First records of Parahelice K. Sakai, Türkay & Yang, 2006 and Pseudohelice K. Sakai, Türkay & Yang, 2006 from Vanuatu, with description of a new species of Parahelice (Crustacea: Brachyura: Varunidae).

The genera Parahelice K. Sakai, Türkay & Yang, 2006, and Pseudohelice K. Sakai, Türkay & Yang, 2006, are widely distributed in estuarine, mudflats, or mangroves in the Indo-West Pacific, and species of them are often sympatric.

A new species of the genus Ptychognathus Stimpson, 1858 (Crustacea: Brachyura: Varunidae) from Vanuatu.

Ptychognathus Stimpson, 1858 is a speciose genus in the family Varunidae, widely distributed in the Indo-West Pacific. Although species of Ptychognathus are common in estuaries with low salinity, some species are difficult to be identified correctly because of their small body size and similar morphology. This study describes one new species, Ptychognathus amikee sp.

Aspartame intake during pregnancy induces placental dysfunction through impaired mitochondrial function and biogenesis modulation.

Introduction: Aspartame is a nonnutritive sweetener (NSS), which is widely used in foods and beverages worldwide. The safety of aspartame, a commonly used artificial sweetener, has been debated. Here, we investigated the potential effects and underlying mechanisms of aspartame consumption during pregnancy on placental dysfunction and birth outcomes.

Taxonomy and Phylogeography of the Freshwater Crab Species Complex (Crustacea: Decapoda: Potamidae) from Southern Taiwan and Offshore Islets.

The freshwater crabs Shy, Ng & Yu, 1994, Shy, Ng & Yu, 1994 and Shy, Ng & Yu, 1994 from southern Taiwan and the offshore islets, Lyudao (Green I.) and Lanyu (Orchid I.) are closely related in morphology and genetics, and have been proposed to be the same species.

Multigene Phylogenies of the Estuarine Sesarmid Species Complex (Decapoda: Brachyura: Sesarmidae), with Description of Three New Species.

S (De Haan, 1835) is a common intertidal sesarmid crab that inhabits the estuarine and mangrove regions of East Asia, as well as Vietnam and the Philippines. Previous studies have suggested that is a species complex composed of several species. Our findings indicated that the species complex is monophyletic with six clades, as shown by reconstructed phylogenies based on mitochondrial 16S rDNA and cytochrome oxidase subunit I, as well as nuclear 28S rDNA.

First Record of the Genus Sakai, Türkay & Yang, 2006 from India and Description of a New Pseudocryptic Species (Crustacea: Brachyura: Varunidae).

A new pseudocryptic species of the varunid crab genus Sakai, Türkay & Yang, 2006, is described from India based on morphological and molecular evidence. The new species was collected from higher intertidal zones in the Vellar River estuary, Tamil Nadu, southeastern India, in a habitat composed of muddy and sandy sediment. n.

Di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate exposure exacerbates metabolic disorders in diet-induced obese mice.

Both phthalate exposure and obesity are positively associated with metabolic disorders. The study aimed to investigate whether DEHP exposure caused metabolic disorders in an obesity-dependent manner. Both lean and diet-induced obese mice were subjected to environmentally relevant DEHP exposure.

Diversity of Taiwanese Brackish Crabs Genus Stimpson, 1858 (Crustacea: Brachyura: Varunidae) based on DNA Barcodes, with Descriptions of Two New Species.

Species in the brackish crab genus are common in the seashore and estuary habitats with freshwater input. Due to their similar morphologies and dull colorations, it is always difficult to distinguish the species in this genus. In this study, the DNA barcode gene (cytochrome oxidase subunit I) was used to help identify from Taiwan.

Phthalate exposure causes browning-like effects on adipocytes in vitro and in vivo.

Mono(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (MEHP) promotes adipogenesis via PPARγ. PPARγ agonists, e.g.

The identities of three species of Parahelice Sakai, Türkay amp; Yang, 2006 (Crustacea: Brachyura: Varunidae) from the western Pacific, based on morphological and molecular evidence.

Species of the varunid genus Parahelice Sakai, Türkay Yang, 2006, inhabit high intertidal areas of oceanic islands of the tropical Indo-West Pacific region. As several species of Parahelice and Pseudohelice subquadrata (Dana, 1851) were found to be sympatric in some places, and their morphological differences are minor, especially in females, the misidentification of species is not uncommon in the literature. In this study, the DNA barcoding marker, mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI), was applied to confirm species identities and this was correlated with the specific characters of males and females.

Review of the mudflat varunid crab genus (Crustacea, Brachyura, Varunidae) from East Asia and northern Vietnam.

Intertidal mudflat crabs of the genus H. Milne Edwards, 1852 (Crustacea: Brachyura: Varunidae) from China, Taiwan, and northern Vietnam are taxonomically revised by morphological and molecular evidence. These crabs show sexual dimorphism and morphological variation of a considerable range in the infraorbital ridge, one of the primary features previously used for species identification.

Involvement of metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 in ethanol regulation of NMDA receptor activity in rat substantia gelatinosa neurons.

Aims: Glutamatergic receptors are important targets of ethanol. Intake of ethanol may produce analgesic effects. The present study examined the effects of ethanol on the activity of ionotropic glutamate receptors in spinal cord substantia gelatinosa (SG) neurons, critical neurons involved in nociceptive transmission.

Fibroblast growth factor 21 secretion enhances glucose uptake in mono(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate-treated adipocytes.

Previous studies revealed that cellular accumulation of mono(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (MEHP) disturbed energy metabolism in adipocytes, where glucose uptake was significantly increased. The present study aimed to determine the mechanisms underlying the increased glucose uptake. MEHP-treated 3T3-L1 adipocytes exhibited a significantly increased glucose uptake activity.

Estrogenic chemicals at body burden levels attenuate energy metabolism in 3T3-L1 adipocytes.

The study aimed to examine effects of environmental estrogens at body burden levels on energy metabolism in fat cells. Acclimation of T47D-KBluc cells in estrogen-deprived medium was established for high performance of estrogen-responsive luciferase reporter assay. With the assay, relative estrogenic potency of four selected estrogen receptor (ER) agonists, i.