An improved LC–MS/MS method for determination of docetaxel and its application to population pharmacokinetic study in Chinese cancer patients

Because of its unpredictable side effects and efficacy, the anticancer drug docetaxel (DTX) requires improved characterisation of its pharmacokinetic profiles through population pharmacokinetic studies. A sensitive and rugged LC–MS/MS method for the detection of DTX in human plasma was developed and optimised using paclitaxel as an internal standard (IS). The plasma samples underwent rapid extraction using hybrid solid-phase extraction-protein precipitation. The analyte and IS were separated with an isocratic system on a Zorbax Eclipse Plus C₁₈ column using water containing 0.05% acetic acid along with 20 μM of sodium acetate and methanol (30/70, v/v) as the mobile phase. Quantification was performed using a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer through multiple reaction monitoring in positive mode, using the m/z 830.3 → 548.8 and m/z 876.3 → 307.7 transitions for DTX and paclitaxel, respectively. The range of the calibration curve was 1–500 ng/mL for DTX, and the linear correlation coefficient was >0.99. The accuracies ranged from −4.6 to 4.2%, and the precision was no higher than 7.0% for the analytes. No significant matrix effect was observed. Both DTX and the IS showed considerable recovery. This method was finally applied to the establishment of a population pharmacokinetic model to optimise the clinical use of DTX.     

Bimetallic Covalent Organic Frameworks for Constructing Multifunctional Electrocatalyst

Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) are a new class of crystalline porous polymers comprised mainly of carbon atoms, and are versatile for the integration of heteroatoms such as B, O, and N into the skeletons. The designable structure and abundant composition render COFs useful as precursors for heteroatom-doped porous carbons for energy storage and conversion. Herein, we describe a multifunctional electrochemical catalyst obtained through pyrolysis of a bimetallic COF. The catalyst possesses hierarchical pores and abundant iron and cobalt nanoparticles embedded with standing carbon layers. By integrating these features, the catalyst exhibits excellent electrochemical catalytic activity in the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), with a 50 mV positive half-wave potential, a higher limited diffusion current density, and a much smaller Tafel slope than a Pt-C catalyst. Moreover, the catalyst displays superior electrochemical performance toward the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), with overpotentials of −0.26 V and −0.33 V in acidic and alkaline aqueous solution, respectively, at a current density of 10 mA cm⁻². The overpotential in the catalysis of the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) was 1.59 V at the same current density.     

Metabolic profiles of dioscin in rats revealed by ultra‐performance liquid chromatography quadrupole time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry

Dioscin (DIS), one of the most abundant bioactive steroidal saponins in Dioscorea sp., is used as a complementary medicine to treat coronary disease and angina pectoris in China. Although the pharmacological activities and pharmacokinetics of DIS have been well demonstrated, information regarding the final metabolic fates is very limited. This study investigated the in vivo metabolic profiles of DIS after oral administration by ultra‐performance liquid chromatography quadrupole time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry method. The structures of the metabolites were identified and tentatively characterized by means of comparing the molecular mass, retention time and fragmentation pattern of the analytes with those of the parent compound. A total of eight metabolites, including seven phase I and one phase II metabolites, were detected and tentatively identified for the first time. Oxidation, deglycosylation and glucuronidation were found to be the major metabolic processes of the compound in rats. In addition, a possible metabolic pathway on the biotransformation of DIS in vivo was proposed. This study provides valuable and new information on the metabolism of DIS, which will be helpful for further understanding its mechanism of action. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Measured and Predicted Solubility Phase Diagrams of Quaternary Systems LiBr-NaBr-MgBr2-H2O and LiBr-KBr-MgBr2-H2O at 298.15 K

The stable phase equilibria of quaternary systems LiBr-NaBr-MgBr₂-H₂O and LiBr-KBr-MgBr₂-H₂O at 298.15 K were studied by both experimental measurement(isothermal solution saturation method) and theoretical prediction(Pitzer model). The solubilities of the saturated solution have been determined experimentally and two stable phase diagrams and relevant water diagrams of the two quaternary systems were obtained. Results show that quaternary system LiBr-NaBr-MgBr₂-H₂O is hydrate II type as NaBr and NaBr·2H₂O coexistence. Its phase diagram consists of only one invariant point, four univariant curves, and five crystallization fields. The quaternary system LiBr-KBr-MgBr₂-H₂O is a complex type as the double salt KBr·MgBr₂·6H₂O formed. In addition to this double salt, the three single salts LiBr·2H₂O, KBr and MgBr₂·6H₂O also crystallize. In this paper, the solubilities of phase equilibria in above quaternary systems were also calculated by the Pitzer's electrolyte solution model. All the needed parameters can be obtained from the literature or be fitted by experimental data. On the Basis of the experimental and calculated results, the phase diagram of the quaternary system was plotted for comparison. It shows that the calculation results are consistent with the experimental ones.     

