Phenolic compounds from the aerial parts of Clematis viticella L. and their in vitro anti-inflammatory activities*

Phytochemical investigations on the EtOH extract of Clematis viticella led to the isolation of six flavonoid glycosides, isoorientin (1), isoorientin 3′-O-methyl ether (2), quercetin 7-O-α-L-rhamnopyranoside (3), quercetin 3,7-di-O-α-L-rhamnopyranoside (4), manghaslin (5) and chrysoeriol 7-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (6), one phenylethanol derivative, hydroxytyrosol (7), along with three phenolic acids, caffeic acid (8), (E)-p-coumaric acid (9) and p-hydroxybenzoic acid (10). The structures of the isolates were elucidated on the basis of NMR and HR-MS data. All compounds were isolated from C. viticella for the first time. Compounds 7 and 8 showed significant anti-inflammatory activity at 100 μM by reducing the release of NO in LPS-stimulated macrophages comparable to positive control indomethacin. Compounds 3 and 7 exhibited anti-inflammatory activity through lowering the levels of TNF-α while 1, 3 and 5 decreased the levels of neopterin better than the positive controls.     

Vitamin D and Other Differentiation-promoting Agents as Neoadjuvants for Photodynamic Therapy of Cancer

The efficacy of photodynamic therapy (PDT) using aminolevulinic acid (ALA), which is preferentially taken up by cancerous cells and converted to protoporphyrin IX (PpIX), can be substantially improved by pretreating the tumor cells with vitamin D (Vit D). Vit D is one of several “differentiation-promoting agents” that can promote the preferential accumulation of PpIX within the mitochondria of neoplastic cells, making them better targets for PDT. This article provides a historical overview of how the concept of using combination agents (“neoadjuvants”) for PDT evolved, from initial discoveries about neoadjuvant effects of methotrexate and fluorouracil to later studies to determine how vitamin D and other agents actually work to augment PDT efficacy. While this review focuses mainly on skin cancer, it includes a discussion about how these concepts may be applied more broadly toward improving PDT outcomes in other types of cancer.     

Synthesis of sugar oxime ether surfactants

A straightforward synthesis of a novel class of sugar surfactants is described. The key step is the chemoselective condensation of a hydrophobic alkoxyamine with the resident aldehyde/ketone moiety on a hydrophilic sugar. Neither protection/deprotection of the sugars nor extensive product purification is required. The method allows for the facile adjustment of hydrophobic and hydrophilic domains of the sugar oxime ether surfactant and uses inexpensive, readily accessible, and renewable materials.     

Grenzen der Konzentrationsmessung eines Hochfrequenztitrimeters mit einer Frequenz von etwa 130 MHz

Zusammenfassung Die unteren Konzentrationsgrenzen der Durchführbarkeit von Säure-, Basen- und Fällungstitrationen mit dem bei 130 MHz arbeitenden Hoch-frequenztitrimeter wurden untersucht. Dabei wurde festgestellt, daß die untere Grenze der Bestimmungsmöglichkeit bei Salzsäure 1, bei Essigsäure 20, bei Chlorid 2 und bei Sulfat 10g/ml beträgt. Bezüglich der Wahl der Titrierflüssigkeit halten wir die Anwendung solcher Reagenzien für wichtig, bei denen die Richtungstangente im Äquivalenzpunkt möglichst ihr Vorzeichen ändert.

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Summary A study was made of the lower concentration limits at which it is possible to conduct acid-base and precipitation titrations with the high-frequency titrimeter operating at 130 MHz. It was found that the lower limit of the possibility of determining hydrochloric acid is1 g/ml, of acetic acid 20, of chloride 2, and sulfate 10. With respect to the choice of the titrant, the writers believe it important to use such reagents with which the direction tangent show the maximum change in indication at the equivalent point.

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Résumé Les auteurs ont cherché à déterminer les limites inférieures de concentration pour lesquelles les titrages acide-base et les titrages par précipitation restaient possible avec un titrimètre haute fréquence travaillant à 130 MHz. Ils ont établi que ces limites inférieures étaient de 1g/ml pour l'acide ehlorhydrique de 20g/ml pour l'acide acétique de 2g/ml pour les chlorures et de 10g/ml pour les sulfates. En ce qui concerne les liquides titrants ils considèrent que ces réactifs ne sont intéressants que lorsque au voisinage du point équivalent la direction de la tangente change de signe aussi nettement que possible.

