68,544 research outputs found
Paraboeremia litseae J. R. Jiang
No full text<p> <i>Paraboeremia litseae</i> J. R. Jiang et al., Mycological Progress. 16: 291. 2017</p> <p>Description.</p> <p>see Jiang et al. (2017).</p> <p>Materials examined.</p> <p> China, Yunnan Province, from diseased leaves of <i>C. sinensis</i>, 23 Mar 2020, Y. C. Wang, culture YCW 1356 and culture YCW 1363.</p> <p>Notes.</p> <p> Isolates of <i>Paraboeremia litseae</i> clustered into a sister clade to <i>P. selaginellae</i> (Fig. 5). It was first isolated from <i>Litsea</i> sp. (Jiang et al. 2017). Conidia produced by <i>P. litseae</i> are oblong to ellipsoidal and aseptate with two large polar guttules (Jiang et al. 2017). This species as an endophytic fungus in <i>Coptis chinensis</i> exhibited obvious inhibition against methicillin-resistant <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> (Ming et al. 2022). In the present study, two strains were isolated from diseased tea plant leaves. This is the first report of <i>P. litseae</i> causing leaf blight on <i>C. sinensis</i>.</p>Published as part of <i>Wang, Yuchun, Tu, Yiyi, Chen, Xueling, Jiang, Hong, Ren, Hengze, Lu, Qinhua, Wei, Chaoling & Lv, Wuyun, 2024, Didymellaceae species associated with tea plant (Camellia sinensis) in China, pp. 217-251 in MycoKeys 105</i> on pages 217-251, DOI: 10.3897/mycokeys.105.11953
AI3SD Video: The Application of Machine Learning in Molecular Spectroscopy Study
No full textOptical-spectroscopy provides powerful toolkits to decipher molecular structures and their configuration evolutions. However, the theoretical analysis of spectroscopic signals and connecting them with structural detail is a challenging task. Moreover, the intrinsic complexity of spectroscopic signals of molecular systems makes it difficult to correlate spectral characteristics with the underlying molecular structure and dynamics. Herein, we have developed data-driven machine learning (ML) protocols that can predict infrared (IR), ultraviolet/visible (UV/Vis) and Raman spectra of molecule systems with 3 to 5 orders of magnitude reduced computation cost compared to direct quantum chemistry calculations. A convolutional neural network (CNN) model was trained and tested on a dataset consisting 87993 spectra computed from protein peptide segments with α-helical, β-sheet, and other typical secondary structures. The secondary structure classification accuracy reached near 100% and over 98.7% on spectra sets of new segments extracted from the same and homologous proteins, respectively. Importantly, we demonstrate the ML protocol to realize cost-effective relations between spectra, structure, and chemical properties, i.e. spectra determination/prediction from structural information, and configuration or chemical properties determination/recognition from spectroscopic signals.1. S. Ye, K. Zhong, J.X. Zhang, W. Hu, J. Hirst, G.Z. Zhang, S. Mukamel, J. Jiang*, A Machine Learning Protocol for Predicting Protein Infrared Spectra, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 142 (2020) 19071-19077.2. X.J. Wang, S. Ye, W. Hu, E. Sharman, R. Liu, Y. Liu, Y. Luo, J. Jiang*, Electric Dipole Descriptor for Machine Learning Prediction of Catalyst Surface-Molecular Adsorbate Interactions, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 142 (2020) 7737-7743.3. S. Ye, W. Hu, X. Li, J.X. Zhang, K. Zhong, G.Z. Zhang, Y. Luo, S. Mukamel*, J. Jiang*, A Neural Network Protocol for Electronic excitations of N-Methylacetamide, Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 116 (2019) 11612-11617.4. W. Hu, S. Ye, Y.J Zhang, T.D. Li, G.Z. Zhang, Y. Luo, S. Mukamel, J. Jiang*, Machine Learning Protocol for Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy, J. Phys. Chem. Lett. 10 (2019) 6026-6031
