Combustion properties of H2/N2/O2/steam mixtures

The present work reports new experimental and numerical results of the combustion properties of hydrogen based mixtures diluted by nitrogen and steam. Spherical expanding flames have been studied in a spherical bomb over a large domain of equivalence ratios, initial temperatures and dilutions at an initial pressure of 100 kPa (T_ini = 296, 363, 413 K; N₂/O₂ = 3.76, 5.67, 9; %Steam = 0, 20, 30). From these experiments, the laminar flame speed $S_L^0$, the Markstein length L’, the activation energy Ea and the Zel'dovich β number have been determined. These parameters were also simulated using COSILAB^® in order to verify the validity of the Mével et al. [1] detailed kinetic mechanism. Other parameters as the laminar flame thickness δ and the effective Lewis number Le_eff were also simulated. These new results aim at providing an extended database that will be very useful in the hydrogen combustion hazard assessment for nuclear reactor power plant new design.     

Identification of metabolites of rupestonic acid in rat urine by liquid chromatography combined with electrospray ionization quadrupole time‐of‐flight tandem mass spectrometry

Rupestonic acid, a potential anti‐influenza agent, is an important and characteristic compound in Artemisia rupestris L., a well‐known traditional Uighur medicine for the treatment of colds. In the present study, high‐performance liquid chromatography combined with electrospray ionization quadrupole time‐of‐flight tandem mass spectrometry was used to detect and identify the metabolites in rat urine after oral administration of rupestonic acid. A total of 10 metabolites were identified or partially characterized. The structure elucidations of the metabolites were performed by comparing the changes in accurate molecular masses and fragment ions with those of the parent compound. The results showed that the main metabolites of rupestonic acid in rat urine were formed by oxidation, hydrogenation and glucuronidation. A metabolism pathway was proposed for the first time based on the characterized structures. This metabolism study can provide essential information for drug discovery, design and clinical application of rupestonic acid. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Chemical Profiles and Pharmacological Properties with in Silico Studies on Elatostema papillosum Wedd

The current study attempted, for the first time, to qualitatively and quantitatively determine the phytochemical components of Elatostema papillosum methanol extract and their biological activities. The present study represents an effort to correlate our previously reported biological activities with a computational study, including molecular docking, and ADME/T (absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion/toxicity) analyses, to identify the phytochemicals that are potentially responsible for the antioxidant, antidepressant, anxiolytic, analgesic, and anti-inflammatory activities of this plant. In the gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy analysis, a total of 24 compounds were identified, seven of which were documented as being bioactive based on their binding affinities. These seven were subjected to molecular docking studies that were correlated with the pharmacological outcomes. Additionally, the ADME/T properties of these compounds were evaluated to determine their drug-like properties and toxicity levels. The seven selected, isolated compounds displayed favorable binding affinities to potassium channels, human serotonin receptor, cyclooxygenase-1 (COX-1), COX-2, nuclear factor (NF)-κB, and human peroxiredoxin 5 receptor proteins. Phytol acetate, and terpene compounds identified in E. papillosum displayed strong predictive binding affinities towards the human serotonin receptor. Furthermore, 3-trifluoroacetoxypentadecane showed a significant binding affinity for the KcsA potassium channel. Eicosanal showed the highest predicted binding affinity towards the human peroxiredoxin 5 receptor. All of these findings support the observed in vivo antidepressant and anxiolytic effects and the in vitro antioxidant effects observed for this extract. The identified compounds from E. papillosum showed the lowest binding affinities towards COX-1, COX-2, and NF-κB receptors, which indicated the inconsequential impacts of this extract against the activities of these three proteins. Overall, E. papillosum appears to be bioactive and could represent a potential source for the development of alternative medicines; however, further analytical experiments remain necessary.     

Thermally induced solid-state transformation of cimetidine. A multi-spectroscopic/chemometrics determination of the kinetics of the process and structural elucidation of one of the products as a stable N3-enamino tautomer

Exposure of cimetidine (CIM) to dry heat (160–180 °C) afforded, upon cooling, a glassy solid containing new and hitherto unknown products. The kinetics of this process was studied by a second order chemometrics-assisted multi-spectroscopic approach. Proton and carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), as well as ultraviolet and infrared spectroscopic data were jointly used, whereas multivariate curve resolution with alternating least squares (MCR-ALS) was employed as the chemometrics method to extract process information. It was established that drug degradation follows a first order kinetics.     

