Assembly-controlled biocompatible interface on a microchip: strategy to highly efficient proteolysis

A biocompatible interface was constructed on a microchip by using the layer-by-layer (LBL) assembly of charged polysaccharides incorporating proteases for highly efficient proteolysis. The controlled assembly of natural polyelectrolytes and the enzyme-adsorption step were monitored by using a quartz-crystal microbalance and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Such a multilayer-assembled membrane provides a biocompatible interconnected network with high enzyme-loading capacity. The maximum digestion rate of the adsorbed trypsin in a microchannel was significantly accelerated to 1600 mM min(-1) microg(-1), compared with the tryptic digestion in solution. Based on the Langmuir isotherm model, the thermodynamic constant of adsorption K was calculated to be 1.6 x 10(5) M(-1) and the maximum adsorption loading Gammamax was 3.6 x 10(-6) mol m(-2), 30 times more than a monolayer of trypsin on the native surface. The tunable interface containing trypsin was employed to construct a microchip reactor for digestion of femtomoles of proteins and the produced peptides were analyzed by MALDI-TOF mass spectroscopy. The efficient on-chip proteolysis was obtained within a few seconds, and the identification of biological samples was feasible.     

Synthesis of size-controlled acid-resistant hybrid calcium carbonate microparticles as templates for fabricating "micelles-enhanced" polyelectrolyte capsules by the LBL technique

Size-controlled, low-dispersed calcium carbonate microparticles were synthesized in the presence of the amphiphilic block copolymer polystyrene-b-poly(acrylic acid) (PS-b-PAA) by modulating the concentration of block copolymer in the reactive system. This type of hybrid microparticles have acid-resistant properties. By investigating the aggregation behaviors of PS-b-PAA micelles by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), the mechanism of hybrid calcium carbonate formation illustrated that the block copolymer served not only as "pseudonuclei" for the growth of calcium carbonate nanocrystals, but also forms the supramicelle congeries, a spherical framework, as templates for calcium carbonate nanocrystal growth into hybrid CaCO(3) particles. Moreover, this pilot study shows that the hybrid microparticle is a novel candidate as a template for fabricating multilayer polyelectrolyte capsules, in which the block copolymer is retained within the capsule interior after core removal under soft conditions. This not only facilitates the encapsulation of special materials, but also provides "micelles-enhanced" polyelectrolyte capsules.     

Optimisation of sample treatment for arsenic speciation in alga samples by focussed sonication and ultrafiltration

A procedure for arsenic species fractionation in alga samples (Sargassum fulvellum, Chlorella vulgaris, Hizikia fusiformis and Laminaria digitata) by extraction is described. Several parameters were tested in order to evaluate the extraction efficiency of the process: extraction medium, nature and concentration (tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane, phosphoric acid, deionised water and water/methanol mixtures), extraction time and physical treatment (magnetic stirring, ultrasonic bath and ultrasonic focussed probe). The extraction yield of arsenic under the different conditions was evaluated by determining the total arsenic content in the extracts by ICP-AES. Arsenic compounds were extracted in 5 mL of water by focussed sonication for 30 s and subsequent centrifugation at 14,000 × g for 10 min. The process was repeated three times. Extraction studies show that soluble arsenic compounds account for about 65% of total arsenic.

An ultrafiltration process was used as a clean-up method for chromatographic analysis, and also allowed us to determine the extracted arsenic fraction with a molecular weight lower than 10 kDa, which accounts for about 100% for all samples analysed.

Speciation studies were carried out by HPLC–ICP-AES. Arsenic species were separated on a Hamilton PRP-X100 column with 17 mM phosphate buffer at pH 5.5 and 1.0 mL min⁻¹ flow rate. The chromatographic method allowed us to separate the species As(III), As(V), MMA and DMA in less than 13 min, with detection limits of about 20 ng of arsenic per species, for a sample injection volume of 100 μL. The chromatographic analysis allowed us to identify As(V) in Hizikia (46 ± 2 μg g⁻¹), Sargassum (38 ± 2 μg g⁻¹) and Chlorella (9 ± 1 μg g⁻¹) samples. The species DMA was also found in Chlorella alga (13 ± 1 μg g⁻¹). However, in Laminaria alga only an unknown arsenic species was detected, which eluted in the dead volume.     

HPLC Fingerprint with Multi-components Analysis for Quality Consistency Evaluation of Traditional Chinese Medicine Si-Mo-Tang Oral Liquid Preparation

