Reduction of the exchangeable cadmium content in soil by appropriately increasing the maturity degree of organic fertilizers.

To enhance the remediation effect of heavy metal pollution, organic fertilizers with different maturity levels were added to cadmium-contaminated soil. The remediation effect was determined by evaluating the form transformation and bioavailability of cadmium in heavy metal-contaminated soil. -Results showed that when the maturity was 50%, although the soil humus (HS) content increased, it didn't contribute to reducing the bioavailability of soil Cd. Appropriately increasing the maturity (GI ≥ 80%), the HS increased by 113.95%∼157.96%, and reduced significantly the bioavailability of soil Cd, among the exchangeable Cd decreased by 16.04%∼33.51% (P < 0.01). The structural equation modeling (SEM) revealed that HS content is a critical factor influencing the transformation of Cd forms and the reduction of exchangeable Cd accumulation; the HS and residual Cd content were positively correlated with the maturity (P < 0.01), while exchangeable Cd content was negatively correlated with maturity (P < 0.01), and the correlation increased with increasing maturity. In summary, appropriately increasing the maturity (GI ≥ 80%) can increase significantly HS, promote the transformation of exchangeable Cd into residual Cd, and ultimately enhance the effectiveness of organic fertilizers in the remediation of soil Cd pollution. These results provide a new insight into the remediation of Cd-contaminated soil through organic fertilizer as soil amendment in Cd-contaminated soil.

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy efficacy and prognosis in HER2-low and HER2-zero breast cancer patients by HR status: a retrospective study in China.

Background: The promising efficacy of novel anti-HER2 antibody-drug conjugates (ADC) in HER2-low breast cancer has made HER2-low a research hotspot. However, controversy remains regarding the neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) efficacy, prognosis, and the relationship with hormone receptor (HR) status of HER2-low. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 975 patients with HER2-negative breast cancer undergoing NAC at Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, evaluating pathological complete response (pCR) rate and prognosis between HER2-low and HER2-zero in the overall cohort and subgroups. Results: Overall, 579 (59.4%) and 396 (40.6%) patients were HER2-low and HER2-zero disease, respectively. Compared with HER2-zero, the HER2-low cohort consists of more postmenopausal patients, with lower histological grade and higher HR positivity. In the HR-positive subgroup, HER2-low cases remain to exhibit lower histological grade, while in the HR-negative subgroup, they show higher grade. The HER2-low group had lower pCR rates than the HER2-zero group (16.4% vs. 24.0%). In the HR-positive subgroup, HER2-low consistently showed lower pCR rate (8.1% vs. 15.5%), and served as an independent suppressive factor for the pCR rate. However, no significant difference was observed in the pCR rates between HER2-low and HER2-zero in the HR-negative breast cancer. In the entire cohort and in stratified subgroups based on HR and pCR statuses, no difference in disease-free survival were observed between HER2-low and HER2-zero. Conclusions: In the Chinese population, HER2-low breast cancer exhibits distinct characteristics and efficacy of NAC in different HR subgroups. Its reduced pCR rate in HR-positive subgroup is particularly important for clinical decisions. However, HER2-low is not a reliable factor for assessing long-term survival outcomes.

Metabolomics analysis of advancing humification mechanism in secondary fermentation of composting by fungal bioaugmentation.

The aim of this study was to investigate the differential metabolites and core metabolic pathways caused by fungal bioaugmentation (pH regulation and Phanerochaete chrysosporium inoculation) in secondary fermentation of composting, as well as their roles in advancing humification mechanism. Metabolomics analyses showed that inoculation strengthened the expression of carbohydrate, amino acid, and aromatic metabolites, and pH regulation resulted in the up-regulation of the phosphotransferase system and its downstream carbohydrate metabolic pathways, inhibiting Toluene degradation and driving biosynthesis of aromatic amino acids via the Shikimate pathway. Partial least squares path model suggested that lignocellulose degradation, precursors especially amino acids and their metabolism process enhanced by the regulation of pH and Phanerochaete were the main direct factors for humic acid formation in composting. This finding helps to understand the regulating mechanism of fungal bioaugmentation to improve the maturity of agricultural waste composting.

