Validation of a Reference Gene (BdFIM) for Quantifying Transgene Copy Numbers in Brachypodium distachyon by Real-Time PCR

Brachypodium distachyon has been proposed as a new model system for gramineous plants with a sequenced genome and an efficient transformation system. Many transgenic B. distachyon plants have been generated in recent years. To develop a reliable fast method for detecting transgenic B. distachyon and quantifying its transgene copy numbers, a species-specific reference gene is of great priority to be validated both in qualitative PCR and quantitative real-time PCR detection. In this study, we first proved that the BdFIM (B. distachyon fimbrin-like protein) gene is a suitable reference gene in qualitative PCR and quantitative real-time PCR for B. distachyon. Fourteen different B. distachyon varieties were tested by both qualitative and quantitative PCRs, and identical amplification products of BdFIM were obtained with all of them, while no amplification products were observed with samples from 14 other plant species, suggesting that BdFIM gene was specific to B. distachyon. The results of Southern blot analysis revealed that the BdFIM gene was low copy number in seven tested B. distachyon varieties. In conclusion, the BdFIM gene can be used as a reference gene, since it had species specificity, low heterogeneity, and low copy number among the tested B. distachyon varieties. Furthermore, the copy number of inserted sequences from transgenic B. distachyon obtained by real-time PCR methods and Southern blot confirmed that the BdFIM gene was an applicable reference gene in B. distachyon.     

Effects of Pellet Characteristics on L-Lactic Acid Fermentation by R. oryzae: Pellet Morphology,Diameter, Density,and Interior Structure

The effects of pellet morphology, diameter, density, and interior structure on L-lactic acid fermentation by Rhizopus oryzae were characterized for different inoculum sizes and concentrations of peptone and CaCO₃. Inoculum size was the most important factor determining pellet formation and diameter. The diameter decreased with increasing inoculum size, and larger pellets were observed for lower inoculum sizes. Peptone concentration had the greatest effect on pellet density, which increased with increasing peptone concentration. L-lactic acid production depended heavily on pellet density but not on pellet diameter. Low-density pellets formed easily under conditions of low peptone concentration and often had a relatively hollow structure, with a thin condensed layer surrounding the pellet and an extraordinarily loose biomass or hollow center. As expected, this structure greatly decreased production. The production of L-lactic acid increased until the density reached a certain level (50–60 kg/m³), in which the compact part was distributed homogeneously in the thick outer layer of the pellet and loose in the central layer. Homogeneously structured, denser pellets had limited mass transfer, causing a lower overall turnover rate. However, the interior structure remained nearly constant throughout all fermentation phases for pellets with the same density. CaCO₃ concentration only had a slight influence on pellet diameter and density, probably because it increases spore germination and filamentous hypha extension. This work also provides a new analysis method to quantify the interior structure of pellets, thus giving insight into pellet structure and its relationship with productivity.     

Electroactive shape memory effect of radiation cross-linked SBS/LLDPE composites filled with carbon black

The poly(styrene-b-butadiene-b-styrene) (SBS) triblock copolymer and linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) were blended and irradiated by γ rays to prepare shape memory polymer (SMP). Different weight fractions of conductive carbon black (CB) were filled into SMP to form a novel electroactive shape memory CB/SBS/LLDPE composite. The CB reinforced radiation cross-linked SBS/LLDPE blends for the improvement of the mechanical weakness and conductivity of SBS/LLDPE bulk and for wide practical engineering uses. The electroactive shape memory CB/SBS/LLDPE composites were investigated by electrical properties, mechanical, dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and electroactive shape memory effects. It is found that the tensile strength, storage modulus, and resistance against mechanical and thermal mechanical cycle loading in the developed composites increased due to the role of reinforcement of CB. The melting temperatures and volume resistance of the composites decreased with the increment of CB for excellent electrical conductivity of CB. The electroactive shape memory effects of developed CB/SBS/LLDPE composites were affected by CB weight fractions and applied voltage, while good shape recovery could be obtained in the shape recovery test. When the CB fraction is more than 5 wt%, full recovery can be observed after tens of seconds and shape recovery speed increased with CB fractions and voltage increasing. However, the shape recovery rate decreases slightly with increment of cycle times.     

Iron-mediated AGET ATRP of styrene and methyl methacrylate using ascorbic acid sodium salt as reducing agent

Atom transfer radical polymerization of styrene(St) and methyl methacrylate(MMA) in bulk and in different solvents using activators generated by electron transfer(AGET ATRP) were investigated in the presence of a limited amount of air using FeCl3·6H2O as the catalyst, ascorbic acid sodium salt(AsAc-Na) as the reducing agent, and a cheap and commercially available tetrabutylammonium bromide(TBABr) as the ligand. It was found that polymerization in THF resulted in shorter induction period than that in bulk and in toluene for AGET ATRP of St, while referring to AGET ATRP of MMA, polymerization in THF showed three advantages compared with that in bulk and toluene: 1) shortening the induction period, 2) enhancing the polymerization rate and 3) having better controllability. The living features of the obtained polymers were verified by chain end analysis and chain-extension experiments.     

Fabrication and Performance of a Low Operating Pressure Nanofiltration Poly（vinyl chloride） Hollow Fiber Membrane

A low operating pressure nanofiltration membrane is prepared by interfacial polymerization between m-phenylenediamine(MPDA) and trimesoyl chloride(TMC) using PVC hollow fiber membrane as supporting.A series of PVC nanofiltration membranes with different molecular weight cutoff(MWCO) can be obtained by controlling preparation conditions.Chemical and morphological characterization of the membrane surface was carried out by FTIR-ATR and SEM.MWCO was characterized by filtration experiments.The preparation conditions were investigated in detail.At the optimized conditions(40 min air-dried time,aqueous phase containing 0.5% MPDA,0.05% SDS and 0.6% acid absorbent,oil phase containing 0.3% TMC,and 1 min reaction time),under 0.3 MPa,water flux of the gained nanofiltration membrane reaches 17.8 L/m2·h,and the rejection rates of methyl orange and MgSO4 are more than 90% and 60%,respectively.     

