Article
Zoology
Wojciech Gilka, Marta Zakrzewska, Elena D. Lukashevich, Dmitry D. Vorontsov, Agnieszka Soszynska-Maj, Kornelia Skibinska, Peter S. Cranston
Summary: We present evidence for the existence of non-biting midges of the subfamily Chironominae in the Mesozoic era, based on rare amber inclusions. The subfamily was previously reported in Late Cretaceous amber, but we revise and confirm that record, and also discover a new find in Burmese amber that pushes back the subfamily's temporal boundary to the mid-Cretaceous. We describe two new genera and provide insights into the phylogeny and diversification tempo of the Chironominae and Pseudochironomini.
ZOOLOGICAL JOURNAL OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY
(2022)
Article
Instruments & Instrumentation
Christopher J. Thompson, Neal B. Gallagher, Kendall D. Hughey, Megan K. Dunlap, Tanya L. Myers, Timothy J. Johnson
Summary: A spectral analysis tool called SpecQuant has been developed to identify and quantify gas-phase species from complex infrared spectra. It can handle both reference and experimental data with varying resolution and instrumental lineshape. The software uses classical least squares model and reference spectra to determine the mixing ratio of each species along with its estimation error. SpecQuant also provides visual inspection of the fit and residuals by displaying the calculated mixing ratio versus experimental data for each analyte.
APPLIED SPECTROSCOPY
(2023)
Article
Zoology
Wojciech Gilka, Marta Zakrzewska, Elena D. Lukashevich, Dmitry D. Vorontsov, Agnieszka Soszynska-Maj, Kornelia Skibinska, Peter S. Cranston
Summary: This study provides evidence for the presence of non-biting midges of the subfamily Chironominae in the Mesozoic, based on descriptions of rare amber inclusions. A previously reported record from Late Cretaceous Taimyr amber has been revised and confirmed, with a new find in Burmese amber extending the temporal boundary of the subfamily. The discovery of two new genera in amber specimens sheds light on the phylogeny and diversification tempo of the Chironominae and Pseudochironomini in the past.
ZOOLOGICAL JOURNAL OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY
(2021)
Article
Medicine, Legal
Xin Wei, Kai Yu, Di Wu, Ping Huang, Qinru Sun, Zhenyuan Wang
Summary: This study demonstrated the potential of species identification of semen stains using ATR-FTIR spectroscopy and chemometrics methods, achieving complete separation between human and other species with a high accuracy classification model. Species identification could also be achieved without sperm cells, showing the ability of spectroscopic methods in detecting semen samples.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF LEGAL MEDICINE
(2021)
Article
Biology
Enrique Penalver, Antonio Arillo Aranda, Ryszard Szadziewski, Jeffrey D. Stilwell
Summary: The article discusses the recent discovery of Australian Anglesea amber, which contains well-preserved bioinclusions of various organisms. Two new species of biting midges were found, with one species showing connections to modern species, providing substantial data for understanding disease transmission worldwide.
HISTORICAL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Parasitology
Phillip Shults, Megan Moran, Alexander J. Blumenfeld, Edward L. Vargo, Lee W. Cohnstaedt, Pierre-Andre Eyer
Summary: Microsatellite markers provide an affordable way to distinguish between sibling species in the C. voriipennis complex, especially C. sonorensis. Additionally, marker C508 may allow for the identification of C. sonorensis with a single-tube assay, potentially providing a powerful new tool for vector surveillance in North America.
PARASITES & VECTORS
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Weiqian Jia, Aleksandra Karapetrova, Mengjun Zhang, Libo Xu, Kang Li, Muke Huang, Jie Wang, Yi Huang
Summary: This study combined laser direct in-frared (LDIR) and Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) methods to investigate microplastics in agricultural soils. The results showed that microplastics were present in high abundance, with particles ranging from 10 to 500μm accounting for the majority. Polyethylene, polypropylene, and polyvinyl chloride were the dominant polymer types. Reclaimed water from sewage treatment plants, drip irrigation utilities, and residual plastic film were identified as potential sources. The study also highlighted the underestimation of microplastic contamination in agricultural soils using visual counting methods.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Spectroscopy
Xiaorong Yang, Xin Wei, Kai Yu, Changwu Wan, Yuanhe Wang, Shimei Huang, Qinru Sun, Jiang Huang
Summary: This study successfully identified myocardial fibrosis and established a prediction model using ATR-FTIR spectroscopy combined with chemometrics, demonstrating high sensitivity and specificity.