Effects of aeration modes and rates on nitrogen conversion and bacterial community in composting of dehydrated sludge and corn straw.

Aeration is an important factor to regulate composting efficiency and nitrogen loss. This study is aimed to compare the effects of different aeration modes (continuous and intermittent) and aeration rate on nitrogen conversion and bacterial community in composting from dehydrated sludge and corn straw. Results showed that the intermittent aeration mode at same aeration volume was superior to the continuous aeration mode in terms of NH3 emission reduction, nitrogen conversion and germination index (GI) improvement. Intermittent aeration mode with 1200 L/h (aeration 5 min, stop 15 min) [K5T15 (V1200)] and 300 L/h of continuous aeration helped to the conservation of nitrogen fractions and accelerate the composting process. However, it was most advantageous to use 150 L/h of continuous aeration to reduce NH3 emission and ensure the effective composting process. The aeration mode K5T15 (V1200) showed the fastest temperature rise, the longer duration of thermophilic stage and the highest GI (95%) in composting. The cumulative NH3 emission of intermittent aeration mode was higher than continuous aeration mode. The cumulative NH3 emission of V300 was 23.1% lower than that of K5T15 (V1200). The dominant phyla in dehydrated sludge and corn straw composting were Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Bacteroidetes. The dominant phylum in the thermophilic stage was Firmicutes (49.39%~63.13%), and the dominant genus was Thermobifida (18.62%~30.16%). The relative abundance of Firmicutes was greater in the intermittent aeration mode (63.13%) than that in the continuous aeration mode (57.62%), and Pseudomonas was dominant in composting with lower aeration rate and the lowest NH3 emission. This study suggested that adjustment to the aeration mode and rate could affect core bacteria to reduce the nitrogen loss and accelerate composting process.

Composition Design of Ni-Nano-Cu-BTC@Ag Coatings with Low Friction and Their Intelligent Electrical Control Behavior.

At present, Ni-based coatings are rarely used in the field of voltage control friction because of their poor antifriction, wear resistance, and conductive properties. Therefore, in this paper, Cu-BTC@Ag nanocrystals were used to enhance the nickel coatings, and the effect of voltage on their tribological properties was also investigated. It was found that the grains of coating were refined via the addition of Cu-BTC@Ag nanocrystals, leading to an improvement in the hardness and corrosion resistance of this composite coating. The tribological performance of nickel composite coating could be controlled under different electrical fields. With the comparison of the pure Ni-based coating, the average friction coefficient and wear volume of its composite coating with 5 wt % Cu-BTC@Ag were reduced by 7.0 and 91.8%, respectively, which showed excellent wear resistance without an applied voltage. Under the condition of 20 V, the 5 wt % Cu-BTC@Ag/Ni-based composite coating owned outstanding antifriction performance. Therefore, Cu-BTC@Ag played an intelligent role in regulating the friction of Ni-based coatings under an external voltage. It is due to the accumulation of Cu-BTC@Ag nanocrystals on the surface of the coating under the action of voltage, which played the role of supporting load and effectively reducing wear.

DOM hydrophilic components of organic fertilizers increased the soil nitrogen retention capacity and succession of the microbial community.

