Lignins isolated from representative hardwood, softwood, and grass materials were effectively hydrocracked to aromatics catalyzed by tungsten carbide over activated carbon (W C/AC). The effects of botanical species and fractionation methods on lignin structure and the activity of W C/AC were studied in detail. Gas permeation chromatography (GPC), FTIR, elemental analysis, and 2 D HSQC NMR showed that all the extracted samples shared the basic skeleton of lignin, whereas the fractionation method significantly affected the structure. The organosolv process provided lignin with a structure more similar to the native lignin, which was labile to be depolymerized by W C/AC. Softwood lignins (i.e., spruce and pine) possessed higher molecular weights than hardwood lignins (i.e., poplar and basswood); whereas corn stalk lignin that has noncanonical subunits and exhibited the lowest molecular weight owing to its shorter growth period. β-O-4 bonds were the major linkages in all lignin samples, whereas softwood lignins contained more resistant linkages of β-5 and less β-β than corn stalk and hardwood lignins; as a result, lowest hydrocracking efficiency was obtained in softwood lignins, followed by corn stalk and hardwood lignins. 2 D HSQC NMR spectra of lignin and the liquid oil as well as the solid residue showed that W C/AC exhibited high activity not only in β-O-4 cleavage, but also in deconstruction of other ether linkages between aromatic units, so that high yield of liquid oil was obtained from lignin.

ReOx/AC exhibits high catalytic activity and selectivity for the C–O bond cleavage of lignin via hydrogen transfer reactions in isopropanol.

The main purpose of this research is to provide a theoretical foundation for the screening of drought-resistant soybean varieties and to establish an efficient method to detect the PSII actual photochemical quantum yields efficiently. Three soybean varieties were compared in this experiment after 15 d when they were planted in a greenhouse. These varieties were then exposed to light drought stress (LD) and serious drought stress (SD) conditions. With five times' measurement, chlorophyll fluorescence and soil-plant analysis development considered as the main basis for this study. Several parameters in SD conditions significantly reduced, such as net photosynthetic rates (Pn), stomatal conductance (Gs), PSII primary light energy conversion efficiency (Fv/FM), PSII actual photochemical quantum yields [Y(II)], photochemical quenching coefficient (qP) and non-photochemical quenching coefficient (qN). The soybeans in the seedling stage adapted to the inhibitory effect of drought stress on photosynthesis through stomatal limitation. Under serious drought stress, non-stomatal limitation damaged the plant photosynthetic system. The amplitudes of Pn and Y(II) of drought-resistant Qihuang 35 were lower than those of the two other varieties. Based on the data of this study, a new method had been developed to detect Y (II) which reflected the photosynthetic capacity of plant, R=0.85989, u=0.048803 when using multiple linear regression, and R=0.84285, u=0.054739 when using partial least square regression. of drought stress on photosynthesis and chlorophyll fluorescence images of soybean (Glycine max) seedlings. Int J Agric & Biol Eng, 2018; 11(2): 196-201.

Campylobacter jejuni (C. jejuni) is considered as an opportunistic zoonotic pathogen that may cause gastroenteritis in humans and other animals. Wild birds may be as potential vectors of C. jejuni around urban and suburban areas. Here, 520 samples were collected from 33 wild bird species in urban and suburban areas, Beijing. In total 57 C. jejuni were isolated from seven species. It was found that Nineteen (33.33%, 19/57) isolates were resistant to at least one of 11 antibiotics, especially streptomycin (36.84%) and four isolates resistant to all. Nineteen (33.33%, 19/57) isolates were multi-drug resistance. Multilocus sequence typing (MLST) analysis of the isolates showed that 36 different sequence types (STs) belonged to four Clonal complexes and unassigned. Twenty STs (55.56%) and six alleles among them were first detected. Virulence genes including flaA, cadF, and the cytolethal distending toxin (CDT) gene cluster, were detected in all isolates, but truncated cdt gene clusters only detected in the isolates from the crow, daurian jackdaw and silver pheasant. In conclusion, it was the first detection of C. jejuni involved truncated cdt gene clusters from the silver pheasant. These wild birds around urban and suburban areas may pose potential public health problems as reservoir vectors of C. jejuni.

