Generic fast gradient liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry techniques for the assessment of the in vitro permeability across the blood-brain barrier in drug discovery

Rapid, generic gradient liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) assays, designed to accelerate sample analyses, have been developed to keep pace with the productivity of advanced synthetic procedures. In this study, LC/MS/MS was combined with an in vitro, cell-based, blood-brain barrier (BBB) model to evaluate the potential of new chemical entities (NCEs) to cross the BBB. This in vitro assay provides the permeability of discovery compounds across a monolayer of a primary culture of bovine brain microvessel endothelial cells in a fraction of the time that is required for in vivo studies (brain/plasma concentrations), using only 2 mg of the compound. The results are consistent with in vivo brain/plasma concentration ratio data.     

Formation of hydroxyl radical from the photolysis of frozen hydrogen peroxide

Hydrogen peroxide (HOOH) in ice and snow is an important chemical tracer for the oxidative capacities of past atmospheres. However, photolysis in ice and snow will destroy HOOH and form the hydroxyl radical (*OH), which can react with snowpack trace species. Reactions of *OH in snow and ice will affect the composition of both the overlying atmosphere (e.g., by the release of volatile species such as formaldehyde to the boundary layer) and the snow and ice (e.g., by the *OH-mediated destruction of trace organics). To help understand these impacts, we have measured the quantum yield of *OH from the photolysis of HOOH on ice. Our measured quantum yields (Phi(HOOH --> *OH)) are independent of ionic strength, pH, and wavelength, but are dependent upon temperature. This temperature dependence for both solution and ice data is best described by the relationship ln(Phi(HOOH --> *OH)) = -(684 +/- 17)(1/T) + (2.27 +/- 0.064) (where errors represent 1 standard error). The corresponding activation energy (Ea) for HOOH (5.7 kJ mol(-1)) is much smaller than that for nitrate photolysis, indicating that the photochemistry of HOOH is less affected by changes in temperature. Using our measured quantum yields, we calculate that the photolytic lifetimes of HOOH in surface snow grains under midday, summer solstice sunlight are approximately 140 h at representative sites on the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets. In addition, our calculations reveal that the majority of *OH radicals formed on polar snow grains are from HOOH photolysis, while nitrate photolysis is only a minor contributor. Similarly, HOOH appears to be much more important than nitrate as a photochemical source of *OH on cirrus ice clouds, where reactions of the photochemically formed hydroxyl radical could lead to the release of oxygenated volatile organic compounds to the upper troposphere.     

Fast DNA sequencing up to 1,000 bases by capillary electrophoresis using poly(N,N-dimethylacrylamide) as a separation medium

Poly(N,N-dimethylacrylamide) (PDMA) with a molecular mass of 5.2 x 10(6) g/mol has been synthesized and used in DNA sequencing analysis by capillary electrophoresis (CE). A systematic investigation is presented on the effects of different separation conditions, such as injection amount, capillary inner diameter, polymer concentration, effective separation length, electric field and temperature, on the resolution. DNA sequencing up to 800 bases with a resolution (R) limit of 0.5 (and 1,000 bases with a resolution limit of 0.3) and a migration time of 96 min was achieved by using 2.5% w/v polymer, 150 V/cm separation electric field, and 60 cm effective separation length at room temperature on a DNA sample prepared with FAM-labeled--21M13 forward primer on pGEM3Zf(+) and terminated with ddCTP. Ultrafast and fast DNA sequencing up to 420 and 590 bases (R > or = 0.5) were also achieved by using 3% w/v polymer and 40 cm effective separation length with a separation electric field of 525 and 300 V/cm, and a migration time of 12.5 and 31.5 min, respectively. PDMA has low viscosity, long shelf life and dynamic coating ability to the glass surface. The unique properties of PDMA make it a very good candidate as a separation medium for large-scale DNA sequencing by capillary array electrophoresis (CAE).     

Isolation of a carbon nanohoop with M(o)bius topology

Carbon nanohoop,a class of constrained molecular architecture consisting of linked arene units,has attracted considerable interest from both experimental and th...     

Vanadium-Substituted Dawson-Type Polyoxometalate–TiO2 Nanowire Composite Film as Advanced Cathode Material for Bifunctional Electrochromic Energy-Storage Devices

Polyoxometalates (POMs) demonstrate potential for application in the development of integrated smart energy devices based on bifunctional electrochromic (EC) optical modulation and electrochemical energy storage. Herein, a nanocomposite thin film composed of a vanadium-substituted Dawson-type POM, i.e., K₇[P₂W₁₇VO₆₂]·18H₂O, and TiO₂ nanowires were constructed via the combination of hydrothermal and layer-by-layer self-assembly methods. Through scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive spectroscopy characterisations, it was found that the TiO₂ nanowire substrate acts as a skeleton to adsorb POM nanoparticles, thereby avoiding the aggregation or stacking of POM particles. The unique three-dimensional core−shell structures of these nanocomposites with high specific surface areas increases the number of active sites during the reaction process and shortens the ion diffusion pathway, thereby improving the electrochemical activities and electrical conductivities. Compared with pure POM thin films, the composite films showed improved EC properties with a significant optical contrast (38.32% at 580 nm), a short response time (1.65 and 1.64 s for colouring and bleaching, respectively), an excellent colouration efficiency (116.5 cm² C⁻¹), and satisfactory energy-storage properties (volumetric capacitance = 297.1 F cm⁻³ at 0.2 mA cm⁻²). Finally, a solid-state electrochromic energy-storage (EES) device was fabricated using the composite film as the cathode. After charging, the constructed device was able to light up a single light-emitting diode for 20 s. These results highlight the promising features of POM-based EES devices and demonstrate their potential for use in a wide range of applications, such as smart windows, military camouflage, sensors, and intelligent systems.     