Introduction: Application of organic fertilizers affects soil properties and microbial communities, which in turn alters soil N transformation processes. Unfortunately, it is not clear how the difference in the character of the organic fertilizer DOM affects the soil nitrogen retention capacity and its microbial processes. Methods: According to the principle of equal nutrients, the treatments of chemical fertilizer alone (treatment CF), chemical fertilizer with organic fertilizer DOM hydrophilic components (treatment H), and chemical fertilizer with organic fertilizer DOM hydrophobic components (treatment P) were set up, where the characteristics of soil nitrogen transformation and changes in microbial community structure were studied with soil culture conditions for 24 days. Results: It was discovered that the addition of organic fertilizer DOM components (H and P) slowed nitrification rate and increased protease activity resulting in a higher NH4+-N content compared to the CF treatment. The DOM addition (H and P) increased the microbial biomass nitrogen (MBN) levels in the soil and increased the soil nitrogen pool capacity. Conclusions: Moreover, the carbon use efficiency of the hydrophilic components is higher than that of the hydrophobic components, resulting in its further increase in nitrogen reservoir capacity and higher nitrogen retention capacity. Network analysis showed that the addition of organic fertilizer DOM hydrophilic components increased network complexity and synergy between microorganisms. In combination with random forest analysis, it was shown that Sphingomonas and Massilia were key species influencing soil nitrogen retention capacity and nitrogen availability characteristics.

Electronic-Control Friction Behavior of Porous Metal-Organic Framework@Ag Nanocrystals as Self-Repairing Lubricant Additive.

The low conductivity and poor antifriction performance of lubricants are the main causes of wear failure in mechanical equipment under electronic-control friction. Metal-organic framework (MOF) nanocomposites can be used to fabricate a new kind of lubricant additive. Herein, porous Cu-BTC@Ag MOF nanocrystals were successfully synthesized via an in situ generation method. Transmission electron microscopy results showed that the nano-Ag element was evenly dispersed throughout the Cu-BTC matrix. Cu-BTC@Ag nanocrystals can significantly improve the electrical conductivity of the EMI-BF4 ionic liquid, which increased by 38.8%. The average coefficients of friction (COF) and wear volume of EMI-BF4 ionic liquid with 0.5 wt % Cu-BTC@Ag decreased by 8.3 and 16% without applied voltage, respectively. This finding was due to the continuous extrusion of the EMI-BF4 stored in the Cu-BTC@Ag pores under external load. It entered the contact zone, thereby maintaining the continuous supply of lubricant. At 20 V applied voltage in the friction process, the COF of the EMI-BF4/2.0wt %Cu-BTC@Ag lubricant decreased by 18.8%, and its wear volume decreased by 32.7%. The Cu-BTC@ Ag nanocrystals adsorbed onto the metal surface to form a friction reaction film by the action of electric fields, which can repair the wear defects on the friction interface. Therefore, Cu-BTC@Ag nanocrystals acting as an additive in lubricant have remarkable prospects in the area of electronic-control friction.

Regulating pH and Phanerochaete chrysosporium inoculation improved the humification and succession of fungal community at the cooling stage of composting.

This study aimed to explore the effect of regulating pH and Phanerochaete chrysosporium inoculation at the cooling stage of composting on the lignocellulose degradation, humification process and related precursors as well as fungal community for secondary fermentation. Results showed that composting with P. chrysosporium inoculation and pH regulation (T4) had 58% cellulose decomposition, 73% lignin degradation and improved enzyme activities for lignin decomposition. There was 81.98% increase of humic substance content and more transformation of polyphenols and amino acids in T4 compared to control. Inoculating P. chrysosporium affected the fungal community diversity, and regulating pH helped to increase the colonization of P. chrysosporium. Network analysis showed that the network complexity and synergy between microorganisms was improved in T4. Correlation and Random Forest analysis suggested that enriched Phanerochaete and Thermomyces in the mature stage of T4 were key taxa for lignocellulose degradation, and humic acid formation by accumulating precursors.

Responses of soil microbial biomass nitrogen to organic fertilizer with different degrees of maturity and regu-lation to soil mineral nitrogen.

