Computational Insight into Biotransformation Profiles of Organophosphorus Flame Retardants to Their Diester Metabolites by Cytochrome P450

Biotransformation of organophosphorus flame retardants (OPFRs) mediated by cytochrome P450 enzymes (CYPs) has a potential correlation with their toxicological effects on humans. In this work, we employed five typical OPFRs including tris(1,3-dichloro-2-propyl) phosphate (TDCIPP), tris(1-chloro-2-propyl) phosphate (TCIPP), tri(2-chloroethyl) phosphate (TCEP), triethyl phosphate (TEP), and 2-ethylhexyl diphenyl phosphate (EHDPHP), and performed density functional theory (DFT) calculations to clarify the CYP-catalyzed biotransformation of five OPFRs to their diester metabolites. The DFT results show that the reaction mechanism consists of Cα-hydroxylation and O-dealkylation steps, and the biotransformation activities of five OPFRs may follow the order of TCEP ≈ TEP ≈ EHDPHP > TCIPP > TDCIPP. We further performed molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to unravel the binding interactions of five OPFRs in the CYP3A4 isoform. Binding mode analyses demonstrate that CYP3A4-mediated metabolism of TDCIPP, TCIPP, TCEP, and TEP can produce the diester metabolites, while EHDPHP metabolism may generate para-hydroxyEHDPHP as the primary metabolite. Moreover, the EHDPHP and TDCIPP have higher binding potential to CYP3A4 than TCIPP, TCEP, and TEP. This work reports the biotransformation profiles and binding features of five OPFRs in CYP, which can provide meaningful clues for the further studies of the metabolic fates of OPFRs and toxicological effects associated with the relevant metabolites.     

Effects of Organic Acids on the Release of Fruity Esters in Water: An Insight at the Molecular Level

It is well known that organic acids (OAs) could affect the flavour of fruit juices and beverages. However, the molecular mechanism of aroma release is still unclear. In this study, the effects of citric acid (CA), L-(-)-malic acid (MA) and L-lactic acid (LA) on the release of six selected esters and their sensory perception were investigated by means of HS-GC-MS analyses and odour detection threshold determination, respectively. Meanwhile, the density functional theory (DFT) calculation was employed to explore the interaction modes between esters and OAs. HS-GC-MS analyses showed that the concentration and the type of OAs regulated the release of esters. The results were basically consistent with the detection threshold change of those esters. The DFT calculation suggested that the main intermolecular interaction was hydrogen bonds, and several esters could form a ternary ring structure with OAs through hydrogen bonds. The interactions can induce the different release behaviours of esters in OAs water solution. The number of carboxyl functional groups in OAs and the spatial conformation of esters appeared to influence the magnitude of the interaction. The above results demonstrated the mechanism of OAs affecting the release of esters and indicated a possible flavour control way by using different OAs and OA concentrations.     

离子通道电子束回旋脉塞的等离子体波效应

研究了离子通道回旋电子束脉塞（ICECM）中的等离子体波非线性效应。利用流体理论与自洽非线性理论方法对ICECM中等离子体波效应的微观机理进行了分析。研究发现,等离子体波加强了电子束的纵向群聚,束-波互作用的能量交换效率及系统增益得到明显提高。数值模拟计算表明,对于中等等离子体密度、1.5kA电流和1MV加速电压的电子束,系统能够获得的脉冲功率和频率分别为200MW和280GHz的毫米波束。     

国家类型学说在近代东亚的传播与重构

国家类型学说源于欧美,是关于如何系统地区分和比较不同国家形式的学问,19世纪中叶以降伴随着西学东渐的潮流输入东亚文明圈。相较于中国的进程缓慢和规模有限,明治日本迅速形成了一套内涵丰富的以辨析国体政体关系为主旨的国家类型知识体系。国体政体是否有别、如何区分的争论,虽直接导源于西方的国家形式、政府形式异同问题,但根本症结在于日本以天皇总揽统治权之“体”行立宪政治之“用”后面临君权与民权的纠缠。清季朝野各方从日本引进各类国体政体理论探索改制问题,同样因君权、民权取向的互歧而衍生出彼此互异的国体政体观念。辛亥革命后,因缘君权时代的结束和民主共和的兴起,日本的国体政体学说在中国日趋失去活力,而民初议会政治的破产和主权所有者“民”背后阶级问题的出现,预示着新兴革命力量必须提出真正符合中国新的政治形势和需求的国家类型理论。     

