硫酸铜掺杂TiO2涂层对碳纤维抗氧化性能的影响

采用溶胶-浸渍法,以CuSO₄为烧结助剂在碳纤维表面制得TiO₂涂层。利用XRD、SEM和TEM分析了涂层相组成及形貌,通过静态等温氧化实验考察了涂层碳纤维抗氧化性能。结果表明：掺杂CuSO₄制备TiO₂涂层均匀完整致密,涂层相组成均为锐钛矿型TiO₂,且涂层厚度从45 nm提高至185 nm;与普通TiO₂涂层碳纤维相比,完全氧化温度从667 ℃上升到800 ℃,氧化活化能从118.390 kJ·mol^-1提高到152.562 kJ·mol^-1,CuSO₄的掺杂大大提高了TiO₂涂层碳纤维的抗氧化性能。     

Study of the effect of laser treatment on the initial oxidation behaviour of Al‐coated NiCrAlY bond‐coat

In this study, the initial oxidation behaviour of laser‐treated Al/NiCrAlY bond‐coat is investigated. Two approaches, (i) Al film sputtering on the surface of bond‐coat and (ii) laser treatment, have been taken to enhance the oxidation resistance of NiCrAlY bond‐coat. Experimental results showed that after laser treatment, the Al/NiCrAlY bond‐coat exhibited a columnar dendritic microstructure without cracks and voids. A dense and continuous α‐Al₂O₃/Cr₂O₃ multilayer was found to form on the bond‐coat surface. Results on the cyclic oxidation at 1200 °C (for time ≤ 204 h) revealed that the laser‐treated Al/NiCrAlY bond‐coat exhibited better oxidation resistance compared to as‐sprayed NiCrAlY, Al/NiCrAlY and laser‐remelted NiCrAlY bond‐coat. The formation of θ‐Al₂O₃, NiO, Cr₂O₃ and NiCr₂O₄ spinel oxides was observed to be suppressed due to the preformed α‐Al₂O₃ scale during initial oxidation on the surface of laser pre‐oxidized Al/NiCrAlY bond‐coat. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

On the determination of the point of fracture initiation by the load separation criterion in J-testing of ductile polymers

The application of an experimental approach based on the load separation criterion for the determination of the point of fracture initiation in a fracture test on a ductile polymer was critically examined. To this aim, the fracture process outlined by the application of this method was related to that described by the visual analysis of the fracture surfaces obtained in fracture tests on nominally identical specimens, in which different levels of crack extension were produced. The material examined was an acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) resin, and the fracture tests were performed at low loading rate on single-edge notched in bending specimens.The results demonstrated that this load separation criterion based methodology is a promising approach for the determination of the point of fracture initiation, and for material fracture resistance, J_Ic, evaluation. The method also has experimental simplicity and a high degree of repeatability.     

Cu-V-O氧化物催化燃烧甲苯的活性和抗硫性

采用溶胶-凝胶法制备一系列不同Cu/V比例的Cu-V-O催化剂,利用XRD、BET、H₂-TPR等手段对催化剂进行了表征,并考察其催化燃烧甲苯的活性和抗硫性。结果表明,适量的Cu掺杂会提高催化剂比表面积,而且Cu-V可以形成Cu₃V₂O₈晶型结构,使V₂O₅晶格氧活动增加,提高催化剂氧化-还原能力。其中,Cu_0.15V_0.85催化剂表现出最佳的活性和抗硫性;通过TiO₂负载可以进一步提高催化剂对甲苯的催化燃烧活性和抗硫性。     

Au-MgB2-Au纳米结点的负微分电阻效应

运用密度泛函理论结合非平衡格林函数的方法对MgB2直线原子链与两半无限Au（100）电极构成纳米结点的电子输运特性进行了第一性原理计算．在模拟Au-MgB2-Au纳米结点的拉伸过程中,计算了结点在不同距离下的结合能与电导．结果发现结点的Au-B键长为1．90A,B-Mg键长为2．22A时,结合能最大,结构最稳定,此时结点平衡电导为0．51G0（G0=2e^0／h）．通过计算投影态密度发现电子通过结点时主要是通过B、Mg原子的px和py电子轨道形成的π键进行传输的．在-1．5～1．5V的电压范围内,结点的电流-电压近似为线性关系,表现出类似金属的导电性质,而当正负电压高于15V时,电流对称性逐渐减小,即存在负微分电阻效应,从不同电压下透射谱的变化对负微分电阻现象进行了分析与讨论．     

Optical Modulation of Antibiotic Resistance by Photoswitchable Cystobactamids

The rise of antibiotic resistance causes a serious health care problem, and its counterfeit demands novel, innovative concepts. The combination of photopharmacology, enabling a light-controlled reversible modulation of drug activity, with antibiotic drug design has led to first photoswitchable antibiotic compounds derived from established scaffolds. In this study, we converted cystobactamids, gyrase-inhibiting natural products with an oligoaryl scaffold and highly potent antibacterial activities, into photoswitchable agents by inserting azobenzene in the N-terminal part and/or an acylhydrazone moiety near the C-terminus, yielding twenty analogs that contain mono- as well as double-switches. Antibiotic and gyrase inhibition properties could be modulated 3.4-fold and 5-fold by light, respectively. Notably, the sensitivity of photoswitchable cystobactamids towards two known resistance factors, the peptidase AlbD and the scavenger protein AlbA, was light-dependent. While irradiation of an analog with an N-terminal azobenzene with 365 nm light led to less degradation by AlbD, the AlbA-mediated inactivation was induced. This provides a proof-of-principle that resistance towards photoswitchable antibiotics can be optically controlled.     

