Formation and Structure of Ti?Zn-Oxides

In powder mixtures of ZnO and TiO₂ the compounds Zn₂TiO₄, ZnTiO₃ and Zn₂Ti₃O₈ can be formed as a result of solid state reactions. The mechanism of the double oxide formation is essentially determined by the microstructure of the powder mixture. Furthermore, the kind of the double oxide depends on the TiO₂-modification. There exist structural similarities between Zn₂TiO₄ (spinel) and TiO₂ (anatase) on the one hand and ZnTiO₃ and TiO₂ (rutile) on the other hand. The compound Zn₂Ti₃O₈ is formed only on the basis of the Zn₂TiO₄-phase. The crystal structure of Zn₂Ti₃O₈ was derived as a defect spinel. The unoccupied sites of cations are not arranged statistically, but they are ordered in the structure. This order leads to the decrease of the space group symmetry from Fd-3 m to P4₃32.     

Determination of Cefalothin and Cefazolin in Human Plasma,Urine and Peritoneal Dialysate by UHPLC‐MS/MS: application to a pilot pharmacokinetic study in humans

An ultra‐high‐performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC‐MS/MS) method for the analysis of cefazolin and cefalothin in human plasma (total and unbound), urine and peritoneal dialysate has been developed and validated. Total plasma concentrations are measured following protein precipitation and are suitable for the concentration range of 1–500 µg/mL. Unbound concentrations are measured from ultra‐filtered plasma acquired using Centrifree^® devices and are suitable for the concentration range of 0.1–500 µg/mL for cefazolin and 1–500 µg/mL for cefalothin. The urine method is suitable for a concentration range of 0.1–20 mg/mL for cefazolin and 0.2–20 mg/mL for cefalothin. Peritoneal dialysate concentrations are measured using direct injection, and are suitable for the concentration range of 0.2–100 µg/mL for both cefazolin and cefalothin. The cefazolin and cefalothin plasma (total and unbound), urine and peritoneal dialysate results are reported for recovery, inter‐assay precision and accuracy, and the lower limit of quantification, linearity, stability and matrix effects, with all results meeting acceptance criteria. The method was used successfully in a pilot pharmacokinetic study with patients with peritoneal dialysis‐associated peritonitis, receiving either intraperitoneal cefazolin or cefalothin. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A validated LC-MSMS method for the simultaneous quantification of meropenem and vaborbactam in human plasma and renal replacement therapy effluent and its application to a pharmacokinetic study

A simple method for the simultaneous quantification of meropenem and the recently approved β-lactamase inhibitor, vaborbactam, in human plasma and renal replacement therapy effluent (RRTE) was developed and validated. This antibiotic combination protects a primary β-lactam, meropenem, with a new β-lactamase inhibitor, and expands the limited options for treatment of multidrug-resistant Gram-negative infections. Meropenem, vaborbactam, and the internal standards [²H₆]-meropenem and sulbactam in plasma and RRTE were processed using acetonitrile followed by a chromatographic separation on a Poroshell HPH-C18 column with a gradient elution of the mobile phases and monitored using mass spectrometry detection. The calibration range was 0.05 to 100 μg mL⁻¹ for both meropenem and vaborbactam. The intra-day and inter-day precision and accuracy were less than 15% for both meropenem and vaborbactam and the recovery from plasma was 96% for both meropenem and vaborbactam and the recovery from RRTE was 93% and 103% for meropenem and vaborbactam, respectively. This methodology was successfully applied to an ex vivo characterisation study of the effects of renal replacement therapy modalities on the pharmacokinetics of meropenem and vaborbactam (Antimicrob Agents Chemother 62(10), 2018).

Graphical abstract

     

Synthesis and anti-HCV activity of 1-(1′,3′-O-anhydro-3′-C-methyl-β-d-psicofuranosyl)uracil

Synthesis of a novel 1′,2′-oxetane-uridine bearing a 2′-C-methyl substituent, [1-(1′,3′-O-anhydro-3′-C-methyl-β-d-psicofuranosyl)uracil], is described. Key to its construction was the use of 6-O-(p-toluoyl)-1,2:3,4-di-O-isopropylidene-3-C-methyl-d-psicofuranose as a nucleosidation substrate, which itself was derived from d-fructose. Anti-HCV activity was examined for the corresponding triphosphate which was not found to be an inhibitor of HCV NS5B 1b wild type polymerase in vitro. The 1′,2′-oxetane uridine triphosphate without 2′-C-methyl substitution was similarly inactive, however, the guanosine analog displayed modest inhibition (IC₅₀ = 10 μM).     

