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A 2,2,2-trifluroenthanol (TFE) promoted synthesis of unsymmetric ureas was described. This approach enabled the construction of a variety of ureas from the readily prepared and easy-to-handle dioxazolones and amines via tandem Lossen rearrangement/condensation process. The reaction featured mild conditions for the urea synthesis under metal-free conditions, which was successively applied in the scale-up synthesis of herbicides Monuro and Isoproturon.

C11H12O5, orthorhombic, P212121 (no. 19), a = 5.5523(7) Å, b = 12.7610(17) Å, c = 15.374(2) Å, V = 1089.3(2) Å3, Z = 4, R gt (F) = 0.0273, wR ref (F 2) = 0.0787, T = 296(2) K.

Herein, we disclosed a catalytic asymmetric dearomatization (CADA) of tryptamine via tandem [4 + 2] cycloaddition/cyclization with o-azaxylylene in situ generated from functionalized 3-bromooxindole promoted by chiral N,N′-dioxide/Ni(BF4)2. A variety of dimeric tryptamine derivatives with meso-contiguous quaternary carbon centers were obtained with good to excellent enantioselectivities and diastereoselectivities from Na-unprotected or protected tryptamines. A formal asymmetric synthesis of hodgkinsine B was also executed to showcase its synthetic potential.

C14H16O5, triclinic, P 1 ‾ $‾{1}$ (no. 2), a = 8.5293(8) Å, b = 11.5626(11) Å, c = 14.2196(13) Å, α = 88.888(10)°, β = 74.988(10)°, γ = 87.556(10)°, V = 1353.2(2) Å3, Z = 4, R gt (F) = 0.0430, wR ref (F 2) = 0.1202, T = 296(2) K.

Stony hard (SH) peach (Prunus persica L. Batsch) fruit does not release ethylene and has very firm and crisp flesh at ripening, both on- and off-tree. Long-term cold storage can induce ethylene production and a serious risk of chilling injury in SH peach fruit, however, the regulatory mechanism underlying ethylene production in stony hard peach is relatively unclear. In this study, we analyzed the phytohormone levels, fruit firmness, transcriptome, and lipidome changes in SH peach ‘Zhongtao 9’ (CP9) during cold storage (4 °C). The expression level of the ethylene biosynthesis gene PpACS1 and the content of ethylene in SH peach fruit were found to be upregulated during cold storage. A peak in ABA release was observed before the release of ethylene and the genes involved in ABA biosynthesis and degradation, such as zeaxanthin epoxidase (ZEP) and 8’-hydroxylase (CYP707A) genes, were specifically induced in response to low temperatures. Fruit firmness decreased fairly slowly during the first 20 d of refrigeration, followed by a sharp decline. Furthermore, the expression level of genes encoding cell wall metabolic enzymes, such as polygalacturonase, pectin methylesterase, expansin, galactosidase, and β-galactosidase, were upregulated only upon refrigeration, as correlated with the decrease in fruit firmness. Lipids belonging to 23 sub-classes underwent differential rearrangement during cold storage, especially ceramide (Cer), monoglycosylceramide (CerG1), phosphatidic acid (PA), and diacyglyceride (DG), which may eventually lead to ethylene production. Exogenous PC treatment provoked a higher rate of ethylene production. We suspected that the abnormal metabolism of ABA and cell membrane lipids promotes the production of ethylene under low temperature conditions, causing the fruit to soften. In addition, ERF transcription factors also play an important role in regulating lipid, hormone, and cell wall metabolism during long-term cold storage. Overall, the results of this study give us a deeper understanding of the molecular mechanism of ethylene biosynthesis during the postharvest storage of SH peach fruit under low-temperature conditions.

Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) accounts for approximately 15% of new adult leukemia cases. The fusion gene BCR‑ABL is an important biological basis and target for CML. In the present study, a novel compound, ND‑09, was developed and its inhibitory effect and mechanism of action on CML growth were evaluated using RT‑PCR and western blot analysis. The results showed that ND‑09 demonstrated a high level of inhibitory action toward CML cells overexpressing BCR‑ABL and induced K562 cell apoptosis through the mitochondrial pathway. Notably, combined ND‑09 and BCR‑ABL siRNA treatment could better inhibit cell proliferation and induce apoptosis in K562 cells. Furthermore, this growth effect of BCR‑ABL siRNA could be fully rescued by transfection with BCR‑ABL. ND‑09 exhibited a good fit within BCR‑ABL and occupied its ATP‑binding pocket, thus altering BCR‑ABL kinase activity. Therefore, ND‑09 downregulated the phosphorylation of BCR‑ABL and ABL, ultimately inhibiting the downstream signaling pathways in K562 cells. These findings suggest that ND‑09 induces growth arrest in CML cells by targeting BCR‑ABL.