Priming of two-dimensional visual motion is reduced in older adults
No full textPreviously, Y. Jiang, P. Greenwood, and R. Parasuraman (1999) reported that priming of rotating three-dimensional visual objects is age sensitive. The current study investigated whether there is also an age-related difference in priming with simple two-dimensional (2-D) moving stimuli (i.e., whether a prime stimulus moving in a particular direction causes a subsequent ambiguous target stimulus to be seen moving in the same direction as the prime). In 2 experiments, younger and older adults judged the directions of moving sine-wave gratings. Groups differed neither in determining the direction of a single 2-D movement nor in detecting motion reversals in successively moving gratings. However, the older group showed a significant reduction in the extent of 2-D motion priming. The decrement in older adults for visual motion priming may reflect age-related changes in temporal processing in human visual cortex.Previously, Y. Jiang, P. Greenwood, and R. Parasuraman (1999) reported that priming of rotating three-dimensional visual objects is age sensitive. The current study investigated whether there is also an age-related difference in priming with simple two-dimensional (2-D) moving stimuli (i.e., whether a prime stimulus moving in a particular direction causes a subsequent ambiguous target stimulus to be seen moving in the same direction as the prime). In 2 experiments, younger and older adults judged the directions of moving sine-wave gratings. Groups differed neither in determining the direction of a single 2-D movement nor in detecting motion reversals in successively moving gratings. However, the older group showed a significant reduction in the extent of 2-D motion priming. The decrement in older adults for visual motion priming may reflect age-related changes in temporal processing in human visual cortex
Amynthas yuanjiangensis Sun & Jiang & Wu & Yuan & Qiu 2021, sp. nov.
No full textAmynthas yuanjiangensis Sun & Qiu, sp. nov. (Fig. 4) Type material. Holotype: One clitellate specimen (C-YN201102-01), China, Yunnan Province, Yuanjiang National Nature Reserve (23°39ʹ54ʺN, 101°46ʹ29ʺE), 2096 m asl, by the side of a ditch, under chestnut tree, yellow cinnamon soil; Jul. 16, 2011; J. B. Jiang, J. Sun, X. D. Lei, and H. W. Feng coll. Paratypes: A total of 55 specimens, as follows: One clitellate (C-YN201703-01), China, Yunnan Province, Yulong Snow Mountain Provincial Nature Reserve (27°12ʹ19.6ʺN, 100°16ʹ47.7ʺE), 1451 m asl; Aug. 2, 2017; J. B. Jiang, Y. Dong, Q. Zhao, and Z. Yuan coll. Nine clitellates (C-YN201713-06), China, Yunnan Province, Wuliangshan Nature Reserve (24°46ʹ22.9ʺN, 100°31ʹ12.4ʺE), 2158 m asl; Aug. 5, 2017; J. B. Jiang, Y. Dong, Q. Zhao, and Z. Yuan coll. Nine clitellates (C-YN201719-01), China, Yunnan Province, Dali City, Cangshan National Nature Reserve (25°46ʹ55.1ʺN, 100°05ʹ27.4ʺE), 2364 m asl; Aug. 6, 2017; J. B. Jiang, Y. Dong, Q. Zhao, and Z. Yuan coll. Four clitellates (C-YN201722-01), China, Yunnan Province, Dali City, Yunlong Tianchi National Nature Reserve (25°51ʹ42.1ʺN, 99°17ʹ00.7ʺE), 2621 m asl; Aug. 7, 2017; J. B. Jiang, Y. Dong, Q. Zhao, and Z. Yuan coll. Two clitellates (C-YN201735-08), China, Yunnan Province, Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture, Tongbiguan Provincial Nature Reserve (24°08ʹ56.3ʺN, 98°01ʹ31.0ʺE), 957 m asl; Aug. 11, 2017; J. B. Jiang, Y. Dong, Q. Zhao, and Z. Yuan coll. Two clitellates (C-YN201749-01), China, Yunnan Province, Yongdedaxueshan Nature Reserve (25°09ʹ03.1ʺN, 99°42ʹ31.4ʺE), 2122 m asl, 14 Aug. 2017; J. B. Jiang, Y. Dong, Q. Zhao, and Z. Yuan coll. One clitellate (C-YN201756-04), China, Yunnan