Improvement of latex piezoelectric immunoassay: Detection of rheumatoid factor

Latex piezoelectric immunoassay is a method for detection of agglutination of antibody- or antigen-bearing latex by immunoreaction using a piezoelectric quartz crystal; the agglutination decreases the oscillation frequency of the crystal. This is advantageous in that coating the surface of the crystal followed by fixation of antibody or antigen is unnecessary. There is, however, a drawback, and to improve this, we designed a micro-cell in which only one side of the crystal is exposed to the solution. A method for regenerating the crystal was also devised. Measurement was carried out using a calibration curve of the frequency change against rheumatoid factor activity. The improvement made it possible to use one crystal repeatedly and reproducibility was satisfactory. The calibration curve became almost independent of the crystal used.     

基于键价理论的晶体及表面结构分析软件

用Visual C＋＋语言设计制作了分析晶体及其表面的BVStr软件.它的最大特点在于以Pauling键价理论为基础，并适用于PC机的Windows操作系统.软件在重点对晶体体相的（包括配位）结构和表面结构进行计算的同时，还计算了它们的键价数据.另外软件还配有二维和三维结构演示功能以及某些结构计算小工具.因此本软件不仅适合于研究体相及表相结构的稳定性及其演化，同时也可以用于教学.     

Growth of giant two-dimensional crystal of protein molecules from a three-phase contact line

A novel method to fabricate a two-dimensional (2D) crystal of protein molecules has been developed. The method enables us to control both the position of nucleation and the direction of the crystal growth. The crystal obtained using a protein molecule, ferritin, was found to be composed of a number of densely packed single crystal domains with an unprecedentedly large size of approximately 100 microm(2). This method also reveals characteristic behavior of the spatiotemporal evolution of the crystal; for example, "fusion" of the crystal domains, which is never observed in an ordinary crystal composed of atoms or ions, was demonstrated. Our approach could have potential in fabricating extraordinarily large and highly ordered nanoparticle arrays of organic or inorganic materials.     

Liquid crystal oligomers: going beyond dimers

This review focuses on structure-property relationships in liquid crystal oligomers, which consist of molecules containing two or more mesogenic units linked via flexible spacers essentially in a linear fashion and so does not consider, for example, liquid crystal dendrimers and tetrapodes. Previous reviews have tended to focus mainly on liquid crystal dimers in which just two mesogenic units are interconnected by a single spacer. By contrast, this review is largely devoted to higher oligomers such as liquid crystal trimers and tetramers containing three or four mesogenic units connected by two or three spacers, respectively.     

Utilization of DSC for Pharmaceutical crystal form quantitation

The existence of multiple crystal forms in a drug substance poses interesting development challenges as the material is taken from discovery through formulation, manufacture and market. There are a number of factors why drug substances under development are screened for presence of multiple crystal forms. Different crystal forms may exhibit varied performance properties including bioavailability and solubility, as well as, differences in physical properties such as morphology and melting point. These properties can affect the design of the manufacturing processes for the bulk drug substance, the formulation and the performance of the drug product. This paper will focus on the application of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) for the quantitation of pharmaceutical crystal forms. Feasibility studies were conducted on several pharmaceutical drug substances which were known to have multiple crystal forms, to determine if quantitative, semi-quantitative or limit of detection tests could be developed. The conclusion from these studies is that polymorphic crystal systems comprised of either close, or melting with decomposing, endotherms, competing transitions, or that contain sample contaminants, may not be optimum candidates for quantitation by DSC. Conversely, crystal systems that contain polymorphs that exhibit well-resolved endothermic or exothermic transitions, for either solvated vs. unsolvated species or both unsolvated, may be excellent candidates for crystal form quantitation by DSC. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Coordination polyhedron growth mechanism model and growth habit of crystals

