The U/Θ effect of electricity parameters of the lotus root silk in the liquor with different pH values

The silk of lotus root is a kind of natural biomaterial with the advantages of easy absorbing and dissolving and poisonless. It may become a new engineering material for clinic and tissue engineering. However, the relationship between its electricity parameters and the pH values of the liquor that the silk is dipped in is unknown presently. The electricity parameters of inductance, capacitance and impedance of the silk were measured in the environment with the temperature ranging from 23℃ to 25℃ and the humidity ranging from 45% to 55% when it was dipped in the liquor with different pH values for 24 h. The results show that the inductance and impedance vary in U shape curves with the liquor pH value, and the capacitance varies in Ω shape curve. The minimal value of the U curves and the maximal value of the Ω curve appear at the point where the pH value equals to 7. The phenomena are called the U/Ω effect. It means that the silk has perfect biocompatibility with human tissues. The study results may imply that the silk have broader potential applications in biomedicine, tissue engineering and bioelectronics.     

Zircon U/Pb dating and Hf-O isotopes of the Zhouan ultramafic intrusion in the northern margin of the Yangtze Block, SW China: Constraints on the nature of mantle source and timing of the supercontinent Rodinia breakup

The Zhouan ultramafic intrusion in the northern margin of the Yangtze Block is mainly composed of lherzolite.Zircon grains selected from lherzolite are irregular in shape with distinct oscillatory and sector zoning and have Th/U ratios ranging from 0.8 to 10.6,indicating a magmatic origin.The weighted average 206 Pb/238 U age is 637±4 Ma (2σ,n=15),which can be considered as the crystallization age of the Zhouan intrusion.Zircon grains have δ18O values ranging from 5.2‰ to 7.0‰,with an averaged value of 5.8±0.4‰ (1σ,n=33),similar to the mantle δ18O value of zircon.Their 176Hf/177Hf(t) ratios range from 0.282410 to 0.282594 with εHf(t) values ranging from 1.3 to 7.6,lower than the corresponding value of the depleted mantle (～15),indicating an enriched mantle source.The enriched mantle source may have generated from a metasomatized lithospheric mantle with subducted slab.A number of ～635 Ma mafic-ultramafic intrusions in the Suizao basin are associated with coeval bimodal volcanics of the Yaolinghe Formation,indicating a continental rift setting.The ～635 Ma magmatic event in this region may represent the product of the last breakup of the Rodinia supercontinent in the northern margin of the Yangtze Block at Neoproterozoic.     

Study on Luster of Fabrics with Goniophotometric Curves

The distribution of the light reflected from various fabric surfaces was studied. A series of samples of different fibers, weaves and colors were investigated. The experiments show that the goniophotometric curves of fabrics change with constituent fibers, weave, dyeing and finishing, and experimental condition. The goniophotometric curves for fabrics of same kind with different colors are same in general shape, and the reflectance or the height of the curves are changed to the extent of that they are in proportion with the brightness or the tristimulus value Y of the samples. The goniophotometric curve also varies in form when the incident angle is changed. Discussion and explanation for the above mentioned are given. Luster of the samples was calculated with methods suggested by different indexing systems.     

Graft Modification of N,N''''-methylene- bisacrylamide onto Silk in the Presence of Air

The graft modification of N, N'-methylene-bisacrylamide (NNMBAA) onto silk using eerie ammonium sulfate, potassium persulfate, ammonium persulfate and 2, 2-azobis (isobutyronitrile) as the initiators has been studied in the presence of air. To establish reaction conditions for the graft modification of NNMBAA onto silk, the effect of different variables such as the initiator concentration, monomer concentration, acetic acid concentration, time of polymerization, reaction temperature and liquor ratio (fabric: liq.) have been studied. The optimum grafting conditions were found. As evidence of grafting, analyses of amino acid composition and alkali solubility have been carried out. Grafting caused changes in amino acid composition and alkali solubility of silk. The observation has been explained in relation to structural changes in the grafted silk.     

Shape controllable preparations of PbS nanocrystals using cysteine as the precursor of S^2- ions

Flowerlike, spherical and cubic PbS nanoparticles have been successfully synthesized by refluxing cysteine and lead nitrate in an alkaline solu- tion. The influences of the cysteine to Pb2 molar ratio, the pH value of the reaction mixture as well as the refluxing time on the shape of PbS nanoparticles were investigated. Detailed experimental results demonstrated that a higher molar ratio of cysteine to Pb2 (5.2:1) and shorter refluxing time favor the for- mation of flowerlike PbS nanoparticles at pH 9.0. While lower pH value (8.0) favors the formation of spherical PbS nanoparticles, and higher pH value (10.0), however, favors the formation of cubic PbS nanoparticles. The mechanism for the shape control of PbS nanoparticles is discussed.     