By combining the composting process with soil culture experiment, we conducted an experiment with four treatments, including conventional chemical fertilizer (CK), chemical fertilizer + compost maturity reaching 50% germination index (GI, the same below) organic fertilizer (CO1), chemical fertilizer + compost maturity reaching 80% GI organic fertilizer (CO2), chemical fertilizer + compost maturity reaching 100% GI organic ferti-lizer (CO3). We measured soil microbial biomass nitrogen (MBN), mineral nitrogen (NH4+-N, NO3--N), net nitrification rate, microbial biomass carbon (MBC), dissolved organic carbon (DOC), soil urease and soil protease, aiming to reveal the regulatory effect of soil MBN on mineral nitrogen. The results showed that organic fertilizer application significantly increased MBN and NH4+-N concentrations by 50.1%-62.4% and 109.9%-147.1%, reduced NO3--N concentration and net nitrification rate by 23.3%-46.8%, and 26.2%-51.5%, and enhanced MBC, DOC, urease and protease activities by 33.8%-69.6%, 7.4%-20.8%, 11.2%-69.0% and 9.4%-25.1%, respectively. The change ranges of CO2 and CO3 were significantly higher than CO1. Redundancy analysis (RDA) and structural equation model (SEM) results showed that the application of organic fertilizer with higher degree of maturity (GI≥80%) positively regulated soil MBC, MBN, NH4+-N, and the activities of urease and protease, but had a negative effect on soil net nitrification rate. The combined application of chemical fertilizers and high decomposed organic fertilizers could significantly increase soil MBN and NH4+-N contents, as well as soil urease and protease activities, but reduce soil net nitrification rate. To efficiently utilize organic solid wastes, it is recommended to use chemical fertilizer in combination of organic fertilizers with 80% decomposing degree in practical production to reduce the cost in both economy and time.

Humification process enhancement through relative abundance promotion of Talaromyces and Coprinopsis by inoculated Phanerochaete chrysosporium during the secondary fermentation of composting.

To explore the mechanism of Phanerochaete chrysosporium (P. chrysosporium) inoculation driving the humification process of maize straw composting, the treatments without P. chrysosporium inoculation (T1) and that with P. chrysosporium inoculation (T2) were carried out separately during the secondary fermentation of the co-composting of maize straw and rapeseed cake. The key microorganisms were determined by evaluating the succession of the fungal community and its relationship with humification process parameters. The results showed that P. chrysosporium inoculation (T2) reduced fungal diversity but increased the relative abundance of Coprinopsis and Talaromyces. At the end of the composting (day 36), the relative abundance of Talaromyces and Coprinopsis in T2 increased by 1223.7% and 30.2%, respectively, compared with T1. Combined CCA and SEMs analyses demonstrated the microbially driven mechanisms that enhance the humification process of composting, that is, P. chrysosporium inoculation promoted lignin continuous degradation by promoting the relative abundance of Talaromyces and Coprinopsis during the secondary fermentation of composting; meanwhile, P. Chrysosporium inoculation further intensified the biological process of humification in composting.

Enhancement of Ferroelectricity in 5 nm Metal-Ferroelectric-Insulator Technologies by Using a Strained TiN Electrode.

In this work, the ferroelectric characteristic of a 5 nm Hf0.5Zr0.5O2 (HZO) metal-ferroelectric-insulator-semiconductor (MFIS) device is enhanced through strained complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS)-compatible TiN electrode engineering. Strained TiN top-layer electrodes with different nitrogen (N) concentrations are deposited by adjusting the sputtering process conditions. The TiN electrode with 18% N exhibits a compressive characteristic, which induces tensile stress in a 5 nm HZO film. A device with 18% N in TiN shows a higher remanent polarization (2Pr) and larger capacitance value than the compared sample, indicating that the strained TiN is promising for enhancing the ferroelectricity of sub-5 nm HZO devices.

Adding an appropriate proportion of phosphogypsum ensured rice husk and urea composting to promote the compost as substrate utilization.

