温跃层边界提取的组合算法*

本文提出一种用于海洋温跃层边界提取的组合算法,该算法基于调整判定阈值后的垂直梯度法和一种改进函数模型几何形态后的拟阶梯函数逼近法。为验证该算法对于温跃层边界提取的适应性、客观性,利用中国Argo实时资料中心发布的全球海洋Argo网格资料集（BOA_Argo）,选取2018年夏季0°~30°N,135°E~165°E所在的太平洋区域的温度剖面数据进行处理,结果表明,该算法对低纬度海区温度剖面拟合质量较好,拟合均方根误差普遍低于1.3℃,而且提取到的温跃层上下边界在纬向更加平缓,然而对于中高纬度海区的温度剖面,组合算法的处理效果不佳,更适合直接通过垂直梯度法进行温跃层的提取。     

Virtual Screening and Hit Selection of Natural Compounds as Acetylcholinesterase Inhibitors

Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) is one of the classical targets in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Inhibition of AChE slows down the hydrolysis of acetycholine and increases choline levels, improving the cognitive function. The achieved success of plant-based natural drugs acting as AChE inhibitors, such as galantamine (GAL) from Galanthus genus and huperzine A from Huperzia serrate (approved drug in China), in the treatment of AD, and the fact that natural compounds (NCs) are considered as safer and less toxic compared to synthetic drugs, led us to screen the available NCs (almost 150,000) in the ZINC12 database for AChE inhibitory activity. The compounds were screened virtually by molecular docking, filtered for suitable ADME properties, and 32 ligands from 23 structural groups were selected. The stability of the complexes was estimated via 1 μs molecular dynamics simulation. Ten compounds formed stable complexes with the enzyme and had a vendor and a reasonable price per mg. They were tested for AChE inhibitory and antioxidant activity. Five compounds showed weak AChE inhibition and three of them exhibited high antioxidant activity.     

Assessment of Chemical Composition and Anti-Penicillium Activity of Vapours of Essential Oils from Abies Alba and Two Melaleuca Species in Food Model Systems

The possibilities of the practical utilization of essential oils (EOs) from various plant species in the food industry have attracted the attention of the scientific community. Following our previous studies, the antifungal activities of three further commercial EOs, Melaleuca armillaris subsp. armillaris (rosalina; REO), Melaleuca quinquenervia (niaouli; NEO), and Abies alba (fir; FEO), were evaluated in the present research in respect to their chemical profiles, over four different concentrations, 62.5 μL/L, 125 μL/L, 250 μL/L, and 500 μL/L. The findings revealed that the major compounds of REO, NEO, and FEO were linalool (47.5%), 1,8-cineole (40.8%), and α-pinene (25.2%), respectively. In vitro antifungal determinations showed that the inhibition zones of a Penicillium spp. mycelial growth ranged from no inhibitory effectiveness (00.00 ± 00.00 mm) to 16.00 ± 1.00 mm, indicating a very strong antifungal activity which was detected against P. citrinum after the highest REO concentration exposure. Furthermore, the in situ antifungal efficacy of all EOs investigated was shown to be dose-dependent. In this sense, we have found that the highest concentration (500 µL/L) of REO, NEO, and FEO significantly reduced (p < 0.05) the growth of all Penicillium strains inoculated on the bread, carrot, and potato models. These results indicate that the investigated EOs may be promising innovative agents in order to extend the shelf life of different types of food products, such as bread, carrot and potato.     

A molecular mechanics approach for analyzing tensile nonlinear deformation behavior of single-walled carbon nanotubes

In this paper, by capturing the atomic information and reflecting the behaviour governed by the nonlinear potential function, an analytical molecular mechanics approach is proposed. A constitutive relation for single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNT’s) is established to describe the nonlinear stress-strain curve of SWCNT’s and to predict both the elastic properties and breaking strain of SWCNT’s during tensile deformation. An analysis based on the virtual internal bond (VIB) model proposed by P. Zhang et al. is also presented for comparison. The results indicate that the proposed molecular mechanics approach is indeed an acceptable analytical method for analyzing the mechanical behavior of SWCNT’s. The project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (10121202, 90305015 and 10328203), the Key Grant Project of Chinese Ministry of Education (0306) and the Research Grants Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China (HKU 7195/04E).     

