A review of scarab beetles of the genus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Hoplia</Emphasis> (Coleoptera,Scarabaeidae) from the Russian Far East

A review of the species of the genus Hoplia from the Russian Far East is given. Lectotypes are designated for Anisoplia cincticollis Faldermann and Hoplia djukini Jacobson. Hoplia cincticollis (Faldermann) is recorded from the Russian Far East for the first time. An original key to the species of the genus Hoplia of the Russian Far East fauna is provided.     

High‐throughput SNP‐genotyping analysis of the relationships among Ponto‐Caspian sturgeon species

Legally certified sturgeon fisheries require population protection and conservation methods, including DNA tests to identify the source of valuable sturgeon roe. However, the available genetic data are insufficient to distinguish between different sturgeon populations, and are even unable to distinguish between some species. We performed high‐throughput single‐nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)‐genotyping analysis on different populations of Russian (Acipenser gueldenstaedtii), Persian (A. persicus), and Siberian (A. baerii) sturgeon species from the Caspian Sea region (Volga and Ural Rivers), the Azov Sea, and two Siberian rivers. We found that Russian sturgeons from the Volga and Ural Rivers were essentially indistinguishable, but they differed from Russian sturgeons in the Azov Sea, and from Persian and Siberian sturgeons. We identified eight SNPs that were sufficient to distinguish these sturgeon populations with 80% confidence, and allowed the development of markers to distinguish sturgeon species. Finally, on the basis of our SNP data, we propose that the A. baerii‐like mitochondrial DNA found in some Russian sturgeons from the Caspian Sea arose via an introgression event during the Pleistocene glaciation.     

Review of sea snakes of the genus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Hydrophis</Emphasis> sensu stricto (Serpentes: Hydrophiidae)

The results of the genus Hydrophis revision s. str. are presented. The genus is divided into three subgenera, including Mediohydrophis subgen. nov. The validity of Hydrophis atriceps and H. (Microcephalophis) gracilis microcephalus is confirmed. New data on the distribution of H. klossi is given.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2004 by Biologiya Morya, Kharin.     

Transgenic Russian wildrye (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Psathyrostachys juncea</Emphasis>) plants obtained by biolistic transformation of embryogenic suspension cells

Russian wildrye (Psathyrostachys juncea (Fisch.) Nevski) is a cool-season forage species well adapted to semi-arid climates. We are interested in developing biotechnological methods to improve this monocot forage species. Single genotype-derived embryogenic suspension cultures were established from the Russian wildrye cultivar Bozoisky-Select, and were used as target cells for biolistic transformation. A chimeric hygromycin phosphotransferase gene (hph) was used as the selectable marker, and a chimeric -glucuronidase (gusA) gene was co-transformed with hph. Resistant calli were obtained from 29% of the bombarded dishes after selection with 200 mg/l hygromycin. Plants were regenerated from 45% of the hygromycin resistant calli. Thirty-six transgenic Russian wildrye plants were recovered after microprojectile bombardment of suspension cells and subsequent hygromycin selection. The transgenic nature of the regenerated plants was demonstrated by Southern hybridization analysis using undigested and digested genomic DNA samples. When a second gene (gusA) was co-transformed with hph, a reasonably high co-transformation frequency of 78% was observed. Transgenic expression of gusA was confirmed by GUS staining of shoot and leaf tissues. Fertile transgenic plants were obtained after two winters of vernalization under field conditions. This is the first report on the generation of transgenic plants in Russian wildrye.     

A Record of the Cubed Snailfish, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Liparis tessellatus</Emphasis> (Pisces: Liparidae), in Peter the Great Bay,Sea of Japan

A specimen of the cubed snailfish, Liparis tessellatus was captured in Peter the Great Bay, Sea of Japan. The capture of L. tessellatus from this area a century after the first record is evidence that at present this species still inhabits Peter the Great Bay.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2005 by Biologiya Morya, Sokolovskii, Sokolovskaya.     

Genetics of the cell cycle: Adaptive modification of the <Emphasis Type="Italic">CycB</Emphasis><Superscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">2g</Emphasis></Superscript> mutation expression in dividing cells of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Drosophila melanogaster</Emphasis>

The effect of mutation CycB ^2g on mitosis in neural ganglia and imaginal disks was studied in third-instar larvae of Drosophila melanogaster. Chromosome condensation and segregation were shown to be impaired in dividing cells of mutant larvae. During the three-year period of maintenance of the mutation in heterozygote, frequencies of some defects decreased via cellular adaptive modification.Translated from Genetika, Vol. 41, No. 3, 2005, pp. 312–319.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2005 by Lebedeva, Trunova, Omelyanchuk.     

