decomposition of LC units was very low compared to that of poly(ethylene terephthalate)(PET) units. Crystal structure of copoly(ET/CPT) (20/80) was of triclinic system with the lattice constants of a = 9.98 A?, b = 8.78 A?, c = 12.93 A?, α = 97.4°, β = 96.1°, and γ = 90.8°, which is very close to that of poly(chloro‐p‐phenylene terephthlate) (PCPT) with the lattice constants of a = 9.51 A?, b = 8.61 A?, c = 12.73 A?, α = 96.8°, β = 95.4°, and γ = 90.8°. When copoly(ET/CPT)(50/50) was annealed at 220°C in vacuum, crystallization induced sequential reordering (CISR) was not observed but the heat of fusion was slightly increased due to the increase of the trans isomer content in PET units. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 84: 1286–1294, 2002; DOI 10.1002/app.10451     

喷嘴结构对高压射流特性影响研究

自20世纪70年代以来,高压水射流技术已在各工业领域逐渐得到了广泛应用,但迄今仍未能大规模采用,原因是还存在一些有待解决的问题,其中最为迫切的就是如何提高喷嘴射流效率、充分利用其能量的问题。喷嘴是水射流技术应用中获得高能量利用率的关键因素之一,其结构好坏直接影响射流质量。为充分发挥喷嘴最大效率,最大限度地利用水力能量,国内外有关专家从理论分析、数值计算和实验研究3个方面对喷嘴结构与高压射流特性的关系进行了研究分析,结果表明喷嘴结构对射流流动特性、冲蚀性能、空化现象等产生重要影响,指出提高喷嘴效率应当着眼于以下几个方面:加强基础研究;改变射流作用方式、将连续射流调制成脉动射流;充分利用空化空泡破裂压力,研制开发优质喷嘴,以期对拓宽水射流技术在工业中的应用有所帮助。     

Long-wavelength GaInNAs(Sb) lasers on GaAs

The boom in fiber-optic communications has caused a high demand for GaAs-based lasers in the 1.3-1.6-μm range. This has led to the introduction of small amounts of nitrogen into InGaAs to reduce the bandgap sufficiently, resulting in a new material that is lattice matched to GaAs. More recently, the addition of Sb has allowed further reduction of the bandgap, leading to the first demonstration of 1.5-μm GaAs-based lasers by the authors. Additional work has focused on the use of GaAs, GaNAs, and now GaNAsSb barriers as cladding for GaInNAsSb quantum wells. We present the results of photoluminescence, as well as in-plane lasers studies, made with these combinations of materials. With GaNAs or GaNAsSb barriers, the blue shift due to post-growth annealing is suppressed, and longer wavelength laser emission is achieved. Long wavelength luminescence out to 1.6 μm from GaInNAsSb quantum wells, with GaNAsSb barriers, was observed. In-plane lasers from these samples yielded lasers operating out to 1.49 μm, a minimum threshold current density of 500 A/cm² per quantum well, a maximum differential quantum efficiency of 75%, and pulsed power up to 350 mW at room temperature     

Depression in the quantity of intestinal secretory IgA and in the expression of the polymeric immunoglobulin receptor in caloric deficiency of the weanling mouse

Splenomegaly is uncommon in myelodysplasia (MDS) and, although cytopenias may be severe, therapeutic splenectomy is rarely performed. We report the histologic, histochemical, and immunophenotypic findings of nine cases of surgical splenectomy and four postmortem spleens from MDS patients. Four histologic patterns were identified: one dominated by erythrophagocytosis, one characterized by red pulp plasmacytosis, one with extramedullary hematopoiesis as the only salient finding, and one with marked red pulp expansion caused by a monocytic proliferation. Wright-Giemsa and histochemical stains were performed on touch preparations in three cases and played a critical role in the precise subclassification of one MDS patient's hematologic disorder, which ultimately proved to be chronic myelomonocytic leukemia. Splenectomy led to sustained improvement of cytopenias in three cases, but did not eliminate transfusion dependence for the remaining patients. Three splenectomy cases exhibited clustered Leder-negative mononuclear elements: two of these patients experienced disease progression to refractory anemia with excess blasts in transformation or acute myelogenous leukemia during post-splenectomy follow-up, whereas none of the three splenectomy patients without clustered mononuclear elements did. We conclude that splenomegaly in MDS usually reflects the sequelae of dyspoiesis rather than evidence of a proliferative phase, that clustering of Leder-negative large cells may correlate with either a substantial monocytic component or, possibly, increased risk of disease progression, and that the spleen can provide diagnostic as well as prognostic information in MDS patients with splenomegaly.     

视知觉特性对网页设计的影响因素分析

本文从视知觉的角度分析了用户对网页的视知觉需求。并通过对用户视知觉过程的分析,结合心理学理论,提出了符合用户视知觉特性的七个"适当",即适当的知觉形式、适当的位置、适当的信息、适当的时刻、适当的信息量、适当的时长、适当的环境条件,同时结合现有优秀网页设计案例,阐述了七个"适当"对网页设计的影响因素。     

工矿供电系统谐波治理新方法研究

针对现有无源滤波器滤波效果较差,易出现谐振过电压、谐波放大等现象的问题,提出一种基于基波谐振原理的谐波治理新方法。该方法在电网与无源滤波器之间的三相线路中分别串联一组由电感和电容组成的基波谐振电路,迫使谐波电流最大限度地流入无源滤波器,从而大幅提升滤波器的效率。实验结果表明,增加基波谐振电路后,电流畸变率从10.6%下降为0.942%,滤波效果更佳。     

基于单目视觉的机器人目标定位测距方法研究

为实现具有单目视觉的双足机器人对目标物体的定位测距,根据针孔成像和几何坐标变换原理,提出一种基于单目视觉系统自身固定参数计算目标物体深度信息的几何测距方法;该方法利用双足机器人自带的单目视觉系统的固定参数,通过几何映射关系求解目标物体在三维空间内的坐标位置及相对于机器人的距离,克服了由于外界环境变化以及对参照物识别时所产生的误差影响测距定位精度的问题,从而实现基于单目视觉的目标物体精确跟踪定位;并对所提出方法进行了实验,得到比理论结果误差较小的实验数据,证明了方法的可行性。     

Extrinsic calibration of a camera and laser range finder using a new calibration structure of a plane with a triangular hole

Sensor fusion of a camera and laser range finder is important for the autonomous navigation of mobile robots. Finding the transformation between the camera and laser range finder is the first necessary step for the fusion of information. Many algorithms have been proposed, but these tend to require many different steps in order to achieve reliable and accurate results. A calibration structure that has triangular hole on its plane is proposed for the extrinsic calibration of a camera and laser range finder. Locations of laser scan data that are invisible on the calibration plane can be determined using property on the proposed calibration structure. First, we classify the laser scan data into two groups where one is on the plane and the other is off the plane. Then, we determine the absolute location of the laser scan data on the plane through a search of the parameters of the line. Finally, we can establish 3D-3D correspondences between the camera and laser range finder. Extrinsic calibration between a camera and laser range finder is found using a conventional 3D-3D transformation computing algorithm. Keywords: Calibration k]camera k]extrinsic calibration k]laser range finder