Contribution to the knowledge of seed-beetles (Coleoptera,Chrysomelidae, Bruchinae) in Xinjiang,China

Nineteen species of seed-beetles belonging to the subfamily Bruchinae (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae) were collected in Xinjiang, China. Of these, the following four were new records for China: Bruchus affinis Frolich, 1799, Bruchus atomarius L., 1761, Bruchus loti Paykull, 1800 and Kytorhinus kergoati Delobel & Legalov, 2009. We provide an annotated checklist, illustrations and a key to the 19 species.     

Phylogeny of the Saprininae reveals interesting ecological shifts in the history of the subfamily (Coleoptera: Histeridae)

A morphological data set for the histerid beetle subfamily Saprininae comprising 95 adult morphological characters scored (multistate coding) from 72 terminal taxa and four outgroups was developed in order to analyse and determine the relationships amongst the genera and subgenera of the Saprininae subfamily. Cladograms were rooted with exemplars of Dendrophilinae (genus Dendrophilus), Bacaniini (genus Bacanius), Abraeinae (genus Chaetabraeus), and Anapleini (genus Anapleus). Parsimony‐based phylogenetic analyses were performed based on the type species of each genus and subgenus of the Saprininae occurring around the world, with the exception of three taxa: Paramyrmetes foveipennis (type species of the genus Paramyrmetes), Satrapister nitens (type species of the genus Satrapister) and Xerosaprinus (Auchmosaprinus) laciniatus (type species of the subgenus Auchmosaprinus) that were not available. In addition, in order to test the monophyly of several questionable genera, multiple exemplars were added in a few cases. The analysis also included an exemplar of an apparently undescribed genus. The results of the analysis confirm the monophyly of the subfamily supported by two unique synapomorphies: (1) presence of sensory structures of the antenna; and (2) presence of the antennal cavity, as well as several other weaker synapomorphies. However, the phylogeny inferred here shows mostly low support for the deeper branches and consequently no major changes in the Saprininae classification are proposed. The presented cladogram is discussed together with its implications for the evolution of the subfamily. The most informative characters and their respective states are outlined. Multiple shifts in lifestyles have evolved during the evolutionary history of the group. Taxa found near the root of the cladogram are mostly nidicolous or myrmecophilous, and inquiliny is presumed to be the plesiomorphic lifestyle of the subfamily. The nidicolous lifestyle has undergone several transformations to other lifestyles and myrmecophily has evolved three times independently during the evolution of the subfamily. Termitoxeny has evolved two times independently in the group whereas ecological adaptation for life in caves has likewise evolved two times independently. The analyses yielded a large clade of predominantly psammophilous taxa; psammophily is thought to have evolved once and has been subsequently lost several times. © 2014 The Linnean Society of London     

Ubiquitous presence of the hammerhead ribozyme motif along the tree of life

Examples of small self-cleaving RNAs embedded in noncoding regions already have been found to be involved in the control of gene expression, although their origin remains uncertain. In this work, we show the widespread occurrence of the hammerhead ribozyme (HHR) motif among genomes from the Bacteria, Chromalveolata, Plantae, and Metazoa kingdoms. Intergenic HHRs were detected in three different bacterial genomes, whereas metagenomic data from Galapagos Islands showed the occurrence of similar ribozymes that could be regarded as direct relics from the RNA world. Among eukaryotes, HHRs were detected in the genomes of three water molds as well as 20 plant species, ranging from unicellular algae to vascular plants. These HHRs were very similar to those previously described in small RNA plant pathogens and, in some cases, appeared as close tandem repetitions. A parallel situation of tandemly repeated HHR motifs was also detected in the genomes of lower metazoans from cnidarians to invertebrates, with special emphasis among hematophagous and parasitic organisms. Altogether, these findings unveil the HHR as a widespread motif in DNA genomes, which would be involved in new forms of retrotransposable elements.     

