Observation of electron-antineutrino disappearance at Daya Bay.

The Daya Bay Reactor Neutrino Experiment has measured a nonzero value for the neutrino mixing angle θ(13) with a significance of 5.2 standard deviations. Antineutrinos from six 2.9 GWth reactors were detected in six antineutrino detectors deployed in two near (flux-weighted baseline 470 m and 576 m) and one far (1648 m) underground experimental halls. With a 43,000 ton-GWth-day live-time exposure in 55 days, 10,416 (80,376) electron-antineutrino candidates were detected at the far hall (near halls). The ratio of the observed to expected number of antineutrinos at the far hall is R=0.940±0.011(stat.)±0.004(syst.). A rate-only analysis finds sin(2)2θ(13)=0.092±0.016(stat.)±0.005(syst.) in a three-neutrino framework.

Further study of pollen typhae's effects on the production of tPA and PGI, by cultured endothelial cells.

We had reported that Pollen Typhae, a Chinese traditional herbal medicine could reduce atherosclerotic plaque formation in experimental animals. Fraction IV isolated from Pollen Typhae had the ability to raise tPA and PGI2 productions by cultured porcine aortic endothelial cells (EC). In this paper we reported that F.IV was divided chemically into four subfractions named SubF.1-4 among them SubF.2-2 was further separated from SubF.2, and SubF.4-1 from SubF.4. The six subfractions were tested for their effects on the productions of tPA (125I-fibrin plate method) and PGI2(RIA) by porcine endothelial cells. The results showed that SubF.3 could enhance tPA activity and SubF.2-2 could increase PGI2 level. With Chrono-Log 500 Lumi-Aggregometer, SubF.1,2-2 and 3 were found to be able to inhibit platelet aggregation and release reaction. These data indicated that the mechanisms of Pollen Typhae in its antiatherosclerotic effects were multiple which resulted from various biologic effects exerted by various components of this drug. Chemical analyses were performed and their structures were identified, demonstrating that SubF.2-2 was a flavonoid, while SubF.3 was a group of flavonoids, implying there are some antiatherogenic components in flavonoids.

The antiatherogenic effects of components isolated from pollen typhae.

Based on the results of previous investigations that pollen Typhae, a Traditional Chinese Medicine, Had antiatherogenic effects, several components were isolated successively from the drug and their effects on porcine aortic endothelial cell (EC) and smooth muscle cell (SMC) cultures as well as on platelet aggregation were examined. 12 components isolated from Pollen Typhae have been identified on their chemical structures and biological effects. 4 of them showed different evident antiatherogenic effects. 1) Isorhamnetin-3-O-rhamnosyl-glucoside could stimulate EC to produce tPA and PGI2; 2) Quercetin-3-O-neohesperidose could protect EC from injury by fibrin, as well as raise tPA activity; 3) beta-Sitosterol palmitate could inhibit SMC proliferation and 4) beta-Sitosterol glucoside showed an inhibitory effect on platelet aggregation. These results would provide some information for the search of new drugs in the treatment and prevention of atherosclerosis.

Three diterpene dilactone glycosides from Podocarpus nagi.

Three water-soluble constituents, nagilactosides C-E, were isolated from Podocarpus nagi. Their structures were determined by chemical and spectroscopic methods, respectively. Nagilactoside C was identified as 1-deoxy-nagilactone A-2 alpha-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl-(1-->3)-beta-D-glucopyranoside, nagilactoside D as 1-deoxy-nagilactone A-2 alpha-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl-(1-->6)-beta-D-glucopyranoside, and nagilactoside E as nagilactone A-1 beta-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl-(1-->6)-beta-D-glucopyransoide.

[The application of circular dichroism on the structure analysis of natural products--diterpenoid dilactones and tylophorines].

In this paper, circular dichroism (CD), sector projection and reverse octant rule projection of four diterpenoid dilactones and five tylophorines (two of them, 6, 8, are new compounds) are reported in which reverse octant rule projection is the first application to the configuration determination of diterpenoid dilactone. By using these rules, the predicted Cotton effects of these compounds coincided with the result of previous determinations, so, their absolute configurations are assigned.

Studies on the active principles of Schisandra sphenanthera Rehd. et Wils. The structures of schisantherin A, B, C, D, E, and the related compounds.

Deoxyschisandrin (VIII) and five new lignans, named schisantherin A, B, C, D, and E, were isolated from the active fraction of the fruits of Schisandra sphenanthera Rehd. et Wils. Their configurations and conformations were established by exhaustive spectral analysis as well as chemical degradations as shown in Ia, Ib; IIa, IIb; IIIa, IIIb; IVa, IVb, and Va, Vb respectively, and their absolute configurations at biphenyl, at C6, C7, and C8 were all assigned to be S form. The position of the methylenedioxyl group in the structures of gamma-schisandrin and Wuweizisu C (as described in the literature), isolated from Schisandra chinensis, must be corrected as shown in VI and VII respectively. In pharmacologica studies and preliminary clinical trials, schisantherin A, B, C, and D showed good effect in lowering the serum glutamic-pyruvic transaminase level of the patients suffering from chronic virus hepatitis. Schisantherin E and deoxyschisandrin were not effective.