Human lactate dehydrogenase A (LDHA) plays a critical role in the glycolytic process, making the enzyme an ideal of anti-cancer drug target. Herein, we report the discovery of novel potent LDHA inhibitors by screening an in-house library. The hit-to-lead modification enabled us to identify compound 24c, which inhibited LDHA activity with an EC50 value of 90 nM, and reduced MiaPaCa-2 cancer cell proliferation with an IC50 value of 2.1 μM. In line with the in vitro anticancer activity, 24c suppressed the tumor growth at a dose of 10 mg/kg in a MiaPaCa-2 cells xenograft model, but with little effect to the mice weight. Moreover, 24c strongly inhibited MiaPaCa-2 cell colonies formation, induced MiaPaCa-2 cell apoptosis, and arrested MiaPaCa-2 cell cycle at G2 phase. In addition, the mitochondrial bioenergetics analysis suggested that 24c could reprogram cancer cell metabolic pathways from glycolysis to oxidation phosphorylation, which verified by decreasing the extracellular acidification rates and lactate formation, and increasing oxygen consumption rate in cancer cell. All these results indicate 24c is a promising metabolic modulator for the anticancer drug development.

Members of the GOLVEN (GLV) gene family encode small secreted peptides involved in important plant developmental programs, including meristem maintenance and gravitropic responses. However, research on the functions of peptide hormones has mainly focused on various model plants, and little is known about their possible roles in peach fruit. Here, we identified eight PpGLV genes and analyzed their expression patterns in peach. PpGLV family genes share some similarities with Arabidopsis GLV family genes. PpGLV4 is responsive to 1-MCP and naphthalene acetic acid treatment. To investigate the role of PpGLV4 in detail, we treated peach callus with a synthetic PpGLV4 peptide. The upregulation of auxin and ethylene biosynthesis and signal transduction pathway genes in response to these treatment and the expression patterns of PpGLV family genes suggest that PpGLV4 may be involved in the crosstalk between auxin and ethylene signaling. The comprehensive data generated in this study improve our understanding of the roles of PpGLV peptides in peach.

The plant hormone ethylene regulates ripening in climacteric fruits. The phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA) affects ethylene biosynthesis, but whether ethylene influences ABA biosynthesis is unknown. To explore this possibility, we investigated the interactions between the ABA biosynthesis genes PpNCED2/3 and the ethylene response transcription factor PpERF3 in peach fruit. The ABA content increased during fruit maturation and reached a peak at stage S4 III. The increase was greatly inhibited by the ethylene inhibitor 1-MCP, which also suppressed PpERF3 expression. PpERF3 shared a similar expression profile with PpNCED2/3, encoding a rate-limiting enzyme involved in ABA biosynthesis, during fruit ripening. A yeast one-hybrid assay suggested that the nuclear-localized PpERF3 might bind to the promoters of PpNCED2/3. PpERF3 increased the expression of PpNCED2/3 as shown by dual-luciferase reporters, promoter-GUS assays and transient expression analyses in peach fruit. Collectively, these results suggest that ethylene promotes ABA biosynthesis through PpERF3’s regulation of the expression of ABA biosynthesis genes PpNCED2/3., Fruit ripening: Hormones go hand in hand Two hormones that regulate fruit ripening are more closely linked than previously thought, according to a study of ripening in peaches. Ethylene is a key ripening hormone in many fruits, and high ethylene levels turn on ethylene response factors (ERFs), genes that trigger production of sugars, pigments, and flavor compounds associated with ripening. Another hormone, abscisic acid (ABA), has recently been found to affect ripening, but its interaction with ethylene is unclear. Zhiqiang Wang and Guohuai Li at the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences and coworkers investigated how ethylene and ABA interact during ripening. They found that as ethylene levels increased, ABA production was stimulated. Further investigation showed that ethylene directly triggered the ABA increase via ERFs. These results illuminate the fruit ripening process, and may help in finding ways to prolong fruit shelf life.