Pressure studies of conduction-band N-pair-state mixing in dilute GaAs1−xNx alloys

High-pressure photoluminescence (PL) experiments (at 9 K) are reported for GaAs_1−xN_x/GaAs quantum wells having N compositions (x=0.0025, 0.004) in the dilute regime where the GaAs_1−xN_x alloy conduction band (CB) evolves rapidly by incorporation of N-pair states. Under increasing pressure, the PL spectra exhibit several new N-pair features that derive from CB-resonant states at 1 atm. Two of these features appear strongly at sub-band-gap energies for P29 kbar in the x=0.0025 sample, but are absent for all pressures in the x=0.004 sample. Several competing PL assignments due to bound-exciton recombination at NN_i pairs (i=1–4 is the anion separation) are considered in light of prior findings for N-doped (10¹⁷ cm⁻³) GaAs. The absence of certain PL features in the x=0.004 sample shows that N-pair states mix into the CB-continuum via a selective process, and this selectivity offers an important test for band-structure calculations in dilute GaAs_1−xN_x alloys.     

Theory of damped surface magnetoplasmons in n-type InSb

A theoretical investigation of surface magnetoplasmons in n-type InSb has been carried out with the effect of damping taken into account. Part of the investigation included surface magnetoplasmons interacting with surface optical phonons. The calculated dispersion curves show backbending, in contrast to the situation were damping is neglected. In addition, there are gaps in the dispersion curves for certain frequency ranges.     

Thermal Boundary Resistance Between GaN and Substrate in AlGaN/GaN Electronic Devices

The influence of a thermal boundary resistance (TBR) on temperature distribution in ungated AlGaN/GaN field-effect devices was investigated using 3-D micro-Raman thermography. The temperature distribution in operating AlGaN/GaN devices on SiC, sapphire, and Si substrates was used to determine values for the TBR by comparing experimental results to finite-difference thermal simulations. While the measured TBR of about 3.3 x 10^-8 W^-1 ldr m² ldr K for devices on SiC and Si substrates has a sizeable effect on the self-heating in devices, the TBR of up to 1.2 x 10^-8 W^-1 ldr m² ldr K plays an insignificant role in devices on sapphire substrates due to the low thermal conductivity of the substrate. The determined effective TBR was found to increase with temperature at the GaN/SiC interface from 3.3 x 10^-8 W^-1 ldr m² ldr K at 150degC to 6.5 x 3.3 x 10^-8 W^-1 ldr m² ldr K at 275degC, respectively. The contribution of a low-thermal-conductivity GaN layer at the GaN/substrate interface toward the effective TBR in devices and its temperature dependence are also discussed.     

Surface plasma waves in the noble metals

The dispersoon curves for surface plasma waves (SPW) in Ag have been determined from calculated reflectivity minima as exhibited by attenuated total reflection (ATR spectra) for the prism-metal-air (PMA) configuration and from the direct calculation of the dispersion relation for the same configuration. Comparison is made with published results. The dispersion curves for Au and Cu have been determined for the same configuration from calculated ATR spectra and verified experimentally. Comparison is made with the direct calculation of the dispersion relation. The direct calculation yields two types of modes; namely the surface or Brewster mode and the virtual mode. Both modes are discussed. The marked effect of small electronic damping as exhibited by Ag and moderate electronic damping as exhibited by Au and Cu upon the PMA dispersion curves from ATR spectra is examined. Finally the direct calculation of the dielectric shift (perturbing effect of the prism-metal surface upon the active metal-air surface dispersion curve) is presented for the three metals as a function of film thickness and photon energy.     

Tristaenone A: A New Anti-Inflammatory Compound Isolated from the Australian Indigenous Plant Tristaniopsis laurina

Inspired by ethnopharmacological knowledge, we conducted a bioassay-guided fractionation of the leaves of Tristaniopsis laurina which led to the discovery of a new anti-inflammatory compound, tristaenone A (1). The structure was elucidated by detailed spectroscopic data analysis, and the absolute configuration was established using X-ray crystallography analysis. Tristaenone A (1) suppressed LPS and IFN-γ-induced NO, TNF-α and IL-6 production in RAW 264.7 cells with IC₅₀ values of 37.58 ± 2.45 μM, 80.6 ± 5.82 μM and 125.65 ± 0.34 μM, respectively. It also inhibited NF-κB nuclear translocation by 52.93 ± 14.14% at a concentration of 31.85 μM.