Search

Boron-embedded heteroacenes (boraacenes) have attracted enormous interest in organic chemistry and materials science. However, extending the skeleton of boraacenes to higher acenes (N≥6) is synthetically challenging because of their limited stability under ambient conditions. Herein, we report the synthesis of boron-embedded heptacene (DBH) and nonacene (DBN) as the hitherto longest boraacenes. The former is highly stable (even after 240 h in tetrahydrofuran), while the latter is air-sensitive with the half-life (t 1/2 ) of 11.8 min. The structures of both compounds are verified by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, revealing a linear backbone with an antiaromatic C 4 B 2 core. Photophysical characterizations associated with theoretical calculations indicate that both compounds exhibit highly efficient anti-Kasha emissions. Remarkably, the air-stable DBH manifests an ultrahigh photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) of 98±2 % and can be chemically reduced to its radical anion and dianion states, implying the value of boron-doped higher acenes as novel functional materials., (© 2022 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

The quest for fluorophores exhibiting large two-photon absorption cross sections and high fluorescence efficiency is an important topic. Two 2,2'-bithienyl derivatives are disclosed which contain two N,N-disubstituted amino and two dimesitylboryl groups at 3,3'- and 5,5'-positions, respectively. Despite the great steric effect of amino groups, the bithienyl skeleton still adopts a coplanar geometry. Herein, they are characterized by a quadrupolar structure and display good fluorescence efficiency and large two-photon absorption cross sections up to 473 GM., (© 2022 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Objective: To investigate the effectiveness of modified Caprini risk assessment model(Caprini MRAM) in predicting the risk of deep venous thrombosis (DVT) after total knee arthroplasty (TKA)., Methods: A case-control study was used to collect 43 patients with DVT after TKA in lower limb department of Sichuan Orthopedic Hospital from January 2016 to November 2020 in the positive group, and 172 patients without DVT after TKA in the same period according to the 1∶4 ratio between positive and control group were selected in the control group. Caprini MRAM was used to score and grade the risk of DVT. The clinical data, score and risk classification of the two groups were compared. The relationship between the risk of DVT in the patients after TKA and the risk factors in the risk ckassification and assessment of Caprini MRAM was analyzed by multivariate logistic regression model., Results: The average score of caprini in DVT group was significantly higher than that in control group[(8.11±2.91) vs(4.07±2.12), P <0.001];DVT group was mainly at medium and high risk group(66.67%), while the control group was mainly at low risk (77.33%). There was a significant difference between the two groups in risk classification composition ( P <0.001). BMI≥30 kg/m 2 , lower extremity edema (<1 month), severe pulmonary disease (<1 month), acute myocardial infarction (<1 month), bed rest (> 2 h), history of superficial or deep vein or pulmonary embolism and family history of thrombosis were the main risk factors for DVT in patients after TKA(all P <0.05). Preoperative D-dimer elevation ( OR =4.380), BMI≥30 kg/m 2 ( OR =2.518), lower extremity edema(<1 month)( OR =7.652), acute myocardial infarction (<1 month) ( OR =1.994), bed rest (> 72 h)( OR =3.897), history of superficial or deep vein or pulmonary embolism ( OR =13.517) and family history of blood embolism ( OR =6.551) were independent risk factors for DVT in patients after TKA (all P <0.05). The risk of DVT was 13.457 and 2.739 times higher in high and moderate risk TKA patients with Caprini MRAM classification, respectively., Conclusion: Caprini MRAM can be used to predict the risk of DVT in patients after TKA, especially for patients with high risk.

Due to its vulnerability and anthropogenic disturbance, ecological problems in karst areas are prominent, such as vegetation destruction, soil erosion, and rocky desertification. Comprehensive analysis of ecological vulnerability and influencing factors in karst areas can provide scientific support for regional ecological restoration and environmental governance. With Guangnan County, a typical karst region in southeastern Yunnan, as an example, we constructed a karst regional eco-environmental vulnerability assessment index system from the perspective of natural and factitious factors. We used SPCA to assess the ecological vulnerability in 2000, 2010 and 2018. We further analyzed the temporal and spatial variations and explored its influencing factors by using geographic detectors. From 2000 to 2018, the changes of overall fragility were small, but the degree of fragility had been intensifying. The grade of ecological vulnerability was mainly slight fragile. The area with mild, moderate and severe fragility was increasing, while the area of extremely fragile showed no change. Guangnan County had a higher ecological vulnerability in the south of "Zhetu-Liancheng-Yangliujing-Banbang", and lower in the north. The spatial agglomeration effect of vulnerability was strong in this county. The north part of Guangnan was vulnerable low-low agglomeration areas, while the southwest and southeast parts were in high-fragility-high agglomeration areas. The implementation of ecological engineering was conducive to the improvement of regional ecological fragility, while the disturbance of human activities further deteriorated ecological fragility. The area proportion of rocky desertification and stratum lithology had stronger influence on ecological fragility of the karst area. The most important influencing factor of the karst ecological fragility was the development of karst carbonate rocks.

