Stability and cytotoxicity study of NiFe2O4 nanocomposites synthesized by co-precipitation and subsequent thermal annealing

In this article, NiFe₂O₄ nanoparticles (NPs) were prepared by co-precipitation method with subsequent thermal annealing leading to obtainment NPs with average sizes of 78 nm. Structure and magnetic analysis were performed by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, Mössbauer spectroscopy and vibrating sample magnetometry techniques. Stability of NiFe₂O₄ NPs was evaluated in PBS solution during 20 days. The toxicity of prepared NPs was evaluated in vitro using different cancer cell lines: HeLa (cervical cancer cell), PC-3 (prostate cancer cell). Fibroblasts like cells of L929 obtained from subcutaneous adipose tissue of mouse were used as normal cells. Results indicate successful synthesis of NiFe₂O₄ NPs that exhibit low cytotoxicity in concentration range from 1 to 100 μg/ml. Presented physical and biological results indicate the possibility of application investigated magnetic nanoparticles in hyperthermia, targeted drug delivery, magnetic resonance imaging or cell separation.     

四种别藻蓝蛋白三聚体的时间分辨荧光光谱研究

研究了从Ａｎａｂａｎａｖａｒｉｂｉｌｉｓ中提取的４种别藻蓝蛋白ＡＰＣＩ，ＡＰＣＩＩ，ＡＰＣＩＩ及ＡＰＣＢ三聚体的稳态光谱和皮秒荧光光谱。采用Ｍｏｎｔｅ－Ｃａｒｌｏ方法对瞬态荧光光谱进行拟合，实验结果表明：ＡＰＣＩ荧光有两个带，其中第一个带位于６６２ｎｍ，有两个时间组分：３５．８ｐｓ和１．６７ｎｓ；第二个带位于６８０ｎｍ，有两个时间组分：３４．２ｐｓ和１．６４ｎｓ；ＡＰＣＩＩ瞬态荧光位于６６０ｎｍ，有两个时间组分：２０．４ｐｓ和１．６４ｎｓ；ＡＰＣＩＩ瞬态荧光位于６６０ｎｍ，有两个时间组分：２３．８ｐｓ和１．７６ｎｓ；ＡＰＣＢ瞬态荧光有两个带，其中第一个带位于６６２ｎｍ，有两个时间组分：３６．６ｐｓ和１．４５ｎｓ；第二个带位于６８０ｎｍ，有两个时间组分：２５．８ｐｓ和１．６２ｎｓ。实验结果一方面说明了藻胆体核内４种别藻蓝蛋白形成能量传递的两条途径；另一方面瞬态荧光解叠结果揭示了ＡＰＣＩ和ＡＰＣＢ三聚体内能量传递的超快过程。     

基于 OpenStack 的虚拟资源调度技术研究

传统的高能物理计算系统基于物理机集群,主要通过 Torque、Condor、LSF 等资源管理和作业调度系统将作业调度到物理机器上运行,缺少对虚拟化计算的接口支持。我们选取 OpenStack 作为底层虚拟化平台,设计并实现上层调度系统与 OpenStack 之间的桥梁,采用推拉结合的作业运行方式,构建虚拟计算集群。     

Drug self-assembly: A phenomenon at the nanometer scale with major impact in the structure–biological properties relationship and the treatment of disease

Under water-rich conditions, small amphiphilic and hydrophobic drug molecules self-assemble into supramolecular nanostructures. Thus, substantial modifications in their interaction with cellular structures and the ability to reach intracellular targets could happen. Additionally, drug aggregates could be more toxic than the non-aggregated counterparts, or vice versa. Moreover, since self-aggregation reduces the number of effective “monomeric” molecules that interact with the target, the drug potency could be underestimated. In other cases, the activity could be ascribed to the non-aggregated molecule while it stems from its aggregates. Thus, drug self-assembly could mislead from drug throughput screening assays to advanced preclinical and clinical trials. Finally, aggregates could serve as crystallization nuclei. The impact that this phenomenon has on the biological performance of active compounds, the inconsistent and often controversial nature of the published data and the need for recommendations/guidelines as preamble of more harmonized research protocols to characterize drug self-aggregation were main motivations for this review. First, the key molecular and environmental parameters governing drug self-aggregation, the main drug families for which this phenomenon and the methods used for its characterization are described. Then, promising nanotechnology platforms investigated to prevent/control it towards a more efficient drug development process are briefly discussed.     

Controlled chemical modification of the internal surface of photonic crystal fibers for application as biosensitive elements

Photonic crystal fibers (PCF) are one of the most promising materials for creation of constructive elements for bio-, drug and contaminant sensing based on unique optical properties of the PCF as effective nanosized optical signal collectors. In order to provide efficient and controllable binding of biomolecules, the internal surface of glass hollow core photonic crystal fibers (HC-PCF) has been chemically modified with silanol groups and functionalized with (3-aminopropyl) triethoxysilane (APTES). The shift of local maxima in the HC-PCF transmission spectrum has been selected as a signal for estimating the amount of silanol groups on the HC-PCF inner surface. The relationship between amount of silanol groups on the HC-PCF inner surface and efficiency of following APTES functionalization has been evaluated. Covalent binding of horseradish peroxidase (chosen as a model protein) on functionalized PCF inner surface has been performed successively, thus verifying the possibility of creating a biosensitive element.     