In Vivo Biological Behavior of Polymer Scaffolds of Natural Origin in the Bone Repair Process

Autologous bone grafts, used mainly in extensive bone loss, are considered the gold standard treatment in regenerative medicine, but still have limitations mainly in relation to the amount of bone available, donor area, morbidity and creation of additional surgical area. This fact encourages tissue engineering in relation to the need to develop new biomaterials, from sources other than the individual himself. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the effects of an elastin and collagen matrix on the bone repair process in critical size defects in rat calvaria. The animals (Wistar rats, n = 30) were submitted to a surgical procedure to create the bone defect and were divided into three groups: Control Group (CG, n = 10), defects filled with blood clot; E24/37 Group (E24/37, n = 10), defects filled with bovine elastin matrix hydrolyzed for 24 h at 37 °C and C24/25 Group (C24/25, n = 10), defects filled with porcine collagen matrix hydrolyzed for 24 h at 25 °C. Macroscopic and radiographic analyses demonstrated the absence of inflammatory signs and infection. Microtomographical 2D and 3D images showed centripetal bone growth and restricted margins of the bone defect. Histologically, the images confirmed the pattern of bone deposition at the margins of the remaining bone and without complete closure by bone tissue. In the morphometric analysis, the groups E24/37 and C24/25 (13.68 ± 1.44; 53.20 ± 4.47, respectively) showed statistically significant differences in relation to the CG (5.86 ± 2.87). It was concluded that the matrices used as scaffolds are biocompatible and increase the formation of new bone in a critical size defect, with greater formation in the polymer derived from the intestinal serous layer of porcine origin (C24/25).     

Adsorption effects and NMR properties: Continuous chain approach

The NMR properties of nuclei linked to long linear polymer molecules are sensitive to the influence of hard walls. In this context, the residual energy of tensorial spin-spin interactions is calculated using a path integral approach. Several thermodynamic quantities of the polymer system (free energy, equation of state,...) are also expressed, taking chain stiffness effects and the presence of two repulsive walls into consideration.     

电感耦合等离子体原子发射光谱法测定中药方剂煎煮液中的微量元素

本文采用HNO3－H2O2对中药方剂煎煮液进行处理，拟定了电感耦合等离子体原子发射光谱法同时测定试样中12个微量元素的方法，选择了仪器的最佳工作条件，考察了基本效应的影响。在选定条件下，12个微量元素的检出限为0．10－5．0ng/g，相对标准偏差为0.10%-9.5%(n=10),加标回收率为85％－103％。该方法简单、快速，已用于大量样品的检测，分析结果满意。     

分子聚集理论在医药学研究中的应用

本文利用聚集型状态方程，克拉贝龙方程以及临界条件推出聚集活性参量方程．分析结果表明，医药的药理活性是可以用聚集活性参量予以定量表征．本文给出了某些医药的主要的药物成分，如氧化亚氮 乙醚、氯仿和水杨酸甲酯等嘛醉剂），一氧化氮（硝酸甘油）、乙醇胺（医药活性剂）和多巴胺（神经递质）的生物活性数据．实践经验表明，这些化学品分别在生命体的心血管系统、神经系统和免疫系统中起着重要的药理功能作用．这表明，本文研究的内容在医药学研究领域有其重要意义．     

量子算法的NMR实现方法

量子计算机是一种以量子耦合方式进行信息处理的装置[1 ] 。原则上 ,它能利用量子相干干涉方法以比传统计算机更快的速度进行诸如大数的因式分解、未排序数据库中的数据搜索等工作[2 ] 。建造大型量子计算机的主要困难是噪音、去耦和制造工艺。一方面 ,虽然离子陷阱和光学腔实验方法大有希望 ,但这些方法都还没有成功实现过量子计算。另一方面 ,因为隔离于自然环境 ,核自旋可以成为很好的“量子比特” ,可能以非传统方式使用核磁共振 (NMR)技术实现量子计算。本文介绍一种用NMR方法实现量子计算的方法 ,该方法能够用比传统方法少的步骤解决一个纯数学问题。基于该方法的简单量子计算机使用比传统计算机使用更少的函数“调用”判断一未知函数的类别。