Quality chemical analysis of crush-tear-curl (CTC) black tea from different geographical regions based on UHPLC-Orbitrap-MS.

Crush-tear-curl (CTC) black tea is a popular beverage, owing to its unique taste characteristics and health benefits. However, differences in the taste quality and chemical profiles of CTC black tea from different geographical regions remain unclear. In this study, 28 CTC black tea samples were collected from six geographical regions and analyzed using electronic tongue and ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography-Orbitrap-mass spectroscopy. The e-tongue analysis indicated that each region's CTC black tea has its own relatively prominent taste characteristics: Sri Lanka (more umami and astringent), North India (more umami), China (more sweetness and astringent), South India (moderate umami and sweetness), and Kenya (moderate umami and astringent). Based on multivariate statistical analysis, 78 metabolites were tentatively identified and used as potential markers for CTC black tea of different origins, mainly including amino acids, flavone/flavonol glycosides, and pigments. Different metabolites, which contributed to the taste characteristics of CTC black tea, were clarified by partial least squares regression correlation analysis. Our findings may serve as useful references for future studies on origin traceability and quality characteristic determination of CTC black teas. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: This study provides useful references for future studies on the origin traceability and taste characteristic determination of CTC black teas from different geographical regions.

SACT: A New Model of Covert Communication Based on SDN.

Anonymous tracking technology of network watermarking is limited by the deployment of tracking devices in traditional network structure, resulting in poor scalability and reusability. Software Defined Network (SDN) boasts more freedom thanks to its separation of the control plane from the data plane. In this paper, a new anonymous communication tracking model SDN-based Anonymous Communication Tracking (SACT) is proposed, which introduces network watermarking into SDN and combines IP time hidden channel and symbol expansion technology. In addition, we introduce a hopping protection mechanism to improve the anti detection ability of the watermark as well. The experimental results show that in a variety of simulated network environments, SACT achieves excellent detection rate and bit error rate, thus it is sufficient to determine the communication relationship between the two parties. Meanwhile, SACT solves the deployment problem of anonymous tracking and improves the availability and scalability of covert communication.

Theoretical study on the mechanism of cycloaddition reaction between silylene silylene(H2Si=Si:) and acetaldehyde.

The mechanism of the cycloaddition reaction between singlet silylene silylene (H2Si=Si:) and acetaldehyde has been investigated with CCSD(T)//MP2/6-31G* and CCSD(T)//MP2/6-31G** method, from the potential energy profile, we could predict that the reaction has three competitive dominant reaction pathways. The present rule of this reaction is that the 3p unoccupied orbital of the Si: atom in silylene silylene (H2Si=Si:) inserts on the π orbital of acetaldehyde from oxygen side, resulting in the formation of an intermediate. Isomerization of the intermediate further leads to the generation of a four-membered ring silylene (the H2Si-O in the opposite position). In addition, the [2 + 2] cycloaddition reaction of the two π-bonds in silylene silylene and acetaldehyde generates another four-membered ring silylene (the H2Si-O in the syn-position). Because of the unsaturated property of Si: atom in the two four-membered ring silylenes, they could further react with acetaldehyde, resulting in the generation of two spiro-heterocyclic ring compounds with Si. Simultaneously, the ring strain of the four-membered ring silylene (the H2Si-O in the syn-position) makes it isomerize to a twisted four-membered ring product.

Improvement of Torenia fournieri salinity tolerance by expression of Arabidopsis AtNHX5.

In this paper, transgenic torenia plants expressing the AtNHX5 gene from Arabidopsis in sense and antisense orientations were produced to examine the potential role of AtNHX5 in plant salt tolerance and development. We found that torenia plants overexpressing AtNHX5 showed markedly enhanced tolerance to salt stress compared with both wild-type and antisense AtNHX5 transgenic plants upon salt stress. Measurements of ion levels indicated that Na+ and K+ contents were all higher in AtNHX5 overexpressing shoots than in those of both wild-type and antisense AtNHX5 shoots treated with 50 mm NaCl. This indicated that overexpression of AtNHX5 could improve the salt tolerance of transgenic torenia via accumulation of both Na+ and K+ in shoots, in which overall ion homeostasis and osmotic adjustment was changed to sustain the increase in shoot salt tolerance. Further, we found that overexpression of AtNHX5 in torenia significantly improved the shoot regeneration frequency in leaf explants and increased the plantlet survival rate when transferring the regenerated plants to soil. In addition, the AtNHX5 expressing plants produced flowers earlier than both wild-type and the antisense AtNHX5 plants. Taken together, the results indicated that AtNHX5 functions not only in plant salt tolerance but also in plant growth and development.

[Microtuber induction in vitro from Rehmannia glutinosa].

OBJECTIVE: To set up the fittest medium and optimum condition for plantlets to form microtubers. METHOD: Plant hormones, concentration of sucrose, active carbon and light time influenced formation of adventitious root and microtuber in vitro from plantlet of Rehmannia glutinosa (85-5). RESULT AND CONCLUSION: The plantlets were cultivated on the medium of microtuber induction after roots were induced on the 1/2MS medium with IBA 1 mg.L-1. The best medium was MS + 6-BA 2 mg.L-1 + NAA 0.1 mg.L-1 + Sucrose 5%. The fittest incubation temperature was 25 degrees C and the light length was (2,000-3,000 lx) 12 h.d-1. Active carbon and GA3 should not be added to the medium, which was not suitable for the induction of microtuber.