Comprehensive Profiling by Non-targeted Stable Isotope Tracing Capillary Electrophoresis-Mass Spectrometry: A New Tool Complementing Metabolomic Analyses of Polar Metabolites

Mass spectrometry (MS) driven metabolomics is a frequently used tool in various areas of life sciences; however, the analysis of polar metabolites is less commonly included. In general, metabolomic analyses lead to the detection of the total amount of all covered metabolites. This is currently a major limitation with respect to metabolites showing high turnover rates, but no changes in their concentration. Such metabolites and pathways could be crucial metabolic nodes (e.g., potential drug targets in cancer metabolism). A stable-isotope tracing capillary electrophoresis–mass spectrometry (CE-MS) metabolomic approach was developed to cover both polar metabolites and isotopologues in a non-targeted way. An in-house developed software enables high throughput processing of complex multidimensional data. The practicability is demonstrated analyzing [U-¹³C]-glucose exposed prostate cancer and non-cancer cells. This CE-MS-driven analytical strategy complements polar metabolite profiles through isotopologue labeling patterns, thereby improving not only the metabolomic coverage, but also the understanding of metabolism.     

光寻址电位传感器的正交相位检波检测方法

光寻址电位传感器的幅度检测方法易受噪声干扰,灵敏度差,信噪比和精度低,且受调制光源的影响较大,影响检测结果的准确性.为此提出了一种基于正交相位检波的光寻址电位传感器检测方法.该方法是将光寻址电位传感器的输出光电流信号分别与两路正交信号相乘,通过低通滤波提取直流分量并相除,即可得到光寻址电位传感器的输出信号相位信息.与已有的光寻址电位传感器相位检测方法相比,该方法具有算法复杂度低、实时性高的优点.实验研究了调制光源光强对光寻址电位传感器幅度检测和相位检测的影响,对比分析了光寻址电位传感器的传统幅度检测方法与正交相位检波检测方法对pH检测的灵敏度、线性度及信噪比.结果表明,相比于幅度检测方法,调制光源光强对光寻址电位传感器的相位检测影响更小,在频率为10 kHz,pH的范围为1.68~10.01的情况下,相位检测方法比幅度检测方法测得的灵敏度增加了7 mV/pH,精度提高了14.9 mpH,非线性误差减小了0.003%,均方差减少了0.1051×10^-5,信噪比增加了8.2827 dB.该方法特别适用于弱光下的光寻址电位传感器检测.     

Evaluation of Charged Defect Energy in Two-Dimensional Semiconductors for Nanoelectronics: The WLZ Extrapolation Method

Defects play a central role in controlling the electronic properties of two-dimensional (2D) materials and realizing the industrialization of 2D electronics. However, the evaluation of charged defects in 2D materials within first-principles calculation is very challenging and has triggered a recent development of the WLZ (Wang, Li, Zhang) extrapolation method. This method lays the foundation of the theoretical evaluation of energies of charged defects in 2D materials within the first-principles framework. Herein, the vital role of defects for advancing 2D electronics is discussed, followed by an introduction of the fundamentals of the WLZ extrapolation method. The ionization energies (IEs) obtained by this method for defects in various 2D semiconductors are then reviewed and summarized. Finally, the unique defect physics in 2D dimensions including the dielectric environment effects, defect ionization process, and carrier transport mechanism captured with the WLZ extrapolation method are presented. As an efficient and reasonable evaluation of charged defects in 2D materials for nanoelectronics and other emerging applications, this work can be of benefit to the community.     

Metabolic profiles of dioscin in rats revealed by ultra‐performance liquid chromatography quadrupole time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry

Dioscin (DIS), one of the most abundant bioactive steroidal saponins in Dioscorea sp., is used as a complementary medicine to treat coronary disease and angina pectoris in China. Although the pharmacological activities and pharmacokinetics of DIS have been well demonstrated, information regarding the final metabolic fates is very limited. This study investigated the in vivo metabolic profiles of DIS after oral administration by ultra‐performance liquid chromatography quadrupole time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry method. The structures of the metabolites were identified and tentatively characterized by means of comparing the molecular mass, retention time and fragmentation pattern of the analytes with those of the parent compound. A total of eight metabolites, including seven phase I and one phase II metabolites, were detected and tentatively identified for the first time. Oxidation, deglycosylation and glucuronidation were found to be the major metabolic processes of the compound in rats. In addition, a possible metabolic pathway on the biotransformation of DIS in vivo was proposed. This study provides valuable and new information on the metabolism of DIS, which will be helpful for further understanding its mechanism of action. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

气体压强对纳秒激光诱导空气等离子体特性的影响

环境气体的压强对激光诱导等离子体特性有重要影响.基于发射光谱法开展了气体压强对纳秒激光诱导空气等离子体特性影响的研究,探讨了气体压强对空气等离子体发射光谱强度、电子温度和电子密度的影响.实验结果表明,在10-100 kPa空气压强条件下,空气等离子体发射光谱中的线状光谱和连续光谱依赖于气体压强变化,且原子谱线和离子谱线强度随气体压强的变化有明显差别.随着空气压强增大,激光击穿作用区域的空气密度增加,造成激光诱导击穿空气几率升高,从而等离子体辐射光谱强度增大.空气等离子体膨胀区域空气的约束作用,增加了等离子体内粒子间的碰撞几率以及能量交换几率,并且使离子-电子-原子的三体复合几率增加,因此造成原子谱线OⅠ777.2 nm与NⅠ821.6 nm谱线强度随着气体压强增大而增大,在80 kPa时谱线强度最高,随后谱线强度缓慢降低.而离子谱线N Ⅱ 500.5 nm谱线强度在40 kPa时达到最大值,气体压强大于40 kPa后,谱线强度随压强增加而逐渐降低.空气等离子体电子密度均随压强升高而增大,在80 kPa后增长速度变缓.等离子体电子温度在30 kPa时达到最大值,气体压强大于30 kPa后,等离子体电子温度逐渐降低.研究结果可为不同海拔高度的激光诱导空气等离子体特性的研究提供重要实验基础,为今后激光大气传输、大气组成分析提供重要的技术支持.     

