Distribution of Calcium in Bagged Apple Fruit and Relationship between Antioxidant Enzyme Activity and Bitter Pit

[Objective]The aim was to study the distribution of Ca in bagged apple fruit and the relationship between antioxidant enzyme activity and bitter pit disease,which will provide a basis for resolving Ca metabolism disorder in apple cultivation. [Method]With Fuji Apple as the tested material,the changes of Ca2＋ content and antioxidant enzyme activity in different parts of apple fruit after picking bags and storage period were determined. [Result]The results showed that Ca contents in the light surface of fruits were higher than that in the backlight surface. The Ca contents of stalk cavity were higher than that of calyx-end. The activities of SOD,POD,CAT and APX in the light surface of fruits were higher than that in the backlight surface. The activities of SOD,POD,CAT and APX of stalk cavity were higher than that of calyx-end. The contents of MDA in the light surface of fruits were lower than that in the backlight surface. The contents of MDA of stalk cavity were lower than that of calyx-end. [Conclusion]The incidence rate of bitter pit in the light surface of fruits were lower than that in the backlight surface,and the incidence rate of bitter pit of stalk cavity were lower than that of calyx-end.

Effects of Trichosporon sp. in Combination with Calcium and Fungicide on Biocontrol of Postharvest Diseases in Apple Fruits

The capability of yeast Trichosporon sp., an antagonist isolated from peach fruit, in biological control was evaluated in apple ( Malus domestica Borkh. cv. Fuji) fruits, when inoculated with different concentrations of Botrytis cinerea Pers. and Penicillium expansum (Link) Thom, as well as in combination with calcium and fungicide. The concentrations of the yeast cells and pathogen spores obviously influenced disease incidence and lesion development in apples. There was a significant negative correlation between concentrations of the yeast cells and infectivity of the pathogens. When the yeast cell suspensions reached the concentration of 10 8 colony_forming units (CFU) /mL, there was no infection caused by B. cinerea and P. expansum with spore concentrations below 10 6 spores/mL in apple fruits. The yeast at concentrations of 10 6-10 7 CFU/mL in combination with fungicide (iprodione at 50 μL/L) provided control of decay caused by B. cinerea and P. expansum better than separate application. Effect of controlling gray mould and blue mould rots was enhanced when Trichosporon sp., even at low concentration of 10 5 CFU/mL, was applied in the presence of 1%-2% CaCl 2 in an aqueous suspension.

Dynamic Changes in the Calcium Content of Several Apple Cultivars During the Growing Season

Dynamic changes in calcium content were investigated in eight apple cultivars. The results showed that the calcium concentration in leaves and shoots increased with fruit development. The cultivars displayed only a small difference in the calcium concentration during the early stage of development, the difference became very significant at the late stage of development, especially in shoots. In shoots, for example, calcium content was highest in Starkrimson (19 638.6 mg kg-1) and lowest in Fuji (8 751.3 mg kg-1). Calcium concentration was highest in young fruits and was found to decrease with the growth of fruit, and was characterized by a dramatic drop at the rapid expansion stage. There was a significant difference among cultivars. Young Starkrimson fruits contained the highest calcium concentration of 506.52 mg kg-1 among cultivars tested, followed by Pink Lady and Fuji. The calcium concentration in mature fruits from high to low is as follows: Starkrimson, Sansa, Pink Lady, Senshu, Gala, Fuji, Red General and New Century. In this study, it was found that eight cultivars continuously assimilated calcium during the whole growing season, especially at the young stage when fruit took up 35-46% of total calcium. The calcium content in fruitlets was low in all cultivars; in the expansion stage, there was rapid absorption of about 30% of total calcium, whereas in the ripening fruit, content of calcium was reduced. The calcium accumulation increased with fruit growth in stalk, similar to that in fruit.

