Masterpenoids A-D, Four Unprecedented Nortriterpenoids from the Mastic () and Their Anti-inflammatory Activity.

Four unprecedented nortriterpenoids, masterpenoids A-D, were isolated and fully elucidated from the resin of the mastic tree (). Masterpenoids A-C are the first norterpenoids featuring an unprecedented 6/6/6/10 ring system, while masterpenoid D possesses a novel 6/6/6/7/5 ring system. The anti-inflammatory potential of the compounds was meticulously assessed through the establishment of an in vitro model of lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammation in RAW264.

Ejection dynamics of spherically confined active polymers through a small pore.

Using Brownian dynamics simulations, we study the ejection dynamics of spherically confined active polymers through a small pore. Although the active force can provide a driving force other than the entropy drive, it also causes the collapse of the active polymer, which in turn reduces the entropy drive. Thus, our simulation results confirm that the active polymer's ejection process can be divided into three stages.

Large optical polarizability causing positive effects on the birefringence of planar-triangular BO groups in ternary borates.

The structure-property relationship of photoelectric functional materials has been recognized as a hot topic. The study of the inner link between the band gaps and birefringence of optical materials is extremely crucial for the design and creation of novel optical devices, but still remains rather unexplored. In this work, taking a series of borates with only planar-triangular BO groups, α-/β-TM(BO) (TM = Zn, Cd), CdBO, and M(BO) (M = Hg, Mg, Ca, Sr) as the research subject, the comprehensive relationship between their electronic structures and linear optical properties has been systematically investigated.

[Effect of saturation and velocity selective population in 6S1/2 --> 6P3/2 laser excitation in Cs vapor mixed with Ar].

The excited state population distribution created by 6S1/2 --> 6P3/2 laser excitation in room temperature cesium vapor mixed with Ar was quantitatively analyzed applying absorption and saturation spectroscopy. A simple method for the determination of the excited state population in a single excitation step based on the measurements of the saturated and unsaturated absorption coefficients was tested. When the line profile is nearly pure Doppler and the laser linewidth is much smaller than the inhomogeneous linewidth but comparable with homogeneous linewidth, the fraction N(v(z)) of the atoms in the ground state that are able to absorb under inhomogeneous broadening conditions can be determined.