2019年底在武汉爆发的新冠肺炎(2019 novel coronavirus disease, COVID-19)造成国内外乃至全球的大冲击，无论是医药、经济、贸易及各产业体系均受到巨大考验。藉由全球科学家们日以继夜的努力研究，发现新冠肺炎可能的致病基理；其中较为关键的是新冠病毒感染主要是藉由新冠病毒上的S蛋白(spike protein)，专一性的识别攻击人类细胞受体ACE2 (angiotensin converting enzyme 2)进而引起后续的反应。相较于同是冠状病毒的SARS，COVID-19识别人类细胞受体的专一性更强高出20倍1-3。鉴于新冠肺炎启发，本文将回顾利用等温滴定量热法(isothermal titration calorimetry, ITC)及差式扫描量热法(differential scanning calorimetry, DSC)研究病毒相关的技术文献。期望能对抗病毒药物开发、疫苗、检验试剂及基础研究等领域，提供有用的信息。

Cement is a fnely ground powder of burned limestone. It reacts readily with water (hydrates) to form a solid material, known as hardened cement paste. When cement is mixed together with rock aggregate, sand and filler materials, it forms concrete. Cement is one of the most important base materials in general use in the construction industry. The optimization of concrete with respect to frost resistance, durability, chemical resistance etc. is of great importance.

The fled of biologics, i.e. proteins, particularly monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), as pharmaceutical drugs, is the fastest growing segment in the biopharmaceutical industry. Therapeutic formulations of monoclonal antibodies usually require concentrations on the order of 100 mg/mL or more, a condition that exacerbates protein denaturation and aggregation tendencies. Selecting the monoclonal antibody with the best denaturation/aggregation profile and identifying the solution conditions (formulation) that maximize the long term stability of the antibody are major goals in the development process. To accomplish these goals, researchers routinely measure different aspects of protein denaturation and aggregation using various complementary or orthogonal techniques. Some techniques measure the conformational stability of the protein (e.g., differential scanning calorimetry, differential scanning ?uorometry, isothermal chemical denaturation) and other techniques measure aggregation after lengthy sample incubation (e.g., size exclusion chromatography, light scattering). Since the expected long term stability is longer than one year, incubation times are usually reduced by accelerating denaturation/aggregation process by, for example, increasing the incubation temperature or stressing the sample in different ways. It would be highly desirable for a more efficient development of new therapeutic mAbs, to have access to a technique that provides the rate of denaturation/aggregation fast and accurately. In this technical note, we introduce the Thermal Activity Monitor (TAM) as a way to measure the rates of denaturation and aggregation of monoclonal antibodies and other proteins at constant temperature.

Biofilms are defined as “bacteria growing on a surface as single or multi-layered communities”. Over the past several years the importance of biofilms in research has been increasingly growing as scientists realized that many, if not a large majority, of microorganisms exist naturally as biofilms. Indeed, biofilms studies are common in water science (natural waters or waste waters), environmental studies (biofilm formation on rocks), material science (antifouling surfaces) and finally medical or biomedical studies (infections, implantology). The study of biofilms has evolved with the development of many staining, molecular, or microscopy techniques. However, most of these techniques are destructive and therefore only provide endpoint measurements. Consequently, the metabolism and the dynamic behavior of biofilms remains mostly inaccessible to researchers. In this context, isothermal microcalorimetry is a valuable tool enabling investigation of development and metabolic activities of growing or mature biofilms. Several techniques combined with an isothermal calorimeter can be used to study biofilms and this application note aims at summarizing these techniques and providing some tips and tricks.

Isothermal calorimetry is a viable technique for determining the quality of soil through respiration measurements. Substrate induced respiration follows the carbon in the soil and can be used to determine carbon incorporation. Additional experimental conditions can further characterize the soil through the idea of calorespirometry. The findings via calorimetry in the references show a direct correlation between calorimetry results and soil quality.

The need to survey the stability and compatibility of explosives in general and propellants in particular is beyond discussion. During the more than 100 years that nitrocellulose has been in use as a propellant, an enormous number of tests have been devised to survey its stabiliiy. The majority of these tests are rather simple and empirical in nature. During the last decade or so, however, modern analytical methods have been introduced in the explosives feld, and are often used in parallel with older methods. Modern methods give real information about the components studied, but the translation of the result into terms of stability, compatibility and remaining stable life of the complex mixture of ingredients in a propellant is no easy task.

