Influences of elevational gradient on flower size and number of Gentiana lawrencei var. farreri.

Plants can adapt to environmental changes by adjusting their functional traits and biomass allocation. The size and number of flowers are functional traits related to plant reproduction. Life history theory predicts that there is a trade-off between flower size and number, and the trade-off can potentially explain the adaptability of plants. Elevation gradients in mountains provide a unique opportunity to test how plants will respond to climate change. In this study, we tried to better explain the adaptability of the alpine plant Gentiana lawrencei var. farreri in response to climate change. We measured the flower size and number, individual size, and reproductive allocation of G. lawrencei var. farreri during the flowering period along an elevation gradient from 3200 to 4000 m, and explored their relationships using linear mixed-effect models and the structural equation model. We found that with elevation increasing, individual size and flower number decreased and flower size increased, while reproductive allocation remained unchanged. Individual size positively affected flower number, but was not related to flower size; reproductive allocation positively affected flower size, but was not related to flower number; there is a clear trade-off between flower size and number. We also found that elevation decreased flower number indirectly via directly reducing individual size. In sum, this study suggests that G. lawrencei var. farreri can adapt to alpine environments by the synergies or trade-offs among individual size, reproductive allocation, flower size, and flower number. This study increases our understanding of the adaptation mechanisms of alpine plants to climate change in alpine environments.

Complete chloroplast genome data of Ranunculus membranaceus (Ranunculaceae), an important medicinal plant species.

The perennial alpine herb Ranunculus membranaceus (Ranunculaceae) has significant medicinal value. The complete chloroplast genome of R. membranaceus was sequenced by high-throughput Illumina sequencing Platform Illumina NovaSeq 6000. The circular genome is 156,028 bp in size, including two inverted repeats (IRs) of 25,361 bp, a large single-copy (LSC) region of 85,491 bp, and a small single-copy (SSC) region of 19,815 bp. A total of 128 genes were annotated, namely 84 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 36 tRNA genes, and eight rRNA genes. Two phylogenetic trees of 18 species of the tribe Ranunculeae species were constructed with Meconopsis punicea as the outgroup based on the whole chloroplast genomes and the concatenated sequence of PCGs, respectively. Phylogeny showed that R. membranaceus was closely related to R. yunnanensis. These data enrich knowledge of Ranunculaceae genetics and will contribute to further studies of R. membranaceus in molecular breeding, genetic transformation, species identification, genetic engineering and phylogenetic research.

Preparation and Characterization of Flavored Sauces from Chinese Mitten Crab Processing By-Products.

To achieve high-value utilization of Chinese mitten crab processing by-products, different types of sauces were prepared using crab legs (CLs) and crab bodies (CBs). Two processing methods, enzymatic hydrolysis and enzymatic hydrolysis coupled with the Maillard reaction, were employed to prepare these sauces. An electronic nose (E-nose) and electronic tongue (E-tongue) were used to measure the changes in the taste and odor, an automatic amino acid analyzer was used to measure the amino acid content, and a headspace solid-phase microextraction GC/MS (HS-SPME-GC/MS) was used to analyze the volatile compounds, qualitatively and quantitatively. The results showed that the sour, bitter, and other disagreeable odors of the enzymatic hydrolysis solution (EHS) were reduced following the Maillard reaction; meanwhile, the umami and saltiness were considerably enhanced. The quantity of free acidic amino acids with an umami and sweet taste in the CL and CB sauces after enzymatic hydrolysis and the Maillard reaction was substantially higher than that in the homogenate (HO). The Maillard reaction solution (MRS) produced more volatile compounds than the HO and EHS, such as aldehydes, pyrazines, ketones, etc. These compounds not only impart a unique flavor but also have antioxidant capabilities, making them a prototype for the high-value utilization of crab processing by-products.

Hierarchical Nanostructured Co-Mo-B/CoMoO4-x Amorphous Composite for the Alkaline Hydrogen Evolution Reaction.

