Book reviews

Books reviewed in this article:
BICKEL, P. J. and DOKSUM, K. A. Mathematical Statistics: Basic Ideas and Selected Topics, Volume I, 2nd edition.
BALDI, P. and BRUNAK, S. Bioinformatics: The Machine Learning Approach, 2nd edition.
GATSONIS, C., KASS, R. E., CARLIN, B., CARRIQUIRY, A., GELMAN, A., VERDINELLI, I. and WEST, M. (editors). Case Studies in Bayesian Statistics: Volume V.
LAWSON, A. B. and WILLIAMS, F. L. R. An Introductory Guide to Disease Mapping.
MACLEOD, N. and FOREY, P. L. (editors). Morphology, Shape, and Phylogeny.
FINKELSTEIN, M. O. and LEVIN, B. Statistics for Lawyers, 2nd edition.
ZWILLINGER, D. and KOKOSKA, S. CRC Standard Probability and Statistics Tables and Formulae.
WILSON, R. and CROUCH, E. A. C. Risk-Benefit Analysis.
IBRAHIM, J. G., CHEN, M.-H. and SINHA, D. Bayesian Survival Analysis.     

Quantification and characterisation of cyclo-oxygenase and lipid peroxidation inhibitory anthocyanins in fruits of Amelanchier

The levels of bioactive anthocyanins in the fruits of Amelanchier alnifolia, A. arborea and A. canadensis have been determined by HPLC. Cyanidin 3-galactoside (1) was present in the fresh fruit of the three species at concentrations of 155, 390 and 165 mg/100 g, respectively. Cyanidin 3-glucoside (2) was present only in A. alnifolia and A. canadensis at concentrations of 54 and 48 mg/100 g, respectively. The anthocyanins were confirmed by LC-ESI/MS and NMR studies. At 100 ppm, anthocyanin mixtures from the three species inhibited cyclo-oxygenase (COX)-1 and -2 enzymes at 66 and 67%, 60 and 72%, and 51 and 76%, respectively. The positive controls used in the COX assays were aspirin, Celebrex and Vioxx at 180, 1.67 and 1.67 ppm, respectively, and showed 74 and 69%, 5 and 82% and 0 and 85% COX-1 and COX-2 inhibition, respectively. Anthocyanins 1 and 2 and cyanidin (3) inhibited COX-1 enzyme 50.5, 45.62 and 96.36%, respectively, at 100 ppm, whereas COX-2 inhibition was the highest for 3 at 75%. In the lipid peroxidation inhibitory assay, anthocyanin mixtures at 10 ppm from the three species showed activities of 72, 73 and 68%, respectively, compared with 89, 87 and 98% for commercial anti-oxidants butylated hydoxyanisole, butylated hydroxytoluene, and tert-butylhydroxyquinone at 1.67, 2.2 and 1.67 ppm, respectively. At 10 ppm, compounds 1-3 inhibited lipid peroxidation by 70, 75 and 78%, respectively.     

中国丝孢酵母属的几个新种和新记录

作者从中国的北京、湖北等地的鸟粪,霉变柿子以及酒药中分离到了三株未描述的丝孢酵母菌。本文描述了这三个新种:板仓丝孢酵母(Trichosporon bancangense),北京丝孢酵母(Tr.beijingense)和中国丝孢酵母(Tr.sinense)并讨论了它们与属中近似种的差别。本文还发现了丝孢酵母属的4个新记录:皮刺丝孢酵母(Tr.aculeatum),埃利丝孢酵母(Tr.eriense),斐氏丝孢酵母(Tr.figueriae)和蜜二糖丝孢酵母(Tr.melibiosaceam)。     