     

Protonation Equilibria of Carminic Acid and Stability Constants of Its Complexes with Some Divalent Metal Ions in Aqueous Solution

The dissociation constants of carminic acid (7-D-glucopyronosyl-3,5,6,8-tetra- hydroxy-1-methyl-9,10-dioxo-anthracene-2-carboxylic acid) (CA), together with the stability constants of its Cu(II), Zn(II), Ni(II), Co(II) and Hg(II) complexes, were studied potentiometrically in aqueous medium at 25.0?(1)?°C, and at the ionic background of 0.1?mol?dm^?3 of NaCl, and determined with the SUPERQUAD computer program. It has been observed that carminic acid has five dissociation constants, and for H₅L their values are 3.39?(7), 5.78?(7), 8.35?(7), 10.27?(7), and 11.51?(7). This ligand behaves as a bi-dentate ligand, and the carboxyl and the ortho hydroxy groups of the ligand coordinate to the metal ions. Various metal complexes were produced in solution under the experimental conditions, for each metal ion used, including hydrolyzed species. The species distribution curves of the complexes formed in the solution were calculated and reviewed. The stability of the complexes was found to follow the order: Cu(II) > Zn(II) > Ni(II) > Co(II) > Hg(II).     

A parametric investigation of the friction performance of PC‐ABS parts processed by FDM additive manufacturing process

The friction performance is an important factor of parts processed by fused deposition modeling (FDM) for various engineering applications. It is one type of failure made of surface contact. The proper use of FDM process parameters can bring a significant reduction in friction and the amount of wear, thereby leading to a reduction in the material waste. To date, very little studies have been performed in this area. This paper investigates the effect of FDM manufacturing parameters on the friction performance of polycarbonate‐acrylonitrile butadiene styrene prototypes processed by FDM using definitive screening design and partial least squares method. The observation of surface morphology was obtained by the scanning electron microscopy to examine the effect of process parameters on the microstructure. The experimental results have shown that layer thickness, air gap, raster angle, and build orientation are the most influential factors affecting the friction performance of FDM manufactured parts. The proposed approach presented in this study provides an impetus to develop analytical modeling and functional relationships between FDM manufacturing parameters and friction performance. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Microcalorimetric investigation of water vapor adsorption on silica gel

In this study, the activities of four ginsenosides Rc, Re, Rd, and Rf on splenic lymphocytes growth were studied by microcalorimetry. Some qualitative and quantitative information, such as the metabolic power–time curves, growth rate constant k, maximum heat-output power of the exponential phase P _max and the corresponding appearance peak time t _max, total heat output Q _t, and promotion rate R _p of splenic lymphocytes growth affected by the four ginsenosides were calculated. In accordance with thermo-kinetic model, the corresponding quantitative relationships of k, P _max, t _max, Q _t, R _p, and c were established, . Also, the median effective concentration (EC₅₀) was obtained by quantitative analysis. Based on both the quantitative quantity–activity relationships (QQAR) and EC₅₀, the sequence of promotion activity was Rc > Re > Rd > Rf. The analysis of structure–activity relationships showed that the number, type, and position of sugar moieties on the gonane steroid nucleus had important influences on the promotion activity of Rc, Re, Rd, and Rf on splenic lymphocytes growth. Microcalorimetry can be used as a useful tool for determining the activity and studying the quantity–activity relationship of drugs on cell.     

Molecular dynamics simulation of gas adsorption on defected graphene

Gas sensing is one of the most promising applications for graphene. Using molecular dynamics simulation method, adsorption isotherm of xenon (Xe) gas on defected and perfect graphene is studied in order to investigate sensing properties of graphene for Xe gas. In this method, first generation of Brenner many-body potential is used to simulate the interaction of carbon–carbon (C) atoms in graphene, and Lennard–Jones two-body potential is used to simulate interaction of Xe–Xe and Xe–C atoms. In the simulated systems, adsorption coverage, radial distribution function, heat of adsorption, binding energy and specific heat capacity at constant volume are calculated for several temperatures between 90 K and 130 K, and various pressures. It was found that both of the defected and perfect graphene could be introduced as very good candidates for adsorption of Xe gas.