Inflammatory reactions mediated by the NACHT, LRR, and PYD domain-containing protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome contributes to non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) progression, particularly in patients with bacterial infections. Salidroside (SAL) has recently been shown to suppress lipopolysaccharide- (LPS-) induced NSCLC proliferation and migration, but its mechanism of action remains unclear. It has been shown that SAL improves metabolic inflammation in diabetic rodents through AMP-activated protein kinase- (AMPK-) dependent inhibition of the NLRP3 inflammasome. However, whether the NLRP3 inflammasome is regulated by SAL in NSCLC cells and how its underlying mechanism(s) can be determined require clarification. In this study, human lung alveolar basal carcinoma epithelial (A549) cells were treated with LPS, and the effects of SAL on cell proliferation, migration, AMPK activity, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, and NLRP3 inflammasome activation were investigated. We found that LPS induction increases the proliferation and migration of A549 cells which was suppressed by SAL. Moreover, SAL protected A549 cells against LPS-induced AMPK inhibition, ROS production, and NLRP3 inflammasome activation. Blocking AMPK using Compound C almost completely suppressed the beneficial effects of SAL. In summary, these results indicate that SAL suppresses the proliferation and migration of human lung cancer cells through AMPK-dependent NLRP3 inflammasome regulation.

Hypothesis/Introduction. Berberine, a natural compound, has multiple pharmacological activities to promote islet function. We hypothesized that berberine could reshape the local renin-angiotensin system (RAS) balance to ameliorate the development of obesity via the modulation of autophagy. Materials and methods. After 8 weeks of administration of intragastric berberine to ob/ob mice, metabolic parameters, islet structure, and the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) expression were detected. Additionally, ACE2 knockout (ACE2KO) mice were fed a low-fat diet for 16 weeks. Furthermore, we measured changes in the islet ultrastructure by transmission electron microscope (TEM) and protein expression of LC3 and SQSTM1/p62 by immunohistochemistry in ob/ob and ACE2KO mice. Results. Prolonged exposure to palmitate increased the expression of ACE and AngII type 1 receptor (ATR1) and decreased the ACE2 expression, which was partly offset by berberine. In ob/ob mice, berberine increased in tolerance to glucose, improved abnormal β-cell and α-cell distributions, upregulated ACE2 expression, and decreased autophagosomes and the expression of LC3 and SQSTM1/p62. Autophagosomes and expression of LC3 and SQSTM1/p62 were increased in ACE2KO mice. Conclusions. We demonstrated that berberine may improve the pancreatic islet function by regulating local RAS-mediated autophagy under metabolic stress.

High glucose (HG)-induced nucleotide-binding and oligomerization (NACHT) domain, leucine-rich repeat (LRR), and pyrin domain (PYD)-containing protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome activation leads to diabetic neuropathic pain. We recently showed that salidroside could suppress NLRP3 inflammasome activation in hepatocytes exposed to HG. The aim of this study was to evaluate the analgesic effect of salidroside on diabetic rats and to explore its underlying mechanisms. Rat models with diabetic neuropathic pain were induced by high-fat diet feeding combined with low dose streptozotocin injections. Doses of salidroside at 50 and 100 mg.kg−1.day−1 were administered by gavage to diabetic rats for 6 weeks. Mechanical allodynia test, thermal hyperalgesia test and biochemical analysis were performed to evaluate therapeutic effects. Primary dorsal root ganglion (DRG) cells exposed to HG at 45 mM were used to further study the effects of salidroside on the AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK)-NLRP3 inflammasome axis and insulin sensitivity in vitro. Salidroside administration improved hyperglycemia, ameliorated insulin resistance, and alleviated neuropathic pain in diabetic rats. Moreover, salidroside induced AMPK activation and suppressed NLRP3 inflammasome activation in the DRGs of diabetic rats. In addition, salidroside treatment relieved oxidative stress, improved insulin sensitivity and regulated the AMPK-NLRP3 inflammasome axis in HG-treated DRGs in vitro. Furthermore, AMPK inhibition in vivo or AMPK silencing in vitro abolished the beneficial effects of salidroside on diabetic neuropathic pain. Together, these results indicate that salidroside alleviates diabetic neuropathic pain through its regulation of the AMPK-NLRP3 inflammasome axis in DRGs.

Paris polyphylla (P. polyphylla) is a herb widely used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat various diseases. This study used ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC–MS/MS) to study the pharmacokinetics and tissue distributions of nine steroidal saponins from P. polyphylla. P. polyphylla extract was administered to rats intravenously (i.v.) and orally (p.o.). The concentrations of the nine main bioactive components of the extract were determined in plasma and tissue samples using UPLC–MS/MS. The nine saponin compounds were also incubated in an anaerobic environment with intestinal flora suspension solution to investigate hydrolysis by intestinal flora. After oral administration of the P. polyphylla extract, polyphyllin VII was found to have the highest maximum concentration (Cmax, 17.0 ± 2.24 µg/L) of all nine components, followed by the Cmax values of dioscin (16.17 ± 0.64 µg/L) and polyphyllin H (11.75 ± 1.28 µg/L), while the Cmax values of polyphyllin I, polyphyllin II, progenin III, polyphyllin IV, gracillin, and polyphyllin were less than 10 µg/L. The bioavailabilities of all nine components were less than 1%. All the compounds were hydrolyzed by intestinal flora and were predominantly distributed in the liver and lungs. The nine compounds presented different pharmacokinetic parameter values, and multiple administrations did not accumulate in the body. The bioavailabilities of the compounds were low, partly because of hydrolysis by intestinal flora. The nine compounds were mainly distributed in the liver and lungs, which may be target organs.