Province, Lincang City, Nangunhe National Nature Reserve (23°38ʹ58.3ʺN, 99°20ʹ32.9ʺE), 1429 m asl; Aug. 16, 2017; J. B. Jiang, Y. Dong, Q. Zhao, and Z. Yuan coll. Two clitellates (C-YN201762-05), China, Yunnan Province, Lincang City, Nangunhe National Nature Reserve (23°18ʹ54.9ʺN, 99°13ʹ14.4ʺE), 2129 m asl; Aug. 17, 2017; J. B. Jiang, Y. Dong, Q. Zhao, and Z. Yuan coll. Nine clitellates and four aclitellates (C-YN201627-02), China, Yunnan Province, Pu’er City, Jingdong Yi Autonomous County (24°16ʹ09.5ʺ N, 100°45ʹ37.3ʺ E), 1860 m asl, in black sandy soil; Jul. 30, 2016; X. Gao, Y. F. Lu, J. Z. Jiang, J. Long coll. Two clitellates and three aclitellates (C-YN201703-01), China, Yunnan Province, Lijiang City, Yulong Snow Mountain Provincial Nature Reserve (27°12ʹ07.2ʺN, 100°16ʹ51.9ʺE), 3140 m asl, in yellow soil; Aug. 2, 2017; Z. Yuan, J. B. Jiang, Y. Dong, Q. Zhao coll. Four clitellates (C-YN201722-01), China, Yunnan Province, Dali City, Yunlong Tianchi National Nature Reserve (25°51ʹ30.7ʺN, 99°17ʹ03.7ʺE), 2621 m asl, in brown soil; Aug. 7, 2017; Z. Yuan, J. B. Jiang, Y. Dong, Q. Zhao coll. Six aclitellates (C-YN201756-04), China, Yunnan Province, Lincang City, Nangunhe National Nature Reserve (23°38ʹ49.0ʺN, 99°20ʹ36.6ʺE), 1429 m asl, in yellow cinnamon soil; Aug. 16, 2017; Z. Yuan, J. B. Jiang, Y. Dong, Q. Zhao coll. Two clitellates (C-YN201735-08), China, Yunnan Province, Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture, Tongbiguan Provincial Nature Reserve (24°08ʹ46.1ʺN, 98°01ʹ32.3ʺE), 957 m asl, in brown soil; Aug. 11, 2017; Z. Yuan, J. B. Jiang, Y. Dong, Q. Zhao coll. Two clitellates (C-YN201762-05), China, Yunnan Province, Lincang City, Nangunhe National Nature Reserve (23°18ʹ45.2ʺN, 99°13ʹ17.4ʺE), 2129 m asl, in brown soil; Aug. 17, 2017; Z. Yuan, J. B. Jiang, Y. Dong, Q. Zhao coll. The habitats of the paratypes were not recorded in detail. Etymology. The name yuanjiangensis is derived from the collection site (Yuanjiang National Nature Reserve) of the holotype. In Chinese, Amynthas yuanjiangensis is Kmũ Ḃḋ. Diagnosis. Medium-sized; four pairs of spermathecal pores in 5/6–8/9; each male pore on the top of a large raised pulvinate pad; no genital papillae in the spermathecal pore and male pore regions; prostate gland partially vestigial in 1/2 XVII–1/2 XIX, or developed; spermathecal diverticulum about ¾ as long as the main spermathecal axis, distal U dilated into a rod-shaped seminal chamber. Description. External characters: Preserved specimens yellowish-brown on dorsum, lacking pigment on ventrum. Mid-dorsal line pigmented. Dimensions 80–135 mm by 3.0–5.0 mm at clitellum; segments 82–110. Secondary annulations present in VI–XIII. Prostomium ¾ epilobous. First dorsal pore in 11/12. Clitellum annular, in XIV–XVI, gray-brown, smooth, swollen, no setae on the ventral side; dorsal pores absent but with vestiges on clitellum. Setae uniformly distributed, 22–30 at III, 30–36 at V, 32–36 at VIII, 38–48 at XX, 46–62 at XXV; 7–9/VII, 7–14/VIII between spermathecal pores, 7–12 between male pores; setal formula AA=1.0–1.2AB, ZZ=1.2–1.3ZY. Spermathecal pores four pairs in 5/6–8/9 (Fig. 4a, sp.p), ventrally separated by slightly more than 0.33 of circumference. Male pores in XVIII, ventrally separated by 0.25 of circumference, each on top of a large raised pulvinate pad, surrounded by two skin folds medially and one rhombus-shaped skin fold laterally in the holotype (Fig. 4a, mp), but no skin fold in paratypes. No genital papillae in male pore region. Female pore single, mid-ventral in XIV, elliptical. Internal characters: Septa 8/9–9/10 absent, 5/6–7/8 thickened and muscular, 10/11–14/15 thicker than those following. Dorsal blood vessel single, continuous onto pharynx; esophageal hearts 4 pairs