A new growth mechanism model, coordination polyhedron growth mechanism model, is introduced from the angle of the coordination of anion and cation to each other at the interface. It is pointed out that the force driving the growth unit to enter the crystal lattice is the electrostatic attraction force between ions, whose relative size can be approximately measured by the electrostatic bond strength (EBS) that reaches a nearest neighbor anion (or cation) in the parent phase from a cation (or anion) at the interface. The growth habits of NaCI, ZnS, CaF2 and Csl crystals are discussed, and a new growth habit rule is proposed as follows. When the growth rate of a crystal is determined by the step generation rate, the growth habit of this crystal is related to the coordination number of the ion with the smallest coordination rate at the interface of various crystal faces. The smaller the coordination number of the ion at the interface, the faster the growth rate of corresponding crystal face. When the growth     

环氧液晶弹性体材料的制备与力学性能研究

传统的液晶弹性体材料多采用丙烯酸酯类或聚硅氧烷类分子,通过自由基聚合制备.然而由于自由基聚合易被氧气阻聚,固化过程收缩率高且内应力大,传统液晶弹性体材料的力学性能并不是很优异.为解决这一问题,本文合成了带有环氧基团的液晶单体和交联剂,使用碘盐作为引发剂,通过光引发阳离子反应,用原位聚合交联法制备了环氧液晶弹性体材料....     

Fat crystals and water-in-oil emulsion stability

Products such as cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and crude oil often exist as water-in-oil (W/O) emulsions during their processing or in final form. In many cases, their dispersed aqueous phase is encased in a crystal network and/or by interfacially-adsorbed (‘Pickering’) particles [paraffins, triacylglycerols, polymers, etc.] that promote emulsion kinetic stability by hindering droplet–droplet contact, coalescence and macroscopic phase separation. In processed foods, important questions remain regarding whether a continuous phase fat crystal network or Pickering crystal provides better stabilization. This review explores the following factors related to crystal-stabilized W/O emulsions: i) the key properties dictating fat crystal spatial distribution (at the interface or in the continuous phase); ii) how temperature and freeze–thaw emulsion destabilization are intimately linked with fat crystal spatial distribution, and; iii) why oil-soluble surfactant interactions with the continuous oil phase influence fat crystal wettability and emulsifier efficacy. It is shown that these parameters strongly govern W/O emulsion formation and stability.     

Nonintegral and integral folding crystal growth in low-molecular mass poly (ethylene oxide) fractions. II. End-group effect: α,ω-methoxy-poly (ethylene oxide)

Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and in situ small-angle x-ray scattering (SAXS) indicate that in an α ω-methoxy-poly(ethylene oxide) (MPEO) fraction (MW 3000) a transient nonintegral folding (NIF) crystal initially forms during crystallization throughout a wide range of crystallization temperatures. Subsequent transformations of the NIF to IF (integral folding) crystals at low temperatures occur mainly through isothermal thickening or thinning via perfection processes or, at higher temperatures, through primary crystal formation. The NIF crystal is thermodynamically the least stable state among the crystal forms, but its growth is the most rapid. The overall crystallization and crystal melting of this MPEO fraction reveal that the NIF crystal and the NIF → IF crystal transformations are common to low-molecular mass PEO fractions without regard to the end group. Nevertheless, diffusion coefficient and viscosity measurements provide clear evidence of an end-group effect in PEO and MPEO fractions. The difference in the overall crystallization and isothermal thickening and thinning kinetics of low-molecular mass PEO and MPEO fractions can lead to further understanding of end-group effects.     

Impedance Characterization of a Quartz Crystal Microbalance

The impedance characteristics of the quartz crystal used in quartz crystal microbalance is considered a higher dimension of information that can be obtained in addition to the resonant frequency change of the crystal. The impedance allows calculating the quality factor of the oscillator that is very closely related to the mechanical rigidity of the material, which is adsorbed or deposited on the quartz crystal. This paper concentrates on utilizing an impedance analyzer, often found in electroanalytical laboratories, instead of the usually required network analyzer.     