Food items are often perishable and have a limited shelf life. Legislation requiring a declaration of “Best before” date and the interest of the manufacturer to assure the quality of his products within the declared time makes a frm control of the adulterating reactions in the product highly desirable, A thorough knowledge of the aging mechanism allows the manufacturer to take proper actions to prevent rapid decay. Microcalorimetry is a very useful tool for the measurement of the degree of aging of a product and also for the elucidation of the aging mechanism. This can sometimes be a formidable task in such a complex matrix as a food product.

The surface energetics of a powder plays an important role in the ease of preparation, stability and dissolution of pharmaceutical products. Existing techniques for assessing surface energetics of powders (i.e. liquid penetration and contact angles) suffer from practical and theoretical limitations as well as being somewhat subjective. The objective of this study was to evaluate the data obtained by microcalorimetric techniques from which ?H and other kinetic parameters of adsorption can be determined. Results were supplemented by data obtained by vacuum microbalance methods.

Microcalorimetry has been successfully applied to the study of electrochemical components and structural materials during the design and development of new batteries. The Ampoule form of the Microcalorimeter is ideally suited to the examination of the electrochemical materials in forms such as pastes, liquids, powders or even the entire battery. The method is non-destructive, Analysis of the activity of the components is fast; for example, a reaction normally taking several weeks or months can be observed within a few hours when using this technique. The variable full-scale readout range of the instrument ensures a sensitive measurement of the activity of a wide range of samples.

A common technique for sampling organic solvents in workplace air is the use of preconcentration of vapors on adsorbents. The most widely used adsorbent is activated carbon, due to its large sampling capacity. After desorption (thermal or displacement by other solvents such as carbon disulfide), analysis is made by gas chromatography. In order to avoid breakthrough, the collected amount is usually <10% of the maximum capacity (total pore volume).

A dry cell battery is an electrochemical cell in which the electron transfer of a chemical reaction is conducted outside the battery through an external circuit in a load. The reactions in the battery result in a decrease in the energy content of the substances in the battery, It is this energy decrease which can be used to power a device such as a ?ashlight. It is however not possible to utilize the entire energy because of internal energy losses within the battery. The energy that cannot be used outside the battery is converted to heat within the battery. By measuring this heat the efficiency of the battery may be investigated.

在经济快速发展进程，对化学品的生产及使用逐渐走向多样化、大量化、复杂化，化学品的性质也趋于复杂及高危害性。失控反应最终可能导致火灾、爆炸甚至外泄等安全议题，造成巨大的生命财产损失，因此也日益受到关注。国家十三五规划中也表明应提供安全生产的工作环境，建立良好之物质管理体系，有效推动灾害防范；充分知悉工作场所危害物质的特性及危害，并依各项安全规定工作，维持生产安全。本文与国际知名热分析厂家美国TA仪器合作，浅谈在国际上及个人研究经验对热分析技术研究失控反应的案例介绍及心得。

热机械分析分析在玻璃类材料中有着广泛的应用领域。 本文作者许炎山先生系TA仪器台湾办事处技术部经理，1985年毕业于台湾中央大学化学工程硕士班，主修高分子科学。曾先后任职于台湾台塑集团的南亚塑料公司第六轻油裂解计划ABS厂研发专员, 与台湾化学纤维公司的ABS建厂专员共七年有余, 台湾立源兴业公司负责精密分析仪器部门之业务经理超过十三年, 累积丰富的流变学与热分析技术在产业界与学术界之相关应用经验, 并且也拥有犀利的仪器操作实做能力。许经理由于长期与产业界有密切的合作关系, 因此对于工业技艺与仪器分析之间的连结能力特别专长, 颇为受到台湾各行各业用户的重视与欢迎。

