The complete chloroplast genome of Rungia pectinata (Acanthaceae)

Rungia pectinata is an important traditional Chinese herbal medicine from the family Acanthaceae. The complete chloroplast genome (cp genome) of the genus Rungia was sequenced for the first time. The cp genome of R. pectinata was 149,627 bp in length. It was consisted of a large single copy (LSC) region (81,976 bp) and a small single copy (SSC) region (16,626 bp), which were separated by two inverted repeats (IRs, 25,511 bp). This plastome contained 114 unique genes, including 80 protein-coding genes, 30 tRNA genes, and four rRNA genes. The overall GC content was 38.0%. Phylogenetic analysis of nine species in Acanthaceae was also conducted. This newly sequenced cp genome will be useful to further evolutionary studies, phylogenetic studies, and pharmacognostic identification in the genus Rungia

Data from: Three new synonyms of Rungia stolonifera (Acanthaceae) from China and Vietnam

Examination of relevant type materials and living plants reveals that Rungia axilliflora, R. densiflora and R. evrardii are conspecific with R. stolonifera. Lectotypes are designated for the names R. evrardii and R. stolonifera.Peer reviewe

Rungia fangdingiana (Acanthaceae), a new species from Guangxi, China

Rungia fangdingiana, a new species of Acanthaceae from Guangxi, China is described and illustrated. This new species belongs to Rungia sect. Rungia, and resembles R. sinothailandica and R. burmanica in the erect perennial herbaceous habit, elliptic leaves and inflorescence form, but differs mainly by the indumentum and the morphology of the bracts and corolla. The pollen and seed micromorphology of this new species are studied, with photographs and a line drawing provided

Degradation and encryption for outsourced PNG images in cloud storage

In cloud storage environment, users frequently store images and retrieve them by personal device, including mobile phones. However, the content of outsourced images will be leaked to the cloud server, which is not trusted by users. To protect the privacy of sensitive images, this paper proposes format-compliant degradation and encryption method for Portable Network Graphics (PNG). More specifically, for PNG degradation, improved prefix method and noise generation methods are developed. Furthermore, for PNG encryption, a modified generalised-Feistel method is developed. Finally, our security analysis demonstrates that the proposed scheme is secure. Our experiment results also show that the scheme is efficient and practical

Comparative Metabolic Profiling in Pulp and Peel of Green and Red Pitayas (Hylocereus polyrhizus and Hylocereus undatus) Reveals Potential Valorization in the Pharmaceutical and Food Industries

Pitaya (Hylocereus genus) is a popular plant with exotic and nutritious fruit, which has widespread uses as a source of nutrients and raw materials in the pharmaceutical industry. However, the potential of pitaya peel as a natural source of bioactive compounds has not yet fully been explored. Recent advances in metabolomics have paved the way for understanding and evaluating the presence of diverse sets of metabolites in different plant parts. This study is aimed at exploring the diversity of primary and secondary metabolites in two commercial varieties of pitaya, i.e., green pitaya (Hylocereus undatus) and red pitaya (Hylocereus polyrhizus). A total of 433 metabolites were identified using a widely targeted metabolomic approach and classified into nine known diverse classes of metabolites, including flavonoids, amino acids and its derivatives, alkaloids, tannins, phenolic acids, organic acids, nucleotides and derivatives, lipids, and lignans. Red pitaya peel and pulp showed relatively high accumulation of metabolites viz. alkaloids, amino acids and its derivatives, and lipids. Differential metabolite landscape of pitaya fruit indicated the presence of key bioactive compounds, i.e., L-tyrosine, L-valine, DL-norvaline, tryptophan, γ-linolenic acid, and isorhamnetin 3-O-neohesperidoside. The findings in this study provide new insight into the broad spectrum of bioactive compounds of red and green pitaya, emphasizing the valorization of the biowaste pitaya peel as raw material for the pharmaceutical and food industries

Assessment of Genetic Diversity and Discovery of Molecular Markers in Durian (Durio zibethinus L.) in China