Low pH with aluminum (Al) toxicity are the main limiting factors affecting crop production in acidic soil. Selection of legume crops with acid tolerance and nitrogen-fixation ability should be one of the effective measures to improve soil quality and promote agricultural production. The role of the rhizosphere microorganisms in this process has raised concerns among the research community. In this study, BX10 (Al-tolerant soybean) and BD2 (Al-sensitive soybean) were selected as plant materials. Acidic soil was used as growth medium. The soil layers from the outside to the inside of the root are bulk soil (BS), rhizosphere soil at two sides (SRH), rhizosphere soil after brushing (BRH) and rhizosphere soil after washing (WRH), respectively. High-throughput sequencing of 16S rDNA amplicons of the V4 region using the Illumina MiSeq platform was performed to compare the differences of structure, function and molecular genetic diversity of rhizosphere bacterial community of different genotypes of soybean. The results showed that there was no significant difference in alpha diversity and beta diversity in rhizosphere bacterial community among the treatments. PCA and PCoA analysis showed that BRH and WRH had similar species composition, while BS and SRH also had similar species composition, which indicated that plant mainly affected the rhizosphere bacterial community on sampling compartments BRH and WRH. The composition and abundance of rhizosphere bacterial community among the treatments were then compared at different taxonomic levels. The ternary diagram of phylum level showed that Cyanobacteria were enriched in WRH. Statistical analysis showed that the roots of Al-tolerant soybean BX10 had an enrichment effect on plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR), which included Cyanobacteria, Bacteroides, Proteobacteria and some genera and species related to the function of nitrogen fixation and aluminum tolerance. The rhizosphere bacterial community from different sampling compartments of the same genotype soybean also were selectively enriched in different PGPR. In addition, the functional prediction analysis showed that there was no significant difference in the classification and abundance of COG (clusters of orthologous groups of proteins) function among different treatments. Several COGs might be directly related to nitrogen fixation, including COG0347, COG1348, COG1433, COG2710, COG3870, COG4656, COG5420, COG5456 and COG5554. Al-sensitive soybean BD2 was more likely to be enriched in these COGs than BX10 in BRH and WRH, and the possible reason remains to be further investigated in the future.

Secret sharing is a widely-used security protocol and cryptographic primitive in which all people cooperate to restore encrypted information. The characteristics of a quantum field guarantee the security of information; therefore, many researchers are interested in quantum cryptography and quantum secret sharing (QSS) is an important research topic. However, most traditional QSS methods are complex and difficult to implement. In addition, most traditional QSS schemes share classical information, not quantum information which makes them inefficient to transfer and share information. In a weighted threshold QSS method, each participant has each own weight, but assigning weights usually costs multiple quantum states. Quantum state consumption will therefore increase with the weight. It is inefficient and difficult, and therefore not able to successfully build a suitable agreement. The proposed method is the first attempt to build multiparty weighted threshold QSS method using single quantum particles combine with the Chinese remainder theorem (CRT) and phase shift operation. The proposed scheme allows each participant has its own weight and the dealer can encode a quantum state with the phase shift operation. The dividing and recovery characteristics of CRT offer a simple approach to distribute partial keys. The reversibility of phase shift operation can encode and decode the secret. The proposed weighted threshold QSS scheme presents the security analysis of external attacks and internal attacks. Furthermore, the efficiency analysis shows that our method is more efficient, flexible, and simpler to implement than traditional methods.