对高分子材料常常用熔体流动速率（熔融指数MI）表示材料熔体的流动性，这种测试完全忽略了材料的流动模型，所以对每一个被研究的材料所施加应变历史都不相同。这种单点的数值是粘性和弹性共同贡献的结果。这种完全经验的数值完全没有定义确定的变形，一般而言仅仅作为材料的等级或窗口数值。由于其测量方法的限制，它不可能区分粘性和弹性。很多情况下具有同样MI的材料却表现出截然不同的加工性能。所以熔体流动速率（MI）测试只能用于质量控制，它无法提供材料的基本性能信息或于加工过程相关联。 不过在控制应力/应变流变仪上的动态测试对材料流动行为可以提供非常有价值的信息。流变仪可以通过单一实验准确的测得弹性和粘性响应。 我们研究的样品为三种硬质PVC样品，分别以A，B和C样品来标记。每一种样品PVC样品在稳定剂类型和浓度及基本PVC树脂类型等方面均有明显的不同。

热分析技术在橡胶领域应用得越来越广泛，本文简要介绍了示差扫描量热仪DSC、热重分析仪TGA、动态力学分析仪DMA和热机械分析仪TMA的基本原理和在橡胶领域的应用实例。

DMA-动态力学分析仪是对粘弹性材料表征的全能工具，可以对高分子材料的玻璃化温度，微观结构，宏观力学，蠕变和应力松弛进行测试。这篇文章可以很快地帮助您对DMA技术有初步的了解，以便进一步地对高分子材料进行深入研究。

Conventional transducers measure the strain in a compliant member and based on their stiffness, determine the torque resp. normal force (Fig. 1a). This method has several inherent disadvantages. Since the compliant member is strained, the strain has to be accounted for in determining actual sample strain. In dynamic the inertia of the moving mass of the transducer, affects the measured results at high frequences. Further, viscoelastic materials which develop normal forces, drive the cone and plate apart. This effect generates secondary flow fields and the result is an inaccurate transient normal force measurement. To overcome these problems of conventional transducer, all developments have been made towards stiffer transducers. The stiffness however is directly related to the resolution of the strain measurement of the compliant member i.e. the torque resp. force measurement. This implies that the stress resolution decreases with increasing stiffness.

Linear viscoelastic measurements are often taken for granted. Many users are not aware that systematic errors such as instrument compliance may significantly corrupt the test results, especially at high frequency when the sample becomes stiff in comparison to the instrument itself. Instrument compliance effects can be demonstrated, when running high modulus materials in different size plate geometries. Figure 1 shows the complex modulus of PIB measured at -20°C using 8mm and 25mm plates. With increasing frequency, the complex modulus of the test run with 25mm plate geometry deviates significantly from the result obtained with the 8mm plate geometry. In the same graph, the measured sample deformation is plotted versus frequency. While the strain amplitude for the test performed with 8mm parallel plates is virtually constant and close to the 2% command value, does the actual sample strain for the tests performed with 25mm plates, decrease with frequency. This shows that for these tests, the deformation amplitude applied by the actuator is not fully transferred onto the sample. The smaller the sample strain in relation to the command strain, the higher the compliance effect of the instrument.

传统的旋转流变仪是在理想流动条件（黏度流动）下工作的，使用板、椎板或同心圆筒表征复杂材料，尤其在线性黏弹区域更好。但往往复杂流体在这种条件下最难测量的。测试或滑动过程中采样工具界面上的沉降有明显的效果，且能够减少仪器的操作范围。 Traditional rotational rheometry has been dealing with ideal flow conditions (viscometric flows) using plate, cone-plate or concentric cylinder geometries to characterize complex materials, preferably in the linear viscoelastic region. Complex fluids, however are often difficult to measure under these conditions. Sedimentation during testing or slippage at the sample-tool interface have a significant effect on the results and reduce the operation range of the instruments. ?Furthermore do viscoelastic flows by no means represent the real flow situation in batch or continuous reactors and processing machines during mixing and/or incorporation of additives, etc. For example, in order to simulate and to understand the gelatinization of starch, a mixing element is used as the standard geometry to avoid settling of the non soluble starch particles since the early days of rheological testing.

