Report of Prionospio complex (Annelida: Polychaeta: Spionidae) from China's waters, with description of a new species

Nine species of Prionospio complex are recorded front China's waters, including one new species and six newly recorded species. Prionospio (Prionospio) pacifica sp. nov., is characterized by having first and forth pairs of branchiae pinnate, second and third pairs of apinnate, ventral crest on Setiger 9 and dorsal crests on Setigers 10-25. Apoprionospio kirrae (Wilson, 1990), Prionospio (Aquilaspio) convexa Imajima, 1990, Prionospio (Minuspio) multibranchiata Berkeley, 1927, Prionospio (Prionospio) bocki Soderstrom, 1920, Prionospio (Prionospio) dubia Maciolek, 1985 and Prionospio (Prionospio) paradisea Imajima, 1990 are recorded for the first time from China's waters.

First record of the family Spengeliidae (Hemichordata : Enteropneusta) from Chinese waters, with description of a new species

Six species belonging to two families of Hemichordata have previously been recorded in Chinese waters. This paper records the discovery and description of a new species of the genus Glandiceps found in Jiaozhou Bay, Qingdao, Shandong Province, named Glandiceps qingdaoensis. The new species has a long proboscis with dorsal and ventral grooves, a stomochord with a long vermiform process, a proboscis cavity with a dorsal median, right and left glomeruli, right and left glomeruli very large and encircling the stomochord, a proboscis skeleton in the cavity extends into the median posterior of the collar, a well-developed dorsal ventral muscular septum in the proboscis cavity dividing the cavity completely into two separate parts. The collar cord is without giant nerve roots. The trunk with four distinct regions that can be recognized externally: branchial-genital region, genital region, hepatic region, and intestinal region. The dorsal pharynx is large and the gill pores are small. The tongue bars are encircled by vesicles, and the first gonad commences at the level of the second or third gill slit.

Two trichodinid ectoparasites from marine molluscs in the Yellow Sea, off China, with the description of Trichodina caecellae n. sp (Protozoa : Ciliophora : Peritrichia)

The morphology and infraciliature of two ectoparasitic ciliates, Trichodina caecellae n. sp. and T. ruditapicis Xu, Song & Warren, 2000, parasitising the gills of marine molluscs from the Shandong coast of the Yellow Sea, China, were investigated following wet silver nitrate and protargol impregnation. T. caecellae was found on the small marine sand clam Caecella chinensis Deshayes and is distinguished mainly by the acute triangle-like blade, the very delicate central part and the needle-shaped ray. T. ruditapicis was studied based on four populations from three clams: two populations from Ruditapes philippinarum (Adams) and one each from Saxidomus purpuratus (Sowerby) and Solen grandis Dunker. All four populations fell within the range of morphometry and agreed closely in the overall appearance of the adhesive disc. However, variability was found in the denticle structure, especially in populations from different host clams. Our observations suggest that denticle morphology may be more or less variable between and within populations, and that such minor differences should not be overestimated. It should be emphasised that, except for the denticle morphology, the bright granules or circles in the centre of the adhesive disc represent another important feature facilitating the identification of this trichodinid species.

A review of the genus Apocepon Nierstrasz & Brender a Brandis (Isopoda : Epicaridea : Bopyridae) parasitic on purse crabs (Decapoda : Brachyura : Leucosiidae) from Chinese waters, with description of a new species

Description of a new species Apocepon leucosiae sp. nov. of genus Apocepon Nierstrasz & Brender a Brandis, 1930 from Chinese waters, a redescription of Apocepon pulcher Nierstrasz & Brender a Brandis, 1930 from the type locality and the second record of Apocepon digitatum Stock, 1959 are presented. All hosts are in the brachyuran family Leucosiidae. Four purse crab species, i.e. Philyra carinata Bell, Philyra heterograna Ortmann, Leucosia sinica Shen et Chen and Leucosia anatum ( Herbst), are recorded for the first time as hosts of parasitic isopods of this genus. A brief differential diagnosis, data on the distribution and a key to the three species in the genus Apocepon are provided.

Description of a new genus and two new species of Ioninae (Isopoda : Epicaridea : Bopyridae) parasites of Leucosiidae (Decapoda : Brachyura) from Beibu Gulf

A new genus, Onkokepon n. gen., and two new species, O. articulatus n. sp. and O. beibuensis n. sp., infesting Leucosia longibranchia Shen & Chen and Leucosia unidentata de Haan, respectively, are described from Beibu Gulf in China and Vietnam. Neither of these species of Leucosia has previously been reported as bopyrid hosts. The new genus differs from other ionine bopyrid genera in the presence of a well-developed tubercular frontal lamina, a deeply digitate barbula, rudimentary subcircular pleopodal endopodites, and lacking coxal plates. O. articulatus n. sp. is distinguished from O. beibuensis n. sp. by having articulated maxillipedal palp, blunt posterolateral point of oostegite 1 and setose triangular frontal lamina of the female.