Glioma is the most common type of primary brain cancer, and the prognosis of most patients with glioma, and particularly that of patients with glioblastoma, is poor. Tumor immunity serves an important role in the development of glioma. However, immunotherapy for glioma has not been completely successful, and thus, comprehensive examination of the immune-related genes (IRGs) of glioma is required. In the present study, differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and differentially expressed IRGs (DEIRGs) were identified using the edgeR package. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis was used for functional enrichment analysis of DEIRGs. Survival-associated IRGs were selected via univariate Cox regression analysis. A The Cancer Genome Atlas prognostic model and GSE43378 validation model were established using lasso-penalized Cox regression analysis. Based on the median risk score value, patients were divided into high-risk and low-risk groups for clinical analysis. Receiver operating characteristic curve and nomogram analyses were used to assess the accuracy of the models. Reverse transcription-quantitative PCR was performed to measure the expression levels of relevant genes, such as cyclin-dependent kinase 4 (CDK4), interleukin 24 (IL24), NADPH oxidase 4 (NOX4), bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP2) and baculoviral IAP repeat containing 5 (BIRC5). A total of 3,238 DEGs, including 1,950 upregulated and 1,288 downregulated DEGs, and 97 DEIRGs, including 60 upregulated and 37 downregulated DEIRGs, were identified. 'Neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction' and 'Cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction' were the most significantly enriched pathways according to KEGG pathway analysis. A prognostic model and a validation prognostic model were created for glioma, including 15 survival-associated IRGs (FCER1G, NOX4, TRIM5, SOCS1, APOBEC3C, BIRC5, VIM, TNC, BMP2, CMTM3, IL24, JAG1, CALCRL, HNF4G and CDK4). Furthermore, multivariate Cox regression analysis results suggested that age, high WHO Grade by histopathology, wild type isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 and high risk score were independently associated with poor overall survival. The infiltration of B cells, CD8 + T cells, dendritic cells, macrophages and neutrophils was positively associated with the prognostic risk score. In the present study, several clinically significant survival-associated IRGs were identified, and a prognosis evaluation model of glioma was established., (Copyright: © Wang et al.)

Objective: To systematically review the effects of moxibustion on serum cytokines in experimental animals with rheumatoid arthritis., Methods: PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, The Cochrane Library, CNKI, VIP, Wanfang Data, and CBM were searched for animal experiments on moxibustion intervention for rheumatoid arthritis. Related data were extracted, and RevMan 5.3 was used to perform a meta-analysis of outcome measures, including serum tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1 (IL-1), interleukin-6 (IL-6), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), interleukin-17 (IL-17), interleukin-2 (IL-2), interferon-γ (IFN-γ), receptor activator of nuclear factor-kappa B ligand (RANKL), transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β), and degree of swelling of diseased joint., Results: A total of 18 studies were included. The detection methods included radioimmunoassay and ELISA and the experimental animal species included rats and rabbits. The studies on serum TNF-α and degree of swelling of diseased joint had publication bias. Meta-analysis showed that the moxibustion group had significant reductions in the serum levels of TNF-α, IL-1, IL-2, IL-6, VEGF, IL-17, and RANKL, significant increases in the serum levels of TGF-β and IFN-γ, and a significant reduction in the degree of swelling of diseased joints in model animals., Conclusion: Moxibustion can effectively regulate levels of the serum cytokines in experimental animals of rheumatoid arthritis and thus reduce inflammatory response and alleviate the swelling of diseased joints.

Purpose: Due to a lack of early diagnostic markers, pancreatic cancer (PC) remains a lethal disease. Proteomic approaches are now being applied to identify novel PC biomarkers., Experimental Design: In this study, iTRAQ and LC-MS/MS are used to perform comparative analyses of serum from PC patients and healthy controls (HC), to identify specific serum biomarkers for PC. Serum levels of candidate proteins are determined using ELISA., Results: Among 869 proteins identified, 55 are potential biomarkers; Vitamin K-dependent protein Z (PROZ) and tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily member 6b (TNFRSF6B) are selected for further analysis. Serum levels of PROZ and TNFRSF6B are significantly higher in PC patients than in HC or pancreatic benign controls (BC) (p < 0.01). The AUCs range from 0.816 to 0.971 for PROZ, TNFRSF6B, and carbohydrate antigen 19-9, either individually or in combination, in PC versus HC+BC, and from 0.711 to 0.932 in PC Stage I versus HC+BC., Conclusions and Clinical Relevance: It is demonstrated that PROZ and TNFRSF6B are novel serum biomarkers for detecting early stage PC, and for distinguishing PC from pancreatic benign tumor and healthy individuals. Additional large cohort studies are needed to develop PROZ and TNFRSF6B as clinical PC biomarkers., (© 2019 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

