Taxonomy, geographic distribution and molecular phylogeny of two freshwater Frontonia (Ciliophora, Peniculida), including a new cryptic species Frontonia paraleucas sp. nov.

The ciliate genus Frontonia, one of the most species-rich groups of the order Peniculida, is widely distributed across a variety of habitats. However, the definition and identification of isolates are challenging, as there are few reliable characters, and these may overlap among congeners. In the present study, we describe two easily confused species, including a new form F.

Impact of surface roughness and preheat temperature on fecrbmnsi coating properties prepared by the twin wire Arc spray method.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effects of substrate surface roughness (35 μm and 40 μm) and preheat temperature (50 °C, 100 °C, 150 °C) on the properties of the FeCrBMnSi coating layer applied to 304 stainless steels using the TWAS (Twin Wire Arc Spray) method. Surface preparation involved sandblasting and preheat treatment, followed by coating application with TWAS, and subsequent characterization using pull-off bonding, hardness, corrosion rate, Light Optical Microscope (LOM), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) test. The current study's findings indicate that increasing preheat temperature and surface roughness consistently reduces the percentage of porosity, unmelted material, and coating layer thickness.

Therapeutic Potential of AgNP-Infused Patches in Periodontal Disease: An Observational Study in Albino Rats.

Introduction: Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have emerged as a promising therapeutic modality in periodontal disease management due to their potent antimicrobial activity and ability to promote tissue regeneration. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of AgNP-infused patches in ligature-induced periodontitis rat model.

Methods: AgNPs were synthesized using a green synthesis method with neem () leaf extract followed by incorporation into polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)-based patches.

Effect of alkaline treatment on the thermal and mechanical properties of sugar palm fibre reinforced thermoplastic polyurethane composites.

This study examines the impact of alkaline treatment on the mechanical, thermal, and morphological properties of sugar palm fiber (SPF)-reinforced thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) composites. SPF fibers (250 μm) were treated with sodium hydroxide (NaOH) solutions of 0%, 2%, 4%, and 6% (w/w) for 90 min at room temperature. These fibers were then mixed with TPU in an extruder at 180-200 °C and molded into composite sheets using compression molding at 190 °C, 10 MPa pressure, and a 10-minute holding time.

Genes and proteins expressed at different life cycle stages in the model protist Euplotes vannus revealed by both transcriptomic and proteomic approaches.

Sexual reproduction first appeared in unicellular protists and has continued to be an essential biological process in almost all eukaryotes. Ciliated protists, which contain both germline and somatic genomes within a single cell, have evolved a special form of sexual reproduction called conjugation that involves mitosis, meiosis, fertilization, nuclear differentiation, genome rearrangement, and the development of unique cellular structures. The molecular basis and mechanisms of conjugation vary dramatically among ciliates, and many details of the process and its regulation are still largely unknown.

Process parameters optimization of EDM for hybrid aluminum MMC using hybrid optimization technique.

This study explores how machining parameters affect Surface Roughness (SR), Tool Wear Rate (TWR), and Material Removal Rate (MRR) during Electrical Discharge Machining (EDM) of a hybrid aluminum metal matrix composite (AMMC). The composite includes 6 % Silicon carbide (SiC) and 6 % Boron carbide (BC) in an Aluminum 7075 (Al7075) matrix. A combined optimization approach was used to balance these factors, evaluating Pulse ON time, Current, Voltage, and Pulse OFF time.

Findings on three endocommensal scuticociliates (Protista, Ciliophora) from freshwater mollusks, including their morphology and molecular phylogeny with descriptions of two new species.

Unlabelled: Species of the ciliate genera and are found as endocommensals of terrestrial and freshwater mollusks, respectively. So far, there have been few studies of these genera and morphological data for most members are often incomplete. In the present work, two new species, sp.

Single-cell transcriptomic analysis reveals genome evolution in predatory litostomatean ciliates.