中国种子植物内生真菌资源及菌植协同进化

综述了中国种子植物内生真菌资源研究概况,比较了裸子植物和被子植物内生真菌种类,它们都具有肉座菌目(Hypocreales),粪壳菌目(Sordariales),散囊菌目(Eurotiales),毛霉目(Mucorales)及不产孢类(Myceliasterilia)内生真菌。裸子植物内生真菌涉及52个属,既包括高等的子囊菌和担子菌,也包括低等的卵菌(Oomycetes)和接合菌(Zygomycetes)类。被子植物涉及60个属,主要为高等的子囊菌(Ascomycetes)和担子菌(Basidiomycetes),低等的卵菌和接合菌报道很少。双子叶植物涉及40个属,单子叶植物内生真菌涉及30个属,两类被子植物所报道的内生真菌只有11个属相同。裸子植物与双子叶植物内生真菌相似程度较高,都具有炭角菌目(Xylariales)、格孢腔菌目(Pleosporales)、柔膜菌目(Helotiales)和白粉菌目(Erysiphales),刺盘孢菌属(Colletotrichum)、拟茎点霉属(Phomopsis)、枝孢霉属(Cladosporium)、地霉属(Geotrichum)等内真菌,共20个属相同。各类种子植物具有自己独特的一些内生真菌。还对植物与其内生真菌的协同进化关系进行了分析。     

Book Reviews

McCONWAY, K. J., JONES, M. C., and TAYLOR, P. C. Statistical Modelling using Genstat. SCHINAZI, R. B. Classical and Spatial Point Processes. PERRY, J. E., SMITH, R. H., WOIWOD, I. P., and MORSE, D. R. (editors). Chaos in Real Data: The Analysis of Non‐linear Dynamics from Short Ecological Time Series. BURTON, R. F. Physiology by Numbers, 2nd edition. BERLINER, L. M., NYCHKA, D., and HOAR, T. (editors). Studies in the Atmospheric Sciences. PRAKASA RAO, B. L. S. Statistical Inference for Diffusion Type Processes. DONNER, A. and KLAR, N. Design and Analysis of Cluster Randomization Trials in Health Research. MATIS, J. H. and KIFFE, T. R. Stochastic Population Models: A Compartmental Perspective. LINDSEY, J. K. Models for Repeated Measurements, 2nd edition. FORD, E. D. Scientific Method for Ecological Research. BURNHAM, K. P. and ANDERSON, D. R. Model Selection and Inference: A Practical Information‐Theoretic Approach. COX, D. R. and REID, N. The Theory of the Design of Experiments. PINHEIRO, J. C. and BATES, D. M. Mixed‐effects models in S and S‐PLUS. VENABLES, W. N. and RIPLEY, B. D. S Programming. KRAUSE, A. and OLSON, M. The Basics of S and S‐PLUS. CHEN, M.‐H., SHAO, Q.‐M., and IBRAHIM, J. G. Monte Carlo Methods in Bayesian Computation. SAHAI, H. and AGEEL, M. L. The Analysis of Variance: Fixed, Random, and Mixed Models. EVERITT, B. S. and DUNN, G. Statistical Analysis of Medical Data: New Developments. MUKHOPADHYAY, N. Probability and Statistical Inference. KNIGHT, K. Mathematical Statistics. Brief reports by the editor MILLER, R. E. Optimization: Foundations and Applications. BLAND, M. An Introduction to Medical Statistics, 3rd edition. RABE‐HESKETH, S. and EVERITT, B. A Handbook of Statistical Analyses using Stata, 2nd edition. KOO, J. O. (editor). American Series in Mathematical and Management Sciences Volume 42. Modern Mathematical, Management, and Statistical Sciences, The Index to the 20th Century, Prologue to the 21st Century. MISHRA, S. N. and SHARMA, B. D. (editors). American Series in Mathematical and Management Sciences Volume 43. FIM‐I, Forum for Interdisciplinary Mathematics Proceedings on Statistical Inference, Combinatorics and Related Areas, Volume I of Proceedings of Banaras Hindu University (BHU) Conference (Varanasi, India, December 1997). VENABLES, W. N. and RIPLEY, B. D. Modern Applied Statistics with S‐PLUS, 3rd edition.     