Therapeutic effect of rotational atherectomy with implantation of drug eluting stent in heavily coronary calcified patients

Background Rotational atherectomy （RA） could facilitate the percutaneous coronary intervention （PCI） in heavily coronary calcified patients. The effectiveness and safety of this technique needs to be further evaluated. Methods ＆ Results Eighty patients who underwent RA in our center from September 2011 to June 2014 were enrolled. The mean age was 72.4 ± 10.4 years. The left ventricular ejection frac- tion （LVEF） was average 52.3% ± 8.48% and the estimated glomerular filtration rate was 73.2 ± 3.20 mL/min per 1.73 m2. The coronary lesions were complex, with Syntax score 29.5 ± 9.86. The diameter of reference vessel was 3.4 ± 0.45 mm and the average diameter stenosis of target vessels was 80% ~ 10%. All the patients were deployed with drug eluting stents （DES） successfully aiter RA. The patients were followed up for 12-18 months. Kaplan-Meier plots estimated the survival rate was 93.4% and the cumulative incidence of major adverse cardiac and cerebral events （MACCE） was 25.4%. Bleeding and procedural-related complications were quite low. COX proportional hazards model for multivariate analysis demonstrated that diabetes, LVEF and maximum pressure of postdilatation were the predictors of MACCE. Conclusions RA followed by implantation of DES was effective and safe for heavily coronary calcified patients. Diabetes, LVEF and maximum pressure ofpostdilatation were predictive for MACCE.

Transradial versus transfemoral rotablation for heavily calcified coronary lesions in contemporary drug-eluting stent era

Background Although radial access for drug-eluting stent （DES） combined with rotational atherectomy （RA） in patients with calcified coronary lesions may be associated with a lower risk of major bleeding complications and obtain favorable clinical results compared with femoral access, the long-term outcome data of this approach were limited in contemporary DES era. Methods ＆ Results This retrospective study sought to compare in-hospital and long-term outcomes for patients undergoing RA via the transradial （TR） and transfemoral （TF） route in 126 consecutive patients （59 radial, 67 femoral） from 2009 to 2014. TR RA procedures were performed in 44/62 （71%） by the three TR operators, compared with 15/64 （23%） by the four TF operators in the present study. Significantly smaller diameter guide catheters and burrs （1.39 ± 0.16 mm vs. 1.53 ± 0.24 mm, P = 0.001） were used in the TR group. Procedural success rates were similar in both TR and TF groups. There was a significantly less major access site bleeding complications in favor of radial artery access （2% vs. 16%, P = 0.012）. The incidence of in-hospital death or myocardial infarction was low in both groups. Although a trend of lower adverse event rate was demonstrated in the TR group compared with the TF one, no statistical significance （21% vs. 27%, P = 0.135） was detected. Conclusions Radial access, a useful alternative to femoral access for RA and DES, can be safely and successfully performed on up to 71% of the patients with heavily calcified coronary lesions needing RA by experienced TR operators.

Biochemical Evidences for Scopoletin Inhibits Ca^(2+)-ATPase Activity in the Carmine Spider Mite,Tetranychus cinnabarinus(Boisduval)

[Objective] This study aimed to investigate the acaricidal lffect of scopo- letin, and provide the biochemical evidences of scopoletin influencus Ca2＋-ATPase activity and gene expressions in the Carmine Spider Mite, Tetranych＇us cinnabarinus. in increased protein contents; kinetic analysis showed that the catalytic capability of Ca2＋-ATPase was significantly reduced by scopoletin. [Conclusion] Scopoletin exhibits a significant inhibitory effect on Ca2＋-ATPase, and its acaricidal effect against T. cinnabarinus might be due to the direct inhibition of Ca2＋-ATPase.

