An Update on 2,5-Diketopiperazines from Marine Organisms

2,5-Diketopiperazines (2,5-DKPs) are an important category of structurally diverse cyclic dipeptides with prominent biological properties. These 2,5-DKPs have been obtained from a variety of natural resources, including marine organisms. Because of the increasing numbers and biological importance of these compounds, this review covers 90 marine originated 2,5-DKPs that were reported from 2009 to the first half-year of 2014. The review will focus on the structure characterizations, biological properties and proposed biosynthetic processes of these compounds.     

EFFECTS OF SALINITY STRESS ON PHYSIOLOGICAL PERFORMANCE OF VARIOUS WHEAT AND BARLEY CULTIVARS

An experiment with factorial arrangement of treatments on a randomized complete block (RCB) design basis with three replications was conducted in a greenhouse during Spring 2010 to investigate changes in sodium ion (Na⁺), potassium ion (K⁺), Na⁺/K⁺ and to determine proline, protein content, and superoxide dismutase (SOD) of four wheat and four barley cultivars. Three salt levels {1, control (no salt), 7, and 13 dS m^?1 [2.5 and 5 g salt [sodium chloride (NaCl) and sodium sulfate (Na₂SO₄) in 1:1 ratio] per kg of soil, respectively]} were used in this investigation. Salt stress treatments were applied 4 weeks after planting (at 2 leaf stage). Leaf samples were taken four weeks after imposition of salt treatment. The results showed that salinity caused an increased in proline and protein content, and SOD in all wheat and barley cultivars. The highest proline and protein content of barley and wheat cultivars at all salinity levels were observed in ‘Nimrooz’ and ‘Bam’ cultivars, respectively. At all salinity levels, wheat and barley cultivars ‘Kavir’ and ‘Nimrooz’, respectively, had the lowest Na⁺ content. Barley cultivar ‘Kavir’ and wheat cultivar ‘Bam’ had higher K⁺ and K⁺:Na⁺ ratios. This might be related to salt tolerance in these two cultivars. Wheat and barley cultivars showed differences with regard to proline, protein, and SOD content, Na⁺, K⁺, and K⁺:Na⁺ ratio, indicating existence of genetic diversity among the cultivars. These findings indicated that higher K⁺, K⁺:Na⁺ ratio, proline, protein, and SOD content could be the key factors, which offer advantage to barley over wheat for superior performance under saline conditions.     

灌浆期高温胁迫下外源水杨酸对小麦旗叶抗氧化生理特性的影响

为探讨外源水杨酸(SA)对缓解小麦花后高温伤害的作用,本研究于2019—2020年进行盆栽试验,以扬麦18号为材料,在田间增温棚中进行花后15~19 d的高温胁迫处理,比较不同时期预喷施外源SA处理下小麦的抗氧化生理特性。结果表明,高温胁迫处理导致丙二醛(MDA)和过氧化氢(H₂O₂)含量增加,旗叶超氧阴离子( {{\mathrm{O}}_2}^{.-})产生速率加快,小麦细胞膜脂过氧化程度加剧,对小麦旗叶造成损害;喷施外源SA后,灌浆期小麦旗叶超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)、过氧化氢酶(CAT)和过氧化物酶(POD)等抗氧化酶活性有所提高,抗逆指标苯丙氨酸解氨酶(PAL)和多酚氧化酶(PPO)活性提高,表明外源SA增强了小麦对高温环境的抵抗能力;不同时期喷施外源SA后,开花期预喷施SA处理相对其他处理缓解高温胁迫伤害效果最好。综上,喷施外源SA可通过提高小麦旗叶抗氧化酶和抗逆酶的活性缓解灌浆期高温胁迫对小麦旗叶的损伤程度,且开花期喷施效果较佳。本研究结果为减轻高温对小麦生产的危害提供了新的技术途径。     