Self-activating liquid crystal devices for smart laser protection

ABSTRACT

Lasers are now extensively used in a multitude of optical devices and photonic systems spanning from sensing, communication, entertainment, medical surgery to military applications. Direct accidental or intentional exposures to high power lasers may lead to severe temporary or even permanent harm of human eye, skin, or optical sensors. The effective laser protection and shielding are currently not only a subject of scientific research but also a potential public safety issue, therefore there is an urgent need to develop the intelligent laser protection devices for keeping human eyes, optical sensors, and other sensitive components from these unintended or intended damages by laser radiations without warning. Self-activating liquid crystal devices undoubtedly represent such an elegant example because they could be autonomously activated to block or attenuate the lasers when the laser intensity is higher than a maximum permissible exposure value. This review is devoted to summarising the up-to-date significant advances of self-activating liquid crystal devices for potential smart laser protection, including twist-aligned nematic liquid crystal devices, liquid crystal cored waveguide fibre arrays, and photovoltaic/pyroelectric-hybridised liquid crystal devices. Finally, the review concludes with the perspectives and challenges for the future development of self-activating liquid crystal devices. It is anticipated that this glimpse and further endeavours in the emerging field will help the researchers from different backgrounds towards the fabrication of highly efficient laser protection devices, their real-world widespread applications and beyond.     

Microtubule particle dispersion in liquid crystal hosts

Microtubule particles and metal-coated microtubules were dispersed in various host liquid crystal mixtures. Dispersion effects were evaluated as a function of liquid crystal type, viscosity, dielectric anisotropy and surface interaction. Experimental results indicated that all the types of liquid crystals studied were aligned perpendicular to the microtubule surfaces, regardless of liquid crystal composition or various surface coatings used on the metal-coated microtubules. Low concentrations of the metal-coated microtubules in nematic liquid crystal hosts were aligned by flow or cell surface alignment conditions, and could be modulated by electric or magnetic fields. We observed better microtubules dispersion uniformity in high viscosity liquid crystal host mixtures and in liquid crystal-monomers than in isotropic fluids. Microtubules particles dispersed in ROTN-404 liquid crystal mixture had a much higher birefringence in the microwave region than dispersion in a paraffin oil.     

Palladium and the electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance: a new method for the in situ analysis of the precious metal in aqueous solutions

A new method for the quantitative determination of palladium(II) by the electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance (EQCM) technique has been developed. Using a bare carbon-coated quartz crystal, Pd(II) ions are directly deposited from aqueous solution as palladium metal onto the crystal surface, and the Pd(II) concentration is determined with a detection limit of 0.0156 mM, or 1.66 ppm. No complexing agent or preconcentration of palladium is required for the analysis. The palladium is stripped from the crystal through its electrochemical oxidation, regenerating the crystal for subsequent multi-cycle palladium analyses. A conventional gold-coated quartz crystal was incapable of carrying out the same measurements. The EQCM technique presented is simple, sensitive, and reproducible for the detection of this widely used precious metal.     

Microtubule particle dispersion in liquid crystal hosts

Abstract

Microtubule particles and metal-coated microtubules were dispersed in various host liquid crystal mixtures. Dispersion effects were evaluated as a function of liquid crystal type, viscosity, dielectric anisotropy and surface interaction. Experimental results indicated that all the types of liquid crystals studied were aligned perpendicular to the microtubule surfaces, regardless of liquid crystal composition or various surface coatings used on the metal-coated microtubules. Low concentrations of the metal-coated microtubules in nematic liquid crystal hosts were aligned by flow or cell surface alignment conditions, and could be modulated by electric or magnetic fields. We observed better microtubules dispersion uniformity in high viscosity liquid crystal host mixtures and in liquid crystal-monomers than in isotropic fluids. Microtubules particles dispersed in ROTN-404 liquid crystal mixture had a much higher birefringence in the microwave region than dispersion in a paraffin oil.     

Nucleation from a supercooled binary mixture studied by crossed polarizers

Polarized light passing through a supercooled binary liquid mixture sample is analyzed during the moment of the nucleation of the crystal phase to determine whether the stable equilibrium crystal is nucleated, or whether a transient phase of different composition or broken-symmetry is formed. This experiment is performed for the particular case of heterogeneous nucleation of a supercooled clathrate-forming liquid mixture, tetrahydrofuran (THF)/water, compared with ice nucleating from pure supercooled water. The new experimental results are consistent with the hypothesis that the equilibrium clathrate hydrate crystal is nucleated directly, with no transient phase detected on the time scale of these experiments.     