FIRST RECORD OF THE GEBIIDEAN GENUS AXIANASSA SCHMITT, 1924 (CRUSTACEA: DECAPODA: GEBIIDEA: AXIANASSIDAE) IN THE WEST PACIFIC, WITH DESCRIPTION OF A NEW SPECIES FROM THE SOUTH CHINA SEA

A new species, Axianassa sinica, from the Beibu Gulf (Gulf of Tonkin), northern South China Sea, is described and illustrated. The new species is readily distinguished from A. australis Rodrigues & Shimizu, 1992, by its acute rostrum, merus of pereopod 1 with a tooth distally on lower margin and an elongated telson.

Additional pandaloid shrimps from the South China Sea (Crustacea : Decapoda : Caridea), with description of one new species

The present paper reports 22 pandaloid shrimp species from the South China Sea and its adjacent area, including two new records of the South China Sea, 14 new records of the Nanshan Islands, and one new speices. Heterocarpus chani, new species, type localities from the Philippines and Nansha Islands, is distinguished from its allied species, H. gibbosus Bate, 1888, H. tricarinatus Alcock & Anderson, 1894 and H. lepidus De Man, 1917, by the third maxilliped with a short rudimentary exopod.

New records of Paraprionospio (Annelida: Spionidae) from Chinese waters, with the description of a new species

Paraprionospio pinnata (Ehlers, 1901), a poorly known and potentially cosmopolitan polychaete, was examined from museum specimens and from collections in Jiaozhou Bay, the Yellow Sea. New observations indicate that previous Chinese records of P. pinnata are doubtful, and that Chinese waters contain at least three valid species of Paraprionospio, two are known and one is new. Paraprionospio inaequibranchia (Caullery, 1914) and Paraprionospio coora Wilson, 1990, previously misidentified as P. pinnata, are reported from Chinese waters for the first time. Paraprionospio crist'ata. new species, is characterized by having brown pigment patches on the prostomium, ventral crests on chaetigers 9 and 10, dorsal crests on the middle part of the body (from chaetigers 21-23, not beyond chaetiger 29). thin filaments on chaetiger 3, and bifoliate branchial lamellae.

On two species of euxanthine crabs from the South China Sea, including a description of a new species of Crosnierius (Crustacea : Decapoda : Brachyura : Xanthidae)

A new species of the previously monotypic xanthid genus Crosnierius Serene & Vadon, 1981 is described from the South China Sea. The species differs from Crosnierius carinatus Serene & Vadon, 1981 in the structure of the anterolateral teeth, ambulatory leg proportions and form of the male first pleopod. Paramedaeus planifrons (Sakai, 1965) is also reported from the South China Sea, the first record of the species outside its type locality of Japan.

Hierarchical Shape Description of Objects by Selection and Modification of Prototypes

An approach towards shape description, based on prototype modification and generalized cylinders, has been developed and applied to the object domains pottery and polyhedra: (1) A program describes and identifies pottery from vase outlines entered as lists of points. The descriptions have been modeled after descriptions by archeologists, with the result that identifications made by the program are remarkably consisten with those of the archeologists. It has been possible to quantify their shape descriptors, which are everyday terms in our language applied to many sorts of objects besides pottery, so that the resulting descriptions seem very natural. (2) New parsing strategies for polyhedra overcome some limitations of previous work. A special feature is that the processes of parsing and identification are carried out simultaneously.

Description and Theoretical Analysis (Using Schemata) of Planner: A Language for Proving Theorems and Manipulating Models in a Robot

Planner is a formalism for proving theorems and manipulating models in a robot. The formalism is built out of a number of problem-solving primitives together with a hierarchical multiprocess backtrack control structure. Statements can be asserted and perhaps later withdrawn as the state of the world changes. Under BACKTRACK control structure, the hierarchy of activations of functions previously executed is maintained so that it is possible to revert to any previous state. Thus programs can easily manipulate elaborate hypothetical tentative states. In addition PLANNER uses multiprocessing so that there can be multiple loci of changes in state. Goals can be established and dismissed when they are satisfied. The deductive system of PLANNER is subordinate to the hierarchical control structure in order to maintain the desired degree of control. The use of a general-purpose matching language as the basis of the deductive system increases the flexibility of the system. Instead of explicitly naming procedures in calls, procedures can be invoked implicitly by patterns of what the procedure is supposed to accomplish. The language is being applied to solve problems faced by a robot, to write special purpose routines from goal oriented language, to express and prove properties of procedures, to abstract procedures from protocols of their actions, and as a semantic base for English.

