Enhanced thermal stability of zinc-based titanate (dielectric) ceramics prepared by the modified sol-gel route

A multi-component substitution of Co and Ni was incorporated into ZnTiO3 to form pure hexagonal Zn1-x(Co1/2Ni1/2)xTiO(3) (x = 0,0.8,0.9,1.0) dielectric ceramic powders by a modified sol-gel route, following heat treatments at 600 degrees C for 3 h and at 800 degrees C for 6 h. Differential scanning calorimetry measurements revealed that the order of increasing thermal stability of solid solution compound Zn1-x(Co1/2Ni1/2)(x)TiO3 was ZnTiO3 (945 degrees C), Zn0.1Ni0.9TiO3 (1346 degrees C), Zn-0.1(Co1/2Ni1/2)(0.9)TiO3 (1390 degrees C), and Zn0.1Co0.9TiO3 (> 1400 degrees C). Both the dielectric constant and loss tangent reached a maximum at x = 0.8 and then decreased with solubility, x, and measurement frequency.

Studies on electrostatic adsorption of proteins on modified surface by real-time surface plasmon resonance technique

The elucidation of key influence factors for electrostatic adsorption is very important to control protein nonspecific adsorption on modified surfaces. In this study, real-time surface plasmon resonance technique is used to characterize the electrostatic adsorption of two proteins (mouse IgG and protein A) on carboxymethyldextran-modified surface. The results show that protein solution pH and ionic strength are key influence factors for efficient electrostatic adsorption. The influence of protein, solution pH on the amount of electrostatic adsorption depends on the type of the charge and the charge density of both protein and modified matrix on the surface. The electrostatic adsorption process involves a competition between the positively charged protein and other positively charged species in the buffer solution. A decrease of ionic strength leads to an increasing electrostatic adsorption. The kinetic adsorption constants of protein A at different pH values were also calculated and compared.

氢化物发生-分光光度法同时测定砷、锑和铋

建立了一个氢化物发生-分光光度法同时测定砷、锑、铋的新方法。在酒石酸介质中用KBH_4将 Bi(Ⅲ)、Sb(Ⅲ)、As(Ⅲ)转变成 BiH_3、SbH_3、AsH_3、再分别被乙醇、四氢呋喃、DMF混合溶液(吸收后再加入 HClO_4-DBC-CPA 溶液显色),铁-邻菲罗啉乙醇溶液和 AgNO_3、PVA、乙醇溶液分别吸收。有色溶液在640nm、510nm 和400nm 处有最大吸收。本法简便怏速,灵敏度高。检出限分别是 As 0.04μg/ml、Sb 0.09μg/ml、Bi 0.05μg/ml。用本法对铜、铜合金及沉积物中砷、锑,铋进行测定,结果令人满意。

PRELIMINARY STUDIES ON CRYOPRESERVATION OF SYDNEY ROCK OYSTER (SACCOSTREA GLOMERATA) LARVAE

In this study several parameters critical to the success of cryopreserving Sydney rock oyster (Saccostrea glomerata) larvae were investigated. They were: (1) cryoprotectants (10% dimethyl sulfoxide and 10% propylene glycol). (2) freezing protocols (with or without the seeding step). (3) larval concentrations (1,000, 3,000, 5,000, 10,000, 30,000 individuals mL(-1)). and (4) larval ages (6, 12, 24, 48 and 96 h old). The survival rates were determined as percentages of postthaw larvae performing active movements for the 6 and 12 h larvae or active cilia movement for the 24, 48 and 96 h larvae. Analyses showed that the difference in survival rates between different age classses was significant in all the experiments conducted, with the maximum survival rate being achieved in the 24-h-old larvae the postthaw survival rates of larvae cryopreserved with 10% dimethyl sulfoxide (93.1 +/- 0.2%) were significantly higher (P < 0.001) that those with 10% propylene glycol (81.5 +/- 0.4%). Differences in postthaw survival rates between different concentrations (1,000 30,000 individuals mL(-1)) were not significant within each of the three larval age classes (6-, 12-, and 24-h-old ) used.

