Topographical properties of polymer films deposited in capillaries for electrophoretic separations of large organic molecules

Topography and thickness of hydrophilic polymer coatings of fused-silica capillaries for capillary electrophoresis (CE) were investigated using atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and profilometry. Three hydrogels, poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) [poly(HEMA)], poly(diethylene glycol monomethacrylate) [poly(DEGMA)], and poly(triethylene glycol monomethacrylate) [poly(TEGMA)], were deposited using two procedures, either by simple physical sorption of the polymers, or by derivatization of the capillary wall surface with glycidyl methacrylate (EPMA) followed by polymerization of the appropriate monomers. The performance of the modified capillaries was tested under CE conditions (decrease in the electroosmotic flow, EOF dependence on pH, separation of milk and standard proteins). It has been found that the most important property of the polymer coating is its thickness, whereas its topography and the degree of its hydrophobicity are less significant. Film deposition by physical adsorption is preferable to polymerization on the derivatized surface.     

The impact of LIMS design and functionality on laboratory quality achievements

 A laboratory information management system (LIMS) can make a major contribution to the quality and therefore to the efficiency and competitiveness of a laboratory. Since it can impact all aspects of a laboratory's organization it must be the key if not the principal player of the laboratory's quality system. It should support the laboratory in establishing, maintaining and applying quality procedures thereby enabling the laboratory to achieve its quality goals. As a tool, LIMS permits the laboratory to input and use its own know-how and experience to optimize the total organization (internal and external) and workflow of generated information. However, perceived "quality" in the context of an LIMS, can be viewed as being made up of different facets such as the security, reliability and accessibility of information as well as its turn around time and production cost. This paper reviews the role of a LIMS in the laboratory and the contribution that both system design and functionality can have on "building quality ". Received: 5 October 1998 · Accepted: 20 October 1998     

Photocatalytic and antifouling properties of TiO2-based photocatalytic membranes

Photocatalysis has been extensively studied due to its potential ability to avoid the excessive use of chemical reagents and reduce the energy consumption by employing solar energy. Moreover, to alleviate the reduction in the membrane permeation selectivity, separation efficiency, and membrane service life caused by the emerging micro-pollutants and membrane fouling, membrane technology is often coupled with microbial, electrochemical, and catalytic processes. However, although physical/chemical cleaning and membrane module replacement can overcome the inherent limitations caused by membrane fouling and other membrane separation processes, high operating costs limit their practical applications. In this review, common preparation methods for TiO₂ photocatalytic membranes are described in detail, and the main approaches to enhancing their photocatalytic performance are discussed. More importantly, the mechanism of the TiO₂ photocatalytic membrane antifouling process is elucidated, and some applications of photocatalytic membranes in other areas are described. This review systematically outlines future research directions in the field of photocatalytic membrane modification, including metal and non-metal doping, fabrication of heterojunction structures, control over reaction conditions, increase in hydrophilicity, and increase in membrane porosity.     

我国区域绿色技术创新效率的分类测度和提升模式研究——基于非期望产出的SBM-SupSBM模型

本文首先运用考虑非期望产出的SBM-SupSBM模型估计我国各省市绿色技术创新效率并进行分类:稳定上升类、平稳类、大幅度波动类以及下降类。之后从企业内部和外部两方面对绿色技术创新效率提升的影响因素提出假设,着重考虑大幅度波动类别省份的效率提升。运用面板数据模型各影响因素进行验证,结论显示:企业规模对绿色技术创新效率波动较大的省份起到显著的抑制作用,环境规制和技术进步对绿色技术创新效率波动较大的省份作用不明显。针对分析结果,提出结论:在提升绿色技术创新效率的过程中,应注重企业规模和技术进步的协同作用,以及技术的开放程度。     

Single machine group scheduling with ordered criteria

The single machine group scheduling problem is considered. Jobs are classified into several groups on the basis of group technology, i.e. jobs of the same group have to be processed jointly. A machine set-up time independent of the group sequence is needed between each two consecutive groups. A schedule specifies the sequence of groups and the sequence of jobs in each group. The quality of a schedule is measured by the criteriaF ₁, ...,F _m ordered by their relative importance. The objective is to minimize the least important criterionF _m subject to the schedule being optimal with respect to the more important criterionF _m–1 which is minimized on the set of schedules minimizing criterionF _m–2 and so on. The most important criterion isF ₁, which is minimized on the set of all feasible schedules. An approach to solve this multicriterion problem in polynomial time is presented if functionsF ₁, ...,F _m have special properties. The total weighted completion time and the total weighted exponential time are the examples of functionsF ₁, ...,F _m–1 and the maximum cost is an example of functionF _m for which our approach can be applied.The research of the authors was partially supported by a KBN Grant No. 3 P 406 003 05, the Fundamental Research Fund of Belarus, Project N 60-242, and the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, Project Schema, respectively. The paper was completed while the first author was visiting the University of Melbourne.     