Durian (Durio zibethinus L.) is a crop of economic and health importance globally. Efforts are being made to revamp China’s only successful commercial-scale durian plantations in Hainan; however, their genetic base is unknown. Therefore, the present study was undertaken to assess the genetic base and population structure of 32 genotypes in durian plantation sites in Hainan, China, and develop simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers by whole genome sequencing through restriction site-associated DNA sequencing technology to facilitate germplasm conservation and breeding. The results from identity by state (IBS), phylogenetic tree, population structure, and principal component analysis grouped the 32 genotypes into two clusters/sub-populations. Based on IBS, genotypes in Cluster I are largely duplicated genotypes; however, results from the model-based population structure demonstrated that most of the genotypes in Sub-population II shared a common genetic background with those in Sub-population I/Cluster I. The results revealed that the core durian collection in the plantation sites in Hainan include D24, D101, MSW, JH, D163, HFH, and NLX-5. In addition, we developed a total of 79,178 SSR markers with varied lengths and amplicon sizes. The genetic diversity and population structure reported in this study will be useful for durian conservation and utilization. In addition, the discovered and developed SSR markers will lay the foundation for molecular breeding via marker-assisted selection, quantitative trait loci mapping, and candidate gene discovery and validation

Rungia gialaiensis D. V. Hai, Z. L. Lin & Joongku Lee 2021, sp. nov.

