New species and new records of Apataniidae (Insecta: Trichoptera) from east central China

Three new species of Apataniidae from China, Apatania protracta sp. n., Apatidelia paramartynovi sp. n., and Moropsyche dawuensis sp. n. are described and illustrated. We also report Apatania semicircularis Leng and Yang, 1998 for the first time from Hubei Province.

Apatania protracta: http://zoobank.org/urn:zoobank.org:pub:8317EB90-9316-4F7B-94C6-65938A6F2873

Apatidelia paramartynovi: http://zoobank.org/urn:zoobank.org:pub:8741CE6F-B339-4842-BD8C-04BE8B21A222

Moropsyche dawuensis: http://zoobank.org/urn:zoobank.org:pub:B5CB815D-59B5-401F-9308-9EE24A9BBAF7     

Description of a new pseudoscorpion species of the genus Amblyolpium Simon (Pseudoscorpiones: Garypinidae) from north-western Iran

A new species of pseudoscorpion, Amblyolpium atropatesi n. sp. is described and illustrated on the basis of the adult specimens extracted from soil by Berlese funnel.

http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:0150B850-E80D-46F5-983C-7E958FE69B87     

Taxonomical notes on Chinese camaenids with description of three new species (Gastropoda: Pulmonata)

The present study deals with four Chinese camaenid species based on museum collections and newly obtained materials. Pseudiberus liuae Wu, n. sp., diagnosed by two long mucous glands and the smallest shell size in the genus and inhabiting bare rock like other congeneric members, is described from southern Gansu. Aegista (Plectotropis) wardi (Preston, 1912) is conchologically re-described and moved out of Aegista Alber, 1860 to Pseudiberus Ancey, 1887 based on the keeled periphery and the absence of hairs, scales or their scars on the teleoconch, which are present in Aegista but partially absent in Pseudiberus. The first Chinese fluorescent snail Bradybaena qixiaensis Wu & Asami n. sp. is reported from Nanjing, Jiangsu. The species shares many characters with the Japanese fluorescent snail Bradybaena pellucida Kuroda & Habe, 1953 but is distinct in the pattern of microsculpture on the internal surface of the penis. Nesiohelix yeni Wu & Asami n. sp., sympatric with N. moreletiana (Heude, 1882), is distinguished from its congener by possession of a bubble-shaped penial caecum.

Pseudiberus liuae Wu in Wu & Asami, In Press

LSID urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:3C9299AA-5089-4E43-9B26-85A0D6C23B66

Bradybaena qixiaensis Wu & Asami, In Press

LSID urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:7991C4D5-5E0B-46DF-8B19-BE26511806CD

Nesiohelix yeni Wu & Asami, In Press

LSID urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:68CFF173-AACC-4DA8-B347-9ABB5CA569A3     

A bizarre sternorrhynchan wing from the Lower Jurassic of Luxembourg (Hemiptera: Sternorrhyncha: Pincombeomorpha?)

Fossil wing of Hemiptera Sternorrhyncha with peculiar venation is described from the lower Toarcian (Lower Jurassic) of Bascharage (Grand-duchy of Luxembourg). It represents new family Xulsigiidae fam. nov., comprising a new genus and species Xulsigia karetsa gen. et sp. nov. It is placed preliminarily in extinct infraorder Pincombeomorpha for the presence of three branches of median vein. Key to families of Pincombeomorpha is given and the taxonomic position and venation features of the new fossil are discussed.

Family Xulsigiidae is registered in Zoobank under the http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:3A57B428-638A-439A-AEC4-D18B5959B5CA

Genus Xulsigia is registered in Zoobank under the http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:2B255A30-5A7C-4CF8-AE77-18ED6E8E03C2     

Editorial Retraction

Upon a thorough investigation, it has been determined that the paper titled “Integrating Microbial Composting and Vermicomposting for Effective Utilization of By-Products of Sugar Cane-Processing Industries” by Shweta, Rahul Kumar, B.L. Singh, and Verma Deepshikha published in the Bioremediation Journal, 2010, Volume 14, pages 158–167, was simultaneously submitted and published in two journals. The same study with minor textual variations titled “Composting of sugar-cane waste by-products through treatment with microorganisms and subsequent vermicomposting” also written by Shweta, Rahul Kumar, B.L. Singh, and Verma Deepshikha published in the Elsevier publication, Bioresource Technology, 2010, 6707–6711, three months prior to publishing in Bioremedation Journal.

