STUDY ON STRUCTURE-PROPERTY RELATIONSHIP OF POLYIMIDE BLENDS .1. A DYNAMIC MECHANICAL STUDY OF THE MISCIBILITY OF POLYIMIDE POLYIMIDE BLENDS

Three pairs of polyimide/polyimide blends (50/50 wt%) with different molecular structures were prepared by two ways, i.e. mixing of the polyamic acid precursors with subsequent imidization, and direct solution mixing of the polyimides. The blends were studied with DMA technique. The results obtained show that all the blends prepared with these two different ways are miscible, as there existed only one glass transition temperature(Tg) for all the blends. It is suggested that the miscibility of these polyimide/polyimide blends is a result of the strong inter-molecular charge-transfer interaction between the chains of their components.

A potent anti-oxidant property: fluorescent recombinant alpha-phycocyanin of Spirulina

To express and product a fluorescent antioxidant holo-alpha-phycocyanin (PC) of Spirulina platensis (Sp) with His-tag (rHHPC; recombinant holo-alpha-phycocyaninof Spirulina platensis with His-tag) in 5-l bench scale. A vector harbouring two cassettes was constructed: cpcA along with cpcE-cpcF in one cassette; ho1-pcyA in the other cassette. Lyases CpcE/F of Synechocystis sp. PCC6803 (S6) could catalyse the 82 site Cys in apo-alpha-PC of Sp linking with bilin chromophores, and rHHPC was biosynthesized in Escherichia coli BL21. The constant feeding mode was adopted, and transformant reached the biomass of rHHPC up to 0.55 g l(-1) broth in 5-litre bench scale. rHHPC was purified by Ni2+ affinity column conveniently. The absorbance and the fluorescence emission spectra of rHHPC had lambda(max) at 621 and 650 nm, respectively. The IC50 values of rHHPC were 277.5 +/- 25.8 mu g ml(-1) against hydroxyl radicals and 20.8 +/- 2.2 mu g ml(-1) against peroxyl radicals. Combinational biosynthesis of rHHPC was feasible, and the constant feeding mode was adopted to produce good yields of rHHPC. Fluorescent rHHPC with several unique qualitative and quantitative features was effective on scavenging hydroxyl and peroxyl radicals. A potent antioxidant rHHPC was co-expressed, produced and characterized for nutritional and pharmacological values, which would help to develop phycobiliproteins' applications in their fluorescent and biological activities.

Analysis of the expression and antioxidative property of a peroxiredoxin 6 from Scophthalmus maximus

Peroxiredoxins (Prxs) are a group of antioxidant proteins that protect cells from oxidative damage caused by various peroxides. To date, six different isoforms of peroxiredoxin (Prx1 to Prx6) have been identified, of which, Prx6 belongs to the 1-Cys Prx subfamily. Although Prx6 of several fish species have been reported at sequence level, there are very few documented studies on the potential function of fish Prx6. In this report, we describe the identification and analysis of a Prx6 homologue, SmPrx6, from turbot Scophthalmus maximus. The full length cDNA of SmPrx6 contains a 5'- untranslated region (UTR) of 60 bp, an open reading frame of 666 bp, and a 3'-UTR of 244 bp. The deduced amino acid sequence of SmPrx6 shares 81-87% overall identities with known fish Prx6. In silico analysis identified in SmPrx6 a conserved Prx6 catalytic motif, PVCTTE, and the catalytic triads putatively involved in peroxidase and phospholipase A2 activities. Expression of SmPrx6 was detected in most fish organs, with the highest expression levels found in blood and heart and the lowest level in spleen. Experimental challenges with bacterial pathogens and poly(I:C) upregulated SmPrx6 expression in liver and spleen in a manner that is dependent on the challenging agent and the tissue type. Treatment of cultured primary hepatocytes with H2O2 enhanced SmPrx6 expression in a dose-dependent manner. Recombinant SmPrx6 expressed in and purified from Escherichia coli exhibited thiol-dependent antioxidant activity and could protect cultured hepatocytes from H2O2-induced oxidative damage. Taken together, these results indicate that SmPrx6 is a Prx6 homologue with antioxidative property and is likely to be involved in both cellular maintenance and protective response during host immune defense against bacterial infection. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of antioxidant property of extract and fractions obtained from a red alga, Polysiphonia urceolata