Peach (Prunus persica) is a typical climacteric fruit that produces ethylene rapidly during ripening, and its fruit softens quickly. Stony hard peach cultivars, however, do not produce large amounts of ethylene, and the fruit remains firm until fully ripe, thus differing from melting flesh peach cultivars. To identify the key proteins involved in peach fruit ripening, an antibody-based proteomic analysis was conducted. A mega-monoclonal antibody (mAb) library was generated and arrayed on a chip (mAbArray) at a high density, covering ~4950 different proteins of peach. Through the screening of peach fruit proteins with the mAbArray chip, differentially expressed proteins recognized by 1587 mAbs were identified, and 33 corresponding antigens were ultimately identified by immunoprecipitation and mass spectrometry. These proteins included not only important enzymes involved in ethylene biosynthesis, such as ACO1, SAHH, SAMS, and MetE, but also novel factors such as NUDT2. Furthermore, protein–protein interaction analysis identified a metabolon containing SAHH and MetE. By combining the antibody-based proteomic data with the transcriptomic and metabolic data, a mathematical model of ethylene biosynthesis in peach was constructed. Simulation results showed that MetE is an important regulator during peach ripening, partially through interaction with SAHH.

A few studies reported the impact of mineral conductivity properties on contaminant-mineral-microbe interactions and microbial community structure changes in the interaction process. To fill the gap, conductive minerals (magnetite/hematite) and an insulative mineral (quartz) were introduced into Cr(VI) reduction systems to investigate the effect of mineral conductivity properties on Cr(VI) removal. Results showed that conductive minerals enhanced Cr(VI) reduction rate as compared to insulative minerals. Higher reduction percentage (86%) was observed when both ERB (extracellular respiratory bacteria) and conductive minerals were presence than those with only minerals (10%) or ERB (55%), indicating a synergistic effect existed in this bio-remediation system. Moreover, surface elements detection manifested higher Fe-containing groups and Fe(III)-Cr(III) complexes covered on conductive minerals surface when ERB was present. Electrochemical data suggested that ERB facilitated the activity of electron transference on the surface of conductive minerals. Our results indicated that conductive minerals did act as an "electron shuttle" while insulative minerals increased adsorption sites to accelerate Cr(VI) reduction. 16S rRNA sequences results demonstrated that conductive minerals changed the microbial community structure and increased the diversity of the functional microbes including Pseudomonas spp. and Exiguobacterium spp. This work is of deep significance for better understanding the process of elements biogeochemical and elimination of pollutants.

The auxin/indole acetic acid (Aux/IAA) genes encode a large family of short-lived proteins that regulate auxin signaling in plants. Previous attempts to understand the role of auxin during fruit development in peach (Prunus persica) found that expression of the Aux/IAA gene PpIAA19 was upregulated during fruit ripening, but the biological significance of the PpIAA19 protein is still unknown. The current study detected PpIAA19 transcripts in all peach plant tissues but found higher levels of accumulation in fruit S1 and S4II stages. During fruit ripening, the expression level of the PpIAA19 gene in melting flesh (MF) peach fruit was unsurprisingly higher than in stony hard (SH) peach fruit. Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum cv. ‘Micro-Tom’) was used as a model for investigating the phenotypic and molecular changes associated with over-expression of PpIAA19. This revealed that PpIAA19 was involved in regulating tomato lateral root number, stem elongation, parthenocarpy, and fruit shape. Molecular analyses of transgenic tomato plants over-expressing PpIAA19 indicated that the observed phenotypic changes were partially mediated by regulating the expression of auxin response genes. This result extends the functional characterization of PpIAA19 in tomato, and broadens our understanding of the role of auxin signaling in regulating plant growth and development.

