An improved ion-exchange/diffusion method for ～(15)N isotope tracing analysis of nitrate in surface waters from watersheds

An improved method,suitable for collecting nitrate from surface waters in the watershed for 15 N isotope tracing analysis,was developed on the basis of the anion exchange coupled with diffusion through systematic simulation and comparison experiments.The results showed that the nitrate could be separated and enriched from the waters efficiently by using the improved method.Being simple and practical in operation principle and procedures,cost-economic,and highly efficient in nitrate separation/enrichment,the method met the requirements of δ 15 N mass spectrum analysis and would lay a foundation for the application of 15 N isotope tracing approach to the research on non-point source pollution in watershed.

A New Species of Odorrana Inhabiting Complete Darkness in a Karst Cave in Guangxi, China

A new species of the genusOdorrana is described from a completely dark karst cave of northeastern Guangxi, southern China. The new species,Odorranalipuensissp. nov., can be distinguished from its congeners by a combination of the following characters： medium size （SVL： 40.7–47.7 mm in males, 51.1–55.4 mm in females）;tips of all but ifrst ifnger expanded with circummarginal grooves; smooth, grass-green dorsum with irregular brown mottling; pineal body invisible; throat to upper abdomen with gray mottling; dorsal surfaces of limbs with brown bands; dorsolateral fold absent; tiny spinules on lateral body, temporal region, and anterior and posterior edge of tympanum;white nuptial pad present on ifnger I; males lacking vocal sacs; females having creamy yellow eggs, without black poles. Uncorrected sequence divergences betweenO.lipuensissp. nov. and all homologous 16S rRNA sequences ofOdorrana available on GenBank is equal to or greater than 4.9%. Currently, the new species is only known from the type locality.

A New Species of Nidirana(Anura,Ranidae)from Southern Guangxi,China

A new music frog,Nidirana shiwandashanensis sp.nov.,is described from Shiwandashan National Nature Reserve,Shangsi County,Guangxi,China.Phylogenetic analysis based on mtDNA sequences indica tes tha t the new species is closest to N.guangxiensis.However,N.shiwandashanensis sp.nov.differs from its congeners based on morphological characters,molecular data,and bioacoustics.The advertisement calls are comprised of 6–8 double notes,which are distinct from its sister taxon,N.guangxiensis.Currently,the new species occurs in the evergreen forest at Shiwandashan National Nature Reserve between 500–600 m a.s.l.

A New Species of Gracixalus (Anura： Rhacophoridae) from West Guangxi, China

We discovered a new species of the genus Gracixalus, Gracixalus tianlinensis sp. nov. which is morphologically almost similar to G. jinggangensis, G. jinxiuensis and G. sapaensis, but is distinguished from these species and all other rhacophorids in China and adjoining countries by a combination of the following characters： （1） SVL 30.3-35.9 mm in male, 35.6-38.7 mm in female, （2） head length less than head width, （3） vomerine teeth absent, （4） supratympanic fold distinct, （5） axilla and posterior surface of flanks pale yellow, （6） nuptial pads distinct on Finger I and slightly visible on Finger II, （7） dorsum brown to beige, with an inverse Y-shaped dark brown marking, （8） single subgular vocal sac. Our preliminary phylogenetic analyses implied G. tianlinensis sp. nov. is sister to G. sapaensis with well-supported values. Currently, this new species is known to be distributed in montane evergreen forests in association with montane bamboo in Cenwanglaoshan National Nature Reserve, Tianlin County, Guangxi, China.

A New Species of the Genus Rhacophorus(Anura：Rhacophoridae) from Southern China

A new species of rhacophorid of the genus Rhacophorus is described from the Shiwandashan National Nature Reserve, Guangxi, Southern China. Rhacophorus pinglongensis sp. nov. is compared with congeners from China and other parts of Southeast Asia. The new species is distinguished from its congeners by combination of following characters：（1） small size（adult male, SVL 32.0-38.5 mm）;（2） smooth and green dorsum;（3） flanks, axilla, ventral surface of forearms, inguinal, anterior and posterior surfaces of thighs, ventral surface of shank, and dorsal surface of feet covered with black blotches with white spots or white spots with a faint orange tint;（4） ventral surface of feet and webbing tangerine;（5） supratympanic fold weak;（6） outer margin of forearms and feet with low dermal ridges;（7） calcars absent on heels;（8） iris silver, diffusing to ecru laterally with light khaki ring along margin. The new species is closely related to R. dorsoviridis, R. moltrechti, and R. nigropunctatus based on adult morphology. Currently, this species is known only from mid-elevation montane evergreen forest in the Shiwandashan National Nature Reserve, Guangxi, China.

Nipple-Areola Sparing Mastectomy Followed by Immediate Breast Reconstruction in 126 Patients

This study is to explore the indications, procedures, effectiveness, and feasibility of nipple-areola sparing mastectomy followed by immediate breast reconstruction. The nipple-areola sparing mastectomy followed by immediate breast reconstruction was performed in 126 patients with breast cancer from June 2005 to October 2011. The cosmetic outcomes of the reconstructed breasts were evaluated according to objective and subjective criteria. Meanwhile, the postoperative complications were observed and the therapeutic efficacies were followed up. All the operations were successful. Six patients experienced mild complications early after surgery and were resolved after symptomatic treatment. Both the subjective and objective evaluation for the aesthetic outcomes yielded a satisfactory rate of 97.62% during the 6-80-month follow-up. No recurrence or metastasis was found in 118 cases. Nipple-areola sparing mastectomy followed by immediate breast reconstruction is a simple and effective option for significantly improving the cosmetic outcomes and quality of life of patients, without serious complications or impact on the comprehensive treatment and long-term effect against breast cancer.

Spatiotemporal Imaging of Cellular Energy Metabolism with Genetically-Encoded Fluorescent Sensors in Brain

The brain has very high energy requirements and consumes 20% of the oxygen and 25% of the glucose in the human body. Therefore, the molecular mechanism under- lying how the brain metabolizes substances to support neural activity is a fundamental issue for neuroscience studies. A well-known model in the brain, the astrocyte- neuron lactate shuttle, postulates that glucose uptake and glycolytic activity are enhanced in astrocytes upon neu- ronal activation and that astrocytes transport lactate into neurons to fulfill their energy requirements. Current evidence for this hypothesis has yet to reach a clear consensus, and new concepts beyond the shuttle hypothesis are emerging. The discrepancy is largely attributed to the lack of a critical method for real-time monitoring of metabolic dynamics at cellular resolution. Recent advances in fluorescent protein-based sensors allow the generation of a sensitive, specific, real-time readout of subcellular metabolites and fill the current technological gap. Here,we summarize the development of genetically encoded metabolite sensors and their applications in assessing cell metabolism in living cells and in vivo, and we believe that these tools will help to address the issue of elucidating neural energy metabolism.