Antioxidant activity (AA), total phenolic content, and reducing power of the crude extract, fractions, and subfractions derived from a red alga, Polysiphonia urceolata, were evaluated and determined. The antioxidative activity was measured using the alpha,alpha-diphenyl-beta-pierylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging assay and the P-carotene-linoleate assay systems, and compared with that of butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), gallic acid (GA), and ascorbic acid (AscA). The results showed that the crude extract and the ethyl acetate-soluble fraction exhibited higher AA than BHT in the DPPH assay model, at all of four concentration levels tested (from 0.4 to 50 mu g/ml), while, in the beta-carotene-linoleate assay system, the crude extract and the ethyl acetate-soluble fraction exhibited similar or, in most cases, higher AA than GA and AscA at the same concentrations (from 10 to 200 mu g/ml). The ethyl acetate-soluble fraction was further fractionated into seven subfractions F1-F7 by silica gel vacuum liquid chromatography. F1 was found to be the most effective subfraction in both assay systems. The total phenolic content and reducing power were determined using the Folin-Ciocalteu and the potassium ferricyanide reduction methods, respectively. Statistical analysis indicated a significant association between the antioxidant potency and total phenolic content as well as between the antioxidant potency and reducing power. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Research on crustal structure and lithosphere property in the Okinawa Trough area

A mass of geological, geophysical and geochemical data and information from the Okinawa Trough area are collected for comprehensive research in the study area from East China to Okinawa Trough and then to Ryukyu Island Are region. According to the seismic tomography result (P and S wave) and the processing result of free-air and Bouguer gravity anomaly and magnetic anomaly data in the study area, the comprehensive interpretation is carried out. The Moho depth distribution of the study area is obtained by the inversion calculation based on gravity data using the Harmonious Series method. The crust properties are analyzed. Meantime, some Cenozoic basalt data from Kuandian (NE China), Hannuoba (North China), Minxi (South China), Penghu Islands (Taiwan Strait), Okinawa Trough and Japan Island Arc regions are chosen to make the comparison research on element- isotopes. The result indicates that the lithosphere thickness in the Okinawa Trough area has obviously decreased, where a Low -velocity layer of upper-mantle has reached the Moho interface and the metasometized asthenosphere has formed. The research result on element- isotopes shows that the characteristic of the crust in the Okinawa Trough area is different from that in East China area and the Ryukyu Island Arc area. It is considered that the crust in the Okinawa Trough area belongs to the transition type, which is quite similar to the feature of the oceanic crust.

Molecular cloning, expression and biochemical property analysis of AtKP1, a kinesin gene from Arabidopsis thaliana

Kinesins are common in a variety of eukaryotic cells with diverse functions. A cDNA encoding a member of the Kinesin-14B subfamily is obtained using X-RACE technology and named AtKP1 (for Arabidopsis kinesin protein 1). This cDNA has a maximum open reading frame of 3.3 kb encoding a polypeptide of 1087 aa. Protein domain analysis shows that AtKP1 contains the motor domain and the calponin homology domain in the central and amino-terminal regions, respectively. The carboxyl-terminal region with 202 aa residues is diverse from other known kinesins. Northern blot analysis shows that AtKP1 is widely expressed at a higher level in seedlings than in mature plants. 2808 bp of the AtKP1 promoter region is cloned and fused to GUS. GUS expression driven by the AtKP1 promoter region shows that AtKP1 is mainly expressed in vasculature of young organs and young leaf trichomes, indicating that AtKP1 may participate in the differentiation or development of Arabidopsis thaliana vascular bundles and trichomes. A truncated AtKP1 protein containing the putative motor domain is expressed in E. coli and affinity-purified. In vitro characterizations indicate that the polypeptide has nucleotide-dependent microtubule-binding ability and microtubule-stimulated ATPase activity.

Intellectual Property in Computing: (How) Should Software Be Protected? An Industry Perspective

The future of the software industry is today being shaped in the courtroom. Most discussions of intellectual property to date, however, have been frames as debates about how the existing law --- promulgated long before the computer revolution --- should be applied to software. This memo is a transcript of a panel discussion on what forms of legal protection should apply to software to best serve both the industry and society in general. After addressing that question we can consider what laws would bring this about.