in X–XIII, all developed. Gizzard bucket-like, in VIII–X; intestinal swelling in XV. Intestinal caeca between simple and complex, originating in XXVII and extending forward to 1/2XXIII, horn-shaped sacs; tiny incisions deeper on dorsal margin than on ventral margin in holotype (Fig. 4b); tiny incisions only on dorsal margin in paratypes C-YN201703-01, CYN201703 -01, C-YN201719-01, and C-YN201735-08. Male organs: testis sacs in X and XI; oval, developed, two lobes connected ventromedially in the first pair and separated ventromedially in the second pair; two pairs of seminal vesicles in XI and XII, first pair separated ventromedially, second pair connected with a slim tube; in holotype, left prostate gland located in 1/2 XVII–1/2 XIX and degenerated into a small and compact lobe, right prostate gland pachytic and developed (Fig. 4c), its duct in XVIII, U-shaped, stout ventrally; prostate glands vestigial in paratypes C-YN201703-01, C-YN201719-0, and C-YN201735-08, but developed in paratype C-YN201713-06; no visible accessory glands on XVIII. Spermathecae paired in VI–IX, about 2.7 mm long; spermathecal ampulla heart-shaped, 2.1 mm long; in holotype, diverticulum about 3/4 as long as the main spermathecal axis, distal 2/5 dilated into a rodshaped seminal chamber; in paratypes C-YN201703-01, C-YN201713-06, C-YN201722-01, and C-YN201735-08, diverticulum about 1/2 as long as the main spermathecal axis, distal 1/2–1/3 dilated into rod-shaped seminal chamber; in paratype C-YN201719-01, diverticulum about 2/5 as long as the main spermathecal axis, distal 1/3 dilated into rod-shaped seminal chamber; no nephridia on spermathecal ducts (Fig. 4d). Variation. The prostate glands are either degenerated or developed. DNA barcodes. GenBank accession numbers KF205466 (C-YN201102-01, holotype), MH 845539 (CYN201703 -01, paratype), MH 845531 (C-YN201713-06, paratype), MH 845522 (C-YN201719-01, paratype), MH 845514 (C-YN201722-01, paratype), MH 845487 (C-YN201735-08, paratype), MH 845470 (C-YN201749- 01, paratype), MH 845460 (C-YN201756-04, paratype), MH 845451 (C-YN201762-05, paratype), MH 837679 (C-YN201627-02, paratype), MH 845539 (C-YN201703-01, paratype), MH 845514 (C-YN201722-01, paratype), MH 845460 (C-YN201756-04, paratype), MH 845487 (C-YN201735-08, paratype), MH 845451 (C-YN201762-05, paratype). Remarks. A. yuanjiangensis sp. nov. keys to the Amynthas corticis -group (Sims & Easton, 1972), characterized by four spermathecal pores located intersegmentally in 5/6–8/9 and by holandry. By now, there are 109 species belonging into A. corticis -group totally (Nguyen et al. 2020a). The combined characters of medium-sized body, male pore on the top of a large raised pulvinate pad, no genital papillae in the spermathecal pore and male pore regions, intestinal caeca between simple and complex, prostate gland partially vestigial or developed, and rod-shaped spermathecal seminal chamber make this new species different from the species reported from China in A. corticis -group. This new species is similar to Amynthas fornicates (Gates, 1935) in medium-sized body, no genital papillae in the male pore region, and the arrangement of spermathecal pores. However, in A. yuanjiangensis sp. nov., the intestinal caeca are between simple and complex, the prostate glands are partially degenerated, and the spermathecal diverticulum shorter than the main spermathecal axis; however, in A. fornicates, the intestinal caeca are simple, the prostate glands are developed, and the spermathecal diverticulum is longer than the main spermathecal axis. A. yuanjiangensis sp. nov. is resemble Amynthas homochaetus (Chen, 1938) in the large raised pulvinate pad of male pore area, no genital papillae on spermathecal pore region and male