矿山生态恢复研究进展——基于连续三届的世界生态恢复大会报告

最近连续三届世界生态恢复大会都将矿山生态系统列为大会交流的主题之一。为了解矿山生态修复的最新进展,本文采用文献分析方法和统计分析法,全面对比了这三届大会的论文和报告,包括参会国家、主要机构、热点矿区、修复要素、矿山类型、修复技术等。在此基础上,归纳了新开发的生态修复技术,包括植被恢复、土壤修复和景观恢复等新技术;总结了当前的研究热点,主要有复垦的土壤和修复的植物之间相互作用的机理、矿山生态修复的监测新技术、本土物种保持、污染土壤修复新技术、应对全球气候变化的矿山生态修复新思维和矿山生态系统服务价值等;介绍了会议提出的新观点,如自然恢复和人工恢复选择的新标准、矿山生态恢复力新理论、新型矿山生态系统及其设计等。最后对未来研究趋势进行了预测。     

Body Mass Index and Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors in Seven Asian and Five Latin American Centers: Data from the International Clinical Epidemiology Network (INCLEN)

We have tested the hypothesis that the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and other cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors as well as socioeconomic status is different in five Latin American populations (where BMI is high) and seven Asian populations (where BMI is low). Random samples of approximately 200 males aged between 35 and 65 years were selected from 12 general or industrial populations in Latin America and Asia. Standardized measures of height, weight, blood pressure, blood cholesterol, cigarette smoking, highest level of completed education, occupation and income were made. The mean BMI (kg/m₂) was 253 (SD 3.74) in the five Latin American populations (which were all urban), 22.2 (SD 3.24) in the four Asian urban populations and 21.4 (SD 3.33) in the three Asian rural populations. Despite the differences in mean BMI levels, statistically significant positive relationships of a similar magnitude were seen between BMI and blood pressure levels in Latin America and Asia. Similarly, there was a statistically significant positive relationship found between BMI and total cholesterol in both Latin American and Asian urban samples, but of a higher magnitude in Asian rural samples. Current cigarette smokers had significantly lower BMI than ex-smokers or never smokers in Latin America and Asia. In Asia, there were statistically significant positive associations between BMI and levels of education and income as well as with occupation — these relationships were stronger for education and occupation in rural than in urban samples. There were no statistically significant associations between BMI and these measures of socioeconomic status in Latin America. The similarities of the associations between BMI and blood pressure and cholesterol levels in the two groups suggest that efforts to reduce BMI in all populations is likely to be important in reducing risk of CVD. Preventing the future rise of BMI in populations tions where BMI is still relatively low is a high priority. The difference in association between BMI and socioeconomic status in the different population groups requires study of the way sociocultural factors influence behavior that determines BMI levels.     

Faunistic and bibliographical inventory of the Psychodinae moth-flies of North Africa (Diptera,Psychodidae)

All published records for the 49 species of moth flies known from North Africa are reviewed and discussed: Morocco (27 species), Algeria (33 species), Tunisia (18 species) and Egypt (five species). In addition, records of seven species of Psychodinae new to the fauna of Morocco are added, of which three are new mentions for North Africa (Table ​(Table1)1) and one is a new record for Egypt. Telmatoscopus squamifer Tonnoir, 1922 is transferred to the genus Iranotelmatoscopus Ježek, 1987, comb. n. Satchelliella reghayana Boumezzough & Vaillant, 1987 is transferred to the genus Pneumia Enderlein, 1935, comb. n. Pneumia aberrans Tonnoir, 1922 is transferred to the subgenus Logima.

Table 1.

Species (in alphabetical order) of Psychodinae known from the North African countries. Libya has been omitted because no information exists in the literature from Libya.

Anything to Stay Alive: The Challenges of a Campaign for an Experimental Drug

Drug‐resistant tuberculosis (TB) has a high mortality rate. Most medicines used to treat it are poorly tested and have terrible side effects. Activists have campaigned for patients with drug‐resistant TB to have access to experimental drugs, particularly one called bedaquiline, before these have been approved by regulatory authorities such as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States (US) and the Medicines Control Council (MCC) in South Africa. Some activists have also campaigned for bedaquiline to be approved by regulatory authorities before testing of the drug is completed. These campaigns raise ethical concerns about whether patients should be offered experimental, unapproved, medicines for the treatment of life‐threatening illnesses, and if authorities should approve drugs for life‐threatening illnesses when vital questions about safety and efficacy remain outstanding.     

Mayflies (Ephemeroptera) from Reserva Ecológica Michelin,Bahia, Brazil

New records and distributional notes are provided for Reserva Ecológica Michelin, an Atlantic Forest fragment near the southern coast of Bahia State, Brazil. Two families, four genera and five species are recorded for the first time in Bahia State. Additionally, one family, two genera and three species are also recorded for the first time in the Northeast Region of Brazil, resulting in nine families, 48 genera and 96 species recorded to this region. Amongst the recorded species, Hermanella mazama (Nascimento, Mariano, and Salles, 2012) has been classified as an endangered species on the official Brazilian red list.