Luminescent Amphiphilic Aminoglycoside Probes to Study Transfection

We report the characterization of amphiphilic aminoglycoside conjugates containing luminophores with aggregation-induced emission properties as transfection reagents. These inherently luminescent transfection vectors are capable of binding plasmid DNA through electrostatic interactions; this binding results in an emission “on” signal due to restriction of intramolecular motion of the luminophore core. The luminescent cationic amphiphiles effectively transferred plasmid DNA into mammalian cells (HeLa, HEK 293T), as proven by expression of a red fluorescent protein marker. The morphologies of the aggregates were investigated by microscopy as well as ζ-potential and dynamic light-scattering measurements. The transfection efficiencies using luminescent cationic amphiphiles were similar to that of the gold-standard transfection reagent Lipofectamine® 2000.     

赛络纺漂白大豆氨纶包芯纱的生产

为提高针织纱强力,改善针织面料的光洁度,漂白大豆氨纶包芯纱采用赛络纺工艺生产,并与传统的环锭纺漂白大豆氨纶包芯纱的成纱质量指标进行对比。通过采取各项措施,其强力、毛羽等主要指标优于传统环锭纺,且包覆效果良好,达到使用要求。     

Influence of apple purée preparation and storage on polyphenol contents and antioxidant activity

The polyphenolic components of Idared and Shampion apple purées were determined by HPLC; chlorogenic acid was the most abundant acid (20.0 mg/100 g in microwaved Idared); other polyphenols identified in high concentrations included (−)-epicatechin, procyanidin B1 and B2; quercetin and cyanidin glycosides were found in minor concentrations. The Shampion purées had higher total phenolics (142 mg/100 g) and procyanidin B2 concentrations (17.3 mg/100 g) than the Idared ones, and polymeric procyanidins represented 41% of all polyphenols. Antioxidant capacities of the samples, determined by spectrophotometric methods and EPR spectroscopy, correlated well with the concentration of polyphenols. The antioxidant properties could be better represented by EPR than by UV–vis measurements. The latter require transparent (clear) samples whereas EPR can be a method of choice in the assessment of radical-scavenging activity of dense and cloudy apple purées. Our results support the putative high antioxidant value of apple purées and define their capacity in terms of the major constituents. Apple purées are a rich source of natural antioxidants, especially of chlorogenic acid and procyanidins.     

Interactive software for estimating the efficacy of non-isothermal heat preservation processes

The most commonly used methods to generate microbial inactivation curves are based on the assumptions that microbial mortality follows first order kinetics and that the temperature effect on the 'D value' or exponential rate constant is determined by the log linear model or the Arrhenius equation, respectively. However, many bacterial cells and spores follow the Weibull-Log Logistic (WeLL) model and software to simulate pasteurization and sterilization processes using this model has been available for some years as free downloadable programs written in MS Excel. According to this model, an organism's heat resistance parameters are T(c), a marker of the temperature level where the inactivation accelerates, k, the steepness of the Weibullian rate parameter in the lethal regime where T>T(c) and n, a measure of the semi logarithmic isothermal survival curve's concavity and its direction. Because the traditional first order kinetics is just a special case of the Weibullian model with n=1.0, the software is applicable to both linear and non-linear inactivation. Recently, Wolfram Research Inc., the maker of Mathematica, has made its interactive program Mathematica Player free downloadable software. A user, who need not have a copy of Mathematica, can view and download any of the numerous graphic demonstrations from the Wolfram Demonstrations Project web site, and continuously manipulate their dynamic parameters with sliders on the screen. One set of five such demonstrations allows the user to generate and adjust the temperature profile of heat processes, modify the targeted organism's Weibullian survival parameters and immediately observe the corresponding semi-logarithmic survival curve and the equivalent time at a reference temperature, which can also be manipulated by a slider. This free program enables food microbiologists, technologists and engineers to examine a large number of heat processing options and assess their potential safety implications. It can also serve as a training and educational tool in industry and academia.     

采用水热媒空气及给水预热装置解决锅炉低温露点腐蚀

针对炼油厂动力锅炉空气预热器存在的低温露点腐蚀问题,研制开发出水热媒空气及给水预热装置,该装置彻底根除了低温露点腐蚀,确保动力锅炉空气预热系统长周期、高效率、低成本运行。介绍了该系统的技术特点和实际应用情况。     

Water Balance of the Upper Jordan River Basin

Sharing water in the Jordan basin has been a key topic in the recent peace talks between Israel and its neighbors. Knowing the quantity of water available is a prerequisite to water sharing. Many different values have been published in recent years. Different sources report Jordan's discharge flow into Lake Kinneret anywhere from 460 to 800 Mm³/year. The aim of this article is to present a water balance for the Jordan basin for a 15-year period. The years 1977–1978 to 1991–1992 were studied for the basin's water budget, as they represent the present day (1998) land use. The results show that Lake Kinneret has a yearly average input (= output) of 770 Mm³. Israel uses some 800 Mcm³/year from the entire Jordan basin, of which 440 Mm³ is used within the basin and the rest outside. There is about 100 Mm³ for future utilization in the watershed. The yearly Jordan's discharge to the Dead Sea is 220–250 Mm³. Reporting by various secondary data sources is compared to primary data findings to illustrate the great variability of data reporting and to provide annual flow estimates, based largely on primary sources, for the Upper Jordan River.     

