Preparation and characterization of Pt nanoparticles supported on a Fe-doped hydroxyapatite-activated Vulcan XC72 composite material

In this research, the hydroxyapatite (HAp) could be directly deposited on carbon black (CB), which was the modified surface to generate more OH⁻ free radicals to strengthen the bond between HAp and CB, before adding ((NH₄)₂Fe(SO₄)₂·6H₂O) to engage the ion exchange with Fe²⁺ and Ca²⁺ to obtain FeHAp-CB composites. The Pt nanoparticles were then reduced on the FeHAp-CB composite surface to derive a Pt/FeHAp-CB catalyst of dual function. The catalyst revealed a steep desorption peak at −0.180 V (vs Ag/AgCl) in a hydrogen oxidation reaction ascribed to the characteristics of Pt (110) facet and the CO detoxication function in the methanol oxidation reaction. The superior performance of Pt/FeHAp-CB/CB catalyst was apparently related to the Pt (110) surface, the Fe concentration, and the homogeneous dispersion of Pt particles on the FeHAp-CB composites. And, the ratio of coexisting Pt⁰ and Pt²⁺ within Pt/FeHAp-CB/CB catalyst would definitely affect chemical stability and mass activity. By X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), it was found that a high quantity of Pt⁰ could improve mass activity, while a high quantity of Pt²⁺ contributed to chemical stability.     

Precise Extraction of Charge Carrier Mobility for Organic Transistors

Unreliable mobility values, and particularly greatly overestimated values and severely distorted temperature dependences, have recently hampered the development of the organic transistor field. Given that organic field‐effect transistors (OFETs) have been routinely used to evaluate mobility, precise parameter extraction using the electrical properties of OFETs is thus of primary importance. This review examines the origins of the various mobilities that must be determined for OFET applications, the relevant extraction methods, and the data selection limitations, which help in avoiding conceptual errors during mobility extraction. For increased precision, the review also discusses device fabrication considerations, calibration of both the specific gate‐dielectric capacitance and the threshold voltage, the contact effects, and the bias and temperature dependences, which must actually be handled with great care but have mostly been overlooked to date. This review serves as a systematic overview of the OFET mobility extraction process to ensure high precision and will also aid in improving future research.     

Kefir peptides exhibit antidepressant-like activity in mice through the BDNF/TrkB pathway

Depression is a prevalent, stress-related mental disorder that can lead to serious psychiatric diseases with morbidity and high mortality. Although some functional fermented dairy drinks have promising anxiolytic and antidepressant effects, the mechanism is still not clear. To determine the antidepressant-like effect and the potential molecule mechanism of kefir peptides (KP), various behavioral tests, including the elevated plus maze test, open field test, forced swimming test, and tail suspension test, were used. Administration of 150 mg/kg KP in mice reduced the duration of immobility in the forced swimming test and tail suspension test, elevated the time spent in the open arm and center zone in the elevated plus maze test, and increased the total distance traveled, average speed, and time spent in the center zone in the open field test compared with the mock group. These results indicated that KP dramatically ameliorated the depression-like behaviors. Kefir peptides were further isolated and identified using high-performance liquid chromatography and liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry, from which 3 peptides were identified and designated KFP-1, KFP-3, and KFP-5. Among these peptides, administration of KFP-3 (15 AA residues) remarkably decreased immobility time in the forced swimming test and increased mobility time in the tail suspension test. Therefore, KFP-3 may be the major active peptide with antidepressant activity in KP. Overexpression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor, phosphorylated tropomyosin receptor kinase B, and phosphorylated ERK1/2 protein levels could be detected in the hippocampus under KP administration. Therefore, we suggest that KP improves depressive-like behaviors by activating the brain-derived neurotrophic factor–phosphorylated tropomyosin receptor kinase B signaling pathway. Kefir peptides may serve as a new type of antidepressant dairy product and may provide potent antidepressant effects for clinical use.     

Phytonutrients affecting hydrophilic and lipophilic antioxidant activities in fruits,vegetables and legumes

The antioxidant activities of fruits (n = 21), vegetables (n = 67) and legumes (n = 7) commonly consumed in Korea were determined by both the lipophilic antioxidant performance assay (LAP) and the hydrophilic oxygen radical absorbance capacity assay (ORAC). The LAP assay used the lipophilic radical initiator MeO‐AMVN [2,2′‐azobis(4‐methoxy‐2,4‐dimethylvaleronitrile)] and the lipophilic probe BODIPY 581/591 [4,4‐difluoro‐5‐(4‐phenyl‐1,3‐butadienyl)‐4‐bora‐3a, 4a‐diaza‐s‐indacene‐3‐undecanoic acid]. The ORAC assay used the hydrophilic radical initiator AAPH [2,2′‐azobis(2‐amidinopropane) dihydrochloride] and the hydrophilic probe fluorescein. In addition, the lipid‐soluble phytonutrients, carotenoids and tocopherols were determined by a reverse‐phase HPLC system using a C30 column with a UV detector. The water‐soluble phytonutrient, ascorbic acid, was analyzed using an HPLC system with an electrochemical detector. Total phenols were determined by UV spectrophotometry. Tocopherols (r = 0.774, p < 0.0001) and carotenoids (r = 0.569, p < 0.0001) were significantly correlated with LAP in total samples (n = 95). ORAC was significantly correlated with total phenols (r = 0.893, p < 0.0001), but not with ascorbic acid (r = 0.009, p = 0.929) in total samples (n = 95). These data indicate that carotenoids and tocopherols and total phenols are the major contributors to the lipophilic and hydrophilic antioxidant capacities, respectively. Therefore, the contribution of both the hydrophilic and lipophilic components of fruits and vegetables should be considered when determining the actual ‘total’ antioxidant activity of fruits and vegetables. Copyright © 2007 Society of Chemical Industry     