Tungsten‐based bimetallic catalysts M–W/AC (M=Ru, Pt, and Pd; AC=activated carbon) exhibited high activity and selectivity in the hydrogenolysis of typical α‐O‐4 model compounds and deconstruction of lignin feedstock for the production of aromatic chemicals. Synergy effect was observed between tungsten and noble‐metal species, which on the one hand modulated the hydrogenolysis activity of tungsten and improved the activity of catalyst, and on the other hand suppressed overhydrogenation that avoided the formation of cycloalkanes. The conversion of α‐O‐4 model compounds with different substituents showed that electronic effects play an important role in stabilizing the reaction intermediates, and the electron‐donating methoxy group on the aromatic ring accelerated the hydrogenolysis efficiency. Solvent effect was another factor that determined hydrogenolysis efficiency; dipolar aprotic solvents such as n‐hexane provided the high yields of target aromatics. In the conversion of realistic lignins, the bimetallic catalyst showed excellent activity not only in α‐O‐4 cleavage but also in the hydrogenolysis of other major linkages such as β‐O‐4 and β−β between aromatic units, so that a high yield of liquid oil was obtained from lignin.

Aim:Our previous works have demonstrated that Chinese herb medicine yanhusuo (Corydalis yanhusuo W. T. Wang) has strong anti-cancer proliferation effect in MDA-MB-231 cells. The goal of this study was to find out the synergic cytotoxicity effect of three natural compounds, tetrahydropalmatine (THP), berberine (Ber), and dehydrocorydaline (DHC), isolated from C. yanhusuo W. T. Wang.Materials and Methods:The IC50 of THP Ber and DHC in single use, as well as in combination use at fixed ratios and doses was measured by MTT (3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5 diphenyl tetrazolium bromide) assay. Isobologram, combination index and modified coefficient of drug interaction (CDI) methods were used for evaluation the combination effects of THF! Ber, and DHC in different ratio and concentration.Results:The results indicated that the combination of THP and Ber shown the strongest anti-cancer cell proliferation effect at the ratio of 2:3 (Ber: THF the average CDI value was 0.5795). DHC and THP have additive cytotoxicity in MDA-MB-231 cells. However, there wasn’t any synergistic effect between Ber and DHC, and it even exhibited antagonistic effect when the percentage of DHC was >50%.Conclusion:Our findings suggested that the combination of THP and Ber might be beneficial for anti-proliferation of MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells through a significant synergy effect.

Dual-emissive silicon quantum dots were successfully achieved by surface modification with 9-ethylanthracene as a functional ligand.

The direct transformation of lignin into fuels and chemicals remains a huge challenge because of the recalcitrant and complicated structure of lignin. In this study, rhenium oxide‐modified iridium supported on SiO2 (Ir‐ReOx/SiO2) is employed for the one‐pot conversion of various lignin model compounds and lignin feedstocks into naphthenes. Up to 100 % yield of cyclohexane from model compounds and 44.3 % yield of naphthenes from lignin feedstocks are achieved. 2 D HSQC NMR spectroscopy before and after the reaction confirms the activity of Ir‐ReOx/SiO2 in the cleavage of the C−O bonds and hydrodeoxygenation of the depolymerized products. H2 temperature‐programmed reduction, temperature‐programmed desorption of NH3, IR spectroscopy of pyridine adsorption, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, X‐ray absorption fine structure analysis, and control experiments reveal that a synergistic effect between Ir and ReOx in Ir‐ReOx/SiO2 plays a crucial role in the high performance; ReOx is mainly responsible for the cleavage of C−O bonds, whereas Ir is responsible for hydrodeoxygenation and saturation of the benzene rings. This methodology opens up an energy‐efficient route for the direct conversion of lignin into valuable naphthenes.