SPECTROCHIMICA ACTA PART A-MOLECULAR AND BIOMOLECULAR SPECTROSCOPY
(2022)
Article
Optics
Jeremy Xuan Yu Chew, Zi Heng Lim, Y. Qi, Guangcan Zhou, Guangya Zhou
Summary: Infrared devices are increasingly used in various applications. This paper introduces a novel dispersive spectrometer that has high-throughput and decoupled spectral resolution. The proposed spectrometer utilizes a two-stage Hadamard transform encoding process to increase the signal-to-noise ratio. With a single-pixel detector, the system can be easily implemented in other desired wavelengths. Additionally, a method is developed to remove the need for uniform illumination and improve the ease of device design for in situ measurement.
Article
Zoology
Wojciech Gilka, Ralph E. Harbach, Evgeny E. Perkovsky
Summary: A new species of mosquito, Culex ekaterinae sp. nov., is described based on an adult male found in amber from northwestern Ukraine. The new species is compared with a presumed closest relative, Culex erikae, and a redescription of Culiseta gedanica is presented based on a male found in amber. The study also includes a tabulation of fossil Culicidae and their geological ages.
Article
Entomology
Maria da Conceicao Abreu Bandeira, Bruno Leite Rodrigues, Gustavo Henrique Correa Soares, Andre Leite Ferreira, Luis Fernando Carvalho Costa, Reginaldo Pecanha Brazil, Jose Manuel Macario Rebelo
Summary: The study evaluated the effectiveness of DNA barcoding using COI gene for identifying nine species of Culicoides in the State of Maranhao, Brazil. The results showed that COI barcodes can accurately distinguish between species, making it an effective tool for species identification in this genus.
JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Polymer Science
Tamilla Mirzayeva, Jana Copikova, Frantisek Kvasnicka, Roman Bleha, Andriy Synytsya
Summary: This study utilized Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy to screen the chemical composition of dietary supplements containing hyaluronic acid, and successfully quantified hyaluronic acid using various isolation procedures and analytical methods.
Article
Immunology
Qikai Yin, Rui Cheng, Xiuyan Xu, Ziqian Xu, Jing Wang, Shihong Fu, Hongbin Xu, Shaozai Zhang, Ying He, Fan Li, Songtao Xu, Xiaoqing Lu, Huanyu Wang, Bin Wang, Guodong Liang
Summary: In July 2018, a new virus belonging to the Tete serogroup, named Lichuan virus, was isolated from Culicoides biting midges in Lichuan County, Jiangxi Province, China. This virus showed significant cytopathic effects and resulted in disease and death in suckling mice.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Anthropology
Tong Zhao, Minghan Peng, Mingxing Yang, Ren Lu, Yamei Wang, Yan Li
Summary: This research establishes a reference database of infrared fingerprint signatures for archaeological amber, facilitating origin traceability. Using principal component analysis and linear discriminant analysis, the study successfully identifies the source of four amber artefacts from the Haihun Marquis' Tomb as Burma. These artefacts bear witness to the cultural exchange and mutual interaction on the Silk Road, with Burmese amber being transported to China during the Western Han Dynasty via land or the Maritime Silk Road.
JOURNAL OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Jieun Lee, YunJeong Choi, Jaewon Jeong, Kyu-Jung Chae
Summary: This study revealed that a large amount of microplastics and nanoplastics are generated during the eyeglass lens polishing process, which cannot be effectively removed by conventional wastewater treatment processes and have strong adsorption capacity for environmentally hazardous chemicals. Quantitative analysis showed high levels of microplastics and nanoplastics in wastewater, potentially leading to significant exposure risks for workers in eyeglass shops.
JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Geology
Wojciech Gilka, Marta Zakrzewska, Eugenyi A. Makarchenko
CRETACEOUS RESEARCH
(2020)
Article
Anthropology
Joeri Kaal, Maria Martin Seijo, Cesar Oliveira, Ewa Wagner-Wysiecka, Victoria E. McCoy, Monica M. Solorzano Kraemer, Alexander Kerner, Philip Wenig, Carlos Mayo, Julia Mayo
JOURNAL OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL SCIENCE
(2020)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Natalia Lukasik, Jaroslaw Chojnacki, Elzbieta Luboch, Andrzej Okuniewski, Ewa Wagner-Wysiecka
JOURNAL OF PHOTOCHEMISTRY AND PHOTOBIOLOGY A-CHEMISTRY
(2020)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Ewa Wagner-Wysiecka, Natalia Lukasik, Andrzej Okuniewski, Blazej Galinski
MONATSHEFTE FUR CHEMIE
(2020)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Ewa Wagner-Wysiecka, Paulina Szulc, Elzbieta Luboch, Jaroslaw Chojnacki, Katarzyna Szwarc-Karabyka, Natalia Lukasik, Milosz Murawski, Michal Kosno
Article
Zoology
Marta Zakrzewska, Ariadna Jankowska
Summary: Stempellinella gilkai sp. nov., a non-biting midge of the subfamily Chironominae, tribe Tanytarsini, from the Eocene is described based on the adult male. This study provides a comparison of significant characters to delimit fossil Stempellinella and discusses key features of antenna and hypopygium. A comparative analysis of extinct and extant Stempellinella representatives led to an amendment of the current generic diagnosis, with notes on the genus' paleoecology and species richness during the Eocene.
Article
Entomology
Kornelia Skibinska, Marzena Albrycht, Qingqing Zhang, Wojciech Gilka, Marta Zakrzewska, Wieslaw Krzeminski
Summary: Bruchomyiinae is one of the seven subfamilies of Psychodidae, mainly found in tropical and sub-tropical regions. Fossils from the Cretaceous Myanmar amber show that this subfamily was abundant during that period. The discovery of three new species in the amber suggests that Bruchomyiinae was probably more diverse in the Mesozoic era than previously thought.
Article
Zoology
Wojciech Gilka, Marta Zakrzewska, Elena D. Lukashevich, Dmitry D. Vorontsov, Agnieszka Soszynska-Maj, Kornelia Skibinska, Peter S. Cranston
Summary: This study provides evidence for the presence of non-biting midges of the subfamily Chironominae in the Mesozoic, based on descriptions of rare amber inclusions. A previously reported record from Late Cretaceous Taimyr amber has been revised and confirmed, with a new find in Burmese amber extending the temporal boundary of the subfamily. The discovery of two new genera in amber specimens sheds light on the phylogeny and diversification tempo of the Chironominae and Pseudochironomini in the past.
ZOOLOGICAL JOURNAL OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Blazej Galinski, Elzbieta Luboch, Jaroslaw Chojnacki, Ewa Wagner-Wysiecka
Summary: Novel 18- and 23-membered diazomacrocycles were synthesized by diazocoupling of aromatic diamines with pyrrole under high dilution conditions, showing characteristics as chromogenic heavy metal ions receptors. These macrocycles exhibited selective and sensitive color and spectral response for lead(II) in acetonitrile mixtures with water. The introduction of a hydrocarbon residue as part of the macrocycle influenced the lead(II) binding, leading to the proposal of a selective and sensitive colorimetric probe for lead(II) in aqueous acetonitrile with a detection limit of 56.1 μg/L.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ewa Wagner-Wysiecka, Paulina Szulc, Elzbieta Luboch, Jaroslaw Chojnacki, Pawel Sowinski, Katarzyna Szwarc-Karabyka
Summary: This study presents the preparation and characterization of products resulting from the photochemical and thermochemical rearrangements of certain azoxybenzocrown compounds. The structures of these compounds were determined using various spectroscopic methods, and their ability to bind and recognize metal cations was also investigated.
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Natalia Lukasik, Ewa Wagner-Wysiecka, Aleksandra Malachowska