中国14个特殊旁系族群的头面部特征比较

头面部特征是人类学各人种进行分类的重要依据,在人类学的研究中被用作亲缘关系的证据。2006-2016年在四川、云南、西藏、贵州、海南、新疆、内蒙古共调查14个族群成人2989人(男性1434人,女性1555人)的16项头面部指标,比较这些族群头面部特征差异。研究结果如下:1)在男性族群中木雅人、尔苏人、临高人、白马人的面宽、头宽均较大。图瓦人、布里亚特人、摩梭人的面宽、头宽、形态面高、鼻高值均较大。僜人、革家人、莽人的面宽、头宽较小,而形态面高、鼻高值较大。空格人的面宽、头宽、形态面高、鼻高值均较小。2)在女性族群中图瓦人、布里亚特人的头宽、面宽、鼻高、耳上头高均较大。革家人、空格人的头宽、面宽、鼻高、耳上头高均较小。木雅人、尔苏人、八甲人、白马人、夏尔巴人的头宽、面宽较大,鼻高、耳上头高较小。僜人、克木人、莽人的头宽、面宽较小,而鼻高、耳上头高较大。3)头宽、容貌耳长跟纬度、年平均气温、年降雨量等环境因子相关性较高。4)通过聚类分析和主成分分析木雅人、尔苏人、白马人与羌族头面部特征比较接近。克木人与佤族头面部特征最为接近。革家人、僜人、莽人头面部特征比较接近。图瓦人、布里亚特人头面部...     

藏中矿区珠芽蓼和尼泊尔酸模中重金属含量分析

西藏中部主要是指雅鲁藏布江河谷地带,包括拉萨、日喀则和泽当等地市,是西藏自治区的主要农区和工业矿区。西藏中部矿产资源丰富,其中cu的远景储量居全国第2位[1]。矿产的开发给当地居民带来巨大的经济效益,但同时也排放大量含有重金属的废渣、废水和废气,导致土壤重金属污染严重。土壤是中草药中重金属的主要来源之一,中草药中的重金属含量与地质背景有密切的关系,土壤中重金属元素的多寡在药用植物中都有所表现[2];土壤重金属污染对中草药品质有影响甚至危及人类健康[3]。近年来植物药在国际市场逐渐升温,传统医药在日益受到人们青睐的同时其质量与安全性也成为公众关注的焦点[4-6]。     

Book Reviews

OWEN, A. B. Empirical Likelihood. GORE, A. and PARANJPE, S. A Course in Mathematical and Statistical Ecology. PAWITAN, Y. In All Likelihood: Statistical Modelling and Inference Using Likelihood. GASTWIRTH, J. L. (editor). Statistical Science in the Courtroom. MUKHOPADHYAY, P. Topics in Survey Sampling. RASHIDI, H. H. and BUEHLER, L. K. Bioinformatics Basics: Applications in Biological Science and Medicine. MUELLER, L. D. and JOSHI, A. Stability in Model Populations. DUFFY, S. W., HILL, C. and ESTEVE, J. (editors). Quantitative Methods for the Evaluation of Cancer Screening. FERNHOLZ, L. T., MORGENTHALER, S. and STAHEL, W. Statistics in Genetics and in the Environmental Sciences. RAYNER, J. C. W. and BEST, D. J. A Contingency Table Approach to Nonparametric Testing. GOLYANDINA, N., NEKRUTKIN, V. and ZHIGLJAVSKY, A. Analysis of Time Series Structure: SSA and Related Techniques. MARI, D. D. and KOTZ, S. Correlation and Dependence. SALSBURG, D. The Lady Tasting Tea: How Statistics Revolutionized Science in the Twentieth Century. W. FAHRMEIR, L. and TUTZ, G. Multivariate Statistical Modelling Based on Generalized Linear Models, 2nd edition. WILCOX, R. R. Fundamentals of Modern Statistical Methods: Substantially Improving Power and Accuracy. DAVID, H. A. and EDWARDS, A. W. F. Annotated Readings in the History of Statistics. ELLIOTT, P., WAKEFIELD, J. C., BEST, N. G. and BRIGGS, D. J. (editors). Spatial Epidemiology: Methods and Applications. Brief reports by the editor BARNDORFF‐NIELSEN, O. E., MIKOSCH, T. and RESNICK, S. I. (editors) LéAvy Processes: Theory and Applications. MACARTHUR, R. H. and WILSON, E. O. The Theory of Island Biogeography. ROGERS, L. Sexing the Brain.     