Si-Mo-Tang(SMT) oral liquid preparation, a traditional Chinese medicine, was prepared from four crude herbal drugs, Fructus Aurantii Submaturus, Radix Aucklandiae, Semen Arecae and Radix Linderae Aggregatae. A combinative method using HPLC fingerprint and quantitative analysis was developed and validated for quality consistency evaluation of SMT. Individual HPLC chromatograms were evaluated against the mean chromatogram generated via a similarity evaluation computer program. Data from chromatographic fingerprints were also processed with principal component analysis(PCA) and hierarchical cluster analysis(HCA). Additionally, six components (naringin, isonaringin, hesperidin, neohesperidin, norisoboldine and potassium sorbate) in SMT were simultaneously determined to interpret the quality consistency. For fingerprint analysis, 20 peaks were selected as the characteristic peaks to evaluate the similarities of 26 SMT collected from different manufacturers. Among the 20 characteristic peaks, 10 peaks were assigned to be naringin, hesperidin, neohesperidin, isonaringin, neoeriocitrin, tangeretin, nobiletin, norisoboldine, 5-(ethoxymethyl)furan-2-carbaldehyde and potassium sorbate, respectively. The results of similarity analysis, PCA and HCA, indicate that the samples from different manufacturers were consistent with each other in composition. The results from the quantitative data show that the contents of six compounds were significantly different in SMT oral liquid preparations from different manufacturers. The combinative method of chromatographic fingerprint with quantitative analysis developed here offered an efficient way for the quality consistency evaluation of the traditional Chinese medicine SMT.     

基于IOWA算子的欧式范数综合评价方法

针对综合评价信息不完整、分布不均匀以及现实中人们总是主观性地经常“向后看”这一问题,提出了基于区间数有序加权平均算子(IOWA算子)的欧式范数综合评价方法。本文首先介绍了IOWA算子的相关知识;然后依据IOWA算子的特点,运用正态分布确定其位置加权向量,并与欧式范数结合形成加权欧式范数;最后运用一个算例验证了方法的有效性,既能充分考虑评价信息的分布情况,又使得评价更加客观准确。     

多方参与且评价指标集有差异的方案筛选方法

针对多方给出评价指标集存在差异情形的方案筛选问题,提出了一种基于软集理论的方案筛选方法。在该方法中,首先依据各方给出关于备选方案符合评价指标要求的可接受水平,构建各方相应的评价指标子集,进而针对各备选方案符合评价指标要求的结果构建针对各方评价指标子集的软集;然后构建所有方案均符合全部指标要求的软集,进而通过各评价指标子集的软集与所有方案均符合全部指标要求的软集的积运算和算子运算,得到对应评价指标子集的每方可接受的备选方案集;进一步地,通过各方可接受的备选方案集间的并集运算及交集运算,可得到最终的方案筛选结果。最后,通过一个算例说明了本文给出方法的可行性和有效性。     

地方公共财政绩效评估指标体系的构建及其应用

在公共财政透明化和高效化的改革要求下,公共财政绩效评估将逐渐日常化和规范化,而科学、有效的公共财政绩效评估核心在于指标体系的构建。基于层次分析法,从公共财政体系的财政收入、财政支出、财政制度、财政管理四个维度构建了一个地方公共财政绩效评估指标体系。结合该指标体系在江西省的实际应用,发现它能客观有效的评价样本政府的公共财政建设情况。     

原子荧光光谱法对果园土壤中砷和汞空间分布特征的研究

利用王水消解—双道原子荧光光谱法测定了山东省苹果主产区栖霞市果园土壤中的As和Hg含量,验证了检测方法的检出限、准确度与精密度,分析了栖霞市果园土壤中重金属As和Hg的空间分布特征,并对栖霞市果园土壤中As和Hg的污染状况进行评价。结果表明：栖霞市果园土壤中As的含量范围为2.79～20.93 mg·kg-1,平均值为10.59 mg·kg-1,而Hg的含量范围为0.01～0.79 mg·kg-1,平均值为0.12 mg·kg-1。As元素在土壤中变异较小,而Hg元素在土壤中变异较大。频数分布图显示,土壤中As元素含量基本符合正态分布,含量大多在7～15 mg·kg-1之间,土壤中Hg元素含量不符合正态分布,含量大多在0.03～ 0.21 mg·kg-1之间。土壤As和Hg含量与土壤各养分指标之间的相关性均不显著,且土壤中As和Hg两种元素之间亦无显著的相关关系。以国家绿色食品产地环境质量标准为评价依据,栖霞市果园土壤As含量处于无污染的清洁水平,而土壤Hg的污染指数大于1的样点占总数的4.76%,需要引起管理者的注意。     

基于人力资本优势结构的人员选拔方法

针对人员选拔主要依据职称、学历等人力资本外在因素确定评判标准,导致“名本”倾向,并且在方法上忽视不同人员个体内质优势结构差异,提出人员选拔方法。从重能力、重实绩、重民主、重优势出发,以实证研究为依托,构建包含能力与业绩两个维度的评价指标体系;给出人力资本优势结构的概念,构建优势结构群识别模型,提出基于优势结构的民主综合评价法。站在每位候选人的角度,兼顾每位候选人的优势,有助于提高人员选拔的公平性和科学性,体现人本理念。通过算例证明了方法的可行性和有效性。     

力学处2013年度重点项目结题审查情况简要介绍

对2013 年度国家自然科学基金委员会数理科学部力学科学处结题的12 项重点项目结题审查情况进行了简要介绍. 给出了12 项2013 年度结题重点项目清单以及经专家组讨论形成的结题审查评价意见.