Anti-neoplastic effects of gallic acid, a major component of Toona sinensis leaf extract, on oral squamous carcinoma cells

Extract of Toona sinensis (TS) has been reported to have various effects on cultured cell lines, including anti-proliferative activity in cancer cells. We have studied the effects of TS on various human oral squamous carcinoma cell lines (HOSCC), including UM1, UM2, SCC-4, and SCC-9. These cell lines were treated with TS leaf extract and screened for viability, apoptosis, necrosis, and apoptotic gene expression. Normal human oral keratinocytes (NHOK) served as a control for cytotoxic assays. Viability of TS-treated HOSCC was reduced, whereas that of NHOK was not affected. FACScan analysis revealed that the leaf extract induced apoptosis or a combination of apoptosis and necrosis, depending on cell type. Microarray and semi-quantitative RT-PCR analysis for apoptotic-related gene expression revealed that 3,4,5-trihydroxybenzoic acid (gallic acid, one of the major bioactive compounds purified from TS extract) up-regulated pro-apoptotic genes such TNF-α, TP53BP2, and GADD45A, and down-regulated the anti-apoptotic genes Survivin and cIAP1, resulting in cell death. This study suggests that gallic acid, the major bioactive compound present, is responsible for the anti-neoplastic effect of Toona sinensis leaf extract.     

Selective Inhibition of Collagen‐Induced Platelet Aggregation by a Cyclic Peptide from Drymaria diandra

Four cyclic peptides, diandrine A–D ( 1 – 4 ), were isolated from the MeOH extract of Formosan Drymaria diandra. Their structures were elucidated by chemical and spectroscopic analyses as cyclo(‐Gly¹‐Pro²‐Trp³‐Pro⁴‐Tyr⁵‐Phe⁶‐), cyclo(‐Gly¹‐Pro²‐Leu³‐Pro⁴‐Leu⁵‐Trp⁶‐Ser⁷‐Ser⁸‐), cyclo(Gly¹‐Gly²‐Pro³‐Tyr⁴‐Trp⁵‐Pro⁶‐), and cyclo(Gly¹‐Gly²‐Pro³‐Tyr⁴‐Trp⁵‐Pro⁶‐), respectively. Compounds 3 and 4 were stable conformational isomers. Cyclopeptide 1 showed a selective inhibitory effect on collagen‐induced platelet aggregation with an IC₅₀ value of 44.2 μM .     

Langmuir‐Blodgett Films of Alkanethiolate Gold Nanorods

Colloidal multilayers of octadecanethiol‐capped Au nanorods were prepared using the Langmuir‐Blodgett technique. Uniform growth of the films with increasing number of deposition has been observed. Vertical transfer efficiency indicates efficient transfer for immersion of hydrophobic substrates and poor transfer for emersion of such substrates. The vertically transferred film has an order parameter S = 0.027, which suggests that the orientation of the nanorods in the film is somewhat isotropic about the dipping direction. Horizontal transfer of the Langmuir monolayer on Formvar/carbon‐coated Cu grids, however, gave scattered domains of Au nanorods aligned in parallel stacks. Such behavior is probably related to the rigidity of the Langmuir monolayer.     

Analysis of organochlorine pesticides in wine by solvent bar microextraction coupled with gas chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry detection

A solvent bar microextraction (SBME) technique combined with gas chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (GC/MS/MS), for the determination of selected organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in wine samples, is described. In this work the OCPs were extracted and dissolved in a 2-microL aliquot of organic extraction solvent (n-tetradecane) confined within a 1.7-cm length of hollow fiber. Both ends of the hollow fiber (solvent bar) were sealed, and it was placed in an aqueous sample solution for extraction. The effects of solvent selection, sample agitation, extraction time, extraction temperature, and salt concentration on the SBME performance were optimized. The influence of aqueous sample/organic solvent phase ratio was further investigated in detail. High enrichments (1900-7100-fold) could be obtained at an aqueous sample/organic solvent volume ratio of 20 mL/2 microL in this study. Good extraction reproducibility was obtained with relative standard deviation (RSD) values below 12.6%. Comparisons of sensitivity and precision between SBME and dynamic hollow-fiber liquid-phase microextraction were also investigated.     

Gold(I) complexes bearing mixed-donor ligands derived from N-heterocyclic carbenes

