Liposomes as immunological carriers for the preparation of antimannosyl antibodies

Summary Antiserum was raised against an aminophenyl derivative of D-mannose grafted on to a liposomal surface. As characterized by immunodiffucion, quantitative precipitation and hapten inhibition, the antiserum was found to contain mannose specific antibodies in addition to antibodies against the aromatic phenyl group. Acknowledgment. We would like to thank Mr S. Kumar Roy for his excellen technical assistance.     

多道电刺激信号透皮传输的微线圈阵列

微线圈阵列和匹配电容谐振可以实现植入电刺激器多路信息的并行传输。为提高微线圈阵列接收各通道信息的精确性与可靠性,并减小植入系统的体积,实验中利用印刷电路板(printedcircuit board,PCB)和柔性电路板(flexible printed circuit,FPC),工艺加工微线圈阵列,将其用于2*2阵列的多通道传输装置,并测试2种工艺线圈在理想耦合、空间失配以及不同负载下的耦合效率情况。结果表明空间失配对两种线圈都有影响,但若控制横向失配在3 mm内、角度失配在30度内,并增大负载,目前实验室阶段2种线圈均可实现植入电刺激器信号的透皮传输,各通道输出信号能满足神经电刺激的要求。在系统可靠性方面,FPC线圈更具有优势,且其柔性的特点更适于植入人体。     

Continued clearance of apoptotic cells critically depends on the phagocyte Ucp2 protein

Rapid and efficient removal of apoptotic cells by phagocytes is important during development, tissue homeostasis and in immune responses. Efficient clearance depends on the capacity of a single phagocyte to ingest multiple apoptotic cells successively, and to process the corpse-derived cellular material. However, the factors that influence continued clearance by phagocytes are not known. Here we show that the mitochondrial membrane potential of the phagocyte critically controls engulfment capacity, with lower potential enhancing engulfment and vice versa. The mitochondrial membrane protein Ucp2, which acts to lower the mitochondrial membrane potential, was upregulated in phagocytes engulfing apoptotic cells. Loss of Ucp2 reduced phagocytic capacity, whereas Ucp2 overexpression enhanced engulfment. Mutational and pharmacological studies indicated a direct role for Ucp2-mediated mitochondrial function in phagocytosis. Macrophages from Ucp2-deficient mice were impaired in phagocytosis in vitro, and Ucp2-deficient mice showed profound in vivo defects in clearing dying cells in the thymus and testes. Collectively, these data indicate that mitochondrial membrane potential and Ucp2 are key molecular determinants of apoptotic cell clearance. As Ucp2 is linked to metabolic diseases and atherosclerosis, this newly discovered role for Ucp2 in apoptotic cell clearance has implications for the complex aetiology and pathogenesis of these diseases.     

电化学功能化石墨烯作为铜基复合薄膜的防腐增强材料

Cu–graphene (Gr) composite thin films were prepared by electrodeposition route using in-house synthesized Gr sheets. The Gr sheets were synthesized by the electrochemical exfoliation route using 1 M HClO₄ acid as electrolyte. The Gr sheets were confirmed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The (002) plane of Gr sheets was observed at 2θ of 25.66°. The (002) plane confirmed the crystal structure of carbon peaks. The stretching vibration of C=C bond at a wavelength of 1577 cm?1 and other functional groups of carboxyl and epoxide groups were observed from FTIR. TEM confirmed the transparent structure of Gr sheets. The prepared Gr sheets were used as reinforcement at concentrations of 0.1 and 0.3 g/L with a copper matrix to synthesize the Cu–Gr composite. The prepared composite thin films were characterized by XRD, SEM, and energy-dispersion spectrometry (EDS) for morphological and analytical studies. The presence of Gr sheets in Cu–Gr composite was confirmed by EDS analysis. The prepared Cu–Gr nanocomposite thin film showed higher corrosion resistance compared with pure copper thin films in 3.5wt% NaCl, as confirmed by Tafel plots. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy complimented the above results and showed that 0.3 g/L composite film achieved the highest film resistance.