Jurassic artematopodid beetles and their implications for the early evolution of Artematopodidae (Coleoptera)

Fossil Artematopodidae are rarely collected and previously confined to middle Eocene Baltic amber. Here we report the first definitive artematopodid, Sinobrevipogon jurassicus gen. et sp.n. , from the Middle Jurassic Daohugou beds (c. 165 Ma) in Inner Mongolia, northeastern China. It exhibits a number of defining features of Artematopodidae, including paired carinae on prosternum and an internal apical interlocking tongue on the ventral side of each elytron. However, it differs from any modern Artematopodidae by having the mesocoxal cavitiy closed by the mesepimeron and the anterolateral edge of metanepisternum. The discovery of this new genus represents the earliest fossil record for Artematopodidae, highlighting the antiquity of the family. The systematic positions of Forticatinius Tan & Ren and Tarsomegamerus Zhang are discussed, and the latter is formally transferred to Artematopodidae. Phylogenetic relationships within Artematopodidae were investigated to elucidate the relationships between the two Jurassic genera and Recent genera. Eleven in‐group taxa and two out‐groups were included in a cladistic analysis based on 30 adult characters; the resulting tree recovered the family Artematopodidae in three clades: (i) Electribius authority, (ii) Ctesibius authority + Brevipogon authority + Sinobrevipogon + Tarsomegamerus and (iii) the remaining Recent genera, including Allopogonia authority.     

Metabolism of triterpenoids in the seeds of Calendula officinalis germinating

It has been shown that germinating seeds of Calendula officinalis possess the ability to synthetize triterpene compounds of the oleanane, ursane and lupane groups. The biosynthesis of the various triterpenes occur in different parts of the seed. In the embryo, only oleanane derivatives are formed, but cotyledons also synthetize compounds belonging to ursane and lupane groups.     

Ecophysiological analysis reveals distinct environmental preferences in closely related Baltic Sea picocyanobacteria

Cluster 5 picocyanobacteria significantly contribute to primary productivity in aquatic ecosystems. Estuarine populations are highly diverse and consist of many co-occurring strains, but their physiology remains largely understudied. In this study, we characterized 17 novel estuarine picocyanobacterial strains. Phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rRNA and pigment genes (cpcB and cpeBA) uncovered multiple estuarine and freshwater-related clusters and pigment types. Assays with five representative strains (three phycocyanin rich and two phycoerythrin rich) under temperature (10–30°C), light (10–190 μmol photons m⁻² s⁻¹), and salinity (2–14 PSU) gradients revealed distinct growth optima and tolerance, indicating that genetic variability was accompanied by physiological diversity. Adaptability to environmental conditions was associated with differential pigment content and photosynthetic performance. Amplicon sequence variants at a coastal and an offshore station linked population dynamics with phylogenetic clusters, supporting that strains isolated in this study represent key ecotypes within the Baltic Sea picocyanobacterial community. The functional diversity found within strains with the same pigment type suggests that understanding estuarine picocyanobacterial ecology requires analysis beyond the phycocyanin and phycoerythrin divide. This new knowledge of the environmental preferences in estuarine picocyanobacteria is important for understanding and evaluating productivity in current and future ecosystems.     

The microbiological hydroxylation of patchoulol in Absidia coerulea and Mucor hiemalis

Patchoulol was subjected to transformation by Absidia coerulea AM93 and Mucor hiemalis AM450 strains. Both micro-organisms, which displayed differing vulnerability to the fungistatic action of the patchoulol, were capable of selective hydroxylations of the substrate. The major constituents of the mixtures after transformation were (8S)-8-hydroxypatchoulol and (9R)-9-hydroxypatchoulol; the transformation carried out by M. hiemalis resulted in the additional formation of (3R)-3-hydroxypatchoulol. The mixture of (8S)-8-hydroxypatchoulol and (9R)-9-hydroxypatchoulol can be used in the synthesis of patchoulenol, a compound with an odour very similar to that of a valuable fragrance, norpatchoulenol.     

