Titrimetric estimation of phosphate, molybdate, tungstate and sulphate with lead nitrate solution, using 1,2-naphthoquinone-2-semicarbazone-4-sulphonic acid (NQS-4S) and 1,2-naphthoquinone-2-thiosemicarbazone-4-sulphonic acid (NQTS-4S) as visual indicators

The use of 1,2-naphthoquinone-2-semicarbazone-4-sulphonic acid and 1,2-naphtho-quinone-2-thiosemicarbazone-4-sulphoic acid as indicators in the titrimetric estimation of phosphate, molybdate, tungstate and sulphate with lead has been examined. The precision, accuracy and applicability of the methods have been evaluated.     

Biomimetic piezoelectric quartz sensor for caffeine based on a molecularly imprinted polymer

A piezoelectric quartz sensor coated with molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) for caffeine was developed. The MIP was prepared by co-polymerizing methacrylic acid (MAA) and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EDMA) in the presence of azobis(isobutyronitrile) as initiator, caffeine as template molecule, and chloroform as solvent. The MIP suspension in polyvinyl chloride/tetrahydrofuran (6:2:1 w/w/v) solution was spin coated onto the surface of the electrode of a 10 MHz AT-cut quartz crystal. The sensor exhibited a linear relationship between the frequency shift and caffeine concentration in the range of 1×10^–7 mg mL^–1 up to 1x10^–3 mg mL^–1 [correlation coefficient (r)=0.9935] in a stopped flow measurement mode. It has a sensitivity of about 24 Hz/ln(concentration, mg mL^–1). A steady-state response was achieved in less than 10 min. The performance characteristic of the sensor shows a promising and inexpensive alternative method of detecting caffeine. Surface studies were carried out for the reagent phase of the sensor using SEM, AFM, and XPS analysis in order to elucidate the imprinting of the caffeine molecule. The SEM micrograph, AFM image, and XPS spectra confirmed the removal of caffeine by Soxhlet extraction in the imprinting process and the rebinding of caffeine to the MIP sensing layer during measurement.     

Synthesis and antimycobacterial activity of some beta-carboline alkaloids

In view of the attributed medicinal properties of beta-carboline alkaloids, some new O-acyl derivatives of beta-carboline alkaloid--harmol, were prepared and tested for possible antimycobacterial activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv.     

Thermally produced biodegradable scaffolds for cartilage tissue engineering

A novel process was developed to fabricate biodegradable polymer scaffolds for tissue engineering applications, without using organic solvents. Solvent residues in scaffolds fabricated by processes involving organic solvents may damage cells transplanted onto the scaffolds or tissue near the transplantation site. Poly(L-lactic acid) (PLLA) powder and NaCl particles in a mold were compressed and subsequently heated at 180 degrees C (near the PLLA melting temperature) for 3 min. The heat treatment caused the polymer particles to fuse and form a continuous matrix containing entrapped NaCl particles. After dissolving the NaCl salts, which served as a porogen, porous biodegradable PLLA scaffolds were formed. The scaffold porosity and pore size were controlled by adjusting the NaCl/PLLA weight ratio and the NaCl particle size. The characteristics of the scaffolds were compared to those of scaffolds fabricated using a conventional solvent casting/particulate leaching (SC/PL) process, in terms of pore structure, pore-size distribution, and mechanical properties. A scanning electron microscopic examination showed highly interconnected and open pore structures in the scaffolds fabricated using the thermal process, whereas the SC/PL process yielded scaffolds with less interconnected and closed pore structures. Mercury intrusion porosimetry revealed that the thermally produced scaffolds had a much more uniform distribution of pore sizes than the SC/PL process. The utility of the thermally produced scaffolds was demonstrated by engineering cartilaginous tissues in vivo. In summary, the thermal process developed in this study yields tissue-engineering scaffolds with more favorable characteristics, with respect to, freedom from organic solvents, pore structure, and size distribution than the SC/PL process. Moreover, the thermal process could also be used to fabricate scaffolds from polymers that are insoluble in organic solvents, such as poly(glycolic acid). Cartilage tissue regenerated from thermally produced PLLA scaffold.     

