Paper-like Microfibrous Nickel Catalyst for Hydrogen Production via NH3 Decomposition in Fuel Cell Applications

Recently, miniature H2 generator to power fuel cells for portable/micro electronic devices and passenger propulsion has been the focus of intense research activities1-3. One of the strategies is to find simple CO-free H2 production with novel microreactor…     

PARADOXICAL EFFECT OF A GnRH AGONIST ON STEROIDOGENESIS IN CULTURED MONKEY GRANULOSA CELLS

In this study we demonstrate: (i) The GnRH agonist exerts a direct dose-dependet stimulative effect on the aromatase activity and progesterone production in cultured monkey granulosa cells; (ii)the stimulative effect on steroidogenesis can be completely blocked by concomitant treatment with a GnRH antagonist, suggesting that the actions of GnRH are mediated through stringent stereospecific recongnition sites; (iii) in addition to the stimulative effect, the GnRH agonist in the presence of gonadotropins also exerts an inhibitory effect, even though the peptide by itself is more effective in the stimulation of steroidogenesis, and the stimulation of gonadotropin on steroidogenesis could be gradually restored by decreasing the concentration of the GnRH agonist in the culture; and (iv) paradoxical effect can also be observed in the presence of cAMP-inducing agents, suggesting that the inhibitory action of the peptide on gonadotropin-induced steroidogenesis is localized at a step distal to the stringent reco     

现代热力学的完整分类系统--非平衡非耗散热力学新领域

在同一体系中同时有多个不可逆过程时，不可逆过程之间会有相互影响，原来的非自发过程有可能在其他自发过程的影响下得以进行，这种现象就称为热力学耦合或反应耦合，长期以来，经典热力学把热力学第二定律的等式作为平衡体系的充分必要条件，其中隐含了一个前提性的假定，即经典热力学的对象只限于非耦合的体系，摈弃这一隐含的前提性假定以后，热力学自身就发展成为一个现代热力学的完整学术体系，适用于任何宏观体系（包括极其复杂的生命体系），现代热力学的完整学术体系中包含了一个崭新的非平衡非耗散热力学新领域，由于该领域属于热力学第二定律的等式部分，因此可以定量计算，并得到一系列理论计算的非平衡相图，与文献上报道的激尖低压金刚石合成等的大量实验数据相符。     

碳化硅压腔和高压下的中子衍射

使用宝石级碳化硅晶体作为压砧材料，成功研制出了碳化硅压腔（MAC），并应用全景式MAC进行了高压下物质的中子衍射实验研究。结果表明，MAC是一种既能产生高的压力又具有大的高压样品室的装置，特别适合于高压下的中子衍射研究。     

40Ar+诱导无定形碳到金刚石纳米晶相变的研究

通过60 keV的⁴⁰Ar⁺辐照无定形碳靶合成了大量尺寸不同的金刚石纳米颗粒.高分辨透射电子显微镜配合能量色散X射线谱和电子衍射以及Raman谱分析的结果表明，这些嵌于具有扰动石墨结构薄膜中的纳米金刚石颗粒，其成核率很高(约为10¹³/cm²)，而且可以生长到较大的尺寸，有的甚至可以达到微米量级.对其相转变过程也进行了初步探讨. 关键词： 离子束 金刚石纳米晶 相变 透射电子显微镜     

Modeling of environmentally significant interfaces: Two case studies

When some parameters cannot be easily measured experimentally, mathematical models can often be used to deconvolute or interpret data collected on complex systems, such as those characteristic of many environmental problems. These models can help quantify the contributions of various physical or chemical phenomena that contribute to the overall behavior, thereby enabling the scientist to control and manipulate these phenomena, and thus to optimize the performance of the material or device. In the first case study presented here, a model is used to test the hypothesis that oxygen interactions with hydrogen on the catalyst particles of solid oxide fuel cell anodes can sometimes occur a finite distance away from the triple phase boundary (TPB), so that such reactions are not restricted to the TPB as normally assumed. The model may help explain a discrepancy between the observed structure of SOFCs and their performance. The second case study develops a simple physical model that allows engineers to design and control the sizes and shapes of mesopores in silica thin films. Such pore design can be useful for enhancing the selectivity and reactivity of environmental sensors and catalysts. This paper demonstrates the mutually beneficial interactions between experiment and modeling in the solution of a wide range of problems.     

Altered protein synthesis in rat kidney cells exposed to semiconductor materials

It is thought that the extensive industrial use of arsenic, gallium and indium, which have applications as the materials for III–V semiconductors, will increase human exposure to these compounds in the near future. We have undertaken the development of new biological indicators for assessing exposure to these elements. Element-specific alterations in protein synthesis patterns were expected to occur following exposure to arsenic compounds. We examined alterations in protein synthesis in primary cultures of rat kidney proximal tubule epithelial cells by sodium arsenite, gallium chloride and indium chloride, utilizing two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. After incubation with the chemicals for 20 h, newly synthesized proteins were labeled with [³⁵S]methionine. A protein with a molecular weight (M_r) of 30 000 was markedly induced on exposure to 10 μM arsenite or 300 μM gallium chloride, and synthesis of proteins with M_r values of 85 000, 71 000, 65 000, 51 000, 38 000 and 28 000 were also increased by exposure to arsenite and gallium chloride. No significant changes were observed upon exposure to indium. Some of these increased proteins could be heat-shock proteins.     

人原始生殖细胞的分离和体外培养

从4～10周龄药物流产胚胎的生殖嵴和肠系膜组织中分离原始生殖细胞(primordial germ cells,PGCs),培养在添加人重组白血病抑制因子(rh LIF)、人重组碱性成纤维细胞生长因子(rh bFGF)和Forskolin的小鼠饲养层细胞上.经过4～7 d培养,PGCs形成典型的鸟巢状集落.集落在传代过程中保持碱性磷酸酶活性,且胚胎阶段性特异抗原1(SSEA-1)、胚胎阶段性特异抗原3(SSEA-3)免疫荧光染色呈阳性.具有分化潜能的PGCs能在体外连续传代培养12代.结果表明从药物流产胚胎中分离的人类PGCs可以在体外培养成为具有分化潜能的多能性干细胞.     

超短脉冲激光微束对细胞作用的研究

本文详细地介绍了我们自己设计和安装的一个Nd:YAG超短脉冲激光微束系统,该系统分成二个部分:激光源和显微镜。由电光调Q非稳腔Nd:YAG激光倍频后得到355nm紫外光进入显微镜并由物镜聚焦。同时,这超短脉冲激光微束照射在细胞上并且在细胞上产生一个可以自恢复的小孔。在文中我们还讨论了超短脉冲激光微束与细胞之间作用效应及机理。