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Alloeuzercon seemani Sun, Jin & Yi gen. & sp. nov. (Acari: Mesostigmata: Celaenopsoidea: Euzerconidae) associated with passalid beetles (Coleoptera: Passalidae) is described, representing the first...

This study studied the common economic fish in the Pearl River Estuary, including Konosirus punctatus, Hypophthalmichthys nobilis, Oreochromis spp, dace and Carassius auratus. We evaluated the toxic effects using hydrostatic toxicity. The method is to expose the test organism to different concentrations of algal toxin, and obtain the LC50 by using the probability unit method. The results showed that the same algal toxin had significant differences in toxicity to five species of fish. 96h-LC50 of Anabaena-a toxins on 5 common fishes. is 38.1μg/L, 45.6μg/L, 68.2μg/L, 78.2 μg/L, 64.5 μg/L; MC-LR is 66.9μg/L, 226.8μg/L, 255.4μg/L, 317.5 μg/L, 184.3 μg/L; MC-RR is 91.2μg/L, 266μg/L, 285μg/L, 337.6 μg/L, 214.8 μg/L; MC-YR is 95μg/L, 299μg/L, 505μg/L, 709μg/L, 439 μg/L. Anabaena-a toxins is the most toxic to the test organism, while MC-YR is the weakest. The toxicity of different algal toxins is different for the tested organisms. In this study, we found that the toxicity of the four algal toxins was from strong to weak: Anabaena-a toxins>MC-LR>MC-RR>MC-YR, this research results can provide reference and basic data support for the water environment quality and water supply safety in Dawan District and Pearl River Estuary.

Cytokine-induced killer (CIK) cells represent a heterogeneous cell population, including a large majority of CD3+CD56+ cells, a relatively minor fractions of typical T cells (CD3+CD56-), and natural killer (NK) cells (CD3-CD56+). In order to elucidate the tumor killing mechanism of these three subpopulations of CIK cells, this review summarized the concordances and differences among CD3+CD56+ CIK cells, CD3-CD56+ NK cells and CD3+CD56- T cells to the following aspects: the effects of cell surface molecules, mechanisms of tumor killing, and clinical applications of these cells in immunotherapy. NK cells can be classified into CD56brightCD16- NK cells, which produce cytokines in response to monokine co-stimulation, and the CD56dimCD16+ NK cells, which contribute to lysing susceptible target. Also, the immunity of NK cells is mainly regulated by several immune-receptors, such as ACR, ICR, NCR and KIRs. T cells require TCR and co-stimulatory molecules for initiation of T cell activation. The CD3+CD56+ CIK cells co-express with T-cell marker CD3 and NK cell marker CD56 to appear the most potent cytotoxicity and high impact on adoptive cellular immunotherapy. These CIK subpopulations share some similar tumor killing mechanisms. LFA-1 not only mediates the binding of NK cells to target cells through its ligand ICAM-1 to localize actin accumulation but also acts as a co-stimulatory receptor on NK cells. LFA-1 also functions as co-stimulatory receptor for T cells to transmit intracellular signals from the TCR to LFA-1. Furthermore, cytotoxic effect of CD3+CD56+ CIK cells is blocked by antibodies directly against LFA-1 and its counter receptor, ICAM-1. Clinically, antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) is shown in both NK cells and T cells for tumor killing while dendritic cells are another main regulator for the activation of three subpopulations. In summary, CD3+CD56+ CIK cells have dual-functional capability as T-cell subsets which acquire NK cells function and reserve TCR-mediated specific cytotoxicity. Meanwhile, CIK cells play important roles in tumor immunology. It paves the way to more effective immunotherapies for various tumors.

This study modeled and simulated the rice-azolla-crab (R-A-C) mutualistic system based on experiments in rice field. The results demonstrated that: mutualism between rice and azolla happened at low density of azolla but competition happened at high density of azolla; The interaction between rice and crab changed from positive to negative as the density of crab increased; By selecting proper initial values of azolla and crab, mutualism could exceed competition; The economic benefits of rice and crab could be increased by increasing mutualism or positive interaction between rice and crab during the rice’s growth.