Crystal structures, magnetic, dielectric and ferroelectric properties of two copper(II) complexes with m-nitrobenzoic acid

Reactions of CuCl₂, m-nitrobenzoic acid (HNBA) and NaOH with 2,2′-bipyridine (bpy) or 1,10-phenanthroline (phen) in aqueous ethanol afforded two Cu(II) complexes Cu(bpy)(NBA)₂, 1, and [Cu(phen)(H₂O)₂(NBA)](NBA), 2. The monomolecular Cu(bpy)(NBA)₂ moieties are both bridged by hydrogen bonding interactions and interlayer π ^*–π ^*stacking interactions to form a 3D (3,4,6)-connected supramolecular architecture with the Schäfli symbol of (4⁴·6²)(4⁴·6⁶·8⁵)(6³)₂. Complex 2 crystallizes in a noncentrosymmetric space group P2₁ where all molecules show the same orientation along the polar b axis. Preliminary investigations suggest that 2 exhibits ferroelectric hysteresis loops at room temperature with remanent polarization (P _r) of ca. 0.09 μC cm^?2 and coercive electric fields of 2.53 kV cm^?1, respectively. It may be a potential ferroelectric with a relatively large spontaneous polarization (P _s) of 0.22 μC cm^?2. Furthermore, permittivity property measurements reveal a dielectric constant (ε _r) of 6.36. Variable-temperature (2–300 K) magnetic susceptibility measurements showed the presence of weak ferromagnetic interactions between the Cu(II) ions for both 1 and 2.     

In-plane Operating Deflection Shape Measurement of an Aluminum Plate Using a Three-dimensional Continuously Scanning Laser Doppler Vibrometer System

Background

In-plane vibration is significant to a structure and has been accurately solved by many numerical methods; however, there are still not enough studies on its experimental measurement.

Objective

This work aims to propose a non-contact and fast way to measure dense full-field in-plane vibration of a plate structure, which has high frequencies and low response magnitudes.

Methods

A novel three-dimensional (3D) continuously scanning laser Doppler vibrometer (CSLDV) system that contains three CSLDVs is developed to conduct full-field scanning of a plate with free boundary conditions under sinusoidal excitation to measure its 3D vibrations. Calibration among the three CSLDVs in the 3D CSLDV system based on the geometrical model of its scan mirrors is conducted to adjust their rotational angles to ensure that three laser spots can continuously and synchronously move along the same two-dimensional scan trajectory on the plate. The demodulation method is used to process the measured response to obtain in-plane operating deflection shapes (ODSs) of the plate.

Results

Four in-plane ODSs are obtained in the frequency range of 0–5000 Hz. Modal assurance criterion (MAC) values between in-plane ODSs from 3D CSLDV and step-wise scanning laser Doppler vibrometer (SLDV) measurements are larger than 95%. MAC values between ODSs from 3D CSLDV measurements and corresponding mode shapes from the finite element model of the plate are larger than 91%.

Conclusions

Results from 3D CSLDV measurements have good accuracy compared to those from SLDV measurements and numerical calculation, and the 3D CSLDV system can scan much more measurement points in much less time than the SLDV system.

     

不同细料含量土石混合料塑性行为离散元模拟

土石混合料是指由大粒径的块石和作为填充成分的细粒土组成的二元混合料, 其塑性行为与细料含量密切相关. 目前对细粒含量如何影响土石混合料塑性行为及其细观机制的研究尚不充分, 为此本文开展了不同细料含量土石混合料的二维离散元数值模拟, 基于二阶功失稳准则与细观力学理论, 探究了细料含量对石料骨架土石混合料失稳特性与非关联流动特性的影响, 并揭示了细料含量影响土石混合料塑性力学行为的细观机制. 研究结果表明, 细颗粒可通过限制集合体塑性变形从而起到促进集合体整体稳定的作用; 细颗粒控制颗粒集合体塑性变形的方向(即塑性势面法方向), 随着细料含量增大, 土石混合料的塑性势面法方向和屈服面法方向之间的夹角减小, 非关联流动性减弱, 材料分岔失稳区域变窄; 尽管加入到石颗粒中的部分细颗粒与石颗粒共同承担骨架作用, 但是细颗粒的加入不影响颗粒集合体的力学状态, 不改变材料屈服面法方向. 相关研究结果可为建立考虑细料含量的土石混合料弹塑性本构模型提供理论依据.      

冷凝法油气回收技术与应用

油品在储运和销售过程中部分轻烃组分挥发进入大气,造成资源浪费和环境危害.油气回收既可实现油气污染治理又能产生可观的经济效益.结合中国油气储运和销售环节的现状以及相关技术的发展,对几种油气回收的方法进行了对比分析,认为采用多元工质复叠(或自复叠)制冷技术的冷凝法具有较好的经济性和可靠性.介绍了自主研发的冷凝式油气回收设备...     

电场极化方向对自由空间电场测量的影响

介绍了自主研制的脉冲电场原始波形测量系统的模块组成与基本工作原理。针对在未知被测电场方向及复杂的电场环境下垂直干扰电场对自由空间电场测量产生的影响,通过建立自由空间电场测量系统前端的简化模型,对不同尺寸天线与屏蔽盒进行仿真计算。仿真计算结果与理论分析基本一致,结果表明:干扰电场响应信号与待测电场响应信号相差2个数量级以上,干扰电场的影响可忽略不计。