In vitro antioxidant/prooxidant effects of combined use of flavonoids

The present study was undertaken to investigate the individual and combined antioxidant or prooxidant effects of genistein, daidzein and quercetin in human erythrocytes and rat microsomes in vitro. Their reducing potential against oxidation of a redox sensitive fluorescent probe, their protective effect against H₂O₂-induced membrane lipid peroxidation and their inhibitory effect on AAPH-induced hemolysis were evaluated. Genistein and daidzein were prooxidant in erythrocytes but antioxidant in microsomes where their metabolites might have been formed which suggests the importance of metabolic capacity in in vitro models to predict the physiological situation. Quercetin showed antioxidant effects in all models and conditions. Prooxidant effect of ‘genistein–daidzein mixture’, at their concentrations reflecting the real life, was suppressed by addition of quercetin to the mixture. Our study shows that flavonoids can exert prooxidant effects depending on the conditions, but the mixture effect should be considered while assessing their effects and safety in humans.     

Influence of counter-anion on the coordination geometry of manganese(II) complexes with methyl-2-pyrazinecarboximidate ligand

Two new complexes of [Mn(2-MPyzCI)₂Cl₂].H²O (1) and [Mn(2-MPyzCI)₂(H₂O)₂](NO₃)₂ (2) were synthesized from the reaction of MnX₂.4H₂O (X=Cl^? and NO₃^?) with 2-cyanopyrazine in methanolic solution. The chelating methyl pyrazine-2-carboximidate (2-MPyzCI) ligand is formed via the methanolysis of 2-cyanopyrazine. Although coordination environment around manganes(II) ions is similar, but these complexes are different in geometrical position of 2-MPyzCI ligands. As both compounds are synthesized under the same reaction conditions, the only difference between these two complexes are counter ions and changing of geometrical position of ligands can be considered as a result of influence of the counter-anions on the molecular structures.     

Promotion of a quality standard for Porana sinensis Hemsl. based on the efficacy-oriented Effect-Constituent Index

Multicompound determination for the quality control of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) may often be inadequate, since these compounds may not be associated with, or fully represent, the clinical effects of TCM. Moreover, the individual contributions of each constituent to the pharmacological effect are often not considered. In China, Porana sinensis is widely used as a substitute for Erycibe sources to treat joint pain and rheumatoid arthritis. The existing quality control methods for P. sinensis neither consider the individual contributions of various compounds nor control the actual quality associated with different clinical efficacies. In the present study, a novel efficacy-oriented approach, named the effect-constituent index (ECI), was established for P. sinensis. Analyses of the spectrum–effect relationship and components in rat plasma were conducted to systematically and scientifically select quality markers. Quantitative analysis of multicomponents via a single marker method was introduced to enhance the practical application value of the established ECI. The established ECI shows a good ability to distinguish and predict the bioeffect-based quality of P. sinensis. The present study also provides a reference for the establishment and application of ECI as a quality control method for TCMs.     

Assessing the nucleophilic character of 2-amino-4-arylthiazoles through coupling with 4,6-dinitrobenzofuroxan: Experimental and theoretical approaches based on structure-reactivity relationships

A kinetic study of the reactions of potentially bioactive 2-amino-4-arylthiazoles with highly reactive 4,6-dinitrobenzofuroxan (DNBF) is reported herein in acetonitrile solution. The complexation reaction was followed by recording the UV–vis spectra with time at λ_max = 482 nm. Electronic effects of substituents influencing the rate of reaction have been studied using structure-reactivity relationships. It is shown that the Hammett plot relative to the reaction of DNBF with 2-amino-4-(4-chlorophenyl)thiazole exhibit positive deviation from the log k₁ versus σ correlation, while it showed excellent linear correlation in terms of Yukawa–Tsuno equation. It has be noticed that the nonlinear Hammett plot observed for 2-amino-4-(4-chlorophenyl) thiazole is not attributed to a change in rate-determining step but is due to nature of electronic effect of substituent caused by the resonance of stabilization of substrates. The second-order rate constant (k₁) relating to the bond C–C and C-N forming step of the complexation processes of DNBF with 4-substituted-aminothiazoles and 2-amino-5-methyl-4-phenylthiazole, respectively, is fit into the linear relationship log k = s_N (N + E), thereby permitting the assessment of the nucleophilicity parameter (N) of the 2-amino-4-arylthiazoles of the range (4.90 < N < 6.85). 2-amino-4-arylthiazoles is subsequently ranked by positioning its reactivity on the general nucleophilicity scale developed recently by Mayr and coworkers (2003) leading an interesting and a direct comparison over a large domain of π-, σ -, and n-nucleophiles. The global electrophilicity/nucleophilicity reactivity indexes of the 2-amino-4-arylthiazoles have been investigated by means of a density functional theory (DFT) method. .     