Effects of Different Extraction Methods on Vanilla Aroma

To establish the analytic conditions for examining the aroma quality of vanilla pods, we compared different extraction methods and identified a suitable option. We utilized headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME), steam distillation (SD), simultaneous steam distillation (SDE) and alcoholic extraction combined with gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) to identify volatile components of vanilla pods. A total of 84 volatile compounds were identified in this experiment, of which SDE could identify the most volatile compounds, with a total of 51 species, followed by HS-SPME, with a total of 28 species. Ten volatile compounds were identified by extraction with a minimum of 35% alcohol. HS-SPME extraction provided the highest total aroma peak areas, and the peak areas of aldehydes, furans, alcohols, monoterpenes and phenols compounds were several times higher than those of the other extraction methods. The results showed that the two technologies, SDE and HS-SPME, could be used together to facilitate analysis of vanilla pod aroma.     

1,4-bis[2-(4-pyridyl)ethenyl]-benzene衍生物热致变色研究

本文制备了三种在1,4-bis[2-(4-pyridyl)ethenyl]-benzene(bp-eb)上接枝不同烷基链长度的热致变色材料DC8、DC12、DC16. 在365 nm激发光下,随着温度升高,它们呈现出荧光颜色的改变,这种改变来自于晶体态与无定形态之间的转变. 此外,DC16也呈现出光致变色的性质. 通过差示扫描量热法测试得到的相转变温度高于实验过程中荧光颜色改变时的温度. 因此,这种变色行为来自于光与热共同作用的结果. 乙醇可以使粉末变回起始的晶体状态,从而使荧光颜色恢复,实现热致变色行为的可逆. 本研究对理解热致变色分子的结构-性质关系,指导热致变色分子设计具有重要意义.     

基于高光谱成像技术的油菜叶片SPAD值检测

以油菜叶片为研究对象,利用高光谱成像技术,成功建立了叶绿素相对值SPAD值的预测模型。共采集了160个油菜叶片样本在380～1030 nm范围内的高光谱图像。选择500～900 nm之间的平均光谱作为油菜叶片样本的光谱。利用蒙特卡罗最小二乘法(monte carlo partial least squares, MC-PLS)剔除了13个异常样本,基于剩余的147个样本光谱数据与SPAD测量值进行分析,采用了不同的方法建立了多种预测模型,包括：全光谱的偏最小二乘法(partial least squares, PLS)模型,连续投影算法(successive projections algorithm, SPA)选择特征波长的PLS预测模型,“红边”位置(λ_red)的简单经验估测模型,三种植被指数R₇₁₀/R₇₆₀,(R₇₅₀-R₇₀₅)/(R₇₅₀-R₇₀₅)和R₈₆₀/(R₅₅₀*R₇₀₈)分别建立的简单经验估测模型,以及基于这三种植被指数的PLS预测模型。建模结果显示,全光谱的PLS模型预测效果最为精确,其预测相关系数r_p为0.833 9,预测均方根误差RMSEP为1.52。而使用SPA算法选出的8个特征波长所建立的PLS模型其预测结果可达到与全光谱的PLS模型非常接近的水平,而且在保证一定精度的条件下减少了大量运算,节省了运算时间,大幅提高了建模的速度。而基于红边位置和选择的三种植被指数而建立的简单经验估计模型其预测结果虽与基于全光谱的PLS预测模型有一定差距,但模型简单、运算量小,适合用于对精度要求不高的场合,对后续的便携仪器设备开发有一定的指导作用。     

高光谱成像技术的柑橘植株叶片含氮量预测模型

氮素是果树生长发育的一种大量必需元素,及时准确地监控果树的氮营养状况,对果树的合理施肥、增产、优化果实品质以及减缓过量施氮引起的水资源污染具有重要意义。利用高光谱成像技术结合多变量统计学方法,建立了柑橘植株叶片的含氮量预测模型。研究步骤为：高光谱扫描、提取平均光谱曲线、预处理原始光谱数据、采用连续投影法提取特征波段和建立含氮量预测模型。从SG平滑、SNV、MSC、1-Der等11种预处理方法中筛选出的较优预处理方法是SG平滑、Detrending和SG平滑-Detrending。对应这三种最优预处理方法,先采用连续投影法挑选出各自的特征波长,然后将各特征波段下的光谱反射率作为偏最小二乘、多元线性回归和反向传播人工神经网络模型的输入,各自建立三个预测模型。从以上获得的9个预测模型中,得出两个最优模型SG平滑-Detrending-SPA-BPNN(R_p：0.851 3,RMSEP：0.188 1)和Detrending-SPA-BPNN(R_p：0.8609,RMSEP：0.159 5)。结果表明,利用高光谱数据测定柑橘叶片含氮量具有可行性。这为实时、准确地监控柑橘植株生长过程中叶片含氮量的变化以及合理科学的氮肥施加提供了一定的理论基础。     

Propagation of phase-locked partially coherent flattened beam array in turbulent atmosphere

Analytical formulae for phase-locked partially coherent flattened beam array propagating in a turbulent atmosphere are derived based on the extended Huygens–Fresnel principle. Beam propagation factor (BPF) is introduced to evaluate the beam quality at the receiving plane. The influence of beam order, transverse coherence width length and the intensity of turbulence is discussed in detail.