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Nanhsiungchelys (Testudines: Nanhsiungchelyidae) has been established in the 1960s, but its plastral morphology is not well understood. Here, we report an anterior lobe of the plastron of Nanhsiungchelys from the Upper Cretaceous of Ganzhou Basin, China. The plastron of the new specimen bears a V-shaped notch anteriorly which is absent or unknown in other Nanhsiungchelyidae. Besides, we also further describe the plastron of the holotype of Nanhsiungchelys yangi. These two specimens reveal that the plastron of Nanhsiungchelys spp. is partly hollow, and may have additional ossifications of the epiplastra. All of these suggest an unusual plastral morphology and evolution of Nanhsiungchelys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An articulated group of skeletal elements comprising a sacrum, both ilia and a first caudal vertebra, plus an isolated tooth found in immediate proximity to the bones, from the lower Cenomanian Chalk at Saint-Jouin-Bruneval (Seine-Maritime, Normandy, France) is described and attributed to a new genus and species of abelisaurid theropod, Caletodraco cottardi, on the basis of several characters of the sacrum and pelvis. The peculiar shape of the transverse process of the first caudal vertebra shows that Caletodraco cottardi differs from majungasaurine abelisaurids previously described from Europe, such as Arcovenator escotae, and belongs to the Furileusauria, a group of derived abelisaurids hitherto recognized only from South America. The presence of a furileusaurian abelisaurid in the Cenomanian of Normandy suggests that the biogeographical history of the Abelisauridae in Europe was more complex than hitherto admitted. Several previously described European abelisaurids, such as the Albian Genusaurus sisteronis, may in fact belong to the Furileusauria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the operation of the first route in Xi'an City, the matching relationship between the metro networks and the urban population is a root factor affecting the utilization of rail transit facilities. The mismatch between the metro networks and the urban population has led to an imbalance between the supply and demand for rail transport, resulting in wasted urban infrastructure. Based on this issue, the research objective is to focus on the spatiotemporal variations of the matching relationship. Firstly, the topological network model abstractly extracted metro spatial distribution features, and the spatial autocorrelation model was adopted to identify the evolution characteristics of the metro networks and urban population. Secondly, this paper adopted a time-lagged regression model to demonstrate the action relationship from 2011 to 2021. Then, the compositive coordination index was utilized to assess the variation of the global matching relationship. Finally, the paper explored spatial heterogeneity through the coupling coherence degree attached to grid cells. The research results indicate that the Moran's I value of metro elements decreased from 0.782 to 0.510 with the further complexity of topological networks, while the population was consistently high in spatial dependence with a Moran's I value of around 0.75 during the decade. Based on the regression coefficients and significance, this paper verified the hypothesis that the metro networks and urban population had a positive time-lagged feedback effect in urban development. From 2011 to 2021, the compositive coordination index symbolizing the global matching relationship increased from 0.29 to 0.90, but the coupling coherence degree shows significant spatial heterogeneity in different grid units. Differentiated spatial planning strategies were proposed for varied areas to efficiently utilize rail transit, which may provide a reference for other cities with the same reality problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two nanhsiungchelyid carapaces from the Upper Cretaceous of Ganzhou Basin, Jiangxi Province, Southern China, are reported and assigned to Nanhsiungchelys sp. The new material reveals an unusual carapace morphology that was either not or poorly preserved in previously known Nanhsiungchelys specimens, including differentiated neurals, alternating costals, significantly modified scutes with vertebrals 4–5 contacting each other at a point, reduced pleurals 2–4 and greatly expanded lateral and posterior marginals. The discovery extends the geographical distribution of Nanhsiungchelys to the Ganzhou Basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new Chengyuchelys latimarginalis (Xinjiangchelyidae) specimen is reported based on a well-preserved, nearly complete shell from the upper part of the Upper Jurassic Shangshaximiao Formation of Qijiang District, Chongqing Municipality, China. The Xinjiangchelyidae were widely distributed in Asia during the Jurassic and were the dominant turtle group in Asian freshwater ecosystems during the Late Jurassic. The Qijiang specimen adds a new element to the yet poorly known freshwater vertebrate fauna and extends the geographical distribution of C. latimarginalis. This paper discusses the intraspecific variation in C. latimarginalis for the first time. It provides a new insight for studying the evolution, habitat, and diversity of xinjiangchelyids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exposure to ambient fine particulate matter (PM2.5) was found to produce vascular injury, possibly by activating platelets within days after exposure. The aim of this study was to investigate the modulatory effects of dietary saturated fatty acids on platelet mitochondrial respiratory parameters following short-term inhalational exposure to PM2.5. A total of 22 healthy male volunteers were recruited from the Research Triangle area of North Carolina. Platelets were isolated from fresh whole blood samples and mitochondrial respiratory parameters were measured using an extracellular flux analyzer. Intake of saturated fat was averaged from multiple 24-hr dietary recalls. Daily ambient PM2.5 concentrations were obtained from ambient air quality monitoring stations. Correlation and ANOVA were used in data analyses, along with the pick-a-point method and the Johnson-Neyman technique for probing moderation. After controlling for age and omega-3 index, the intake of dietary saturated fatty acids after reaching 9.3% or higher of the total caloric intake significantly moderated the associations between PM2.5 exposure and several platelet mitochondrial respiratory parameters. In conclusion, dietary saturated fatty acids above 9.3% of total caloric intake influenced the relationship between short-term PM2.5 exposure and platelet mitochondrial respiration. Further research is needed to understand these associations and their implications for cardiovascular health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BackgroundThe mechanisms of action of many environmental agents commonly involve oxidative stress resulting from mitochondrial dysfunction. Zinc is a common environmental metallic contaminant that has been implicated in a variety of oxidant-dependent toxicological responses. Unlike ions of other transition metals such as iron, copper, and vanadium, Zn(2+) does not generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) through redox cycling.ObjectiveTo characterize the role of oxidative stress in zinc-induced toxicity.MethodsWe used an integrated imaging approach that employs the hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-specific fluorophore Peroxy Green 1 (PG1), the mitochondrial potential sensor 5,5 ,6,6 -tetrachloro-1,1 ,3,3 -tetraethylbenzimidazolylcarbocyanine iodide (JC-1), and the mitochondria-targeted form of the redox-sensitive genetically encoded fluorophore MTroGFP1 in living cells.ResultsZinc treatment in the presence of the Zn(2+) ionophore pyrithione of A431 skin carcinoma cells preloaded with the H(2)O(2)-specific indicator PG1 resulted in a significant increase in H(2)O(2) production that could be significantly inhibited with the mitochondrial inhibitor carbonyl cyanide 3-chlorophenylhydrazone. Mitochondria were further implicated as the source of zinc-induced H(2)O(2) formation by the observation that exposure to zinc caused a loss of mitochondrial membrane potential. Using MTroGFP1, we showed that zinc exposure of A431 cells induces a rapid loss of reducing redox potential in mitochondria. We also demonstrated that zinc exposure results in rapid swelling of mitochondria isolated from mouse hearts.ConclusionTaken together, these findings show a disruption of mitochondrial integrity, H(2)O(2) formation, and a shift toward positive redox potential in cells exposed to zinc. These data demonstrate the utility of real-time, live-cell imaging to study the role of oxidative stress in toxicological responses.