厌氧/缺氧/好氧生物接触氧化处理低碳氮比污水的物料平衡

为了提高低碳氮比污水的治理效果,提出了厌氧/缺氧/好氧-生物接触氧化脱氮除磷工艺(anaerobic anoxic oxic-biological contact oxidation,A2/O-BCO),研究了该工艺处理生活污水的脱氮除磷性能,建立了该系统处理过程的碳(以化学需氧量计,chemical oxygen demand,COD)、氮、磷的物料衡算公式,同时分析评价了不同硝化液回流比(100%,200%,300%,400%)下各指标的物料平衡情况。结果表明,该工艺在充分利用原水碳源、深度脱氮除磷方面具有较强的优势,系统COD主要在A2/O中厌氧段被利用,通过反硝化聚磷菌反硝化除磷脱氮;系统COD的物料衡算公式平衡百分比分别为96.4%、99.6%、98.7%和98.3%,氮的物料衡算公式平衡百分比分别为99.7%、98.2%、99.2%和96.5%,磷的物料衡算公式平衡百分比分别为92.0%、98.1%、93.3%和90.4%;荧光原位杂交表明生物膜中有厌氧氨氧化菌存在,且其数量占全菌比例的0.6%~2.7%,生物接触氧化的氮损失可能是由于发生了厌氧氨氧化反应;在硝化液回流比为300%时,系统氮、磷去除效果最好,出水达到国家城镇污水处理厂污染物排放标准一级A标准。该研究有助于更好地理解和分析工艺系统有机物、氮和磷的分布及变化情况,并且为评价试验数据的可靠性以及数学模型的建立提供了理论依据和指导,能更好地推广到分散型、量小且日变化系数较大的农村生活污水的治理事业中。     

钼基催化剂活性特征及其催化柴油机碳烟氧化特性

为探究钼基催化剂的表面活性相结构,采用浸渍法制备了不同钼负载量纳米级MoO3/TiO2催化剂,通过比表面积分析仪(BET,brunner-emmet-teller)、傅里叶红外光谱分析(FT-IR,fourier transform infrared spectrometer)、X射线衍射仪(XRD,X-ray diffractomer)以及扫描电镜(SEM,scanning electron microscope)对催化剂的物化特性进行了表征。同时,为探究钼基催化剂改善碳烟催化氧化特性,以Printex-U碳黑作为实际发动机颗粒的替代物,利用热重分析法探究钼基催化剂对碳烟的催化氧化特性,并基于Starink法定量表征碳烟催化氧化反应过程。结果表明:较低钼负载量时,活性组分MoO3主要以非晶态或小晶态存在。当负载量超过10%时,催化剂表面开始出现正交晶系MoO3结晶区,所有样品均以稳定的钼氧双键形态存在在松接触状态下,具有低熔点性质的MoO3仍表现出良好的催化效果。随着MoO3/TiO2催化剂上钼负载量的增加,碳烟氧化特征温度随之降低,催化剂活性呈递增趋势,其并未受阈值效应与比表面积的制约,仅与活性组分MoO3含量呈正比关系。催化剂Mo∶Ti质量比为40∶60表现出最高的催化活性,与无催化剂状态相比,此时催化剂碳烟的起燃温度、峰值温度、燃尽温度分别降低了约84.4、122.6和122.7℃。Starink法热力学分析得到催化剂活性序列为无催化剂Mo∶Ti(质量比为5∶95)Mo∶Ti(质量比为10∶90)Mo∶Ti(质量比为20∶80)Mo∶Ti(质量比为40∶60)。因此,负载型钼基催化剂的催化活性随其质量负载量的增加而增加。     

催化氧化法与直接燃烧法测定土壤总碳之比较

土壤碳库由有机碳库和无机碳库两大部分组成。选择黑土和潮土两种不同类型土壤,分别通过直接燃烧和催化氧化方法测定土壤总碳含量,以揭示两种方法测定结果的可比性及其差导显著性,每个样品每种方法重复测定5次。结果表明：催化氧化法和直接燃烧法测定的黑土总碳含量平均值分别为(15.10±0.03) g/kg和(15.38±0.32) g/kg,t检验两种方法的测定结果无明显差异。催化氧化法测定的潮土总碳含量为(15.07 ±0.06) g/kg,直接燃烧法测定潮土总碳含量为(15.76 ±0.18) g/kg,t检验结果差异明显。两种仪器土壤总碳测定结果精密度均较高,相对偏差均小于5%。为采用仪器方法测定土壤总碳含量及土壤碳库量变化提供参考。     

Perspectives from the Fritz‐Scheffer Awardee 2017. How mucilage affects soil hydraulic dynamics#

Mucilage is a hydrogel exuded at root tips, which can hold large amounts of water but turns hydrophobic once dried. It is very challenging to understand the interplay of these opposite mechanisms and to incorporated them into hydraulic soil models. My summary of experimental and modelling approaches and observations at various scales is meant to help improving soil–plant water dynamic models and may also be helpful when water dynamics need to be considered in biogeochemical rhizosphere models.     