The signaling pathways of both auxin and ethylene regulate peach fruit ripening via the Aux/IAA and ERF transcription factors, respectively. However, the molecular mechanisms that coordinate both auxin and ethylene signals during peach fruit ripening remain unclear. In this study, we show that PpIAA1 and PpERF4 act as key players in a positive feedback loop, and promote peach fruit ripening by directly binding to and enhancing the activity of target gene promoters. PpIAA1 increased the expression of the ethylene biosynthesis gene PpACS1. Furthermore, PpERF4 enhanced the transcription of PpACO1 and PpIAA1 genes by binding to their promoters. Additionally, PpIAA1 and PpERF4 bound to each other to form a complex, which then enhanced the transcription of abscisic acid biosynthesis genes (PpNCED2 and PpNCED3) and the fruit softening gene (PpPG1) to levels higher than those achieved by each transcription factor individually. Moreover, overexpression of PpIAA1 in tomato accelerated fruit ripening and shortened the fruit shelf-life by increasing the production of ethylene and the expression levels of ripening regulator genes. Collectively, these results advance our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying peach fruit ripening and softening via auxin and ethylene signaling pathways.

Asthma is one of the most prevalent diseases worldwide, and β2-adrenergic receptor (β2AR) agonists have been reported to be highly effective bronchodilators against this disease. In this study, we successfully constructed a novel CHO-β2AR affinity chromatography (CHO-β2AR/AC), which was evaluated by infrared spectroscopic and scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis. In addition, CHO-β2AR/AC model exhibited good selectivity and reliability with the relative standard deviation smaller than 5.6% after 30 days. Furthermore, an interaction force analysis model was developed based on CHO-β2AR/AC. The results showed that the interaction force analysis model (Φ•E•pKa) exhibited a strong correlation with equilibrium dissociation constant (KD) (r2=0.9284, p=0.002) and a good correlation with logarithm of half-maximum effective concentration (pEC50) values (r2=0.7135, p=0.034). In addition, a pool of clinically approved drugs was screened by this CHO-β2AR/AC model. Codeine wasfound to bind to and activate β2AR with KD value of 4.10 × 10−7 M, leading to increased cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) production with EC50 of 6.49 × 10−7 M and reduction of intracellular Ca2+ concentration, which in turn relaxes bronchial contraction with EC50 of 2.62 × 10−6 M. Furthermore, the KD value and pEC50 of codeine were within the 95% prediction range of the interaction force analysis model. The results indicate that the CHO-β2AR/AC with interaction force analysis model constructed in this study can be used to effectively and rapidly screen active compounds targeting β2AR.

Auricularia auricula are rich source of bioactive polysaccharides. Three methods of extraction of polysaccharide from these fungi was studied. These methods included, water-based, ultrasonic-assisted, and enzyme-based extractions. The results showed that the enzyme-based extraction was better than ultrasonic-assisted extraction and water extraction. While abundance of polysaccharide concentration in A. auricula-judae and A. delicata were similar, their yield following enzyme-based extractions were higher than that of A. polytricha. The maximum A. auricula-judae polysaccharide concentration in enzyme-assisted extraction was obtained at a pH of 5.0, a temperature of 50°C and 3% cellulase concentration, and the polysaccharide concentration was 52.28 mg/g. The maximum A. delicata polysaccharide concentration (55.16 mg/g) was extracted at a pH of 5.0, a temperature of 50°C and 4% cellulase concentration.

Ethylene is an essential regulator of fruit development. However, the role of this phytohormone in the development and maturation of peach (Prunus persica L. Batsch) fruit has not been systematically examined. In this study, through BLAST analysis of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) protein sequences against the peach genome database and transcriptome analysis of all APETALA2/Ethylene Responsive Factor (AP2/ERF) genes in peach, we identified 15 ethylene signal transduction genes and 15 AP2/ERF genes and examined their expression levels in SH (stony hard) peaches and MF (melting flesh) peaches during fruit maturation. We investigated the expression patterns of six genes, including one ETR-like gene (Prupe.1G034300) and five AP2/ERF genes (Prupe.1G037700, Prupe.2G289500, Prupe.3G240000, Prupe.5G061800, and Prupe.7G194400), through quantitative RT-PCR expression analysis. The transcript levels of these genes were lower at the early stages of fruit development and increased dramatically at stage S4 in MF peaches, while they remained low in SH peaches, which mirrors the pattern of changes observed in ethylene production. Treatment of MF (‘Zhongyoutao 13’, ‘CN13’) fruit at stage S4 II with 1-MCP was ineffective in blocking ethylene production, and the expression of these genes was inhibited by 1-MCP treatment in ‘CN13’ on day 1, further demonstrating that these genes are closely related to fruit ripening. We detected a slight change in fruit firmness in ‘CN13’ after 1-MCP treatment, whereas ethylene production was not affected. By contrast, the transcript profile of gene Prupe.5G090800 exhibited the opposite trend. The comprehensive data generated in this study will improve our understanding of the ethylene receptor genes and ERF genes in peach and lay the foundation for further exploring the mechanisms underlying peach fruit ripening and softening.

