Saturday, December 30, 2023

Out of the shell: Taxonomic classification of a novel snail native to Japan

Three decades after its discovery, a snail species is officially named Xenassiminea nana following detailed morphological examinations

Peer-Reviewed Publication

OKAYAMA UNIVERSITY

Taxonimic classification of a novel snail species discovered in Japan — IMAGE:
*XENASSIMINEA NANA* (TOP) IS A NOVEL, RARE, MOLLUSCAN SPECIES WITH A TRANSLUCENT, SPIRAL SHELL, DISCOVERED IN MAINLAND JAPAN. A RESEARCHER FROM OKAYAMA UNIVERSITY JAPAN DISCUSSES THE ANAMOTICAL CHARACTERISTICS AND CLASSIFIES IT AS A MEMBER OF SNAILS OF THE FAMILY ASSIMINEIDAE (BOTTOM: *ANGUSTASSMINEA* SP. FROM OKINAWA AS AN EXAMPLE).
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CREDIT: DR. HIROSHI FUKUDA FROM OKAYAMA UNIVERSITY IMAGE PUBLISHED IN HIS MANUSCRIPT: HTTPS://DOI.ORG/10.1080/13235818.2023.2278070 LICENSE INFORMATION IS PROVIDED HERE: HTTPS://WWW.BIODIVERSITYLIBRARY.ORG/BIBLIOGRAPHY/180084

In Japan, a peculiar gastropod species was discovered over three decades ago, gaining attention upon being labeled as 'vulnerable' or 'near threatened' in several government and local red lists. This species, referred to as Ka-wa-tare-kawa-zanshō in Japanese, remained undescribed until recent efforts sought to rectify this omission.

Dr. Hiroshi Fukuda, an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University, Japan, who first discovered this species, meticulously classified it through a comprehensive exploration of its anatomical characters. His research and findings were published online on November 23, 2023 in the Molluscan Research.

“I found the new species 31 years ago when I was a fourth year University student. I began the taxonomic revision of the Assimineidae on becoming aware that the species is a member of the family despite the morphological dissimilarity,” Dr. Fukuda recounted, shedding light on the motivation behind this study.

For the classification, Dr. Fukuda examined, cataloged, and deposited snail specimens across multiple collections and museums. They were categorized based on their collection sites and preservation methods, ranging from dry specimens to those preserved in solutions such as neutral seawater formalin or ethanol.

Taxonomic analysis defined the newly discovered species as Xenassiminea nana, within the family Assimineidae. The species name "nana", derived from the Latin term "nanus" meaning dwarf, directly reflects the exceptionally small size of this species, which is the smallest among known assimineids. The species displays unique characters such as distinct omniphoric grooves, specific radular teeth, reproductive system, and a nervous system organization, placing it within the family Assimineidae despite superficial similarities to other gastropod families due to convergence. It shares certain traits with other assimineine members but distinguishes itself through a depressed shell shape and less pronounced cephalic tentacles. Its tentacular nerve's unique behavior of running parallel to the optic nerve and reaching a triangular bulge around each eye is distinct and unseen in other taxa within the family. These specific anatomical traits and unique shell features prompted the creation of a new genus Xenassiminea, segregating it as a distinct entity within Assimineidae.

Furthermore, the study presents a comprehensive anatomical examination of Xenassiminea nana. It explores the shell characters, noting its small helicoid shape that turns from transparent in youth to opaque in maturity. The creature has translucent skin, prominent tentacles, noticeable black eyes, and is capable of crawling rapidly. The study also meticulously describes the digestive system, reproductive organs in both male and female specimens, and provides insights into the central nervous system, highlighting ganglia, nerves, and connectives throughout.

Xenassiminea nana is native to the temperate zones of mainland Japan and inhabits narrow spaces under rocks or buried in gravel. Records of this species are documented from various prefectures along the Pacific coast, Japan Sea, and East China Sea coastlines of Japan. Landfilling and reclamation activities have depleted the habitat of these snails. “Actions undertaken for biodiversity conservation are not yet enough, partly because many people do not know that there are many little-known endangered species, especially minute invertebrates. This newly discovered species is a prime example of such overlooked biodiversity, offering valuable insights into the critical conditions necessary for biodiversity preservation,” notes Dr. Fukuda, emphasizing the urgent need for its conservation.

Young researchers must actively immerse themselves in morphological studies to understand the role of smaller invertebrates in marine ecosystems. Without prompt conservation efforts, smaller invertebrates may transition from being endangered to extinct, sooner than anticipated.

