Periodicities in the Daily Proton Fluxes from 2011 to 2019 Measured by the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer on the International Space Station from 1 to 100 GV

We present the precision measurement of the daily proton fluxes in cosmic rays from May 20, 2011 to October 29, 2019 (a total of 2824 days or 114 Bartels rotations) in the rigidity interval from 1 to 100 GV based on 5.5×109 protons collected with the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer aboard the International Space Station. The proton fluxes exhibit variations on multiple timescales. From 2014 to 2018, we observed recurrent flux variations with a period of 27 days. Shorter periods of 9 days and 13.5 days are observed in 2016. The strength of all three periodicities changes with time and rigidity. The rigidity dependence of the 27-day periodicity is different from the rigidity dependences of 9-day and 13.5-day periods. Unexpectedly, the strength of 9-day and 13.5-day periodicities increases with increasing rigidities up to ∼10 GV and ∼20 GV, respectively. Then the strength of the periodicities decreases with increasing rigidity up to 100 GV.</p

Precision Measurement of the Proton Flux in Primary Cosmic Rays from Rigidity 1 GV to 1.8 TV with the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer on the International Space Station

A precise measurement of the proton flux in primary cosmic rays with rigidity (momentum/charge) from 1 GV to 1.8 TV is presented based on 300 million events. Knowledge of the rigidity dependence of the proton flux is important in understanding the origin, acceleration, and propagation of cosmic rays. We present the detailed variation with rigidity of the flux spectral index for the first time. The spectral index progressively hardens at high rigidities.</p

Phylogeography of the Fanged Dicroglossine Frog, Limnonectes fujianensis (Anura, Ranidae), in Taiwan

A phylogenetic analysis of Taiwanese fanged dicroglossine frog, Limnonectes fujianensis (Anura, Ranidae), was conducted to examine its genetic diversification using sequence data from a portion of the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) cytochrome b sequences. We collected genetic data from 200 individuals at 23 localities in Taiwan and three localities in China. A neighbor-joining tree of 39 haplotypes revealed two clades in Taiwan and a clade in China, each showing restricted geographical distribution. The pattern of geographical divergence suggests a single invasion into Taiwan. Divergence times between clades were inferred using molecular clock tests. The population relationship of L. fujianensis between Taiwan and mainland China, and the phylogenetic relationships with its congeners, e. g., L. bannaensis, L. fragilis and L. kuhlii, were obtained and discussed

Intraspecific Relationships of Populations of the Brown Frog Rana sauteri (Ranidae) on Taiwan, Inferred from Mitochondrial Cytochrome b Sequences

We studied the phylogenetic relationships among populations of Rana sauteri using partial sequences of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene from 244 samples from 29 localities in Taiwan. We detected 77 haplotypes among these sequences. The phylogenetic trees contained five distinct lineages: the northern (NL), eastern (EL), southern hill (SHL), northern mountain (NML), and southern mountain (SML) lineages, defined by geographical distribution. The lineage phylogeny did not support the two-species hypothesis inferred from larval morphology. To describe the possible colonization history of R. sauteri in Taiwan, we propose hypotheses of within-island differentiation and a multiple-invasion model. Using a molecular clock, we estimated the order of divergence times between lineages in order to test the migration hypothesis. The multiple-invasion model was well supported by the phylogeny and a nested clade network

Phylogeography of Sylvirana latouchii (Anura, Ranidae) in Taiwan

Biogeographic studies are important for understanding the natural history of faunas. To comprehend the geographical patterns of genetic variation in anurans in Taiwan, we investigated the genetic structure of Sylvirana latouchii (Anura, Ranidae) from 31 populations by using mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) cytochrome b sequences. A neighbor-joining tree of 38 haplotypes revealed three major divergences in Taiwanese S. latouchii: the northern, western, and eastern-and-southern clades. Each clade was restricted to a single geographical district and showed obvious differentiation. The patterns of geographical divergence in this species reflect common historical events experienced by other native animals distributed in Taiwan. The order of divergence times between clades was inferred using a molecular clock test. The population relationship of S. latouchii between Taiwan and mainland China is discussed. Further study employing more populations of S. latouchii from mainland China is necessary to clarify the original geographical patterns and migratory history of this species

RING1 E3 ligase localizes to plasma membrane lipid rafts to trigger FB1-induced programmed cell death in Arabidopsis

Ubiquitination plays important roles in plant development, including programmed cell death. Here, we characterize a novel membrane-bound RING motif protein, encoded by RING1, that is expressed at a low level in all Arabidopsis tissues but can be upregulated by fumonisin B1 (FB1) treatment and pathogen infection. RING1 displays E3 ubiquitin ligase activity in vitro, which is dependent on the integrity of the RING motif. GFP fusion protein localization and cell fractionation experiments show that this E3 ligase is associated with the lipid rafts of plasma membranes. Knock-down of RING1 transcripts using artificial microRNA (amiR-R1(159)) leads to FB1 hyposensitivity, but overexpression of RING1 confers hypersensitivity. Additionally, expression of the pathogenesis-related 1 (PR-1) gene is lower and delayed in amiR-R1(159) plants compared with wild-type and RING1-overexpressing plants. The FB1 hyposensitivity of amiR-R1(159) plants can be rescued by expression of cleavage-resistant RING1mut transcripts. Our results suggest that RING1 acts as a signal from the plasma membrane lipid rafts to trigger the FB1-induced plant programmed cell death pathway