Multidrug resistance (MDR) is a major obstacle to the chemotherapeutic treatment of breast cancer. The aim of this study is to investigate the mechanisms of curcumin induced increased chemosensitivity in MDR breast cancer cells. The results of MTT and western blot showed that curcumin could sensitize MCF-7 and MCF-7/DDP cells to cisplatin and activate MCF-7/DDP cell autophagy. The levels of CCAT1, p-PI3K, p-AKT and p-mTOR detected by RT-PCR and western blot in MCF-7/DDP cells were higher than in MCF-7 cells, and curcumin downregulated their expression in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, we found that downregulation of CCAT1 could re-sensitize MCF-7/DDP cells to cisplatin, inactivate the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway and activate cell autophagy, while overexpression of it have the opposite effect in MCF-7 cells. Inactivation of autophagy by 3-MA could reverse CCAT1 knockdown-induced increased chemosensitivity and inactivation of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway in MCF-7/DDP cells. PLEN-CCAT1 could reverse curcumin-increased chemosensitivity and autophagy activation, however, inactivation of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway by LY294002 could reverse once more pLEN-CCAT1-decreased chemosensitivity and inactivation of autophagy. Finally, the xenotransplant nude mouse model was used to study the effect of CCAT1 on curcumin-induced autophagy in vivo, and the results showed that curcumin inhibited tumor volume growth, downregulated CCAT1 expression and induced autophagy in vivo. Curcumin decreased CCAT1 and inactivated the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway which could both activate autophagy, sensitizing MDR breast cancer cells to cisplatin.

Ethylene response factors (ERFs) are known to regulate fruit ripening. However, the ERF regulatory networks are not clear. In this study, we have shown that peach (Prunus persica) PpeERF2 regulates fruit ripening through suppressing the expression of two ABA biosynthesis genes (PpeNCED2, PpeNCED3) and a cell wall degradation gene (PpePG1). The transcript levels of PpeERF2 in fruit were opposite to that of PpeNCED2, PpeNCED3 and PpePG1 during ripening and in response to various ripening treatments. PpeERF2 was found to bind to the PpeNCED2, PpeNCED3 and PpePG1 promotors as demonstrated by yeast one-hybrid (Y1H) and EMSA assays; and further found to repress the promoter activities of the three genes in tobacco leaf tissues after Agrobacterium infiltration. Taken together, these results provide new information for a better understanding of the crosstalk network between ethylene signaling, cell wall degradation and ABA biosynthesis during fruit ripening.

In fleshy fruits, sugars (glucose, fructose, sucrose and sorbitol) are most important for fruit growth and development but also play a central role in fruit quality. In Peach (Prunus persica), we observed the sugars content at six developmental stages through high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC). There was variation during fruit development and ripening, sucrose first increased then decreased; glucose and fructose first decreased, and then increased while sorbitol always decreased. In past, understanding about the mechanisms which control the sugar metabolism and accumulation in peach remains quite limited. We studied the transcript profiles of total 30 genes encoding key enzymes and transporters, which were involved in sucrose metabolism, resynthesis and transport. 13 putative genes including sucrose phosphatase synthase (PpSPS4 and PpSPS2), Hexokinases (PpHK1 and PpHK3), neutral/natural invertase (PpNINV1and PpNINV2), vacuolar acid invertase (PpVAINV2), sucrose transporter (PpSUT2), vacuolar glucose transporters (PpVGT1, PpVGT2 and PpVGT3) and tonoplast monosaccharides transporters (PpTMT1 and PpTMT2) highly expressed during peach fruit ripening. PpSPS4 had significantly positive correlation with glucose and fructose. Our results suggested that more sucrose accumulated in cytosol because of upregulation of (PpSPS4 and PpSPS2), that sucrose imported into vacuole through upregulation of PpSUT2, PpVGT1, PpVGT2, PpVGT3, PpTMT1 and PpTMT2 transporters, where cleaving of sucrose is done by upregulation of PpVAINV2. Hence, level of sucrose decreased as fruit ripe. As a result, the concentration of glucose and fructose increased at ripening stage (S4 II to S4 III). So, these marker genes can be involved in peach fruit ripening. This study will improve our understanding and lay foundation to explore the function of these genes and improvement of peach fruit quality.