Utilizing the Space‐Charge Region of the FeNi‐LDH/CoP p‐n Junction to Promote Performance in Oxygen Evolution Electrocatalysis

The modulation of electron density is an effective option for efficient alternative electrocatalysts. Here, p‐n junctions are constructed in 3D free‐standing FeNi‐LDH/CoP/carbon cloth (CC) electrode (LDH=layered double hydroxide). The positively charged FeNi‐LDH in the space‐charge region can significantly boost oxygen evolution reaction. Therefore, the j at 1.485 V (vs. RHE) of FeNi‐LDH/CoP/CC achieves ca. 10‐fold and ca. 100‐fold increases compared to those of FeNi‐LDH/CC and CoP/CC, respectively. Density functional theory calculation reveals OH^? has a stronger trend to adsorb on the surface of FeNi‐LDH side in the p‐n junction compared to individual FeNi‐LDH further verifying the synergistic effect in the p‐n junction. Additionally, it represents excellent activity toward water splitting. The utilization of heterojunctions would open up an entirely new possibility to purposefully regulate the electronic structure of active sites and promote their catalytic activities.     

Recursive partition and amalgamation with the exponential family: Theory and applications

The theory of tree-growing (RECPAM approach) is developed for outcome variables which are distributed as the canonical exponential family. The general RECPAM approach (consisting of three steps: recursive partition, pruning and amalgamation), is reviewed. This is seen as constructing a partition with maximal information content about a parameter to be predicted, followed by simplification by the elimination of ‘negligible’ information. The measure of information is defined for an exponential family outcome as a deviance difference, and appropriate modifications of pruning and amalgamation rules are discussed. It is further shown how the proposed approach makes it possible to develop tree-growing for situations usually treated by generalized linear models (GLIM). In particular, Poisson and logistic regression can be tree-structured. Moreover, censored survival data can be treated, as in GLIM, by observing a formal equivalence of the likelihood under random censoring and an appropriate Poisson model. Three examples are given of application to Poisson, binary and censored survival data.     

自旋-轨道耦合系统中的自旋流定义

通常的自旋流定义在描述自旋-轨道耦合系统中的自旋输运是不完整的与非物理的。文章作者提出在这类系统中自旋流的恰当定义。新定义的自旋流克服了通常定义下的本质缺点，可通过实验直接观测。     

CsI(Tl)晶体中反冲Cs和I核Quenching?Factor的测量

许多实验对用CsI(Tl)闪烁晶体作为探测器来寻找和探测暗物质的可行性进行了研究.本工作利用8MeV单能中子轰击CsI(Tl)晶体探测器来研究Cs核和I核的QuenchingFactor.在数据处理中,运用脉冲形状甄别(PSD)方法来分辨反冲核信号和本底信号.实验结果表明,在7keV到132keV的能区中,Quench ingFactor随着反冲核能量的减少而增加.在探测暗物质的实验中,这一性质对于CsI(Tl)晶体探测器获得较低的能量阈值是很有利的.     

Diode-pumped 671 nm laser frequency doubled by CPM LBO

A design of diode-pumped high-efficiency Nd:YVO₄/LBO red laser is reported. Using critical phase-matching (CPM) LBO, 671 nm red laser was obtained from 1342 nm light by intracavity frequency doubling. With an incident pump laser of 800 mW, using type-I and type-II CPM LBO, 97 and 52 mWTEM₀₀ mode red laser outputs were obtained, with optical-to-optical conversion efficiencies of up to 12.1% and 6.5%, respectively.     

V3+:YAG晶体的生长、色心与光谱性能研究

采用石墨电阻加热的温梯法生长了V:YAG晶体,晶体的不同部位呈现两种不同的颜色:浅绿色和黄褐色.通过对比分析不同颜色V:YAG晶体的室温吸收光谱,推断出石墨发热体高温下扩散出来的C可以起到还原作用,提高晶体中V3+tetra离子的浓度,同时诱导了F心的形成.在1300℃下,对不同颜色的V:YAG晶体进行真空退火处理,发现处于八面体格位中的V3+离子在热激发作用下与近邻的四面体格位Al3+离子存在置换反应,由此产生一定浓度的四面体格位V3+离子.同时,F心在退火过程中被完全消除,释放出来的自由电子被高价态的V离子俘获,可以进一步提高晶体中四面体格位V3+离子的浓度.