Transition metal borides (TMBs) are a class of important but less well-explored electrocatalytic materials for water splitting. The lack of an advanced methodology to synthesize complex nanostructured TMBs with tunable surface properties is a major obstacle to the exploration of the full potential of TMBs for electrocatalytic applications. Here, we report the facile fabrication of a cobalt foam (CF)-supported hierarchical nanostructured Co-Mo-B/CoMoO4-x composite using a hydrothermal method, followed by annealing and NaBH4 reduction treatments. Our study found that NaBH4 reduction of CoMoO4 resulted in the concurrent formation of amorphous Co-Mo-B and an O-vacancy-rich CoMoO4-x substrate, which cooperatively catalyzed the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in an alkaline electrolyte. The hierarchical nanoporous structure derived from the dehydration and partial reduction reactions of the CoMoO4·nH2O precursor could offer ample accessible active sites, as well as interconnected channels for rapid mass transfer. In addition, the in situ growth of electrically conductive Co-Mo-B nanoparticles on the defective structured CoMoO4-x substrate imparted the electrocatalyst with good electrical conductivity. As a result, the Co-Mo-B/CoMoO4-x/CF catalyst showed impressively high activity and outstanding stability for the alkaline HER, outperforming most reported TMB electrocatalysts. For instance, it required an overpotential of 55 mV to afford 10 mA·cm-2 and showed a fluctuation of only ±8 mV in a 100 h constant-current test at 100 mA·cm-2.

Rapid analysis of forchlorfenuron in fruits using molecular complex-based dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction.

The main sample preparation method for analysis of pesticide residues in fruits is QuEChERS. In this study, a novel sample preparation method using molecular complex-based dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction is introduced with detection of forchlorfenuron by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with diode array and mass spectrometric detection. Sample treatment involves initial extraction of a 5 g sample with 3 mL acetonitrile, and then the selective concentration of the analyte is performed using 150 µL tributyl phosphate by forming intermolecular hydrogen bonds with the analyte. The extraction mechanism was proved using ATR-FTIR. Under the optimised conditions, recovery rates varied between 88% and 107% for various sample matrices spiked at three levels in the range 0.01-0.1 mg kg-1. Intra-day and inter-day repeatabilities were in the ranges of 2.2-8.0% and 1.6-9.5%, respectively. Detection limit and quantitation limit were 0.33 µg kg-1 and 1.09 µg kg-1 for diode-array detection; 0.01 µg kg-1 and 0.04 µg kg-1 for tandem mass spectrometry detection. This method was successfully applied for the analysis of 149 various fruits. The analyte was found in 4 of the 149 samples and the contents were not over the specific maximum residue limit established by domestic and international regulations.

Phthalate sum determination in farmland soils using high-performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry.

A selective and low organic-solvent-consuming method of sample preparation combined with high-performance liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry is introduced for phthalate sum analysis in farmland soil. Sample treatment involves a one-step hydrolysis of phthalates using methanol and alkaline and tetrabutylammonium bromide for 20 min at 80℃. Then, the resulting phthalic acid in the acidified hydrolysate is extracted using an octanol-based supramolecular solvent without purification. Under optimized conditions, the correlation coefficients were 0.992-0.999 and standard errors (Sy/x ) were 0.018-0.138 for calibration curves within the range of 50-2000 ng/mL. No obvious matrix effect occurred between the pure supramolecular solvent and soil extract. The recovery rates ranged from 91 to 107% with the relative standard deviation ranging from 0.5-7.3%. Intra- and interday repeatability, expressed as relative standard deviation, was less than 8.0 and 11.0%, respectively. The detected limit was 2.49 nmol/g, and the quantification limit was 3.64 nmol/g. Fifteen soil samples were analysed, and the background corrected phthalate sum ranged from 1.44 to 120 nmol/g.

Glycated fish protein supplementation modulated gut microbiota composition and reduced inflammation but increased accumulation of advanced glycation end products in high-fat diet fed rats.