Chemical Modification of Silk Fibers with Ethylene Glycol Dimethacrylate

Silk fibers have been grafted with ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA) and characteristics of the grafted silk fibers were analyzed in relation to the graft yield on the basis of the tensile properties, dyeing behaviour, durability during laundering and solubility of the specimen in NaOH solution. The amount of the acid dye absorbed by the fibers decreased with increasing graft yield, while the value of rating for washing fastness on silk fibers was almost unchanged by the graft treatment The breaking loads of the fiber were almost unchanged whereas rigidity of the fibers increased after graft treatment. Graft treatment enhanced silk fiber durability during laundering and in NaOH solution.     

Investigation of the effects of MoO_3 buffer layer on charge carrier injection and extraction by capacitance–voltage measurement

The effects of MoO3thin buffer layer on charge carrier injection and extraction in inverted configuration ITO/ZnO/MEH-PPV(poly(2-methoxy-5-(2-ethylhexyloxy)-1,4-phenylenevinylene))/MoO3(0,5 nm)/Ag hybrid solar cells are investigated by capacitance–voltage measurement under dark and light illumination conditions.The efficiency of charge carrier injection and extraction is enhanced by inserting 5 nm MoO3thin layer,resulting in better device performances.Charge carrier transport of the whole device is improved and the interface energy barrier is reduced by inserting 5 nm MoO3thin buffer layer.The device fill factor is increased from 54.1%to 57.5%after modifying 5 nm MoO3.Simulations and experimental results consistently show that in the forward voltage under dark,the device with the 5 nm MoO3thin layer modification generates larger value of capacitance than the device without MoO3layer.While under illumination,the device with the 5 nm MoO3layer generates smaller value of capacitance than the device without the 5 nm MoO3layer in the bias region of reverse and before the peak position of maximum capacitance(VCmax).The underlying mechanism of the MoO3anode buffer layer on device current density–voltage characteristics is discussed.     

The Influence of Transmutation Conditions on the Adulteration Performance of Nano—scale Nickel Hydroxide

Spherical Nano-scale nickel hydroxide was prepared through precipitaition transmutation method by controlling the transmutation conditions in this paper.The measurement results of XRD and TEM indicate that the crystallization of the nano-Scale nickel hydroxide is β-style and its shape is spherical with a diameter of 40-70 nanometer.The adulteration experiment shows that the adulteration ratio of nono-scale Ni(OH)2 in common spherical micrometer-scale Ni(OH)2 exists a optimal value(1:9) And at this point,the utilization ratio of Ni(OH)2 in electrodes can be raised by 10%,and the nono-Scale nickel hydroxide with sphericity shape shows a better adulteration performance than that with needle shapge.     

A new method for automatically constructing convexity-preserving interpolatory splines

Constructing a convexity-preserving interpolating curve according to the given planar data points is a problem to be solved in computer aided geometric design (CAGD). So far, almost all methods must solve a system of equations or recur to a complicated iterative process, and most of them can only generate some function-form convexity-preserving interpolating curves which are unaccommodated with the parametric curves, commonly used in CAGD systems. In order to overcome these drawbacks, this paper proposes a new method that can automatically generate some parametric convexity-preserving polynomial interpolating curves but dispensing with solving any system of equations or going at any iterative computation. The main idea is to construct a family of interpolating spline curves first with the shape parameter a as its family parameter; then, using the positive conditions of Bernstein polynomial to respectively find a range in which the shape parameter a takes its value for two cases of global convex data points and piecewise convex data points so as to make the corresponding interpolating curves convexity-preserving and C2(or G1) continuous. The method is simple and convenient, and the resulting interpolating curves possess smooth distribution of curvature. Numerical examples illustrate the correctness and the validity of theoretical reasoning.     

Molecular architecture and engineering of spider dragline silk protein

Spider dragline silk, which is produced in spider major ampullate gland, is a composite proteinacious fiber with highly repetitive Ala-Gly-rich domain. The unique combination of both high tensile strength and high elasticity makes spider dragline silk superior to almost any other natural or synthetic fibers. Cloning of the genes reveals that the silk is composed of at least two major proteins. Each protein component contains multiple repeats of modular structures that alternate between Ala-rich domains and Gly-rich domains. Molecular engineering not only opens a door to the production of spidroins but also provides a valuable experimental system to test and further establish the relationship between modular structures and mechanical properties. Here, based on our own studies, we review the latest progress of the modular structure and genetic engineering and outline the future prospects.     