As a result the article published in Bioremediation Journal has been retracted and should not be cited in the electronic or print version of the journal.

Dr. Hanadi S. Rifai

Editor-in-Chief

Bioremediation Journal

Please click here to view the article to which this statement of retraction relates.     

Circulating adiponectin as a biomarker in renal cell carcinoma: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Context: Metabolic imbalance in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) can lead to abnormal adiponectin levels.

Objective: To evaluate circulating adiponectin as a detection or predictive marker for RCC.

Methods: A comprehensive literature search and meta-analysis was performed on studies reporting circulating adiponectin levels and RCC. The meta-analysis was performed using RevMan.

Results: Seven studies compared the circulating adiponection levels between RCC cases and controls. Adiponectin level was significantly lower in RCC cases compared to controls at pre-diagnosis and pre-operative time-points. RCC stage, grade and subtype did not affect adiponectin levels.

Conclusion: Low circulating adiponectin could be a predictive or risk factor for RCC.     

A new hypogean species of the genus Domene Fauvel, 1873 from Turkey (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Paederinae)

Domene bordonii sp. n. is described and illustrated from Geyik Mountains, Konya province, central southern Anatolia. This new hypogean species was collected with a subterranean pitfall trap in the mesovoid shallow substratum.

http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:72D06EC5-885F-4BCC-8066-A16B28016697     

A new species of Hercostomus Loew, 1857 (Diptera: Dolichopodidae) from Turkey

A new species of Hercostomus is described from Turkey: Hercostomus anatoliensis sp. n. The new species is close to Hercostomus parvilamellatus (Macquart, 1827), but is distinguished by its genitalia.

http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:38B210E3-610D-4BAB-91AC-A212A8054474     

Circulating levels of apoptotic markers and oxidative stress parameters in women with polycystic ovary syndrome: a case-controlled descriptive study

Context: Apoptotic dysregulation plays a role in the pathogenesis of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).

Objective: To evaluate circulatory apoptotic markers and oxidative stress in patients with PCOS.

Materials and methods: Forty-four women with PCOS, and 44 healthy women as controls were enrolled in the study. Oxidative stress parameters and caspases levels were measured in serum.

Results: The caspase 9 level was significantly lower and related with oxidant status in patients with PCOS, while the circulating levels of caspases 3 and 7 were statistically similar in both groups.

Discussion: This study is the first report demonstrating the circulating levels of apoptotic markers and their relationship with oxidant status in PCOS.

Conclusion: The circulating caspase 9 and oxidant status might contribute to apoptotic dysregulation in PCOS.     

Habitat use of the Wood Warbler Phylloscopus sibilatrix during spring migration versus breeding season based on citizen science data

Capsule: Citizen science data on Wood Warblers Phylloscopus sibilatrix showed that the species non-selectively used a wide variety of habitats during migration but had a tendency for settling to breed in forest and natural areas.

Aims: We tested the hypothesis that habitat used during spring stopovers in Spain differed from habitat use during the breeding period in Switzerland in a year of exceptional abundance as a result of persistent easterly winds in the Mediterranean.

Methods: Habitat use during spring migration 2015 was compared by using bootstrapping resampling techniques on citizen science data from Spain and Switzerland, comparing the land-cover categories between locations of observations with random pseudo-absences.

Results: Wood Warblers showed no preference for habitat features during migration and covered practically all available habitat types from urbanized areas to wetlands and forests, whereas in the breeding range birds showed an increasing tendency to be present in forest habitats.

Conclusions: Habitat use during spring migration covered most available habitat types from urbanized areas to wetlands and forests. Breeding habitat use was restricted to forested areas. Citizen science allowed a quick collection of biological data over a wide area to potentially identify large-scale biological patterns. This is essential to potentially manage international conservation efforts for declining species.     

Kleptoparasitism in gulls Laridae at an urban and a coastal foraging environment: an assessment of ecological predictors

Capsule: Kleptoparasitism in gulls occurred at a greater rate at an urban compared with a coastal site. Population density and prey size predicted the rate of kleptoparasitism at the urban site.

