Liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry-based metabolic profiling to elucidate chemical differences of tobacco leaves between Zimbabwe and China

An approach was developed for extracting and analyzing the chemical components of tobacco leaves based on solvent extraction and rapid & resolution liquid chromatography/quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry analysis. Two solvents with different polarities were used to extract hydrophilic components and hydrophobic components, respectively, the combined analytical data can provide a "global" view of metabolites. Based on the evaluation of parallel samples, it was found that this approach provided good repeatability, accurate and reliable profiling data, and is suitable for the metabolomics study of tobacco leaves. In order to find the chemical component differences of tobacco leaves, 56 samples from Zimbabwe and China were analyzed using the developed method. The metabolite data were processed by multivariate statistic technique; an obvious group classification between Zimbabwe and China was observed, 14 significantly changed compounds were found, and 9 of them were identified.     

Gas chromatography-mass spectrometric method for metabolic profiling of tobacco leaves

A gas chromatography-mass spectrometric method was developed for profiling of tobacco leaves. The differentiation among tobacco leaves planted in two different regions was investigated. Prior to analysis, the extraction solvent formulation was optimized and a combination of water, methanol and acetonitrile with a volume ratio of 3:1:1 was found to be optimal. The reproducibility of the method was satisfactory. Kendall tau-b rank correlation coefficients were equal to 1 (p<0.05) for 82% of the resolved peaks (up to 95% of the overall peak areas), indicating the good response correlation. Forty-four compounds including 9 saccharides, 9 alcohols, 9 amino acids, 16 organic acids and phosphoric acid were identified based on standard compounds. The method was successfully applied for profiling of tobacco leaves from Zimbabwe and Yunnan of China. Our result revealed that levels of saccharides and their derivatives including xylose, ribose, fructose, glucose, turanose, xylitol and glyceric acid were more abundant while sucrose, glucitol and D-gluconic acid were less abundant in tobacco leaves from Yunnan as compared to those from Zimbabwe. Amino acids such as L-alanine, L-tyrosine and L-threonine were found to be richer in Zimbabwe tobacco than in Yunnan tobacco.     

基于神经网络MIV值分析的肿瘤基因信息提取

运用统计学及数据挖掘相关知识,以结肠癌基因表达图谱为研究对象,综合运用GB指数、BP神经网络、小波变换等方法对问题给出求解的过程和结果.首先采用GB综合指数对无关基因进行筛选,选择两组备用基因的交集(114个)作为信息基因,降低基因维度.其次,用基因间的强相关性剔除冗余基因,利用BP神经网络对基因进行错判数计算,选取错判率最低、基因子集中基因数量最少的基因特征组,再利用平均影响值(MIV)方法进行基因筛选,最后进行错判数计算,最终确定含有12个基因的子集为最优基因组合.第三步,将每组基因表达值看做基因信号,运用小波转换法对基因数据进行去噪,去噪后特征基因减少为8个.     

Characterization of interaction kinetics between chiral solutes and human serum albumin by using high-performance affinity chromatography and peak profiling

Peak profiling and high-performance columns containing immobilized human serum albumin (HSA) were used to study the interaction kinetics of chiral solutes with this protein. This approach was tested using the phenytoin metabolites 5-(3-hydroxyphenyl)-5-phenylhydantoin (m-HPPH) and 5-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-5-phenylhydantoin (p-HPPH) as model analytes. HSA columns provided some resolution of the enantiomers for each phenytoin metabolite, which made it possible to simultaneously conduct kinetic studies on each chiral form. The dissociation rate constants for these interactions were determined by using both the single flow rate and multiple flow rate peak profiling methods. Corrections for non-specific interactions with the support were also considered. The final estimates obtained at pH 7.4 and 37°C for the dissociation rate constants of these interactions were 8.2-9.6 s(-1) for the two enantiomers of m-HPPH and 3.2-4.1 s(-1) for the enantiomers of p-HPPH. These rate constants agreed with previous values that have been reported for other drugs and solutes that have similar affinities and binding regions on HSA. The approach used in this report was not limited to phenytoin metabolites or HSA but could be applied to a variety of other chiral solutes and proteins. This method could also be adopted for use in the rapid screening of drug-protein interactions.     

一类非线性波动方程位势井深度函数的连续性

本文研究一类非线性波动方程位势井深度函数的连续性.通过引入位势井深度函数并给出其性质,给出了位势井深度函数连续性的证明.而位势井深度函数连续性保证了在其基础上得到的位势井族有意义.     

A new method to accelerate depth extraction for aperture-coded camera

Depth extraction, or the retrieval of three-dimensional information of the captured scene from camera, is an important problem in computer vision and image processing. The aperture-coded camera has certain advantages in depth extraction. However, such calculation will cost huge time as it contains weighted iterative deconvolution. In order to solve the problem, this paper proposes an improved algorithm in which the image is firstly segmented and then the small image regions are sampled for deconvolution and depth judgment. Experimental results prove that the proposed method can greatly reduce time consumption and save computer memory. On this basis, by using the characteristics of aperture-coded camera obtaining image and depth, we propose a framework to handle the application of stitching the images of occluded scene, and then carry out experiments.     

