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In this paper, we prove an existence and uniqueness theorem for backward doubly stochastic differential equations under a new kind of stochastic non-Lipschitz condition which involves stochastic and time-dependent condition. As an application, we use the result to obtain the existence of stochastic viscosity solution for some nonlinear stochastic partial differential equations under stochastic non-Lipschitz conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Liquid-liquid mixing, including homogeneous and heterogeneous mixing, widely exists in the chemical industry. How to quantitatively characterize the mixing performance is important for reactor assessment and development. As a convenient and direct method for mixing characterization, the chemical probe method uses some special test reactions to characterize the mixing results. Here, the working principle and selection requirements of this method are introduced, and some common chemical probe systems for homogeneous and heterogeneous mixing processes are reviewed. The characteristics and applications of these systems are illustrated. Finally, the development of the new system is proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key message: CmHKT1;1 selectively exports Na+ from plant cells. Upon NaCl stress, its expression increased in a salt-tolerant melon cultivar. Overexpression of CmHKT1;1 increased transgenic Arabidopsis salt tolerance through improved K+/Na+ balance. High-affinity K+ transporters (HKTs) are thought to be involved in reducing Na+ in plant shoots under salt stress and modulating salt tolerance, but their function in a moderately salt-tolerant species of melon (Cucumis melo L.) remains unclear. In this study, a Na+ transporter gene, CmHKT1;1 (GenBank accession number: MK986658), was isolated from melons based on genome data. The transcript of CmHKT1;1 was relatively more abundant in roots than in stems or leaves from melon seedlings. The tobacco transient expression system showed that CmHKT1;1 was plasma-membrane localized. Upon salt stress, CmHKT1;1 expression was more strongly upregulated in a salt-tolerant melon cultivar, 'Bingxuecui' (BXC) compared with a salt-sensitive cultivar, 'Yulu' (YL). Electrophysiological evidence demonstrated that CmHKT1;1 only transported Na+, rather than K+, when expressed in Xenopus laevis oocytes. Overexpression of CmHKT1;1 increased salt sensitivity in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and salt tolerance in Arabidopsis thaliana. Under NaCl treatments, transgenic Arabidopsis plants accumulated significantly lower concentrations of Na+ in shoots than wild type plants and showed a better K+/Na+ balance, leading to better Fv/Fm, root length, biomass, and enhanced plant growth. The CmHKT1;1 gene may serve as a useful candidate for improving crop salt tolerance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Four anamorphic fungal species of Heteroconium were collected from tropical and subtropical forests in southern China. Among them, Heteroconium tsoongiodendronis sp. nov. and Heteroconium fici sp. nov. are described from specimens collected on dead branches of Tsoongiodendron odorum and Ficus gibbosa, respectively. Two species of Heteroconium, H. decorosum and H. ponapense, are recorded for the first time in China. A key to Heteroconium and related genera is also provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parablastocatena tetracerae gen. et sp. nov. and Corynesporella licualae sp. nov., collected on dead branches of Tetracera asiatica and Licuala fordiana, respectively, in tropical forests of China, are described and illustrated. Parablastocatena tetracerae is the type species for a new monotypic genus in possessing macronematous conidiophores forming distinct synnemata with holoblastic conidiogenesis and euseptate, short-chained conidia ending in a paler brown rostrum, whereas C. licualae is distinguished from described species by the smaller conidia with long appendages. A key to currently accepted species of Corynesporella is provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three previously undescribed Solicorynespora species were collected from tropical forests in Hainan Province, China. S. melicopes sp. nov., S. linderae sp. nov. and S. fici sp. nov. are described and illustrated from specimens collected on dead branches of Melicope triphylla, Lindera communis and Ficus auriculata, respectively. They are compared with closely related taxa. A dichotomous key and a synoptic table to Solicorynespora species are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sporidesmiella rosae sp. nov., S. machili sp. nov., and S. archidendri sp. nov., occurring, respectively, on dead branches of Rosa chinensis, Machilus grijsii, and Archidendron clypearia, were collected from subtropical forests in southern China. They are described, illustrated, and compared with similar taxa. A dichotomous key to Sporidesmiella species is provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although nano-structured surfaces exhibit superior biological activities to the smooth or micro-structured surfaces, whether there is an optimal topographical surface in nano-scale affecting protein adsorption and cell behaviors is still controversial. In this study, porous aluminum oxide membranes with different pore sizes ranging from 25 to 120 nm were prepared by the anodic oxidation technique. The surface morphology, topography and wettability were analyzed by scanning electron microscope, atomic force microscope and water contact angle measurement, respectively. The results indicated that the synergistic action of the nano-topography structure and hydrophilic/hydrophobic properties resulted in a highest protein adsorption on the aluminum oxide membrane with 80 nm pore size. Additionally, the morphological, metabolic and cell counting methods showed that cells had different sensitivity to porous aluminum oxide membranes with different surface features. Furthermore, this sensitivity was cell type dependent. The optimal pore size of aluminum