Leaf Functional Traits in Relation to Species Composition in an Arctic-Alpine Tundra Grassland.

The relict arctic-alpine tundra provides a natural laboratory to study the potential impacts of climate change and anthropogenic disturbance on tundra vegetation. The -dominated relict tundra grasslands in the Krkonoše Mountains have experienced shifting species dynamics over the past few decades. Changes in species cover of the four competing grasses-, , , and -were successfully detected using orthophotos.

Analysis of thermally and UV-Vis aged plasticized PVC using UV-Vis, ATR-FTIR and Raman spectroscopy.

The stability of plasticized poly (vinyl chloride) (PVC-P) stored under indoor conditions, despite it being in commercial use for more than 80 years, hasn't been sufficiently experimentally examined, as documented in available works on PVC-P stability. With the increasing number of actively deteriorating priceless modern and contemporary artworks made of PVC-P, there is a growing need for studies dealing with the analysis of changing characteristics of PVC-P during its aging under indoor conditions. This work addresses these issues by designing PVC-P formulations, drawing on the available information on technology of PVC production and PVC compounding from the last century, and analyzing the changes in the characteristic properties of model samples made from the designed PVC-P formulations exposed to accelerated UV-Vis and thermal aging using UV-Vis, ATR-FTIR and Raman spectroscopy.

Trifluoromethylcinnamanilide Michael Acceptors for Treatment of Resistant Bacterial Infections.

A series of thirty-two anilides of 3-(trifluoromethyl)cinnamic acid (series ) and 4-(trifluoromethyl)cinnamic acid (series ) was prepared by microwave-assisted synthesis. All the compounds were tested against reference strains ATCC 29213 and ATCC 29212 and resistant clinical isolates of methicillin-resistant (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant (VRE). All the compounds were evaluated in vitro against ATCC 700084 and CAMP 5644.

Single and interactive effects of variables associated with climate change on wheat metabolome.

One of the key challenges linked with future food and nutritional security is to evaluate the interactive effect of climate variables on plants' growth, fitness, and yield parameters. These interactions may lead to unique shifts in the morphological, physiological, gene expression, or metabolite accumulation patterns, leading to an adaptation response that is specific to future climate scenarios. To understand such changes, we exposed spring wheat to 7 regimes (3 single and 4 combined climate treatments) composed of elevated temperature, the enhanced concentration of CO, and progressive drought stress corresponding to the predicted climate of the year 2100.

UV radiation and drought interact differently in grass and forb species of a mountain grassland.

Among abiotic stressors, drought and enhanced ultraviolet radiation (UV) received a lot of attention, because of their potential to impair plant growth. Since drought and UV induce partially similar protective mechanisms, we tested the hypothesis that UV ameliorates the effect of reduced water availability (WA) in selected grass (Holcus mollis and Agrostis capillaris) and forb species (Hypericum maculatum and Rumex acetosa). During 2011-2014, an outdoor manipulation experiment was conducted on a mountain grassland ecosystem (Beskydy Mts; Czech Republic).

Antistaphylococcal Activities and ADME-Related Properties of Chlorinated Arylcarbamoylnaphthalenylcarbamates.

Pattern 1-hydroxy-N-(2,4,5-trichlorophenyl)-2-naphthamide and the thirteen original carbamates derived from it were prepared and characterized. All the compounds were tested against Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 29213 as a reference and quality control strain and in addition against three clinical isolates of methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA).

Synthesis of -prenylated analogues of stilbenoid methyl ethers and their cyclic dihydrobenzopyranyl derivatives as potential anti-inflammatory agents.

An efficient and versatile synthesis of the naturally occurring -prenylated stilbenoid methyl ethers and their synthetic analogues is presented. The synthesis represents a six step convergent process including an optimised -prenylation method. Furthermore, during the demethylation process, six new dihydro-benzopyranyl derivatives were obtained and isolated.

Study of Biological Activities and ADMET-Related Properties of Novel Chlorinated -arylcinnamamides.

A series of eighteen 4-chlorocinnamanilides and eighteen 3,4-dichlorocinnamanilides were designed, prepared and characterized. All compounds were evaluated for their activity against gram-positive bacteria and against two mycobacterial strains. Viability on both cancer and primary mammalian cell lines was also assessed.

Barley Genotypes Vary in Stomatal Responsiveness to Light and CO Conditions.