A bioassay-guided in vitro screen has revealed that a 70% methanol extract of the leaves of Salix matsudana shows considerable inhibitory activity against cyclooxygenases (COX-1 and COX-2). A subsequent phytochemical study led to the isolation of a new flavonoid, matsudone A (1), together with five known flavonoids – luteolin (2), isoquercitrin (3), 7-methoxyflavone (4), luteolin 7-O-glucoside (5), 4',7-dihydroxyflavone (6) – and two phenolic glycosides, leonuriside A (7) and piceoside (8). Their structures were elucidated on the basis of extensive 1D- and 2D-NMR studies, high resolution ESI mass spectroscopic analyses and comparisons with literature data. The isolated compounds 1-8 were tested for their inhibitory activities against COX-1 and COX-2. Compounds 1, 5 and 6 were found to have potent inhibitory effect on COX-2 and compounds 3-5 exhibited moderate inhibition against COX-1.

In preliminary experiments, polyphenol fractions prepared from the leaves of Salix matsudana reduced the elevation of the rat plasma triacylglycerol level at 3 and 4 h after oral administration of a lipid emulsion containing corn oil, at a dose of 570 mg/kg. The present study examined the anti-obesity action of polyphenol fractions of S. matsudana leaves by testing whether the polyphenol fractions prevented the obesity induced by feeding a high-fat diet to female mice for 9 weeks. Body weights at 2-9 weeks and the fi nal parametrial adipose tissue weights were significantly lower in mice fed the high-fat diet with 5% polyphenols of S. matsudana leaves than in those fed the high-fat diet alone. The polyphenols of S. matsudana leaves also significantly reduced the hepatic total cholesterol content, which was elevated in mice fed the high-fat diet alone. In addition, the polyphenol fractions of S. matsudana leaves inhibited palmitic acid uptake into brush border membrane vesicles prepared from rat jejunum and alpha-amylase activity, and their fractions enhanced norepinephrine-induced lipolysis in fat cells. In conclusion, it is suggested that the inhibitory effects of the flavonoid glycoside fraction of S. matsudana leaves on high-fat diet-induced obesity might be due to the inhibition of carbohydrate and lipid absorption from small intestine through the inhibition of alpha-amylase and palmitic acid uptake into small intestinal brush border membrane or by accelerating fat mobilization through enhancing norepinephrine-induced lipolysis in fat cells.

Paraschizogynium plumachela sp. nov., collected from passalid, tiger, and stag beetles (Coleoptera: Passalidae, Carabidae: Cicindelinae, Lucanidae) in China, is described. This is the second species of the genus Paraschizogynium Hunter & Rosario, 1987, and the first record of Schizogyniidae from China. The genus is redefined based on this new species. Paraschizogynium plumachela sp. nov. can be separated from Paraschizogynium odontokeri Hunter & Rosario, 1987 by having an entire dorsal shield covering most of the dorsum, setae Z5 at least four times as long as setae s2, latigynal shields abutting each other anteriorly and each bearing two pairs of setae, a triangular mesogynal shield, two pairs of simple setae on integument of posterior margin of venter, three types of excrescences (one weakly sclerotized finger-like, one membranous feather-like and one coral-like) sub-distal on movable digit, deutosternal groove with four rows of fine denticles in female and three rows in male, and male hypostome dimorphic (hypostomal setae hp1 large, thumb-like, with one pair of seta-like spurs at base; hp2 tiny; hp3 hyaline, lobe-like).

Stenosternum cordata sp. nov. and Stenosternum bifurcata sp. nov., new to science, are described, which is the first record of Hoplomegistidae from Asia. Stenosternum cordata sp. nov. is distinguished by its heart-shaped latigynal shield with two pairs of setae along the lateral margin, and two pairs of setae along the posterior margin of the sternal shield. Stenosternum bifurcata sp. nov. is distinguished by having remarkable bifurcate corniculus, six pairs of setae on the sternal shield and three pairs setae on the latigynal shield. The family Hoplomegistidae Camin & Gorirossi, 1955 is redefined and a key to adult females of species is provided.