To explore the effectiveness of urea replacing poultry manure as the nitrogen source in the rice husk composting system, and to promote the utilization of compost products as substrates, 0%, 10%, 20%, and 30% of phosphogypsum were added respectively in the urea composting system, and were compared with the chicken manure composting (RCP0). Finally, the fermentation and maturation of RCP0 were achieved, but high EC value limited the utilization of compost products as the substrate. Urea, as an N source, could lower the EC value, but the C/N ratio was uncoordinated during the initial stage of composting. Adding an appropriate proportion of phosphogypsum could ensure a proper C/N ratio to promote smooth fermentation and enable the products to be ideal substrates. When the added proportion was 30%, the thermophilic stage was shortened significantly but this may increase heavy metals. 10%-20% were concluded to be the recommended proportion.

Staged transverse preputial island flap urethroplasty for some proximal hypospadias with moderate-to-severe chordee.

BACKGROUND: We aimed to assess the outcome of staged transverse preputial island flap (TPIF) urethroplasty for repairing certain cases of primary proximal hypospadias with moderate-to-severe chordee in children. METHODS: Nighty-two consecutive boys who underwent either one-stage or staged TPIF urethroplasty for the repair of proximal hypospadias with moderate-to-severe chordee between August 2015 and December 2019 were evaluated retrospectively. Patients were divided into two groups: one-stage TPIF urethroplasty group (n = 44) and staged TPIF urethroplasty group (n = 48). We noted and compared the postoperative complications, including urethrocutaneous fistula, urethral diverticula, residual penile curvature, and urethral stricture in both groups. RESULTS: Both groups were followed up for 1-5 years, with an average of 3 years. No cases of residual or recurrence of penile chordee were reported in either group. In Group A, 9 patients (9/44, 20.4%) had postoperative urethrocutaneous fistula, and all patients underwent urinary fistula repair or urethroplasty. In Group B, postoperative urethrocutaneous fistula occurred in 2 cases (2/48, 4.1%), and one patient developed a urethrocutaneous fistula after the first operation, which was successfully repaired during the second operation. A urethrocutaneous fistula occurred in 1 case after completion of the second-stage operation; urethral fistula repair was performed successfully 6 months later. There were 2 cases of urethral stricture in Group A (2/44, 4.5%) and none in Group B. There were 6 cases of urethral diverticulum in Group A (6/44, 13.6%) and no cases of urethral diverticulum in Group B. The operative success rates were 61.3% and 95.8% in Group A and Group B, respectively (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Compared with one-stage TPIF urethroplasty, staged TPIF urethroplasty in the treatment of certain cases of primary proximal hypospadias with moderate-to-severe chordee resulted in fewer postoperative fistulas, urethral strictures and urethral diverticula. The staged TPIF urethroplasty procedure was effective in reducing the operation difficulty and complication rate of hypospadias, improving the curative effect of complex hypospadias and having good clinical application value.

Integrated bioinformatics analysis for the identification of key genes and signaling pathways in thyroid carcinoma.

Thyroid carcinoma (TC) is one of the most common types of endocrine neoplasm with poor prognosis due to its aggressive behavior. Biomarkers for early diagnosis and prevention of TC are in urgent demand. By using a bioinformatics analysis, the present study aimed to identify essential genes and pathways associated with TC. First, the GSE27155 and GSE50901 expression profiles were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were obtained using the two microarray datasets and further subjected to integrated analysis. A gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis revealed 45 common DEGs in the two datasets. GO and KEGG pathway analysis indicated that the biological functions of the DEGs included protein binding, cardiac muscle cell potential involved in contraction, aldehyde dehydrogenase activity, the TGF-ß receptor signaling pathway and the canonical Wnt signaling pathway. A protein-protein interaction network was also constructed and visualized to display the nodes of the top 9 up- and 36 downregulated common DEGs. The integrated bioinformatics analysis indicated that potassium inwardly rectifying channel subfamily J member 2 (KCNJ2) was the most significantly upregulated DEG. The transcriptional levels of KCNJ2 were confirmed to be elevated in TC tissues compared with those in normal tissues using reverse transcription-quantitative PCR analysis. Furthermore, the expression level of KCNJ2 was significantly associated with the 5-year survival rate of patients with TC, which was determined using the Kaplan-Meier method. In TC cell lines, KCNJ2 was also upregulated as compared with that in a normal control cell line. Finally, small interfering RNA was used to knock down the expression of KCNJ2, which was demonstrated to inhibit cell proliferation, migration and invasion, while increasing apoptosis in TC cells. In conclusion, in the present study, KCNJ2 was screened as an oncogene with a crucial role in TC development and progression and may represent a promising candidate biomarker and therapeutic target for TC.

