Determination and identification of isoflavonoids in Radix astragali by matrix solid-phase dispersion extraction and high-performance liquid chromatography with photodiode array and mass spectrometric detection

The isoflavonoids in Radix astragali were determined and identified by HPLC-photodiode array detection-MS after extraction employing matrix solid-phase dispersion (MSPD). As a new sample preparation method for R. astragali, the MSPD procedure was optimized, validated and compared with conventional methods including ultrasonic and Soxhlet extraction. The amounts of two major components in this herb, formononetin (6) and ononin (2), were determined based on their authentic standards. Four major isoflavonoids, formononetin (6), ononin (2), calycosin (5) and its glycoside (1), and three minor isoflavonoids, (6aR,11aR)-3-hydroxy-9, 10-dimethoxypterocarpan (7), its glycoside (3), and (3R)-7,2'-dihydroxy-3',4'-dimethoxyisoflavone-7-O-beta-D-glycoside (4), were identified based on their characteristic two-band UV spectra and [M + H](+), [aglycone + H](+) and [A1 + H](+) ions, etc. The combined MSPD and HPLC-DAD-MS method was suitable for quantitative and qualitative determination of the isoflavonoids in R. astragali. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Radiation-use efficiency and the harvest index of winter wheat at different nitrogen levels and their relationships to canopy spectral reflectance

Radiation-use efficiency (RUE, g/MJ) and the harvest index (HI, unitless) are two helpful characteristics in interpreting crop response to environmental and climatic changes. They are also increasingly important for accurate crop yield simulation, but they are affected by various environmental factors. In this study, the RUE and HI of winter wheat and their relationships to canopy spectral reflectance were investigated based on the massive field measurements of five nitrogen (N) treatments. Crop production can be separated into light interception and RUE. The results indicated that during a long period of slow growth from emergence to regreening, the effect of N on crop production mainly showed up in an increased light interception by the canopy. During the period of rapid growth from regreening to maturity, it was present in both light interception and RUE. The temporal variations of RUEAPAR (aboveground biomass produced per unit of photosynthetically active radiation absorbed by the canopy) during the period from regreening to maturity had different patterns corresponding to the N deficiency, N adequacy and N-excess conditions. Moreover, significant relationships were found between the RUEAPAR and the accumulative normalised difference vegetation index (NDVI) in the integrated season (R-2 = 0.68), between the HI and the accumulative NDVI after anthesis (R-2 = 0.89), and between the RUEgrain (ratio of grain yield to the total amount of photosynthetically active radiation absorbed by the canopy) and the accumulative NDVI of the whole season (R-2 = 0.89) and that after anthesis (R-2 = 0.94). It suggested that canopy spectral reflectance has the potential to reveal the spatial information of the RUEAPAR, HI and RUEgrain. It is hoped that this information will be useful in improving the accuracy of crop yield simulation in large areas.

Spectral response of winter wheat to crop development and various agronomic limitations

For maximizing the effective applications of remote sensing in crop recognition, crop performance assessment and canopy variables estimation at large areas, it is essential to fully understand the spectral response of canopy to crop development and varying growing conditions. In this paper, the spectral properties of winter wheat canopy under different growth stages and different agronomic conditions were investigated at the field level based on reflectance measurements. It was proved that crop growth and development, nitrogen fertilization rates, nutrient deficit (e.g. lacking any kind of nitrogen, phosphorus and kalium fertilizer or lacking all of them), irrigation frequency and plant density had direct influence on canopy reflectance in 400-900 nm which including the visible/near infrared bands, and resulted in great changes of spectral curves. It was suggested that spectral reflectance of crop canopy can well reflect the growth and development of crop and the impacts from various factors, and was feasible to provide vital information for crop monitoring and assessment. ©2010 IEEE.

Effects of doping lanthanide ions in YAG : Ce system on the spectral properties of Ce3+

(Y0.95Ln(0.01)Ce(0.04))(3)Al5O12 phosphors were synthesized by high-temperature solid state reaction under reducing atmosphere and the doping effects of lanthanide ions (Ln(3+)) on the luminescence properties of phosphors were studied. YAG: Ce, Ln spectra of excitation and emission show that the influence between Ce3+ and Ln(3+) can be divided into the following three types

DFT/TDDFT Studies on the Electronic Structures and Spectral Properties of Rhenium(I) Pyridinybenzoimidazole Complexes

The electronic structures and spectral properties of three Re(I) complexes [Re(CO)(3)XL] (X = Br, Cl; L = 1-(4-5 '-phenyl-1.3,4-oxadiazolylbenzyl)-2-pyridinylbenzoimidazole (1), 1-(4-carbazolylbutyl)-2-pyridinylbenzoimidazole (2), and 2-(1-ethyl benzimidazol-2-yl)pyridi ne (3)) were investigated theoretically. The ground and the lowest lying triplet excited states were full optimized at the B3LYP/LANL2DZ and CIS/LANL2DZ levels, respectively. TDDFT/PCM calculations have been employed to predict the absorption and emission spectra starting from the ground and excited state geometries, respectively.

Blue electroluminescent polymers with dopant-host systems and molecular dispersion features: polyfluorene as the deep blue host and 1,8-naphthalimide derivative units as the light blue dopants

We developed a series of highly efficient blue electroluminescent polymers with dopant-host systems and molecular dispersion features by selecting 1,8-naphthalimide derivatives as the light blue emissive dopant units, choosing polyfluorene as the deep blue emissive polymer host and covalently attaching the dopant units to the side chain of the polymer host. The polymers' EL spectra exhibited both deep blue emission from the polymer host and light blue emission from the dopant units because of the energy transfer and charge trapping from the polymer host to the dopant units.