Background: Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) is the most common structural deformity of the spine. Genetics constitute largely to AIS, and the rs11190870 polymorphism has the potential for use in public health and clinical settings as a predictor of AIS risk. The aim of the present meta-analysis was to provide exhaustive evidence to evaluate the association of rs11190870 with the susceptibility and severity of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) in multiple ethnic groups and different genders., Materials and Methods: The professional databases, including PubMed, Embase, Social Sciences Citation Index, CINAHL, and International Bibliography of the Social Sciences, were searched from 1966 to October 2015. No language restriction was applied. Reference lists of all the selected articles were hand-searched for any additional studies. Three authors independently extracted data from all eligible studies. The data were analyzed by meta-analysis using fixed-effects or random-effects models with mean differences and risk ratios for continuous and dichotomous variables, respectively., Results: Eight studies were included, and the pooled analysis suggested that the T genotype of SNP rs11190870 leads to a higher risk of AIS in multiple ethnic groups regardless of gender (Total:OR, 1.66, 95% CI 1.53, 1.79; I 2  = 37.3%, P = 0.000, Female: OR, 1.62, 95% CI 1.50, 1.73; I 2  = 26.7%, P = 0.000, Male: OR, 1.79, 95% CI 1.38, 2.20; I2 = 0.00%, P = 0.000). Additionally, the TT and TC genotype had a larger Cobb angle than those with the CC genotype in the overall and female Asian populations., Conclusion: A significant association of rs11190870 with AIS was observed in multiple ethnic groups regardless of gender. Additionally, a significant association was found between rs11190870 and curve severity in the overall and female Asian populations. Due to the limited data and clinical heterogeneity, further studies with large sample sizes are required., (Copyright © 2018 IJS Publishing Group Ltd. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The main aim of this study is to investigate the underlying relationship shared between microRNA-200a (miR-200a) and its link to concentrations of Th17 and Treg cells, mRNA expressions of their specific transcription factors retinoic acid-related orphan receptor γt (RORγt) and head box protein 3 (FOXP3) and relevant cytokines in patients with psoriasis vulgaris (PV). A total of 189 patients previously diagnosed with PV were selected as the experimental group, whilst 109 healthy individuals as the control group. According to the psoriasis area and severity index (PASI), subjects in the experimental group were assigned into the severe group (95 cases) and the moderate group (94 cases). CD4 + T and Th17/Treg cells were extracted. MiR-200a expression and RORγt and FoxP3 mRNA expressions were detected by qRT-PCR. Concentrations of Th17 and Treg cells were measured via flow cytometry. ELISA was conducted for serum IL-17, IL-23 and TGF-β levels. Correlation analysis was completed in accordance with the Pearson method. Compared with the moderate group, higher miR-200a expression, RORγt mRNA expression, percentage of Th17, Th17/Treg ratio and levels of IL-17 and IL-23 exhibited in the severe group, whilst FoxP3 mRNA expression and, percentage of Treg as well as TGF-β were lower. A same trend displayed when comparing the moderate group to the control group. We found that miR-200a expression, percentage of Th17, Th17/Treg ratio, IL-17 and IL-23 levels and RORγt mRNA expression are positively correlated with PASI grade, while the percentage of Treg, TGF-β level and FoxP3 mRNA expression are negatively correlated with PASI grade. The results also displayed that the percentage of Th17, Th17/Treg ratio, IL-17 and IL-23 levels and RORγt mRNA expression are positively correlated with miR-200a expression, while the percentage seen in Treg and TGF-βand FoxP3 mRNA expression are negatively correlated with miR-200a expression. Our results provided a strong evidence that up-regulation of microRNA-200a in CD4+ T cells may induce immune dysfunction through Th17/Treg cells and relevant cytokines in PV patients., (Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.)

