Assessment of various carbon sources and nutrient feeding strategies for Panax ginseng cell culture

Ginseng (root of Panax ginseng C. A. Meyer) cells were cultivated on medium supplemented with various carbohydrates including sucrose, glucose, and fructose, at initial concentrations ranging from 10 to 110 g/L. Sucrose was shown to be the superior carbon source to the monosaccharides for ginseng cell growth and the optimal concentration was between 30 and 50 g/L. An increase in the initial concentration within this range increased the maximum cell density and growth index significantly, whereas much higher concentrations inhibited cell growth. Feeding of sucrose and some other medium components during the growth (fed-batch mode) was more effective in enhancing the cell growth and biomass productivity, increasing the growth index by more than 60–70% and biomass productivity by more than 50%.     

Development of new glass composite membranes and their properties for low temperature H2/O2 fuel cells.

A new glass electrolyte formed by constant amounts of titanium oxide (TiO2) and various amount of phosphotungstic acid (PWA) doped P2O5-SiO2 is prepared using the sol-gel process. The structural formation is confirmed by Fourier infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and from thermogravimetric and differential thermal analysis (TG/DTA) measurements, the glasses display good thermal stability. Further characterisation is undertaken by N2 adsorption/desorption measurements, proton conductivity and hydrogen permeability analyses and a H2/O2 fuel cell test is also performed. The glass materials with large pores and specific surface area are suitable for use as the electrolyte in H2/O2 fuel cells. The effect of TiO2 processing with constant amount of PWA in phosphosilicate glasses, is investigated and discussed. The hydrogen permeability is 1.57x10(-11) mol cm(-1) s(-1) Pa(-1) at 110 degrees C for 0.8 mm thick glass; a power density of 46.3 mW cm(-2) at 125 mA cm(-2) and a current density of 175 mA cm(-2) is obtained (T=28 degrees C, relative humidity).     

Biofuel cell anode based on the Gluconobacter oxydans bacteria cells and 2,6-dichlorophenolindophenol as an electron transport mediator

A basic scheme of the use of the Gluconobacter oxydans bacteria cells as a biocatalyst at an anode of a biofuel cell with air-based cathode is raised up. The anode and cathode of the cell are made of graphite; 2,6-dichlorophenolindophenol serves as an electron transport mediator; and glucose is the substrate to be oxidized. The open-circuit voltage is 55 mV, for the bacteria cell, the mediator, and glucose concentrations of 3 mg/ml (raw weight), 34 mM, and 10 mM, respectively. The voltage and current of the biofuel cell loaded with an external resistance of 10 kohm are 5.6 mV and 0.56 mA. The cell’s internal resistance is 88 kohm.     

Electrochemical Impedance Analysis of Thermogalvanic Cells

Thermogalvanic cells(also known as thermo-electrochemical cells) that convert waste heat energy to electricity are a new type of energy conversion device. However, the electron transfer kinetics and mass transfer of redox couples have not been thoroughly studied. Here, the ion reaction and charge transport in thermogalvanic cells are investigated by electrochemical impedance analysis. We first propose the detailed impedance model followed experimental verification on three types of electrode materials. Parameters including kinetic rate constants and ion diffusion coefficients for the electrodes are obtained by fitting the impedance data. Our study shows explicitly that impedance analysis can provide useful information on selecting suitable electrode materials for thermogalvanic cells.     

Cathode of a fuel cell with a solid polymer electrolyte: Calculating overall currents in the presence of a gas-diffusion layer

Mathematical apparatus, which makes it possible to perform calculations of the current-voltage characteristics of cathodes of fuel cells with a solid polymer electrolyte in conditions where there are present extraneous diffusion restrictions is proposed. In so doing, the partial pressure of oxygen and the absolute pressure of gas in the gas chamber may assume any values. First of all presented are the results of calculations of the current-voltage characteristics intrinsic to active layers of the air and oxygen cathodes, which are performed under the assumption that the extraneous diffusion restrictions are absent altogether. Thereafter, in the same conditions (at the same parameters that characterize the active layer of a cathode), obtained are results of a calculation of the current-voltage characteristics inherent in the air and oxygen cathodes in the presence of extraneous diffusion restrictions. Afterward there is performed an analysis of the way a gas-diffusion layer restricts the process of generation of current in a cathode and of what measures should be taken in order for the extraneous diffusion restrictions to become less significant.     

