Development of an LC‐MS/MS method for determining the pharmacokinetics of clonidine following oral administration of Zhenju antihypertensive compound

Zhenju antihypertensive compound (ZJAHC) is a combined Chinese–Western medicine formula including clonidine (CLO), hydrochlorothiazide (HCT), rutin, Chrysanthemum indicum extract and pearl powder. Compared with CLO preparations, ZJAHC shows improved activities and decreased adverse effects. It is believed that the side effects of CLO are caused by its high peak plasma concentration. Hence, study of the influence of ZJAHC on the pharmacokinetic behaviors of clonidine seems essential. In present study, the plasma concentrations of CLO were determined with a liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC‐MS/MS) method. The MS/MS transitions monitored for clonidine and internal standard were 230.2 → 213.1 and 152.2 → 110.2, respectively. The analyte was quantified in a single run within 3 min. The pharmacokinetic study showed that the area under the plasma concentration–time curve of CLO in ZJAHC (60 µg/kg CLO) was similar to that of CLO‐HCT‐high (120 µg/kg CLO) but the peak concentration was much lower than that in CLO‐HCT‐high. ZJAHC could enhance the bioavailability without greatly increasing peak concentration of clonidine. This comprehensive effect of enhancing the bioavailability and avoiding the high peak plasma concentration for CLO might mainly result from the co‐contribution of Western medicine and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), while the effect of TCM was stronger than that of Western medicine. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

反应磁控溅射制备TiO2和Nb2O5混合光学薄膜

利用反应磁控溅射技术在BK-7基片上制备了二氧化钛和五氧化二铌均匀混合的光学薄膜.薄膜的内部微结构、表面形貌、化学成分比例以及光学性质等用X射线衍射、高分辨扫描电子显微镜、原子力显微镜、X射线光电子能谱和紫外可见近红外分光光度计进行研究；发现制备的薄膜为非晶结构，薄膜的表面平整、内部结构致密，不存在柱状结构或结晶颗粒的缺陷，TiO2与Nb2O5的成分比例大致是1∶1.54.从光学透射光谱计算的折射率和消光系数显示，在550 nm波长处的折射率为2.34，消光系数为2.0×10－4.结果表明制备的薄膜是TiO2和Nb2O5均匀混合的高质量光学薄膜.     

Formation of Zn(1-x)MnxS nanowires within mesoporous silica of different pore sizes

Arrays of highly ordered Zn(1-x)MnxS quantum wires with x ranging from 0.01 to 0.3 and with lateral dimensions of 3, 6, and 9 nm were synthesized within mesoporous SiO2 host structures of the MCM-41 and SBA-15 type. The hexagonal symmetry of these arrays (space group p6m) and the high degree of order was confirmed by X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) studies. Physisorption measurements show the progressive filling of the pores of the SiO2 host structures, while TEM and Raman studies reveal the wire-like character of the incorporated Zn(1-x)MnxS nanostructures. X-ray absorption near-edge structure, extended X-ray absorption fine structure, photoluminescence excitation (PLE), and electron paramagnetic resonance studies confirm the good crystalline quality of the incorporated Zn(1-x)MnxS guest species and, in particular, that the Mn2+ ions are randomly distributed and are situated on tetrahedrally coordinated cation sites of the Zn(1-x)MnxS wires for all x up to 0.3. The amount of Mn2+ ions loosely bound to the surface of the Zn(1-x)MnxS nanowires is less than 4% of the total Mn content even for the 3 nm nanostructures up to the highest Mn content of x = 0.3. The effects of the reduction of the lateral dimensions on electronic properties of the diluted magnetic semiconductor were studied by PLE spectroscopy. Due to the quantum confinement of the excitons in the wires an increase of the direct band gap with decreasing particle size is observed.     

高活性固载化三氯化铝催化合成金刚烷

首次用固载化AlCl3催化剂催化桥式四氢双环戊二烯异构化反应合成金刚烷.结果表明,以γ-Al2O3为载体的固载化AlCl3催化剂在较低的反应温度(140℃)下具有较高的催化活性和生成金刚烷的选择性,桥式四氢双环戊二烯的转化率达到100%,金刚烷的选择性为17.7%;而以Si O2作为载体制备的催化剂,几乎没有金刚烷生成.     