Many ciliated protists prey on other large microbial organisms, including other protists and microscopic metazoans. The ciliate class Litostomatea unites both predatory and endosymbiotic species. The evolution of predation ability in ciliates remains poorly understood, in part, due to a lack of genomic data.

Morphogenesis of an anaerobic ciliate Heterometopus palaeformis (Kahl, 1927) Foissner, 2016 (Ciliophora, Armophorea) with notes on its morphological and molecular characterization.

The morphology, morphogenesis, and molecular phylogeny of Heterometopus palaeformis (Kahl, 1927) Foissner, 2016 were studied using microscopical observations on live and protargol-stained specimens as well SSU rRNA gene sequencing. The morphogenetic data for the genus are presented for the first time. Compared to other metopids, the morphogenesis of H.

Invasion by exogenous RNA: cellular defense strategies and implications for RNA inference.

Exogenous RNA poses a continuous threat to genome stability and integrity across various organisms. Accumulating evidence reveals complex mechanisms underlying the cellular response to exogenous RNA, including endo-lysosomal degradation, RNA-dependent repression and innate immune clearance. Across a variety of mechanisms, the natural anti-sense RNA-dependent defensive strategy has been utilized both as a powerful gene manipulation tool and gene therapy strategy named RNA-interference (RNAi).

New evidence of consistency between phylogeny and morphology for two taxa in ciliated protists, the subclasses Oligotrichia and Choreotrichia (Protista, Ciliophora).

Marine planktonic ciliates are largely oligotrichs and choreotrichs, which are two subclasses of the class Spirotrichea. The current phylogenetic assignments of oligotrichs and choreotrichs are inconsistent with previous results based on morphological features, probably hindered by the limited information from a single gene locus. Here we provide 53 new sequences from small subunit ribosomal RNA (SSU rDNA), ITS1-5.

Taxonomy and molecular phylogeny of pleurostomatid ciliates from China with a description of two new species.

Ciliates in the order Pleurostomatida are found free-living in many habitats including within biofilms, but some (e.g. Pseudoamphileptus spp.

Morphological and molecular examination of the ciliate family Lagynusidae (Protista, Ciliophora, Prostomatea) with descriptions of two new genera and two new species from China.

Ciliates in the class Prostomatea play an important role in the global microbial loop due to their significant abundances and broad feeding strategies at the foundation of food webs. Despite their importance in ecosystems, the taxonomy and systematics of this group of ciliates has long been poorly understood, with this being especially true for members of the family Lagynusidae. Here we examine four lagynusids collected from sandy beaches in China, using silver-staining and 18S rRNA gene sequencing techniques.

Integrative studies on three new freshwater species (Ciliophora, Pleurostomatida) discovered in northern China.

Unlabelled: The morphology and molecular phylogeny of freshwater pleurostomatid ciliates are insufficiently explored. In the present study, we investigated three new species discovered in Lake Weishan and its vicinity, northern China, using standard alpha-taxonomic methods. sp.

Doublets of the unicellular organism (Alveolata, Ciliophora, Euplotida): the morphogenetic patterns of the ciliary and nuclear apparatuses associated with cell division.

Ciliated protists are one of the most diverse and highly differentiated group among unicellular organisms. Doublets occur in ciliates when two cells fuse into a single individual. Doublets contain two major cellular components (either cell in a doublet) and have traditionally been considered as developmental anomalies.

Phylogeny of the anaerobic ciliate genus (Protista: Ciliophora: Plagiopylea), including the description of three novel species and a brief revision of the genus.

Anaerobic protists in general, and ciliates in particular, are important components of anoxic or hypoxic environments, however, their diversity remains underestimated. is a poorly studied genus that is distributed worldwide and is commonly found in anaerobic environments. In the present study, the taxonomy and phylogeny of three new species, namely sp.

