Identification and quantification of 13 components in Angelica sinensis (Danggui) by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry coupled with pressurized liquid extraction

Angelica sinensis (Danggui in Chinese), a well-known traditional Chinese medicine, is also used as a health food product for women's care in Europe and America. Therefore, the demand for Danggui is enormous throughout the world. Due to the shortage of Angelica sinensis, Angelica acutiloba and Angelica gigas are commonly used as the substitutes of Danggui in the market of southeast Asia. However, the three common Angelica roots showed variation in their genetic and chemical composition. Up to date, it is thought that ferulic acid, ligustilide and other phthalides such as butylidenephthalide are the biologically active components of Danggui. In this paper, the contents of 13 compounds including ferulic acid, Z-ligustilide, E-ligustilide, Z-butylidenephthalide, E-butylidenephthalide, 3-butylphthalide, 3-butylidene-4-hydroxyphthalide, senkyunolide A, 6,7-epoxyligustilide, senkyunolide F, senkyunolide H, senkyunolide I, and 6,7-dihydroxyligustilide were determined or estimated by using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) coupled with pressurized liquid extraction (PLE). The results showed that GC-MS coupled with PLE offered a simple, rapid and high sensitive method to analysis of components in Angelica root. And the contents of investigated compounds in Angelica sinensis, Angelica acutiloba and Angelica gigas, which are used as Danggui in China, Japan and Korea, respectively, were highly variant. It is thought that interaction of multiple chemical compounds contributes to the therapeutic effects of Chinese medicines. However, the overall clinical efficacy of these different Danggui has not been determined. Therefore, comparison of chemical components and pharmacological activities of different Angelica root is helpful to elucidate the mechanism of therapeutic effects of Danggui.     

Biocompatible polymers for antibody support on gold surfaces

The elimination or minimization of non-specific protein adsorption from serum is critical for the use of surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensors for in vitro and in vivo analysis of complex biological solutions. The ultimate goals in this application are to minimize non-specific adsorption of protein and to maximize analyte signal. A reduction of the non-specific protein adsorption from serum of up to 73% compared to carboxymethylated-dextran 500 kDa (CM-dextran) was achieved following a survey of eight biocompatible polymers and 10 molecular weights of CM-dextran. These coatings minimize non-specific adsorption on the sensor while also serving as immobilization matrices for antibody fixation to the probes. Polymers including polysaccharides: CM-dextrans, CM-hyaluronic acid, hyaluronic acid, and alginic acid were investigated. Humic acid, polylactic acid, polyacrylic acid, orthopyridyldisuldfide–polyethyleneglycol–N-hydroxysuccinimide (OPSS–PEG–NHS), and a synthesized polymer; polymethacrylic-acid-co-vinyl-acetate (PMAVA) were also used. The non-specific protein adsorption reduction was measured over a 14 day period at 0 °C for each polymer. Calibration curves using some of these polymers were constructed to show the performance and low detection limit possibilities of these new antibody supports. For many of the polymers, this is the first demonstration of employment as an antibody support for an optical or surface active sensor. CM-dextran is the polymer offering the largest signal for the antigen detection. However, the biocompatible polymers demonstrate a greater stability to non-specific binding in serum. These biocompatible polymers offer different alternatives for CM-dextran.     

Local dense structural heterogeneities in liquid water from ambient to 300 MPa pressure: evidence for multiple liquid-liquid transitions.

Difference and double-difference near-infrared DO-D and HO-H stretching overtone (2nuOD and 2nuOH) spectroscopy and a rigorous (physically substantiated) band deconvolution technique were applied to reveal three different kinds of inherent (interstitial) structures of liquid water, which determine its high density (compared to ice lh under ambient conditions), its compressibility (under hydrostatic pressure, up to 300MPa), and its high fragility (manifested under temperature variation). Our data processing allowed the rigorous discrimination of up to six vibrational components. On the basis of an extensive comparative analysis combined with available structural data (X-ray and neutron scattering) and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations for liquid water, as well as with experimental and computed data for small non-tetrahedrally arranged water clusters, the major four components could be ascribed to: i) The basic lh icelike substructure; ii) the temperature-dependent remote interstitial "defects" due to tetrahedral displacements (primarily responsible for transport properties); iii) the interstitial "defects" most probably arranged in quasiplanar noncyclic tetramers (totally absent in the ice structure); and iv) the interstitial "defects" formed with increasing pressure, probably arranged in cubic water octamers and composed of two pairs of noncyclic and cyclic tetramer fragments. The latter structures include, essentially, bent hydrogen bonds stabilized by resonance effects.     

Imine Derivatives of Fumaraldehyde From Oxidation of A β-Aziridinyl Alcohol

Oxidation of a β-aziridinyl alcohol with tetrapropylammonium perruthenate yields a pyrrole and two unusual imine derivatives of fumaraldehyde.     