Serum principal iodothyronines and the influence of cold exposure associated with shearing in the sheep

The effect of cold exposure caused by shearing on serum thyroid hormone (TH) concentrations in sheep kept at an ambient temperature of 8.5°C was studied. While the deep body temperature fell to the lowest level 4 h after shearing the concentration of triiodothyronine (T₃) increased to a peak value at that time. Thyroxine (T₄) and metabolically inactive reverse triiodothyronine (rT₃) levels reached their peak value after 24 h. The $\text{T}{}_3\text{T}{}_4$ ratio reached a maximum at about 4 h and $\text{rT}{}_3\text{T}{}_4$ and $\text{rT}{}_3\text{T}{}_3$ ratios rose to maximum values about 24 h after shearing. This sequence of events suggest a biphasic response to cold—an immediate secretion of TH from the thyroid gland, followed by adaptive alteration in T₃ and rT₃ generation in the extrathyroidal tissues.     

Glioma 2021 WHO Classification: The Superiority of NGS Over IHC in Routine Diagnostics

Molecular Diagnosis & Therapy - The accurate detection of genetic variants such as single substitutions (IDH1/2, TERT), chromosomal abnormalities (CDKN2A, 1p/19q deletions, and EGFR...     

Immunological, biochemical and physiological analyses of cardioacceleratory peptide 2 (CAP2) activity in the embryo of the tobacco hawkmoth Manduca sexta

The cells in the embryonic CNS of the tobacco hawkmoth, Manduca sexta, that synthesize a cardioacceleratory peptide 2 (CAP2)-like antigen were identified using immunohistochemical techniques. Two distinct neurosecretory cell types were present in the abdominal ventral nerve cord (VNC) that contain CAP2-like immunoreactivity during late embryogenesis: a pair of large (diameter range 15-20 microns) cells lying along the posterior, dorsal midline of abdominal ganglia A4-A8, and a bilateral set of four smaller (diameter range 6-11 microns) neurons which lie at the base of each ventral root in abdominal ganglia A2-A8. CAP2-like accumulation appeared to follow independent patterns in the two cell types. CAP2-like immunoreactivity began at 60% of embryo development (DT) in the medial cells, accumulated steadily throughout embryogenesis, and dropped markedly during hatching. Lateral cells synthesized the CAP2-like antigen later in development (70% DT) and showed a sharp drop in antigen levels between 75% and 80% of embryonic development. Extracts from developing M. sexta embryos were found to contain a cardioactive factor capable of accelerating the contraction frequency of the pharate adult moth heart in a fashion similar to CAP2. Immunoprecipitation with a monoclonal antibody that specifically recognizes the two endogenous Manduca cardioacceleratory peptides and purification using high pressure liquid chromatography identified this factor as cardioacceleratory peptide 2 (CAP2). Using an in vitro heart bioassay, the levels of this cardioactive neuropeptide were traced during the development of the M. sexta embryo. As with the immunohistochemical results, two periods during embryogenesis were identified in which the level of CAP2 dropped markedly: between 75% and 80% development, and at hatching. Embryo bioassays of CAP2 activity were used to identify possible target tissues for physiological activity during these two putative release times. CAP2 was found to accelerate contraction frequency in the embryonic heart and hindgut of Manduca in a dose-dependent fashion. Of these two possible targets, the hindgut proved to be more sensitive to CAP2, having a lower response threshold and a longer duration of response to a given concentration of the exogenously applied peptide. Based on these immunocytochemical, pharmacological and biochemical results, and on a previously published detailed analysis of Manduca embryogenesis, we conclude that CAP2 is probably released from a specific set of identified neurosecretory cells in the abdominal VNC to modulate embryonic gut activity at 75-80% of embryo development during ingestion of the extra-embryonic yolk.