Planar AIEgens with Enhanced Solid-State Luminescence and ROS Generation for Multidrug-Resistant Bacteria Treatment

Planar luminogens have encountered difficulties in overcoming intrinsic aggregation-caused emission quenching by intermolecular π-π stacking interactions. Although excited-state double-bond reorganization (ESDBR) can guide us on designing planar aggregation-induced emission (AIE) luminogens (AIEgens), its mechanism has yet been elucidated. Major challenges in the field include methods to efficiently restrict ESDBR and enhance AIE performance without using bulky substituents (e.g., tetraphenylethylene and triphenylamine). In this study, we rationally developed fluoro-substituent AIEgens with stronger intermolecular H-bonding interaction for restricted molecular motions and increased crystal density, leading to decreased nonradiative decay rate by one order of magnitude. The adjusted ESDBR properties also show a corresponding response to variation in viscosity. Furthermore, their aggregation-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) generations have been discovered. The application of such planar AIEgen in treating multidrug-resistant bacteria has been demonstrated in a mouse model. The relationship between ROS generation and distinct E/Z-configurational stacking behaviors have been further understood, providing a design principle for synthesizing planar AIEgen-based photosensitizers.     

Development of an LC‐MS/MS method for determining the pharmacokinetics of clonidine following oral administration of Zhenju antihypertensive compound

Zhenju antihypertensive compound (ZJAHC) is a combined Chinese–Western medicine formula including clonidine (CLO), hydrochlorothiazide (HCT), rutin, Chrysanthemum indicum extract and pearl powder. Compared with CLO preparations, ZJAHC shows improved activities and decreased adverse effects. It is believed that the side effects of CLO are caused by its high peak plasma concentration. Hence, study of the influence of ZJAHC on the pharmacokinetic behaviors of clonidine seems essential. In present study, the plasma concentrations of CLO were determined with a liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC‐MS/MS) method. The MS/MS transitions monitored for clonidine and internal standard were 230.2 → 213.1 and 152.2 → 110.2, respectively. The analyte was quantified in a single run within 3 min. The pharmacokinetic study showed that the area under the plasma concentration–time curve of CLO in ZJAHC (60 µg/kg CLO) was similar to that of CLO‐HCT‐high (120 µg/kg CLO) but the peak concentration was much lower than that in CLO‐HCT‐high. ZJAHC could enhance the bioavailability without greatly increasing peak concentration of clonidine. This comprehensive effect of enhancing the bioavailability and avoiding the high peak plasma concentration for CLO might mainly result from the co‐contribution of Western medicine and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), while the effect of TCM was stronger than that of Western medicine. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Amending cultures of selenium-resistant bacteria with dimethyl selenone

A possible biological intermediate in the reduction and methylation of selenium oxyanions, dimethyl selenone, was synthesized, and the first experiments involving the amendment of selenium resistant bacterial cultures with this compound are reported. The amount of volatile, reduced selenium-containing species released from these cultures into the headspace is significantly more than that produced in analogous experiments involving sodium selenate amended cultures. Dimethyl selenone is reduced in the presence of dimethyl sulfide and dimethyl disulfide in a complex growth medium, trypticase soy broth with 0.1% nitrate. This reduction occurs whether or not the reduced sulfur compounds are biologically produced.     

Optimal Investment and Dividend Strategy in the Discrete Sparre Andersen Risk Model

In the discrete-time Sparre Andersen risk model with investments and dividend payments, the company controls the dividend payments and the proportions of venture investments in order to maximize the cumulative expected discounted dividends prior to ruin. The paper gets the algorithm of the optimal dividend strategy by analyzing a Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman equation and transforming the value function. Furthermore, the existence of the optimal solution of the transformation function is proved by using compression mapping and fixed point principle. In order to make the calculation easier, this paper also proposes an innovative random simulation method for the optimal strategy, and proves that the simulation result is the consistent estimate of the real value. Finally, the random simulation method in the Matlab is used for numerical analysis in an example, which shows the innovative simulation method is a very good and helpful method for making dividend payment and investment decisions.     