The application of the Lattice Boltzmann method to the one-dimensional modeling of pulse waves in elastic vessels

The one-dimensional nonlinear equations for the blood flow motion in distensible vessels are considered using the kinetic approach. It is shown that the Lattice Boltzmann (LB) model for non-ideal gas is asymptotically equivalent to the blood flow equations for compliant vessels at the limit of low Knudsen numbers. The equations of state for non-ideal gas are transformed to the pressure-luminal area response. This property allows to model arbitrary pressure-luminal area relations. Several test problems are considered: the propagation of a sole nonlinear wave in an elastic vessel, the propagation of a pulse wave in a vessel with varying mechanical properties (artery stiffening) and in an artery bifurcation, in the last problem Resistor–Capacitor–Resistor (RCR) boundary conditions are considered. The comparison with the previous results shows a good precision.     

The self-assemblies of a newly designed star-shaped molecule end-capped with bromine atoms studied by scanning tunneling microscopy

A new star-shaped molecule StOF-Br_3 containing oligofluorenes and halogen atoms(Bromine) has been synthesized and studied by Scanning Tunneling Microscopy(STM) at the highly oriented pyrolytic graphite(HOPG) surface.We have obtained the high-resolution self-assembled STM images,from which the highly ordered and closely packed non-porous arrangements of the StOF-Br_3 molecular selfassemblies at the heptanoic acid/HOPG surface could be observed.The molecular models and selfassembled StOF-Br_3 architectures have been given in the following text.Besides,we have also figured out the surface free energy by the density functional theory(DFT) calculation,which proved that the halogen...halogen interaction was strong enough to stabilize the ordered molecular self-assemblies.This work verifies the existence of bromine...bromine interactions,and meanwhile provides a kind of effective approach for quickly building ordered molecular nanoarchitectures with large areas and different geometries.     

Interactions of human islet amyloid polypeptide with lipid structure of different curvatures

Curvature is one of the most important features of lipid membranes in living cells, which significantly influences the structure of lipid membranes and their interaction with proteins. Taken the human islet amyloid polypeptide (hIAPP), an important protein related to the pathogenesis of type II diabetes, as an example, we performed molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to study the interaction between the protein and the lipid structures with varied curvatures. We found that the lipids in the high curvature membrane pack loosely with high mobility. The hIAPP initially forms H-bonds with the membrane surface that anchored the protein, and then inserts into the membrane through the hydrophobic interactions between the residues and the hydrophobic tails of the lipids. hIAPP can insert into the membrane more deeply with a larger curvature and with a stronger binding strength. Our result provided important insights into the mechanism of the membrane curvature-dependent property of proteins with molecular details.     

AlGaN/GaN高电子迁移率器件外部边缘电容的物理模型

AlGaN/GaN HEMT外部边缘电容Cofd是由栅极垂直侧壁与二维电子气水平壁之间的电场构成的等效电容.本文基于保角映射法对Cofd进行物理建模,考虑沟道长度调制效应,研究外部偏置、阈值电压漂移和温度变化对Cofd的影响:随着漏源偏压从零开始增加,Cofd先保持不变再开始衰减,其衰减速率随栅源偏压的增加而减缓;AlGaN势垒层中施主杂质浓度的减小和Al组分的减小都可引起阈值电压的正向漂移,正向阈值漂移会加强沟道长度调制效应对Cofd的影响,导致Cofd呈线性衰减.在大漏极偏压工作情况下,Cofd对器件工作温度的变化更加敏感.     

Statistical structure of the velocity field in cavitating flow around a 2D hydrofoil

Transformation of flow turbulence structure with cavitation occurrence, determination of the flow conditions favorable for nucleation of cavitation bubbles, influence of the statistical structure of turbulence on this process and the inverse effect of cavitation on the flow dynamics are challenging problems in modern fluid mechanics. The paper reports on the results of statistical processing of the velocity fields measured by a PIV technique in cavitating flow over a 2D symmetric hydrofoil for four flow conditions, starting from a cavitation-free regime and finishing by unsteady cloud cavitation. We analyze basic information on the statistical structure of velocity fluctuations in the form of histograms and Q-Q diagrams along with profiles of the mean velocity and turbulent kinetic energy. The research reveals that the flow turbulence pattern and distributions of turbulent fluctuations change significantly with the cavitation development. Under unsteady cloud cavitation conditions, the probability density function of the fluctuating velocity has a two-mode distribution, which indicates switching of two alternating flow conditions in a region above the hydrofoil aft part due to periodic passing of cavitation clouds. Behaviors of the mean and most probable velocities unexpectedly appear to be different with a monotonous increase of the incoming flow velocity. This finding must be caused by modification of the skewness coefficient of the fluctuating velocity.     

High-frequency lengthwise diffraction by the curve separating soft and hard part of the surface

The paper examines the model problem of high-frequency diffraction by a convex surface consisting of two parts. One is soft, the other is hard. The incident wave falls at a small angle to the line which separates soft and hard parts of the surface. The change in the boundary condition provokes the field in the Fock zone to have a rapid transverse variation. This causes a special boundary-layer to be formed. The boundary value problem for the three dimensional parabolic equation is reduced to the Riemann problem solved by the factorization in the form of infinite products containing the zeros of the Airy function and zeros of its derivative. the results of this factorization appear under the sign of double Fourier integral in the representation of the field. Both numerical and asymptotic analysis of this representation is carried out and illustrates the effects of high-frequency diffraction caused by the line of the boundary condition discontinuity.