Influence of static and dynamical structural changes on ultrafast processes mediated by conical intersections

The technological needs imposed by the exponential miniaturization trend of conventional electronic devices has drawn attention towards the development of smaller and faster devices like ultrafast molecular switches. In recent years molecular switches emerge again in the focus of active and innovative research with state-of-the-art optical tools recording their dynamics in real time. Still many questions about the underlying microscopic mechanism are left open, including potential factors that effect the switching process in either way, improve or worsen it. Due to the complexity of such molecules it is difficult to obtain a global answer from experiment alone. On the other side molecular switches are generally too large for a complete quantum chemical and quantum dynamical calculation. In our group we therefore developed an ab initio based modular model to handle the laser induced quantum dynamics in molecular switches like fulgides. It enables us to study the effect of internal molecular coupling and of the molecular response to external fields. We can investigate the related wave packet dynamics, the switching efficiency and the controllability. Our results focus on the laser induced ring opening in fulgides, which equals one direction of the switching process. Presented are the influence of a conical intersection seam and of time-dependent potentials, mimicking the mean interaction with the environment. Furthermore the relation of controllability and the wave packet's momentum is studied and the influence of potential barriers on the switching dynamics is shown.     

An analysis of avidin, biotin and their interaction at attomole levels by voltammetric and chromatographic techniques

The electroanalytical determination of avidin in solution, in a carbon paste, and in a transgenic maize extract was performed in acidic medium at a carbon paste electrode (CPE). The oxidative voltammetric signal resulting from the presence of tyrosine and tryptophan in avidin was observed using square-wave voltammetry. The process could be used to determine avidin concentrations up to 3 fM (100 amol in 3 l drop) in solution, 700 fM (174 fmol in 250 l solution) in an avidin-modified electrode, and 174 nM in a maize seed extract. In the case of the avidin-modified CPE, several parameters were studied in order to optimize the measurements, such as electrode accumulation time, composition of the avidin-modified CPE, and the elution time of avidin. In addition, the avidin-modified electrode was used to detect biotin in solution (the detection limit was 7.6 pmol in a 6 l drop) and to detect biotin in a pharmaceutical drug after various solvent extraction procedures. Comparable studies for the detection of biotin were developed using HPLC with diode array detection (HPLC-DAD) and flow injection analysis with electrochemical detection, which allowed biotin to be detected at levels as low as 614 pM and 6.6 nM, respectively. The effects of applied potential, acetonitrile content, and flow rate of the mobile phase on the FIA-ED signal were also studied.     

低钴AB5型稀土系贮氢电极合金的研究

为了进一步降低AB5型混合稀土系贮氢合金的成本,采用Cr,Si,Cu替代Co和调节化学计量比的方法制备低钴AB5型贮氢合金。结果表明:3种取代元素在寿命方面的效果依次为Si>Cr>Cu,在放电容量和活化性能方面依次是Cu>Cr>Si。Cr,Cu,Si只有少量的替代才可能发挥其有利影响;通过非化学计量比的调节,低钴混合稀土系贮氢电极合金的放电容量、活化性能及倍率放电能力都能较好地达到实用要求,但是循环寿命有待提高。     

Fluorescence Analysis in Microarray Technology

Fluorescence has been the preferred choice for data quantification in biomedical microarray formats since their earliest days. As much as the formats have grown and evolved over the years, the methods in optical analysis have become ever more sophisticated and complex in order to produce more and better output. This review will provide an insight into the most common methods and the state-of-the-art of all areas in microarray fluorescence analysis. Starting with an overview on microarray formats with a focus on their demands on the readout, the most common and useful organic fluorescent stains are discussed before proceeding on to other approaches; the use of semiconductor nanocrystals (quantum dots), polymer and silica nanoparticles and fluorescent proteins. Ways to enhance the intrinsically low signal on biochips have become increasingly important as they offer a sound approach towards the detection of low concentration sample content. The three main categories are presented: amplification using DNA, enzymes, and dendrimers. As much diversity as on the microarrays themselves can be found at the detection device. Standard optical microarray detectors, and non-standard methods using fluorescence anisotropy, fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIM) and fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET), and their advantages and disadvantages are discussed.     

液相组合合成的纯化方法

综述了近8年来液相平行合成和组合合成中应用的不同技术, 包括可溶性载体、氟合成技术、离子液体、固相试剂树脂以及低聚乙烯二醇(OEG)衍生物的应用等几方面内容. 论述了它们的基本原理以及相关的应用实例, 并着重强调了目标化合物的分离纯化方法.