Influence of Calcium Sources and Concentration on the Storage Performance of Strawberry Fruit

Chemical application after harvest is an important method to preserve strawberry fruit quality and extend shelf life. The strawberry fruits harvested at red stage were treated with three different sources of calcium, i.e., calcium nitrate, calcium gluconate and calcium chloride at calcium concentration of 0% （distilled water）, 0.5%, 1.0% and 1.5%. The strawberry fruits were dipped for 30 s. The calcium sources, calcium concentration and the interaction of calcium sources and calcium concentration significantly affected the storage performance of strawberry fruits. All the three sources and concentrations were effective in decreasing the storage associated changes, i.e., weight loss, decline in marketable fruits, loss of organoleptic quality, increase in total soluble solids （TSS）, decline in reducing sugars, total sugars, acidity and increase in sugar/acid ratio in strawberry fruit, thus extending the shelf life. Calcium gluconate at 1.5% calcium concentration was more effective. Treatment of strawberry fruit with 1.5% calcium from calcium gluconate source resulted in the highest number of marketable fruit （100%）, extended shelf life （10 d）, and total soluble solid （7.80%） with the minimum weight loss （5.45%）. Calcium dips result in higher calcium concentration in strawberry fruits, which delays ripening in fruits by maintaining the structure and function of cell walls and membranes. It can be concluded that calcium gluconate at 1.5% concentration is an effective calcium treatment to retain the quality and extend the shelf life of strawberry fruit.

Effect of CaCl2, Citric Acid and Storage Period on Physico-Chemical Characteristics of Cherry Candy

Cherry cultivar Misri （Bigarreau Noir Grossa） was used for making candy. Pitting of fruit was done manually and KMS （0.2%） was added for bleaching. The fruit was pretreated using 4 levels of CaCl2 （Co = 0%, C1 = 1%, C2 = 1.5%, C3 = 2%） and stored in jars for 4 weeks. Thereafter, application of colour was done using Erythrosine （0.05%） followed by dipping pitted fruits in sugar syrup for 24 hours. The samples were treated with 4 levels of citric acid （To = 0%, Tl = 1%, T2 = 1.5%, T3 = 2%） and then concentrated subsequently till desired TSS of 70~ Brix was attained. The samples were dried in cabinet drier at 80 ±20 ℃till constant moisture was attained. The product was packed in polyethene pouches and stored under ambient storage conditions. Results revealed that there was gradual increase in reducing sugars （%）, total sugars （%） during storage while as moisture content （%） decreased. The product developed was found economically profitable and viable for commercial production.

Effects of 4 Types of Remediation Agents on Reducing Cd Contents in Soil and Rice on Cd-contaminated Farmland

A field experiment was carried out in Cd-contaminated rice fields in a county of Hengyang to explore the effects of different types of remediation agents on the contents of soil available Cd and rice Cd,and rice yield by using one rice variety Longliangyouhuazhan,and 4 kinds of remediation agents:DG foliar control agent,SMA microbial inoculant,XFJ organic fertilizer and LXM calcium-and silicon-based passivator as test materials.The results showed that compared with CK,after applying DG foliar control agent,soil available Cd content increased rather than decreased,whereas rice Cd content decreased,not reaching a significant level.When applied with SMA microbial inoculant,soil pH value,soil available Cd and rice Cd contents showed a downward then upward trend with the increase of its application rates.Between 3 levels of SMA treatments,the content of soil available Cd in SMA2 was the lowest,decreased by 8.59%in comparison with CK,contrarily,two other SMA treatments were increasing instead of decreasing in the content of soil available Cd.The application of XFJ organic fertilizer and LXM calcium-and silicon-based passivator increased soil pH value,and reduced soil available Cd and rice Cd contents;the contents of soil available Cd and rice Cd decreased with their application rates increasing.Compared with CK,XFJ3 reduced soil available Cd content by 9.40%,and significantly reduced rice Cd content by 57.28%.In LXM3 treatment,soil available Cd content reduced by 14.57%,rice Cd content was 71.57%lower than CK,reaching the lowest level.In general,LXM calcium-and silicon-based passivator had the best Cd reduction effect,with the optimal application amount of 6000 kg/hm^(2).

