Quantum chemical study on the one-carbon unit transfer of imidazolinium

One-carbon unit transfer reaction of folate cofactor model compound, 1-acetyl-2-methyl-imidazolinium, with 1,2-diaminobenzene has been studied theoretically with ONIOM method. The result shows that there are two pathways to complete this reaction because the imidazolinium ring has two breaking patterns. Both the two pathways have six steps. They are combination of two reactants, proton migration, break of five-membered ring, formation of benzimidazole derivate, another proton migration, and formation of final products. In each of the above pathways, the two proton migration steps have higher energy, which illuminate that the reaction is catalyzed by general acid-base. This fact agrees with the experimental results of enzymatic one-carbon unit transfer at oxidation level of formate.     

The role of rigid unit modes in negative thermal expansion

The rigid unit mode (RUM) model provides a valuable computational method to investigate correlations of transverse thermal motions of atoms important in negative thermal expansion (NTE) materials. We report here detailed RUM calculations of ten framework oxide structures that have been studied for their negative (or ultra low) thermal expansion properties. The results negate any simple and direct correlation between presence or absence of RUMs in a structure and its NTE property. All the structures considered can be viewed as networks of polyhedral connected by corners only. All evidence supports the importance the transverse motion of the atoms at the corners, but NTE does not correlate well with the presence RUMs for the polyhedra.     

Astragalus membranaceus ultrafine powder alleviates hyperuricemia by regulating the gut microbiome and reversing bile acid and adrenal hormone biosynthesis dysregulation

Ethnopharmacological relevanceMetabolic syndrome is closely related to the intestinal microbiota and disturbances in the host metabolome. Hyperuricemia (HUA), a manifestation of metabolic syndrome, can induce various cardiovascular diseases and gout, seriously affecting a patient’s quality of life. Astragalus membranaceus has a long history as a commonly used traditional Chinese medicine to treat kidney disease in China and East Asia.Materials and methodsWe compared the therapeutic effect of benzbromarone and two different doses Astragalus membranaceus ultrafine powder (AMUP) in rats with HUA. Ultra-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometer was used to analyze the AMUP metabolism in the plasma, urine, and feces. Further, 16S ribosome RNA sequencing and feces metabolomic were performed to capture the variation of the gut microbiota and metabolites changes before and after drug administration.ResultsAMUP had a notable impact on reducing blood uric acid levels while protecting the liver and kidney. Drug metabolism analysis demonstrated that effective constituent flavonoids are distributed in the blood, whereas saponins remain in the intestine. Gut microbiota analysis showed that low-dose AMUP ameliorated HUA-induced gut dysbiosis by reducing the abundance of harmful bacteria and increasing that of some beneficial bacteria with anti-inflammatory properties, such as Clostridia, Lachnospiraceae, and Muribaculaceae. In addition, HUA-induced changes in metabolite contents in bile acid and adrenal hormone biosynthesis pathways were restored after treatment with AMUP.ConclusionLow-dose AMUP exerts remarkable therapeutic effects on HUA by regulating the gut microbiome and mediating gut metabolism pathways associated with uric acid excretion.     

Synthesis of new peptidic glycoclusters derived from β-alanine

The synthesis of an asymmetric glycocluster 1 has been achieved by coupling of a sugar unit with the β-alanine polypeptide, the principal chain, and combining a carbohydrate chain with the side chain causing it to branch from the N terminal. The synthesis of this side chain multivalent ligands is based on the scaffolding of some ω-amino acid (glycine, β-alanine, and GABA) derivatives. This method facilitated the synthesis of the cluster, of which the length of each unit differs.     

Synthesis,Characterization, and Thermotropic Properties of Liquid Crystals with an Oligo (Ethylene Oxide) Monomethyl Substituent I: Biphenyl-Based Systems

New alkene liquid crystals 4-[oligo(ethylene oxide)_o, monomethylether)carbonyl]phenyl 4-[4(allyloxy) phenyl]benzoate(MBPBEn, n = 1-3), 4′-[oligo(ethylene oxide)_o, monomethylether)carbonyl]biphenyl-4-yl 4-[4-(al1yloxy)phenyl]benzoate(MBPBPEn, n = 1-3), (S)-4-[(2-methyl-I-butoxy)carbonyl]phenyl 4[4-(allyloxy)phenyl]benzoate(MBPBKA), and (S)-4′-[(2-methyl-l-butoxy)carbonyl]biphenyl-4-yl 4-[4(allyloxy)phenyl]benzoate(MBPBPKA) were synthesized and characterized using ¹H-NMR and elemental analysis methods. The thermal transition temperatures, mesomorphic properties, and mesophase textures of these compounds have been determined by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), by polarizing optical microscopy, and by X-ray diffraction analysis. The effect of changes in chemical structure on the mesophase properties, mesophase and isotropic transition temperatures, and mesophase textures are discussed.     

