Direct analysis of mercury in Traditional Chinese Medicines using thermolysis coupled with on-line atomic absorption spectrometry

The purpose of this study is to develop and apply a mercury analyzer system capable of quantitative analysis of mercury in Traditional Chinese Medicines (TCM) drugs in the concentrations range from ng g⁻¹ to mg g⁻¹. No sample pre-treatment was needed and this greatly simplifies the analytical procedure and minimizes potential sources of contamination. The precisions of analyzing solid mercury standard sample and real TCM materials were 2.1% and 2.5-8.2%, respectively; and the recovery based on the analysis of standard reference materials ranged from 95.2% to 105%. The performance of the method has been compared with inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) technique and excellent agreements were observed between the two methods. The method has been applied to the investigation of Hg content in several TCM drugs containing or not containing cinnabar. Mercury concentration in the same TCM products differs widely with different manufacturers, suggesting that external contamination and the Hg presence in raw herbal materials are the main sources of Hg. In addition, comparison of mercury thermal releasing profiles between TCM drug and cinnabar suggests that mercury conversion from cinnabar to biological matrices-bound Hg could occur because of the aid of other ingredients in the formulated drug.     

Screening for pregnane glycosides with immunological activities from the stems of Stephanotis mucronata by high-performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry

The stems of the Chinese traditional medicine Stephanotis mucronata were screened for immunologically active pregnane glycosides using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled with electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry. In the mass spectra of pregnane glycosides, predominant [M+Na]+ ions were observed and used to determine the molecular masses, while fragmentation reactions of the [M+Na]+ ions were recorded to provide information on the primary sequences of oligosaccharide chains in terms of classes of monosaccharide. Fragment ions from the side-chain cleavage of aglycone portions can provide mass information about side-chain substitutions. To further confirm the fragment ion structures, Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance tandem mass spectrometry (MSn) with low-energy collision-induced dissociation was performed using samples collected from HPLC fractions, which provided accurate elemental compositions of fragment ions. Based on fragmentation patterns and comparison with standards, ten pregnane glycosides were identified as stemucronatosides C, D, F, and G, mucronatosides A, B, and C, stephanoside E, and two glycosides that are identified in the S. mucronata extracts for the first time. The latter two pregnane glycosides are 12-O-cinnamoyldeacetylmetaplexigenin-3-O-6-deoxy-3-O-methyl-beta-D-allopyranosyl-(1 --> 4)-beta-D-cymaropyranosyl-(1 --> 4)-beta-D-cymaropyranoside and 12-O-cinnamoyl-20-O-acetyl (20S)-pregn-6-ene-3beta,5alpha,8beta,12beta,14beta,17beta,20-heptaol 3-O-beta-D-thevetopyranosyl-(1 --> 4)-beta-D-cymaropyranosyl-(1 --> 4)-beta-D-cymaropyranoside.     

Dissection of Environmental Changes at the Cytoplasmic Surface of Light‐activated Bacteriorhodopsin and Visual Rhodopsin: Sequence of Spectrally Silent Steps†

The physico‐chemical properties as well as the conformation of the cytoplasmic surface of the 7‐helix retinal proteins bacteriorhodopsin (bR) and visual rhodopsin change upon light activation. A recent study found evidence for a transient softening of bR in its key intermediate M [Pieper et al. (2008) Phys. Rev. Lett. 100 , 228103] as a direct proof for the functional significance of protein flexibility. In this report we compare environmental and flexibility changes at the cytoplasmic surface of light‐activated bR and rhodopsin detected by time‐resolved fluorescence spectroscopy. The changes in fluorescence of covalently bound fluorescent probes and protein real‐time dynamics were investigated. We found that in fluorescently labeled bR and rhodopsin the intensity of fluorescein and Atto647 increased upon formation of the key intermediates M and metarhodopsin‐II, respectively, suggesting different surface properties compared to the dark state. Furthermore, time‐resolved fluorescence anisotropy experiments reveal an increase in steric restriction of loop flexibility because of changes in the surrounding protein environment in both the M‐intermediate as well as the active metarhodopsin‐II state. The kinetics of the fluorescence changes at the rhodopsin surface uncover multiple transitions, suggesting metarhodopsin‐II substates with different surface properties. Proton uptake from the aqueous bulk phase correlates with the first transition, while late proton release seems to parallel the second transition. The last transition between states of different surface properties correlates with metarhodopsin‐II decay.     