西菲律宾海盆西北部重磁资料处理及其地质意义

西菲律宾海盆是西太平洋边缘海盆中最古老的海盆之一，从属于菲律宾海板块，研究表明西菲律宾海盆形成过程复杂。 本文对包括KR03-04航次在内的众多航次的海洋重力及磁力调查数据处理，获得了该区域布格重力异常及磁异常等值线图、上下延拓图、导数异常图等常规成果图件。同时，本文还对本单位在该地区所做的多道地震调查中的三条剖面进行了处理和解释，并对其中的两条测线作了重磁震联合反演研究。通过这些工作，本文得出该地区的构造特征。 该区分为冲大东海岭，乌尔达内塔海台及冲绳－吕宋断裂带等次一级的构造单元，总的构造为NWW走向，也有NE向的大构造带。其中，冲绳－吕宋断裂带破碎严重，NE向走向，在琉球海沟附近(126°E)转为NNE向，为一右旋的深大断裂，可能是由于菲律宾海盆受到琉球岛弧阻拦形成的，也可能是一个转换断层；乌尔达内塔海台中部存在一较大的NW断裂。冲大东海岭和乌尔达内塔海台可能是残留的火山弧；结合ODP及DSDP的相关资料，本文确定了琉球海沟外缘俯冲挤压造山带的形成原因及形成年代。在西菲律宾海盆，伏在一层薄薄的沉积物之下有较厚的一层基岩破碎带，这有可能是西菲律宾海盆无岩浆扩张的有力证据之一，此次扩张的动力可能来源于俯冲于琉球岛弧下面板块的拖曳。

杜仲光合特性的研究

杜仲（Eucommia ulmoides Oliv）叶片的光饱和光合速率为6～10 μmolCO2·m -2·s-1，表观光合量子需要量最低约为17。光合作用的CO2补偿点略大于100μmolCO2·m -2·s-1，属C3型光合作用类型。其光合日变化有明显的中午降低现象，降低的原因除气孔限制外可能还有光抑制等其它因素。光合作用进行时光合产物只有约14％ 输出叶片.

Pg震相走时的各向异性影响及各向异性结构成像

As the first arrival of seismic phase in deep seismic sounding, Pg is the important data for studying the attributes of the sedimentary layers and the shape of crystalline basement because of its high intensity and reliable detection. Conventionally, the sedimentary cover is expressed as isotropic, linear increasing model in the interpretation of Pg event. Actually, the sedimentary medium should be anisotropic as preferred cracks or fractures and thin layers are common features in the upper crust, so the interpretation of Pg event needs to be taken account of seismic velocity anisotropy. Traveltime calculation is the base of data processing and interpretation. Here, we only study the type of elliptical anisotropy for the poor quality and insufficiency of DSS data. In this thesis, we first investigate the meaning of elliptical anisotropy in the study of crustal structure and attribute, then derive Pg event’s traveltime-offset relationship by assuming a linear increasing velocity model with elliptical anisotropy and present the invert scheme from Pg traveltime-offset dataset to seismic velocity and its anisotropy of shallow crustal structure. We compare the Pg traveltime calculated by our analytic formula with numerical calculating method to test the accuracy. To get the lateral variation of elliptical anisotropy along the profiling, a tomography inversion method with the derived formula is presented, where the profile is divided into rectangles. Anisotropic imaging of crustal structure and attribute is efficient method for crust study. The imaging result can help us interprete the seismic data and discover the attribute of the rock to analyze the interaction between layers. Traveltime calculation is the base of image. Base on the ray tracing equations, the paper present a realization of three dimension of layer model with arbitrary anisotropic type and an example of Pg traveltime calculation in arbitrary anisotropic type is presented. The traveltime calculation method is complex and it only adapts to nonlinear inversion. Perturbation method of travel-time calculation in anisotropy is the linearization approach. It establishes the direct relation between seismic parameters and travetime and it is fit for inversion in anisotropic structural imaging. The thesis presents a P-wave imaging method of layer media for TTI. Southeastern China is an important part of the tectonic framework concerning the continental margin of eastern China and is commonly assumed to comprise the Yangtze block and the Cathaysia block, the two major tectonic units in the region. It’s a typical geological and geophysical zone. In this part, we fit the traveltime of Pg phase by the raytracing numerical method. But the method is not suitable here because the inefficiency of numerical method and the method itself. By the analytic method, we fit the Pg and Sg and get the lateral variation of elliptical anisotropy and then discuss its implication. The northeastern margin of Qinghai-Tibetan plateau is typical because it is the joint area of Eurasian plate and Indian plate and many strong earthquakes have occurred there in recent years．We use the Pg data to get elliptical anisotropic variation and discuss the possible meaning.

