Biparametric potentiometric analytical microsystem for nitrate and potassium monitoring in water recycling processes for manned space missions

The construction and evaluation of a Low Temperature Co-fired Ceramics (LTCC)-based continuous flow potentiometric microanalyzer prototype to simultaneously monitor the presence of two ions (potassium and nitrate) in samples from the water recycling process for future manned space missions is presented. The microsystem integrates microfluidics and the detection system in a single substrate and it is smaller than a credit card. The detection system is based on two ion-selective electrodes (ISEs), which are built using all-solid state nitrate and potassium polymeric membranes, and a screen-printed Ag/AgCl reference electrode. The obtained analytical features after the optimization of the microfluidic design and hydrodynamics are a linear range from 10 to 1000 mg L⁻¹ and from 1.9 to 155 mg L⁻¹ and a detection limit of 9.56 mg L⁻¹ and 0.81 mg L⁻¹ for nitrate and potassium ions respectively.     

Rapid analysis of phthalic acid esters in environmental water using fast elution gas chromatography with mass spectrometry and adaptive library spectra

A method for the fast determination of the components in a complex sample by using gas chromatography with mass spectrometry was developed and used for the quantitative analysis of phthalic acid esters in environmental water. In the method, the adaptively corrected mass spectra were used to compensate for the differences between the library spectra and the measured ones in the experiment. The correction was obtained by the iterative transformation of the library spectra using iterative target transformation factor analysis, and the resolution was performed by non‐negative immune algorithm using the corrected spectra. Rapid analysis of 16 phthalic acid esters in water samples was achieved using fast elution gas chromatography with mass spectrometry measurements. The results show that the mass spectra and chromatographic profiles of the phthalic acid esters can be obtained from the overlapping signal of 13 min elution, and accurate quantitative analysis can be obtained. The recoveries of the phthalic acid esters obtained by standard addition are between 90.3 and 107.4%, and the relative standard deviations obtained in repeated measurements are less than 9%.     

Synthesis and characterization of folic acid‐modified carboxymethyl chitosan‐ursolic acid targeted nano‐drug carrier for the delivery of ursolic acid and 10‐hydroxycamptothecin

Carboxymethyl chitosan (CMCS), as a water‐soluble, biocompatible, and biodegradable polymer, is an excellent carrier for a sustained drug delivery system. In this study, a amphiphilic carboxymethyl chitosan‐ursolic acid nano‐drug carrier modified by folic acid (FPCU) were prepared, and then the nano‐drug carrier wrapped another anticancer drug 10‐hydroxycamptothecin were self‐assembled into nanoparticles (FPCU/HCPT NPs). The FPCU/HCPT NPs had a suitable size, high drug loading efficiency of ursolic acid (6.4%) and 10‐hydroxycamptothecin (14.1%). The drug release study in vitro indicated that the nanoparticles have obviously sustained effect and pH sensitive behaviors, the drug release amount was higher at pH 5.5 than at pH 7.4. in vitro and in vivo study showed that the nanoparticles displayed a high antitumor efficiency to tumor cells compared with free drug. The nano delivery system as a carrier for ursolic acid (UA) and 10‐hydroxycamptothecin (HCPT) has good application prospects in cancer treatment.     

Changes in the physical properties of low bandgap polymer after interaction with ionic liquids

Over the past few years, polymers shown comprehensive utilization in optical devices, solar cells, sensors, and other such devices. However, the efficiency of these devices remains a problem. We have synthesized new thiophene based, lowband gap polymer, poly(2-heptadecyl-4-vinylthieno[3,4-d] [1,3] selenazole) (PHVTS) and investigated the interactions between the PHVTS and ionic liquids (ILs), in this study. We have used imidazolium- and ammonium-family ILs, and studied the interactions using various spectroscopic techniques such UV–visible, FTIR, and confocal Raman spectroscopies. Additionally, we studied surface morphology of the polymer-IL film. Spectroscopic studies show that both families of ILs can interact with the newly synthesized polymer poly(2-heptadecyl-4-vinylthieno[3,4-d] [1,3] selenazole). However, the imidazolium-family Ionic Liquid-polymer (IL-polymer) mixture films show higher conductivities than ammonium-family IL–polymer mixture films.     

α-Trifluoromethyl Chalcones as Potent Anticancer Agents for Androgen Receptor-Independent Prostate Cancer

α-Trifluoromethyl chalcones were prepared and evaluated for their antiproliferative activities against androgen-independent prostate cancer cell lines as well as five additional types of human tumor cell lines. The most potent chalcone 5 showed superior antitumor activity in vivo with both oral and intraperitoneal administration at 3 mg/kg. Cell-based mechanism of action studies demonstrated that 5 induced cell accumulation at sub-G1 and G2/M phases without interfering with microtubule polymerization. Furthermore, several cancer cell growth-related proteins were identified by using chalcone 5 as a bait for the affinity purification of binding proteins.     