由导电性颗粒和非导电液体混合而成的电流变液的微观结构状态在有无外电场作用差异巨大，从而表现出显著不同的流变特性。这类体系有着广泛应用前景，对电流变液流变特性的系统表征有十分重要的意义和实用价值，TA仪器最新研制的电流变附件是研究这类流变的理想工具。

高温显微镜HM具有程序控温和Flash瞬态升温特性，可以模拟炉窑中的实际工况，利用高像素CCD相机，测定玻璃，釉料，搪瓷，灰分，模压粉末，钎焊合金等在工业过程中的尺寸变化曲线，表征如烧结点，软化点，球化，半球化和熔点等特征温度，为优化热处理工艺提供强有力的工具。

通过差示扫描量热仪（DSC）使用CSC Nano-DSC III测定蛋白质的热力学参数，需要大量相同的蛋白质做表面等离子体共振或荧光研究。由于Nano-DSC III 高度的敏感性和基线重复性，以及样品池的小体积(300 μL)和毛细管配置（能够延迟不可逆的蛋白质聚合和沉淀），一个完整的、可判断的、准确的扫描可以得到基本上所有的想要测试的蛋白质。?

通过活体组织提供一个直接的的定量检测同时测量热率产生和氧气利用率，意味着在代谢状态下面对改变生理和环境条件检测细微变化。The ratio of calorimetrically measured heat flux to the respirometrically measured oxygen flux is often called the “calorimetric-respirometric ratio” or CR ratio.

由于巨大仪器惯性原因能够破坏通过旋转流变仪得出的震荡测试，这与电机轴的周期性加速和减速造成的。在一台流变仪上，电机的扭矩输出是由所需克服仪器惯性的扭矩组成的且扭矩变形进行示例。扭矩惯性的增加与所施加的功率频率相关，通常在低粘度测试的样品中起到主导地位。配备独立传感器的旋转流变仪受惯性影响要小得多，主要因为样品扭矩是由电机扭矩单独决定的。

对于给定的测量夹具系统，旋转流变仪的最低扭矩实际限制了其能所量测的最小应力，又由于量测的应力总是等于样品黏度与施加剪切速率的乘积，因此，对于低黏度样品来说，测试时允许施加的最小剪切速率不可避免地会受到所用测试夹具系统所能量测的最小应力限制。换句话说，对于黏度比较低的样品，流动测试中所允许设置的最小剪切速率并不是仪器所能达的速率最小值，而是与被测样品的黏度存在关联关系。实际测量中可以设定的最小剪切可由测量系统所能量测的最小应力除以黏度估算。

拉伸流变仪的根是是在20世纪初被发现的。Trouton在测试沥青和鞋匠所用蜡时，在这些材料上进行“扭转”和“牵引”变形。通过巧妙的实验他发现，单轴拉伸黏度是剪切黏度的三倍。

在当今日益激烈的竞争环境下，高性能先进材料的开发尤为重要。许多材料制造商不在专注于单一产品领域，而是越来越趋向于多元化。以至于现在开发研究实验室经常研究一系列有明显的不同物理和化学性质的材料。因为这个原因，分析仪器必须非常灵活，它必须能够容纳存在各种各样的物理状态的样品且不影响其灵敏度和重现性。动态力学分析（DMA）也不例外，本文将讨论使用DMA测量系列材料的粘弹性特征，包括液体、聚脂薄膜、乳胶、预浸料坯和复合材料。

分析流变学是确定材料微观结构从而测量粘弹性响应的学科。分析流变学是分析化学在相同意义上与其他作为其他分析方法基础上的流变性能测试的延伸。固有粘度分析技术是一种分析流变学。分析流变学可适用于任何材料系统的流变响应，这种响应很大程度上取决于微观结构分析。?

流变光学是指将光学技术应用于变形系统的结构、取向和压力测量。光学测量可以是对流变力学测试的一个重要的补充，因为他们可以帮助理解表现在聚合物和胶体材料上的机制控制的流动性能。光学分析模块OAMII采用偏振测定或测量光的偏振，以确定在主体流动和变形材料的折射率的各向异性。与流变仪相反，光学方法不需要接触材料，且可以专注于极小体积的材料的测试。

震荡中的流变测量无论在应力还是应变通常都会形成强烈的信号。随着材料复杂度的增加，在样本测试中更加需要能够覆盖广泛范围的样品弹性模量（个和应力及应变）。对于动态范围由于106的，必须消除随机噪声和系统误差修正，以确保准确的结果。高速数据采集与灵活的相关技术结合，以提高低端性能流变仪。