Objective: To investigate the association between Type D personality and higher incidence of major adverse cardiac events, we used in vivo optical coherence tomography (OCT) to evaluate the association between Type D with coronary plaque characteristics., Methods: A total of 109 patients who had culprit coronary plaque (s) were included in the study. The Type D construct was analyzed using both the categorized and the continuous approaches. Plaque vulnerability of culprit lesions was measured by OCT., Results: After adjusting for demographic and clinical factors, multivariate analysis demonstrated that Type D was associated with lipid plaque (odds ratio [OR] = 4.87, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.41-11.14, p = .025), thin cap fibroatheroma (OR = 3.84, 95% CI = 1.36-10.85, p = .011), and fibrous cap thickness (β = -1.43, standard error = 0.04, p = .001) analyzed by categorical approach. When analyzing Type D as continuous variable, the negative affectivity component was significantly related to plaque vulnerability, including lipid plaque (OR = 3.43, 95% CI = 1.23-9.52, p = .018), thin cap fibroatheroma (OR = 2.20, 95% CI = 1.10-4.40, p = .026), and fibrous cap thickness (β = -0.05, standard error = 0.02, p = .030), whereas no associations between the negative affectivity by social inhibition interaction term with OCT indices were found., Conclusions: The results suggest that plaque characteristics in Type D have more features of plaque vulnerability. The negative affectivity component seems to drive the associations between Type D and vulnerable plaques. These findings provide new insights into the mechanism involved in the association between Type D and major adverse cardiac event.

Objective: To explore the clinical results of postoperative rehabilitation of patellar fracture by modified seated position of different knee flexion angles, thereby enrich the therapeutic tool of orthopaedics of traditional Chinese and western medicine and provide the evidences for refinement and modernization of traditional Chinese exercise therapy., Methods: From January 2009 to June 2012,90 patients with patellar transverse fractures were treated with open reduction and internal fixation by tension band wire and rehabilitation exercises. There were 52 males and 38 females, aged from 21 to 77 years old with an average of 50.0 years old. Three methods of rehabilitation exercises were adopted in the patients after fractures clinical union. There were 21 males and 14 females in group A (trained by modified seated position of knee flexion about 60 degree), 21 males and 14 females in group B (trained by modified seated position of knee flexion about 30 degree), 10 males and 10 females in group C (trained by walk). The rehabilitation-training time was 1 month. Fracture healing informations were observed by X-ray films. The Böstman patellar fracture function scores were compared before and after training among three groups., Results: Postoperative follow-up time was 6 months. All fractures obtained bone union and the average healing time was 3 months (ranged,2 to 4 months). Böstman patellar fracture function scores in group A, B, C before training were 18.89 ± 2.19, 18.74 ± 2.03, 18.85 ± 2.92, respectively; there was no significant differences in among three groups (P > 0.05). After training, Böstman patellar fracture function scores in group A, B, C were 29.40 ± 1.14, 26.09 ± 3.86, 25.70 ± 4.09, respectively; group A was highest than other two groups; and there was no significant differences between group A and group B., Conclusion: Modified seated position of knee flexion about 60 degree was practical and effective training in postoperative rehabilitation for the treatment of patellar fracture, it can obtain the better clinical results than other training method such as walk or modified seated position of knee flexion about 30 degree.

Objective: To explore the technique and clinical results of close reduction by manipulation and minimally invasive percutaneous osteosynthesis with intramedullary nail for the treatment of femur shaft fractures. methods: A retrospective study was conducted to analyze 96 patients with the femur shaft fractures who had been treated with close reduction by manipulation and minimally invasive percutaneous osteosynthesis with intramedullary nail. There were 67 males and 29 females. The average age of patients was 39 years old (ranging from 16 to 88). According to AO fracture classification for the femur shaft fractures,there were 29 cases of type A,46 type B,21 type C., Results: All the patients were followed up and the duration ranged from 12 to 24 months (averaged, 15 months). All the fractures showed union. The time required for the bony union ranged from 3 to 10 months (averaged,4 months). The clinical results were evaluated by Thorsen classification system. At the latest follow-up, 87 patients obtained excellent results, 7 good, 2 fair., Conclusion: This treatment method combines advantages of intramedullary nail with close manipulative reduction, so can get satisfactory clinical results for the treatment of femoral shaft fracture with minimal trauma.