Changes in stomatal conductance and density allow plants to acclimate to changing environmental conditions. In the present paper, the influence of atmospheric CO concentration and light intensity on stomata were investigated for two barley genotypes-Barke and Bojos, differing in their sensitivity to oxidative stress and phenolic acid profiles. A novel approach for stomatal density analysis was used-a pair of convolution neural networks were developed to automatically identify and count stomata on epidermal micrographs.

Implications of mistletoe parasitism for the host metabolome: A new plant identity in the forest canopy.

Mistletoe-host systems exemplify an intimate and chronic relationship where mistletoes represent protracted stress for hosts, causing long-lasting impact. Although host changes in morphological and reproductive traits due to parasitism are well known, shifts in their physiological system, altering metabolite concentrations, are less known due to the difficulty of quantification. Here, we use ecometabolomic techniques in the plant-plant interaction, comparing the complete metabolome of the leaves from mistletoe (Viscum album) and needles from their host (Pinus nigra), both parasitized and unparasitized, to elucidate host responses to plant parasitism.

Photosynthesis-Inhibiting Activity of -(Disubstituted-phenyl)-3-hydroxynaphthalene-2-carboxamides.

A set of twenty-four 3-hydroxynaphthalene-2-carboxanilides, disubstituted on the anilide ring by combinations of methoxy/methyl/fluoro/chloro/bromo and ditrifluoromethyl groups at different positions, was prepared. The compounds were tested for their ability to inhibit photosynthetic electron transport (PET) in spinach ( L.) chloroplasts.

Synthesis and Hybrid SAR Property Modeling of Novel Cholinesterase Inhibitors.

A library of novel 4-{[(benzyloxy)carbonyl]amino}-2-hydroxybenzoic acid amides was designed and synthesized in order to provide potential acetyl- and butyrylcholinesterase (AChE/BChE) inhibitors; the in vitro inhibitory profile and selectivity index were specified. Benzyl (3-hydroxy-4-{[2-(trifluoromethoxy)phenyl]carbamoyl}phenyl)carbamate was the best AChE inhibitor with the inhibitory concentration of IC = 36.05 µM in the series, while benzyl {3-hydroxy-4-[(2-methoxyphenyl)carbamoyl]phenyl}-carbamate was the most potent BChE inhibitor (IC = 22.

Light and CO Modulate the Accumulation and Localization of Phenolic Compounds in Barley Leaves.

Barley () accumulates phenolic compounds (PhCs), which play a key role in plant defense against environmental stressors as antioxidants or UV screening compounds. The influence of light and atmospheric CO concentration ([CO]) on the accumulation and localization of PhCs in barley leaves was examined for two varieties with different tolerances to oxidative stress. PhC localization was visualized in vivo using fluorescence microscopy.

Anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties of chemical constituents of Broussonetia papyrifera.

Extensive phytochemical analysis of the CHCl-soluble part of an ethanolic extract of branches and twigs of Broussonetia papyrifera led to the isolation of fourteen compounds, including a novel 5,11-dioxabenzo[b]fluoren-10-one derivative named broussofluorenone C (12). The isolated compounds 1-14 were characterized based on their NMR and HRMS data, and examined for their anti-inflammatory activities in LPS-stimulated THP-1 cells as well as for their cellular antioxidant effects. Compounds 7-10 and 12 showed inhibitory effects on NF-κB/AP-1 activation and compounds 7-9 were subsequently confirmed to suppress the secretion of both IL-1β and TNF-α in LPS-stimulated THP-1 cells more significantly than the prednisone used as a positive control.

Biological Activities and ADMET-Related Properties of Novel Set of Cinnamanilides.

A series of nineteen novel ring-substituted -arylcinnamanilides was synthesized and characterized. All investigated compounds were tested against as the reference strain, two clinical isolates of methicillin-resistant (MRSA), and . (2)--[3-Fluoro-4-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]-3-phenylprop-2-enamide showed even better activity (minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) 25.

Hydroxynaphthalenecarboxamides and substituted piperazinylpropandiols, two new series of BRAF inhibitors. A theoretical and experimental study.

The oncogenic mutated kinase BRAF is an attractive molecular target because it is expressed in several human cancers, including melanoma. To present, only three BRAF small inhibitors are approved by the FDA for the treatment of patients with metastatic melanoma: Vemurafenib, Dabrafenib and Encorafenib. Although many protocol treatments have been probed in clinical trials, BRAF inhibition has a limited effectiveness because patients invariably develop resistance and secondary toxic effects associated with the therapy.

