A cytotoxic dimeric furanoheliangolide from Piptocoma rufescens

A new sesquiterpene lactone, rufescenolide C (1), the first furanoheliangolide dimer, was isolated from the leaves of Piptocoma rufescens, collected in the Dominican Republic. Its structure was determined by interpretation of its spectroscopic data, with the absolute configuration being established by analysis of the CD spectrum. A plausible biogenesis of this dimer is proposed. This compound showed potent cytotoxicity with an IC₅₀ value of 150 nM, when tested against HT-29 human colon cancer cells.     

Mechanism of α-acetyl-γ-butyrolactone synthesis

The mechanism of α-acetyl-γ-butyrolactone (ABL) synthesis from γ-butyrolactone (GBL) and ethyl acetate (EtOAc) was explored by detecting the material changes involved and the enthalpies of formation of the synthons, products, and possible intermediates were calculated using the density functional theory. GBL forms a carbanion of γ-butyrolactone by losing an α-H under strongly alkaline conditions. ABL is then obtained via two reaction mechanisms. One of the reaction mechanisms involves direct reaction of the carbanion of GBL with EtOAc to produce ABL. The other involves the formation of a carbanion of α-(2-hydroxy-tetrahydrofuran-2-yl)-γ-butyrolactone through the reaction of two molecules of GBL, and the subsequent combination of this anion with EtOAc to produce ABL. ABL is thus formed through the above two kinds of competitive ester condensation reactions. It is unnecessary to take into account synthons’ local thickness, and their self-condensation under these conditions. Both reactions of the carbanion of GBL with EtOAc and GBL are exothermic, so the control of their reaction rate is the key to their security. Considering the reasons above, this work applied synthon as the solvent, and avoided environmental pollution by alkylbenzene; also, accidents such as red material and fire were avoided by specific surface area of sodium metal control. Effective isolation of the organic and aqueous phases was performed using the salting out method. Thus, an environmentally friendly, safe, simple, and efficient new method for the synthesis of ABL with the yield higher than 90 % has been established.     

Highly transparent silica monoliths embedded with high concentration oxide nanoparticles

Silica monoliths embedded with high concentration of γ-Fe₂O₃ or TiO₂ nanoparticles were prepared by a sol–gel procedure designed according to the inherent properties of oxide colloids. In the first step, highly dispersible oxide nanoparticles were produced using an in situ modification sol–gel strategy. Then, these particles were re-dispersed in silicon alkoxide-containing solution to form a stable colloidal solution. The hydrolysis and condensation reactions of alkoxide were catalyzed by an organic base (morpholine). Due to the large molecule size of morpholine, the electric double layer on the surface of colloidal particles was not compressed by the ionized morpholine molecules. The colloidal solution thus remained stable during the gelation process. Through this procedure, oxide nanoparticles could be immobilized homogeneously in the pores of a silica matrix, forming highly transparent and crack-free monoliths.     

Study on the Correlation between the Protein Profile of Lupin Milk and Its Cheese Production Compared with Cow’s Milk

Australian sweet lupin, the largest legume crop grown in Western Australia, is receiving global attention from the producers of new foods. To understand the effect of protein on cheese yield, lupin milk proteins were separated from the first, second, and third filtrations by cheesecloths. However, proteins from the first and second were analyzed using two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis; then, the isolated proteins associated with cheese production were identified. The research also focused on identifying the optimal method of cheese production based on the coagulation process, temperature, yield, and sensory evaluation. Lupin curds from the two cultivars, Mandelup and PBA Jurien, were produced using vinegar, lemon juice, starter culture, vegetable rennet enzyme as coagulant, as well as curd generated using starter culture and vegetable rennet enzyme. Cow’s milk was used as a control. The results indicated that first-time filtration produced better extraction and higher yield of lupin proteins and cheese than the second filtration. A sensory analysis indicated that lupin cheese produced from PBA Jurien lupin milk using vinegar, 7.80% expressed as acetic acid, and ground in 45 °C water, was the most acceptable. The cheeses were examined for their protein, carbohydrates, fat, ash, and moisture contents. The concentration of protein was approximately 27.3% and 20.6%, respectively, in the cheese from PBA Jurien and Mandelup. These results suggest that lupin milk can adequately supply the proteins needed in human diets and, thus, could be used in the production of many existing products that require animal milk as an input.     

Progress of Jinping Underground laboratory for Nuclear Astrophysics (JUNA)

Jinping Underground laboratory for Nuclear Astrophysics(JUNA) will take the advantage of the ultra-low background of CJPL lab and high current accelerator based on an ECR source and a highly sensitive detector to directly study for the first time a number of crucial reactions occurring at their relevant stellar energies during the evolution of hydrostatic stars. In its first phase, JUNA aims at the direct measurements of~(25)Mg(p,γ)~(26)Al,~(19)F(p,α)~(16)O,~(13)C(α,n)~(16)O and ~(12)C(α,γ)~(16)O reactions. The experimental setup,which includes an accelerator system with high stability and high intensity, a detector system, and a shielding material with low background, will be established during the above research. The current progress of JUNA will be given.     

Magnetic interactions in the geometrically frustrated triangular lattice antiferromagnet CuFeO2

The spin-wave excitations of the geometrically frustrated triangular lattice antiferromagnet CuFeO2 have been measured using high resolution inelastic neutron scattering. Antiferromagnetic interactions up to third nearest neighbors in the ab plane (J1, J2, J3, with J{2}/J{1} approximately 0.44 and J{3}/J{1} approximately 0.57), as well as out-of-plane coupling (J{z}, with J{z}/J{1} approximately 0.29) are required to describe the spin-wave dispersion relations, indicating a three-dimensional character of the magnetic interactions. Two energy dips in the spin-wave dispersion occur at the incommensurate wave vectors associated with multiferroic phase and can be interpreted as dynamic precursors to the magnetoelectric behavior in this system.     

某型雷达高频舱数字电路测试系统的设计

某型引进装备雷达高频舱部位数字电路随着使用年限的增长,使用频率的增多,故障率逐年增高,已严重制约装备功能的发挥;针对原有备件必须在所属装备测试的验证方式,对装备本身消耗大、验证手段单一,无法满足维修保障需求的问题,开发了基于实物数据采集、分析、测试于一体的自动测试系统,有效地解决了装备作为唯一验证手段的现状,同时大大提高了测试验证的工作效率及验证的准确性,对装备整体功能以及局部功能的检测产生很大的作用,实用性强,适于推广应用。