Objective: To explore the technique and clinical results of close manipulative reduction and minimally invasive percutaneous plate osteosynthesis (MIPPO) for the treatment of tibial fractures in the middle and distal segment., Methods: From Jan. 2005 to Dec. 2009, 40 patients with tibial fractures in middle and distal segment were treated with close manipulative reduction and MIPPO fixation, including 28 males and 12 females with an average age of 54 years old (ranging from 21 to 76). According to AO fractures classification for the tibial fractures in the middle and distal segment, there were 26 cases of type A, 8 of type B, 6 of type C., Results: All patients were followed up for 12 to 24 months (averaged 18 months). All the fractures gained bone healing, and the time required for the bony union ranged from 3 to 18 months (averaged 4 months). The patients were evaluated with respect to functional recovery according to Mazur Grating System for the ankle. The aggregate score was 96.67 +/- 3.91, involving pain 48.59 +/- 2.28, hills up 2.95 +/- 0.22, hills down 2.85 +/- 0.37, stairs down 2.92 +/- 0.35, run score 4.95 +/- 0.32, plantar flexion score 4.62 +/- 0.54, dorsiflexion score 4.13 +/- 0.61. The clinical results were excellent in 36 cases, good in 3 and fair in 1., Conclusion: Close manipulative reduction and MIPPO fixation is a good method for the treatment of the tibial fractures in the middle and distal segment.

Objective: To explore the technique and clinical results of close reduction by manipulation and minimally invasive percutaneous plate osteosynthesis (MIPPO) for the treatment of supracondylar femur fractures., Methods: A retrospective study was conducted to analyze 39 patients with the supracondylar femur fractures who had been treated with close reduction by manipulation and MIPPO. There were 24 males and 15 females. The average age of the patients was 47 years old (ranged, 19 to 81 years). According to AO fracture classification for the distal femur fractures, there were 14 patients with type A1, 16 patients with type A2 and 9 patients with type A3., Results: All the patients were followed up, and the period ranged from 12 to 24 months (averaged 16 months). All the fractures showed union. The time required for the bony union ranged from 3 to 10 months (averaged 4 months). The patients were evaluated according to Kolmert distal femoral fracture functional evaluation system. Twenty-eight patients obtained an excellent result, 10 good and 1 fair., Conclusion: This method for the treatment of supracondylar femur fracture can get satisfactory function, high rate of bone union and less complications. Familiar with the close reduction technique and the geometry shape of anatomic plate as well as femoral supracondyar area are important to treat the supracondylar femur fractures.

Objective: To investigate the technique and clinical results of minimally invasive percutaneous plate osteosynthesis (MIPPO) for the treatment of the distal fractures of tibia by an appropriate plate., Methods: From Jan. 2005 to Dec. 2007, 56 patients with the distal tibia fractures were treated with MIPPO through two approaches and three types of plate involving clover plate in 35 cases, anterior L-shape anatomic plate in 12 cases, medial LCP in 9 cases. There were 38 males and 18 females with an average age of 41 years old ranging from 17 to 72 years. According to AO fracture classification for the distal tibial fractures, there were 28 cases of type A, 11 of type B, 17 type C., Results: All the patients were followed up from 12 to 24 months (averaged 16 months). All of the fractures showed bone union. The time required for the bony union ranged from 3 to 11 months (averaged 4 months). The patients were evaluated on functional recovery according to Mazur Grating System for the Ankle. The results were excellent in 51 cases, good in 5., Conclusion: Choosing effective reasonable approach and plate for the treatment of the distal tibial fractures can obtain satisfactory function, high rate of bone union and less complications.

Studies of the skin with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) reveal a diverse morphology in breeding tubercles among species of Phoxinus. Based mainly on the fine structure of the surface of tubercles, nine morphotypes, coded as letters A-I, occur in Phoxinus. Most of the morphotypes are common to all Phoxinus species, but type E is present only on the dorsum of the head of P. phoxinus, type H on the breast scale of female P. phoxinus, and type I on the pectoral fin in P. erythrogaster. Multicellular breeding tubercles bearing unicellular projections, identified as unculiferous tubercles are found in type H and probably types F and G. The distribution of tubercles on head, body, and fins is described and compared among Phoxinus species. Breeding tubercles in Phoxinus and other minnow genera are compared in order to interpret the phylogenetic implication of the tuberculation in Phoxinus. The deeply embedded breast scales and the breeding tubercles on their apical margins, and a series of tubercles on the apical margins of lateral scales of the caudal peduncle in breeding males of Phoxinus species, are the characters supporting the monophyly of the genus. © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc., (Copyright © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.)