Characterization of interaction property of multicomponents in Chinese Herb with protein by microdialysis combined with HPLC

Interaction of traditional Chinese Herb Rhizoma Chuanxiong and protein was studied by microdialysis coupled with high performance liquid chromatography. Compounds in Rhizoma Chuanxiong, such as ferulic acid, senkyunolide A and 3-butylphthalide, were identified by HPLC, HPLC-MS and UV-vis. Microdialysis recoveries and binding degrees of compounds in Rhizoma Chuanxiong with human serum albumin (HSA) and other human plasma protein were determined: recoveries of microdialysis sampling ranged from 36.7 to 98.4% with R.S.D. below 3.1%; while binding to HSA ranged from 0 to 91.5% (0.3 mM HSA) and from 0 to 93.5% (0.6 mM HSA), respectively. Compared with HSA, most of compounds bound to human blood serum more extensively and the results showed that binding of these compounds in Rhizoma Chuanxiong was influenced by pH. Two compounds were found to bind to HSA and human blood serum. their binding degrees were consistent with ferulic acid and 3-butylphthalide, the active compounds in Rhizoma Chuanoxiong. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The role of transformative thinking and practice in a property entrepreneur's response to the funding crisis since 2008

This portfolio of exploration explores the role of transformative thinking and practice in a property entrepreneur’s response to the financial crisis which swept over Ireland from 2008. The complexity of this challenge and the mental capacity to meet its demands is at the core of the exploration. This inquiry emerged from the challenges the financial crisis presented to my values, beliefs, assumptions, and theories, i.e. the interpretive lens through which I make meaning of my experiences. Given the issue identified, this inquiry is grounded in aspects of theories of constructive developmental psychology, applied developmental science, and philosophy. Integrating and linking these elements to business practice is the applied element of the Portfolio. As the 2008 crisis unfolded I realised I was at the limits of my way of knowing. I came to understand that the underlying structure of a way of knowing is the ‘subject-object relationship’ i.e. what a way of knowing can reflect upon, look at, have perspective on, in other words, make object, as against what is it embedded in, attached to, identified within, or subject to. My goal became enhancing my awareness of how I made meaning and how new insights, which would transform a way of knowing, are created. The focus was on enhancing my practice. This Portfolio is structured into three essays. Essay One reported on my self-reflection and external evaluation out of which emerged my developmental goals. In Essay Two I undertake a reading for change programme in which different meaning making systems were confronted in order to challenge me as a meaning maker. Essay Three reported on my experiment which concerned the question whether it was possible for me as a property entrepreneur, and for others alike, to retain bank finance in the face of the overwhelming objective of the bank to deleverage their balance sheet of property loans. The output of my research can be grouped into General Developmental and Specific Business Implications. Firstly I address those who are interested in a transformational-based response to the challenges of operating in the property sector in Ireland during a crisis. I outline the apparatus of thought that I used to create insight, and thus transform how I thought, these are Awareness, Subject-object separation, Exploring other’s perspectives from the position of incompleteness, Dialectical thinking and Collingwood’s Questioning activity. Secondly I set out my learnings from the crisis and their impact on entrepreneurial behaviour and the business of property development. I identify ten key insights that have emerged from leading a property company through the crisis. Many of these are grounded in common sense, however, in my experience these were, to borrow Shakespeare’s words, “More honor'd in the breach than the observance” in pre Crisis Ireland. Finally I set out a four-step approach for forging a strategy. This requires my peer practitioners to identify (i) what they are subject to, (ii) Assess the Opportunity or challenge in a Systemic Context, (iii) Explore Multiple Perspectives on the opportunity or Challenge with an Orientation to change how you know and (iv) Using the Questioning Activity to create Knowledge. Based on my experience I conclude that transformative thinking and practice is a key enabler for a property entrepreneur, in responding to a major collapse of traditional (bank debt) funding.

The Emergence of Access Controls in Small-Scale Fishing Commons: A Comparative Analysis of Individual Licenses and Common Property-Rights in Two Mexican Communities

Addressing global fisheries overexploitation requires better understanding of how small-scale fishing communities in developing countries limit access to fishing grounds. We analyze the performance of a system based on individual licenses and a common property-rights regime in their ability to generate incentives for self-governance and conservation of fishery resources. Using a qualitative before-after-control-impact approach, we compare two neighbouring fishing communities in the Gulf of California, Mexico. Both were initially governed by the same permit system, are situated in the same ecosystem, use similar harvesting technology, and have overharvested similar species. One community changed to a common property-right regime, enabling the emergence of access controls and avoiding overexploitation of benthic resources, while the other community, still relies on the permit system. We discuss the roles played by power, institutions, socio-historic, and biophysical factors to develop access controls. © 2012 The Author(s).