Review： Protein folding pathology in domestic animals

Fibrillar proteins form structural elements of cells and the extracellular matrix. Pathological lesions of fibrillar microanatomical structures, or secondary fibrillar changes in globular proteins are well known. A special group concerns histologically amorphous deposits, amyloid. The major characteristics of amyloid are: apple green birefringence after Congo red staining of histological sections, and non-branching 7-10nm thick fibrils on electron microscopy revealing a high content of cross beta pleated sheets. About 25 different types of amyloid have been characterised. In animals, AA-amyloid is the most frequent type. Other types of amyloid in animals represent: AIAPP (in cats), AApoAⅠ, AApoAⅡ, localised AL-amyloid, amyloid in odontogenic or mammary tumors and amyloid in the brain. In old dogs Aβ and in sheep APrP^sc-amyloid can be encountered. AA-amyloidosis is a systemic disorder with a precursor in blood, acute phase serum amyloid A (SAA). In chronic inflammatory processes AA-amyloid can be deposited. A rapid crystallization of SAA to amyloid fibrils on small beta-sheeted fragments, the ‘amyloid enhancing factor‘ (AEF), is known and the AEF has been shown to penetrate the enteric barrier. Amyloid fibrils can aggregate from various precursor proteins in vitro in particular at acidic pH and when proteolytic fragments are formed. Molecular chaperones influence this process. Tissue data point to amyloid fibrillogenesis in lysosomes and near cell surfaces. A comparison can be made of the fibrillogenesis in prion diseases and in enhanced AA-amyloidosis. In the reactive form, acute phase SAA is the supply of the precursor protein, whereas in the prion diseases, cell membrane proteins form a structural source. AI3-amyloid in brain tissue of aged dogs showing signs of dementia forms a canine counterpart of senile dementia of the Alzheimer type (ccSDAT) in man. Misfolded proteins remain potential food hazards. Developments concerning prevention of amyloidogenesis and therapy of amyloid deposits are shortly commented.     

Study the effects of metallic ions on the combination of DNA and histones with molecular combing technique

The effects of monovalent (Na^ , K^ ) and divalent (Mg^2 , Ca^2 , Mn^2 ) ions on the interaction between DNA and histone are studied using the molecular combing technique. λ-DNA molecules and DNA-histone complexes incubated with metal cations (Na^ , K^ , Mg^2 , Ca^2 , Mn^2 ) are stretched on hydrophobic surfaces, and directly observed by fluorescence microscopy. The results indicate that when these cations are added into the DNA solution, the fluorescence intensities of the stained DNA are reduced differently. The monovalent cations (Na^ , K^ ) inhibit binding of histone to DNA. The divalent cations (Mg^2 , Ca^2 , Mn^2 ) enhance significantly the binding of histone to DNA and the binding of the DNA-histone complex to the hydrophobic surface. Mn^2 also induces condensation and aggregation of the DNA- histone complex.     

Polymeric artificial solid/electrolyte interphases for Li-ion batteries

During the operation of Li-ion batteries(LIBs),solvent and electrolyte decomposition takes place at the electrode surface to form a so-called solid-electrode interphase(SEI) passivating-layer.The physical structure and chemical composition of the SEI exert profound effects on various aspects of the electrode performance of the batteries.A new concept of forming polymeric artificial SEIs(A-SEIs) based on rational design of multifunctional polymer-blend coating to achieve favorable electrode/A-SEI/electrolyte interfacial properties is described.Three examples using binary and ternary polymer blends to form mechanically robust and highly Li-ion permeable surface coatings with selected functionalities in the cases of graphite and silicon–graphite composite electrodes have demonstrated greatly enhanced capacity,rate and cycle performance.Given the rich chemistry available from polymer blends,this surface preconditioning approach holds great promise for improving the performance of various negative electrodes to meet the requirements for advanced LIBs.     

Nanomechanics of individual amyloid fibrils using atomic force microscopy

Compression elasticity of glucagon amyloid fibrils in the transverse direction was investigated by a nanoindentation approach based on atomic force microscopy (AFM).With force-volume mapping, we obtained the correlations between radially applied force and compression of amyloid fibrils, from which the radial compressive elasticity can be deduced.The estimated elastic modulus at three typical locations of fibrils varied from (0.72±0.80) GPa to (1.26±0.62) GPa under small external forces, imply-ing the struct...     

Direct observation of monomer film structure of bacteriochlorophyll c

The adsorption and assembling of bacteriochlorophyll c (BChl c) on a highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) surface have been investigated by the scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). BChl c molecules are found to self-organize a well-defined adlayer on HOPG surface with a monomeric structure different from the dimer association seen on adlayers of Chls a, c and BChlide c, d. A structural model is proposed for the adlayer.     

