Ring‐opening grafting polymerization of cyclic monomers onto human hair

Natural human hair was successfully modified by the graft polymerization of trimethylene carbonate, β‐propiolactone, ε‐caprolactone, glycidol, ε‐caprolactam, and 5,5‐dimethyl‐1,3‐dioxane‐2‐thione. In contrast, we could not modify natural human hair by the graft polymerization of oxetane under similar conditions. The model reaction suggested that the main initiating species in these polymerizations were the amino, thiol, and hydroxyl groups in hair, which could induce ring‐opening polymerization. Among the tested monomers, β‐propiolactone was most effective for hair modification with its graft polymer, whose concentration was as high as 0.5 g/g of hair though polymerization under mild conditions. The effects of the hair pretreatment and polymerization temperature on the weight ratio of the grafted polymers were also investigated. Hair modified by grafted polymers was characterized with scanning electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared measurements. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 45: 736–744, 2007     

Interpretation of inorganic arsenic metabolism in humans in the light of observations made in vitro and in vivo in the rat

The toxicity of inorganic trivalent arsenic for living organisms is reduced by in vivo methylation of the element. In man, this biotransformation leads to the synthesis of monomethylarsonic (MMA) and dimethylarsinic (DMA) acids, which are efficiently eliminated in urine along with the unchanged form (As_i). In order to document the methylation process in humans, the kinetics of As_i, MMA and DMA elimination were studied in volunteers given a single dose of one of these three arsenicals or repeated doses of As_i. The arsenic methylation efficiency was also assessed in subjects acutely intoxicated with arsenic trioxide (As₂O₃) and in patients with liver diseases. Several observations in humans can be explained by the properties of the enzymic systems involved in the methylation process which we have characterized in vitro and in vivo in rats as follows: (1) production of As_i metabolites is catalyzed by an enzymic system whose activity is highest in liver cytosol; (2) different enzymic activities, using the same methyl group donor (S-adenosylmethionine), lead to the production of mono- and di-methylated derivatives which are excreted in urine as MMA and DMA; (3) dimethylating activity is highly sensitive to inhibition by excess of inorganic arsenic; (4) reduced glutathione concentration in liver moderates the arsenic methylation process through several mechanisms, e.g. stimulation of the first methylation reaction leading to MMA, facilitation of As_i uptake by hepatocytes, stimulation of the biliary excretion of the element, reduction of pentavalent forms before methylation, and protection of a reducing environment in the cells necessary to maintain the activity of the enzymic systems.     

Anionic grafting polymerization of propylene sulfide onto human hair in water

Natural human hair was modified by the graft polymerization of propylene sulfide in an aqueous medium. The amount of the polymer grafted onto the reduced hair was 0.15–0.19 g on 1.0 g of hair. The grafted polymer was isolated by the hydrolysis of the hair in the polymer‐grafted hair under basic conditions and was confirmed to be poly(propylene sulfide) by ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR, and Fourier transform infrared spectra. The number‐average molecular weights of the isolated polymers from the grafted products were 10,000–12,000. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 3778–3786, 2006     

ISOLATION,CHARACTERIZATION AND EXPRESSION OF THE COMPLEMENTARY DNA FOR HUMAN TUMOR NECROSIS FACTOR (TNF-α)

A cDNA for human TNF-α (615bp) was isolated by means of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using first strand cDNA from PMA-induced HL-60 cells as template. The result from sequencing the 615 bp cDNA fragment indicated that it corresponded to the entire sequence of mature human TNF coding region. Direct expression of mature human TNF was achieved using a plasmid pHT-1 constructed by ligation of the cDNA and a synthetic DNA. The IPTG-induced bacterial product (hTNF) showed cytotoxicity to mouse L-929 cells. The TNF activity was further identified by neutralization of a specific monoclonal antibody against human TNF-α. Approximately 80,000 units of activity were detected per ml of culture at A600=2.     

