Chain transfer reactions in emulsion polymerization of butadiene/styrene

Calculation of regulating index r from M̄_W values determined by experiments is proposed. The calculation is based on the assumption that the M̄_W values only depend on the conversion and the regulating index in emulsion polymerization. On this basis the calculation of regulator concentration in the latex particles was also possible. M̄_W values calculated in this way and experimental M̄_W values show good agreement.     

General Method to Increase Carboxylic Acid Content on Nanodiamonds

Carboxylic acid is a commonly utilized functional group for covalent surface conjugation of carbon nanoparticles that is typically generated by acid oxidation. However, acid oxidation generates additional oxygen containing groups, including epoxides, ketones, aldehydes, lactones, and alcohols. We present a method to specifically enrich the carboxylic acid content on fluorescent nanodiamond (FND) surfaces. Lithium aluminum hydride is used to reduce oxygen containing surface groups to alcohols. The alcohols are then converted to carboxylic acids through a rhodium (II) acetate catalyzed carbene insertion reaction with tert–butyl diazoacetate and subsequent ester cleavage with trifluoroacetic acid. This carboxylic acid enrichment process significantly enhanced nanodiamond homogeneity and improved the efficiency of functionalizing the FND surface. Biotin functionalized fluorescent nanodiamonds were demonstrated to be robust and stable single-molecule fluorescence and optical trapping probes.     

Characterisation of Flavour Attributes in Egg White Protein Using HS-GC-IMS Combined with E-Nose and E-Tongue: Effect of High-Voltage Cold Plasma Treatment Time

Egg white protein (EWP) is susceptible to denaturation and coagulation when exposed to high temperatures, adversely affecting its flavour, thereby influencing consumers’ decisions. Here, we employ high-voltage cold plasma (HVCP) as a novel nonthermal technique to investigate its influence on the EWP’s flavour attributes using E-nose, E-tongue, and headspace gas-chromatography-ion-mobilisation spectrometry (HS-GC-IMS) due to their rapidness and high sensitivity in identifying flavour fingerprints in foods. The EWP was investigated at 0, 60, 120, 180, 240, and 300 s of HVCP treatment time. The results revealed that HVCP significantly influences the odour and taste attributes of the EWP across all treatments, with a more significant influence at 60 and 120 s of HVCP treatment. Principal component analyses of the E-nose and E-tongue clearly distinguish the odour and taste sensors’ responses. The HS-GC-IMS analysis identified 65 volatile compounds across the treatments. The volatile compounds’ concentrations increased as the HVCP treatment time was increased from 0 to 300 s. The significant compounds contributing to EWP characterisation include heptanal, ethylbenzene, ethanol, acetic acid, nonanal, heptacosane, 5-octadecanal, decanal, p-xylene, and octanal. Thus, this study shows that HVCP could be utilised to modify and improve the EWP flavour attributes.     

Simultaneous Determination of Seven Lipophilic and Hydrophilic Components in Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge by LC-MS/MS Method and Its Application to a Transport Study in a Blood-Brain-Barrier Cell Model

Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge (SM) has been extensively used in Alzheimer’s disease treatment, the permeability through the blood-brain barrier (BBB) determining its efficacy. However, the transport mechanism of SM components across the BBB remains to be clarified. A simple, precise, and sensitive method using LC-MS/MS was developed for simultaneous quantification of tanshinone I (TS I), dihydrotanshinone I (DTS I), tanshinone IIA (TS IIA), cryptotanshinone (CTS), protocatechuic aldehyde (PAL), protocatechuic acid (PCTA), and caffeic acid (CFA) in transport samples. The analytes were separated on a C18 column by gradient elution. Multiple reaction monitoring mode via electrospray ionization source was used to quantify the analytes in positive mode for TS I, DTS I, TS IIA, CTS, and negative mode for PAL, PCTA, and CFA. The linearity ranges were 0.1–8 ng/mL for TS I and DTS I, 0.2–8 ng/mL for TS IIA, 1–80 ng/mL for CTS, 20–800 ng/mL for PAL and CFA, and 10–4000 ng/mL for PCTA. The developed method was accurate and precise for the compounds. The relative matrix effect was less than 15%, and the analytes were stable for analysis. The established method was successfully applied for transport experiments on a BBB cell model to evaluate the apparent permeability of the seven components.     

AQP4 Attenuated TRAF6/NFκB Activation in Acrylamide-Induced Neurotoxicity

Acrylamide (ACR) is present in high-temperature-processed high-carbohydrate foods, cigarette smoke, and industrial pollution. Chronic exposure to ACR may induce neurotoxicity from reactive oxygen species (ROS); however, the mechanisms underlying ACR-induced neurotoxicity remain unclear. We studied 28-day subacute ACR toxicity by repeatedly feeding ACR (0, 15, or 30 mg/kg) to rats. We conducted RNA sequencing and Western blot analyses to identify differences in mRNA expression in the blood and in protein expression in the brain tissues, respectively, of the rats. AQP4 transient transfection was performed to identify potential associations with protein regulation. The rats treated with 30 mg/kg ACR exhibited hind-limb muscle weakness. Matrix metalloproteinase (MMP9) expression was higher in the ACR-treated group than in the control group. ACR induced MMP-9 and AQP4 protein expression in the brain tissues of the rats, which subsequently presented with neurotoxicity. In the in vitro study, Neuro-2a cells were transiently transfected with AQP4, which inhibited MMP-9 and TNF receptor-associated factor 6 (TRAF6) expression, and inhibited ACR induced expression of TRAF6, IκBα, and nuclear factor κB (NFκB). Using a combination of in vivo and in vitro experiments, this study revealed that depressive symptoms associated with ACR-induced neurotoxicity are associated with downregulation of AQP4 and induction of the TRAF6 pathway.     

