Development of xylose-fermenting yeasts for ethanol production at high acetic acid concentrations

Mutants resistant to comparatively high levels of acetic acid were isolated from the xylose-fermenting yeastsCandida shehatae andPichia stipitis by adapting these cultures to increasing concentrations of acetic acid grown in shake-flask cultures. These mutants were tested for their ability to ferment xylose in presence of high acetic acid concentrations, in acid hydrolysates of wood, and in hardwood spent sulfite liquor, and compared with their wild-type counterparts and between themselves. TheP. stipitis mutant exhibited faster fermentation times, better tolerance to acid hydrolysates, and tolerance to lower pH.     

Preparation and Characterization of an Ancient Aminopeptidase Obtained from Ancestral Sequence Reconstruction for L-Carnosine Synthesis

As a biologically active peptide, L-carnosine has been widely used in the pharmaceutical, cosmetic and health care industries due to its various physiological properties. However, relatively little research is available regarding L-carnosine’s enzymatic synthesis function. In this study, a potential enzyme sequence with the function of carnosine synthesizing was screened out using the ancestral sequence reconstruction (ASR) technique. Identified with L-carnosine synthesis activity, this enzyme was further confirmed using autoproteolytic phenomenon via Western blot and N-terminal sequencing. After purification, the enzymatic properties of LUCA–DmpA were characterized. The melting temperature (T_m) and denaturation enthalpy (ΔH) of LUCA–DmpA were 60.27 ± 1.24 °C and 1306.00 ± 26.73 kJ·mol⁻¹, respectively. Circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy results showed that this ancestral enzyme was composed of α-helix (35.23 ± 0.06%), β-sheet (11.06 ± 0.06%), β-turn (23.67 ± 0.06%) and random coil (32.03 ± 0.06%). The enzyme was characterized with the optimal temperature and pH of 45 °C and 9.0, respectively. Notably, LUCA–DmpA was also characterized with remarkable pH tolerance based on the observation of more than 85% remaining enzymatic activity after incubation at different pH buffers (pH = 6–11) for 12 h. Additionally, rather than being improved or inhibited by metal ions, its enzymatic activity was found to be promoted by introducing organic solvent with a larger log P value. Based on these homology modeling results, the screened LUCA–DmpA is suggested to have further optimization potential, and thereafter to be offered as a promising candidate for real industrial applications.     

P2X7 Receptors in Astrocytes: A Switch for Ischemic Tolerance

A sub-lethal ischemic episode (preconditioning [PC]) protects neurons against a subsequent lethal ischemic injury. This phenomenon is known as ischemic tolerance. PC itself does not cause brain damage, but affects glial responses, especially astrocytes, and transforms them into an ischemia-resistant phenotype. P2X7 receptors (P2X7Rs) in astrocytes play essential roles in PC. Although P2X7Rs trigger inflammatory and toxic responses, PC-induced P2X7Rs in astrocytes function as a switch to protect the brain against ischemia. In this review, we focus on P2X7Rs and summarize recent developments on how astrocytes control P2X7Rs and what molecular mechanisms they use to induce ischemic tolerance.     

一种三次非旋转对称的相位板的检测系统设计

作为零位干涉检测方法中非常有前途的一种方法.计算全息可以用于非旋转对称的非球面的检测.以三次相位板为例,阐述了利用计算全息图检测非旋转对称的非球面的基本原理.分析并推导了三次相位传播过程引入的高阶波像差的理论公式,给出了三次相位板的检测系统的没计结果.详细讨论了计算全息图衍射级次的分离以及计算全息图的二元化,给出了振幅型的计算全息图的图样.计算全息图的刻线最小问隔是40μm,计算全息图的制作精度对检测结果的波前误差的影响仅仅为0.005λ.对检测系统作了详细的公差分析,结果表明所有调整公差对整个检测系统的影响和方根值为83.954 nm.     

PEMFC催化剂的研究：自制抗CO中毒Pt-Ru/C电催化剂的性质

用胶体法制备了抗CO中毒PEMFC阳极Pt-Ru/C电催化剂（标记为THYT－2）,对 比研究了THYT－2与Johnson Matthey (JM)公司同类品牌Pt-Ru/C催化剂的电化学及 其它物理化学性能。结果表明,THYT－2电催化剂在甲醇燃料电池和CO／H_2（Φ_ (CO) = 1 * 10~(-4)）的氢氧燃料电池中的电催化行为与JM催化剂相当,但THYT－ 2在低浓度CO氢气燃料中的电池性能更好。两种催化剂的其它物理化学性质具有类 似性：XPS分析结果表明THYT－2和JM催化剂 中都有三种不同价态的Pt存在：即金 属态Pt(0)、氧化态Pt(II)和Pt(IV)。HRTEM测试结果表明两种催化剂的粒径处在2 ～3 mn左右,这可能是它们拥有良好电化学性能的主要原因之一。本文还对催化剂 中Pt与Ru组分的分布和相互作用进行了讨论,提出了改进Pt-Ru/C电催化剂的思路 。     