贵阳地区雨水化学与Sr同位素地球化学

对贵阳地区22个雨水样品的化学组成和Sr同位素的研究表明，贵阳地区大部分雨水样品的pH值小于5．6(pH=4．53)．雨水中Ca^2+是最主要的阳离子，平均值为57μmol·l^-1(12-164μmol·l^-1)，占阳离子组成的64％-87％；Mg^2+是次要的阳离子，平均值为13μmol·l^-1(5—4μmol·l^-1)，Ca^2+和Mg^2+之和占了阳离子组成的78％-96％；K^+平均值为11μmol·l^-1(2—44μmol·l^-1)；Na^+最少，其平均值为4μmol·l^-1(1—8μmol·l^-1)．SO4^2-是最主要的阴离子，平均值为941μmol·l^-1(34—279μmol·l^-1)，占阴离子组成的28％-94％；NO3^-是次要的阴离子，平均值为48μmol·l^-1(1-252μmol·l^-1)，SO4^2-和NO3^-是决定雨水酸度最主要的离子，SO4^2=和NO3^-之和占阴离子组成的77％-99％；Cl^-最少，平均值为20μmol·l^1(1—128μmol·l^-1)．贵阳地区雨水中Sr的浓度为0．02-O．33μmol·l^-1，^87Sr／^86Sr比值较小(0．707934-0．709080)，非海盐来源的^87Sr／^86Sr比值为0．707820-0．709078．元素比值及Sr同位素组成辨识出贵阳地区雨水溶质主要来源于人为活动，岩石／土壤化学风化次之，海相输入很小或可以忽略不计．

Toward a Theory of Representation Design

This research is concerned with designing representations for analytical reasoning problems (of the sort found on the GRE and LSAT). These problems test the ability to draw logical conclusions. A computer program was developed that takes as input a straightforward predicate calculus translation of a problem, requests additional information if necessary, decides what to represent and how, designs representations capturing the constraints of the problem, and creates and executes a LISP program that uses those representations to produce a solution. Even though these problems are typically difficult for theorem provers to solve, the LISP program that uses the designed representations is very efficient.

Analysis of the mechanism and regulation of lactose transport and metabolism in Clostridium acetobutylicum ATCC 824.

Although the acetone-butanol-ethanol (ABE) fermentation of Clostridium acetobutylicum is currently uneconomic, the ability of the bacterium to metabolise a wide range of carbohydrates offers the potential for revival based on the use of cheap, low grade substrates. We have investigated the uptake and metabolism of lactose, the major sugar in industrial whey waste, by C. acetobutylicum ATCC 824. Lactose is taken up via a phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP)-dependent phosphotransferase system (PTS) comprising both soluble and membrane-associated components, and the resulting phosphorylated derivative is hydrolysed by a phospho--galactosidase. These activities are induced during growth on lactose, but are absent in glucose-grown cells. Analysis of the C. acetobutylicum genome sequence identified a gene system, lacRFEG, encoding a transcriptional regulator of the DeoR family, IIA and IICB components of a lactose PTS, and phospho--galactosidase. During growth in medium containing both glucose and lactose, C. acetobutylicum exhibited a classical diauxic growth, and the lac operon was not expressed until glucose was exhausted from the medium. The presence upstream of lacR of a potential catabolite responsive element (cre) encompassing the transcriptional start site is indicative of the mechanism of carbon catabolite repression characteristic of low-GC Gram-positive bacteria. A pathway for the uptake and metabolism of lactose by this industrially important organism is proposed.