Calcium-catalyzed reactions of element-H bonds

Investigation on organocalcium catalysis is just unfolding during the past decade. Beside conventional Ca salts with strong electron-withdrawing counter anions that may serve as Lewis acid catalysts, many Ca complexes have also been designed recently and found to be good catalysts in activation of element-H （E-H） bonds like transition metal catalysts. These findings are interesting and may attract the interest of the chemists. Due to the great abundance, non-toxicity, and biocompatible features of Ca element, Ca-catalyzed reactions can be of great significance from the viewpoint of industry. This short review summarizes the recent advances on Ca-catalyzed reactions of E-H bonds. We hope that it may provide a useful guide for interested readers from both the academy and industry.

Identifying the functional groups effect on passivating perovskite solar cells

Many organic molecules with various functional groups have been used to passivate the perovskite surface for improving the efficiency and stability of perovskite solar cell(PSCs).However,the intrinsic attributes of the passivation effect based on different chemical bonds are rarely studied.Here,we comparatively investigate the passivation effect among 12 types of functional groups on para-tertbutylbenzene for PSCs and find that the open circuit voltage(VOC) tends to increase with the chemical bonding strength between perovskite and these passivation additive molecules.Particularly,the paratert-butylbenzoic acid(tB-COOH),with the extra intermolecular hydrogen bonding,can stabilize the surface passivation of perovskite films exceptionally well through formation of a crystalline interlayer with water-insoluble property and high melting point.As a result,the tB-COOH device achieves a champion power conversion efficiency(PCE) of 21.46%.More importantly,such devices,which were stored in ambient air with a relative humidity of ~45%,can retain 88% of their initial performance after a testing period of more than 1 year(10,080 h).This work provides a case study to understand chemical bonding effects on passivation of perovskite.

Calculation of laser induced collisional energy transfer in the Sr-Ca system

Based on the four-state model of laser-induced collisional energy transfer,the cross section of the collisional energy transfer in the Sr-Ca system is obtained.Various factors,including field intensity,relative speed,and temperature,which influence the collisional cross section,are discussed for illustrating the features of the Sr-Ca laser-induced collisional energy transfer(LICET) process.The calculated results show that the LICET spectral profiles obviously become narrower when the laser field intensity increases.The collision cross section rises with laser intensity and tends to saturate.In the vicinity of the spectral profile center,the cross section at fixed laser detuning becomes smaller as the relative speed and system temperature increase.The results indicate that the intermediate states strongly affect the spectral profile of LICET.

Experimental study on the repair of tibial plateau defect

Objective： To evaluate the effect of autograft bone, allograft bone, calcium sulfate bone cement, and calcium phosphate bone cement on the repair of tibial plateau defect in rabbits. Methods： We used autograft bone, allograft bone, calcium sulfate bone cement, and calcium phosphate bone ce ment to repair tibial plateau defect in rabbits. Gross and histo logic observations, Xray examination, and biomechanical test were conducted at 1, 2, 4, 8 weeks after operation. Results： Xray examination found that the bone den sity was evidently reduced in calcium sulfate group at 8 weeks after operation; there were no marked changes in other groups. The maximal load measurements showed that autograft and allograft groups were greater than calcium sulfate and calcium phosphate groups at 1 and 2 weeks after operation. However at 4 and 8 weeks after operation, no significant difference was found among the four groups. In autograft and allograft groups, there was no significant difference in biomechanical intensity at 2, 4, and 8 weeks,but it was significantly higher than that at 1 week. In cal cium sulfate and calcium phosphate groups, the outcome was ranked in descending order as 1 week〈 2 week〈 4 week =8 week. Histologic examination found a great amount of new bones at 8 week in both autograft and allograft groups. In calcium sulfate group, calcium sulfate was almost absorbed and there were numerous bone trabeculations. There was a large amount of unabsorbed calcium phosphate in calcium phosphate group. Conclusion： At 12 weeks postoperatively, the biome chanical intensity is higher in autograft and allograft groups than calcium sulfate and calcium phosphate groups, but after 48 weeks, there is no significant difference among groups. At 12 weeks, the biomechanical intensity in all groups is increased, but at 48 weeks, there is no significant increase. The rates of absorption and bone formation are quicker in calcium sulfate group than calcium phosphate group.