Search

The Chinese horned toads, Boulenophrys boettgeri (Boulenger, 1899) and Boulenophrys kuatunensis (Pope, 1929), are two captivating species within the family Megophryidae, which inhabit the mountainous streams in the Eastern of China. In this study, two new complete mitochondrial genomes of B. boettgeri and B. kuatunensis were sequenced, assembled, and annotated using next-generation sequencing. The length of mitochondrial genomes of B. boettgeri and B. kuatunensis was 16,597 and 17,921 bp, respectively, with both containing 13 protein coding genes, 22 tRNA genes, two rRNA genes, and one putative control region. Phylogenetic relationships based on protein-coding mitochondrial genes showed that the two Boulenophrys species formed a cluster with other Boulenophrys species. The two new sequences provide valuable insights into the mitochondrial genomes of these two species, offering important data for understanding the phylogenetic relationships of the genus Boulenophrys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) of Boulenophrys baishanzuensis (Anura: Megophryidae) was sequenced by the Illumina platform. The assembled circular mitogenome of B. baishanzuensis had a total length of 17,040 bp, with a GC content of 41.25%. It consisted of 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), two rRNA genes, 22 tRNA genes, and a D-loop region. The majority of the PCGs were encoded by the H-strand, while one PCG (nad6) and eight tRNA genes (tRNA-Gln, tRNA-Ala, tRNA-Asn, tRNA-Cys, tRNA-Tyr, tRNA-Ser2, tRNA-Glu, and tRNA-Pro) were encoded in the L-strand. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the newly sequenced species formed a clade with other Boulenophrys species, while the genus Boulenophrys itself formed a sister group with the genus Atympanophrys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) possesses several invaluable attributes, including limited recombination, maternal inheritance, a fast evolutionary rate, compact size, and relatively conserved gene arrangement, all of which make it particularly useful for applications in phylogenetic reconstruction, population genetics, and evolutionary research. In this study, we aimed to determine the complete mitogenomes of two morphologically similar Rana species (Rana hanluica and Rana longicrus) using next-generation sequencing. The entire circular mitogenome was successfully identified, with a length of 19,395 bp for R. hanluica and 17,833 bp for R. longicrus. The mitogenomes of both species contained 37 genes, including 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), two ribosomal RNA genes, 22 transfer RNA genes, and one control region; mitogenome size varied predominantly with the length of the control region. The two synonymous codon usages in 13 PCGs showed that T and A were used more frequently than G and C. The ratios of non-synonymous to synonymous substitutions of all 13 PCGs were <1 in the Rana species, indicating that the PCGs were under purifying selection. Finally, phylogenetic relationship analyses suggested that R. hanluica and R. longicrus were classified in the R. japonica group. Our study provides valuable reference material for the taxonomy of the genus Rana. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: As amphibians' skin is highly sensitive to the environment, skin defects such as ulceration may pose a particular threat to them. Our study has found a stark difference in the microbial communities between healthy and ulcerated Hoplobatrachus rugulosus skin. The proportion and type of bacteria differed between the two groups, and we suggest that ulceration on the skin may lead to changes in skin microbial communities. The functional pathways of skin microbes may be influenced by ulceration on the skin surface of H. rugulosus. We also found that Vogesella is more abundant in healthy H. rugulosus, which may be a potential probiotic candidate for the reduction or removal of pathogens. The Chinese tiger frog (Hoplobatrachus rugulosus) is extensively farmed in southern China. Due to cramped living conditions, skin diseases are prevalent among unhealthy tiger frogs which thereby affects their welfare. In this study, the differences in microbiota present on healthy versus ulcerated H. rugulosus skin were examined using 16S rRNA sequences. Proteobacteria were the dominant phylum on H. rugulosus skin, but their abundance was greater on the healthy skin than on the ulcerated skin. Rhodocyclaceae and Comamonadaceae were the most dominant families on the healthy skin, whereas Moraxellaceae was the most dominant family on the ulcerated skin. The abundance of these three families was different between the groups. Acidovorax was the most dominant genus on the healthy skin, whereas Acinetobacter was the most dominant genus on the ulcerated skin, and its abundance was greater on the ulcerated skin than on the healthy skin. Moreover, the genes related to the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathways of levels 2–3, especially those genes that are involved in cell motility, flagellar assembly, and bacterial chemotaxis in the skin microbiota, were found to be greater on the healthy skin than on the ulcerated skin, indicating that the function of skin microbiota was affected by ulceration. Overall, the composition, abundance, and function of skin microbial communities differed between the healthy and ulcerated H. rugulosus skin. Our results may assist in developing measures to combat diseases in