Hard Templating Synthesis of Mesoporous and Nanowire SnO_2 as Lithium Battery Anode Materials

1 Results Recently,Ryoo‘s group reported the preparation of ordered mesoporous carbon using highly ordered mesoporous silica[1-2]. Mesoporous and nanowire SnO2 anode materials for lithium batteries were prepared using KIT-6 and SBA-15 SiO2 templates. The as-prepared SnO2 nanowires had a diameter of 6 nm and a length of ≈3 μm and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area of 80 m2/g while mesoporous SnO2 showed a pore size of 3.8 nm and a BET surface area of 160 m2/g. The charge capacities of these two an...     

Purification and properties of glutamine synthetase I fromRhizobium sp. UMKL 20

Summary Glutamine synthetase I was purified fromRhizobium sp. UMKL 20 following polyethylene glycol precipitation. The enzyme had a subunit molecular weight of 58 kd. Apparent K_m values for ammonia and glutamate were 5.6 and 15.2 mM, respectively. Glutamine synthetase I activity was inhibited by several end products of glutamine metabolism. The purified enzyme was highly adenylylated (E _n ^– =8.5).Acknowledgment. I would like to thank Mr J. C. Lai for technical assistance. This work was carried out with the support of Vote F 153/79 from the University of Malaya.     

Vaccination and herd immunity to infectious diseases

An understanding of the relationship between the transmission dynamics of infectious agents and herd immunity provides a template for the design of effective control programmes based on mass immunization. Mathematical models of the spread and persistence of infection provide important insights into the problem of how best to protect the community against disease.     

甲状旁腺素(PTH)对氯化钾引起大白鼠输精管收缩的舒张作用

本研究探讨甲状旁腺素(PTH)对输精管平滑肌的舒张作用及其机制。不同剂量的氯化钾(20、40、60mM)引起大白鼠输精管的收缩,同样可被牛型—PTH(1—34)或人型—PTH(1—34)所舒张,而且均呈现剂量的依从关系。异丙肾上腺素舒张输精管的作用可被心得安所阻滞,但心得安或酚妥拉明均不抑制甲状旁腺素舒张输精管的作用,提示甲状旁腺素和异丙肾上腺素对输精管的舒张作用是通过不同的受体实现的。不同剂量的氯化钙引起输精管不同张力强度的收缩,甲状旁腺素对这种外源性钙引起的收缩呈现明显的抑制作用,说明甲状旁腺素有减少钙离子进入平滑肌组织的作用。     

Role of intracellular calcium mobilization in the regulation of protein kinase C-mediated membrane processes

Phorbol esters are potent tumour-promoting agents that exert pleiotropic effects on cells. Among these are the control of growth, stimulation of release of stored bioactive constituents and regulation of growth-factor surface receptors. Phorbol esters bind to and activate protein kinase C, leading to the phosphorylation of specific protein substrates presumed to be necessary for eliciting the full response. Strong evidence exists that specific binding of tumour promoter occurs at the membrane level in intact cells, resulting in activation of protein kinase C. Recent evidence concerning the release of bioactive constituents from platelets and neutrophils has linked agonist-induced protein kinase C activation and Ca2+ mobilization in a synergistic mechanism. Here we present a novel model of synergism between Ca2+ and phorbol esters that leads to transferrin receptor phosphorylation and down-regulation in HL-60 human leukaemic cells. Raising intracellular Ca2+, although ineffective by itself, increases the potency and rate of action of phorbol ester for activating protein kinase C and mediating transferrin receptor phosphorylation and down-regulation. We propose a molecular model in which increased intracellular Ca2+ recruits protein kinase C to the plasma membrane, thus "priming' the system for activation by phorbol ester.     

Wormy mice in a hybrid zone

As one approach to analysing the genetic barriers between species, we studied the numbers and types of parasitic worms in two species of house mice (Mus musculus and M. domesticus) and in their natural hybrids. Where the ranges of these two species meet in southern Germany, there is a zone of hybridization less than 20 kilometres across, in which about 98% of the mice have backcross genotypes. Fourteen of the 46 mice tested from within the zone have over 500 pinworms per gut, a number far exceeding the mean of 40 per gut for other mice inside and outside the zone. Other nematodes have a similar, non-random distribution. The number of mice bearing 9 or more tapeworms per gut is also excessive in the hybrid zone. These extraordinarily wormy mice may be unusually susceptible to parasitism; the different species may have different genes for resistance, and recombinant backcross animals may lose both. Our findings support the view that the hybrid populations may have reduced fitness and thereby act as a genetic sink, interfering with the flow of genes between the two species. The possibility that environmental or ecological peculiarites in the zone of hybridization make the mice more liable to infection is not supported.     

Maintenance of multi-state production systems deteriorated by random shocks and production

We consider the preventive maintenance of a production system that is deteriorated by random shocks and the production process itself. The degree of deterioration is modeled by discrete and finite states. Shocks arrive according to a Poisson process and deteriorate the system by random amounts. The system may deteriorate whenever it produces an item. The system is continuously monitored and repaired if the system state is at or above a predetermined level for maintenance. We analyze the lifetime, product quantity, average cost, and average profit considering revenue from the product and cost due to setup, operation, and repair. Assuming a structure of system parameters and costs, using numerical examples, we investigate the impact of production and shock arrivals on the average profit and the optimal maintenance level that maximizes the average profit. The proposed model is applicable to manufacturing tasks in which machines wear due to production, for example, press processes, milling, turning, punching, and drilling.     

Enhancement of thermal stability and UV resistance of halloysite nanotubes using zinc oxide functionalization via a solvent-free approach

The aim of this study was to synthesize and evaluate the thermal properties and ultraviolet(UV)resistance of zinc oxide-functionalized halloysite nanotubes(HNT–ZnO).The HNT–ZnO was synthesized using a facile solvent-free route.The properties of the HNT–ZnO nanofillers were characterized using zeta-potential measurement,X-ray diffraction(XRD),field-emission scanning electron microscopy(FESEM),transmission electron microscopy(TEM),Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy(FTIR),and thermogravimetric analysis(TGA).The immobilization of ZnO nanoparticles onto HNT is feasible even at the lowest mass ratio of HNT/ZnO.The TGA results indicate that the thermal stability of the HNT–ZnO nanofillers is higher than that of the HNT.Furthermore,UV?Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy(UV-DRS)results show that the HNT–ZnO achieve a total reflectance as high as approximately 87.5%in the UV region,as compare with 66.9%for the HNT.In summary,the immobilization of ZnO onto HNT is a viable approach for increasing the thermal stability and improving the UV shielding of HNT.