Comparative Evaluation of Trace Metal Distribution and Correlation in Human Malignant and Benign Breast Tissues

Selected trace metals were analyzed in human malignant and nonmalignant (benign) breast tissue samples by the flame atomic absorption spectrophotometric method. In malignant tissues, dominant mean concentrations were revealed by Na, K, Ca, Mg, Fe, Zn, and Al at 927, 552, 231, 61.7, 36.5, 18.3, and 8.94 microg/g, respectively, while the mean metal levels in benign tissues were 903, 435, 183, 63.3, 24.7, 14.5, and 10.1 microg/g, respectively. Average concentrations of Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, K, Ca, and Zn were noted to be significantly higher in the malignant tissues compared with the benign tissues. Significantly strong correlations (r > 0.50) in malignant tissues were observed between Mn and Co, Mn and Cd, Cd and Cr, Fe and Mn, Cd and Co, Fe and Co, Mg and Pb, Cd and Fe, Mg and Ni, Pb and Ni, Ni and Sr, and Fe and Pb, whereas, Cd and Co, Cd and Mn, Co and Mg, Co and Mn, Cu and Mn, Co and Ni, Mg and Ni, Cd and Cu, Cd and Ni, Ca and Mg, Mn and Pb, Cu and Ni, Fe and Ni, Cd and Mg, Co and Cu, Cr and Na, and Cd and Cr revealed strong and significant relationships in benign tissues at p < 0.001. Principal component analysis of the metals data yielded six principal components for malignant tissues and five principal components for benign tissues, with considerably different loadings, duly supported by cluster analysis. The study revealed a considerably different pattern of distribution and mutual correlations of trace metals in the breast tissues of benign and cancerous patients.     

Book Reviews

Books reviewed in this article:
BERNARDO, J. M., BERGER, J. O., DAWID, A. P., and SMITH, A. F. M. (editors). Bayesian Statistics 6.
VAN DER VAART, A. W. Asymptotic Statistics.
NOLAN, D. and SPEED, T. StatLabs: Mathematical Statistics Through Applications.
BINNS, M. R., NYROP, J. P., and VAN DER WERF, W. Sampling and Monitoring in Crop Protection: The Theoretical Basis for Developing Practical Decision Guides.
DIECKMANN, U., LAW, R., and METZ, J. A. J. (editors). The Geometry of Ecological Interactions: Simplifying Spatial Complexity.
LAWSON, A., BIGGERI, A., BOHNING, D., LESAFFRE, E., VIEL, 3.-F., and BERTOLLINI, R. Disease Mapping and Risk Assessment for Public Health.
BLAND, M. and PEACOCK, J. Statistical Questions in Evidence Based Medicine. Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2000.
MANLY, B. F. J. Statistics for Environmental Science and Management.
RÍOS INSUA, D. and RUGGERI, F. (editors) Robust Bayesian Analysis.
BARNDORFF-NIELSEN, 0. E., COX, D. R., and KLUP-PELBERG, C. Complex Stochastic Systems.
PETRIE, A. and SABIN, C. Medical Statistics at a Glance.
THERNEAU, T. M. and GRAMBSCH, P. M. Modeling Survival Data: Extending the Cox Model.
TAN, W.-Y. Stochastic Modeling of AIDS Epidemiology and HIV Pathogenesis.
CHATFIELD, C. Time-Series Forecasting.
MATTHEWS, J. N. S. An Introduction to Randomized Controlled Clinical Trials.
CLARK, I. and HARPER, W. V. Practical Geostatistics 2000.
TANIGUCHI, M. and KAKIZAWA, Y. Asymptotic Theory of Statistical Inference for Time Series.
KARIAN, Z. A. and DUDEWICZ, E. J. Fitting Statistical Distributions: The Generalized Lambda Distribution and Generalized Bootstrap Methods.     

