Ultra‐high performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry method for the simultaneous quantitation of five phthalides in rat plasma: Application to a comparative pharmacokinetic study of Huo Luo Xiao Ling Dan and herb‐pair extract

A fast, sensitive, and reliable ultra‐high performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry method has been developed and validated for the simultaneous quantitation and pharmacokinetic study of five phthalides (senkyunolide A, ligustilide, butylidenephthalide, 3‐butylphthalide, and levistilide A) in rat plasma after oral administration of Huo Luo Xiao Ling Dan (HLXLD) or Angelica sinensis‐‐Ligusticum chuanxiong herb pair (DG‐CX) between normal and arthritis rats. After extraction from blood, the analytes and internal standard were subjected to ultra‐high performance liquid chromatography with a Shim‐pack XR‐ODS column (75 × 3.0 mm², 2.2 μm particles) and mobile phase was composed of methanol and water (containing 0.05% formic acid) under gradient elution conditions, with an electrospray ionization source in the positive ionization and multiple reaction monitoring mode. The lower limits of quantification were 0.192–0.800 ng/mL for all the analytes. Satisfactory linearity, precision, accuracy, mean extraction recovery, and acceptable matrix effect have been achieved. The validated method was successfully applied to a comparative pharmacokinetic study of five bioactive components in rat plasma after oral administration of HLXLD or DG‐CX alone, respectively, between normal and arthritic rats. The results showed that there were unlike characters of pharmacokinetics among different groups.     

A dynamic systems model of dyadic interaction

We develop a differential equation model of dyadic interaction that embodies the basic assumption that members of intimate couples form an interactive system in which the behavior of each member of a couple is influenced by the other's behavior and by goals that each person has for herself or himself. The dynamic solutions of this system suggest that when each person in the dyad is “cooperative”, then an equilibrium can be approached. The equilibrium represents a compromise position between the individuals’ own ideals and those of the partner. On the other hand, if one individual, or both, is uncooperative, then this system often, but not always, becomes unstable. One paradoxical deduction from the model is that, through mutual cooperation, couples can experience periods of stability, but such stable situations are not necessarily satisfying.     

Diffusion and reactivity of ZnO-MnOx system

The solid state interaction between ZnO and MnO_x in air was investigated at different temperatures by means of the diffusion couple technique. No diffusion is observed at temperatures below 973 K. Above this temperature, Mn(IV) is already reduced to Mn(III) and the subsequent formation of Mn₂O₃ impels the diffusion of manganese into the ZnO pellet. However, it never enters the wurtzite lattice, so no homogeneous Mn:ZnO solid solution is formed. Simultaneously, Zn greatly diffuses in the manganese pellet, and as a consequence, a new phase layer develops at MnO_x/reaction zone interface. A mixture of cubic and tetragonal spinel-type phases initially comprises this layer. However at higher temperatures, the tetragonal ZnMn₂O₄ spinel is the unique phase present in the interface, and it forms a physical barrier for further diffusion of both zinc and manganese species in the respective pellets of the couple. Differences arising between ZnO, MnO₂ and Mn₂O₃ crystal structures are behind these diffusion behaviors.     

WDS-EPMA nitrogen profile determination in TiN/Ti diffusion couples using homotypic standard materials

Wavelength-dispersive electron probe microanalysis (WDS-EPMA) of TiN/Ti diffusion couples was carried out in order to determine the nitrogen profiles across the phase bands. Thein situ TiN/Ti diffusion couples were used for phase equilibrium studies. The problem of complete overlap of the Ti _L1 and N _K lines was solved using chemically well-characterized single-phase titanium nitride samples (-Ti(N), -Ti₂N and -TiN_1–X ) as external standards. By using such homotypic standard materials it was possible to eliminate systematic errors introduced by imperfect correction algorithms. The composition of the phases in multiphase TiN/Ti diffusion couples could be determined with an accuracy of better than ±1 at% N.     

石椒草和夏枯草的红外光谱

石椒草和夏枯草是两味典型的中草药材,它们都是清凉药,都是双子叶草本植物。采用傅里叶变换红外光谱法,直接、快速、准确地测定石椒草和夏枯草的红外光谱图,分析比较了2个样品在红外光谱图上的异同。石椒草和夏枯草的红外光谱的部分特征峰与其疗效有着直接关系：石椒草和夏枯草在1727cm-1附近均有吸收峰,说明石椒草和夏枯草均有杀菌抗病毒的功效;石椒草在1378、1251cm-1附近有吸收峰,说明石椒草有活血化瘀、抗炎抑菌的功效。通过分析红外光谱,为石椒草和夏枯草的识别、鉴定和药理分析提供了一定的科学依据。