pore region especially. But A. yuanjiangensis sp. nov. is clearly distinguished from A. homochaetus by the following characters: 1) the intestinal caeca in A. homochaetus are simple, but in this new species, they are between simple and complex; 2) the prostate glands in A. homochaetus are well developed, but in the new species, they are partially degenerated; 3) the seminal chambers in A. homochaetus are ovoid, but those in the new species are rod-shaped. Amynthas disperses Sun & Qiu, 2018 and A. yuanjiangensis sp. nov. have both been collected in several localities in South China, and share some characters (e.g. megium-sized body, the area of male pore porophore is bigger, partially vestigial prostate gland, and band- or rod-shaped seminal chamber), but they are different from each other in the following ways: 1) the first dorsal pore is located at 10/11 or 11/12 on A. disperses, but always at 11/ 12 in the new species; 2) small genital papillae are always present in the spermathecal pore and male pore region in A. disperses, but there are no genital papillae in the new species; 3) the intestinal caeca in A. disperses are simple, but those in this new species are between simple and complex; 4) the spermathecal diverticulum is about as long as the main spermathecal axis in A. disperses, but shorter than the main spermathecal axis in the new species.Published as part of Sun, Jing, Jiang, Ji-Bao, Wu, Juzhen, Yuan, Zhu & Qiu, Jiang-Ping, 2021, Three new widely distributed and polymorphic species of Amynthas earthworms (Oligochaeta, Clitellata, Megascolecidae) from South China, pp. 457-474 in Zootaxa 4938 (4) on pages 464-467, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4938.4.5, http://zenodo.org/record/457494
Attenuated expression of gelsolin in association with induction of aquaporin-1 and nitric oxide synthase in dysfunctional hearts of aging mice exposed to endotoxin
No full textSepsis triggered by endotoxinemia may impair cardiac function. A decline in tolerance to septic shock occurs with aging. This study addressed the hypothesis that aging negatively impairs expression of gelsolin, and axerts the regulatory effects on the water channel protein aquaporin-1 (AQP-1) and endotoxin-inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS). We explored whether the age-related gene changes are associated with the cardiac dysfunction induced by endotoxic stress exposure. Male mice at young (∼ 3-month) and old (∼ 12-month) ages received intraperitoneal injections of saline or lipopolysaccharide (LPS, 30mg/Kg). Cardiac performance and morphology were analyzed by echocardiography at baseline and 2 and 24 h after injection. At the end of treatment, the animals were sacrificed, and cardiac tissues were collected for assessing expression of gelsolin, AQP-1, iNOS, and transcription-3 (STAT3). LPS administration led to a decreased contractility while increasing cardiac dimensions in both young and old mice. LPS also markedly induced expression of gelsolin in both animal groups. However, compared to young mice, old mice showed compromised induction of gelsolin and cardiac performance in response to endotoxin. Meanwhile, the LPS-exposed old animals exhibited higher levels of AQP-1, iNOS, and phosphorylated STAT3. Gelsolin-null mice had increased expression of glycosylated AQP-1 and STAT3 phosphorylation as well as cardiac dysfunction. Thus, endotoxin administration induces expression of gelsolin, AQP-1 and pro-inflammatory genes, such as iNOS. Our data suggest that changed expression of gelsolin, AQP-1 and iNOS may contribute to dysfunction of hearts in aged subjects with septic endotoxinemia. Copyright © by BIOLIFE, s.a.s
Metaphire sanmingensis Sun & Jiang & Bartlam & Qiu & Hu 2018, sp. nov.