动力调谐陀螺仪的瞬态动力学及误差分析

为了建立陀螺仪在过载—振动复合环境下的误差模型,应用有限元分析软件ANSYS,针对某型导弹使用的动力调谐陀螺仪的结构,建立基于具体参数的实体和有限元动力学模型,并开展了陀螺仪的瞬态动力学分析研究,由此计算由于陀螺转子和平衡环的质心偏移造成的陀螺仪漂移误差,得到在过载—振动复合环境下陀螺仪漂移角速度与在过载、振动单一环境下漂移角速度之间的关系。     

一种新的全姿态指示画面填充算法

现代飞机座舱主飞行仪显示系统中,全姿态指示天地区域的填充是件非常费时的工作。提出了一种新的区域填充算法。该算法第一步引入分块查找的思想以及基于填充区域的特点确定采用水平线或者竖直线扫描方式,并且对区域轮廓中满足关键码字段的像素点建立坐标数组;第二步根据已确定的扫描方式进行区域填充。此外,求取新旧地平线交点并没有采用通过大量数值计算直接求取的方法,而是采用了比较法。实验结果表明该算法显著提高了填充速度和显示效果,降低了数据存储空间量。     

The Pharmacokinetics in Mice and Cell Uptake of Thymus Immunosuppressive Pentapeptide Using LC-MS/MS Analysis

Thymus immunosuppressive pentapeptide (TIPP) is a novel anti-inflammatory peptide with high efficacy and low toxicity. This study aims to establish a selective LC-MS/MS method for analyzing the analyte TIPP in biological samples, laying the foundation for further PK and PD studies of TIPP. Protein precipitation was conducted in acetonitrile supplemented with 2% formic acid and 25 mg/mL dithiothreitol as a stabilizer, which was followed by backwashing the organic phase using dichloromethane. The chromatographic separation of TIPP was achieved on a C18 column with a gradient elution method. During positive electrospray ionization, TIPP was analyzed via multiple-reaction monitoring. The linear relationships between the concentration of TIPP and peak area in murine plasma cell lysates, supernatants, and the final cell rinse PBS were established within the ranges of 20–5000 ng/mL, 1–200 ng/mL, 10–200 μg/mL, and 0.1–20 ng/mL, respectively (r² > 0.99). Validated according to U.S. FDA guidelines, the proposed method was proved to be acceptable. Such a method had been successfully applied to investigate the pharmacokinetics of TIPP in mice via subcutaneous injection. The plasma half-life in mice was 5.987 ± 1.824 min, suggesting that TIPP is swiftly eliminated in vivo. The amount of TIPP uptake by RBL-2H3 cells was determined using this method, which was also visually verified by confocal. Furthermore, the effective intracellular concentration of TIPP was deduced by comparing the intracellular concentration of TIPP and degrees of inflammation, enlightening further investigation on the intracellular target and mechanism of TIPP.     

Role of Natural Compounds and Target Enzymes in the Treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive neurological condition. The rising prevalence of AD necessitates the rapid development of efficient therapy options. Despite substantial study, only a few medications are capable of delaying the disease. Several substances with pharmacological activity, derived from plants, have been shown to have positive benefits for the treatment of AD by targeting various enzymes, such as acetylcholinesterase (AChE), butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE), β-secretase, γ-secretase, and monoamine oxidases (MAOs), which are discussed as potential targets. Medicinal plants have already contributed a number of lead molecules to medicine development, with many of them currently undergoing clinical trials. A variety of medicinal plants have been shown to diminish the degenerative symptoms associated with AD, either in their raw form or as isolated compounds. The aim of this review was to provide a brief summary of AD and its current therapies, followed by a discussion of the natural compounds examined as therapeutic agents and the processes underlying the positive effects, particularly the management of AD.     

The DI-SPME Method for Determination of Selected Narcotics and Their Metabolites,and Application to Bone Marrow and Whole Blood Analysis

The present investigation utilised the quick and easy SPME/LC-MS method to determine selected narcotic substances and their metabolites in whole blood. The study included qualitative analysis and validation of the method. Analytes were determined in the linearity range of 25–300 ng/mL. The precision during and between days (in general CV < 13.41%), and the LOD which results in between 0.36 and 11.08 ng/mL, and the LOQ between 1.20 and 36.90 ng/mL were investigated. The validation results obtained, as well as the results of subsequent in-laboratory tests, confirmed the applicability of the method in the analysis of blood samples. An attempt to apply the method to the analysis of bone marrow samples has yielded promising results; however, more detailed studies are needed in this area.     

基于改进GMM与帧差法的运动棉杂率分析算法研究

针对清梳棉流程中产出棉含杂高、质量差的问题,结合改进高斯混合模型(Gaussian mixed model,GMM)与帧差法,提出一种局部运动棉杂率控制优化方法。首先针对清棉机除杂原理及棉杂特性进行分析;其次通过提取视频关键帧并改进GMM与帧差法对图像序列“与”运算实现目标的精确提取,进而通过设计GMM分类器获得棉杂率并进行分析;最后与传统的检测算法作对比验证。实验表明,改进后的算法在有效性以及实用性方面优于传统算法。同时,通过引入闭环控制能满足工业高精度、实时性的需求。