Highly efficient red electroluminescent polymers with dopant/host system and molecular dispersion feature: polyfluorene as the host and 2,1,3-benzothiadiazole derivatives as the red dopant

By selecting polyfluorene as the polymer host, choosing 2,1,3-benzothiadiazole derivative moieties as the red dopant units and covalently attaching 0.3 mol% of the dopant units to the side chain of the polymer host, we developed a novel series of red electroluminescent polymers of dopant/host system with molecular dispersion feature. Their EL spectra exhibited predominant red emission from the dopant units because of the energy transfer and charge trapping from the polymer backbone to the dopant units. The emission wavelength of the polymers could be tuned by modifying the chemical structures of the dopant units.

Expression, purification and spectral characterization of p21(Waf1/Cip1)

p21(Waf1/Cip1), best known as a broad-specificity inhibitor of cyclin/cyclin-dependent kinase complexes, can interact with various target proteins, and this ability relies on its structural plasticity. Therefore, studies on the structural properties of p(21) are very important to understand its structure-function relationship. However, detailed studies on its secondary structure and biophysical properties have been comparatively sparse. A human p(21) gene was cloned into the temperature expression vector pBV220 and transformed into Escherichia coli strain JM109.

In Situ Preparation and Luminescent Properties of CeF3 and CeF3:Tb3+ Nanoparticles and Transparent CeF3:Tb3+/PMMA Nanocomposites in the Visible Spectral Range

CeF3 and CeF3:Tb3+ nanoparticles were prepared by reverse microemulsion with a functional monomer, methyl methacrylate (MMA), as the oil phase, and CeF3:Tb3+/poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) nanocomposites were obtained via polymerization of the MMA monomer. The nanoparticles and nanocomposites have been well characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), low- and high-resolution transmission electron microscope (TEM), selected-area electron diffraction (SAED), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), UV/vis transmission spectra, photoluminescence excitation, and emission spectra and luminescence decays. The well-crystallized CeF3 and CeF3:Tb3+ nanoparticles are spherical with a mean diameter of 15 nm. They show the characteristic emission of Ce3+ 5d-4f (313 nm, D-2-F-2(5/2); 323 nm, D-2-F-2(7/2)) and Tb3+ D-5(4)-F-7(J) (J = 6-3, with D-5(4)-F-7(5) green emission at 541 nm as the strongest one) transitions, respectively.

Synthesis of Aromatic Oxide-Oxadiazoles Containing Pyridine Ring and Study on Their Spectral Properties

In order to explore new highly organic electroluminescent materials, six symmetrical aromatic oxide-oxadiazoles containing pyridine ring 4a similar to 4f were synthesized through cyclization of substituted benzoic acid (2) with 2,6-dihydrazide pyridine (3) by "one-pot" method in POCl3. Their structures were confirmed by MS, IR, H-1 NMR techniques and elemental analysis. The fluorescence spectra of the target compounds showed that the A,m ranged from 347 to 507 nm, and the maximum A,m were close to 384 nm, which showed that these compounds have good fluorescence with strong fluorescence intensity. When the 5-Br group was introduced into the aromatic ring (4e and 4f), the fluorescent emission wavelength took place Einstein shift, and the fluorescent intensity decreased a little. Using quinine bisulphate as a reference, the fluorescence quantum yields were all tested, and the introduction of 5-Br group had no visible effect on fluorescence quantum yield.

Conducting polyaniline film from aqueous dispersion: Crystallizable side chain forced lamellar structure for high conductivity

Aqueous conducting polyaniline dispersion was prepared employing acidic phosphate ester bearing hydrophilic ethylene glycol segment as dopant, and conducting film with electrical conductivity of 25 S/cm was obtained from the dispersion. Ordered self-assembly lamellar structure with interlamellar distance of 1.2 nm was observed in the film, which consisted of alternating layers of rigid polyaniline chain and flexible phosphate ester side chains, where the phosphate side chain layer was separated by two rigid polyaniline layers. The lamellar structure leading to high conducting film was formed due to the confinement of polyaniline chain by crystallizable phosphate side chain, since the electrical conductivity decreased by four orders of magnitude once the dopant side chain crystalline was destroyed. The crystallizable side chain forced lamellar structure is expected to be a new chance for highly conducting polyaniline.

Spectral and electrochemical detection of protonated triplex formation by a small-molecule anticancer agent

Triplex helical formation has been the focus of considerable interest because of possible applications in developing new molecular biology tools as well as therapeutic agents and the possible relevance of H-DNA structures in biology system. We report here that a small-molecule anticancer agent, coralyne, has binding preference to the less stable protonated triplex d(C+-T)(6):d(A-G)(6).d(C-T)(6) over duplex d(A-G)(6).d(C-T)(6) and shows different spectral and electrochemical characteristics when binding to triplex and duplex DNA, indicating that electrochemical technique can detect the less stable protonated triplex formation.

Individual dispersion of synthetic imogolite nanotubes via droplet evaporation

Morphology of synthetic imogolite nanotubes formed in droplet evaporation was investigated by transmission electron microscopy and electron diffraction. The nanotubes form a dense entangled network at higher concentrations, while at lower concentrations the nanotubes are liable to form oriented bundles. Under enthanol atmosphere, individual dispersion of nanotubes was observed for the first time, which reveals the length polydispersity of synthetic imogolite nanotubes.