H. rugulosus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Serum phosphorus control is critical for chronic kidney disease (CKD) 5D patients. Currently, clinical profile for an oral phosphorus binder in the mainland Chinese population is not available. Objective To establish the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of lanthanum carbonate in CKD 5D patients. Design Multicenter, randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled study. A central randomization center used computer generated tables to allocate treatments. Setting Twelve tertiary teaching hospitals and medical university affiliated hospitals in mainland China. Participants Overall, 258 hemodialysis or continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) adult patients were enrolled. Intervention After a 0–3-week washout period and a 4-week lanthanum carbonate dose-titration period, 230 patients were randomized 1:1 to receive lanthanum carbonate (1500 mg-3000 mg) or placebo for a further 4-week maintenance phase. Main outcome measures Efficacy and safety of lanthanum carbonate to achieve and maintain target serum phosphorus concentrations were assessed. Results In the titration phase, serum phosphorus concentrations of all patients decreased significantly. About three-fifths achieved target levels without significantly disturbing serum calcium levels. At the end of the maintenance period, the mean difference in serum phosphorus was significantly different between the lanthanum carbonate and placebo-treated groups (0.63±0.62 mmol/L vs. 0.15±0.52 mmol/L, P < 0.001). The drug-related adverse effects were mild and mostly gastrointestinal in nature. Conclusion Lanthanum carbonate is an efficacious and well-tolerated oral phosphate binder with a mild AE profile in hemodialysis and CAPD patients. This agent may provide an alternative for the treatment of hyperphosphatemia in CKD 5D patients in mainland China. Trial registration No. ChiCTR-TRC-10000817

The thermodynamic properties, microscopic functions, and diffusivity of liquid Zn-Cd alloys have been predicted by the molecular interaction volume model (MIVM). These properties were also predicted by the self-association model (SAM) (O. E. Awe et al., Appl Phys A. 2017;123:363). Considered the deviation between the predicted values and the experimental values, the MIVM is more reliable and convenient than the SAM. Different from the results of SAM, the asymmetry of properties against concentration calculated by MIVM shows a relatively large reduction, which agreed with the experimental results. Moreover, some cross-over phenomena, which occurred in the conclusions analysed by SAM, were not found in the results from MIVM. The results of this study serve as a supplement to the thermodynamic description of the Zn-Cd system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vocalization plays an important role in the communication of anurans. In this study, the advertisement calls of male Fejervarya multistriata obtained in Lishui, Zhejiang, China during the breeding season were recorded. Their note number (NN), note duration (ND), note interval (NI), call duration (CD), pitch (PIT), call intensity (CIT) and dominant frequency (DF) were analyzed. The calls of F. multistriata are composed of one to 38 notes, and calls composed of fewer than ten notes have the highest frequency. Male frogs produced calls ranging from 1201 Hz to 3357 Hz with two DFs (1412.49 Hz and 2953.89 Hz). By comparing the differences among individual calls, it was found that the within-individual coefficients of variation (CVW) and among-individual coefficients of variation (CVA) for NN, NI, CD, PIT and DF were more than 10%, whereas that of CIT was less than 5%. The CVA/CVW ratios indicate that ND is important for sexual selection, whereas NN, NI CD, PIT, CIT, and DF are important for individual recognition. Phylogenetic generalized least squares analysis showed that phylogenetic signals affect DF vs. snout-vent length (SVL) and CD of anurans in China, and accounting for phylogenetic signals, DF was negatively correlated with SVL. DF was found to be higher in anurans that breed in flowing water than in those that breed in stagnant water, after eliminating the effects of phylogeny and SVL. Therefore, we conclude that phylogenetic effects, SVL, and the water type of breeding habitats have a combined impact on the advertisement calls in anurans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new compound, ethyl 5‐phenyl‐2‐(p‐tolyl)‐2H‐1,2,3‐triazole‐4‐carboxylate was successfully introduced and synthesized as a novel rhodamine B derivative named REPPC, and characterized by 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), 13C NMR, and high resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS). It showed an obvious fluorescence and UV–visible light absorption enhancement towards Hg2+ ion without interference from common metal ions in N,N‐dimethylformamide–H2O (pH 7.4). The spirolactam ring moiety of rhodamine in REPPC was converted to the open‐ring form generating a 1:1 complex with the intervention of a mercury ion, verified by electrospray ionization‐mass spectroscopy testing and density functional theory calculation. REPPC was used to visualize the level of mercury ions in living HeLa cells with encouraging results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The difference in body size and/or shape between males and females, called sexual size dimorphism, is widely accepted as the evolutionary consequence of the difference