铁线莲属菝葜叶铁线莲组修订

对毛茛科Ranunculaceae铁线莲属Clematis的菝葜叶铁线莲组sect. Naraveliopsis进行了全面修订, 确定此组共含21种1亚种和1变种; 写出此组的分类学简史和地理分布, 并讨论了此组在铁线莲属中的系统位置; 将此组划分为3亚组, 写出分亚组、分种检索表, 以及各种植物的形态描述、地理分布、生长环境等, 并附有多数种的墨线图。根据对此组植物形态特征的分析, 观察到以下重要演化趋势: (1)叶从单叶演变到二回羽状复叶或二回三出复叶; (2)花从两性到单性, 从无退化雄蕊到有退化雄蕊; (3)雄蕊从无毛到有毛; (4)药隔突起从短(0.5-0.7 mm)到长(8.5-10 mm)。根据上述演化趋势,花两性、雄蕊被毛、退化雄蕊存在的荔波铁线莲亚组subsect. Liboenses(1种,特产贵州荔波)和花由两性变为单性的亚组subsect. Macgregorianae(2种,特产菲律宾)被认为是菝葜叶铁线莲组的进化群。在原始的菝葜叶铁线莲亚组subsect. Smilacifoliae(花两性,雄蕊无毛; 18种,广布亚洲热带地区)中,具单叶,花无退化雄蕊,药隔突起较短的菝葜叶铁线莲C. smilacifolia和滇南铁线莲C. fulvicoma被认为是较原始的种,而具三出复叶和退化雄蕊的C. vietnamensis和丝铁线莲C. loureiriana,以及具羽状复叶和长药隔突起(长达10 mm)的C. papillosa等3种则被认为是此亚组的进化种。自中南半岛北部山地向西经云贵高原南部至喜马拉雅东部山区集中分布有菝葜叶铁线莲组的13种植物,这一山区地带被认为是此组的分布中心。在此山区地带中,菝葜叶铁线莲的分布区和滇南铁线莲的分布区重叠部分的山区可能是此组的起源中心。     

Studies on the Characteristic of Element Contents in the Dominant Plant Species of the Three gorges Region in China

The characteristics of the contents of 20 elements (Al, Fe, Mn, Ca, Mg, K, S, Si, P, Cd, Cu, Zn, Ti, Ni, Sr, Mo, Na, B, Cr, V) in 16 plant species collected from the Three Gorges Region in China were investigated. The average contents of Ca, K and Mg were higher than 1 000 μg·g-1, that of Al, P, Si, Fe, S and Mn ranged between 100—1 000 μg·g-1 and Ti, Cu, Ni, Cr, Mo, Cd and V were less than 10 μg·g- 1. The level of Na content was less than that of the reported. The main character of the element contents was of the Ca> K type. The contents of P, S, Ca and K in different plant samples showed a normal distribution pattern, while Al and Mn showed a elements lognormal distribution pattern. Plant species differed greatly in the element contents. On analyzing the coefficient of variation (C. V., % ), Al, Mn, Mg, Ni, Sr and Fe had higher C.V., while the C.V. of K, S, P, Cr, Cd and Cu was less than 60%, and Cu had the lowest C.V. The correlations between Al and Fe, Al and Ti, Al and Cr, A1 and V, Cd and Sr, Cd and Mo, Fe and V, Zn and Cr, Ni and Sr, Mg and Ni, Mo and Sr, Ca and Sr, Cr and Mo, Na and Mg, Na and P, P and S were statistically significant in different plant species. The classification of the 16 plant species and 20 dements by two-way indicator species analysis (TWINSPAN) method may suggest the difference in dement contents of the different plant species.     

白背飞虱若虫和雄雌成虫唾液腺蛋白鉴定

【目的】对白背飞虱Sogatella furcifera唾液腺蛋白进行鉴定及功能注释分类,探究不同发育阶段和不同性别的白背飞虱唾液腺蛋白之间的区别与联系。【方法】麻醉白背飞虱若虫、雄成虫和雌成虫,解剖收集唾液腺组织,提取蛋白,还原烷基化和酶解,利用液相色谱串联质谱技术鉴定蛋白。与Unigene蛋白数据库进行比对,并通过KOG分析,对唾液腺蛋白进行功能注释分类。【结果】白背飞虱若虫、雄成虫和雌成虫特有的唾液腺蛋白分别为385, 168和82个,若虫与雄成虫、若虫与雌成虫及雄成虫与雌成虫共有的唾液腺蛋白分别为319, 60和60个。KOG功能注释显示与细胞过程和信号传导相关的蛋白数量最多,若虫、雄成虫和雌成虫特有以及若虫与雄成虫、若虫与雌成虫及雄成虫与雌成虫共有的这类蛋白数量分别为81, 22, 70, 19, 21和12个,这些蛋白主要发挥着翻译后修饰、蛋白质更新、伴侣蛋白,细胞内运输、分泌和囊泡运输及信号转导作用。【结论】白背飞虱唾液腺蛋白在参与信号转导机制方面表现较为活跃,这可能与其刺吸危害有一定的关系。     

