Tea plant (Camellia sinensis) is an ammonium preferring plant species. However, little is known about the mechanism underlying this preference. Herein, a chloroplastic glutamine synthetase gene (CsGS2), which is vital for nitrogen assimilation in mesophyll tissue, was isolated from tea cultivar C. sinensis cv. 'Longjing43'. The full length cDNA of CsGS2 was 1622 bp, having a 1299 bp open reading frame encoding a 432-amino acid protein. Homology search and sequence analysis demonstrated that CsGS2 protein carried the basic characteristics of a canonical GS2 domain and shared high identity with GS2s from other plant species. Subcellular localization and immunolocalization of CsGS2 revealed that it is localized in chloroplast. qRT-PCR and Western blot analyses showed that CsGS2 was expressed in a leaf-specific pattern, such that both CsGS2 and its protein were most abundant in mature leaves. Temporal expression patterns of CsGS2 showed minor differences in response to ammonium and nitrate nutrition. The transcript level of CsGS2 was significantly induced in mature leaves during the development of new shoots, whereas darkness inhibited this induction significantly. These results suggested that CsGS2 does not play a role in the differential utilization mechanisms of differing nitrogen forms in tea, and imply a light dependent transcription regulation in mature leaves during the development of new shoots.The bark of willows (Salix spp.) is rich in bioactive phenolic compounds from different compound classes and is therefore used as an herbal remedy. The accumulation of these secondary plant metabolites is influenced by environmental factors, including the availability of water. To analyze the influence of drought stress on the profile of phenolic metabolites in willow bark, a pot experiment with Salix daphnoides Vill. and Salix purpurea L. was conducted. Plants were subjected to three irrigation treatments for four and ten weeks 65-75% field capacity (well-watered), 33-38% field capacity (moderate drought), and 17-22% field capacity (severe drought). Shoot biomass and proline content were assessed as drought-sensitive traits. Contents of phenolic compounds were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography. Drought stress reduced shoot biomass and led to an increase of the bark proline content. The particular effects on phenolics depended on the individual compound, Salix species and drought stress duration. Whereas salicylates were not affected, some flavonoids and phenolic acid derivatives, as well as salireposide indicated treatment effects. The effects comprised decreasing as well as increasing contents. However, beyond the impact of drought stress, the observed responses are assumed to be superimposed by seasonal changes in the content of phenolics. Regarding the yield of willow shoots, the impairment of growth under water shortage seems to be more decisive than drought-induced changes of the bark metabolite content.Over the past two decades the class of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) has emerged as a widespread contaminant in environmental media globally. As awareness and understanding of its prevalence, persistence, and potential health risks grows, so have concerns about human exposure. While drinking water has received substantial attention, dietary intakes have also been reported to contribute significantly to total exposure, with fish consumption in particular. Most studies of U.S. fish have targeted sport fish from areas of known or suspected contamination. This study was undertaken to improve data on PFAS levels in the U.S. commercial seafood supply. A total of 70 samples of finfish and shellfish were purchased at U.S. grocery stores and fish markets and analyzed for 26 PFAS compounds. The samples included a range of marine and freshwater species from four regions of the U.S. and seven countries with significant imports to the U.S. Up to ten PFAS were detected in 21 samples, with PFOS the predominant compound. There were no detections in the remaining 49 samples (detection limits of approximately 0.4-0.5 ppb). Total PFAS concentrations in most samples were single digit or sub-ppb levels. The exception was commercial finfish from the Great Lakes area, for which higher levels (up to 22 ppb) were observed in whitefish, walleye, and yellow perch fillet. Study findings suggest PFAS is present at low or non-detect levels in the U.S.  https://www.selleckchem.com/screening-libraries.html  commercial seafood supply and exposure is low for consumers of market basket fish and shellfish.Many municipal wastewater treatment plants in China receive industrial wastewater that contains inhibitory organic chemicals, such as chlorinated phenols. For the common aerobic biological treatment, nitrification is a key step, but nitrifying bacteria are notably sensitive to inhibition by chlorinated phenols. In this work, normal activated sludge (containing nitrifying biomass) was acclimated to 2,4,6-trichlorophenol (TCP). The acclimated biomass had more than 2-fold faster nitrification kinetics than normal biomass when exposed to TCP, and it also achieved effective TCP removal in parallel. When suddenly exposed to TCP after as much as two months without TCP input, the acclimated nitrifying biomass retained effective nitrification and TCP biodegradation The nitrification rate and TCP removal rate were 0.325 mM/h and 0.049 mM/h for the acclimated biomass, compared to only 0.165 mM/h and 0.001 mM/h for normal biomass. Resistance to TCP inhibition also was retained for 5 generations of sub-culturing without TCP exposure. High-throughput sequencing confirmed that the acclimated biomass contained nitrifying bacteria and heterotrophic bacteria capable of degrading TCP, although the key genera changed during sub-culturing.There is a societal expectation that drinking water owners and operators will successfully manage drinking water quality incidents, so they do not become a disaster. However, human errors have contributed to causing and worsening drinking water quality incidents worldwide. Personnel tasked with managing drinking water quality incidents need to be prepared. This preparation often occurs in exercises that simulate how a team would respond to a drinking water quality incident. It is our opinion that exercises simulating drinking water quality incidents must shift from a design that is primarily to simulate an intervention, to one that promotes conditions for learning and enhances the human-centric capabilities of those involved. Traditional exercises invariably seek to test the response to a water quality incident and the actions of those involved, often for regulatory purposes. This approach is necessary but can also provide a negative experience for the exercise participants as their actions are frequently scrutinised after the exercise.