[Change of root morphology in intercropping systems of wheat and faba bean under different phosphorus levels and its relationship with endogenous hormones]. / 不同磷水平下小麦-èš•è±†é—´ä½œæ ¹ç³»å½¢æ€çš„å˜åŒ–åŠå ¶ä¸Žå† æºæ¿€ç´ çš„å ³ç³».

We examined the correlation between changes of root morphology and endogenous hormones in intercropping systems of wheat and faba bean under different phosphorus levels by hydroponics. Compared with monocropping wheat (MW), the intercropping of wheat and faba bean (W∥F) significantly increased root length of wheat, reduced root average diameter of wheat, and increased root surface area under the condition of 1/2P (low P) level. At the conventional phosphorus level, intercropping significantly reduced root average diameter of wheat, and increased root length and root surface area. Compared with monocropping faba bean (MF), W∥F significantly promoted the growth of faba bean root and increased root surface area of faba bean. At the level of 1/2P, intercropping significantly increased the content of auxin (IAA), abscisic acid (ABA), sali-cylic acid (SA) and jasmonic acid (JA). At the conventional phosphorus level, intercropping could significantly increase the content of IAA, ABA and JA in wheat root, while no significant difference in the SA content of wheat root between monocropping and intercropping wheat was found. Intercropping could increase the content of ABA and SA in faba bean roots, but did not affect IAA and JA contents of faba bean roots. There was no significant correlation between the contents of endogenous hormones (IAA, ABA, SA and JA) and root morphology (root length, root average diameter and root surface area) of wheat and faba bean roots in wheat or faba bean monocropping system. In wheat and faba bean intercropping system, there was a positive correlation between IAA contents of wheat and faba bean and their root length and root surface area. W∥F enhanced IAA of wheat and faba bean root, which was an important factor driving the change of root morphology in the intercropping system of wheat and faba bean.

Postoperative Nomogram for Predicting Cancer-Specific and Overall Survival among Patients with Medullary Thyroid Cancer.

BACKGROUND: Medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) accounts for 1%-2% of thyroid cancer in the United States based on the latest Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) data, and this study aimed to construct a comprehensive predictive nomogram based on various clinical variables in MTC patients who underwent total thyroidectomy and neck lymph nodes dissection. METHODS: Data regarding 1,237 MTC patients who underwent total thyroidectomy and neck lymph nodes dissection from 2004 to 2015 were obtained from the SEER database. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were used to screen for meaningful independent predictors. These independent factors were used to construct a nomogram model, a survival prognostication tool for 3- and 5-year overall survival, and cancer-specific survival among these MTC patients. RESULT: A total of 1,237 patients enrolled from the SEER database were randomly divided into the training group (n = 867) and the test group (n = 370). Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were used to identify meaningful independent prognostic factors (P < 0.05). Tumor size, age, metastasis status, and LNR were selected as independent predictors of overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS). Finally, two nomograms were developed, and the predicted C-index of overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS) rate in the training group was 0.828 and 0.904, respectively. The predicted C-index of overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS) rate in the test group was 0.813 and 0.828. CONCLUSION: Nomograms constructed by using various clinical variables can make more comprehensive and accurate predictions for MTC patients who underwent total thyroidectomy and neck lymph nodes. These predictive nomograms help identify postoperative high-risk MTC patients and facilitate patient counseling on clinical prognosis and follow-up.