Construct 2D nanostructure of co-adsorbed dipyridyl derivative by stabilization of hydrogen bond and long alkyl chains

The self-assembled structures of 4, 4‘‘-dionoyl-2,2‘‘-dipyridyl and its co-adsorption with stearic acid on highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) have been studied by the scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). As a result, 4,4‘‘-dionoyl-2,2‘‘-dipyridyl forms a planar trans conformation in two cases, and through the co-adsorption with stearic acid, 4,4‘‘-dionoyl-2,2‘‘-dipyridyl and stearic acid form a well-ordered nanostructure.     

High resolution imaging using scanning ion conductance microscopy with improved distance feedback control

Microscopy is an essential technique for observation on living cells. There is currently great interest in applying scanning probe microscopy to image-living biological cells in their natural environment at the nanometer scale. Scanning ion conductance microscopy is a new form of scanning probe microscopy, which enables non-contact high-resolution imaging of living biological cells. Based on a scanned nanopipette in physiological buffer, the distance feedback control uses the ion current to control the distance between the pipette tip and the sample surface. However, this feedback control has difficulties over slopes on convoluted cell surfaces, which limits its resolution. In this study, we present an improved form of feedback control that removes the contribution of up to the third-order slope from the ion current signal, hence providing a more accurate signal for controlling the distance. We show that this allows faster and lower noise topographic high-resolution imaging.     

Synthesis and characterization of the nanostructured solid solution with extended solubility of graphite in nickel by mechanical alloying

In the present work, mechanical alloying of a powder mixture of nickel and graphite (up to 15wt%) was carried out in an attrition mill under a nitrogen atmosphere. The as-milled powders were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The 15wt% graphite dissolved into the nickel (exceeding the negligible solid solubility in the nickel-carbon system), thereby forming a supersaturated solid solution of graphite in a nickel matrix. The dissolved graphite occupied interstitial positions along the dislocation edges and at the grain-boundary regions. A three-step graphite dissolution mechanism has been proposed. The associated changes in the nickel lattice, such as changes in the crystallite size (62 to 43 nm), lattice strain (0.12% to 0.3%), and lattice parameter (0.3533 to 0.3586 nm), which led to the formation of the supersaturated solid solution, were also evaluated and discussed.     

Effects of the microstructure of twin roll cast and hot rolled plates on the surface quality of presensitized plates

The effect of the microstructure of plates fabricated both in the traditional process, involving casting, hot rolling and cold rolling (HR), and in the novel twin roll casting + cold rolling (TRC) process on the surface quality of presensitized (PS) plates was analyzed by optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDXS). The formation of pores on the surface of the electrolyzed HR plate could be attributed to the presence of approximately 1-μm-sized large Al-Fe precipitates in the HR plate compared to the smaller precipitates in the TRC plate. Moreover, residual graphite lubricants used during the TRC process were entrapped on the surface of the TRC plate during the subsequent rolling process. The entrapped pollutants tended to further deteriorate the formation of pores on the surface of the TRC plate, and no residual carbon was detected on the surface of the HR plate. Furthermore, the surface quality of the TRC plate can be improved by surface cleaning before the cold rolling process, which could dramatically lower the residual graphite on the surface.     

Effect of Ce addition on microstructures and mechanical properties of A380 aluminum alloy prepared by squeeze-casting

The effect of cerium (Ce) addition on the eutectic Si, β-Al₅FeSi phase, and the tensile properties of A380 alloy specimens prepared by squeeze-casting were studied by optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The experimental results showed that Ce more effectively modified the eutectic Si and refined the β-Al₅FeSi. The refinement effect significantly increased under a specific pressure of 100 MPa with the addition of Ce from 0.1wt% to 0.9wt%. In contrast, the average length and the aspect ratio of the eutectic Si and β-Al₅FeSi exhibited their optimal values when the content of the added Ce was greater than 0.5wt%. Needle-like Al8Cu4Ce was precipitated with the addition of excessive Ce; hence, the mechanical properties of A380 gradually decreased with increasing Ce content in the range from 0.3wt% to 0.9wt%.     