拟多维高效液相色谱法分离纯化双峰驼精清中的活性蛋白

利用一种新的高效液相色谱洗脱技术，建立了 ｐＨ缓冲液／离子对二元洗脱模式，对双峰驼精清的两种提取物的反相柱上进行了分离，得到了较纯的活性蛋白组分。该法操作简单、快速、比常规ＨＰＬＣ有更高的选择性及峰容量，并可减少活性蛋白的失活。     

31P and 1h NMR as probes of domain alignment in a rigid crystalline surfactant mesophase

A viscous reverse hexagonal surfactant mesophase containing bis(2-ethylhexyl) sodium sulfosuccinate (AOT) and alpha-phosphatidylcholine (lecithin), with comparable volume fractions of isooctane and water, was characterized by Fourier transform (31)P and (1)H NMR spectroscopy. Shear alignment was reflected through both (31)P NMR and (1)H NMR spectra. A complicated (31)P spectrum was observed as a result of superposition of chemical shifts according to the distribution of crystalline domains prior to shear. The initially disordered samples with polydomain structures become macroscopically aligned after Couette shear. (31)P NMR chemical shift anisotropy characteristics are used to elucidate orientation of the hexagonal phase. Interestingly, (1)H NMR spectra exhibit spectral changes upon shear alignment closely corresponding with that of (31)P NMR spectra. These observations complement the findings of mesophase alignment obtained using SANS and imply that (31)P and (1)H NMR spectroscopy can be used as probes to define microstructure and monitor orientation changes in this binary surfactant system. This is especially beneficial if these mesophases are used as templates for materials synthesis.     

Probing water interactions and vacancy production on gadolinia-doped ceria surfaces using electron stimulated desorption

Polycrystalline gadolinia-doped ceria (GDC) surfaces were studied using low-energy (5-400 eV) electron stimulated desorption (ESD). H(+), O(+), and H(3)O(+) were the primary cationic desorption products with H(+) as the dominant channel. H(+), H(3)O(+), and O(+) have a 22 eV threshold followed by a yield change around 40 eV. H(+) also has an additional yield change approximately 75 eV and O(+) has an additional change approximately 150 eV. The O(+) ESD yield change approximately 150 eV may indicate bond breaking of Gd-O and the involvement of oxygen vacancies. The H(+) and H(3)O(+) threshold data collectively indicate the presence of hydroxyl groups and chemisorbed water molecules on the GDC surfaces. ESD temperature dependence measurements show that the interaction of water with GDC surface defect sites, mainly oxygen vacancies, influences the desorption of H(+), O(+), and H(3)O(+). The temperature dependence of the O(+) ESD at 400 eV incident electron energy yields a 0.21 eV activation energy. This is close to the energy needed for oxygen vacancy production next to a pair of Ce(3+) on a CeO(2) surface. These results may indicate a correlation between the O(+) ESD yield and oxygen vacancy density on GDC surfaces and a potential correlation of O(+) ESD and GDC ionic conductivity.     

Pt电极表面及附近水行为的现场红外反射吸收光谱电化学初探

本文用现场红外反射吸收光谱电化学方法和循环伏安法研究了Pt电极表面及附近水的行为. 据不同范围内得到的SNIFTIRS 谱中水峰的变化提出了三种可能的解释: (A)电极上水的吸附取向的改变; (B)电极附近水分子的长程有序的变化; (C)电极上水的氧化及还原, Pt-O化合物的形成导致薄层中水量的减少。     

Longistylumphyllines A–C,Three New Alkaloids from Daphniphyllum longistylum

Three new alkaloids, longistylumphyllines A–C (1–3), together with the six known alkaloids deoxycalyciphylline B, deoxyisocalyciphylline B, methyl homosecodaphniphyllate, daphnicyclidin A, daphnicyclidin B, and daphnicyclidin F, were isolated from the stems and leaves of Daphniphyllum longistylum. Their structures and relative configuration were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic data, especially 1D and 2D NMR techniques.