Enhanced Four-Electron Selective Oxygen Reduction Reaction at Carbon-Nanotube-Supported Sulfonic-Acid-Functionalized Copper Phthalocyanine

In the present work, the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is explored in an acidic medium with two different catalytic supports (multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and nitrogen-doped multi-walled carbon nanotubes (NMWCNTs)) and two different catalysts (copper phthalocyanine (CuPc) and sulfonic acid functionalized CuPc (CuPc-SO₃⁻)). The composite, NMWCNTs-CuPc-SO₃⁻ exhibits high ORR activity (assessed based on the onset potential (0.57 V vs. reversible hydrogen electrode) and Tafel slope) in comparison to the other composites. Rotating ring disc electrode (RRDE) studies demonstrate a highly selective four-electron ORR (less than 2.5 % H₂O₂ formation) at the NMWCNTs-CuPc-SO₃⁻. The synergistic effect of the catalyst support (NMWCNTs) and sulfonic acid functionalization of the catalyst (in CuPc-SO₃⁻) increase the efficiency and selectivity of the ORR at the NMWCNTs-CuPc-SO₃⁻. The catalyst activity of NMWCNTs-CuPc-SO₃⁻ has been compared with many reported materials and found to be better than several catalysts. NMWCNTs-CuPc-SO₃⁻ shows high tolerance for methanol and very small deviation in the onset potential (10 mV) between the linear sweep voltammetry responses recorded before and after 3000 cyclic voltammetry cycles, demonstrating exceptional durability. The high durability is attributed to the stabilization of CuPc-SO₃⁻ by the additional coordination with nitrogen (Cu-N_x) present on the surface of NMWCNTs.     

阴极支撑型固体氧化物燃料电池的制备与测试

采用固相反应法合成A缺位的(La_0.8Sr_0.2)_0.95MnO₃(LSM95)作为阴极材料,Zr_0.9Sc_0.1SO_1.95(SSZ)商业粉体作为电解质材料,溶胶-凝胶法合成的La_0.8Sr_0.2Cr_0.5Mn_0.5O₃-(LSCrM)作为阳极电催化材料,利用流延、共烧结及浸渍法得到结构为LSCrM-CeO₂|SSZ|3YSZ-LSM95的阴极支撑型固体氧化物燃料电池,分别在氢气气氛和甲烷气氛中进行电化学性能测试. 结果表明,浸渍0.11 g·cm ^-2 CeO₂的LSCrM-CeO₂|SSZ|3YSZ-LSM95单电池在以CH₄为燃料时,600、650、700、750和800 ^oC下的功率密度分别为1.68、4.70、12.40、28.08和54.78 mW·cm ^-2,表现出一定的电化学性能和较好的稳定性.     

Design, synthesis and primary activity of thiomorpholine derivatives as DPP-IV inhibitors

Thirteen thiomorpholine-bearing compounds were designed and synthesized as dipeptidyl peptidase IV（DPP-IV） inhibitors, with natural and non-natural L-amino acids as the starting materials.Their structures were characterized by ¹H NMR,¹³C NMR and HR-MS.The target compounds were screened for the DPP-IV inhibition,and the preliminary SAR result was obtained.Particularly, compounds 4c,4d and 4f with good DPP-IV inhibition in vitro were further evaluated through a mouse oral glucose tolerance test （OGTT）.The preliminary result showed the potential value for further studies on those thiomorpholine-bearing compounds as DPP-IV inhibitors.     

Investigation on the Stability of the Dispersion System of Cross-Linked Polyacrylamide Microspheres

The salt resistance, temperature resistance, and shear stability of a cross-linked polyacrylamide microsphere system are studied by microfiltration, light diffraction analysis, and optical microscopy. The results show that other conditions being equal, the particle diameter of cross-linked polyacrylamide microspheres decreases with increased NaCl concentration. When NaCl concentration is lower than 10,000 mg/L, its effect on the plugging performance of a cross-linked polyacrylamide microsphere system in regard to the nuclear pore membrane is weak in comparison with a linked polymer solution, but the former system has better salt tolerance. Particle diameter decreases with increased swelling temperature. When the swelling temperature is below 90°C, its effect on the plugging performance of the cross-linked polyacrylamide microsphere system in regard to nuclear pore membrane is weak in comparison with the linked polymer solution, but has better temperature tolerance. Particle size shows little change, with shearing rate being increased, while the shape remains about the same and the effect of shearing on the plugging performance of the cross-linked polyacrylamide microsphere dispersion system in regard to the nuclear pore membrane is weak in comparison with the linked polymer solution, but has better shear stability. The salt tolerance, temperature tolerance, and shear stability of microspheres are associated with a particular cross-linked structure.