Effects of sphere size on the microstructure and mechanical properties of ductile iron–steel hollow sphere syntactic foams

The effects of sphere size on the microstructural and mechanical properties of ductile iron–steel hollow sphere (DI–SHS) syntactic foams were investigated in this study. The SHSs were manufactured by fluidized-bed coating via the Fe-based commercial powder–binder suspension onto expanded polystyrene spheres (EPSs). Afterwards, the DI–SHS syntactic foams were produced via a sand-mold casting process. The microstructures of specimens were investigated by optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy- dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). The microscopic evaluations of specimens reveal distinct regions composed of the DI matrix, SHS shells, and compatible interface. As a result, the microstructures and graphite morphologies of the DI matrix depend on sphere size. When the sphere size decreases, the area fractions of cementite and graphite phases are observed to increase and decrease, respectively. Compression tests were subsequently conducted at ambient temperature on the DI–SHS syntactic foams. The results reveal that the compression behavior of the syntactic foams is enhanced with increasing sphere size. Furthermore, the compressed specimens demonstrate that microcracks start and grow from the interface region.     

Conformational change of glutathione-S-transferase by its co-expression with prion domain of yeast Ure2p

Ure2 protein from Saccharomyces cerevisisae has a changeable structure similar to that ofrnammalian prion protein. Its N-terminal is the prion domain (PrD) consisting of 65 amino acids which plays a critical role in yeast prion development. In this study, PrD gene was recombinated with glutathione-S-transferase(GST) gene, and a soluble GST-PrD(sGST-PrD) fusion protein was expressed in E. coli. sGST-PrD could spontaneously polymerize into amyloid fibrils in vitro, displaying typical β-sheet-type structure; it had increased resistance to proteinase K and exhibited amvloid-like optical properties. Moreover, the aggregated GST-PrD(aGST-PrD) could induce sGST-PrD to aggregate into fibrils. These results indicate that PrD could change the conformation of GST moiety in a recombinant protein with PrD to form a prion-like chimeric protein, which proves that PrD has the ability to mediate a prion-like conversion of other proteins fused with it.     

Study of-amyloid adsorption and aggregation on graphite by STM and AFM

Alzheimers disease is the major cause of dementia and the fourth leading cause of death in the developed world after heart disease, cancer and stroke. Pathologi-cally, one of major hallmarks of Alzheimers disease is the formation of insoluble deposits of -amyloid (A) both as diffuse and senile plaques in the brain tissue. The plaques are fibrous masses composed primarily of the 40-42 resi-due A peptides. The two most abundant forms of A are, respectively, the 40 and 42 residue peptide -amylo…     

Influences of 2.5wt% Mn addition on the microstructure and mechanical properties of Cu-Al-Ni shape memory alloys

The influences of 2.5wt% Mn addition on the microstructure and mechanical properties of the Cu-11.9wt%Al-3.8wt%Ni shape memory alloy (SMA) were studied by means of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and differential scanning calorimeter (DSC). The experimental results show that Mn addition influences considerably the austenite-martensite transformation temperatures and the kind of martensite in the Cu-Al-Ni alloy. The martensitic transformation changes from a mixed xed β₁→β'₁+γ'₁ transformation to a single β₁→β'₁ martensite transformation together with a decrease in transformation temperatures. In addition, the observations reveal that the grain size of the Cu-Al-Ni alloy can be controlled with the addition of 2.5wt% Mn and thus its mechanical properties can be enhanced. The Cu-Al-Ni-Mn alloy exhibits better mechanical properties with the high ultimate compression strength and ductility of 952 MPa and 15%, respectively. These improvements are attributed to a decrease in grain size. However, the hardness decreases from Hv 230 to Hv 140 with the Mn addition.     

Graphite addition for SiC formation in diamond/SiC/Si composite preparation

Herein, graphite was used in the Si-vapor reactive infiltration of diamond/SiC/Si composites to produce composites with various SiC contents. X-ray diffraction was used to determine the phases of the composite, whereas scanning electron microscopy was used to confirm the Si-C reaction between the silicon, graphite, and diamond and to observe the SiC morphology. Various SiC contents in the composite were observed with graphite addition. Furthermore, the reaction between silicon and graphite (diamond) produced coarse (fine) SiC particles. The generation of a 10-μm-diameter Si-C area on the surface of the diamond was observed. The thermal conductivity (TC) and coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of the composite was investigated, where the TC varied from 317-426 W·m-1·K-1 with the increase of the SiC volume fraction from 38% to 76% and the corresponding CTE increased from 1.7×10-6 to 3.7×10-6 K-1, respectively. Furthermore, a critical point for the CTE was found to exist at approximately 250℃, where the composite was under a hydrostatic condition. Finally, the bending strength was found to range from 241 to 341 MPa.     