Rapid Food Product Analysis by Surface Acoustic Wave Nebulization Coupled Mass Spectrometry

Rapid food product analysis is of great interest for quality control and assurance during the production process. Conventional quality control protocols require time and labor-intensive sample preparation for analysis by state-of-the-art analytical methods. To reduce overall cost and facilitate rapid qualitative assessments, food products need to be tested with minimal sample preparation. We present a novel and simple method for assessing food product compositions by mass spectrometry using a novel surface acoustic wave nebulization method. This method provides significant advantages over conventional methods requiring no pumps, capillaries, or additional chemicals to enhance ionization for mass spectrometric analysis. In addition, the surface acoustic wave nebulization–mass spectrometry method is ideal for rapid analysis and to investigate certain compounds by using the mass spectra as a type of species-specific fingerprint analysis. We present for the first time surface acoustic wave nebulization-generated mass spectra of a variety of fermented food products from a small selection of vinegars, wines, and beers.     

Curcumin induces apoptosis in immortalized NIH 3T3 and malignant cancer cell lines

Curcumin, which is a widely used dietary pigment and spice, has been demonstrated to be an effective inhibitor of tumor promotion in mouse skin carcinogenesis. We report that curcumin induces cell shrinkage, chromatin condensation, and DNA fragmentation, characteristics of apoptosis, in immortalized mouse embryo fibroblast NIH 3T3 erb B2 oncogene-transformed NIH 3T3, mouse sarcoma S180, human colon cancer cell HT-29, human kidney cancer cell 293, and human hepatocellular carcinoma Hep G2 cells, but not in primary culture of mouse embryonic fibroblast C3H 10T1/2, rat embryonic fibroblast, and human foreskin fibroblast cells in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. Many cellular and biochemical effects of curcumin in mouse fibroblast cells have been reported, such as inhibition of protein kinase C (PKC) activity induced by phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate treatment, inhibition of tyrosine protein kinase activity, and inhibition of arachidonic acid (AA) metabolism. Treatment of NIH 3T3 cells with the PKC inhibitor staurosporine, the tyrosine kinase inhibitor herbimycin A, and the AA metabolism inhibitor quinacrine induces apoptotic cell death. These results suggest that, in some immortalized and transformed cells, blocking the cellular signal transduction might trigger the induction of apoptosis.     

Recent Life Events Preceding Suicide Attempts in a Personality Disorder Sample: Findings From the Collaborative Longitudinal Personality Disorders Study.

Few studies have examined the relationship between life events, suicide attempts, and personality disorders (PDs), in spite of the strong associations between PDs and suicidal behavior, and the poor coping strategies often exhibited by these individuals. The authors examined whether participants with PDs who attempted suicide during the first 3 years of a prospective, longitudinal study were more likely to experience specific life events in the month during and preceding the suicide attempt. Of 489 participants with PDs, 61 attempted suicide during the 3-year, follow-up interval. Results indicated that negative life events, particularly those pertaining to love-marriage or crime-legal matters, were significant predictors of suicide attempts, even after controlling for baseline diagnoses of borderline PD, major depressive disorders, substance use disorders, and a history of childhood sexual abuse. Therefore, certain types of negative life events are unique risk factors for imminent suicide attempts among individuals with PDs. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

球铁轴的脆性断裂分析

本文以铣床主轴的断裂为例,阐明断裂力学分析在球铁零件脆性断裂问题中的应用。根据传统强度计算,如果不存在缺陷,主轴强度是足够的,不应发生断裂事故。但断轴断口关键部位的观察表明了类裂纹缺陷的存在,所以补充了断裂力学分析。分析提出由于工作应力很低,即使存在某些铸造缺陷,主轴在额定扭矩以下稳定工作是可靠的,但由于不利的热处理残余应力和额外大的过载,使主轴关键部位的应力大幅度增加,从而引起裂纹失稳扩展而导致脆性断裂。根据上述分析,对热处理工艺进行了试验,结果指出降低原淬火-回火处理的奥氏体化温度或采用等温淬火处理,都可以使断裂韧度由76～94kg·mm(-3/2)提高到111～127kg·mm(-3/2),并且获得有利的残余应力状态,从而基本上防止了断裂事故。