Highlight PpYUC11 is a strong candidate gene for the control of the stony hard phenotype in peach., High concentrations of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) are required for climacteric ethylene biosynthesis to cause fruit softening in melting flesh peaches at the late ripening stage. By contrast, the fruits of stony hard peach cultivars do not soften and produce little ethylene due to the low IAA concentrations. To investigate the regulation of IAA accumulation during peach ripening [the transition from stage S3 to stage S4 III (climacteric)], a digital gene expression (DGE) analysis was performed. The expression patterns of auxin-homeostasis-related genes were compared in fruits of the melting flesh peach ‘Goldhoney 3’ and the stony hard flesh peach ‘Yumyeong’ during the ripening stage. It is revealed here that a YUCCA flavin mono-oxygenase gene (PpYUC11, ppa008176m), a key gene in auxin biosynthesis, displayed an identical differential expression profile to the profiles of IAA accumulation and PpACS1 transcription: the mRNA transcripts increased at the late ripening stage in melting flesh peaches but were below the limit of detection in mature fruits of stony hard peaches. In addition, the strong association between intron TC microsatellite genotypes of PpYUC11 and the flesh texture (normal or stony hard) is described in 43 peach varieties, indicating that this locus may be responsible for the stony hard phenotype in peach. These findings support the hypothesis that PpYUC11 may play an essential role in auxin biosynthesis during peach fruit ripening and is a candidate gene for the control of the stony hard phenotype in peach.

Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS) nanocrystals were synthesized by hot injection method. The n-dodecanethiol (DDT) is used as coordinating ligand which is expected to have great effect on the nucleation and growth of the final CZTS nanocrystals. The influences of the amount of DDT on the structure, morphology and optical properties of CZTS nanocrystals were investigated in detail. The results show that the structures of the as-synthesized CZTS products are kesterite structure, the morphology of the nanocrystals changed from hexagonal to spherical and the average diameter of CZTS nanocrystals changed in the range of 13–23 nm. The band gap energy of the as-synthesized CZTS nanocrystals changed from 1.61 to 1.31 eV with increase of the amount of DDT. The obtained CZTS nanocrystals are suitable for using as an absorber layer in low-cost solar cells.

Objective To develop a sensitive and rapid liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS) method for the simultaneous determination of wogonin, coptisine, berberine, palmatine, jatrorrhizine, phellodendrine, magnoflorine, and wogonoside in rat plasma and to evaluate the pharmacokinetic characteristics of Huanglian Jiedu Decoction (HJD). Methods LC separation was performed on an Acquity HSS T3 column (100 mm × 2.1 mm, 1.8 μm) using gradient elution with the mobile phase consisting of acetonitrile and 0.1% formic acid water. The detection was accomplished by using positive electrospray ionization in multiple-reaction monitoring mode. Plasma samples were pretreated by protein precipitation. Results The method showed a good linearity over a wide concentration range ( r 2 > 0.99). The lower limits of quantification were 0.20 ng/mL for coptisine and phellodendrine, 0.48 ng/mL for berberine, 0.10 ng/mL for jatrorrhizine, 0.32 ng/mL for magnoflorine, 0.30 ng/mL for palmatine, and 4.80 ng/mL for wogonin and wogonoside, respectively. The intra- and inter-day precision of the analytes was less than 12.11%, while the accuracy was between −14.46% and 4.86%. The mean recovery of all the analytes ranged from 93.10% to 110.91%. Conclusion This validated method offers the advantages of high sensitivity. It is successfully applied to evaluating the pharmacokinetic properties of HJD.

Eight new (1-8) and two known (9 and 10) sesquiterpenic acids featuring α-methylene-γ-carboxyl units were isolated from the whole plants of Inula wissmanniana, along with two new germacranolides (11 and 12). Their structures were elucidated based on detailed spectroscopic analysis, including HRESIMS, 1D and 2D NMR, and X-ray crystallography. Notably, the skeleton of 1 was firstly discovered from nature, while that of 2 was discovered for the second time. All the compounds were evaluated for their inhibition against LPS-induced nitric oxide (NO) production in RAW264.7 macrophages. Compound 11 exhibited the strongest activity with the IC50 value of 1.04 μM.

Two new inositol derivatives, 4-acetate-1,2,3,5-tetrakis(2-methyl-2-butenoate) inositol (1) and 3-acetate-1,2,4,5-tetrakis(2-methyl-2-butenoate) inositol (2), one new flavonolignan 23-o-acetylsilychristin A (3), and one new thymol derivative 3-hydroxy-4-(2-hydroxy-1-methylethyl)benzoic acid (4), along with 13 known compounds, including ten flavonolignans (5-14) and three thymol derivatives (15-17) were isolated from the aerial part of Inula wissmanniana. The structures of new compounds were elucidated by detailed spectroscopic analysis, including HRESIMS and 2D-NMR spectroscopic data. All the compounds were isolated from this plant for the first time. The anti-inflammatory activities of the compounds were tested against LPS-induced NO production in RAW 264.7 macrophages.

Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS) compound semiconductor has attracted considerable interest for use in low-cost thin-film PVs because of its earth-abundant constituents, optimal band gap, and high absorption coefficient. In this paper, CZTS thin films have been successfully prepared on soda-lime glass substrates by solution-based deposition techniques. The CZTS nanocrystals were synthesized by hot-injection method from copper (II) acetylacetone, zinc (II) acetate, tin (II) chloride and sulfide powder in an argon protection atmosphere. The as-synthesized nanocrystals were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The structure, morphology, composition, and optical properties of the CZTS films were characterized using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry, and UV-vis spectrometry. The XRD analysis demonstrated that CZTS thin films possessed a single- phase kesterite structure and no secondary phases were observed in the XRD diffraction pattern. The SEM micrographs showed the CZTS films were uniform, dense and had almost no voids. The chemical composition of CZTS films was nearly stoichiometric. The band gap was about 1.57 eV and the annealed CZTS thin films are very suitable for the absorber of solar cells.

Tin sulphide (SnS) thin films have been deposited on glass substrate by chemical bath deposition. The precursor solution was prepared from tin (II) chloride dihydrate, thioacetamide. Triethanolamine, ammonia and ammonium chloride were used as complexant, solvent and buffer solution, respectively. The crystallographic structure, morphology and optical properties were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy and UV-Vis spectrophotometer. XRD analysis shows that SnS thin films were polycrystalline and had orthorhombic structure, and SEM micrographs reveal that SnS thin films were densely packed surface coverage and consists of large flowerlike grains. SnS thin films with the optical bandgap of 1.3 eV were achieved at 300 °C.

Aerobic treatment of refinery wastewater was carried out in a 200dm 3 gas-liquid-solid three- phase flow airlift loop bioreactor, in which a biological membrane replaced the activated sludge. The influences of temperature, pH, gas-liquid ratioand hydraulic residence time on the reductions in chemical oxygen demand (COD) and NH4-N were investigated and discussed. The optimum operation conditions were obtained as temperature of 25-35 ◦ C, pH value of 7.0-8.0, gas-liquid ratio of 50 and hydraulic residence time of 4h. The radial and axial positions had little influence on the local profiles of COD and NH4-N. Under the optimum operating conditions, the effluent COD and NH4-N were less than 100mgdm −3 and 15mgdm −3 respectively for more than 40days, satisfying the national primary discharge standard of China (GB 8978-1996).  2005 Society of Chemical Industry

Denitrification of nitrified effluent with high concentration of nitrate, low COD in fertilizer plant was carried out in a 12-l gas–liquid–solid three-phase flow airlift loop bioreactor, in which biological membrane replace the activated sludge. The influences of pH, temperature, C/N ratio, gas–liquid ratio and HRT on the removal of nitrate-nitrogen were investigated and discussed. The optimum operation conditions were obtained as pH value of 6.5–7.5, temperature of 20–35 °C, C/N ratio of 0.95–1, gas–liquid ratio of 62.5 and HRT of 2.5 h. Under optimum operation conditions, the average removal efficiencies of COD and NOx–N are higher than 93 and 96%, corresponding to the effluent concentrate of nitrate

A 12 l gas–liquid–solid three-phase fluidized bed bioreactor in which biomass supported on activated charcoal was used to remove nitrate-nitrogen from wastewater and its performance was considered. The effects of temperature, pH, C/N ratio, gas flow rate and hydraulic residence time (HRT) on nitrate-nitrogen reduction were investigated and discussed. The optimum operated conditions such as temperature of 20–35 °C, pH value of 6.5–7.5, HRT of 3 h, C/N of 0.95–1 and gas influx of 0.3 m3/h were found. Under optimum operated conditions, the average removal ratios of COD and NOx-N are higher than 92% and 96%, respectively. In addition, the radial and axial positions have little influence on the local profiles of COD and NOx-N.

A high-power and high-repetition-rate passively Q -switched ytterbium-doped single-mode double-clad fiber laser was built using a Cr4+:YAG saturable absorber (SA). Two different SAs with initial transmissions of Tomicron = 30% and Tomicron = 50% were studied. At the maximum coupled pump power of 9.8 W, an output power of 4.7 W, pulse duration of 143 ns, pulse repetition rate of 253 KHz, pulse energy of 18.5 muJ, and slope efficiency of 49% were obtained with the Tomicron = 30% SA.