Identification and Analysis of Chemical Components in Zhideke Granules by UPLC-Q-Orbitrap HRMS

[Objectives]To identify and analyze chemical components in Zhideke Granules by ultra performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole/electrostatic field orbitrap high resolution mass spectrometry(UPLC-Q-Orbitrap HRMS).[Methods]Zhideke Granules were isolated on a Thermo Hypersil Gold C18 column(2.1 mm×100 mm,1.9μm).The mobile phase was 0.1%formic acid acetonitrile and 0.1%formic acid aqueous solution(containing 10 mmol ammonium acetate)with gradient elution.Chemical components in Zhideke Granules were rapidly isolated and identified by HRMS in the positive and negative ion mode with full scan data-dependent two stage threshold-triggered mass modes(Full MS/dd-MS2).[Results]The secondary fragment ion information of the target compound was selected and compared with the compound reported in the databases and related literatures for further confirmation.In total,30 chemical compounds were identified,including 12 flavonoids and glycosides,9 organic acids,3 nitrogen-containing compounds,and 6 other components.[Conclusions]In this study,the UPLC-Q-Orbitrap HRMS was used for the first time to analyze the chemical components in Zhideke Granules.It is intended to provide a reference for the quality evaluation and further study of pharmacodynamic materials of Zhideke Granules.

Differentiation of endogenous neural precursors following spinal cord injury in adult rats

BACKGROUND： Studies have shown that cell death can activate proliferation of endogenous neural stem cells and promote newly generated cells to migrate to a lesion site. OBJECTIVE： To observe regeneration and differentiation of neural cells following spinal cord injury in adult rats and to quantitatively analyze the newly differentiated cells. DESIGN, TIME AND SETTING： A cell biology experiment was performed at the Institute of Orthopedics and Medical Experimental Center, Lanzhou University, between August 2005 and October 2007. MATERIALS： Fifty adult, Wistar rats of both sexes; 5-bromodeoxyuridine （BrdU, Sigma, USA）; antibodies against neuron-specific enolase, glial fibrillary acidic protein, and myelin basic protein （Chemicon, USA）. METHODS： Twenty-five rats were assigned to the spinal cord injury group and received a spinal cord contusion injury. Materials were obtained at day 1, 3, 7, 15, and 29 after injury, with 5 rats for each time point. Twenty-five rats were sham-treated by removing the lamina of the vertebral arch without performing a contusion. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES： The phenotype of BrdU-labeled cells, i.e., expression and distribution of surface markers for neurons （neuron-specific enolase）, astrocytes （glial fibrillary acidic protein）, and oligodendrocytes （myelin basic protein）, were identified with immunofluorescence double-labeling. Confocal microscopy was used to detect double-labeled cells by immunofluorescence. Quantitative analysis of newly generated cells was performed with stereological counting methods. RESULTS： There was significant cell production and differentiation after adult rat spinal cord injury. The quantity of newly-generated BrdU-labeled cells in the spinal cord lesion was 75-fold greater than in the corresponding area of control animals. Endogenous neural precursor cells differentiated into astrocytes and oligodendrocytes, however spontaneous neuronal differentiation was not detected. Between 7 and 29 d after spinal cord injury, newly generated cells expressed increasingly more mature oligodendrocyte and astrocyte markers. CONCLUSION： Spinal cord injury is a direct inducer of regeneration and differentiation of neural cells. Endogenous neural precursor cells can differentiate into astrocytes and oligodendrocytes following adult rat spinal cord injury.

Microbial Limit Test of Zhideke Granules

[Objectives]To test the microbial limit of Zhideke granules.[Methods]According to the relevant regulations on the testing of granules in Chinese Pharmacopoeia in 2015,the applicability of the methods for counting the total number of aerobic bacteria,molds and yeasts and objectionable organisms in Zhideke granules was studied.[Results]The total number of aerobic bacteria in Zhideke granules was determined by dilution plate method(1∶20,1 mL per dish),the total number of molds and yeasts was determined by conventional plate method(1∶10,1 mL per dish),and E.coli was detected by conventional method of TTB(1∶10 test solution,10-100 mL TSB).[Conclusions]The method was suitable for the microbial limit test of Zhideke granules.

A mini review: Constructing perovskite p-n homojunction solar cells

Organic metal halide perovskite materials have excellent photoelectric properties, and the power conversion efficiency(PCE) of the perovskite solar cells(PSCs) has increased from 3.8% to more than 25%. In the development of PSCs, innovative architectures were being proposed constantly. However, the use of the electron transport layer(ETL) and hole transport layer(HTL) increases manufacturing costs and process complexity. Perovskite material has ambipolar charge transport characteristics, so it could functionalize as both the optical absorption layer and carrier transport layer(CTL). In this review, we analyzed the p/n-type perovskite materials, perovskite p-n homojunction solar cells, and carrier transport layers-free(CTLs-free) devices. Finally, we propose some innovative device architectures. We hope that this mini review could pave way for the simplification of the architectures, promote the preparation of the low-cost and high-efficiency devices, and accelerate the commercialization of the PSCs.

Predicting cumulative live birth rate for patients undergoing in vitro fertilization(IVF)/intracytoplasmic sperm injection(ICSI)for tubal and male infertility:a machine learning approach using XGBoost

To the Editor:Confronted with increasing infertility worldwide,this decade has witnessed a sharp rise in the utilization of artificial reproduction technology(ART).111 Nevertheless,the success rate of in vitro fertilization(IVF)/intracytoplasmic sperm injection(ICSI)depends on many factors.Moreover,patients receiving ART not only incur high expenses but also an increased risk of severe side effects,such as ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome,infection,and multiple pregnancies.121 Consequently,the accurate prediction of ART outcomes has attracted tremendous interest.