Src Mediates Epigallocatechin-3-O-Gallate-Elicited Acid Sphingomyelinase Activation

Epigallocatechin-3-O-gallate (EGCG) is one of the major bioactive compounds known to be present in green tea. We previously reported that EGCG shows selective toxicity through activation of the protein kinase B (Akt)/cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP)/acid sphingomyelinase (ASM) axis via targeting its receptor 67-kDa laminin receptor (67LR), which is overexpressed in cancer. However, little is known about upstream mechanisms of EGCG-elicited ASM activation. In this study we show that the proto-oncogene tyrosine-protein kinase Src, also known as c-src, plays a crucial role in the anticancer effect of EGCG. We showed that EGCG elicits phosphorylation of Src at Tyr 416, a crucial phosphorylation site for its activity, and that the pharmacological inhibition of Src impedes the upstream events in EGCG-induced cell death signaling including upregulation of Akt activity, increase in cGMP levels, and activation of ASM. Moreover, focal adhesion kinase (FAK), which is involved in the phosphorylation of Src, is colocalized with 67LR. EGCG treatment enhanced interaction of FAK and 67LR. Consistent with these findings, pharmacological inhibition of FAK significantly neutralized EGCG-induced upregulation of Akt activity and activation of ASM. Taken together, FAK/Src play crucial roles in the upstream signaling of EGCG.     

Field-induced formation and manipulation of a microscale liquid ball on an outside wall of the pulled pipette

We report a phenomenological observation of electric-field-induced formation and manipulation of liquid ball on an outer wall of the pulled pipette by using the quartz tuning fork-based atomic force microscope (QTF-AFM). The dye molecule solution with excitation wavelength of 488 nm and detection efficiency of 95% is used to investigate the movement characteristics of liquid droplets when the electric field is applied. The ejected liquid solution forms a microscale liquid droplet at the apex of the pipette by the application of electric field, containing dye molecules, which climbs up along the negatively charged outer surface of the pipette due to the electro-osmosis effect. With positive or negative bias voltages, we manipulate a liquid ball to slide upward or downward, respectively. This field-induced transport of a liquid droplet may be useful to nano-biotechnology or droplet-based microfluidic technology, for example, noncontact delivery and manipulation of liquid solution in the form of separated droplets.     

聚（1-乙烯基-3-乙酸烷基酯咪唑）阳离子／P（MMA．VAc）聚合物电解质

合成了一系列由聚（1-乙烯基-3-乙酸烷基酯咪唑）阳离子和二（三氟甲基磺酰亚胺）阴离子（TFSI）组成的聚离子液体并进行了表征．热重分析（TGA）和电导率分析表明,在聚（甲基丙烯酸甲酯,醋酸乙烯酯）（P（MMA—VAc））基体中掺杂聚离子液体后,体系的热稳定性和离子电导率均大为改善,红外光谱（FT—IR）、示差扫描量热分析（DSC）、X射线衍射（XRD）和扫描电子显微镜（SEM）等测试结果亦可佐证．讨论了离子液体的结构以及不同种锂盐（LiC104,LiBF4,LiTFSI）对电解质性能的影响．由PIL／P（MMA—VAc）／LiTFSI组成的共混电解质膜,在可见光下透过率≥90％,可作为离子导电材料用于电致变色器件（ECD）,显示了其优良的电化学性能．     

Understanding the interactions between tris(pentafluoroethyl)-trifluorophosphate-based ionic liquid and small molecules from molecular dynamics simulation

Tris(pentafluoroethyl)trifluorophosphate ([FEP])-based ionic liquids have been widely applied in many fields. For better understanding the properties of [FEP]-based ionic liquids, the interactions between 1-hexyl-3-methylimidazolium ([hmim])[FEP] and small molecules were investigated by molecular dynamics simulations in this work. The small molecules are water, methanol and dimethyl ether. The united-atom (UA) force fields were proposed for methanol and dimethyl ether based on AMBER force field. The densities, enthalpies of vaporization, excess molar properties, and diffusion coefficients of the mixtures were calculated, as well as the microscopic structures characterized by radial distribution functions. Both of the results of the excess energies and microscopic properties show that the strongest interaction is between [hmim][FEP] and dimethyl ether, whereas the interaction between [hmim][FEP] and water is the weakest. Moreover, [hmim][FEP] is more hydrophobic than [hmim] hexafluorophosphate ([PF6]), and the three solutes are mainly distributed around [FEP] anion.     

Calixarene-supported hexadysprosium cluster showing single molecule magnet behavior

The syntheses, crystal structures, magnetic and luminescent properties of three isomorphous compounds [Ln III 6 (μ 4-O) 2 (C4A) 2-(NO 3 ) 2 (HCOO) 2 (CH 3 O) 2 (DMF) 4 (CH 3 OH) 4 ] (Ln = Gd (1), Tb (2) and Dy (3); H 4 C4A = p-tert-butylcalix[4]arene) are reported. These three compounds are featured with the sandwich-like units constructed by two tail-to-tail calixarene molecules and an in-between Ln III 6 octahedron. The Dy III compound exhibits both single molecule magnet behavior and photoluminescence.     

自由基HO2与C2H2反应势能面的理论研究

应用量子化学从头计算和密度泛函理论(DFT)对HO2+C2H2反应体系的反应机理进行了研究.在B3LYP/6-311G**和CCSD(T)/6-311G**水平上计算了HO2+ C2H2反应的二重态反应势能面.计算结果表明,主要反应方式为自由基HO2的H原子和C2H2分子中的C原子结合,经过一系列异构化,最后分解得到主要产物P1 (CH2O+ HCO).此反应是放热反应,化学反应热为-321.99 kJ·mol-1.次要产物为P2 (CO2 +CH3),也是放热反应.     

多壁碳纳米管/聚醚胺复合物的制备

利用亲核加成逐步聚合法成功地制备了芘标记的聚醚胺(pePEA),并将其用于修饰多壁碳纳米管;采用透射电镜分析了pePEA修饰多壁碳纳米管的微观结构,并利用热重分析测定了聚醚胺的负载量.结果表明:聚醚胺对多壁碳纳米管具有较好的包覆作用,包覆层厚度约为1nm,复合物中聚醚胺的质量分数为20.4%.与此同时,多壁碳纳米管/聚醚胺复合物可在水中稳定地分散,分散液放置3周不分层,无聚集现象发生,稳定性较好.     

叔丁基取代二苯并-18-冠-6的合成

以二甘醇和邻苯二酚为原料制得二苯并-18-冠-6;以多聚磷酸为催化剂和溶剂,将二苯并-18-冠-6与叔丁醇反应实现叔丁基化;利用正庚烷重结晶对叔丁基化反应产物进行纯化,得到4,4′-二叔丁基二苯并-18-冠-6和4,5′-二叔丁基二苯并-18-冠-6两种对称的二叔丁基二取代苯并冠醚产品.利用红外光谱和核磁共振谱表征了二叔丁基二取代苯并冠醚产物的结构。