Arylaminopropanone Derivatives as Potential Cholinesterase Inhibitors: Synthesis, Docking Study and Biological Evaluation.

Neurodegenerative diseases in which the decrease of the acetylcholine is observed are growing worldwide. In the present study, a series of new arylaminopropanone derivatives with -phenylcarbamate moiety () were prepared as potential acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase inhibitors. In vitro enzyme assays were performed; the results are expressed as a percentage of inhibition and the IC values.

The transgenerational effects of solar short-UV radiation differed in two accessions of Vicia faba L. from contrasting UV environments.

Background And Aims: UVB radiation can rapidly induce gene regulation leading to cumulative changes for plant physiology and morphology. We hypothesized that a transgenerational effect of chronic exposure to solar short UV modulates the offspring's responses to UVB and blue light, and that the transgenerational effect is genotype dependent.

Methods: We established a factorial experiment combining two Vicia faba L.

Dibasic Derivatives of Phenylcarbamic Acid as Prospective Antibacterial Agents Interacting with Cytoplasmic Membrane.

1-[2-[({[2-/3-(Alkoxy)phenyl]amino}carbonyl)oxy]-3-(dipropylammonio)propyl]pyrrolidinium/azepan- ium oxalates or dichlorides (alkoxy = butoxy to heptyloxy) were recently described as very promising antimycobacterial agents. These compounds were tested in vitro against ATCC 29213, ATCC 29212 (reference and control strains), three methicillin-resistant isolates of , and three isolates of vancomycin-resistant . 1-[3-(Dipropylammonio)-2-({[3-(pentyloxy-/hexyloxy-/heptyloxy)phenyl]carbamoyl}oxy)propyl]pyrrolidinium dichlorides showed high activity against staphylococci and enterococci comparable with or higher than that of used controls (clinically used antibiotics and antiseptics).

SAR-mediated Similarity Assessment of the Property Profile for New, Silicon-Based AChE/BChE Inhibitors.

A set of 25 novel, silicon-based carbamate derivatives as potential acetyl- and butyrylcholinesterase (AChE/BChE) inhibitors was synthesized and characterized by their in vitro inhibition profiles and the selectivity indexes (SIs). The prepared compounds were also tested for their inhibition potential on photosynthetic electron transport (PET) in spinach () chloroplasts. In fact, some of the newly prepared molecules revealed comparable or even better inhibitory activities compared to the marketed drugs (rivastigmine or galanthamine) and commercially applied pesticide Diuron, respectively.

Distinct Morphological, Physiological, and Biochemical Responses to Light Quality in Barley Leaves and Roots.

Light quality modulates plant growth, development, physiology, and metabolism through a series of photoreceptors perceiving light signal and related signaling pathways. Although the partial mechanisms of the responses to light quality are well understood, how plants orchestrate these impacts on the levels of above- and below-ground tissues and molecular, physiological, and morphological processes remains unclear. However, the re-allocation of plant resources can substantially adjust plant tolerance to stress conditions such as reduced water availability.

Temperature alters susceptibility of Picea abies seedlings to airborne pollutants: The case of CdO nanoparticles.

Although plants are often exposed to atmospheric nanoparticles (NPs), the mechanism of NP deposition and their effects on physiology and metabolism, and particularly in combination with other stressors, are not yet understood. Exploring interactions between stressors is particularly important for understanding plant responses in urban environments where elevated temperatures can be associated with air pollution. Accordingly, 3-year-old spruce seedlings were exposed for 2 weeks to aerial cadmium oxide (CdO) NPs of environmentally relevant size (8-62 nm) and concentration (2 × 10 cm).

Prenylated Stilbenoids Affect Inflammation by Inhibiting the NF-κB/AP-1 Signaling Pathway and Cyclooxygenases and Lipoxygenase.

Stilbenoids are important components of foods (e.g., peanuts, grapes, various edible berries), beverages (wine, white tea), and medicinal plants.

Design and synthesis of anticancer 1-hydroxynaphthalene-2-carboxanilides with a p53 independent mechanism of action.

A series of 116 small-molecule 1-hydroxynaphthalene-2-carboxanilides was designed based on the fragment-based approach and was synthesized according to the microwave-assisted protocol. The biological activity of all of the compounds was tested on human colon carcinoma cell lines including a deleted TP53 tumor suppressor gene. The mechanism of activity was studied according to the p53 status in the cell.