No full textMetaphire sanmingensis Sun & Jiang, sp. nov. (Figure 5) Type material. Holotype: One clitellate (C-FJ 201008 -02) specimen, China, Fujian Province, Sanming City, Youxi County (26°05'10"N, 118°25'09"E), 953 m asl, topsoil below bamboo in Mid-subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest, yellow soil, 25 Aug. 2010, J. B. Jiang coll. Paratypes: A total of 14 specimens, as follows: One clitellate (C- FJ 201101 -03) specimen, China, Fujian Province, Wuyishan City (27°47'12"N, 118°04'32"E), 308 m asl, topsoil below fern and Eleusine indica in Mid-subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest, red soil, 9 Jul. 2011, J. B. Jiang, J. Sun, H. W. Feng and X. D. Lei coll. One clitellate (C-FJ 201112 -02), China, Fujian Province, Meihuashan National Natural Reserve (25°14'59"N, 116°50'09"E), 810 m asl, topsoil below reed in Mid-subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest, red soil, 13 Jul. 2011, J. B. Jiang, J. Sun, H. W. Feng and X. D. Lei coll. Two clitellates (C- JX201301 -01), China, Jiangxi Province, Longhu Mountain (28°05'38"N, 117°01'08"E), 76 m asl, topsoil below shrubs in Mid-subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest, sandy red soil, 15 Jun. 2013, J. B. Jiang, L. L. Zhang, Y. Dong and S. Lei coll. Two clitellates (C-AH201610-04), China, Anhui Province, Huangshan City, Taipinghu County (30°21'33"N, 117°56'09"E), 146 m asl, topsoil below moss, fern and shrubs in subtropical evergreen broadleaved forest, red-brown soil, 9 May 2016, J. Sun, J. B. Jiang, Y. Dong and Y. Zheng coll. Four clitellates (C- AH201609 -03), China, Anhui Province, Huangshan City, Taipinghu County (30°18'45"N, 118°01'32"E), 120 m asl, topsoil below moss, fern and shrubs in subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest, red-brown soil, 9 May 2016, J. Sun, J. B. Jiang, Y. Dong and Y. Zheng coll. Four clitellates (C-AH201610-03), China, Anhui Province, Huangshan City, Taipinghu County (30°21'33"N, 117°56'09"E), 146 m asl, topsoil below moss, fern and shrubs in subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest, red-brown soil, 9 May 2016, J. Sun, J. B. Jiang, Y. Dong and Y. Zheng coll. Etymology. This species is named according to the locality of the holotype, which is Sanming city, Fujian Province, China. Diagnosis. This species is relatively thick for its length; spermathecal pores three pairs in 6/7–8/9, two genital papillae on the ventral mid-line and found post-setal in VII and VIII normally, and extra papillae may be present or the papillae may be absent; secondary male pores opening to copulatory pouches, surrounded by three papillae, with three other papillae ventro-medial and post-setal transversely placed on XVIII, the number of papillae may be less in some specimens; prostate glands well-developed with small duct; spermathecal diverticulum shorter than the main axis, distal third dilated into rod-shaped seminal chamber. Description. External characters. Preserved specimens’ dorsal color light brown anterior to clitellum, brown posterior to clitellum, ventral pigment lacking anterior to clitellum and light brown posterior to clitellum. Middorsal line pigmented posterior to clitellum. Dimensions 55–113 mm by 4–5.5 mm at clitellum, segments number 55–86. No secondary annulations. Prostomium ½ epilobous. First dorsal pore in 11/12, 12/13 or 13/14. Clitellum annular in XIV–XVI, grayish-brown, smooth, swollen, no visible setae on ventral side. Setae uniformly distributed, 16–24 at III, 23–32 at V, 33–40 at VIII, 44–48 at XX, 4 8–50 at XXV; 8– 12/VII, 12/VIII between spermathecal pores, 8–9 between male pores, setal formula AA=1.2–1.8AB, ZZ=1.2–2.2ZY. Spermathecal pores three pairs, in 6/7–8/9, intersegmental, about 0.33 of circumference ventrally apart; conspicuous, eye-like (Fig. 5A). Two genital papillae always longitudinally placed and posterior to the setae AA in VII and VIII in holotype and paratypes; an extra two pairs of papillae present in paratype C-AH201609-03, and each pair longitudinally placed slightly medial to the spermathecal pore on VIII; no genital papillae on paratype C-FJ 201101 -03. Secondary male pores in XVIII, 0.33 of circumference ventrally apart, surrounded by three skin folds, opening to small copulatory pouches visible only within the body wall, no penial body in the pouch. Male papillae variable, holotype with three small, flattopped papillae aligned in a curve medial to each male opening and concave laterally, as well as three ventromedial and post-setal papillae transversely located on XVIII, no penial body in the pouch; paratypes with two small, flat-toped papillae adjacent to the anterior and posterior margins of each copulatory pouch (Fig. 5B). Female pore single mid-ventral in XIV, milk-white, elliptical, slightly swollen. Internal characters. Septa 8/9–9/10 absent, 5/6–7/8 thickened and muscular, 10/11–12/13 thicker than those following. Dorsal blood vessel single, continuous onto pharynx; esophageal hearts four pairs in X–XIII, the first pair less developed than the others. Gizzard bucket-like, in VIII–X; intestine swelling in XV; intestinal caeca simple, originating in XXVII and extending forward to XXIV, horn-shaped sac, smooth on dorsal and ventral margins. Male organs: Testis-sacs in X and XI; oval, separated ventro-medially. Seminal vesicles in XI, XII, welldeveloped, both connected ventro-medially with a slim tube. Prostate gland well-developed, coarsely lobate, in XVI–XXI, a small inverted U-shaped duct, stout, in XVIII (Fig. 5C). No visible accessory glands on XVIII. Female organs: Spermathecae three pairs in VII–IX, about 2.4 mm long; ampulla heart-shaped, distinctly marked off from its duct, duct as long as half of ampulla; diverticulum about 2.0 mm long, distal ½ dilated into rod-shaped seminal chamber; no nephridia on spermathecal ducts (Fig. 5D). DNA barcodes. GenBank accession numbers KY774380 (C-FJ 201008 -02, holotype), KY774381 (C- FJ 201101 -03, paratype), KY774382 (C-AH201610-04, paratype), KY774383 (C-AH201609-03, paratype), KY774384 (C-AH201610-03, paratype). Remarks. The new species keys to the Metaphire houlleti -group (Sims & Easton 1972). This group is diagnosed by three pairs of intersegmental spermathecal pores in 6/7–8/9, male pores on XVIII, bithecate, and post-clitellar genital markings not present in 17/18 and/or 18/19. The specimens were collected from a wide area: six locations in three provinces (Fujian, Jiangxi and Anhui, China). Despite extensive literature searches, no cosmopolitan species that were a close match were found. However, three Chinese endemic species slightly resemble the new species. They are Metaphire tschiliensis kokoanus (Chen & Fong, 1975), Metaphire tschiliensis lanzhouensis (Feng, 1984) and Metaphire ptychosiphona Qiu & Zhong, 1993. Even though these four species all have three pairs of spermathecal pores in 6/7–8/9 and a pair of small male copulatory pouches, each of the three slightly similar species has its own distinctive characteristics when compared with M. sanmingensis, sp. nov. This medium-sized new species normally has papillae in the spermathecal pore region, well-developed prostate glands, and a rod-shaped diverticulum seminal chamber; M. tschiliensis kokoanus has a different arrangement of spermathecal pore region papillae, and its diverticulum seminal chamber is longer than the main spermathecal axis (Chen et al. 1975); M. tschiliensis lanzhouensis has a larger body, up to 310 mm long and 7 mm wide, no genital papillae in the spermathecal pore region, small prostate glands, and a twisted seminal chamber (Feng 1984); M. ptychosiphona has a larger body, up to 295 mm long and 9 mm wide, no genital papillae in spermathecal pore region, small prostate glands and a twisted seminal chamber (Qiu & Zhong 1993).Published as part of Sun, Jing, Jiang, Ji-Bao, Bartlam, Scott, Qiu, Jiang-Ping & Hu, Feng, 2018, Four new Amynthas and Metaphire earthworm species from nine provinces in southern China, pp. 287-301 in Zootaxa 4496 (1) on pages 296-298, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4496.1.24, http://zenodo.org/record/144681
sj-docx-1-jdr-10.1177_00220345231187824 – Supplemental material for Butyrate Inhibits Dendritic Cell Activation and Alleviates Periodontitis