Isoflavonoid-Antibiotic Thin Films Fabricated by MAPLE with Improved Resistance to Microbial Colonization

Staphylococcus aureus (Gram-positive) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Gram-negative) bacteria represent major infectious threats in the hospital environment due to their wide distribution, opportunistic behavior, and increasing antibiotic resistance. This study reports on the deposition of polyvinylpyrrolidone/antibiotic/isoflavonoid thin films by the matrix-assisted pulsed laser evaporation (MAPLE) method as anti-adhesion barrier coatings, on biomedical surfaces for improved resistance to microbial colonization. The thin films were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, infrared microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. In vitro biological assay tests were performed to evaluate the influence of the thin films on the development of biofilms formed by Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial strains. In vitro biocompatibility tests were assessed on human endothelial cells examined for up to five days of incubation, via qualitative and quantitative methods. The results of this study revealed that the laser-fabricated coatings are biocompatible and resistant to microbial colonization and biofilm formation, making them successful candidates for biomedical devices and contact surfaces that would otherwise be amenable to contact transmission.     

Approaches for Mitigating Microbial Biofilm-Related Drug Resistance: A Focus on Micro- and Nanotechnologies

Biofilms play an essential role in chronic and healthcare-associated infections and are more resistant to antimicrobials compared to their planktonic counterparts due to their (1) physiological state, (2) cell density, (3) quorum sensing abilities, (4) presence of extracellular matrix, (5) upregulation of drug efflux pumps, (6) point mutation and overexpression of resistance genes, and (7) presence of persister cells. The genes involved and their implications in antimicrobial resistance are well defined for bacterial biofilms but are understudied in fungal biofilms. Potential therapeutics for biofilm mitigation that have been reported include (1) antimicrobial photodynamic therapy, (2) antimicrobial lock therapy, (3) antimicrobial peptides, (4) electrical methods, and (5) antimicrobial coatings. These approaches exhibit promising characteristics for addressing the impending crisis of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Recently, advances in the micro- and nanotechnology field have propelled the development of novel biomaterials and approaches to combat biofilms either independently, in combination or as antimicrobial delivery systems. In this review, we will summarize the general principles of clinically important microbial biofilm formation with a focus on fungal biofilms. We will delve into the details of some novel micro- and nanotechnology approaches that have been developed to combat biofilms and the possibility of utilizing them in a clinical setting.     

Synthesis and Evaluation of Thymol-Based Synthetic Derivatives as Dual-Action Inhibitors against Different Strains of H. pylori and AGS Cell Line

Following a similar approach on carvacrol-based derivatives, we investigated the synthesis and the microbiological screening against eight strains of H. pylori, and the cytotoxic activity against human gastric adenocarcinoma (AGS) cells of a new series of ether compounds based on the structure of thymol. Structural analysis comprehended elemental analysis and ¹H/¹³C/¹⁹F NMR spectra. The analysis of structure–activity relationships within this molecular library of 38 structurally-related compounds reported that some chemical modifications of the OH group of thymol led to broad-spectrum growth inhibition on all isolates. Preferred substitutions were benzyl groups compared to alkyl chains, and the specific presence of functional groups at para position of the benzyl moiety such as 4-CN and 4-Ph endowed the most anti-H. pylori activity toward all the strains with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values up to 4 µg/mL. Poly-substitution on the benzyl ring was not essential. Moreover, several compounds characterized by the lowest minimum inhibitory concentration/minimum bactericidal concentration (MIC/MBC) values against H. pylori were also tested in order to verify a cytotoxic effect against AGS cells with respect to 5-fluorouracil and carvacrol. Three derivatives can be considered as new lead compounds alternative to current therapy to manage H. pylori infection, preventing the occurrence of severe gastric diseases. The present work confirms the possibility to use natural compounds as templates for the medicinal semi-synthesis.     

Thiazole Analogues of the Marine Alkaloid Nortopsentin as Inhibitors of Bacterial Biofilm Formation

Anti-virulence strategy is currently considered a promising approach to overcome the global threat of the antibiotic resistance. Among different bacterial virulence factors, the biofilm formation is recognized as one of the most relevant. Considering the high and growing percentage of multi-drug resistant infections that are biofilm-mediated, new therapeutic agents capable of counteracting the formation of biofilms are urgently required. In this scenario, a new series of 18 thiazole derivatives was efficiently synthesized and evaluated for its ability to inhibit biofilm formation against the Gram-positive bacterial reference strains Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923 and S. aureus ATCC 6538 and the Gram-negative strain Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 15442. Most of the new compounds showed a marked selectivity against the Gram-positive strains. Remarkably, five compounds exhibited BIC₅₀ values against S. aureus ATCC 25923 ranging from 1.0 to 9.1 µM. The new compounds, affecting the biofilm formation without any interference on microbial growth, can be considered promising lead compounds for the development of a new class of anti-virulence agents.