Complex lanthanide chromate(VI)-phosphates K2R(CrO4)(PO4) (R = Dy-Lu, Y)

The conditions of formation of complex lanthanide chromate(VI)-phosphates K₂R(CrO₄)(PO₄) were found and these compounds were synthesized by solid-state synthesis with variation of the starting compounds, the temperature of synthesis (500–800 °C), and the annealing time (6–200 h). These salts are typical of late lanthanides, R = Dy-Lu, Y. Using lutetium derivatives as examples, it was shown that no similar compounds with lithium or sodium are formed. All the complex chromate(VI)-phosphates obtained decompose under static conditions at temperatures above 550 °C. They are isostructural and crystallize in the monoclinic system. The unit cell parameters for thulium, ytterbium, and lutetium compounds were calculated. It is shown by IR spectroscopy that PO₄ tetrahedra in the crystal lattice of potassium lanthanide chromate(VI)-phosphates are substantially distorted, whereas the CrO₄ tetrahedra retain the regular tetrahedron symmetry (T _d ). Published in Russian in Izvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 4, pp. 622–626, April, 2006.     

基质辅助激光解吸附飞行时间质谱分析缩合单宁的阳离子化问题

以单价金属离子Cs 和Na 作为离子化试剂,对3种缩合单宁进行基质辅助激光解吸附飞行时间(MALD I-TOF)质谱分析。加入Na 作为阳离子化试剂,能得到较高质量的质谱图。但由于实验通道中几乎不可能完全去除的K 的干扰而会高估棓儿茶酚/表棓儿茶酚单元的组成比例,从而影响对棓儿茶酚/表棓儿茶酚单元存在与否的判断;选择Cs 作为阳离子化试剂可以避免此问题,但在复杂的缩合单宁分析中,同样因为杂质离子Na 和K 的干扰而使得质谱图变得更复杂;未去离子处理直接对缩合单宁进行MALD I-TOF质谱分析与去离子并加入Cs 的处理比去离子并加入Na 能检测到更高聚合度的高聚物,检测到离子峰强度最高的聚合物随离子不同而不同。     

无烟煤结构的高分辨电镜研究

镜质组不仅是煤结构变化最具规律性，也是影响煤质的主要微成分。用点分辨率为２．１Ａ的高分辨电镜对几种不同煤化程度的无烟煤大分子结构进行了研究。结果表明：电镜图像直接表征了无烟煤分子的非均匀性孔隙结构。京西煤分子方向化程度强，主要以芳层平行堆或有序化前结构为主；晋城煤方向化程度弱，主要以粒状嵌晶结构为主。高分辨电镜技术是研究煤分子结构和煤化作用实质的有效方法。     

Carbon Dioxide as an Alternative C1 Synthetic Unit: Activation by Transition-Metal Complexes

The carbon dioxide molecule has been of limited importance as a synthetic unit in organic chemistry. When it is coordinated to transition metals, however, completely new possibilities arise; CO₂ can bond to metal complexes in a variety of ways and can enter into insertion and coupling reactions, or become catalytically attached to other substrates. The formation of C? C bonds between carbon dioxide and unsaturated hydrocarbons under conditions of homogeneous catalysis makes available new synthetic routes to industrially interesting organic compounds.     

CAHN－2000磁天平的调试与数据处理系统的研制

叙述了ＣＡＨＮ－２０００磁天平（美国）调试过程中如何解决液氮温区的测试，自制了磁天平与计算机的接口，编写了数据采集、处理和控制等高原 软件，节省了几万美元，部分指标超过原配套水平，三年来仪器在对国同外开放过程中，液氮温区的工作一直正常，实测了上千个样品，提供的数据已撰写数十篇文章在国内外刊物上发表。由此说明，要充分发挥进口仪器的使用效率，必须对仪器的工作原理、结构特点有透乇的了解，同时要有相当的自