oxide membranes for cell growth was 80 nm for PC12 cells and 50 nm for NIH 3T3 cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sativumoides punicae gen. et sp. nov. and Cladosporiopsis ovata gen. et sp. nov. are described and illustrated. Sativumoides is characterized by macronematous, individual, percurrently extending conidiophores, integrated, monoblastic, apical, lageniform conidiogenous cells, and single, apical, pale brown to brown, garlic-bulb-shaped dictyosporous conidia with predominantly longitudinal septa. Cladosporiopsis is unique in possessing pigmented, apiosporous conidia seceding schizolytically from integrated, monoblastic, determinate conidiogenous cells; the conidia, arising from the sides or ends of ramoconidia, form short, acropetal chains. Sativumoides is compared with similar anamorphic genera including Triposporium, Iyengarina, Acrodictys, Actinocladium, Piricaudiopsis, Cheiroidea, Stephanoma, Domingoella, Acrogenospora and Shrungabeeja. The distinctions between Cladosporiopsis and similar genera including Cladosporium, Ochrocladosporium, Rachicladosporium, Rhizacladosporium, Toxicocladosporium, Ramularia, Bispora, Lylea and Devriesia are also discussed. Keys to these two novel genera and their morphologically similar genera are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Taeniolina euryae sp. nov. and T. schimae sp. nov. were discovered on dead branches of Eurya macartneyi and Schima superba, respectively, in tropical forests of southern China. They are described, illustrated and compared with closely related taxa. A key to species of Taeniolina is provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two new dematiaceous hyphomycetes, Spadicoides camelliae and Diplococcium livistonae, are described and illustrated based on specimens collected from the subtropical forests in Fujian Province, southeast China. They were collected on dead branches of Camellia japonica and Livistona chinensis, respectively. Spadicoides camelliae is characterized by polytretic, terminal conidiogenous cells with solitary, ovoid, versicolored, and mainly 2-septate conidia (15.0-22.0 × 7.0-10.0 μm). Diplococcium livistonae is distinguished by polytretic, terminal, and intercalary conidiogenous cells with catenate, cylindrical, concolored, and mainly 2-septate conidia (15.0-28.0 × 5.0-7.0 μm). They are compared with other similar species by their morphological characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the development of nanotechnology, nano-structured surfaces exhibit superior biological activities to the smooth or micro-structured surfaces. To study whether or not there is an optimal topographical surface in nano-scale affecting protein adsorption and cell behaviors, aluminum oxide membranes with different topographical structures in nano-scale were prepared by anodic oxidation technique. The surface morphology, topography, and wettability were analyzed by atomic force microscopy and water contact angle measurement, respectively. These membranes surfaces were dominated by hill-shaped grains with different diameters ranging from 20 to 120 nm. With the increase of diameters, the average surface roughness and mean square roughness of membranes surfaces varied from 1.1 ± 0.1 to 12.6 ± 0.9 nm and from 4.4 ± 0.3 to 16.5 ± 1.2 nm, respectively. A dynamic albumin adsorption analysis indicated that the membrane containing grains with 40 nm in diameter had a weaker ability of protein adsorption at the early stage; but the final amount of adsorbed protein had no significant differences compared with other membranes. Additionally, the morphological, metabolic and cell counting methods showed no significant effects of the aluminum oxide membranes on the viability and proliferation of rat mesenchymal stem cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two conidial fungi of Pseudoacrodictys were collected from the tropical forests of Yunnan Province, southern China. P. fici sp. nov. is described and illustrated from specimen collected on dead branches of Ficus benjamina. P. aquatica is recorded for the first time from China. A key to species of Pseudoacrodictys is provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three species of the anamorphic fungus Neosporidesmium were collected from tropical forests in Hainan province, China. N. malloti sp. nov., N. xanthophylli sp. nov. and N. antidesmae sp. nov., and occurring, respectively, on dead branches of Mallotus hookerianus, Xanthophyllum hainanense and Antidesma ghaesembilla, are described and illustrated. A key to Neosporidesmium species is provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We isolated a novel glutamine synthetase (GS, EC 6.3.1.2) gene M-GS2 (accession: AY773090) by the RACE approach from melon. The full-length cDNA of M-GS2 is 1807 bp and contains a 1296 bp open reading frame (ORF) encoding 432 amino acids. The deduced protein contains conserved structural domains among plant GS2 proteins and shares extensive sequence homology with GS2 enzymes from other higher plants. M-GS2 expresses with specificity in leaf, and identification of a chloroplast transit peptide (cTP) in M-GS2 suggests that it localizes to the chloroplast. As shown by real-time quantitative PCR, distinct forms of nitrogen (N) found in fertilizers transcriptionally regulated M-GS2 differently. Ammonium and nitrate feeding only significantly regulated M-GS2 transcripts in leaf; starving (0.75 mM) or moderate (3.75 mM) N levels dramatically increased M-GS2 transcripts for 1 day, decreasing to a constant low level after 2–3 days, while sufficient N level (7.5 mM) had a minor effect throughout 3 days compared to controls. Glutamate feeding, however, not only significantly regulated M-GS2 transcripts in leaf (decreased initially then increased to higher levels than controls), but also in root, where it was up-regulated continuously. Our results suggested that M-GS2 is the first GS gene cloned and characterized in melon and melon responds to the variations in N fertilization by differentially expressing M-GS2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]