Ontogenesis and systematic position of a new hypotrichous ciliate, sp. nov., with an improved diagnosis of the poorly defined family Chaetospiridae Jankowski, 1985 (Protozoa, Ciliophora, Hypotrichia).

Ciliates are unique single-celled organisms that play important roles in ecological, environmental, evolutionary, and ontogenetic research. In the present study, phylogenetic analyses based on 18S rRNA gene sequence data reveal that sp. nov.

Integrative studies on the taxonomy and molecular phylogeny of four new species (Protozoa, Ciliophora, Scuticociliatia).

Unlabelled: The ciliate genus comprises approximately 30 nominal species and has been reported in freshwater, brackish water, and marine habitats. Nevertheless, recent studies have indicated that there might be a large undiscovered species diversity. In the present work, four new species, namely sp.

Timing and characteristics of nuclear events during conjugation and genomic exclusion in .

Ciliated protists are ideal material for studying the origin and evolution of sex, because of their nuclear dimorphism (containing both germline micronucleus and somatic macronucleus in the same cytoplasm), special sexual processes (conjugation and autogamy), and high diversity of mating-type systems. However, the study of sexual process is limited to only a few species, due to the difficulties in inducing or observing conjugation. In the present study, we investigate the conjugation process in : (1) of the three prezygotic divisions, all micronuclei undergo the first two divisions (meiosis I, II), while a variable number of nuclei undergo the third division (mitosis); (2) the synkaryon divides three times after fertilization, giving rise to eight products that differentiate into four macronuclear anlagen and four micronuclei; (3) cells restore the vegetative stage after two successive cell fissions during which the macronuclear anlagen are distributed into daughter cells without division, while micronuclei divide mitotically; (4) the parental macronucleus begins to fragment following the first meiotic division and finally degenerates completely; (5) the entire process takes about 110 h, of which about 85 h are required for macronuclear development.

Comparative analysis of single-cell genome sequencing techniques toward the characterization of germline and somatic genomes in ciliated protists.

Ciliated protists contain both germline micronucleus (MIC) and somatic macronucleus (MAC) in a single cytoplasm. Programmed genome rearrangements occur in ciliates during sexual processes, and the extent of rearrangements varies dramatically among species, which lead to significant differences in genomic architectures. However, genomic sequences remain largely unknown for most ciliates due to the difficulty in culturing and in separating the germline from the somatic genome in a single cell.

Integrative Studies on Three Epibiotic Epistylis Species (Protozoa, Ciliophora, Peritrichia) in Lake Weishan Wetland, Northern China, Including the Establishment of a New Species.

Three epibiotic Epistylis species, i.e., Epistylis weishanensis sp.

Molecular phylogeny and taxonomy of four species (Protozoa, Ciliophora): A flagship genus of karyorelictean ciliates, with descriptions of two new species.

During faunal studies of psammophilic ciliates along the coast of Qingdao, China, several marine karyorelictean species were isolated. Among them, four species within the genus were investigated, including two species new to science: i.e.

Morphology and SSU rRNA gene-based phylogeny of three peniculid ciliates (Ciliophora, Oligohymenophorea) from China, including a new Frontonia species.

In the present study, a new freshwater peniculid species, Frontonia apoelegans sp. nov., and two other peniculid species, Frontonia atra (Ehrenberg, 1833) Bütschli, 1889 and Stokesia vernalis Wenrich, 1929, were isolated from Lake Weishan wetland, northern China.

Taxonomy and molecular phylogeny of two poorly known ciliate genera, Balantidion and Acropisthium (Protista: Ciliophora: Litostomatea), including a new species of Balantidion.

The class Litostomatea Small & Lynn, 1981 is a morphologically diverse ciliate group including hundreds of free-living and endocommensal species. The genera Acropisthium Perty, 1852 and Balantidion Eberhard, 1862 previously consisted of one free-living freshwater species each. Here, we not only highlight additional morphological features of the two type species, but also investigate a new species, Balantidion foissneri sp.