基于酶辅助靶标循环的适体传感器灵敏检测中药中黄曲霉毒素B1

该文基于酶辅助靶标循环信号放大策略构建了用于黄曲霉毒素B1(AFB1)高灵敏检测的化学发光适体传感器。以G-四链体/氯化血红素DNA酶为信号分子设计了免标记的适体探针H1-S1和发夹探针H2。适体探针结合目标AFB1,在核酸外切酶I辅助下,触发靶标循环反应产生发夹H1。发夹H1与H2杂交,释放出完整的G-四链体序列,并进一步与氯化血红素结合形成G-四链体/氯化血红素DNA酶。DNA酶通过催化氧化鲁米诺-H2O2化学发光体系产生化学发光信号,实现AFB1的放大检测。在最优实验条件下,化学发光强度与AFB1质量浓度的对数在0.001~100 ng/mL范围内呈良好的线性关系,相关系数(r2)为0.9955,检出限为0.93 pg/mL,回收率为93.7%~107%。该适体传感器操作简单、灵敏度高、特异性好,在黄曲霉毒素污染检测方面具有良好的应用前景。     

地面目标雷达与红外特性数据库构建

为了对地面目标雷达与红外特性测试的各类数据进行统一规范化管理,使其高效应用,分析各类数据的特性及其处理方式,构建了目标特性数据库管理系统;数据库的整体设计中,在数据头和数据文件方案基础上增加了自动跟随数据表编号的路径生成方法,结合了接口式的运作结构,模块化的数据库功能和层次化的数据表结构设计思路;数据库的编制基于Access数据库管理软件和VC++编程软件,通过ADO数据库访问技术加以实现,详细描述了ADO接口的编程步骤,并对本接口不同指针的入库频率和提取效率进行了对比择优;在运行中,提出了主、副数据库移植性管理方法;工作实践验证了目标特性数据库管理系统的可靠性和高效性,为地面目标特性的测试与分析提供了良好的数据支撑。     

A simulation method of aircraft plumes for real-time imaging

Real-time infrared simulation technology can provide a large number of infrared images under different conditions to support the design, test and evaluation of a system having infrared imaging equipment with very low costs. By synthesizing heat transfer, infrared physics, fluid mechanics and computer graphics, a real-time infrared simulation method is proposed based on the method of characteristics to predict the infrared feature of aircraft plumes, which tries to obtain a good balance between simulation precision and computation efficiency. The temperature and pressure distribution in the under-expansion status can be rapidly solved with dynamically changing flight statuses and engine working states. And a modified C–G (Curtis–Godson) spectral band model that combines the plume streamlines with the conventional C–G spectral band model was implemented to calculate the non-uniformly distributed radiation parameters inside a plume field. The simulation result was analyzed and compared with the CFD++, which validates the credibility and efficiency of the proposed simulation method.     

Scale-space point spread function based framework to boost infrared target detection algorithms

Small target detection is one of the major concern in the development of infrared surveillance systems. Detection algorithms based on Gaussian target modeling have attracted most attention from researchers in this field. However, the lack of accurate target modeling limits the performance of this type of infrared small target detection algorithms. In this paper, signal to clutter ratio (SCR) improvement mechanism based on the matched filter is described in detail and effect of Point Spread Function (PSF) on the intensity and spatial distribution of the target pixels is clarified comprehensively. In the following, a new parametric model for small infrared targets is developed based on the PSF of imaging system which can be considered as a matched filter. Based on this model, a new framework to boost model-based infrared target detection algorithms is presented. In order to show the performance of this new framework, the proposed model is adopted in Laplacian scale-space algorithms which is a well-known algorithm in the small infrared target detection field. Simulation results show that the proposed framework has better detection performance in comparison with the Gaussian one and improves the overall performance of IRST system. By analyzing the performance of the proposed algorithm based on this new framework in a quantitative manner, this new framework shows at least 20% improvement in the output SCR values in comparison with Laplacian of Gaussian (LoG) algorithm.     

DOUBLESLICING: a non-iterative single profile multi-exponential curve resolution procedure. Application to time-domain NMR transverse relaxation data

A new non-iterative curve resolution technique for resolving single decay profiles is proposed. The new technique, called DoubleSlicing, is based on the Decra (Direct Exponential Curve Resolution Algorithm) principle. While the original Decra was designed to resolve several decay curves simultaneously and thus fitting common pure exponentials, DoubleSlicing can resolve single decay profiles by a simple double data transformation followed by an analytical and unique three-way decomposition. The new approach is successfully demonstrated on experimental NMR CPMG relaxation data, measured on combinations of unmixed paramagnetic CuSO(4) solutions. Decay signals of the water component were acquired following an innovative experimental design that ensured no interaction between the components present in each sample under observation. DoubleSlicing proved to be accurate in estimating relaxation times differing in one order of magnitude (range: 19.6-159.4ms). Its performance was comparable to discrete exponential fitting with the advantage of being much faster - in terms of computation time, DoubleSlicing outperformed exponential fitting by a factor of four.