A new species of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pelekysgnathus</Emphasis> (Conodonts) from the Famennian of the east Russian Platform

A new conodont species, Pelekysgnathus aristovi sp. nov., from the Middle Famennian shallow-water carbonate deposits of the South Tatar Dome in the eastern Russian Platform is described.     

Association of the polymorphisms of the <Emphasis Type="Italic">ERBB3</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">SH2B3</Emphasis> genes with type 1 diabetes

To study the association with diabetes mellitus type 1, we analyzed the distribution of allele and genotype frequencies of polymorphic marker rs2292239 of ERBB3 gene, encoding epidermal growth factor receptor type 3 and polymorphic marker rs3184504 of SH2B3 gene, encoding adaptor protein LNK. The study included groups of T1DM patients and unrelated controls of Russian origin. Genotyping was performed using RFLP and real-time amplification methods. No statistically significant association with type 1 diabetes was found for the polymorphic marker rs2292239 of ERBB3, while the analysis of the distribution of allele and genotype frequencies of the polymorphic marker rs3184504 of SH2B3 gene revealed the association with T1DM in the Russian population.     

First record of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Liparis frenatus</Emphasis> (Gilbert et Burke, 1912) and new findings of <Emphasis Type="Italic">L. kusnetzovi</Emphasis> Taranetz, 1935 (Pisces: Liparidae) in Russian waters of the Sea of Japan

Two specimens of Liparis frenatus (Gilbert et Burke, 1912) of 30.1 and 55.5 mm in TL were recorded in Russian waters of the Sea of Japan for the first time. Five specimens of a poorly known species, L. kusnetzovi Taranetz, 1935, were found. Data on the areas of capture and counts of plastic and meristic characters are provided. The specimens of L. frenatus and L. kusnetzovi are described and compared to the closest species of the genus.     

Estimating Body Fat from Anthropometry and Isotopic Dilution: A Four‐Country Comparison

Objective: The goal was to assess the ability of BMI to predict body fat (BF) among youths in four countries and identify the degree to which additional anthropometric measures improve this prediction. BMI is widely recommended as an indicator of overweight. However, whether BMI adequately estimates BF and has the same meaning in different ethnic groups and youths has been questioned. Research Methods and Procedures: Data come from 456 Filipino, Chinese, Russian, and black South African youths, 6 to 16 years old. Percentage BF and fat mass index (FMI) were estimated by the deuterium dilution method. Skinfold thicknesses (triceps, subscapular, and suprailiac) and weight and height measures were collected. Percentage BF was regressed first on BMI and age and then with the addition of the skinfold measures. Linear models were run separately by country and sex. The models were repeated with FMI as the outcome. Results: The R² values from the percentage BF models ranged from 0.13 to 0.69 in the first models to 0.38 to 0.81 in the full models. The values were lowest among Russian males ≥ 13 years and Russian females ≥ 13 years of age in the reduced and full models, respectively, and were highest among Chinese females. Using FMI as the outcome did not meaningfully change the results. Discussion: The ability of BMI to adequately predict BF and the additional predictivity of anthropometric measures varied widely across the samples, making its uniform use as a proxy for BF in youths from different countries questionable.     

Ammonites of Tethyan origin in the Ryazanian Stage of the Russian Platform: Genus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Mazenoticeras</Emphasis> and other Neocomitidae

Ammonites from the Riasanites rjasanensis Zone (Ryazanian Stage of the Russian Platform) of the family Neocomitidae are considered. The new species Mazenoticeras robustum sp. nov. and M. ceccai sp. nov. are described. Other members of this genus and of the genera Malbosiceras and Pomeliceras are identified in open nomenclature.     

C : N : P stoichiometry of dominant riparian trees and arthropods along the Middle Rio Grande

1. We examined the role of flooding on the leaf nutrient content of riparian trees by comparing the carbon : nitrogen : phosphorus (C : N : P) ratio of leaves and litter of Rio Grande cottonwood (Populus deltoides ssp. wislizenii) in flood and non‐flood sites along the Middle Rio Grande, NM, U.S.A. The leaf C : N : P ratio was also examined for two non‐native trees, saltcedar (Tamarix chinensis) and Russian olive (Elaeagnus angustifolia), and six species of dominant riparian arthropods. 2. Living leaves and leaf litter of cottonwoods at flood sites had a significantly lower leaf N : P ratio and higher %P compared with leaves and litter at non‐flood sites. A non‐flood site downstream from wastewater effluent had a significantly lower litter C : N ratio than all other sites, suggesting N fertilisation through ground water. The non‐native trees, saltcedar and Russian olive, had higher mean leaf N content, N : P ratio, and lower C : N ratio compared with cottonwoods across study sites. 3. Riparian arthropods ranged from 5.2 to 7.1 for C : N ratio, 56–216 for C : P ratio, and 8.9–34 for N : P ratio. C content ranged from 25 to 52% of dry mass, N content from 4.7 to 10.8%, and P content from 0.59 to 1.2%. Differences in stoichiometry between high C : nutrient leaf litter and low C : nutrient invertebrates suggests possible food‐quality constraints for detritivores. 4. These results suggest that spatial and temporal variation in the C : N : P ratio of cottonwood leaves and leaf litter is influenced by surface and subsurface hydrologic connection within the floodplain. Reach‐scale variation in the elemental composition of riparian organic matter inputs may have important implications for decomposition, nutrient cycling, and food webs in river floodplain systems.     

