Study on the effects of flame retardants on the thermal decomposition of wood by TG–MS

The effect of three flame retardants, K₂CO₃, Na₂SiO₃·9H₂O, and Na₂B₄O₇·10H₂O on the process and composition of volatile products of the thermal degradation of wood has been investigated by the thermogravimetric (TG), differential thermogravimetry (DTG), differential thermal analysis (DTA), and the synchronous thermogravimetry–mass spectrometry (TG–MS) analysis methods. The results showed that the ion current intensity and ion peak area of m/z = 18 and 44 MS signals were increased by the flame retardants but the ion peak area of m/z = 28 MS signal was decreased (except K₂CO₃) at the meantime. What’s more, the ion current intensity and ion peak area of m/z = 60 and 68 MS signals were also decreased (except K₂CO₃), which mean that Na₂B₄O₇ can significantly enhances the dehydration and inhibits the depolymerization of wood. Although K₂CO₃ accelerates the dehydration reaction, it cannot inhibit the depolymerization reaction effectively, so the flame retardant efficiency of K₂CO₃ is decreased with the higher concentration. The catalysis of dehydration reaction of Na₂SiO₃ is the worst one.     

“Stainomics”: Identification of mitotracker labeled proteins in mammalian cells

Organelle‐specific cell‐permeable fluorescent dyes are invaluable tools in cell biology as they reveal intracellular dynamics in living cells. Mitrotracker is a family of dyes that strongly label the mitochondrion, a key organelle associated with many crucial cellular functions. Despite the popularity of these dyes, little is known about the molecular mechanism behind their staining specificity. Here, we aimed to identify the protein targets of one member of this dye family, mitotracker red (MTR), by 2DE and MS. MTR bound to cellular proteins covalently, and its fluorescence persisted even after cell lysis, protein solubilization, denaturation, and electrophoresis. This enabled us to display MTR‐labeled proteins by 2DE. The MTR‐specific fluorescent signals on the gel revealed the spots that contained MTR‐conjugated proteins. These spots were analyzed by MS, resulting into the identification of ten proteins. We discovered that one major target is the mitochondrial protein HSP60 and that MTR staining could induce production of HSP60, predisposing cells to heat shock‐like responses. The identification of the molecular targets of biological dyes, or “stainomics,” can help correlate their intracellular staining properties with biochemical affinities. We believe this approach can be applied to a wide range of fluorescent probes.     

Temperature-controlled synthesis of substituted pyridine derivatives via the [5C + 1N] annulation of 1,1-bisalkylthio-1,4-pentanedienes and ammonium acetate

A novel temperature-controlled one-pot synthesis of substituted pyridine derivatives via [5C + 1N] annulation of 1,1-bisalkylthio-1,4-pentanedienes and ammonium acetate is developed, and possible mechanisms leading to the divergent formation of the two types of pyridines are discussed.     

Synthesis and characterization of sulfonated single-walled carbon nanotubes and their performance as solid acid catalyst

Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) were treated with sulfuric acid at 300 °C to synthesize sulfonated SWCNTs (s-SWCNTs), which were characterized by electron microscopy, infrared, Raman and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and thermo analysis. Compared with activated carbon, more sulfonic acid groups can be introduced onto the surfaces of SWCNTs. The high degree (∼20 wt%) of surface sulfonation led to hydrophilic sidewalls that allows the SWCNTs to be uniformly dispersed in water and organic solvents. The high surface acidity of s-SWCNTs was demonstrated by NH₃ temperature-programmed desorption technique and tested by an acetic acid esterification reaction catalyzed by s-SWCNTs. The results show that the water-dispersive s-SWCNTs are an excellent solid acid catalyst and demonstrate the potential of SWCNTs in catalysis applications.     

Carbon tetrabromide-mediated carbon-sulfur bond formation via a sulfenyl bromide intermediate

In the presence of carbon tetrabromide, a variety of dithiocarbamates, xanthates, dithioesters, and thioethers were prepared in one pot by reacting the corresponding dithioic acids or thiols with active methylene compounds/indole derivatives under mild conditions. The formation of a sulfenyl bromide intermediate is proposed as the key step, which initiates the C-S bond formation.     

HVPE生长厚层GaN基片V/Ⅲ对结晶质量的影响

采用HVPE法,通过改变V/Ⅲ生长厚层GaN基片。分别采用X射线双晶衍射摇摆曲线、拉曼光谱及扫描探针显微镜进行生长晶体结晶质量和显微形貌分析。生长出表面光亮、无坑、无裂痕的60μm以上厚层GaN基片,并简要介绍厚层GaN基片生长过程中V/Ⅲ影响成核岛演变的规律。     

快照的时间反转和逆时偏移法对含有固体分层介质中目标的超声检测

快照的时间反转和逆时偏移方法已实现了液-液分层介质中目标的超声检测和定位,现进一步推广到含有固体分层介质情形.由于在含有固体分层介质中,都存在多种的反射波和散射波,因此提出一种筛选方法,首先从中筛选出散射波以及所属波型,再利用快照的时间反转和逆时偏移方法进行处理.实验分别研究了固-液、液-固和固-固分层介质3种情况.利...     

Effects of Smoking on Inflammatory-Related Cytokine Levels in Human Serum

Cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, and several cancers resulting from tobacco smoking, are initially characterized by chronic systemic inflammation. Cytokine imbalances can result in inflammation, making it important to understand the pathological mechanisms behind cytokine production. In this study, we collected blood samples from 78 healthy male volunteers, including non-smokers (n = 30), current smokers (n = 30), and ex-smokers (n = 18), and utilized the liquid suspension chip technique to investigate and compare the expression levels of 17 cytokines and chemokines in the human serum of these volunteers. The results demonstrated that the expression levels of CXCL9/MIG and sIL-6R significantly increased after smoking, and continued to increase after quitting smoking. The expression levels of TARC, ITAC, and sVEGFR-3 increased after smoking but decreased after quitting smoking; the expression level of SAA significantly decreased after smoking and showed an upward trend after quitting smoking. Seven cytokines (IL-1β, BCA-1, TNF-α, CRP, ENA-78, MDC, and TNFRII) did not vary between the three groups, while four cytokines (IL-1α, IL-6, IL-8, and SCF) were not detected in any serum sample. In conclusion, this study assessed the physiological production of cytokines and chemokines, highlighting the differences in each due to smoking status. Our results could help evaluate the early development of smoking-related chronic diseases and cancers.