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A new species of Rubiaceae, Spiradiclis detianensis is described from a limestone karst area of southwestern China. This new species is morphologically similar to S. cordata and S. spathulata. All of them have rosetted habit and long peduncles, but it differs from the former by the cuneate leaf bases (vs. basally cordate) and much longer corolla tubes (1.8–2.2 cm long vs. ca. 5 mm long), and from the latter mainly by its tubular-funnel shaped corolla (vs. slenderly salver shaped), 4.5–6.8 (vs. 1.5–2) mm in diam, inside throat and corolla densely puberulent (vs. glabrous except a ring of long hairs at the middle). It also resembles to S. tubiflora, but differs clearly by its subrosulate habit (vs. procumbent to creeping), longer leaf blades (7.0–10.5 cm vs. 0.5–2.5 cm) and longer corolla tubes (18–22 mm vs. 14–16 mm). At same time, color photos, illustrations, detailed descriptions and conservation status of the new species are provided.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a complex disorder that affects multiple organs and increases the risk of cardiovascular complications. CKD affects approximately 12% of the population in Taiwan. Loss of kidney function leads to accumulation of potentially toxic compounds such as indoxyl sulfate (IS) and p-cresyl sulfate (pCS), two protein-bound uremic solutes that can stimulate the progression of CKD. The aim of this study was to assess whether IS and pCS levels were correlated with CKD stage. We developed and validated a method for quantitating total and free IS and pCS in serum by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS). Serum samples were pretreated using protein precipitation with acetonitrile containing stable isotope-labeled IS and pCS as internal standards. After centrifugation, the supernatant was diluted and injected into a UPLC-MS/MS system. Analyte concentrations were calculated from the calibration curve and ion ratios between the analyte and the internal standard. The calibration curves were linear with a correlation coefficient of >0.999; the analytical measurement range was 0.05–5 mg/L. The limit of quantitation of this assay was 0.05 mg/L for both analytes. The reference interval was ≤0.05–1.15 mg/L for total-form IS, ≤0.05–5.33 mg/L for total-form pCS, ≤0.05 mg/L for free-form IS, and ≤0.12 mg/L for free-form pCS. A positive correlation was observed between analyte concentration and CKD stage. Our sensitive UPLC-MS/MS method for quantifying total and free-form IS and pCS in serum can be used to monitor the progression of CKD in clinical settings, identify patients at risk, and facilitate development of further therapies for this devastating disease. Keywords: Chronic kidney disease, Mass spectrometry, Uremic toxins

Largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides were immunized with four different N. seriolae strains—two α-glucosidase-positive (961113, KU040801) and two α-glucosidase-negative (94260, OTTS) strains—along with Freund’s incomplete adjuvant. After primary immunization (week 0), a booster was administered at weeks 4 and 8. Nonspecific immune responses to multiple immunizations with the different N. seriolae strains were determined based on serum lysozyme activity and nitroblue tetrazolium (NBT)-positive cells in peripheral blood. The serum lysozyme activity and NBT-positive cells in peripheral blood were not significantly increased even after the two booster immunizations. Specific antibody responses against N. seriolae cells were investigated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. At 4 weeks after immunization, all groups immunized with N. seriolae antigens showed significant increases in their specific antibody levels. The sera from fish immunized with different N. seriolae strains exhibited reactivity with N. seriolae sonicated antigens of 28, 30, 36 and 84 kDa by western blot analysis. After two boosters, fish were challenged with live N. seriolae to assess the vaccine’s efficacy; however, multiple injections of the N. seriolae strains did not reduce mortality, irrespective of the bacterin.

The phenotypic and genetic characterizations of 92 isolates of fish pathogen Nocardia seriolae from grey mullet ( Mugil cephalus ), striped bass ( Morone saxatilis ), crimson snapper ( Lutjanus erythropterus ), sea bass ( Lateolabrax japonicus ), largemouth bass ( Micropterus salmoides ), grouper ( Epinephelus spp.), jarbua terapon ( Terapon jarbua ), snubnose pompano ( Trachinotus blochii ), and spotted scaf ( Scatophagus argus ) isolated in Taiwan during 1997–2007 were examined to investigate the epidemiological relationship among isolates. The phenotypic and genetic characterizations were determined by API ZYM and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) analysis, respectively. In the API ZYM test, N. seriolae were divided into alpha-glucosidase-positive and alpha-glucosidase-negative strains. The alpha-glucosidase activity was also investigated by inoculating N. seriolae in a medium containing substrate 4-nitrophenyl-alpha- d -glucopyranoside. Results of the alpha-glucosidase activity obtained by both methods indicate that all the strains had positive reaction with some exception. In PFGE analysis, digestions with restriction enzymes Xba I and Ase I produced 12 and 9 restriction patterns, respectively. The alpha-glucosidase positive strains were assigned to pulsotypes X1–10 and A1–7. Predominant pulsotypes X1 and A1 were obtained from > 79% of strains (73 and 78 strains of 92 strains by Xba I and Ase I, respectively), demonstrating a clonal dissemination of N. seriolae in Taiwan. On the other hand, alpha-glucosidase-negative strains were assigned to X11–12 and A8–9, which differed from those of alpha-glucosidase-positive strains in Taiwan.