The Preparation of Substituted Hydroxyphenyl-pyridyl-ethanols and α-Hydroxyphenyl-α-methylpyridineethanols by the Condensation of 2-, 3-, or 4-Picolyllithium with Select Hydroxy-benzaldehydes and 4-Hydroxyacetophenone

2-, 3-, or 4-Picolyllithium was prepared in excess lithium diiso-propylamide and condensed with several hydroxy-benzaldehydes and 4-hydroxy-acetophenone to afford substituted hydroxyphenyl-pyridyl-ethanols and α-hydroxyphenyl-α-methylpyridineethanols. In two instances. 3-picolyllithium condensed with aldehydes to presumably form the hydroxyphenyl-pyridyl-ethanol, which underwent linear dehydration to the substituted pyridyl-ethylenyl-phenol.     

A variational inequality formulation of equilibrium models for end-of-life products with nonlinear constraints

Variational inequality theory facilitates the formulation of equilibrium problems in economic networks. Examples of successful applications include models of supply chains, financial networks, transportation networks, and electricity networks. Previous economic network equilibrium models that were formulated as variational inequalities only included linear constraints; in this case the equivalence between equilibrium problems and variational inequality problems is achieved with a standard procedure because of the linearity of the constraints. However, in reality, often nonlinear constraints can be observed in the context of economic networks. In this paper, we first highlight with an application from the context of reverse logistics why the introduction of nonlinear constraints is beneficial. We then show mathematical conditions, including a constraint qualification and convexity of the feasible set, which allow us to characterize the economic problem by using a variational inequality formulation. Then, we provide numerical examples that highlight the applicability of the model to real-world problems. The numerical examples provide specific insights related to the role of collection targets in achieving sustainability goals.     

Configurational and Conformational Properties of 1,3,7,9-Tetraphospha-Cyclododeca-1,2,7,8-tetraene: An Ab Initio Study and NBO Analysis

An investigation employing the ab initio molecular orbital (MO) and density functional theory (DFT) methods to calculate structural optimization and conformational interconversion pathways for the two diastereoisomeric forms, (±) and meso configurations of 1,3,7,9-tetraphospha-cyclododeca-1,2,7,8-tetraene (1) was undertaken. Two axial symmetrical conformations are found for (±)-1 configuration. (±)-1-TB axial symmetrical form is found to be about 0.35 and 0.99 kcal mol^?1 more stable than (±)-1-Crown axial symmetrical conformation, as calculated by HF/6-31G*//HF/6-31G* and B3LYP/6-31G*//HF/6-31G* levels of theory, respectively. The unsymmetrical meso-1-TBCC form is found to be the most stable geometry, among the various conformations of meso-1 configuration. HF/6-31G*//HF/6-31G* and B3LYP/6-31G*//HF/6-31G* results showed that between the two most stable conformations of (±) and meso configurations, (±)-1-TB is more stable than meso-1-TBCC by about 3.35 and 2.43 kcal mol^?1, respectively. In addition, MP2/6-31G* and B3LYP/6-311+G** results showed that the (±)-1-TB form is about 1.10 and 2.36 kcal mol^?1 more stable than the meso-1-TBCC form. Further, NBO results revealed that in the most stable form of meso configuration (meso-1-TBCC), the sum of the π* allenic antibonding orbital occupancies (Σ π *_occupancy) is greater than dl configuration ((±)-1-TB). Also, NBO results indicated that in the (±)-1-TB conformer, the sum of σ and π allenic moieties bonding orbital deviations (Σ σ _dev+Σ π _dev) from their normal values, is lower than in the meso-1-TBCC form.     

Circulating Levels of Dephosphorylated-Uncarboxylated Matrix Gla Protein in Patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome

Vascular calcification contributes to the pathogenesis of coronary artery disease while matrix Gla protein (MGP) was recently identified as a potent inhibitor of vascular calcification. MGP fractions, such as dephosphorylated-uncarboxylated MGP (dp-ucMGP), lack post-translational modifications and are less efficient in vascular calcification inhibition. We sought to compare dp-ucMGP levels between patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS), stratified by ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) status. Physical examination and clinical data, along with plasma dp-ucMGP levels, were obtained from 90 consecutive ACS patients. We observed that levels of dp-ucMGP were significantly higher in patients with NSTEMI compared to STEMI patients (1063.4 ± 518.6 vs. 742.7 ± 166.6 pmol/L, p < 0.001). NSTEMI status and positive family history of cardiovascular diseases were only independent predictors of the highest tertile of dp-ucMGP levels. Among those with NSTEMI, patients at a high risk of in-hospital mortality (adjudicated by GRACE score) had significantly higher levels of dp-ucMGP compared to non-high-risk patients (1417.8 ± 956.8 vs. 984.6 ± 335.0 pmol/L, p = 0.030). Altogether, our findings suggest that higher dp-ucMGP levels likely reflect higher calcification burden in ACS patients and might aid in the identification of NSTEMI patients at increased risk of in-hospital mortality. Furthermore, observed dp-ucMGP levels might reflect differences in atherosclerotic plaque pathobiology between patients with STEMI and NSTEMI.