Molecular Fundaments of Mechanical Properties of Spider Silk

Dragline, framework and cocoon silk fibers of Araneus Ventricosus were used for this study. To investigate the microstructure mechanisms of stress-strain behavior of spider silk, firstly, amino acid compositions were analyzed and molecular conformations and crystallinity were measured with Raman spectra and X-ray diffraction respectively. The results showed that there were more amino acids with large side groups and polar ones in spider silk than those of Bombyx silk, and the amino acid distribution varied with different spider silk. The molecular structures were mainlyα-helix and β-sheet, and random coil andβ-turn existed as well. The proportions and arrangement of these conformations of dragline silk were different from framework and cocoon silk fibers. Microstructure was one of important factors of excellent mechanical properties of spider silk. Crystallinity of spider silk was very low, which implied that the roles of crystal on spider silk were not as great as other protein fibers.     

δ13CSC values of the loess-paleosol sequence in Dali area, Shaanxi Province, China, and paleoenvironmental implications

The carbon isotopic ratios of carbonate in the two profiles of the Dali area were analyzed and some new understandings on the influencing factors of the δ^13Csc value of the Iocss-paleosol sequence and its paleoenvironmental implications were discussed preliminarily in this report. The δ^13Csc value of the Dali Ioess-paleasol sequence is synchronizing with the variance of magnetic susceptibility basically and the negative peaks of the δ^13Csc curves are corresponding to the different developmental periods of the paleosol. It is believed that the intervention of the CO2 produced by plants will cause the decrease of the δ^13Csc value, the amplitude of which may be relevant to the paleovegetation density and the ancient humidity. The relative biomass of C4 plants in the vegetation will affect the sublevel change of the δ^13Csc. Low δ^13Csc value by and large indicates the environmental conditions of the relatively abundant vegetation and humid climate. During the last 250000 years, the period with the sparsest vegetation and the most arid climate is the phase of the loess in L2 depositing and the period with the most abundant vegetation and the most humid climate is the last interglacial period. The δ^13Csc curves of Dali also show that the High Temperature and Large Precipitation Event of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau during 40-30 kaBP had affected the Central Shaanxi Plain with relatively humid climate, and had apparent influence on the local vegetation and humidity.     

Effects of pH on structure and function of single living erythrocyte

The spontaneous changes in cell shape and size, the membrane bending elastic modulus, and the structure and functions of intracellular hemoglobin of single human living erythrocyte incubated in different suspension pH were studied. The non-invasive, in situ, real time measurements on the parameters at the three levels of intracellular molecule, membrane and cell morphology were performed simultaneously by using a fast micro-image analyzing technology and a multi-channel micro-spectrophotometer system. The result shows that the cell shape and size, the mechanical property of the cell membrane, and the structure and function of intracellular hemoglobin are correlated and affected by each other with pH.     

The Application of Ultrasonic in the Refining of Waste Silk Material

The treatment effect of ultrasonic on waste silk material was studied in this paper. The results show that Ultrasonic can emulsify the pupal fat and accelerate the dissolving of sericin. For high pupal fat containing material, high temperature, high pH value and long time which may result in damage to silk fibre are not required and different levels of sericin can be kept according to requirement in ultrasonic refining. In addition, silk fibres are swollen and the breaking elongation of silk fibre is increased on prolonged ultrasonic treatment. But the breaking tenacity is damaged slightly.     

Corrosion behavior of ferritic stainless steel with 15wt% chromium for the automobile exhaust system

The effect of chloride ion concentration, pH value, and grain size on the pitting corrosion resistance of a new ferritic stainless steel with 15wt% Cr was investigated using the anodic polarization method. The semiconducting properties of passive films with different chloride ion concentrations were performed using capacitance measurement and Mott-Schottky analysis methods. The aging precipitation and intergranular corrosion behavior were evaluated at 400–900℃. It is found that the pitting potential decreases when the grain size increases. With the increase in chloride ion concentration, the doping density and the flat-bland potential increase but the thickness of the space charge layer decreases. The pitting corrosion resistance increases rapidly with the decrease in pH value. Precipitants is identified as Nb(C,N) and NbC, rather than Cr-carbide. The intergranular corrosion is attributed to the synergistic effects of Nb(C,N) and NbC precipitates and Cr segregation adjacent to the precipitates.     