High-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry for identification of isoflavones and description of the biotransformation of kudzu root

High-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry has been used to identify isoflavone aglycones and glycosides in kudzu root. Fourteen isoflavones were detected. Among these, six were identified by comparison with authentic standards. Tentative identifications of the other isoflavones are based on UV spectra, mass spectra of protonated and deprotonated molecules, and MS-MS data. Several are reported for the first time in kudzu root. The bioactivity and bioavailability of isoflavone aglycones are usually greater than those of their glycosides. To improve the bioavailability of kudzu root isoflavones, crude beta-glycosidases prepared from microbes were used to hydrolyze the isoflavone glycosides. Several MS modes are combined not only to identify the isoflavones in kudzu root, but also to describe the biotransformation of kudzu root isoflavone glycosides. It is also proved that crude beta-glycosidases have high selectivity toward the O-glycosides of isoflavones.

The Sales Process Practice of Food and Drink SMEs - A Holistic Conceptual Framework: Steps, dimensions, barriers and enablers.

Purpose –The research examines the sales process practised by SMEs, and barriers and enablers that hinder and support effective selling practices from the selling organisation’s perspective in Scottish-based Food and Drink firms. Design/methodology approach - – The paper adopts an interpretivist perspective with qualitative data gathered through face-to-face semi-structured interviews. 20 people involved in selling activities were interviewed from 15 SMEs across Scotland. Thematic analysis established key findings regarding the sales process practice. Findings – Five themes emerged that affect the operationalisation of the selling process: the owner manager has considerable involvement in the sales process, SMEs with some degree of sales knowledge take a more systematic approach, SMEs lack awareness of how CRM technology can assist them, power is tipped in favour of the buyer and, the geographic location of the SME places constraints on how SMEs conduct business Research limitation/implication – Thematic analysis was chosen over other more traditional methods due to the lack of relevant quantitative data. The phenomenon of the research and research methodology means that it will not be possible to repeat this study and replicate its findings. However, the process that has been adopted does provide a basis for future research. Originality/value - The paper identifies areas where future research is required in the field alongside suggestions where policy makers and government business agencies might focus intervention to assist SMEs improve delivery of the sales process and selling effectiveness

A framework for the transformation of the creative industries in a digital age.

The creative industries sector faces a constantly changing context characterised by the speed of the development and deployment of digital information systems and Information Communications Technologies (ICT) on a global scale. This continuous digital disruption has had significant impact on the whole value chain of the sector: creation and production; discovery and distribution; and consumption of cultural goods and services. As a result, creative enterprises must evolve business and operational models and practices to be sustainable. Enterprises of all scales, type, and operational model are affected, and all sectors face ongoing digital disruption. Management consultancy practitioners and business strategy academics have called for new strategy development frameworks and toolkits, fit for a continuously changing world. This thesis investigates a novel approach to organisational change appropriate to the digital age, in the context of the creative sector in Scotland. A set of concepts, methods, tools, and processes to generate theoretical learning and practical knowing was created to support enterprises to digitally adapt through undertaking journeys of change and organisational development. The framework is called The AmbITion Approach. It was developed by blending participatory action research (PAR) methods and modern management consultancy, design, and creative practices. Empirical work also introduced to the framework Coghlan and Rashford’s change categories. These enabled the definition and description of the extent to which organisations developed: whether they experienced first order (change), second order (adaptation) or third order (transformation) change. Digital research tools for inquiry were tested by a pilot study, and then embedded in a longitudinal study over two years of twentyone participant organisations from Scotland’s creative sector. The author applied and investigated the novel approach in a national digital development programme for Scotland’s creative industries. The programme was designed and delivered by the author and ran nationally between 2012-14. Detailed grounded thematic analysis of the data corpus was undertaken, along with analysis of rich media case studies produced by the organisations about their change journeys. The results of studies on participants, and validation criteria applied to the results, demonstrated that the framework triggers second (adaptation) and third order change (transformation) in creative industry enterprises. The AmbITion Approach framework is suitable for the continuing landscape of digital disruption within the creative sector. The thesis contributes to practice the concepts, methods, tools, and processes of The AmbITion Approach, which have been empirically tested in the field, and validated as a new framework for business transformation in a digital age. The thesis contributes to knowledge a theoretical and conceptual framework with a specific set of constructs and criteria that define first, second, and third order change in creative enterprises, and a robust research and action framework for the analysis of the quality, validity and change achieved by action research based development programmes. The thesis additionally contributes to the practice of research, adding to our understanding of the value of PAR and design thinking approaches and creative practices as methods for change.