Morphological and molecular genetic study of the Persian sturgeon <Emphasis Type="Italic">Acipenser persicus</Emphasis> Borodin (Acipenseridae) taxonomic status

Morphological and molecular genetic analyses of the Russian sturgeon sensu Berg (1934) were accomplished using the sample of individuals collected in the southern part of the Caspian Sea. The distribution of specimens in the space of principal components calculated using 28 morphometric characters demonstrates the absence of separate clusters. Frequency distributions of six studied meristic characters are unimodal and do not demonstrate the existence of morphologically distinguishable forms within the analyzed sample. The results of molecular genetic study, based on the cytochrome b polymorphism analysis of the same sample of fish, demonstrate its homogeneity. The joined results of morphological and molecular genetic analyses of the Russian sturgeon sensu Berg (1934) do not support the validity of the Persian sturgeon as a separate species Acipenser persicus. The text was submitted by the authors in English     

Role of dopamine transporter gene (<Emphasis Type="Italic">DAT1</Emphasis>) polymorphisms in personality traits variation

According to psychobiological model of personality proposed by Cloninger, personality traits characterizing enhanced tendency to novel stimuli, impulsivity and sociability are influenced by dopaminergic system functioning. The present study considered both the main effect of two polymorphic loci (VNTR and 2319G>A) in dopamine transporter gene (DAT1) and the role of distinct DAT1 gene haplotypes in personality traits variation in 592 healthy individuals belonging to different ethnicities (men and women). The results of the study revealed the involvement of VNTR and 2319G>A polymorphisms in Novelty Seeking variation and the main effect of 2319G>A polymorphism on Reward Dependence (TCI) observed in Russian females. Moreover, DAT1 gene haplotype effect on Novelty Seeking in Russian females and on Persistence (TCI) in Tatar females was demonstrated. Reported in the current study results pointed to the involvement of dopaminergic system (DAT1 gene in particular) in variation of personality traits characterizing the tendency to novel stimuli, purposefulness, and sociability specifically in women.     

Morphogens of hydra <Emphasis Type="Italic">Hydra</Emphasis> sp.

Characteristics and probable functions of morphogens of the freshwater polyp, hydra Hydra sp., are considered in the review.Translated from Zhurnal Evolyutsionnoi Biokhimii i Fiziologii, Vol. 41, No. 1, 2005, pp. 3–11.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2005 by Kukalev.     

The early life history stages of flying fishes <Emphasis Type="Italic">Cypselurus simus</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">C. callopterus</Emphasis> (beloniformes,exocoetidae)

Larval and juvenile developmental stages of two species of flying fishes from the subgenus Poecilocypselurus: Cypselurus simus and C. callopterus are for the first time described in the work. A comparison with C. poecilopterus and other representatives of the subgenus using data published in the literature is done. Published in Russian in Voprosy Ikhtiologii, 2008, Vol. 48, No. 3, pp. 404–414. The text was submitted by the authors in English.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Haploporus subtrameteus</Emphasis> (Polyporaceae,Basidiomycota) found in Japan

Haploporus subtrameteus, a rare polypore, is newly reported for Japan. This fungus was known only from three localities in the Russian Far East, Altai Mts., and three in China. The Japanese material was on a dead tree of Padus grayana around Aokigahara-marubi, Mt. Fuji. This article gives detailed morphology based on the Japanese collection and a photo in the natural habitat.     

Polymorphism of a short fragment of the mitochondrial genome control region (D-loop) in the Siberian roe deer <Emphasis Type="Italic">Capreolus pygargus</Emphasis> Pallas, 1771 (Artiodactyla,Cervidae) from the Russian Far East

Genetic diversity of Siberian roe deer Capreolus pygargus, 1771 from the Russian Far East was studied based on polymorphism analysis of a mtDNA control region fragment (390 bp). Three phylogenetic lines were found in the animals examined. The trend for change of haplotypes of different phylogroups was shown to occur from north to south in Sikhote-Alin. The haplotype distribution of Siberian roe deer in the Russian Far East correlated with data on morphologiocal variability.