The effects of alternative stress on the cell membrane deformability of chrysanthemum callus cells

The effects of alternative stress, which was generated through a strong sound field apparatus set up in our lab, on cultured chrysanthemum callus cells were studied. Meanwhile we measured the deformability of chrysanthemum cell membranes and studied the influence of the cytoskeleton after the treatment of colchicine using micropipette aspiration technique. Based on our experimental results, we found that the deformability of cell membrane decreased in stress condition. However, the effect disappeared after the treatment of cytochalasin. Therefore, we thought that the reason on the deformability of cells decreasing was the microfilament rearranging and consequently the cells becoming more rigid under the alternative stress.     

基于DNA的细胞膜功能化

细胞膜在细胞与外界环境间的物质运输、能量转换和信息传递等过程中起着重要作用,研究和控制细胞膜上的分子的相互作用,对理解和操控细胞的生理功能具有重要意义。脱氧核糖核酸(Deoxyribonucleic acid, DNA)分子具有精确自组装和可编程的特性,是一种研究生物膜分子相互作用的新工具。本综述中,我们概括了DNA分子修饰细胞膜的方法,随后介绍了基于DNA分子的监测、控制细胞膜分子相互作用的工作以及DNA分子介导细胞连接的研究,并分析了上述研究的局限性。最后,我们对基于DNA的细胞膜功能化研究进行总结与展望,以期促进对细胞膜功能的新认识,获得控制细胞功能的新方法。     

活性位高度暴露的钴/氮/碳电催化剂的构建及氧还原性能研究

金属/氮/碳催化剂（M/N/C，M=Fe、Co等）是最有发展前景的非贵金属电催化剂之一，其性能依赖于催化剂表面的活性物种密度.通过常规的热解含氮前驱物与金属盐的方法制得的催化剂往往存在金属活性物种被包埋而不能有效利用的缺点.考虑到石墨相氮化碳（g-C₃N₄）富含类吡啶氮和亚纳米孔腔结构，将g-C₃N₄包覆在高导电性碳纳米笼（hCNC）表面，进而利用表层g-C₃N₄的配位和限域作用锚定大量Co²⁺离子，获得的Co/g-C₃N₄/hCNC复合物经热解后形成了活性位高度暴露、导电性好、孔结构丰富的Co/N/C催化剂.800℃热解得到的最优化催化剂在碱性介质中展现出优异氧还原活性，其起始电位（0.97 V）与商业Pt/C催化剂相当，且抗甲醇干扰性能和稳定性优异.此项研究提供了一种构建具有高度暴露活性位的M/N/C催化剂的有效策略.     

Saccharide-branched Cyclodextrins as Targeting Drug Carriers

A synthetic series of heptakis-galactose-branched cyclodextrins (termed CDs) having a longer spacer arm using two amino-caproic acids as an enlarging unit were prepared. Starting with heptakis-amino-β-CD or heptakis-amino-caproic-amide-β-CD, treated with galactosyl-glucono-amide-caproic acid, the new compounds heptakis (Gal-cap1)-CD (4) or heptakis (Gal-cap2)-CD (5) were obtained. The longer galactose spacer arm extremely favors the PNA association. The effect of branch length on K with PNA was enhanced up to 138-fold 3 as well as with DXR enhanced up to 81-fold. Hexakis (Gal-cap2)-CD (6) was prepared and the association constants with rat liver cells were observed to be 2.5 × 10¹⁰ M⁻¹. A multi-high mannose type oligosaccharide branched CD (7) showed a large association constant with DXR up to 1.1 × 10⁹ M⁻¹. The two-dimensional map for the association constants of newly synthesized oligosaccharide-branched CDs toward lectin or liver cells versus the association constants toward a drug (doxorubicin) suggested a method of finding a better targeting drug carrier. The structural effect of the oligosaccharide-CDs showed that the number and length of the branch were dominant factors in designing for enhanced dual recognition.