Mechanical properties of polyelectrolyte-filled multilayer microcapsules studied by atomic force and confocal microscopy

By using a combination of atomic force and confocal microscopy, we explore the deformation properties of multilayer microcapsules filled with a solution of strong polyelectrolyte. Encapsulation of polyelectrolyte was performed by regulation of the multilayer shell permeability in water-acetone solutions. The "filled"capsules prepared by this method were found to be stiffer than "hollow" ones, which reflects the contribution of the excess osmotic pressure to the capsule stiffness. The force-deformation curves contain three distinct regimes of reversible, partially reversible, and irreversible deformations depending on the degree of compression. The analysis of the shape of compressed capsules and of the inner polyelectrolyte spacial distribution allowed one to relate the deformation regimes to the permeability of the multilayer shells for water and inner polyelectrolyte at different stage of compression.     

Three-dimensional nonlinear optical chromophores based on metal-to-ligand charge-transfer from ruthenium(II) or iron(II) centers

In this article, we describe a series of new complex salts in which electron-rich transition-metal centers are coordinated to three electron-accepting N-methyl/aryl-2,2':4,4' ':4',4' '-quaterpyridinium ligands. These complexes contain either Ru(II) or Fe(II) ions and have been characterized by using various techniques, including electronic absorption spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry. Molecular quadratic nonlinear optical (NLO) responses beta have been determined by using hyper-Rayleigh scattering at 800 nm and also via Stark (electroabsorption) spectroscopic studies on the intense, visible d --> pi* metal-to-ligand charge-transfer bands. The latter experiments reveal that these putatively octupolar D(3) chromophores exhibit two substantial components of the beta tensor which are associated with transitions to dipolar excited states. Computations involving time-dependent density-functional theory and the finite field method serve to further illuminate the electronic structures and associated linear and NLO properties of the new chromophoric salts.     

壳聚糖对鞣酸絮凝作用的研究

以壳聚糖为絮凝剂，采用絮凝法除去中药药液中的杂质。以鞣酸为研究对象，从鞣酸浓度，体系温度，ＰＨ絮凝剂用量粘均分子量等方面探讨其絮凝规律，用正交试验优化其絮凝条件，为实施中药药液的絮凝法精制工艺提供参考。     

Impact of prefractionation using Gradiflow on two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and protein identification by matrix assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight-mass spectrometry

Prefractionation of protein samples prior to two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE) has the potential to increase the dynamic detection range for proteomic analysis. We evaluated a membrane-based electrophoretic separation technique (Gradiflow) for its ability to fractionate an exoproteome sample from the filamentous fungus Trichoderma reesei. The sample was separated on the basis of size and charge. Buffer optimization was found to be necessary for successful size fractionation. Fractionation by charge was used to resolve the sample into four fractions that were subjected to analysis by two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE). Enhanced detection of low-abundance proteins with selective removal of high-abundance species was achieved. Fractionated and unfractionated samples were examined for differences in the ability to identify proteins following 2-DE using trypsin in-gel digestion followed by peptide mass fingerprinting using matrix assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight-mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS). Fractionated samples showed marked improvement in protein identification ability and sequence coverage. This study demonstrates the utility of the Gradiflow for fractionation, resulting in an enhancement of resolution and characterization of a moderately complex proteome.     

铕的电化学还原动力学研究（Ⅱ）

对Ｓｍ－Ｅｕ－Ｇｄ氯化物体系，用带隔膜的电解槽和恒电位法，研究了铕电还原动力学特性。结果表明，在研究的参数范围内，随体系温度升高，搅拌强度增大，阴极电位降低、阴极面积增大及料液浓度增高，铕的还原速度加快；而随料液酸度增高，给出了本实验条件下铕的电还原动力学经验方程。     

溶剂热还原法制备蛋壳状碳材料

Eggshell-like carbon materials with high yields have been synthesized by a solvothermal route in a stainless steel autoclave using metallic zinc and absolute ethanol as starting materials. The products were characterized by X-ray powder diffractometry (XRD)， energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX)， Raman spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The eggshell-like carbon spheres had diameters ranging from 500 nm to 1 μm. The optimal reaction conditions to obtain eggshell-like carbon materials were 600 ℃ and 12 h.