between reproductive roles. To study the mating pattern, female reproduction and sexual size dimorphism in a population of Microhyla fissipes , amplexus pairs were collected, and the snout-vent length of males and females, female reproductive traits and fertilization rate were measured. If the body size of amplexed females is larger than that of amplectant males, this is referred to as a female-larger pair, a phenomenon that was often observed for M. fissipes in this study. Interestingly, snout-vent length of males in male-larger pairs was greater than that in female-larger pairs, however the post-spawning body mass, clutch size, egg dry mass and clutch dry mass did not differ between both types of pairs. Snout-vent length of males was positively related to that of females in each amplexus pair. After accounting for the snout-vent lengths of females, we showed that snout-vent lengths of males in male-larger pairs were greater than those of females in female-larger pairs. The snout-vent length ratio of males and females was not related to fertilization rate in each amplexus pair. The mean fertilization rate was not different between both amplexus pairs. These results suggest that (1) M. fissipes displays female-biased sexual size dimorphism and has two amplexus types with size-assortative mating; (2) the snout-vent length ratio of males and females in each amplexus type was consistent with the inverse of Rensch's rule, and was driven by the combined effect of sexual selection and fecundity selection; (3) females with a larger body size were preferred by males due to their higher fecundity, while the body size of males was not important for fertilization success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

1-Phenyl-5-p-tolyl-1H-1, 2, 3-triazole (PPTA) was a synthesized compound. The result of acute toxicities to mice of PPTA by intragastric administration indicated that PPTA did not produce any significant acute toxic effect on Kunming strain mice. It exhibited the various potent inhibitory activities against two kinds of bananas pathogenic bacteria, black sigatoka and freckle, when compared with that of control drugs and the inhibitory rates were up to 64.14% and 43.46%, respectively, with the same concentration of 7.06 mM. The interaction of PPTA with human serum albumin (HSA) was studied using fluorescence polarization, absorption spectra, 3D fluorescence, and synchronous spectra in combination with quantum chemistry and molecular modeling. Multiple modes of interaction between PPTA and HSA were suggested to stabilize the PPTA-HSA complex, based on thermodynamic data and molecular modeling. Binding of PPTA to HSA induced perturbation in the microenvironment around HSA as well as secondary structural changes in the protein. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We sequenced and annotated the complete mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) of Takydromus kuehnei Van Denburgh, 1909 (Squamata: Takydromus). This mitogenome was 17,224 bp long and encoded 13 protein-coding genes, 22 transfer RNA genes, two ribosomal RNA genes, one non-coding regions of an L-strand replication origin and a displacement loop region. The overall nucleotide composition was 32.8% of A, 13.8% of G, 24.8% of T, and 30.5% of C. Phylogenetic analysis using maximum likelihood method validated the taxonomic status of T. kuehnei, exhibiting the close relationship with the species from the genus Takydromus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The complete mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) of Rana wuyiensis (Anura, Ranidae) was sequenced and annotated. The circular complete mitogenome was 17,779 bp in length (OL467321) and constituted of 37 genes including 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 22 transfer RNAs (tRNAs), and two ribosomal RNAs (rRNAs), and a D-loop region. The result of Bayesian phylogenetic analysis indicated that R. wuyiensis exhibits a close relationship with R. johnsi. R. wuyiensis was recently discovered and therefore holds a lot of potential for future research studies. Our study added a new mitochondrial data and provided valuable reference material to the taxonomy of Rana. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The toxicity of triphenyl phosphate (TPhP) to aquatic organisms in surface waters has been demonstrated; However, an understanding of toxicity profiles of TPhP in amphibians is limited. Therefore, the adverse effects and threshold concentrations of TPhP on metamorphosis, growth, locomotion, and hepatic antioxidants of Gosner stage 25 Polypedates megacephalus tadpoles under long-term (35 d) exposure to six TPhP concentrations until complete metamorphosis were assessed. Additionally, the overall effect of using integrated multiple biomarkers were determined to demonstrate the potential ecological risks of waterborne TPhP at environmentally relevant concentrations in amphibian tadpoles. With increasing TPhP concentrations, physical parameters (snout-vent length, body mass, condition factor, and hepatic somatic index), jumping distance, hepatic catalase, and superoxide dismutase activities decreased, whereas metamorphosis time and malondialdehyde content increased. The threshold concentration of TPhP that affected the tadpole biomarker, except for metamorphosis rate and jumping distance, was 50–400 μg/L. Furthermore, the standardized scores of the examined integrated biomarkers in the six TPhP concentrations were visualized using radar plots and