High blood pressure and its association with incident diabetes over 10 years in the Korean genome and epidemiology study (KoGES)

OBJECTIVE No prospective, community-based cohort studies have investigated the association between blood pressure and diabetes in Asian ethnicity. We investigated this issue in a 10-year prospective, community-based study of Koreans. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS We studied whether high blood pressure was associated with the development of diabetes in a population-based cohort, where we sampled ∼5,000 random subjects each from rural and urban areas (age range 40–69 years) during 2001–2010. Among 10,038 subjects, 8,359 without diabetes at baseline were categorized into normal (n = 4,809), prehypertension (n = 2,141), stage 1 hypertension (n = 804), and stage 2 hypertension (n = 605) groups, according to their blood pressure readings of &#60;120/80 mmHg, 120–139/80–89 mmHg, 140–159/90‒99 mmHg, and ≥160/100 mmHg, respectively. The development of diabetes was defined as a fasting glucose concentration of ≥126 mg/dL or a postload glucose concentration of ≥200 mg/dL, based on a 75-g oral glucose tolerance test, or the use of antidiabetic medication. RESULTS During the 10-year follow-up period, diabetes developed in 1,195 subjects (14.3%). The incidence of diabetes increased from 11.1% in the normal group to 17.0% in the prehypertension group, 17.7% in the stage 1 hypertension group, and 25.8% in the stage 2 hypertension group (P &#60; 0.001). After adjusting for anthropometric factors; family history of diabetes; biochemical parameters including C-reactive protein, A1C, and fasting glucose and postload 2-h glucose levels; and the use of lipid-lowering medications, the hazard risks of diabetes development were 1.23 (95% CI 1.06–1.42), 1.26 (1.04–1.54), and 1.60 (1.30–1.96), respectively, in the prehypertension, stage 1 hypertension, and stage 2 hypertension groups. CONCLUSIONS Our findings indicate a grade association of baseline blood pressure with the development of diabetes in Korean individuals

Molecular Phylogeny and Genetic Differentiation of the Tanakia himantegus Complex (Teleostei: Cyprinidae) in Taiwan and China

Chia-Hao Chang, Wen-Wen Lin, Yi-Ta Shao, Ryoichi Arai, Toshilhiro Ishinabe, Takayoshi Ueda, Masaru Matsuda, Hitoshi Kubota, Feng-Yu Wang, Nian-Hong Jang-Liaw, and Hsiao-Wei Kao (2009) Molecular phylogeny and genetic differentiation of the Tanakia himantegus complex (Teleostei: Cyprinidae) in Taiwan and China. Zoological Studies 48(6): 823-834. Tanakia himantegus himantegus is a subspecies endemic to Taiwan (referred as the Taiwanese himantegus), while T himantegus chii is distributed in both Taiwan (referred as the Taiwanese chh) and China (referred as the Chinese chii). We analyzed the complete cytochrome (Cyt) b DNA sequences of 61 specimens of the T himantegus complex (including the Taiwanese chii, Chinese chii, and Taiwanese himantegus) to infer their phylogeny, genetic differentiation, and historical demography. Both Bayesian and maximum-likelihood trees showed that the Taiwanese chii, Chinese chii, and Taiwanese himantegus are 3 monophyletic groups. Among them, the Taiwanese chii clustered with the Chinese chii. The average pairwise genetic distance (HKY + G) between the Taiwanese chii and Chinese chii was 6.8%, which is smaller than 10.8% (distance between the Taiwanese chii and Taiwanese himantegus) and 11.8% (distance between the Chinese chii and Taiwanese himantegus). The results suggest that the Taiwanese chii is phylogenetically closer to the Chinese chii than to the Taiwanese himantegus. Sequence analyses showed that the Taiwanese chii has smaller genetic diversity (h = 0.771, pi = 0.0014) than the Chinese chii (h = 0.927, pi = 0.0087) and Taiwanese himantegus (h = 0.879, pi = 0.0066). The AMOVA revealed that about 92.8% of the genetic variance among sequences can be explained by differences among the 3 monophyletic groups (Taiwanese chii, Chinese chii, and Taiwanese himantegus). A unimodal mismatch distribution with a positively skewed distribution for the Taiwanese chii suggests that it has recently experienced sudden population expansions. Bimodal or ragged mismatch distributions for the Chinese chii and Taiwanese himantegus suggest that they are either admixtures of 2 expanding populations or stable populations. The origin of the Taiwanese chii is discussed based on the geographical history of Taiwan, records of fish collection, and phylogenetic analyses. http://zoolstud.sinica.edu.tw/JournaIs/48.6/823.pd