Territorial Features of Atmospheric Environment in Beijing and Impct of Dust-storm

The territorial features of the amospheric environment in Beijing were described in described in detail,and the transportation pathways of the atmosphere pollutants found by the dot aggregation in the form of the meshwork.The concept on convergence belt of the atmosphere pollutants was given.The vertical distribution of the atmospheric pollutants in Beijing was detected by the neighboring areas of Beijing.The sand-dust storm in China were studie by both satellite inspection technology and analysis of atmospheric flow fields,According tp tje dostrobitopms of sand-dust storm sources to impact on the air environment in China,the sand-dust sources insia were situatad in the desert and Gobi in the Inner Mongolia and Xinjiang autonomous regions .The sand-dust surces outside China were situated in the desert and Gohi in Russina,Hazakhsten and Mongolia.A very strong sand-dust storm taken place on the 20th Mar,2002 is given as exa-mple.     

Self-assembled structure of alkyloxy substituted benzoic acid methyl ester on HOPG：An STM study

Self-assembled structures of 3,4,5-tris-dodecy-loxy benzoic acid methyl ester (E12), 3,4,5-tris-tetradecy-loxy-benzoic acid methyl ester (E14) and their mixture (E12/E14) have been studied on HOPG by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). Dimer-like patterns induced by dipole-dipole interaction are observed in E12 and E14 monolayers. The molecules form close-packed rows and interdigitate with the alkyl chains in adjacent molecules. The structural differences are proposed to be from the different length of substituted alkyl chains. Owing to similar adsorption energy, phase separation is observed in the E12 and E14 mixed adlayer with different domains.     

Comparative investigation of three types of ethanol sensor based on NiO-SnO2 composite nanofibers

NiO-SnO2 composite nanofibers were synthesized via electrospinning techniques and characterized by X-ray diffraction,scanning electron microscopy,transmission electron microscopy,and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy.Three types of sensor were applied to investigate the sensing properties of these nanofibers.Sensors A were fabricated by mixing the nanofibers with deionized water,and then grinding and coating them on ceramic tubes to form indirect heated gas sensors.Microsensors B(with an area of 600 μm×200 μm) were formed by spinning nanofibers on Si substrates with Pt signal electrodes and Pt heaters.Sensors C were fabricated by spinning nanofibers on plane ceramic substrates(with a large area of 13.4 mm×7 mm) with Ag-Pd signal electrodes only.The operating temperatures of sensors A and B were controlled by adjusting heater currents,and the operating temperatures of sensors C were controlled by adjusting an external temperature control device.Experimental results show that sensors C possess the highest sensing properties,such as high response values(about 42 to 100 μL/L ethanol),quick response/recovery speeds(the response and recovery times were 4 and 7 s,respectively),and excellent consistencies.These phenomena were explained by the retained fiber morphology and suitable sensor area.The presented results can provide some useful information for the design and optimization of one-dimensional nanomaterial-based gas sensors.     

Fault Tolerant Data Aggregation Scheduling with Local Information in Wireless Sensor Networks

We study the problem of efficient data aggregation in unreliable wireless sensor networks by designing a fault tolerant data aggregation protocol.A fault tolerant data aggregation protocol consists of two parts:basic aggregation scheduling and amendment strategies.On default,data is aggregated according to the basic aggregation scheduling strategy.The amendment strategy will start automatically when a middle sensor node is out of service.We focus our attention on the amendment strategies and assume that the network adopts a connected dominating set (CDS) based aggregation scheduling as its basic aggregation scheduling strategy.The amendment scheme includes localized aggregation tree repairing algorithms and distributed rescheduling algorithms.The former are used to find a new aggregation tree for every child of the corrupted node,whereas the latter are used to achieve interference free data aggregation scheduling after the amendment.These amendment strategies impact only a very limited number of nodes near the corrupted node and the amendment process is transparent to all the other nodes.Theoretical analyses and simulations show that the scheme greatly improves the efficiency of the data aggregation operation by reducing both message and time costs compared to rebuilding the aggregation tree and rescheduling the entire network.     

Self-aggregation of vapor-liquid phase transition

The concept of the molecular free path is introduced to derive a criterion distinguishing active molecules from inactive molecules in liquid phase. Based on molecular self-aggregation theory a concept of the critical aggregation concentration (CAC) of active molecules is proposed to describe the physical configuration before the formation of the nuclei in the process of vapor-liquid phase transition. All active molecules exist in the form of the monomer when the concentration of active molecules is lower than CAC, while the active molecules will generate aggregation once the concentration of the active molecules reaches CAC. However, these aggregates with the aggregation number N smaller than 5 can steadily exist in bulk phase. The other excess active molecules can only produce infinite aggregation and form a critical nucleus of vapor-liquid phase transition. Without outer perturbation the state point of CAC corresponds to the critical superheated or supercooled state in the process of vapor-liquid phase transition. With the aggregate property, the interfacial tension between the bulk phase and the tiny new phase is predicted and a correction is made for the classical nucleation rate in a quite good agreement with experimental results.