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Fruit colour is a crucial factor influencing both the marketability and quality of pepper (Capsicum annuum), particularly ornamental varieties. Fruit colour is a complex multigenic trait in plant species. Previously, the Arabidopsis pseudo-response regulator 2 (APRR2) gene, one of the regulators that control fruit chlorophyll content and chloroplast development, thereby influencing fruit colour at the green immature stage in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), cucumber (Cucumis sativus) and pepper, was reported. Functional molecular markers associated with this homologous gene in pepper could be employed to discern fruit colour at the seedling stage, thus improving the efficiency of green/white-fruited pepper breeding. In this study, a derived cleaved amplified polymorphic sequences (dCAPS) marker was developed based on the mutation site in the sequence of a CaAPRR2-like gene that was cloned from the inbred line B1-2, which exhibits milky white fruit at the green immature stage. The marker was subsequently validated in a CaAPRR2-like progeny segregation population. After digestion with the restriction endonuclease TaqI, the amplification product exhibited evident polymorphic bands, enabling it to distinguish between peppers with milky white and green fruit colours. The developed molecular marker displayed remarkable stability and repeatability, thus offering a straightforward and effective tool for enhancing fruit colour in pepper breeding programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The method for producing polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) by the solution polymerization of vinyl acetate first and then alcoholysis strategy is industrial. Where solvent plays a vital role in control over stereoregularity, molecular weight and its distribution, crystallinity and so on. In this report, when methyl acetate was used as a solvent in the polymerization of vinyl acetate instead of methanol, prepared PVA was characterized by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), gel permeation chromatography (GPC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The results showed that PVA obtained in methyl acetate has a higher content of syndiotactic structure, crystallinity melting temperature and enhanced thermal stability compared with PVA obtained in methanol due to the formation of [PI] - [PI] complex between methyl acetate and vinyl acetate and the enhanced steric hindrance effect during polymerization. Additionally, methyl acetate has a smaller chain transfer constant (1.31 * [10.sup.-4]), which benefits to decrease the branching degree and molecular weight distribution index of PVA. This research provides more ideas for the choice of solvents in the industrial production of polyvinyl alcohol. KEYWORDS branching degree, molecular weight distribution, polyvinyl alcohol, tacticity, vinyl acetate, 1 | INTRODUCTION Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) is a biodegradable synthetic polymer with excellent characteristics including transparency, gas barrier property, water-solubility, mechanical properties, which has been widely used in various fields [...]

Analyzing implementing characteristics and spatial pattern of land consolidation scientifically is of great theoretical and practical value for improving land consolidation scientific decision-making. In order to make sure the implementation status of farmland consolidation in China and its gap with planning objectives, based on the data acquired from the dataset of consolidation project management from 2006 to 2012, this paper analyzes the implementation status of farmland consolidation at county level by three indices i.e. the intensity, the potential and the difficulty of engineering. Then the Ward hierarchical clustering method is used to produce a comprehensive regionalization of farmland consolidation implementation in China. Finally combined with the established national planning objectives, a quantitative analysis is made macroscopically on the farmland consolidation implementation status in China from 2006 to 2012. The conclusions can be summarized as the following: 1) In terms of the implementation status based on itemized index, the North China Plain, the Sanjiang Plain, the Yellow River Delta, the Yangtze River Delta and other traditional agricultural regions are the main consolidation areas with high intensity during the study period; the consolidation areas with high potential are mainly in semi-humid and semi-arid region, including Inner Mongolia and pastoral areas along the Great Wall, Qinggan agricultural and pastoral areas, the Loess Plateau, etc; the consolidation areas with high difficulty are mainly located in the Loess Plateau, Qilian Mountain region, Qinba Mountains, Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau and other more complex terrain regions. 2) The implementation status of farmland consolidation in China during the study period can be divided into five types consisted of "medium high - low - medium" (ClassI), "medium - medium low - medium" (Class II), "medium high - medium high - medium high" (Class III), "low - medium - high" (Class IV) and "high - medium low - medium" (Class V). The Class III is the most concentrated type, mainly distributed in Shanxi, Gansu and China's other western provinces, and characterized by higher implementation levels of the intensity, the potential and the difficulty of engineering; then ClassIand II follow, and they are mainly distributed in some areas where natural resources and agricultural production conditions are appropriate, such as the Northeast Plain, the North China Plain, the Middle-lower Yangtze Plain, the Sichuan Basin. This class shows relatively high intensity, low potential and medium difficulty of implementation characteristics. While Class IV and V are small numbers and scattered, Class IV is mainly distributed in Shanghai, Guangdong and other coastal developed areas and western plateau mountainous, and its characteristics on the performance are lower intensity, medium potential and higher difficulty; Class V is mainly distributed in the hilly area of southwestern Zhejiang, Chengdu Plains, agricultural and pastoral areas of northern Inner Mongolia, and its intensity, potential and difficulty of engineering are all at medium and lower levels. 3) In terms of the coordination between implementation status and consolidation planning, there is a certain deviation in the specific implementation of major tasks containing key areas of farmland consolidation, demonstration counties of well-facilitated capital farmland and major consolidation projects of capital farmland. As far as the comparison of consolidation implementation in the different areas be concerned, which is characterized as the economic development, grain production and land consolidation activities, the regional difference is not very significant, and key points of farmland consolidation are still not highlighted. The findings suggest that the guiding role of national land consolidation planning should be strengthened to standardize the provincial farmland consolidation projects; especially in the key areas, the project arrangement and investment of farmland consolidation should be optimized at spatial pattern and implementation structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Three kinds of SO3H-functionalized Brønsted-acidic ionic liquids with different acidities were applied to the etherification of glycerol with tert-butyl alcohol. High conversion and good selectivity were obtained under mild conditions. Among the ionic liquids investigated, those having a HSO4 − anion afforded the highest glycerol conversion and those having a F3CSO3 − anion afforded the largest head product selectivity for glycerol etherification. The minimum-energy geometries and experimental results show that acidities and catalytic activities of ionic liquids are not only related to their structures but also to their immiscibility. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]