A label-free amperometric immunosensor based on horseradish peroxidase functionalized carbon nanotubes and bilayer gold nanoparticles

In this work, a novel label-free amperometric immunosensor has been constructed for detecting α-1-fetoprotein (AFP) based on nanocomposite of horseradish peroxidase (HRP) labeled carbon nanotubes (CNTs). First, the gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) were electrodeposited on the surface of the glass carbon electrode by electrochemical reduction of gold chloride tetrahydrate (HAuCl₄) to immobilize horseradish peroxidase labeled carbon nanotubes (HRP-CNTs). Then HRP-CNTs bioconjugate was immobilized on the surface of the electrodeposited AuNPs layer by the combination of forces (coordination and electrostatic force). Subsequently, it was immersed into gold colloidal nanoparticles (GNPs) solution, which was used to immobilize antibody biomolecules (anti-AFP). Enhanced sensitivity was obtained by using bioconjugates featuring HRP labeled (HRP-CNTs), which had lager specific surface area and good electronic catalysis (current response signal) compared to carbon nanotubes. Under optimized conditions, the linear ranges were from 0.2 to 200 ng mL⁻¹ with a detection limit of 0.067 ng mL⁻¹ (at an S/N of 3). The proposed immunosenor showed good precision, acceptable stability and reproducibility and could be used for the detection AFP in normal human serum, which provided a potential alternative tool for the detection of protein in clinical diagnosis.     

PTA和CHDM改性聚丁二酸丁二醇酯的性能比较研究

将含有苯环的对苯二甲酸(PTA)和六元环的1,4-环己烷二甲醇(1,4-CHDM)引入PBS分子主链中,得到PBS-co-PTA和PBS-co-CHDM的无规共聚物.1 H-NMR鉴定了共聚物为预期产物,并对共聚物的热性能、结晶性和力学性能进行了对比研究.结果表明:PTA和1,4-CHDM改性后共聚物的结晶度变化截然不同,随着PTA含量的增加,PBS-co-PTA的结晶度、结晶尺寸逐渐增大,同时Tg逐渐降低;而随1,4-CHDM含量的增加,PBS-co-CHDM的结晶度和结晶尺寸却减小,Tg逐渐上升.当1,4-CHDM增至30%时,其断裂伸长率可达到PBS的3倍,证明了共聚物PBS-co-CHDM比PBS-co-PTA具有更好的柔韧性.     

Synthesis, characterization, and properties of poly(ethylene terephthalate)/poly(1,4-butylene succinate) block copolymers

Reactive blending at 290 °C of a series of mixtures of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) and poly(1,4-butylene succinate) (PBS) led to the formation of block PET/PBS copolyesters. The block lengths of the resulting copolymers decreased with the severity of the treatment. Copolyesters with PET/PBS molar compositions of 90/10, 80/20, 70/30, and 50/50 were prepared by this method and their composition and microstructure were characterized by ¹H and ¹³C NMR, respectively. The T_g, T_m, and crystallinity of the copolymers decreased as the content in PBS and the degree of randomness increased. The elastic modulus and tensile strength of the copolymers decreased with the content of PBS, whereas, on the contrary, the elongation at break increased. The PET/PBS copolymers exhibited a pronounced hydrolytic degradability, which increased with the content in 1,4-butylene succinic units. Hydrolysis mainly occurred on the aliphatic ester groups.     

Entropy maximisation and open queueing networks with priorities and blocking

A review is carried out on the characterisation and algorithmic implementation of an extended product-form approximation, based on the principle of maximum entropy (ME), for a wide class of arbitrary finite capacity open queueing network models (QNMs) with service and space priorities. A single server finite capacity GE/GE/1/N queue with R (R>1) distinct priority classes, compound Poisson arrival processes (CPPs) with geometrically distributed batches and generalised exponential (GE) service times is analysed via entropy maximisation, subject to suitable GE-type queueing theoretic constraints, under preemptive resume (PR) and head-of-line (HOL) scheduling rules combined with complete buffer sharing (CBS) and partial buffer sharing (PBS) management schemes stipulating a sequence of buffer thresholds {N=(N₁,…,N_R),0<N_i≤N_i−1,i=2,…,R}. The GE/GE/1/N queue is utilised, in conjunction with GE-type first two moment flow approximation formulae, as a cost-effective building block towards the establishment of a generic ME queue-by-queue decomposition algorithm for arbitrary open QNMs with space and service priorities under repetitive service blocking with random destination (RS-RD). Typical numerical results are included to illustrate the credibility of the ME algorithm against simulation for various network topologies and define experimentally pessimistic GE-type performance bounds. Remarks on the extensions of the ME algorithm to other types of blocking mechanisms, such as repetitive service blocking with fixed destination (RS-FD) and blocking-after-service (BAS), are included.     

The Atmospheric Scanning Electron Microscope with open sample space observes dynamic phenomena in liquid or gas

Although conventional electron microscopy (EM) requires samples to be in vacuum, most chemical and physical reactions occur in liquid or gas. The Atmospheric Scanning Electron Microscope (ASEM) can observe dynamic phenomena in liquid or gas under atmospheric pressure in real time. An electron-permeable window made of pressure-resistant 100 nm-thick silicon nitride (SiN) film, set into the bottom of the open ASEM sample dish, allows an electron beam to be projected from underneath the sample. A detector positioned below captures backscattered electrons. Using the ASEM, we observed the radiation-induced self-organization process of particles, as well as phenomena accompanying volume change, including evaporation-induced crystallization. Using the electrochemical ASEM dish, we observed tree-like electrochemical depositions on the cathode. In silver nitrate solution, we observed silver depositions near the cathode forming incidental internal voids. The heated ASEM dish allowed observation of patterns of contrast in melting and solidifying solder. Finally, to demonstrate its applicability for monitoring and control of industrial processes, silver paste and solder paste were examined at high throughput. High resolution, imaging speed, flexibility, adaptability, and ease of use facilitate the observation of previously difficult-to-image phenomena, and make the ASEM applicable to various fields.