No full textSupplemental material, sj-docx-1-jdr-10.1177_00220345231187824 for Butyrate Inhibits Dendritic Cell Activation and Alleviates Periodontitis by L. Wu, Z. Luo, Y. Chen, Z. Yan, J. Fu, Y. Jiang, J. Xu and Y. Liu in Journal of Dental Research</p
Relationship of chondrocyte apoptosis to matrix degradation and swelling potential of osteoarthritic cartilage
No full textAcute Ethanol Administration Rapidly Increases Phosphorylation of Conventional Protein Kinase C in Specific Mammalian Brain Regions in Vivo
No full textBackground
Protein kinase C (PKC) is a family of isoenzymes that regulate a variety of functions in the central nervous system including neurotransmitter release, ion channel activity, and cell differentiation. Growing evidence suggests that specific isoforms of PKC influence a variety of behavioral, biochemical, and physiological effects of ethanol in mammals. The purpose of this study was to determine whether acute ethanol exposure alters phosphorylation of conventional PKC isoforms at a threonine 674 (p-cPKC) site in the hydrophobic domain of the kinase, which is required for its catalytic activity.
Methods
Male rats were administered a dose range of ethanol (0, 0.5, 1, or 2 g/kg, intragastric) and brain tissue was removed 10 minutes later for evaluation of changes in p-cPKC expression using immunohistochemistry and Western blot methods.
Results
Immunohistochemical data show that the highest dose of ethanol (2 g/kg) rapidly increases p-cPKC immunoreactivity specifically in the nucleus accumbens (core and shell), lateral septum, and hippocampus (CA3 and dentate gyrus). Western blot analysis further showed that ethanol (2 g/kg) increased p-cPKC expression in the P2 membrane fraction of tissue from the nucleus accumbens and hippocampus. Although p-cPKC was expressed in numerous other brain regions, including the caudate nucleus, amygdala, and cortex, no changes were observed in response to acute ethanol. Total PKC? immunoreactivity was surveyed throughout the brain and showed no change following acute ethanol injection
Strategies for stable anaerobic digestion of vegetable waste
No full textInternational trade and the market demand for pre-prepared agricultural produce is not only increasing the total quantity of waste agricultural biomass but also centralising its availability, making it potentially useful for energy production. The current work considers the suitability of vegetable trimmings and rejects from high-value produce air-freighted between Africa and Europe as a feedstock for anaerobic digestion. The physical and chemical characteristics of a typical mixed vegetable waste of this type were determined and the theoretical energy yield predicted and compared to experimentally-determined calorific values, and to the energy recovered through a batch biochemical methane potential test. A semi-continuous digestion trial was then carried out with daily feed additions at different organic loading rates (OLR). At an OLR of 2 g VS L?1 day?1 the substrate gave a methane yield of 0.345 L g-1 VS added with VS destruction 81.3%, and showed that 76.2% of the measured calorific value of the waste could be reclaimed as methane. This was in good agreement with the estimated energy recovery of 68.6% based on reaction stoichiometry, and was 99% of the biochemical methane potential (BMP). Higher loading rates reduced the specific methane yield and energy conversion efficiency, and led to a drop in digester pH which could not be effectively controlled by alkali additions. To maintain digester stability it was necessary to supplement with additional trace elements including tungsten, which allowed loading rates up to 4 g VS L?1 day?1 to be achieved. Stability was also improved by addition of yeast extract (YE), but the higher gas yield obtained was as a result of the contribution made by the YE and no synergy was shown. Co-digestion using card packaging and cattle slurry as co-substrates also proved to be an effective means of restoring and maintaining stable operating conditions
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