Composting process and odor emission varied in windrow and trough composting system under different air humidity conditions.

To comprehensively investigate the effect of different air humidity conditions on the performance and odor emission in composting technology, a full-scale experiment was conducted simultaneously in the regions with low air relative humidity (Kunming) and high relative air humidity (Xishuangbanna), Yunnan province. The results showed that: In the regions with low relative air humidity, similar performances were found on organic matter degradation and germination index values in windrow and trough composting. Windrow composting got lower H2S emission, but higher NH3 release comparing with trough composting. Windrow composting was more susceptible to high relative air humidity. The degradation rate and germination index were 22% and 28% lower than those in trough composting. Therefore, the trough composting was recommended in the areas with high relative air humidity, while suitable NH3 mitigation measure should be considered.

Enhanced humification of maize straw and canola residue during composting by inoculating Phanerochaete chrysosporium in the cooling period.

To enhance the humification process, Phanerochaete chrysosporium (P. chrysosporium) was inoculated during different fermentation phases of the co-composting of maize straw and canola residue. The humification process was determined by evaluating cellulose and lignin contents and key enzyme activities during composting. Results showed that the cellulose and lignin degradation efficiency and humification degree of compost were significantly enhanced in the treatment that inoculated P. chrysosporium in the cooling period (T2). At the end of composting, compared with that in T1 (no inoculation), the content of cellulose and lignin in T2 decreased significantly by 40.00% and 64.30%, respectively, and compared with that in T1 and T3 (inoculation in the initial stage of composting) the content of humus in T2 increased significantly by 55.40% and 75.20%, respectively. This study confirms that inoculating P. chrysosporium during the cooling period promoted the degradation of cellulose and lignin, and therefore enhanced the compost humification.

Transient and Recyclable Halogenation Coupling (TRHC) for Isoflavonoid Synthesis with Site-Selective Arylation.

A transient and recyclable C-H iodination has been designed for the synthesis of isoflavonoids through the domino reactions of o-hydroxyphenyl enaminones and aryl boronic acids in the presence of catalytic KI and Pd catalyst. Instead of the conventional cross-coupling strategy employing pre-halogenated substrates, this method transforms raw C-H bond by means of a transient C-H halogenation to smoothly relay the subsequent C-arylation. Consequently, such a method avoids the pre-functionalization for C-halogen bond installation as well as the generation of stoichiometric halogen-containing waste following the cross-coupled product, disclosing an intriguing new coupling protocol to forge the C-C bond in the virgin area between classical C-X (X=halogen) bond cross coupling and the C-H activation.

Simultaneous determination of paeoniflorin from total glucosides of paeony in Sprague-Dawley rats and spontaneously hypertensive rats by high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry: in vivo and in vitro studies.

Paeoniflorin is a well-known monoterpene glucoside in the herbal drug that exhibits a number of biological activities. The pharmacokinetic characteristics of paeoniflorin from total glucosides of paeony in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) are still unclear. It is essential to investigate the in vivo and in vitro pharmacokinetic differences of paeoniflorin from total glucosides of paeony in Sprague-Dawley (SD) and SHR. The in vivo pharmacokinetic data were analyzed using DAS 2.0 software and the in vitro metabolic characteristics were measured using rat hepatic microsomes. The concentration of paeoniflorin in biological samples was determined using high-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry method, which showed good precision and stability. The plasma concentration-time profiles of paeoniflorin following oral administration of total glucosides of paeony showed a single peak and there were significant differences in the mean values of AUC(0-t) , AUC(0-∞) , CLz /F and Tmax between SD and SHR (p < 0.05). The metabolic rate of paeoniflorin from total glucosides of paeony was slower in SHR than in SD rats (p < 0.05). The results might be useful in further applications of paeoniflorin and total glucosides of paeony. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.