南京城市土壤重金属含量及其影响因素

研究了南京城市土壤重金属含量、来源及其与土壤性质的关系。结果表明,南京城市土壤中,Fe、Ni、Co、V污染不明显,但受到了不同程度的Mn、Cr、Cu、Zn、Pb污染,其中：Pb污染非常严重;重金属在土壤剖面分布没有规律性;Fe、Ni、Co、V元素主要来源于原土壤物质,Cu、Zn、Pb、Cr元素主要来源于人为输入,Mn可能在不同的土壤中来源不同;Fe、Cr、Ni、Co、V元素含量之间均呈极显著正相关,Cu、Zn、Pb、Cr元素含量之间均呈极显著正相关。Fe、Co、V、Ni含量与粘粒含量、CEC呈极显著正相关;Cu、Zn、Pb含量与粘粒含量呈极显著负相关;Cu、Zn、Pb、Cr含量与有机碳呈极显著正相关,Pb含量与pH呈极显著正相关。     

Anthocyanins in Cornus alternifolia, Cornus controversa, Cornus kousa and Cornus florida fruits with health benefits

The anthocyanins in native Cornus alternifolia, Cornus controversa, Cornus kousa and Cornus florida were quantified by HPLC and characterized by spectroscopic methods. The analyses of C. alternifolia and C. controversa revealed that both contained , and , respectively. Similarly, C. florida and C. kousa showed identical anthocyanin profiles with major anthocyanins as and cyanidin 3-O-glucoside (6), respectively. The amount of anthocyanins , and in C. alternifolia and C. controversa were 8.21, 8.44 and 0.02 mg; and 7.74, 5.92, and 0.02 mg/g of fresh fruits, respectively. The anthocyanins and in C. kousa and C. florida were 0.02 and 0.16 mg; and 0.62 and 0.03 mg/g fresh fruits, respectively. Anthocyanins and were not studied earlier for their inhibition of lipid peroxidation, cyclooxygenase enzymes (COX-1 and COX-2), and tumor cell proliferation. At 50 microg/mL, anthocyanins and inhibited lipid peroxidation by 71% and 68%, respectively. Similarly, they inhibited COX-1 enzymes by 39% and 49% and COX-2 enzyme by 54% and 48%, respectively, at 100 microg/mL. Anthocyanin displayed 50% growth inhibition (IC(50)) at 21, 25, 50, 60, and 75 microg/mL, against HCT-116 (colon), MCF-7 (breast), NCI-H460 (lung), SF-268 (central nervous system CNS), and AGS (stomach) human tumor cell lines, respectively. Similarly, IC(50) values for anthocyanin were 38, 30, 76, 100, and 100 microg/mL against HCT-116, MCF-7, NCI H460, SF-268, and AGS, respectively. This is the first report of the quantification and biological activities of anthocyanins in C. alternifolia, C. kousa and C. florida in addition to the anthocyanins not previously quantified in C. controversa.     

太湖梅梁湾漫衰减系数季节性差异及其主导因素

利用2006-08-16、2007-3-28和2007-11-12三次在太湖梅梁湾15个样点的观测数据,对漫衰减系数(Kd)及其影响因素的时空差异性进行分析,发现:梅梁湾地区Kd的主要决定因素是总吸收系数,后向散射作用对Kd具有一定的影响作用,但非主导作用;梅梁湾地区水体Kd影响因素的主次关系并非固定不变,而是随着水体组分的季节性变化而变化,3月份Kd的主导影响因素是非色素物质,其次是有色可溶性有机物(CDOM)、色素物质和后向散射作用,而8月份的主导影响因素是色素物质,其次是非色素物质、CDOM和后向散射作用,而11月份相对较为复杂,在440nm处主导影响因素是非色素物质,其次是色素物质、CDOM和后向散射作用,595nm处主导影响因素是非色素物质吸收作用,其次是色素物质吸收作用、后向散射作用、CDOM吸收作用,675nm处主导影响因素是色素物质,其次是非色素物质、后向散射作用和CDOM.     