Aims: To investigate and assess the ecological variables associated with kleptoparasitism among gulls at urban and rural sites.

Methods: Field observations were conducted at Brancaster (coastal rural) and Billingsgate Market (urban) to examine differences in the rate of kleptoparasitism in mixed-species flocks of gulls. Four key variables (prey size, population density, season and species) were assessed as predictors of kleptoparasitism.

Results: Generalized linear models revealed significant effects on kleptoparasitism rate of site, population density and prey size, and two-way interactions between these main terms. Population density and prey size differed significantly between sites, but population density appeared to predict the rate of kleptoparasitism.

Conclusion: Kleptoparasitism may well aid invasion and increase the range of environments a gull can tolerate by helping them meet their energy needs in novel environments where normal foraging behaviours are difficult to implement.     

Contribution to the knowledge of the click beetle genus Zorochros (Coleoptera: Elateridae) from Saudi Arabia

Examination of specimens of Elateridae revealed new generic and species records for Saudi Arabia. Zorochros amalec (Peyerimhoff) is recorded from Al Majardah, and Zorochros yosrae sp. n. is described as a new species from Thalouth Almanazar.

http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:E4B9EB99-BE55-4884-B220-BF9928926312     

Inhibitory effect of Tanshinone IIA on inverted formin-2 protects HaCaT cells against oxidative injury via regulating mitochondrial stress

Context: Epidermal cells play an important role in regulating the regeneration of skin after burns and wounds.

Objective: The aim of our study is to explore the role of Tanshinone IIA (Tan IIA) in the apoptosis of epidermal HaCaT cells induced by H₂O₂, with a focus on mitochondrial homeostasis and inverted formin-2 (INF2).

Materials and methods: Cellular viability was determined using the MTT assay, TUNEL staining, western blot analysis and LDH release assay. Adenovirus-loaded INF2 was transfected into HaCaT cells to overexpress INF2 in the presence of Tan IIA treatment. Mitochondrial function was determined using JC-1 staining, mitochondrial ROS staining, immunofluorescence and western blotting.

Results: Oxidative stress promoted the death of HaCaT cells and this effect could be reversed by Tan IIA. At the molecular levels, Tan IIA treatment sustained mitochondrial energy metabolism, repressed mitochondrial ROS generation, stabilized mitochondrial potential, and blocked the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway. Furthermore, we demonstrated that Tan IIA modulated mitochondrial homeostasis via affecting INF2-related mitochondrial stress. Overexpression of INF2 could abolish the protective effects of Tan IIA on HaCaT cells viability and mitochondrial function. Besides, we also reported that Tan IIA regulated INF2 expression via the ERK pathway; inhibition of this pathway abrogated the beneficial effects of Tan IIA on HaCaT cells survival and mitochondrial homeostasis.

Conclusions: Overall, our results indicated that oxidative stress-mediated HaCaT cells apoptosis could be reversed by Tan IIA treatment via reducing INF2-related mitochondrial stress in a manner dependent on the ERK signaling pathway.     

Sleep-disordered breathing is associated with higher carboxymethyllysine level in elderly women but not elderly men in the cardiovascular health study

Context: Carboxymethyl-lysine (CML) results from oxidative stress and has been linked to cardiovascular disease.

Objective: The objective of this study is to investigate the association between sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) – a source of oxidative stress – and CML.

Materials and methods: About 1002 participants in the Cardiovascular Health Study (CHS) were studied.

Results: Women with SDB had significantly higher CML concentration compared with those without SDB (OR?=?1.63, 95%CI?=?1.03–2.58, p?=?0.04). The association was not significant among men.

Discussion: SDB was associated with CML concentration among elderly women but not men in the Cardiovascular Health Study.

Conclusion: Accumulation of CML may be an adverse health consequence of SDB     

Scuttle flies (Diptera: Phoridae) from Ardabil province in Iran,with description of a new species of Megaselia Rondani

our named species of scuttle flies were collected from Ardabil province-Iran, during 2013–2014. A new species of the genus Megaselia Rondani 1856, M. ardabilensis n. sp., is described from the region and Megaselia producta (Schmitz) is recorded from the country for the first time. Geographical distributions and supplementary figures are given.

http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:B28C521B-2BFE-44F3-9041-1656341F29B6     

Differential expression of circulating vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 in subjects with coronary artery disease and cardiac syndrome X without known diabetes mellitus

Context: Inflammation is one of the mechanisms underlying cardiac syndrome X (CSX).