Recent Progress in the $L_p$ Theory for Elliptic and Parabolic Equations with Discontinuous Coefficients

In this paper, we review some results over the last 10-15 years on elliptic and parabolic equations with discontinuous coefficients. We begin with an approach given by N. V. Krylov to parabolic equations in the whole space with $\rm{VMO}_x$ coefficients. We then discuss some subsequent development including elliptic and parabolic equations with coefficients which are allowed to be merely measurable in one or two space directions, weighted $L_p$estimates with Muckenhoupt ($A_p$) weights, non-local elliptic and parabolic equations, as well as fully nonlinear elliptic and parabolic equations.     

A Photoactivated Cu–CeO2 Catalyst with Cu-[O]-Ce Active Species Designed through MOF Crystal Engineering

Fully utilizing solar energy for catalysis requires the integration of conversion mechanisms and therefore delicate design of catalyst structures and active species. Herein, a MOF crystal engineering method was developed to controllably synthesize a copper–ceria catalyst with well-dispersed photoactive Cu-[O]-Ce species. Using the preferential oxidation of CO as a model reaction, the catalyst showed remarkably efficient and stable photoactivated catalysis, which found practical application in feed gas treatment for fuel cell gas supply. The coexistence of photochemistry and thermochemistry effects contributes to the high efficiency. Our results demonstrate a catalyst design approach with atomic or molecular precision and a combinatorial photoactivation strategy for solar energy conversion.     

Cobalt Based Nanoparticles Embedded Reduced Graphene Oxide Aerogel for Hydrogen Evolution Electrocatalyst

Efficient water electrolysis catalyst is highly demanded for the production of hydrogen as a sustainable energy fuel. It is reported that cobalt derived nanoparticle (CoS₂, CoP, CoS|P) decorated reduced graphene oxide (rGO) composite aerogel catalysts for highly active and reliable hydrogen evolution reaction electrocatalysts. 7 nm level cobalt derived nanoparticles are synthesized over graphene aerogel surfaces with excellent surface coverage and maximal expose of active sites. CoS|P/rGO hybrid aerogel composites show an excellent catalytic activity with overpotential of ≈169 mV at a current density of ≈10 mA cm^?2. Accordingly, efficient charge transfer is attained with Tafel slope of ≈52 mV dec^?1 and a charge transfer resistance (R_ct) of ≈12 Ω. This work suggests a viable route toward ultrasmall, uniform nanoparticles decorated graphene surfaces with well‐controlled chemical compositions, which can be generally useful for various applications commonly requiring large exposure of active surface area as well as robust interparticle charger transfer.     

Facile fabrication of fast recyclable and multiple self‐healing epoxy materials through diels‐alder adduct cross‐linker

A reversibly cross‐linked epoxy resin with efficient reprocessing and intrinsic self‐healing was prepared from a diamine Diels‐Alder (DA) adduct cross‐linker and a commercial epoxy oligomer. The newly synthesized diamine cross‐linker, comprising a DA adduct of furan and maleimide moieties, can cure epoxy monomer/oligomer with thermal reversibility. The reversible transition between cross‐linked state and linear architecture endows the cured epoxy with rapid recyclability and repeated healability. The reversibly cross‐linked epoxy fundamentally behaves as typical thermosets at ambient conditions yet can be fast reprocessed at elevated temperature like thermoplastics. As a potential reversible adhesive, the epoxy polymer with adhesive strength values about 3 MPa showed full recovery after repeated fracture‐thermal healing processes. The methodology explored in this contribution provides new insights in modification of conventional engineering plastics as functional materials. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2015 , 53, 2094–2103     

Investigation of mononuclear,dinuclear, and trinuclear transition metal (II) complexes derived from an asymmetric Salamo‐based ligand possessing three different coordination modes

A new asymmetric Salamo‐based ligand H₂L was synthesized using 3‐tert‐butyl‐salicylaldehyde and 6‐methoxy‐2‐[O‐(1‐ethyloxyamide)]‐oxime‐1‐phenol. By adjusting the ratio of the ligand H₂L and Cu (II), Co (II), and Ni (II) ions, mononuclear, dinuclear, and trinuclear transition metal (II) complexes, [Cu(L)], [{Co(L)}₂], and [{Ni(L)(CH₃COO)(CH₃CH₂OH)}₂Ni] with the ligand H₂L possessing completely different coordination modes were obtained, respectively. The optical spectra of ligand H₂L and its Cu (II), Co (II) and Ni (II) complexes were investigated. The Cu (II) complex is a mononuclear structure, and the Cu (II) atom is tetracoordinated to form a planar quadrilateral structure. The Co (II) complex is dinuclear, and the two Co (II) atoms are pentacoordinated and have coordination geometries of distorted triangular bipyramid. The Ni (II) complex is a trinuclear structure, and the terminal and central Ni (II) atoms are all hexacoordinated, forming distorted octahedral geometries. Furthermore, optical properties including UV–Vis, IR, and fluorescence of the Cu (II), Co (II), and Ni (II) complexes were investigated. Finally, the antibacterial activities of the Cu (II), Co (II), and Ni (II) complexes were explored. According to the experimental results, the inhibitory effect was found to be enhanced with increasing concentrations of the Cu (II), Co (II), and Ni (II) complexes.