烟酸二聚体的结构与性质

用密度泛函理论B3LYP方法选取6-311+G(d,p)基组对烟酸-烟酸复合物进行了量子化学计算研究, 通过在相同水平下的频率振动分析发现了势能面上存在7个极小值点, 其最稳定构型1对应一N…H—O型强氢键, 其结合能在消除基组重叠误差后为-48.3 kJ·mol-1. 通过自然键轨道(NBO)分析, 研究了电荷转移及轨道相互作用. 通过自洽反应场(SCRF)理论中的极化连续模型(PCM)在介电常数分别为1.0(真空)、2.247(苯)、10.36(二氯乙烷)、20.7(丙酮)、32.63(甲醇)、78.39(水)的不同溶剂环境下重新优化烟酸复合物势能面上最稳定构型1, 研究了溶剂对烟酸复合物几何构型及结合能的影响. 发现溶剂化作用增大了烟酸复合物分子间的结合能, 导致N…H距离减小. 当溶液介电常数在1.0-32.63范围时, 溶剂效应十分显著, 当介电常数大于32.63后, 溶剂化作用趋于稳定.     

Syntheses,Photophysics, and Application of Iridium(III) Phosphorescent Emitters for Highly Efficient,Long‐Life Organic Light‐Emitting Diodes

Long live the OLED! Rational design and synthesis of Ir^III complexes bearing two cyclometalated ligands (C N) and one 2‐(diphenylphosphino)phenolate chelate (P O) as well as the corresponding Ir^III derivatives with only one (C N) ligand and two P O chelates are reported. According to the observed photophysical data, a P O ligand is found to be able to fine‐tune the light‐emitting electronic transition of these complexes.

     

Molecular third-harmonic-generation microscopy through resonance enhancement with absorbing dye

This paper reports a facile and effortless method to realize three-dimensional (3D) molecular third-harmonic-generation (THG) microscopy through the technique of resonance enhancement with absorbing dye. Hematoxylin, a popular absorbing stain, is applied as an example to verify the multiphoton resonant enhancement based on the 1230 nm excitation light and can selectively enhance THG yield at cell nuclear sites in the studied specimens, serving as a cell nucleus contrast agent. It is concluded that combining THG microscopy with the mature staining technique can readily achieve 3D molecular imaging without using fluorescence.     

Topological entropy of a graph map

Let G be a graph and f : G → G be a continuous map. Denote by h(f), P(f), AP(f), R(f)and ω(x, f) the topological entropy of f, the set of periodic points of f, the set of almost periodic points of f, the set of recurrent points of f and the ω-limit set of x under f, respectively. In this paper,we show that the following statements are equivalent:(1) h(f) 0.(2) There exists an x ∈ G such that ω(x, f) ∩ P(f) = ? and ω(x, f) is an infinite set.(3) There exists an x ∈ G such that ω(x, f)contains two minimal sets.(4) There exist x, y ∈ G such that ω(x, f)-ω(y, f) is an uncountable set and ω(y, f) ∩ω(x, f) = ?.(5) There exist an x ∈ G and a closed subset A ? ω(x, f) with f(A) ? A such that ω(x, f)-A is an uncountable set.(6) R(f)-AP(f) = ?.(7) f |P(f)is not pointwise equicontinuous.     