Evaluation of nanoparticle emission for TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> nanopowder coating materials

In this study, nanoparticle emission of TiO₂ nanopowder coated on different substrates including wood, polymer, and tile, was evaluated in a simulation box and measured with a Scanning Mobility Particle Sizer (SMPS) for the first time. The coating process for the substrate followed the instructions given by the supply company. In the simulation box, UV light, a fan, and a rubber knife were used to simulate the sun light, wind, and human contacting conditions. Among the three selected substrates, tile coated with TiO₂ nanopowder was found to have the highest particle emission (22 #/cm³ at 55 nm) due to nanopowder separation during the simulation process. The UV light was shown to increase the release of particle below 200 nm from TiO₂ nanopowder coating materials. The results show that, under the conditions of UV lamps, a fan and scraping motion, particle number concentration or average emission rate decreases significantly after 60 and 90 min for TiO₂/polymer and TiO₂/wood, respectively. However, the emission rate continued to increase after 2 h of testing for TiO₂/tile. It is suggested that nanoparticle emission evaluation is necessary for products with nanopowder coating.     

Aerosol generation and measurement of multi-wall carbon nanotubes

Mass production of some kinds of carbon nanotubes (CNT) is now imminent, but little is known about the risk associated with their exposure. It is important to assess the propensity of the CNT to release particles into air for its risk assessment. In this study, we conducted aerosolization of a multi-walled CNT (MWCNT) to assess several aerosol measuring instruments. A Palas RBG-1000 aerosol generator applied mechanical stress to the MWCNT by a rotating brush at feed rates ranging from 2 to 20 mm/h, which the MWCNT was fed to a two-component fluidized bed. The fluidized bed aerosol generator was used to disperse the MWCNT aerosol once more. We monitored the generated MWCNT aerosol concentrations based on number, area, and mass using a condensation particle counter and nanoparticle surface area monitor. Also we quantified carbon mass in MWCNT aerosol samples by a carbon monitor. The shape of aerosolized MWCNT fibers was observed by a scanning electron microscope (SEM). The MWCNT was well dispersed by our system. We found isolated MWCNT fibers in the aerosols by SEM and the count median lengths of MWCNT fibers were 4–6 μm. The MWCNT was quantified by the carbon monitor with a modified condition based on the NIOSH analytical manual. The MWCNT aerosol concentration (EC mass base) was 4 mg/m³ at 2 mm/h in this study.     

局部方差在图像质量评价中的应用

将灰度图像的局部方差分布（QLS）作为表征图像结构信息的一个重要特征,对局部方差分布矩阵进行奇异值分解,计算得到相应的奇异值特征向量;通过计算降质图像与原参考图像局部方差矩阵奇异值特征向量的夹角大小度量两图像的结构相似度,实现了对降质图像的质量评价。实验结果表明：局部方差分布更能突出图像的结构特征,评价结果优于传统的均方误差（MSE）、峰值信噪比（PSNR）、结构相似度（SSIM）以及直接评价图像像素分布的奇异值分析（SVD）等方法,与人眼视觉感知效果的一致性较好。     

外企与国企培训战略对比

人才培训战略是企业人力资源战略的基础。本通过外资企业与国内企业的培训战略对比，并对国内企业中人才培训存在的不足与缺点进行了分析与探讨。     

Investigation of scattering of elastic waves by cylinders in 1-3 piezocomposites

The scattering behavior of P-waves in piezoelectric composites with 1–3 connectivity is studied. The method of wave function expansion is adopted for the theoretical derivations. Analytical expressions are obtained for the distributions of mechanical displacement in z-direction along the circumferences of piezoelectric cylinders. These solutions are used to study the influence of each element of the stiffness matrix and the piezoelectric matrix on the various resonant modes of vibration. Numerical results obtained indicate that perturbations of the elements c₄₄ and e₁₅ significantly affect resonant frequencies and amplitudes, perturbations of c₁₁ and c₁₂ have pronounced effects on resonant modes of high frequencies also. However, the resonant modes are not so sensitive to the perturbations of c₁₃, e₃₁ and e₃₃. The dynamic characteristics of 1–3 connectivity piezoelectric composites exposed here are meaningful for the design and manufacture of sensor/actuator elements by this kind of composites as well as the on-line health monitoring of the mechanical properties variations of the composites itself.