四川盆地广元-梁平古裂陷构造-沉积演化

二叠纪-三叠纪转折期,四川盆地北部广元-梁平地区发育一个北西-南东向古裂陷,称之为"开江-梁平古裂陷"。由于对广元-梁平古裂陷的认识直接影响到川北和川东北地区的油气勘探部署,因此有必要对该古裂陷的构造-沉积演化进行深入研究。通过系统收集广元-梁平古裂陷槽内外的露头和钻井资料,并根据地层不整合面特征、沉积充填特征、测井曲线突变特征、沉积物地球化学特征等沉积记录以及地震剖面约束,发现广元-梁平古裂陷槽内仍存在茅口组三段(茅三段)和四段沉积物,槽内茅口组顶部缺乏广泛岩溶,表明茅口组减薄并非岩溶侵蚀造成,而是由相变导致的。广元-梁平古裂陷的雏形最早形成于茅三段和茅四段沉积期,吴家坪期在此基础上继承性发展,长兴期拉张裂陷活动加剧,热液活动加强,构造沉积分异明显,为古裂陷发育的高峰期,直至飞仙关组四段沉积期,古裂陷才完全被填平补齐。广元-梁平古裂陷对环裂陷槽中-上二叠统多层系储层具有明显控制作用,不仅控制着茅口组生屑滩储层的发育,还控制着吴家坪组颗粒滩储层的发育,且吴家坪组储层中存在油气运聚过程,发育残余孔隙,为下一步油气勘探的有利目标。     

The Use of a Novel Ferulic Acid Esterase from Lactobacillus acidophilus K1 for the Release of Phenolic Acids from Brewer's Spent Grain

In this work, an extracellular ferulic acid esterase was produced in bioreactor cultivations of Lactobacillus acidophilus K1 strain. The enzyme was partially purified using ultrafiltration (10 kDa), dialysis (4–6 kDa) and Fast Protein Liquid Chromatography (Sepharose CM, Sephacryl S‐300). A considerable increment of enzyme activity (31‐fold) in the final preparation was achieved. Two distinct bands (approx. 21.5 kDa and 39 kDa) were obtained after SDS‐PAGE. A high similarity of the purified enzyme (LC‐MS/MS analysis) to tannase and ferulic acid esterase from Burkholderia ambifaria MEX‐5 was obtained. The optimal pH and temperature for the enzyme activity were 6.3 and 37°C, respectively. The enzyme preparation effectively released phenolic acids (mainly ferulic and p‐coumaric acid) from brewer's spent grain. This novel enzyme preparation can be used for the utilisation of a valuable and inexpensive by‐product of the brewing industry.     

中、上扬子地区地质结构类型与海相层系油气保存意义

在前人研究的基础上,综合野外构造剖面、地震-地质解释、钻井资料等,总结出中、上扬子地区发育单层、双层和三层结构等3大类共计11小类的地质结构类型,分5个区带剖析了区内褶皱-冲断带的构造分带性与地质结构类型的展布特征,并简要讨论了不同地质结构的成因,认为地质结构类型差异与变形带内主控断层所滑脱的深度密切相关。不同的滑脱深度决定了该地质结构类型中区域盖层的剥蚀程度及断层对油气保存的性质,从而决定了其油气保存条件。其中,单层稳定结构、双层结构的深部构造、三层结构的中部构造因区域盖层保存完好、主控断层多为烃源断层而具有良好的保存条件,是油气勘探的有利构造带。     

Expressing the equivalence of non‐isothermal and isothermal heat sterilization processes

Currently, the sterility of heat‐processed food and pharmaceuticals is assessed in terms of an F₀ value, based on the equivalence of the heat treatment to an isothermal process at a reference temperature. This F₀ value, however, has a meaning if, and only if, the inactivation kinetics of the targeted spores (or cells) follow a first‐order relationship and the temperature dependence of the D value, the reciprocal of the rate constant, is log‐linear. There is growing evidence that these conditions are not satisfied by many spores, including those of Clostridium botulinum and vegetative cells. Consequently, a replacement for the F₀ value is proposed in the form of a momentary equivalent time at the reference temperature based on the actual survival pattern of the spores, which need not be log‐linear. This equivalent time can be calculated together with the theoretical survival ratio in real time, thus enabling an operator to monitor the lethality of ongoing industrial heat processes. The concept is demonstrated with published survival data of C. botulinum, for which the Weibullian and log‐logistic models served as primary and secondary models, respectively. The safety factor according to the proposed method is in the number of added minutes of processing, beyond the theoretical time needed to reduce the survival ratio of the targeted spores or cells to a level that would produce practical (or commercial) sterility. Copyright © 2006 Society of Chemical Industry