Time-resolved chemiluminescence technique for the microdetermination of proteins based on their complexation with copper(II).

Based on the complexation between proteins and Cu(II) coupled with the time-resolved chemiluminescence (CL) technique, a highly sensitive and quantitative assay for measuring proteins in solution is described. The complexes of proteins with Cu(II) have a strongly catalytic effect on the luminol-H2O2 CL reaction. Because the CL emission produced by the complexes is much more long-lived than that by Cu(II), the CL signals originating from proteins can be easily identified and measured with a time-resolved technique. On this basis, bovine albumin fraction V (BAF V) can be quantitatively determined in the range of 0.01 - 5.0 microg/ml with a detection limit of 5.8 ng/ml. The results show that the proposed assay exhibits a small variation in the response values for the same amount of different proteins, as compared to the Lowry as well as Bradford assays. The CL assay has also been studied for the detection of immobilized proteins.     

Ferritin immunosensing on microfabricated electrodes based on the integration of immunoprecipitation and electrochemical signaling reactions.

A signal registration strategy from micropatterned immunosensors that converts antigen-antibody binding reactions into electrochemical signals was demonstrated. An array-type micropatterned gold electrode on a silicon wafer was fabricated, containing two electrode geometries of rectangular (100 microm x 500 microm) and circular (r. 50 microm) types, exhibiting electrochemical characteristics of bulk and micro-electrodes, respectively. Ferritin was employed as a model analyte for immunosensing because it has an advantageous molecular structure for functionalization to the sensing interface, and is regarded as a general marker protein for tumors and cancer recurrence. With the fabricated and ferritin-functionalized immunosensors, biospecific interactions were performed with antiferritin antiserum and secondary antibody samples, followed by electrochemical signaling via an immunoprecipitation reaction by the label enzyme. Under the optimized affinity-surface construction steps and reaction conditions, both types of microfabricated electrodes exhibited well-defined calibration results as a function of the protein concentration in antiserum samples. Furthermore, circular-type micropatterned immunoelectrodes exhibited voltammetric characteristics of microelectrodes, which is advantageous in terms of sensor operation under a fixed potential and low signal drift during the signaling reaction compared with the bulk-type electrodes. The results support that the employed signaling method with the proposed immunosensor configuration is fit for sensor miniaturization and integration to future biomicrosystems.     

Fluorescent-based single-strand conformation polymorphism/heteroduplex capillary electrophoretic mutation analysis of the P53 gene.

Fluorescent-based single-strand conformation polymorphism (F-SSCP) analysis with capillary electrophoresis (CE) is the most common method for the detection of mutation because of its high sensitivity and resolution. In this study, we prepared an inexpensive linear polyacrylamide (LPA), and successfully applied it to CE-SSCP analysis and tandem CE-SSCP/heteroduplex analysis (HA) of the P53 gene on an ABI capillary genetic analyzer. A comparison of the sieving capabilities of a homemade LPA and commercial polydimethylacrylamide (PDMA) demonstrates that the homemade LPA has a higher resolution, a shorter analysis time, and is more suitable for tandem SSCP/HA than commercial PDMA. To show the usefulness, mutations of P53 gene exon 7 - 8 in 37 tumor samples were investigated by using homemade LPA. The results indicate that 10 mutations were found in 9 of 37 cases; the majority of P53 mutations were missense mutations, and 70% were located in exon 7, which plays an important role in neoplastic progression in human tumorigenesis.     

Ba（n，x）~（134）Cs，~（134）Ba（n，2n）~（133）Ba，

用中子活化法相对于５４Ｆｅ（ｎ，Ｐ）５４Ｍｎ反应，在１３．５０—１４．８０ＭｅＶ中子能区测量了Ｂａ（ｎ，ｘ）１３４Ｃｓ，１３４Ｂａ（ｎ，２ｎ）１３３Ｂａ，１４０Ｃｅ（ｎ，２ｎ）１３９Ｃｅ，１４２Ｃｅ（ｎ，２ｎ）１４１Ｃｅ和２３Ｎａ（ｎ，２ｎ）２２Ｎａ的反应截面．并将所测的结果和其他作者的结果进行了比较，中子能量是用９０Ｚｒ（ｎ，２ｎ）８９ｍ＋ｇＺｒ反应和９３Ｎｂ（ｎ，２ｎ）９２ｍＮｂ反应截面比法测定的。     

Optical behaviour of photoimageable cholesteric liquid crystal cells with various novel chiral compounds

In theory, both polarity and steric hindrance are basic factors which affect molecular interactions. To investigate the optical properties and steric structures of chiral compounds having different chiral moieties which affect the wavelength of light reflection in liquid crystal (LC) cells, a series of novel chiral compounds and azobenzene derivatives were synthesized. The liquid crystalline phases of the compounds were identified using small angle X-ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry and polarizing optical microscopy. Cholesteric LC cells with various synthesized chiral dopants which selectively reflect visible light were first prepared, the photochemical switching behaviour of colours was then investigated, with special reference to the change in transmittance in cholesteric LC cells containing an azobenzene derivative as a photoisomerizable guest molecule. Reversible isomerization of azobenzene molecules occurred in the cholesteric systems, resulting in a depression of T_ChI and a shift of the selectively reflected wavelength. We discuss the photochemically driven change in the helical pitch of the cholesteric LCs with respect to structural effects involving the chiral moieties. Molecular interactions caused by the added dopants, reliability and stability of the photoisomerization, and UV irradiation effects on the cholesteric LC cells were also investigated. A real image was recorded through a mask on a cholesteric LC cell fabricated in this investigation.     