The new 2-phenylthiocarbamoyl-1,3-dimesitylimidazolium inner salt (IMes·CSNPh) reacts with [AuCl(L)] in the presence of NH(4)PF(6) to yield [(L)Au(SCNPh·IMes)](+) (L = PMe(3), PPh(3), PCy(3), CNBu(t)). The carbene-containing precursor [(IDip)AuCl] reacts with IMes·CSNPh under the same conditions to afford the complex [(IDip)Au(SCNPh·IMes)](+) (IDip = 1,3-bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)imidazol-2-ylidene). Treatment of the diphosphine complex [(dppm)(AuCl)(2)] with one equivalent of IMes·CSNPh yields the digold metallacycle, [(dppm)Au(2)(SCNPh·IMes)](2+), while reaction of [L(2)(AuCl)(2)] with two equivalents of IMes·CSNPh results in [(L(2)){Au(SCNPh·IMes)}(2)](2+) (L(2) = dppb, dppf, or dppa; dppb = 1,4-bis(diphenylphosphino)butane, dppf = 1,1'-bis(diphenylphosphino)ferrocene, dppa = 1,4-bis(diphenylphosphino)acetylene). The homoleptic complex [Au(SCNPh·IMes)(2)](+) is formed on reaction of [AuCl(tht)] (tht = tetrahydrothiophene) with two equivalents of the imidazolium-2-phenylthiocarbamoyl ligand. This product reacts with AgOTf to yield the mixed metal compound [AuAg(SCNPh·IMes)(2)](2+). Over time, the unusual trimetallic complex [Au(AgOTf)(2)(SCNPh·IMes)(2)](+) is formed. The sulfur-oxygen mixed-donor ligands IMes·COS and SIMes·COS (SIMes = 1,3-bis(2,4,6-trimethylphenyl)imidazolin-2-ylidene) were used to prepare [(L)Au(SOC·IMes)](+) and [(L)Au(SOC·SIMes)](+) from [(L)AuCl] (L = PPh(3), CN(t)Bu). The bimetallic examples [(dppf){Au(SOC·IMes)}(2)](2+) and [(dppf){Au(SOC·SIMes)}(2)](2+) were synthesized from the reaction of [(dppf)(AuCl)(2)] with the appropriate ligand. Reaction of [(tht)AuCl] with one equivalent of IMes·COS or SIMes·COS yields [Au(SOC·IMes)(2)](+) and [Au(SOC·SIMes)(2)](+), respectively. The compounds [(Ph(3)P)Au(SCNPh·IMes)]PF(6), [(Cy(3)P)Au(SCNPh·IMes)]PF(6) and [Au(AgOTf)(2)(SCNPh·IMes)(2)]OTf were characterized crystallographically.     

Photoionization and photofragmentation of SF6 in helium nanodroplets

The photoionization of He droplets doped with SF6 was investigated using tunable vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) synchrotron radiation from the Advanced Light Source (ALS). The resulting ionization and photofragmentation dynamics were characterized using time-of-flight mass spectrometry combined with photofragment and photoelectron imaging. Results are compared to those of gas-phase SF6 molecules. We find dissociative photoionization to SF5+ to be the dominant channel, in agreement with previous results. Key new findings are that (a) the photoelectron spectrum of the SF6 in the droplet is similar but not identical to that of the gas-phase species, (b) the SF5+ photofragment velocity distribution is considerably slower upon droplet photoionization, and (c) fragmentation to SF4+ and SF3+ is much less than in the photoionization of bare SF6. From these measurements we obtain new insights into the mechanism of SF6 photoionization within the droplet and the cooling of the hot photofragment ions produced by dissociative photoionization.     

Synthesis of Some New 6,8‐Disubstituted 7,8‐Dihydropyrimido[2,3:4,3]pyrazolo[1,5‐a]pyrimidines and 6,7,8‐Trisubstituted Pyrimido[2,3:4,3]Pyrazolo[1,5‐a]Pyrimidine Derivatives

Cyclization of 5‐cyano‐1,6‐dihydro‐4‐methyl‐2‐phenyl‐6‐thioxopyrimidine 4 with excess of 85% hydrazine hydrate afforded the 3‐amino‐4‐methyl‐6‐phenylpyrazolo[3,4‐d]pyrimidine 5 , which can react with appropriate Mannich base derivatives 13a‐c and chalcones 27a,b to yield the corresponding 6,8‐disubstituted 7,8‐dihydropyrimido[2,3:4,3]pyrazolo[1,5‐a]pyrimidines 15a‐c and 30a,b , respectively. On the other hand, the 6,7,8‐trisubstituted pyrimido[2,3:4,3]pyrazolo[1,5‐a]pyrimidine derivatives 8a‐g, 20a‐e, 36 and 38 were obtained by treatment of compound 5 with appropriate 1,3‐diketones 6a‐g , 3‐dimethylamino‐1‐(substituted)prop‐2‐enones 18a‐e , 3‐aminocrotononitrile 3 , and ethoxymethylenemalononitrile 37 under acidic condition, respectively.     

Performances of Aluminum-cobalt Co-substituted α-Ni （OH） 2 Electrodes

Aluminum-cobalt co-substituted α-Ni(OH)2 was prepared by means of the titration method in a buffersolution, the structure was characterized by XRD analysis. With above mentioned α-Ni(OH)2 as the positiveelectrode of a nickel-metal hydride cell, the discharge performances were examined by constant-currentcharge-discharge experiments. In comparison with the electrodes made of aluminum substituted or cobaltsubstituted Ni(OH)2 materials, the aluminum-cobalt co-substituted composite electrodes possess an excellentelectrochemical performance and are of practical significance.     

Flow Injection Analysis of Chloramphenicol by Using a Disposable Wall‐Jet Ring Disk Carbon Electrode

A preanodized screen‐printed ring disk carbon electrode was applied to the determination of chloramphenicol (Ph? NO₂, CAP) by flow injection analysis (FIA). By setting up the first irreversible reduction reaction of Ph? NO₂ to Ph? NHOH at the disk electrode, the following reversible oxidation of hydroxylamine (Ph? NHOH) to the nitroso (Ph? NO) derivative can be monitored/collected at the ring electrode for CAP analysis. The interference from dissolved oxygen and others can thus be avoided by using this approach and precise CAP determination can be easily performed by FIA under aerobic conditions. Preanodization treatment helps to lower the overpotential of the electrochemical reaction of CAP and favors the selective detection in aqueous medium. Under the optimum conditions, ten repetitive determinations at 1 μM and 10 μM CAP resulted in relative standard deviations of less than 4%, indicating good reproducibility of the system. A linear calibration range of 0.1–20 μM with a detection limit of 0.074 μM (S/N=3) was obtained. Veterinary pharmaceutics were finally analyzed by this sensor to validate its practical applicability.