Rungia gialaiensis D.V.Hai, Z.L.Lin & Joongku Lee, sp. nov. (Figs. 2–3) Type:— VIETNAM. Gia Lai Province, Kbang District, Dak Smar Commune, 640 m asl., 14°13'11.9"N, 108°36'17.4"E, 7 April 2018, D. V . Hai and S. D. Thuong, DVH-100 (HN!). (holotype HN!; isotypes HN!, IBSC!). Perennial stoloniferous herbs, usually 1 to 3 branched grown from leaf axils, spreading on the ground and rooting at nodes, spreading branches 10–30 cm long; flowering branches erect, up to 20 cm tall, stems short, up to 5 cm long, quadrangular when young; subterete, sulcate, bifariously retrorsely pubescent. Leaves opposite, usually isophyllous; petiole 1.5–2.5 cm long, pubescent; blades oval to ovate, obovate, 3.5–6.5 × 2.5–4.5 cm, base rounded and sometimes slightly decurrent onto petiole, margin entire and ciliate, apex obtuse to rounded, adaxially pubescent, green, abaxially pubescent, densely along the midvein and secondary veins, pale green, sometimes purple; both surfaces covered with cystoliths; secondary veins 6–7 on each side of midvein, netted near the margin. Spikes terminal, 5–7 cm long, secund; peduncle 2–3 cm long, pubescent, rachis pubescent. Bracts 4-ranked, heteromorphic, 2 ranks fertile and 2 ranks sterile; sterile bracts rhombic, 6–6.5 × 2–3.0 mm, green and purple on veins, 3 pair secondary veins, pubescent on both surfaces, margin membranous hyaline, 0.1–0.7 mm wide, hyaline toward the apex, margin ciliate, apex caudate to 2 mm long; fertile bracts lanceolate to narrowly elliptic, 7–7.5 × 1.5–2.0 mm, green and purple on veins, 3 pair secondary veins, pubescent on both side, margin membranous hyaline for 0.1–0.5 mm wide, hyaline toward the apex, margin ciliate, apex caudate to 1–1.5 mm long. Bracteoles narrowly lanceolate to linear, 4.5–5.5 × 0.7–0.9 mm, pale green– purple, pubescent, margin membranous for 0.1–0.3 mm wide, margin ciliate, apex caudate to 1–1.5 mm long. Calyx 5-lobed almost to the base, lobes equal, linear, 4.5–5 × 0.3–0.4 mm, pubescent, margin ciliate, apex acuminate. Corolla 10–12 mm long, white with purple stripes or bluish, bilabiate; tube cylindrical, ca. 4 mm long, glabrous at base and puberulous near throat; upper lip 2-lobed, puberulous, lobes triangular; lower lip 3-lobed, lobes ovate-rounded, apex rounded, the middle one larger than the lateral ones, puberulous. Stamens 2, inserted at base of corolla throat and base adnate with corolla tube; filaments 3–4 mm long, glabrous; anthers bithecous, superposed, thecae ovoid, the upper one sparsely pubescent and muticous, the lower one sparsely pubescent and spurred at base. Disc annular. Ovary glabrous, ca. 1 mm long, 2-loculed with two ovules per locule; style 5–6 mm long, pubescent at base and less at nearly the top; stigma minutely 2-lobed. Capsule clavate, 6–7 × 2 mm, stipitate, pubescent, 4-seeded. Seeds suborbicular or orbicular in outline, compressed, 1.1–1.2 × 1.1 mm, glabrous, surface verrucose. Etymology:— The species is named after the type locality, Gia Lai province in Vietnam. Phenology:— Flowering: August–March, fruiting; September–April. Distribution and ecology: — Rungia gialaiensis is currently known from Kbang District, Gia Lai Province, and probably endemic to the Central Highlands. It was found growing under the shades of secondary forests on the basaltic soil of the hillocks, at an elevation of around 640–650 m asl. Alpinia sp., Gomphostemma lucidum Wall. ex Benth. (1831: 12), Phoebe paniculata (Nees) Nees (1836: 105), Piper sp., Rinorea virgata (Thwaites) Kuntze (1891: 42) were found associated with the new species. Conservation status:— During our investigation in this area, we could observe only a few scattered populations of Rungia gialaiensis growing on soil under secondary forests. Because of its narrow distribution with an estimated population size of <1000 individuals, it is assessed to be Vulnerable (VU) based on the IUCN Red List Criteria (IUCN 2017). Further inventories are needed to find additional populations in Vietnam. Additional Specimens Examined (Paratypes):— Vietnam. Gia Lai Province, Kbang District, Dak Smar Commune, 640 m asl., 14°13'11.9"N, 108°36'17.4"E, 14 March 2011, T . T. Bach, D. V. Hai, B. H. Quang, H. M. Tam, S. D. Thuong, PTV 714 (HN!); ibid. 650 m asl., 14°13’30.9”N, 108°36’18.2”E, 12 August 2011, T . T. Bach, D. V. Hai, B. H. Quang, H. M. Tam, S. D. Thuong, PTV 1026 (HN!); ibid. 640 m asl., 14°13’11.9”N, 108°36’17.4”E, 22 November 2013, D. V . Hai, B. H. Quang, DVH22112013-1 (HN!). Taxonomic Notes:— The spike of Rungia gialaiensis is secund, with only one fertile bract at each node of the spike and the bracts being heteromorphic. Therefore, this new species should be placed in Rungia sect. Rungia following Gao & Deng (2017). The new species resembles R. daklakensis at first glance in the flowering branches and leaf shape (Hai et al. 2016), but differs from the latter mainly by the presence of stolons, characters of bracts (rhombic, pubescent and ciliate margin in R. gialaiensis versus oblong to obovate-elliptic and glabrous in R. daklakensis) and corolla (upper lip 2-lobed in R. gialaiensis versus unlobed in R. daklakensis). Close scrutiny of the inflorescences suggests R. gialaiensis allied to R. khasiana T.Anderson (1876: 518) because of the similarity in the characters of bracts, corolla and fruit, which are critical in identifying a Rungia species. R. gialaiensis, however, differs from R. khasiana mainly in the habit (erect flowering branches up to 20 cm tall in R. gialaiensis versus decumbent, 15–30 cm tall branches in R. khasiana), presence of stolons, and much shorter stem. The morphological comparison between R. gialaiensis, R. daklakensis and R. khasiana is shown in Table 1.Published as part of Hai, Dovan, Hoan, Duong Thi, Lin, Zheli, Deng, Yunfei, Choudhary, Ritesh Kumar & Lee, Joongku, 2021, Rungia gialaiensis (Acanthaceae), a new species from the Central Highlands of Vietnam, pp. 294-300 in Phytotaxa 500 (4) on pages 295-296, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.500.4.5, http://zenodo.org/record/542468

The COX-2-Selective Antagonist (NS-398) Inhibits Choroidal Neovascularization and Subretinal Fibrosis