Formation and distribution of disinfection by-products during chlorine disinfection in the presence of bromide ion

The influences of contact time and pH value on the formation and distribution of four species of trihalomethanes and five species of haloacetic acids during chlorination in the presence of bromine were investigated. Results showed that the distribution of molar fraction of trihalomethanes varied with contact time due to the change of bromide ion concentration during chlorination. Most of the trihalomethanes comprising bromine-containing species and the favored products of the haloacetic acids were chlorine-containing species after 24 h of chlorination. The extent of bromine incorporation in trihalomethanes and haloacetic acids both decreased with time. The contact time also had influence on the formation rate of different species of haloacetic acids, The formation and distribution of trihalomethanes and haloacetic acids strongly depended on the chlorination pH value. All of the trihalomethanes species formation increased with the increase of pH value except the bromoform that had not been detected, The molar fraction of bromodichloromethane and dibromochloromethane containing bromine increased with pH value while chloroform without bromine decreased. Under the pH range studied in this experiment, the predominant haloacetic acids species were trichloroacetic acid and dichloroacetic acid which all decreased with the increase of pH value and the level of TCAA was higher than that of DCAA.     

Morphology and Microstructure of Spider Dragline Silk from Araneus Ventricosus

The spider dragline silk has excellent mechanical properties. The stress- strain curves of dragline silk fibers have intraspecific and intraindividual variability because of the spiders active control during spinning process. To investigate the relationship between the morphology of dragline silk fibers and spinning conditions, four samples were made at the reeling rates of 1mm/s, 20mm/s, 43.5mm/s and 110mm/s from the major ampullate glands of Araneus Ventricosus and the other two of dragline silks were prepared from a crawling or dropping spider. The surface microstructure and nanofibril characteristic were analyzed with atomic force microscopy (AFM). AFM images of 2000nm*2000nm and 500nm*500nm of these samples showed that the spinning condition influenced the surface roughness and fibril size, while AFM images of 200nm*200nm clearly displayed that dragline silk of Araneus Ventricosus included sheet macro-conformation structure. These results can facilitate the further investigation of the spinning mechanism of a spider in order to understand mechanical properties and macromolecular structures of dragline silk.     

Study on the Application of Standing Collar Pattern

The relations between the lining collar and the face collar in pattern design of standing collar by experiments and theoretical calculation is elucidated. The collar's shape and the fabric thickness, although with the same construction, influence the lining collar and the face collar, especially the back center of the lining and the two collar angles. With a proportional relation, the thicker the fabric is, the more the total variation is. It is supposed to have some practical value to the collar pattern design, as well as to the fashion CAD.     

Swelling Behaviors of Polyaniline-Poly（Acrylic Acid） Hydrogels

Using poly（acrylic acid） （PAA） aqueous solution, NaOH aqueous solution, aniline （An） and ammonium persulfate （APS）, PAn-PAA hydrogels with a semi-interpenetrating structure connected by physical interlocks, chemical ion bonds and hydrogen bonds were prepared. The swelling properties of the hydrogels in solutions of different pH values （adjusted by adding NaOH or HCI） were studied. All the hydrogels prepared have similar swelling curves （the curves of equilibrium swelling ratio vs. pH value） and reach their maximum swelling at pH of 8 - 10. The maximum swelling ratio of the hydrogels is dependent on composition, including molecular weight of PAA, polymer content of the hydrogel, and molar ratios of AA to An, APS to An, and NaOH to AA, And the compositional dependence of the swelling capacity of PAn-PAA hydrogels was also studied.     

Tussah Silk Fibroin Porous Scaffolds Prepared with a Mild Self-assembly Process for Controlled Drug Release

Besides excellent biodegradability and biocompatibility,a useful tissue engineering scaffold should provide favorable surface properties,outstanding mechanical strength and controlled drug release property. In this paper,a mild process to prepare porous tussah silk fibroin（ TSF） scaffolds from aqueous solution was described. The n-butanol was used to control the self-assembly of tussah silk. The scaffolds with different TSF concentrations and the same volume showed differences in pore size and distribution. The maximum porosity of the poprepared porous scaffolds was 80% in this paper. And the pore size of the prepared porous scaffolds with different concentrations was between 10μm and 230 μm. X-ray diffraction（ XRD） analysis revealed that amorphous TSF was crystallized to β-sheet secondary structure upon gelatin. The TSF scaffolds for controlled drug release was studied and the result showed that the time of drug release was significantly longer. The produced TSF scaffolds with sustained drug release have potential application in tissue engineering.