Species conservation profile and amended distribution of Cousinia knorringiae (Asteraceae), a narrow endemic of the Western Tian-Shan

Background Cousinia knorringiae Bornm. (Asteraceae) belongs to C. sect. Subappendiculatae Tscherneva, a group of the species-rich and taxonomically difficult genus Cousinia Cass. This species is narrowly distributed in the Western Tian-Shan and has been known as endemic to Kyrgyzstan. It inhabits bare rocks and screes at elevations of 1200-1500 m above sea level. This species is of conservation interest because of its small population size and limited distribution. New information Cousinia knorringiae is reported for the first time from eastern Uzbekistan on the basis of specimens collected on Ungur-Tepa Mt., a south-western outlier of the Bozbu-Too Mts. (Western Tian-Shan). The conservation status of the species is assessed as Endangered (EN), based on criterion D (estimated population size 200-250 mature individuals), according to the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria (version 3.1). A new distribution map and a line drawing for C. knorringiae are provided and its type locality is clarified. The new knowledge suggests that the species is endemic to the East Fergana botanical hotspot, which includes a transborder territory shared between Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan and should, therefore, be subjected to international conservation measures. The southern extension of Ungur-Tepa Mt. harbours important plant species, which cannot be found elsewhere in Uzbekistan and may, therefore, be proposed for legal protection.Peer reviewe

Diversity and distribution of the genus Scrophularia L. (Scrophulariaceae) in Uzbekistan

This article presents a new checklist of Scrophularia in Uzbekistan. The synopsis includes 21 species; one of them is national endemic, and seven species were newly recorded for Uzbekistan as a result of field collecting missions, studies, and examination of Tashkent (TASH), St.-Petersburg (LE), Almaty (AA), and Moscow (MW) herbarium collections. The geographical distribution of Scrophularia in Uzbekistan was mapped and analyzed. The identification key, a table of comparative diagnostic characters, nomenclatural types, and ecological data are provided. (C) 2019 National Science Museum of Korea (NSMK) and Korea National Arboretum (KNA), Publishing Services by Elsevier.Peer reviewe

Triplet host engineering for triplet exciton management in phosphorescent organic light-emitting diodes

The device performances of green phosphorescent organic light-emitting diodes with a triplet mixed host emitting layer were correlated with the energy levels and composition of the host materials. Two hole-transport-type host materials, (4,4-N,N -dicarbazole)biphenyl (CBP) and 4,4 ,4 - tris(N-carbazolyl)triphenylamine (TCTA), were combined with two electron-transport-type host materials, 1,3,5-tris(N-phenylbenzimidazole-2-yl)benzene (TPBI) and PH1. The maximum quantum efficiency was obtained in the 5:5 mixed host in the case of TCTA:TPBI and TCTA:PH1, while CBP:PH1 showed the best performances in the 9:1 mixed host. The quantum efficiency of the green mixed host devices was improved by more than 50% compared with that of the corresponding single host devices.Grant No. RTI04-01-02 from the Regional Technology Innovation Program of the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy (MOCIE

Clinical Features and Mutations in the ENG, ACVRL1, and SMAD4 genes in Korean Patients with Hereditary Hemorrhagic Telangiectasia

Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT) is an inherited disorder that is characterized by abnormal communication between the arteries and veins in the skin, mucosa, and various organs. HHT has been reported to show significant phenotypic variability and genetic heterogeneity with wide ethnic and geographic variations. Although mutations in the endoglin (ENG) and activin A receptor type II-like 1 (ACVRL1) genes have been known to cause HHT for more than 10 yr, little is known about the clinical features or genetic background of Korean patients with HHT. In addition, mutations in mothers against decapentaplegic homolog 4 (SMAD4) are also seen in patients with the combined syndrome of juvenile polyposis and HHT. This study examined five Korean patients with the typical manifestations of HHT such as frequent epistaxis and pulmonary arteriovenous malformations. Direct sequencing of the ENG and ACVRL1 genes revealed one known mutation, ENG c.277C>T, in one patient and two novel mutations, ENG c.992-1G>C and ACVRL1 c.81dupT in two patients, respectively. The remaining two patients with negative results were screened for SMAD4 mutations as well as gross deletions of ENG and ACVRL1 using multiple ligation-dependent probe amplification, but none was detected. Despite the small number of patients investigated, we firstly report Korean patients with genetically confirmed HHT, and show the genetic and allelic heterogeneity underlying HHT

Concentration, pH, and Surface Charge Effects on Cadmium and Lead Sorption in Three Tropical Soils