Stabilization of chromium(VI) by hydroxysulfate green rust in chromium(VI)-contaminated soils

Chromium (Cr)-contaminated soils pose a great environmental risk, with high solubility and persistent leaching of Cr(VI). In this study, hydroxysulfate green rust (GR_SO4), with the general formula Fe(II)₄Fe(III)₂(OH)₁₂SO₄·8H₂O, was evaluated for its efficiency in Cr(VI) stabilization via Cr(VI) reduction to Cr(III) in four representative Cr(VI)-spiked soils. The initial concentrations of phosphate buffer-extractable Cr(VI) (Cr(VI)_b) in soils 1, 2, 3, and 4 were 382.4, 575.9, 551.3, and 483.7 mg kg^-1, respectively. Reduction of Cr(VI) to Cr(III) by structural Fe(II) (Fe(II)_s) in GR_SO4 in all studied soils was fast, wherein the application of GR_SO4 markedly decreased the amount of Cr(VI)_b at the Cr(VI)_b/Fe(II)_s stoichiometric mole ratio of 0.33. The kinetics of Cr(VI) reduction by GR_SO4 could not be determined as this reaction coincided with the release of Cr(VI) from soil during the experiment. The concentration of Cr(VI)_b decreased, as the Cr(VI)_b/Fe(II)_s ratio decreased from 0.46 to 0.20, generally to below 10 mg kg^-1. Back-transformation of the generated Cr(III) was examined in the presence of manganese oxide birnessite at the birnessite/initial Cr(III) mole ratio of 4.5. The results of batch tests showed that only 5.2% of the initial Cr(III) was converted to Cr(VI) after two months, while under field capacity moisture conditions, less than 0.05% of the initial Cr(III) was oxidized to Cr(VI) after six months. The results illustrated that remediation of Cr(VI)-contaminated soils would be fast, successful, and irreversible with an appropriate quantity of fresh GR_SO4.     

Performance of soil and water conservation practices in the erosion evolution process,runoff dynamics and surface roughness

Soil and water conservation practices are used widely to prevent soil erosion and protect soil and water resources, which is significant for ecological restoration and food security. However, rill evolution processes, erosion and deposition characteristics and critical hydrodynamic parameters need more research. In order to investigate the effect of soil and water conservation practices on soil erosion dynamics, simulated rainfall experiments were undertaken in a laboratory on 15° loess slopes with engineering measures (fish-scale pits, FSPs), tillage measures (artificial digging, AD; contour ploughing, CP) and bare slope (CK). The results showed that: (1) during rill erosion, hillslopes with FSPs, CP and AD were more likely to develop wide and shallow rills, while a bare slope (CK) was more likely to develop narrow and deep rills. At the end of the experiment (cumulative rainfall was about 150 mm), headward retreat erosion dominated the AD slope (maximum rill length: 3.27 m), side-wall expansion erosion dominated the CP slope (maximum rill width: 0.522 m) and bed incision erosion dominated the CK (maximum rill depth: 0.09 m); (2) soil and water conservation practices reduced surface erosion and sediment transport and runoff velocity. However, the positive effects disappeared when rainfall amounts exceeded 82.5, 105 and 127.5 mm for FSPs, CP and AD, respectively; (3) for runoff kinetic energy and runoff shear strength of 3 J and 1.5 N/m², respectively, soil and water conservation measures had greater anti-erosion abilities than CK; (4) as rainfall duration increased, surface roughness, runoff rate and sediment concentration increased on the CK and FSP treatments, but decreased on the CP and AD treatments. This study has important implications for managing different soil and water conservation measures based on rainfall conditions and offers a deeper understanding of soil erosion processes.     

Effects of potentially inhibiting substances on C and net N mineralization of a sandy soil—a case study

Recently, indirect evidence was obtained for inhibition of soil net N mineralization by sterols in soil organic matter, which could have been caused by their antioxidant or antimicrobial properties. The objective of this study was to test the effect of potential inhibitors (i.e., individual compounds with known antioxidant and/or antimicrobial properties) on soil microbial mineralization processes during incubation for 7 and 14 d. A sandy agricultural soil was amended with four substances: two phenolic acids differing in their antioxidant capacity (AOC) (acetovanillone with no AOC, ferulic acid with large AOC), Trolox, an analogue of vitamin E (large AOC), and β‐sitosterol (no AOC, but potential antimicrobial properties). The two compounds with large AOC (ferulic acid and Trolox) showed no significant inhibition of C and net N mineralization; and the Trolox amendment actually caused a significant increase in C and net N mineralization after 7 d of incubation. Acetovanillone with no measurable AOC caused a significant increase in C mineralization (109% of substance C added), indicating degradation of the substance, and a very pronounced negative net N mineralization within 7 d (–356%), which was interpreted as N immobilization. Only β‐sitosterol showed strong inhibition of net N mineralization after 7 and 14 d (–59% and –26%, respectively) which was not interpreted as N immobilization, since there was no concomitant increase in C mineralization. Thus, an antimicrobial effect of β‐sitosterol specificly on microorganisms of the N cycle was suggested, but there was no clear inhibitory effect caused by the antioxidant compounds.