Stability of Periodic Orbits and Return Trajectories of Continuous Multi-valued Maps on Intervals

Let I be a compact interval of real axis R, and(I, H) be the metric space of all nonempty closed subintervals of I with the Hausdorff metric H and f : I → I be a continuous multi-valued map. Assume that Pn =(x_0, x_1,..., xn) is a return tra jectory of f and that p ∈ [min Pn, max Pn] with p ∈ f(p). In this paper, we show that if there exist k(≥ 1) centripetal point pairs of f(relative to p)in {(x_i; x_i+1) : 0 ≤ i ≤ n-1} and n = sk + r(0 ≤ r ≤ k-1), then f has an R-periodic orbit, where R = s + 1 if s is even, and R = s if s is odd and r = 0, and R = s + 2 if s is odd and r 0. Besides,we also study stability of periodic orbits of continuous multi-valued maps from I to I.     

Synthesis,Characterization and Antibacterial Activity of <Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>-(2,3,4-Trimethoxy-6-methylbenzylidene)-2-methyl-benzenamine

Abstract  The title compound N-(2,3,4-trimethoxy-6-methylbenzylidene)-2-methyl-benzenamine (C₁₈H₂₁NO₃, M _r = 299.36) was synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, IR spectra and single crystal X-ray diffraction. The crystal belongs to monoclinic, space group P2₁/n, with a = 7.2804(5), b = 8.5909(9), c = 26.117(3) ?, β = 92.056(2)°, V = 1,632.4(3) ?³, Z = 4, D _c = 1.218 g cm⁻³, λ = 0.71073 ?, μ(Mo Kα) = 0.083 mm⁻¹, F(000) = 640. The final refinement gave R = 0.0497, wR(F ²) = 0.1157 for 2,879 observed reflections with I > 2σ(I). X-ray diffraction analysis reveals that the dihedral angle between the two phenyl rings is 25.9 (2)°. The molecule adopts a trans configuration about the central C=N functional bond. The crystal structure is stabilized by C–H…O hydrogen bonds and π–π stacking interactions. The title compound possesses moderate antibacterial activity. Graphical Abstract  The title compound N-(2,3,4-trimethoxy-6-methylbenzylidene)-2-methyl-benzenamine (C₁₈H₂₁NO₃, M _r = 299.36) was synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, IR spectra and single crystal X-ray diffraction. The crystal belongs to monoclinic, space group P2₁/n, with a = 7.2804(5), b = 8.5909(9), c = 26.117(3) ?, β = 92.056(2)°, V = 1,632.4(3) ?³, Z = 4, D _c = 1.218 g cm⁻³, λ = 0.71073 ?, μ(Mo Kα) = 0.083 mm⁻¹, F(000) = 640. The final refinement gave R = 0.0497, wR(F ²) = 0.1157 for 2,879 observed reflections with I > 2σ(I). X-ray diffraction analysis reveals that the dihedral angle between the two phenyl rings is 25.9 (2)°. The molecule adopts a trans configuration about the central C=N functional bond. The crystal structure is stabilized by C–H…O hydrogen bonds and π–π stacking interactions. The title compound possesses moderate antibacterial activity.      

2-(2-喹啉偶氮)-1,5-苯二酚固相萃取光度法测定银的研究

研究了新试剂 2 (2 喹啉偶氮 ) 1,5 苯二酚 (QADHB)与银的显色反应 ,在 pH =5 0柠檬酸 氢氧化钠 (内含 0 0 1mol·L- 1 Na2 EDTA)缓冲介质中 ,十二烷基磺酸钠 (SDS)存在下 ,QADHB与银反应生成摩尔比为 2∶1的稳定络合物 ,该络合物可被WatersSep ParkC1 8固相萃取小柱萃取富集。富集在小柱上的络合物用乙醇 (含 1%乙酸 )洗脱后 ,在乙醇介质中 ,其吸收光谱的λmax=5 5 0nm ,ε=6 99× 10 4 L·mol- 1 ·cm- 1 。银含量在 0～ 1 2 μg·mL- 1 范围内符合比尔定律。方法用于环境水样中痕量银的测定 ,结果令人满意