Optimizing thermography depth probing with a dynamic thermal point spread function

Derivation of two point spread functions PSFs suitable for infrared thermograms analysis is illustrated, based on two unique approaches, one based on depth decaying limit and one on diffusion limit. Experimental work using PMMA sample with back drilled holes and pulsed thermographic routine is utilized to show the effectiveness of deconvoluting pixel temperature transient history with suggested PSF’s. Synthetic second time derivative thermograms are utilized for comparison and the signal to noise ratio is used as a figure of merit for quantification.     

Growth of Ni-Al alloys on Ni(1 1 1): (I) Formation of epitaxial Ni3Al from ultra-thin Al deposits

In this paper we describe the alloying process of ultra-thin Al layers (below 8 × 10¹⁵ Al/cm²) deposited on Ni(1 1 1). For this purpose Auger electron spectroscopy, low energy electron diffraction, and ion beam analysis-channelling measurements have been performed in situ in an ultra-high vacuum chamber. Al deposits formed at low temperature (about 130 K) are strained defective crystalline layers retaining the substrate orientation. Alloying takes place, with very progressive Ni enrichment, in a very broad temperature range between 250 K and 570 K. This feature shows that diffusion of the alloy species is more and more difficult when the Ni concentration increases. At 570 K a crystallographically and chemically ordered Ni₃Al phase is formed, and its order continuously improves upon annealing, up to 750 K. We have shown by ion beam methods that this alloy is three-dimensional, extending up to 16 (1 1 1) planes for the thickest deposits. The Ni₃Al phase can also be obtained directly by Al deposition at 750 K, but its crystalline quality is lower and the layer is probably formed of grains elongated along 〈1 1 −2〉 directions. The Al content of the thin Ni₃Al layers formed mostly dissolves in the bulk above 800 K. However a small amount of Al remains segregated at the Ni crystal surface.     

A New Method to Examine Interfacial Reactions of a Multilayered System NiAl–Hf–hBN on a Sapphire Fibre

Fibre reinforced NiAl offers new possibilities for the development of high strength structural materials of low density applicable in gas turbines at high operating temperatures. The properties of composite materials are strongly influenced by the strength of the fibre–matrix interface. In addition, if fibre and matrix differ in their thermal expansion coefficients, a well controlled interface reaction at high temperature changes is demanded. Therefore, two layers consisting of BN and Hf were embedded between a sapphire fibre and NiAl and heated at 1350 °C to find a compromise between adhesion and ductility. The control and characterization of the reaction zone is essential for the development of these new materials. Especially, the characterization of the fibre-coating interface is a challenge. The different hardness of fibre and coating makes it nearly impossible to use a conventional cross-section preparation. Further, the small dimension of the reaction zone requires the use of analytical techniques providing high lateral resolution. In order to accomplish these requirements, a newly developed technique FIB (Focused Ion Beam)-EPMA (Electron Probe Microanalysis) was combined with XRD (X-ray diffraction). XRD was performed for the identification of the phases. The reaction zone was exposed by a special FIB preparation technique and examined by surface-sensitive EPMA. This allowed to determine the spatial distribution of the different phases.     

Combined EPMA and AES depth profiling of a multilayer Ti-Al-O-N coating

In order to compare thin-film electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) and Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) regarding reliability in quantifying chemical compositions of Ti-Al-O-N coatings with depth, a multilayer was prepared on a silicon wafer by using reactive ionized cluster beam deposition technique. Within a total thickness of about 25 nm the composition of the multilayer varied step by step from Ti-Al-O-N at the bottom to Al-O at the top. AES and, as an innovation, EPMA crater edge profiling was applied to measure the composition with depth. For quantification special thin-film EPMA techniques based on Monte Carlo simulations were applied. The chemical binding states of Al and Ti with depth were analysed using a high resolution energy analyser (MAC 3) for the AES investigations working in the direct mode. According to the deposition procedure the concentration profiles of the components varied with depth for both AES and EPMA measurements. AES provided a better depth resolution than EPMA. To get a true calibration of the depth scale an in-situ measurement method like an optical interferometry will be required. Assuming that the relative sensitivity factors are available AES depth profiling delivers concentration profiles with good accuracy. The new EPMA application provided quantitative depth profiles concerning concentration and coverage. For EPMA crater edge profiling the coating needs to be deposited on a foreign substrate because depth distributions of elements being present in both the layer and the substrate cannot be resolved.The combination of AES-depth profiling with EPMA crater edge profiling techniques is a powerful tool to analyse heterostructures quantitatively.