低能离子散射谱分析中的荷电效应及中和作用

用低能离子散射谱（ISS）对比分析了与样品托有良好电接触的和与样品托绝比的金属银片，观察到荷电效应对ISS分析有严重影响。实验还表明在ISS分析时使用低能电子中和枪可以有效地消除荷电效应，还发现电子中和枪的使用对于惰性气体离子的中和作用无明显影响。     

鳗鱼油的脂肪酸组成分析

鳗鱼加工下脚料（头、骨等）所得鱼油经甲酯化处理后，用GC和GC-MS进行了脂肪酸的组成分析，共签定出27个组分，它们占色谱峰总面积的97．9％。其主组分为油酸、棕榈酸、棕榈油酸，并含有廿碳五烯酸、廿二碳六烯酸，与鳗鱼肉中油的化学组成类似，具有开发利用的价值。     

High Carbon-Resistance Ni@CeO<Subscript>2</Subscript> Core–Shell Catalysts for Dry Reforming of Methane

Ni@CeO₂ core–shell catalysts were synthesized via a facile surfactant-assisted hydrothermal method and their catalytic performance in the dry reforming of methane (DRM) reaction was evaluated. A variety of techniques including XRD, N₂ adsorption–desorption, SEM, TEM, TPO, TGA were employed to characterize the prepared or spent catalysts. The encapsulation by the CeO₂ shell, on one side, can restrict the sintering and growth of Ni nanoparticles under harsh reaction conditions. On the other side, compared to the conventional shell material of SiO₂, CeO₂ can provide more lattice oxygens and vacancies, which is helpful to suppress coke deposition. Consequently, the Ni@CeO₂ core–shell catalysts exhibited better catalytic activity and stability in the DRM reaction with respect to the referenced Ni@SiO₂ core–shell catalysts and Ni/CeO₂ supported catalysts.     

Mapping of Neuropeptides in the Crustacean Stomatogastric Nervous System by Imaging Mass Spectrometry

Considerable effort has been devoted to characterizing the crustacean stomatogastric nervous system (STNS) with great emphasis on comprehensive analysis and mapping distribution of its diverse neuropeptide complement. Previously, immunohistochemistry (IHC) has been applied to this endeavor, yet with identification accuracy and throughput compromised. Therefore, molecular imaging methods are pursued to unequivocally determine the identity and location of the neuropeptides at a high spatial resolution. In this work, we developed a novel, multi-faceted mass spectrometric strategy combining profiling and imaging techniques to characterize and map neuropeptides from the blue crab Callinectes sapidus STNS at the network level. In total, 55 neuropeptides from 10 families were identified from the major ganglia in the C. sapidus STNS for the first time, including the stomatogastric ganglion (STG), the paired commissural ganglia (CoG), the esophageal ganglion (OG), and the connecting nerve stomatogastric nerve (stn) using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization tandem time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF/TOF) and the MS/MS capability of this technique. In addition, the locations of multiple neuropeptides were documented at a spatial resolution of 25 μm in the STG and upstream nerve using MALDI-TOF/TOF and high-mass-resolution and high-mass-accuracy MALDI-Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (FT-ICR) instrument. Furthermore, distributions of neuropeptides in the whole C. sapidus STNS were examined by imaging mass spectrometry (IMS). Different isoforms from the same family were simultaneously and unambiguously mapped, facilitating the functional exploration of neuropeptides present in the crustacean STNS and exemplifying the revolutionary role of this novel platform in neuronal network studies.

Supramolecular organogelators based on Janus type AT nucleosides

J-AT nucleoside-based organogelators 1a and 1b were designed and synthesized. They were endowed with unparalleled superiority to natural nucleobase analogues 2–6 to gelate aromatic solvents due to their excellent self-assembly properties. The J-AT nucleoside-based organogelators showed a specific self-complementary base pair recognition characteristic. The gel stabilities of 1a and 1b were drastically influenced by adenine analogue 2, hardly affected by thymine analogue 3, uracil analogue 4, cytosine analogue 5, and mildly interrupted by guanine analogue 6.     

Overexpression of the Formaldehyde Dehydrogenase Gene from Brevibacillus brevis to Enhance Formaldehyde Tolerance and Detoxification of Tobacco

The faldh gene coding for a putative Brevibacillus brevis formaldehyde dehydrogenase (FALDH) was isolated and then transformed into tobacco. A total of three lines of transgenic plants were generated, with each showing 2- to 3-fold higher specific formaldehyde dehydrogenase activities than wild-type tobacco, a result that demonstrates the functional activity of the enzyme in formaldehyde (HCHO) oxidation. Overexpression of faldh in tobacco confers a high tolerance to exogenous HCHO and an increased ability to take up HCHO. A ¹³C-nuclear magnetic resonance technique revealed that the transgenic plants were able to oxidize more aqueous HCHO to formate than the wild-type (WT) plants. When treated with gaseous HCHO, the transgenic tobacco exhibited an enhanced ability to transform more HCHO into formate, citrate acid, and malate but less glycine than the WT plants. These results indicate that the increased capacity of the transgenic tobacco to take up, tolerate, and metabolize higher concentrations of HCHO was due to the overexpression of B. brevis FALDH, revealing the essential function of this enzyme in HCHO detoxification. Our results provide a potential genetic engineering strategy for improving the phytoremediation of HCHO pollution.