calculated as the integrated biomarker responses (IBRs). The varying TPhP concentrations had different scores in the radar plots, and the threshold for affecting the IBR value was 10 μg/L, which was close to the TPhP concentration in surface waters. Additionally, IBR values were strongly positively correlated with the TPhP concentrations. These findings indicate that environmentally relevant exposure to waterborne TPhP can pose an ecological risk to amphibian tadpoles. This study can serve as a reference and assist in the formulation of relevant policies and strategies to control TPhP pollution in water bodies. [Display omitted] • Metamorphosis, growth, locomotion, and antioxidants in P. megacephalus under TPhP were assessed. • Integrated biomarker response was positively correlated with TPhP concentration. • Body mass was more sensitive to TPhP than other physical parameters. • Evidence to assess ecological risks due to TPhP in amphibians was provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intermuscular bones (IBs), which are little, bony spicules in muscle, are embedded in lower teleosts' myosepta. Despite the importance of studying IB development in freshwater aquaculture species, the genes associated with IB development need to be further explored. In the present study, we identified four stages of IB development in barbel steed (Hemibarbus labeo), namely stage 1: IBs have not emerged, stage 2: a few small IBs have emerged in the tail, stage 3: longer IBs gradually emerged in the tail and stage 4: all of the IBs in the tail are mature and long, via Alizarin red staining. Subsequently, we used the HiseqXTen platform to sequence and de novo assemble the transcriptome of epaxial muscle (between 35th and 40th myomere) of barbel steed at 29 days (stage 1) and 42 days (stage 3) after hatching. A total of 190,814 unigenes were obtained with an average length and N 50 of 648 bp and 1027 bp, respectively. We found 2174 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between stages 1 and 3, of which 378 and 1796 were up- and down-regulated, respectively. Functional enrichment analysis showed that several DEGs functioned in ossification, positive regulation of osteoblast differentiation, osteoblast differentiation, and BMP signaling pathway, and were further enriched in signal pathway, including osteoclast differentiation, TGF-β signaling pathway, cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction, Jak-STAT signaling pathway, and other KEEG pathways. In conclusion, we identified genes that may be related to IB development, such as kazal type serine peptidase inhibitor domain 1 (KAZALD1), extracellular matrix protein 1 (ECM1), tetranectin , bone morphogenetic protein 1 (bmp1), acid phosphatase 5 (ACP5), collagen type XI alpha 1 chain (COL11A1), matrix metallopeptidase 9 (MMP9), pannexin-3 (PANX3), sp7 transcription factor (Sp7), and c-x-c motif chemokine ligand 8 (CXCL8), by comparing the transcriptomes of epaxial muscle before and after IB ossification. This study provided a theoretical basis for identifying the molecular mechanisms underlying IB development in fish. [Display omitted] • We performed RNA-seq on epaxial muscle (with intermuscular bones) of barbel steed before and after IB ossification. • We identified 2174 DEGs, some of which matched the enrichment and signaling pathway components associated with bone formation. • We have identified several genes that may be related to IB ossification, such as bmp1 , COL11A1 , Sp7 , and KAZALD1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Red Keelback (Pseudagkistrodon rudis Boulenger, 1906) is widely distributed in the southern of China. The complete mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) of P. rudis was determined for the first time by using next-generation sequencing. The size of assembled mitogenome for P. rudis was 19,150 bp, which included 13 protein coding genes (PCGs), 22 tRNAs, two rRNAs and two control regions (d-loop1 and d-loop2). The Bayesian tree showed that P. rudis and Rhabdophis tigrinus have a closed relationship. These results can provide data for phylogeny and molecular classification of the genus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Chinese tiger frog Hoplobatrachus rugulosa is one of the most common frog species sold in China as food. To examine the combined effects of food supply and larval density on survival, growth and metamorphosis of H. rugulosa tadpoles, we conducted a two (food supplies) × three (larval densities) factorial experiment. Tadpoles in one feeding treatment always had free access to food, and tadpoles in the other feeding treatment had free access to food for 24 h every 4 days. Larval densities were set at 6, 12 and 18 tadpoles per liter water, respectively. We found that: (1) metamorphosis rate decreased as larval density increased, but it did not differ between the two feeding treatments; (2) metamorphosis time and its variance increased as density increased, and insufficient food supply resulted in longer and more variable larval periods; (3) high larval density led to the production of smaller froglets, so did insufficient food supply; and (4) larval density has a more pronounced role in affecting metamorphosis rate, and food supply has a more pronounced role in affecting metamorphosis time. Based on our results, the most important thing that should be done by farmers is to avoid the rearing of H. rugulosa tadpoles under food × density conditions greatly reducing larval survival, growth and developmental synchrony rather than to rear them under conditions substantially increasing the costs due to the increased payments for food and space. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Computer Engineering & Science / Jisuanji Gongcheng yu Kexue is the property of Computer Engineering & Science and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The black-spotted stout newt (Pachytriton brevipes) is widely distributed in the mountains of southeastern China. In this study, we sequenced and determined the complete mitochondrial genome (mitogenomes) of two P. brevipes samples collected in Mount Wuyi. The assembled mitogenomes were 16,298 bp and 16,301 bp in length, and contained 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), two ribosomal RNA genes, 22 transfer RNA genes, one non-coding region, and one control region. The phylogenetic analysis indicated the two samples of black-spotted stout newt grouped together and are the sister group of P. feii. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, excess entropy (S) and viscosity (η) of liquid Bi were calculated based on pair distribution functions. A sudden increase of excess entropy inS–Tcurve, consistent with the endothermic peak in differential thermal analysis (DTA) curve, was found. There are two abrupt changes of calculated viscosity inη–Tcurve, coincident with experimental viscosity. These phenomena demonstrate that structural transition in liquid bismuth is entropy driven and atomic bonds vary twice in liquid bismuth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The behaviour of the excess entropy of the isothermal dissolution of indium in liquid gallium is examined in this article. We show the presence of a structural anomaly using the pair distribution function and excess entropy analysis when particles move from a far distance to the first coordination shell with increasing indium content, indicating that the structural anomaly depends only on what happens up to the local shell. These findings are in agreement with results of earlier studies. Moreover, the translational order parameter is introduced to quantify the disorder in liquid gallium–indium. The order mapped together with the two-body excess entropy shows that with an increase in indium content, the ‘true’ liquid changes to the liquid containing solid-like clusters. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Li, H., Zhou, Z.-S., Ding, G.-H. and Ji, X. 2011. Fluctuations in incubation temperature affect incubation duration but not morphology, locomotion and growth of hatchlings in the sand lizard Lacerta agilis (Lacertidae). - Acta Zoologica (Stockholm) 00: 1-8. Studies looking for potential effects of temperature and temperature fluctuations on phenotypic traits of reptile hatchlings have shown species variation, but have not always allowed a distinction between effects of fluctuation per se and temperature extremes themselves. To examine whether incubation temperature fluctuation has a key role in influencing the phenotype of offspring, we incubated eggs of the sand lizard Lacerta agilis at one of the four temperature regimes (27, 27 ± 2, 27 ± 4 and 27 ± 6 °C). We found that: (1) hatchlings incubated under the four temperature regimes did not differ from each other in any of the morphological and physiological traits examined; (2) interactions that included temperature treatment did not affect any trait examined; (3) the mean incubation length was longer in the 27 ± 6 °C treatment than in the other three treatments; and (4) female hatchlings were shorter in head length and width but longer in snout-vent length as well as abdomen length than males derived from the same-sized egg. Our data show that both the type and the magnitude of temperature variation can affect incubation length. We found no evidence for phenotypic divergence in responses to temperature fluctuations during incubation and therefore suggest that temperature variation does not affect the phenotype of hatchlings in L. agilis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using the DC four-probe method, temperature dependence of the electrical resistivity (ρ − T) of Sb100− x Zn x (x = 25, 40, 50, 57, 61, 80 at%) alloys was investigated in the temperature range of 500–860°C. The results showed that resistivity of each liquid alloy decreased non-linearly with temperature increasing above their liquidus (T L) until reaching critical temperature, at which the resistivity–temperature coefficients dρ/dT–T converts from negative into positive. The phenomena of liquid phase transformation might relate with the dissociation of covalent bonds, chemical orders and associations in Sb–Zn melts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The electrical resistivities of liquid Bi–Sb alloys have been measured by DC four-probe method within Bi-rich composition through a wide temperature range. The distinct anomaly of a hump shape was observed on resistivity–temperature (ρndash; T ) curves for liquid Bi–Sb alloys on heating at the relatively high temperatures. These anomalies have revealed the temperature-induced liquid–liquid phase transition in Bi–Sb melts. The DSC results for BiSb20wt% alloy further prove the existence of liquid–liquid transition. Measuring the ρ– T curves first on heating and then on cooling we have found that on cooling the ρ– T curve remained linear. It means that the postulated liquid–liquid transition may be irreversible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]