Latex piezoelectric immunoassay: detection of agglutination of antibody-bearing latex using a piezoelectric quartz crystal

A method for immunoassay of CRP (C-reactive protein) was developed using a piezoelectric quartz crystal. Previous immunoassays using a piezoelectric crystal have required the formation of a thin film on the crystal, to which an antibody is affixed. The occurrence of antigen-antibody reaction increases the weight attached to the crystal surface, which causes a reduction in the oscillation frequency. In our method, the frequency reduction was observed using antibody-bearing latex without any film. One possible mechanism of the frequency change is that the crystal acts as a sensing apparatus for viscosity or density change in the solution due to aggregation of latex particles. The detection limit was almost the same as that for latex photometric immunoassay (LPIA). The present method has been designated as latex piezoelectric immunoassay (LPEIA).     

A new anisotropic soft-core model for the simulation of liquid crystal mesophases

A new anisotropic soft-core model is presented, which is suitable for the rapid simulation of liquid crystal mesophases. The potential is based on a soft spherocylinder, which can be easily tuned to favor different liquid crystal mesophases. The soft-core nature of the potential makes it suitable for long-time step molecular dynamics or dissipative particle dynamics simulations, particularly as a reference model for mesogens or as an anisotropic solvent for use in combination with atomistic models. Results are presented for two variants of the new potential, which show different mesophase behaviors. Variants of the potential can also be linked together to produce more complicated molecular structures. Here, as an example, results are provided for a model multipedal liquid crystal, which has eight liquid crystalline groups linked to a central core via semiflexible chains. Here, despite the complexity of molecular structure, the model succeeds in showing the spontaneous formation of a liquid crystal phase. The results also demonstrate that there is a very strong coupling between the internal structure of the multipedal mesogen and the molecular order of the phase, with the mesogen spontaneously undergoing major structural rearrangement at the transition to the liquid crystal phase.     

辉光放电等离子体处理阳离子染料结晶紫废水

用辉光放电等离子体技术对结晶紫进行了降解脱色处理,考察了多种因素对结晶紫降解效果的影响。实验发现,提高电解质浓度和增加电压均可提高结晶紫的脱色效果,考虑到电极损耗,辉光放电最佳条件为:电解质浓度为2 g/L Na2SO4,电压为600 V。当改变溶液的初始pH值时,结晶紫的脱色率随溶液的初始pH值升高而增加,加入一定量H2O2能明显地提高结晶紫的脱色效率;若加入0.4 mmol/L Fe2 ,5 min时结晶紫的脱色率由原来的13.64%增加到91.36%。结果表明,辉光放电产生的.OH对结晶紫的降解起重要作用。最佳条件下,40 min内的脱色率达到93%,降解率为74%。     

混合表面活性剂双水相性质的研究

本文利用电导法及冷冻蚀刻实验技术研究了正负离子表面活性双水相上相中的液晶结构状态及其相关性质。在双水相相体积比一组成关系曲线上及上相电导率—组成曲线上,均存在明显的转折。转折处组成是有偏光现象的双水相与无偏光现象的双水相的分水岭,立方液晶导电能力与容纳水的能力强于层状液晶或六方液晶。冷冻蚀刻实验证实了无偏光现象的立方液晶的存在。本文对一些机理进行了讨论。     

Are the NF4+ cations in NF4BF4 really nontetrahedral?

The crystal structure of NF4BF4 has been reexamined. The low-temperature X-ray structure and solid-state 19F MAS NMR spectra are in agreement with the conclusions reached from the vibrational spectra, that solid NF4+ salts contain only tetrahedral NF4+ cations. The alleged observation of two kind of nontetrahedral NF4+ cations in several previous crystal structures is attributed to incorrectly solved structures and, possibly, problems caused by disorder or twinning. It is further evidence for the dangers of over-reliance on crystal structures. Flawed crystal structures can give rise to either bad or unwarranted theory.