Vitamin K1 distribution following intravenous vitamin K1–fat emulsion administration in rats

This study investigated vitamin K₁ (VK₁) distribution following intravenous vitamin K₁–fat emulsion (VK₁–FE) administration and compared it with that after VK₁ injection. Rats were intravenously injected with VK₁–FE or VK₁. The organ and tissue VK₁ concentrations were determined using high‐performance liquid chromatography method at 0.5, 2 and 4 h to determine distribution, equilibrium and elimination phases, respectively. In the VK₁–FE group, the plasma, heart and spleen VK₁ concentrations decreased over time. However, other organs like liver, lung, kidney, muscle and testis, reached peak VK₁ concentrations at 2 h. In the VK₁ injection group, the liver VK₁ concentrations were significantly higher than those in other organs at the three time points. However, VK₁ concentrations in the other organs peaked at 2 h. In addition, in VK₁–FE group, the heart, spleen and lung VK₁ concentrations were significantly higher than those in the VK₁ injection group at the three time points, and the liver VK₁ concentration was significantly higher than that in the VK₁ injection group at 4 h. The VK₁ amount was greatest in the liver compared with the other organs. Thus, the liver is the primary organ for VK₁ distribution. The distribution of VK₁ is more rapid when injected as VK₁–FE than as VK₁. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Numerical simulation of droplet ejection of thermal inkjet printheads

In this study, we present a method to predict the droplet ejection in thermal inkjet printheads including the growth and collapse of a vapor bubble and refill of the firing chamber. The three‐dimensional Navier–Stokes equations are solved using a finite‐volume approach with a fixed Cartesian mesh. The piecewise‐linear interface calculation‐based volume‐of‐fluid method is employed to track and reconstruct the ink–air interface. A geometrical computation based on Lagrangian advection is used to compute the mass flux and advance the interface. A simple and efficient model for the bubble dynamics is employed to model the effect of ink vapor on the adjacent ink liquid. To solve the surface tension‐dominated flow accurately, a hierarchical curvature‐estimation method is proposed to adapt to the local grid resolution. The numerical methods mentioned earlier have been implemented in an internal simulation code, CFD3. The numerical examples presented in the study show good performance of CFD3 in prediction of surface tension‐dominated free‐surface flows, for example, droplet ejection in thermal inkjet printing. Currently, CFD3 is used extensively for printhead development within Hewlett‐Packard. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A Pronounced Halogen Effect on the Organogelation Properties of Peripherally Halogen Functionalized Poly(benzyl ether) Dendrons

An interesting halogen‐substituent effect on the organogelation properties of poly(benzyl ether) dendrons is reported. A new class of poly(benzyl ether) dendrons with halo substituents decorating their periphery was synthesized and fully characterized. A systematic study on the gelation abilities, thermotropic behaviors, aggregated microstructures, and mechanical properties of self‐assembled organogels was performed to elucidate the halogen‐substituent effects on their organogelation propensity. It was found that the exact halogen substitutions on the periphery of dendrons exert a profound effect on the organogelation propensity, and dendrons G _n ‐Cl (n=2, 3) and G₂‐I proved to be highly efficient organogelators. The cooperation of multiple π–π, dispersive halogen, CH–π, and weak C?H ??? X hydrogen‐bonding interactions were found to be the key contributor to forming the self‐assembled gels. Dendritic organogels formed from G _n ‐Cl (n=2, 3) in 1,2‐dichloroethane exhibited thixotropic‐responsive properties, and such thixotropic organogels are promising materials for future research and applications.     

The Active Sites of a Rod‐Shaped Hollandite DeNOx Catalyst

The identification of catalytically active sites (CASs) in heterogeneous catalysis is of vital importance to design and develop improved catalysts, but remains a great challenge. The CASs have been identified in the low‐temperature selective catalytic reduction of nitrogen oxides by ammonia (SCR) over a hollandite manganese oxide (HMO) catalyst with a rod‐shaped morphology and one‐dimensional tunnels. Electron microscopy and synchrotron X‐ray diffraction determine the surface and crystal structures of the one‐dimensional HMO rods closed by {100} side facets and {001} top facets. A combination of X‐ray absorption spectra, molecular probes with potassium and nitric oxide, and catalytic tests reveals that the CASs are located on the {100} side facets of the HMO rods rather than on the top facets or in the tunnels, and hence semi‐tunnel structural motifs on the {100} facets are evidenced to be the CASs of the SCR reaction. This work paves the way to further investigate the intrinsic mechanisms of SCR reactions.     

Ligustri Lucidi Fructus as a traditional Chinese medicine: a review of its phytochemistry and pharmacology

Ligustri Lucidi Fructus (LLF) is the fruits of Ligustrum lucidum Ait. (Oleaceae). This review based on nearly 80 literary sources discusses the knowledge of chemistry and biological effects of this species. Several types of chemical constituents considered as the characteristic and active constituents from LLF were isolated including 40 triterpenoids, 48 iridoids, 10 flavones, 10 phenylethanoid glycosides and others. Various extracts and individual compounds derived from this species have been found to possess a variety of pharmacological effects, e.g. anti-tumour, hepatoprotective, immune regulating, antioxidative and anti-ageing effects, anti-inflammation and reducing hypercholesterolaemia effects and so on. The results of data analysis on the chemical, pharmacological characteristics of LLF support the view that this species has many therapeutic properties and indicate its potential as an effective herbal remedy. Finally, some suggestions for further research on chemical and pharmacological properties are given in this review. Theoretical basis was given for further exploiting and utilising LLF.     

Concise synthesis of dopexamine dihydrochloride via benzyl protecting protocol

Benzyl protecting protocol was first employed in two routes for the concise synthesis of dopexamine dihydrochloride.This protecting group could be cleanly removed under mild condition and no unacceptable ion was brought to the final product.The total yield of route I was 43.8% from phenylacetic acid,while it was 54.1% of route II from 2-(3,4-bis(benzyloxy)phenyl)acetic acid.The titration purity of the final product was more than 99.5%,while any single or total impurities met the known standard of the drug by HPLC analysis.The measured residual palladium met an acceptable limit(<1 ppm) as an API for injection.