探寻社会学理论发展的非经验主义道路

默顿倡导以中层理论为中介来联结社会学的经验研究和一般理论研究,推动社会学理论的合理发展,这一倡导具有合理性。但是默顿试图通过以经验研究为基础优先发展中层理论,然后再通过对中层理论进行归纳来形成一般理论这种经验主义策略进而实现这一目标的想法却可能是错误的。正如中层理论并非从经验事实中归纳得来一样,一般理论也难以从中层理论中归纳而来。我们需要探索一条非经验主义的社会学理论发展道路。     

技术导向路径与艺术理论建构

技术作为一种基础性的力量能对艺术发展起到关键作用,但在艺术理论建构过程中这一点却没有得到足够重视。技术从“能量”和“信息”两个维度对艺术产生根本性的影响,因此“为能量使用立法”和“阐释信息”则成为从技术维度建构艺术理论的路径。当下中国正经历一场以移动互联、5G等新引发的技术激变,艺术世界也面临一场崭新变革。艺术理论从技术维度的导向突破实现理论创新,不仅对艺术学自身建设有意义,对整个人文学科的创新发展也都有着不容忽视的意义。     

Influence of processing and clay type on nanostructure and stability of polypropylene–clay nanocomposites

Melt processing is a critical step in the manufacture of polymer articles and is even more critical when dealing with inhomogeneous polymer–clay nanocomposites systems. The chemical composition, and in particular the clay type and its organic modification, also plays a major contribution in determining the final properties and in particular the thermal and long-term oxidative stability of the resulting polymer nanocomposites. Proper selection and tuning of the process variable should, in principle, lead to improved characteristics of the fabricated product. With multiphase systems containing inorganic nanoclays, however, this is not straightforward and it is often the case that the process conditions are chosen initially to improve one or more desired properties at the expense of others.     

Radiation chemistry of tris(acetylacetonato) cobalt(iii) in aqueous solutions

Abstract

On radiolysis tris(acetylacetonato) cobalt(III) in aqueous solutions is found to get reduced by reaction with (1) hydrated electrons, (2) H atoms, (3) OH radicals and (4) C₂H₂OH radicals. The bimolecular rate constants for the first three reactions, determined by competition kinetics are: 4 × 10¹⁰, 2.3 × 10⁹ and 4.7 × 10⁹ M^?1sec^?1 respectively. Absorption spectra of the irradiated solutions indicate the formation of bis(acetylacetonato) cobalt(II) from reaction (1), but not from (3). The total cobaltous yield in air-free solutions is given byG(Co⁺⁺) = 5.6 and 6.5 at pH 6.5 and 1 respectively. It appears that G_eaq- ∽ _H ⁺ G_oH ∽ 2.8 in neutral solutions. Considerations of material balance for the primary yields of radiolysis of water suggest the possibility that the so-called independent H-atoms in neutral solutions are probably excited water molecules or ion-pairs.     

Wavespeed analysis: Approximating Arrhenius kinetics with step-function kinetics

The accuracy of using step-function approximations to the Arrhenius exponential in computing the wavespeed in combustion wave propagation is investigated. Gaseous and gasless combustion, and first- and second-order reactions are included in the study. The theoretical analysis is based on Melnikov theory from dynamical systems. The error is shown to be small in most instances. The analytical results are supported with numerical simulations.     

The electronic transport properties for a single-wall ZnO nanotube with different coupling interfaces

The transport properties of a single-wall ZnO nanotube contacted with two Au (Al or Cu ) electrodes are investigated by a theoretical approach. Our results suggest the contact resistance for ZnO nanotube connected with Au electrodes is the largest one as compared with Al and Cu acting as electrodes. The local density of states (LDOS) near the ZnO nanotube/Cu(Al) interface shows the strong electronic interaction. Also shown is that for Au–ZnO system, we can observe a best rectifying performance, the next is the Al–ZnO system, and the third is Cu–ZnO system. This rectification is also fully rationalized by the calculated transmission spectra, the spatial distribution of the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital and highest occupied molecular orbital states, and the electrostatic potential distribution.