<div><p>Choroidal neovascularization (CNV) is an important pathologic component of neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD), and CNV lesions later develop into fibrous scars, which contribute to the loss of central vision. Nowadays, the precise molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying CNV and subretinal fibrosis have yet to be fully elucidated. Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) has previously been implicated in angiogenesis and fibrosis. However, the role of COX-2 in the pathogenesis of CNV and subretinal fibrosis is poorly understood. The present study reveals several important findings concerning the relationship of COX-2 signaling with CNV and subretinal fibrosis. Experimental CNV lesions were attenuated by the administration of NS-398, a COX-2-selective antagonist. NS-398-induced CNV suppression was found to be mediated by the attenuation of macrophage infiltration and down-regulation of VEGF in the retinal pigment epithelium–choroid complex. Additionally, NS-398 attenuated subretinal fibrosis, in an experimental model of subretinal scarring observed in neovascular AMD, by down-regulation of TGF-β₂ in the retinal pigment epithelium–choroid complex. Moreover, we cultured mouse RPE cells and found that NS-398 decreased the secretion of VEGF and TGF-β₂ in mouse RPE cells. The results of the present study provide new findings regarding the molecular basis of CNV and subretinal fibrosis, and provide a proof-of-concept approach for the efficacy of COX-2 inhibition in treating subretinal fibrosis.</p></div

Effect of Two Urea Forms and Organic Fertilizer Derived from Expired Milk Products on Dynamic of NH3 Emissions and Growth of Williams Banana

Sustainable agricultural development depends mainly on the recycling of organic wastes to reduce environmental pollution, as well as to reduce the use of mineral fertilizers. Expired milk products are rich in organic carbon and nitrogen, so they are good raw materials for making organic fertilizers. In this study, expired milk products were converted to organic fertilizer (EDPF) by gravity and thermal treatments. The extracted EDPF was used in the nutrition of Williams banana plants under field conditions for two growing seasons. The field experiment consisted of four treatments including: C = control without N fertilization, U = traditional urea, SRU = slow-release urea, and EDPF. EDPF significantly (p &lt; 0.05) improved the growth and yield of Williams banana in comparison to U and SRU. EDPF significantly minimized the soil pH and increased the soil organic-C and cation exchange capacity compared to the other treatments. EDPF increased the total yield of bunches by 20% and 17% in the first and second years, respectively, above U and SRU. EDPF surpassed the traditional and slow-release urea in its ability to supply the banana plants with nitrogen. NH3-N loss from U, SRU, and EDPF reached 172, 132, and 100 kg N ha−1, respectively, which accounted for 34%, 26%, and 20% of the total added nitrogen. Nitrogen loss from the investigated treatments was in the order: U &gt; SRU &gt; EDPF &gt; C. EDPF significantly reduced the ammonia volatilization compared to U and SRU by reducing the soil pH and increasing the soil organic matter. The dynamic of NH3 emissions not only depends on the nitrogen form but also on climatic conditions and concentrations of NH4+ in the soil solution. Protecting the ecosystem and maximizing the benefits of wastes utilization can be done through the recycling of expired dairy products to organic fertilizers

Calcification detection on upper extremity arteries: a comparison of ultrasonic and X-ray methods

Background Vascular calcification (VC) has been observed in patients with hemodialysis, whereas few studies have investigated calcification in the upper extremity vasculature. Both ultrasound and X-ray are used to investigate the calcification of arteries in patients. However, there is a lack of data on the consistency between these two methods. The aim of this study was to investigate the occurrence of VC in the radial and ulnar arteries of hemodialysis patients and investigate the detection consistency in VC between ultrasound and X-ray. Methods Ultrasound and X-ray examinations were performed in the radial and ulnar arteries of both the left and right upper extremities of 40 patients on hemodialysis. The calcification status of arteries was evaluated by the calcification index from ultrasound and X-ray respectively. Clinical variables of patients were collected from all the involved patients. Results Of the 40 patients, VC was detected in 31 patients by ultrasound, while X-ray detected VC in 22 patients. Compared to ultrasound assessment, X-ray assessment was 73.21% sensitive but only 66.35% specific with a positive predictive value of 53.95% for detecting calcifications in the radial or ulnar artery. The level of agreement between ultrasound and X-ray results was fair. In addition, our data showed that more ulnar arteries had VCs than the corresponding radial arteries. Conclusion Ultrasound is more sensitive in detecting the presence of calcified atherosclerotic lesions. Ultrasound and X-ray exhibited fair consistency. Ultrasound screening for upper extremity radial and ulnar arteries in hemodialysis patients may deserve attention to explore its clinical significance