This study first investigates how the intake level of glycated fish protein (GP), enriched with Amadori products, affects gut health by modifying the fermentation of gut microbiota and accumulation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) in rats fed a high-fat diet. Hyperlipidemic rats were fed a fish protein (FP) control diet, 6% low-level GP (L-GP) diet, and 12% high-level GP (H-GP) diet for four weeks. Compared to the FP diet, the GP diet greatly changed the pattern of protein fermentation and reduced inflammation markers and blood lipids, but increased the AGE plasma accumulation and fecal excretion. Furthermore, the GP supplementation significantly decreased Ruminiclostridium_6 and Desulfovibrio (p < 0.05), and the L-GP diet showed more effects on the increase of butyrate-producing Ruminococcus_1 and Roseburia, while the H-GP diet considerably decreased Helicobacter and Lachnospiraceae_NK4A136_group. Correlation-type principal-component analysis (PCA) clearly indicated that these biological effects of intake of GP were related to the modulation of gut microbiota composition and fermentation metabolite profiles. Overall, the low intake level of glycated fish protein may have a more beneficial effect on gut health.

Glycation of fish protein impacts its fermentation metabolites and gut microbiota during in vitro human colonic fermentation.

The aim of this study was to investigate the fermentation properties of fish protein (FP) glycated with glucose at two different heating time (24 h and 48 h, 50 °C, GFP24 and GFP48), using an in vitro batch fermentation model of human distal colon. The heated fish protein in absent of glucose was also as controls. The lower glycation extent of fish protein, with a lower browning intensity and bound sugar, enhanced the production of acetate and propionate. The formation of indole and ammonia was inhibited by the glycation of fish protein, but less affected by its glycation extent. Compared to FP, the glycation of fish protein significantly increased (p < .05) the relative abundance of genera Lactococcus for GFP24 (47%) and GFP48 (71%), whereas decreased dominant genera Bacteroides for GFP24 (32%) and GFP48 (23%). Compared to GFP24, GFP48 indicated significantly higher relative abundance of Holdemania, Streptococcus, Enterococcus and Lactobacillus, and lower amounts of Parabacteroides (p < .05). In the meantime, the heated treatments in the absent of glucose resulted in the increase of some genera Dialister, Arobacter, Clostridium_sensu_stricto_1, Phascolarctobacterium and Veillonella, and also ammonia production. Furthermore, the correlation analysis confirmed that the glycation of fish protein for the decrease of ammonia and indole production was associated with the changes of some proteolytic bacteria genera, including Bacteroides, Dialister and Parabacteroides. Thus, the glycated fish protein rich in Amadori products greatly change the profiles of fermentation metabolite and gut microbiota, and these changes can have a potential impact on host health.

Fabrication of carbon/SiO2 composites from the hydrothermal carbonization process of polysaccharide and their adsorption performance.

In this work, carbon/SiO2 composites, using amylose and tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) as raw materials, were successfully prepared by a facial hydrothermal carbonization process. The carbon/SiO2 composites were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS), transmission electron microscope (TEM), N2 adsorption and Thermogravimetric (TG) analysis. The composites, which were made up of amorphous SiO2 and amorphous carbon, were found to have hierarchical porous structures. The mass ratios of amylose and SiO2 and the hydrothermal carbonization time had significant effects on the morphology of the composites, which had three shapes including monodispersed spheres, porous pieces and the nano-fibers combined with nano-spheres structures. The adsorption performance of the composites was studied using Pb(2+) as simulated contaminants from water. When the mass ratio of amylose and SiO2 was 9/1, the hydrothermal time was 30h and the hydrothermal temperature was 180°C, the adsorption capacity of the composites achieved to 52mg/g. Experimental data show that adsorption kinetics of the carbon/SiO2 composites can be fitted well by the Elovich model, while the isothermal data can be perfectly described by the Langmuir adsorption model and Freundlich adsorption model. The maximum adsorption capacity of the carbon/SiO2 composites is 56.18mgg(-1).

Ethyl 5-methyl-4-oxo-3-phenyl-2-propyl-amino-3,4-dihydro-thieno[2,3-d]pyrimidine-6-carboxyl-ate.

The title compound, C(19)H(21)N(3)O(3)S, was synthesized via the aza-Wittig reaction of functionalized imino-phospho-rane with phenyl isocyanate under mild conditions. In the mol-ecule, the fused thienopyrimidine ring system is essentially planar, with a maximum deviation of 0.072 (2) Å, and makes a dihedral angle of 60.11 (9)° with the phenyl ring. An intra-molecular C-H⋯O hydrogen bond is present. The crystal packing is stabilized by inter-molecular N-H⋯O and C-H⋯O hydrogen bonds.