Phylogeny and phylogeography of the genus Geothelphusa (Crustacea: Decapoda, Brachyura, Potamidae) in southwestern Taiwan based on two mitochondrial genes

Eleven species of Geothelphusa have been reported from southwestern Taiwan (Tainan, Kaohsiung and the northern part of Pingtung counties): G. albogilva Shy, Ng, and Yu, 1994; G. ancylophallus Shy, Ng, and Yu, 1994; G. caesia Shy, Ng, and Yu, 1994; G. lili Chen, Cheng, and Shy, 2005; G. nanhsi Shy, Ng, and Yu, 1994; G. neipu Chen, Cheng, and Shy, 1998; G. olea Shy, Ng, and Yu, 1994; G. pingtung Tan and Liu, 1998; G. shernshan Chen, Cheng, and Shy, 2005; G. tsayae Shy, Ng, and Yu, 1994 and G. wutai Shy, Ng, and Yu, 1994. Comparisons of DNA sequences encoding parts of the mitochondrial large subunit (16S) rRNA and cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) genes revealed three major clades, of which one is the species G. ancylophallus, and the other two are species groups here referred to as the G. olea and G. pingtung clades. Geothelphusa ancylophallus is geographically restricted and adapted to an ecologically challenging habitat with an unstable water supply and uneven topology. The G. olea clade (G. olea, G. caesia, G. nanhsi, G. tsayae, and G. wutai) is widely distributed throughout central-western and southwestern Taiwan. The G. pingtung clade (G. pingtung, G. neipu and G. shernshan) is confined to southwestern Taiwan between the previously defined southernmost clades of G. tawu, G. albogilva, and G. ferruginea, and the G. olea clade to the north. It includes an isolated population on distant Chaishan Mountain near Taiwan Strait, which probably dispersed from the peripheral hills of the Central Range during the early Pleistocene. The available genetic evidence indicates that the differential coloration observed in members of the G. olea and G. pingtung clades is not reflected in mtDNA, appears to be dependent on environmental conditions, food, etc., and has little value as a taxonomic character. Possible geological events and climatic factors responsible for the historic isolation of the different freshwater crab clades in southwestern Taiwan are discussed in detail.     

Sphingolipid composition in Bacteroides species

Sphingolipid profiles of strains from species of genus Bacteroides, and representative strains from Prevotella and Porphyromonas, were analyzed by thin-layer chromatography and infrared spectrophotometry. Two major types of phosphosphingolipid, ceramide phosphorylethanolamine and ceramide phosphorylglycerol, were detected in B. fragilis, B. ovatus, B. uniformis, B. caccae, B. eggerthii, B. thetaiotaomicron, and B. stercoris, but not in B. merdae, B. distasonis, and B. vulgatus. Strains from the genera Prevotella and Porphyromonas also contained these two sphingolipids. These sphingolipid profiles were conserved within the species tested, and may be useful for differentiation and recognition of relationships within the genera Bacteroides, Prevotella and Porphyromonas.     

Fingernails as biological indices of metal exposure

Metal determination in human tissues is the most common application of biological monitoring for screening, diagnosis and assessment of metal exposures and their risks. Various biopsy-materials may be used. This paper deals with the quantitative determination of Cd, Pb, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, and Zn concentrations in nails of male subjects exposed to these metals alongwith their respective controls, while working in locomotive, carriage and roadways workshops, and lead battery factories. The levels of Cd, Pb, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu and Zn in fingernails, assayed by atomic absorption spectrophotometry, were compared with their respective controls by student ‘t’ test. All the obtained values were correlated to the personal and medical history of the subjects under study. Significantly high levels of Cd, Pb, Cr, Fe, Ni, Cu and Zn were present in smokers, compared to nonsmokers. The concentrations of Cd, Pb, Cr, Mn and Fe were not significantly high in vegetarian subjects. It was also observed that there is no contribution of liquor towards nail-metal concentration. Significant correlations were observed between skin disease and Cr, Mn, Fe, Cu; hypertension and Cd, Mn, Cu; mental stress and Cd, Pb, Mn, Ni, Cu, Zn; diabetes and Cr, Mn, Ni; chest pain and Pb; respiratory trouble and Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Zn; tuberculosis and Zn; acidity and Cd; and ophthalmic problems and Mn, Fe, Ni, and Zn