A complete boundary integral formulation for compressible Navier–Stokes equations

A complete boundary integral formulation for compressible Navier–Stokes equations with time discretization by operator splitting is developed using the fundamental solutions of the Helmholtz operator equation with different order. The numerical results for wall pressure and wall skin friction of two‐dimensional compressible laminar viscous flow around airfoils are in good agreement with field numerical methods. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Dispersion and distribution of organically modified montmorillonite in nylon‐66 matrix

Nylon‐66 nanocomposites were prepared by melt‐compounding nylon‐66 with an alkyl ammonium surfactant pretreated montmorillonite (MMT). The thermal stability of the organic MMT powders was measured by thermogravimetric analysis. The decomposition of the surfactant on the MMT occurred from 200 to 500 °C. The low onset decomposition temperature of the organic MMT is one shortcoming when it is used to prepare polymer nanocomposites at high melt‐compounding temperatures. To provide greater property enhancement and better thermal stability of the polymer/MMT nanocomposites, it is necessary to develop MMT modified with more thermally stable surfactants. The dispersion and spatial distribution of the organic MMT layers in the nylon‐66 matrix were characterized by X‐ray diffraction. The organic MMT layers were exfoliated but not randomly dispersed in the nylon‐66 matrix. A model was proposed to describe the spatial distribution of the organic MMT layers in an injection‐molded rectangular bar of nylon‐66/organic MMT nanocomposites. Most organic MMT layers were oriented in the injection‐molding direction. Layers near the four surfaces of the bar were parallel to their corresponding surfaces; whereas those in the bulk differed from the near‐surface layers and rotated themselves about the injection‐molding direction. The influence of the spatial distribution of the organic MMT on crystallization of nylon‐66 was also investigated. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 41: 1234–1243, 2003     

Interfacial effects on stress distribution in model composites

Raman mechanical spectroscopy was used to examine interfacial effects on the stress distribution in model polydiacetylene fiber/epoxy composites. Epoxy release agents were coated on fiber surfaces to modify the interfacial adhesion properties. The modified fiber surfaces were then characterized by scanning electron microscopy and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy as well as optical microscopy. No difference in the maximum stress value or stress distribution was observed for the two types of fibers, coated or uncoated, used in composites. This suggests that adhesion properties at the composite interface do not affect tensile stress transfer efficiency nor, therefore, the composite tensile modulus along the fiber axis direction in uniaxial composites. Experimental data were also compared with theoretical calculations assuming perfect bonding between fiber and matrix, and idealized frictional force transfer mechanism at the fiber–matrix interface.     

Influence of preparation methods on structure and properties of PA6/PA66 blends: A comparison of melt‐mixing and in situ blending

The blends composed of polyamide 6 (PA6) and polyamide 66 (PA66) were obtained using two different preparation methods, one of which was the melt‐mixing through a twin‐screw extruder and the subsequent injection molding; and the other, the in situ blending through anionic polymerization of ε‐caprolactam in the presence of PA66. For the former, there existed a remarkable improvement in toughness but a drastic drop in strength and modulus; however, for the latter, a reverse but less significant trend of mechanical properties change appeared. Various characterizations were conducted, including the analyses of crystalline morphology, crystallographic form, and crystallization and melting behaviors using polarized optical microscopy (POM), wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction (WAXD), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), respectively; observation of morphology of fractured surface with scanning electron microscope (SEM); measurement of glass transition through dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA); and the intermolecular interaction as well as the interchange reaction between the two components by Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FT‐IR) and ¹³C solution NMR. The presence and absence of interchange reaction was verified for the in situ and melt‐mixed blends, respectively. It is believed that the transreaction resulted in a drop in glass transition temperature (T_g) for the in situ blends, contrary to an increase of T_g with increasing PA66 content for the melt‐mixed ones. And the two kinds of fabrication methods led to significant differences in the crystallographic form, spherulite size and crystalline content and perfection as well. Accordingly, it is attempted to explain the reasons for the opposite trends of changes in the mechanical properties for these two blends. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 45: 1176–1186, 2007     

Dialdehyde starch‐crosslinked chitosan films and their antimicrobial effects

For improved mechanical and water‐swelling properties of chitosan films, a series of transparent films were prepared with dialdehyde starch as a crosslinking agent. Fourier transform infrared and X‐ray analysis results demonstrated that the formation of Schiff's base disturbed the crystallization of chitosan. The mechanical properties and water‐swelling properties of the films were significantly improved. The best values of the tensile strength and breaking elongation were 113.1 MPa and 27.0%, respectively, when the dialdehyde starch content was 5%. All the crosslinked films still retained obvious antimicrobial effects toward S. aureus and E. coli, and they showed potential for biomedical applications. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 41: 993–997, 2003