Reactions of heavy metals with soil are important in determining metal fates in the environment. Sorption characteristics of two heavy metals, Cd and Pb, in three tropical soils (Mollisol, Oxisol, and Ultisol) from Puerto Rico were assessed at varying metal concentrations (0 to 1.2 mM) and pH values (approximately 2 to 7). All soils sorbed more Pb than Cd. Sorption maxima were obtained for each metal for the Oxisol and Ultisol soils, but not the Mollisol. Sorption appeared to depend more on soil mineralogy than organic matter content. Sorption isotherms were linear within the sorption envelope with similar slopes for each soil-metal curve, when plotting metal sorption as a function of pH. Cadmium and Pb isotherms yielded average slopes of approximately 36+/-1 and 28+/-1 units (percent increase in metal sorption per 1-unit increase in pH), respectively. Metal sorption depended more on metal type than soil composition. Cadmium sorption displayed a greater pH dependence than Pb. Cadmium sorption was less than or equal to the amount of negative surface charge except at pH values greater than the point of zero net charge (PZNC). This suggests that Cd was probably sorbed via electrostatic surface reactions and/or possible inner-sphere complexation at pH \u3e 3.7. However, the amount of Pb sorbed by the Oxisol was greater than the amount of negative surface charge, suggesting that Pb participates in inner-sphere surface reactions. Lead was sorbed more strongly than Cd in our soils and poses less of a threat to underlying ground water systems due to its lower mobility and availability

Characteristics of Adults in the Hepatitis B Research Network in North America Reflect Their Country of Origin and Hepatitis B Virus Genotype

Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is an important cause of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma worldwide; populations that migrate to the US and Canada might be disproportionately affected. The Hepatitis B Research Network (HBRN) is a cooperative network of investigators from the United States and Canada, created to facilitate clinical, therapeutic, and translational research in adults and children with hepatitis B. We describe the structure of the network and baseline characteristics of adults with hepatitis B enrolled in the network

Two new records for the flora of Uzbekistan from south-west Tian-Shan

The Republic of Uzbekistan is a Central Asian country with rich native flora. The flora of Uzbekistan accounts more than 4,374 species of vascular plants, but the check-list is still incomplete because the result of field studies is still-found new species in the flora of the country. Several new records for Crassulaceae and Fabaceae families were found in 2015–2016. All cited species were found from boundary area with Kyrgyzstan Republic (south-west Tian Shan). Specimens of new records are stored in Central Herbarium of Uzbekistan (TASH) and Korea National Arboretum. Keywords: Central Asia, Crassulaceae, Fabaceae, New records, Uzbekistan, Vascular plant

The complete chloroplast genome sequence of Ligularia stenocephala (Maxim.) Matsum. & Koidz. (Asteraceae: Senecioneae)

Ligularia stenocephala (Maxim.) Matsum. & Koidz is a widely known edible plant species in Korea. It contains various useful antioxidant compounds and has been developed as a horticultural cultivar blooming showy inflorescence. We report the complete plastid genome (plastome) of Ligularia stenocephala, a collection from Korea. The plastome of L. stenocephala is 151,158 base pairs (bp) long and includes a pair of inverted repeat (IR) regions (24,830 bp each) that are separated by a large single copy (LSC) region (83,265 bp) and a small single copy (SSC) region (18,233 bp). The phylogenetic tree shows that L. stenocephala is closely related to L. fischeri with strong bootstrap support

A new species of genus Gagea Salisb. (Liliaceae) from Kyrgyz Republic (Western Tian Shan, Chatkal Range, Sary-Chelek Nature Reserve)

A new white-flowered species of Gagea is described from the Sary-Chelek Nature Reserve (Chatkal Range, Kyrgyzstan), which grows at a relatively low elevation in shallow shady niches on gorge walls formed by conglomerates. In its habit and flower color, this species resembles G. delicatula but differs from the latter mainly in the number and location of bulbils in generative and vegetative individuals. Keywords: Chatkal Range, Gagea Salisb., Liliaceae, Sary-Chelek Reserve, Western Tian Sha

A checklist of the geophytes of Fergana Valley, Middle Asia—A monocotyledonous plant and biogeographical analysis

The composition of monocotyledonous geophytes of the Fergana Valley, one of the most densely populated regions of Middle Asia, consisting of 206 species, 27 genera, and 10 families was documented. Among them, four species were detected for the first time in the Uzbekistan flora and eight species were added to the composition of the mountain ridges surrounding the valley. The major families are Amaryllidaceae (84; 40.77%), Liliaceae (63; 30.58%), Iridaceae (22; 10.67%), and Asphodelaceae (13; 6.46%). The flora is dominated by the Mountain Middle Asian elements—136 species that are 67% of all monocotyledonous geophytes of the Fergana Valley. Forty-five species are endemic or subendemic species of the Fergana Valley. Twenty-two species of them are included in The Red Data Book of the Republic of Uzbekistan. Keywords: Flora, Geophytes, Fergana Valley, Mountain Central Asia, Endemi