A Simple Route to Produce Highly Efficient Porous Carbons Recycled from Tea Waste for High-Performance Symmetric Supercapacitor Electrodes

High-performance porous carbons derived from tea waste were prepared by hydrothermal treatment, combined together with KOH activation. The heat-treatment-processed materials possess an abundant hierarchical structure, with a large specific surface of 2235 m² g⁻¹ and wetting-complemental hydrophilicity for electrolytes. In a two-electrode system, the porous carbon electrodes’ built-in supercapacitor exhibited a high specific capacitance of 256 F g⁻¹ at 0.05 A g⁻¹, an excellent capacitance retention of 95.4% after 10,000 cycles, and a low leakage current of 0.014 mA. In our work, the collective results present that the precursor crafted from the tea waste can be a promising strategy to prepare valuable electrodes for high-performance supercapacitors, which offers a practical strategy to recycle biowastes into manufactured materials in energy storage applications.     

塞曼效应仿真实验平台

塞曼效应实验是学生了解原子具有磁矩和空间取向量子化现象的重要实验,至今塞曼效应仍是研究能级结构的重要方法之一.为了能够让学生更加清楚地了解塞曼效应实验的基本原理和操作规程,针对教学中的重点和难点,运用flash软件制作出塞曼效应仿真实验.该程序可全程高度仿真实验过程,具有界面友好、易于操作、无需安装等优点.为实验教学提供了一种新的辅助方式.     

高雷诺数下非混相Rayleigh-Taylor不稳定性的格子Boltzmann方法模拟

本文采用相场格子Boltzmann方法研究了竖直微通道内中等Atwoods数流体的单模Rayleigh-Taylor不稳定性问题,系统分析了雷诺数对相界面动力学行为以及扰动在各发展阶段演化规律的影响.数值结果表明高雷诺数条件下,不稳定性界面扰动的增长经历了四个不同的发展阶段,包括线性增长阶段、饱和速度阶段、重加速阶段及混沌混合阶段.在线性增长阶段,我们计算获得的气泡与尖钉振幅符合线性稳定性理论,并且线性增长率随着雷诺数的增加而增大.在第二个阶段,我们观察到气泡与尖钉将以恒定的速度增长,获得的尖钉饱和速度略高于Goncharov经典势能模型的解析解[Phys.Rev.Lett.200288134502],这归因于系统中产生了多个尺度的旋涡,而涡之间的相互作用促进了尖钉的增长.随着横向速度和纵向速度的差异扩大,气泡和尖钉界面演化诱导产生的Kelvin–Helmholtz不稳定性逐渐增强,从而流体混合区域出现许多不同层次的涡结构,加速了气泡与尖钉振幅的演化速度,并在演化后期阶段,导致界面发生多层次卷起、剧烈变形、混沌破裂等行为,最终形成了非常复杂的拓扑结构.此外,我们还统计了演化后期气泡与尖钉的无量纲加速度,发现气泡和尖钉的振幅在后期呈现二次增长规律,其增长率系数分别为0.045与0.233.而在低雷诺条件下,重流体在不稳定性后期以尖钉的形式向下运动而轻流体以气泡的形式向上升起.在整个演化过程中,界面变得足够光滑,气泡与尖钉在后期的演化速度接近于常数,未观察到后期的重加速与混沌混合阶段.     

真空条件下LiCl溶液蒸发量随浓度变化规律研究

除湿溶液再生是除湿空调系统的核心过程,为了提高除湿溶液再生效率,以蒸发量作为评价标准,在不同的真空度下对不同浓度LiCl溶液进行再生。对不同再生条件下,溶液的再生情况进行数学模拟及实验研究,并将模拟结果与实验结果进行对比分析,结果表明,实验结果同模拟结果具有相同的变化趋势。在6 kPa和8 kPa的压强下,LiCl溶液的蒸发量随浓度的增大先上升后下降,而在1 kPa的压强下,LiCl溶液的蒸发量随浓度的增大呈现出先下降再升高接着又下降的趋势。     

复合材料失效判据有效性验证方法研究

为系统地验证复合材料失效判据计算精度和有效性范围,给出了4种材料体系、6种铺层形式的层合板在单轴、双轴载荷下的失效试验数据,用以评估复合材料失效判据在单向层合板失效包线、多向层合板初始失效包线、多向层合板最终失效包线、层合板变形及层合板的破坏特性等五个方面的预测能力。并根据验证方法和有效性评估策略对失效判据计算精度进行量化考核,给出了失效判据在五个层面上的计算精度。