Objectives: Few studies have compared the expression of inflammatory or adhesion molecules between coronary artery disease (CAD) versus CSX.

Materials and methods: Ninety-two CSX and 145 CAD subjects without known diabetes mellitus underwent coronary angiogram for angina.

Results: Vascular cell adhesion molecule (VCAM)-1 (median, 507 versus 431?ng/ml, p?=?0.001) was significantly higher in the CAD group. In the binary regression, VCAM-1 was a significant differential factor for CAD versus CSX.

Discussion and conclusion: Adhesion molecules might be implicated in the differential expression of macro versus microvascular coronary disease.

Trial registration number: NCT01198730 at https://clinicaltrials.gov     

A new species of the genus Megasis Guenée, 1845 from Turkey (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae)

A new species in the family Pyralidae is described: Megasis kocaki sp. n., of which the adult, head and the male genitalia are illustrated. The new species is compared with the closely allied Megasis hyrcanella Ragonot, 1893.

http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:0136DD7F-0E91-4114-9B3B-A42E6114A985     

Beta-2-glycoprotein-1 and alpha-1-antitrypsin as urinary markers of renal cancer in von Hippel–Lindau patients

Context: Von Hippel–Lindau disease (VHLD) is a rare inherited neoplastic syndrome. Among all the VHLD-associated tumors, clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is the major cause of death.

Objective: The aim of this paper is the discovery of new non-invasive biomarker for the monitoring of VHLD patients.

Materials and methods: We compared the urinary proteome of VHLD patients, ccRCC patients and healthy volunteers.

Results: Among all differentially expressed proteins, alpha-1-antitrypsin (A1AT) and APOH (beta-2-glycoprotein-1) are strongly over-abundant only in the urine of VHLD patients with a history of ccRCC.

Discussion and conclusion: A1AT and APOH could be promising non-invasive biomarkers.     

Propeptide big-endothelin,N-terminal-pro brain natriuretic peptide and mortality. The Ludwigshafen risk and cardiovascular health (LURIC) study

Context: The endothelin system (Big-ET-1) is a key regulator in cardiovascular (CV) disease and congestive heart failure (CHF).

Objectives: We have examined the incremental value of Big-ET-1 in predicting total and CV mortality next to the well-established CV risk marker N-Terminal Pro-B-Type Natriuretic Peptide (NT-proBNP).

Methods: Big-ET-1 and NT-proBNP were determined in 2829 participants referred for coronary angiography (follow-up 9.9 years).

Results: Big-ET-1 is an independent predictor of total, CV mortality and death due to CHF.

Discussion: The conjunct use of Big-ET-1 and NT-proBNP improves the risk stratification of patients with intermediate to high risk of CV death and CHF.

Conclusions: Big-ET-1improves risk stratification in patients referred for coronary angiography.     

Transplanting the leafy liverwort Herbertus hutchinsiae: a suitable conservation tool to maintain oceanic-montane liverwort-rich heath?

Background: Translocating plants for conservation purposes can be a useful tool to enhance existing populations, restore lost populations or create new ones, but has rarely been done for bryophytes, especially liverworts.

Aims: Here, the leafy liverwort Herbertus hutchinsiae, a representative species of oceanic-montane liverwort-rich heath, was translocated to unoccupied habitat within its current range, to establish whether its restricted distribution is due to habitat or dispersal limitation.

Methods: Feasibility of establishing new populations outside the current distribution range was assessed, to test the suitability of the species for assisted colonisation. Furthermore, transplants were grown at degraded sites where the species had declined to assess potential for restoration.

Results: Although maximal growth rates occurred within-range, transplants grew at all sites, indicating that the species could be dispersal limited; a conclusion supported by distribution modelling.

Conclusions: Assisted colonisation is thus an option for this species to overcome dispersal limitation and to track future climate space. Reinforcement of populations at degraded sites is only recommended if the pressure causing the degradation has been removed. These findings provide an evidence base for practical conservation management.