Progettazione e sintesi di nuovi antagonisti CB1 a struttura pirazolica come potenziali radiofarmaci per la PET imaging

Cannabinoid receptors are members of the large family of G-protein coupled receptors. Two types of cannabinoid receptor have been discovered: CB1 and CB2. CB1 receptors are localised predominantly in the brain whereas CB2 receptors are more abundant in peripheral nervous system cells. CB1 receptors have been related with a number of disorders, including depression, anxiety, stress, schizophrenia, chronic pain and obesity. For this reason, several cannabinoid ligands were developed as drug candidates. Among these ligands, a prominent position is occupied by SR141716 (Rimonabant), which is a pyrazole derivative with inverse agonist activity discovered by Sanofi-Synthelabo in 1994. This compound was marketed in Europe as an anti-obesity drug, but subsequently withdrawn due to its side-effects. Since the relationship between the CB1 receptors’ functional modification, density and distribution, and the beginning of a pathological state is still not well understood, the development of radio-ligands suitable for in vivo PET (Positron Emission Tomography) functional imaging of CB1 receptors remains an important area of research in medicine and drug development. To date, a few radiotracers have been synthesised and tested in vivo, but most of them afforded unsatisfactory brain imaging results. A handful of radiolabelled CB1 PET ligands have also been submitted to clinical trials in humans. In this PhD Thesis the design, synthesis and characterization of three new classes of potential high-affinity CB1 ligands as candidate PET tracers is described.

Rapid and quantitative detection of the microbial spoilage of meat by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy and machine learning

Ellis, D. I., Broadhurst, D., Kell, D. B., Rowland, J. J., Goodacre, R. (2002). Rapid and quantitative detection of the microbial spoilage of meat by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy and machine learning. ? Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 68, (6), 2822-2828 Sponsorship: BBSRC

Taking advantage of an old concept, "illegitimate transcription", for a proposed novel method of genetic diagnosis of McArdle disease

McArdle disease is a metabolic disorder caused by pathogenic mutations in the PYGM gene. Timely diagnosis can sometimes be difficult with direct genomic analysis, which requires additional studies of cDNA from muscle transcripts. Although the "nonsense-mediated mRNA decay" (NMD) eliminates tissue-specific aberrant transcripts, there is some residual transcription of tissue-specific genes in virtually all cells, such as peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs).We studied a subset of the main types of PYGM mutations (deletions, missense, nonsense, silent, or splicing mutations) in cDNA from easily accessible cells (PBMCs) in 12 McArdle patients.Analysis of cDNA from PBMCs allowed detection of all mutations. Importantly, the effects of mutations with unknown pathogenicity (silent and splicing mutations) were characterized in PBMCs. Because the NMD mechanism does not seem to operate in nonspecific cells, PBMCs were more suitable than muscle biopsies for detecting the pathogenicity of some PYGM mutations, notably the silent mutation c.645G>A (p.K215=), whose effect in the splicing of intron 6 was unnoticed in previous muscle transcriptomic studies.We propose considering the use of PBMCs for detecting mutations that are thought to cause McArdle disease, particularly for studying their actual pathogenicity.

Iraq and world order: a Turkish perspective

G?l, Ayla. 'Iraq and world order: a Turkish perspective', in: 'The Iraq Crisis and World Order: Structural, Institutional and Normative Challenges', (Eds) Thakur, R., Sidhu, W. P. S., United Nations University Press, Hong Kong , pp.114-133, 2006 RAE2008