About Okayama University, Japan
As one of the leading universities in Japan, Okayama University aims to create and establish a new paradigm for the sustainable development of the world. Okayama University offers a wide range of academic fields, which become the basis of integrated graduate schools. This not only allows us to conduct the most advanced and up-to-date research, but also provides an enriching educational experience.
Website: https://www.okayama-u.ac.jp/index_e.html

About Dr. Hiroshi Fukuda from Okayama University, Japan
Associate Professor Dr. Fukuda is affiliated with the Faculty of Environmental, Life, Natural Science, and Technology at Okayama University. He has authored over 200 research articles on marine biodiversity and conservation. He has given the scientific names of molluscan species such as Turbo sazae, Satsuma akiratadai, and Xenassiminea nana native to Japan. Through his research, he advocates the “niku-nuki method,” a traditional Japanese technique applied while working with rare and minute mollusks. His work reflects the need to recognize and protect endangered marine species. Dr. Fukuda’s contributions to conservation through public awareness have earned him the Education Award from the Zoological Society of Japan.

JOURNAL

Molluscan Research

DOI

10.1080/13235818.2023.2278070

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Observational study

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

Animals

ARTICLE TITLE

A new genus and species of the Assimineidae (Caenogastropoda: Truncatelloidea) from temperate mainland Japan

Think tanks, soil weeks and mission objectives: SOLO holds its first annual meeting in Barcelona

Meeting Announcement

PENSOFT PUBLISHERS

Meeting photo — IMAGE:
IMAGE: PARTICIPANTS INVOLVED IN AN INTERACTIVE SESSION TO IDENTIFY KNOWLEDGE GAPS
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CREDIT: @SOILS4EUROPE

Soil Health is essential for ecosystem services such as enabling the production of nutritious food, filtration of rainwater, and mitigation of effects of climate change. The SOLO project aims to create a knowledge hub for soil health research and innovation and supports the EU Soil Mission by developing Thematic Research and Innovation Roadmaps, an EU Research and Innovation (R&I) Roadmap, as well as different Key Performance Indicators for R&I.

On 5-7 December 2023, SOLO held its second consortium meeting in Barcelona, Spain, hosted by project partners LEITAT. The goal of the consortium meeting was to unite project partners, Think Tank members and other external experts and provide them with the opportunity to co-create solutions together. The meeting welcomed over 50 participants.

Day one of the meeting, held on World Soil Day, focused on the cornerstone of the project - the Think Tanks. The Think Tanks will co-develop the European Union Mission: A Soil Deal for Europe roadmaps, facilitate knowledge exchange and establish a solid connection to current and future EU and international soil health projects. Each Think Tank, each led by a different SOLO partner, corresponds to a Soil Mission objective and supports objective goals.

The Think Tank workshops continued throughout the second day of the event and included many interactive sessions aimed to identify the knowledge gaps and bottlenecks in each Think Tank by working together to find possible solutions. Project partners NIOO-KNAW and Fraunhofer led a session on the strategy for establishing the European R&I roadmap followed by an interactive session on Think Tanks cross-cutting.

The last day of the meeting explored other aspects of SOLO - such as the Soils for Europe Publishing Platform, developed by Pensoft, which will be used by the Think Tank members to create and publish different documents.

After that, the project partner University of Évora led a session which focused on the 2024 “Soil Weeks” - events that all project countries will host annually to discuss the soil mission objectives and gather feedback at a national level and support the knowledge gaps identification process

The meeting concluded with a summary of the overall outcomes of each session by the Think Tank leaders, which laid the groundwork for the years to come. The event was a great chance for project partners to meet in person and establish collaborative relationships with various stakeholders from all over Europe.

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Funded by the European Union under grant agreement No. 101091115, SOLO (Soils for Europe).

Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Commission. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

Breakthrough in hydrate-based desalination technique unveiled

Peer-Reviewed Publication

ULSAN NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY(UNIST)

Professor Donghyuk Kim, Professor Yunseok Choi, and their research team at UNIST — IMAGE:
PROFESSOR DONGHYUK KIM, PROFESSOR YUNSEOK CHOI, AND THEIR RESEARCH TEAM AT UNIST
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CREDIT: UNIST

A research team, led by Professor Yongwon Seo in the Graduate School of Carbon Neutrality at UNIST has unveiled a highly efficient method for desalinating seawater using hydrate-based desalination (HBD) technology. The breakthrough is expected to have far-reaching implications for the application of hydrate-based desalination techniques, with the ability to calculate optimal temperatures for enhanced efficiency.

Hydrate desalination technology, known for its eco-friendly freshwater production capabilities, offers a low-energy solution that can be effectively used in treating high concentrations of brine or contaminated water. By leveraging the phenomenon where impurities, including salts, are expelled during the formation of hydrates from brine or contaminated water, clean water can be obtained.

In this study, the research team experimentally measured the thermodynamic properties of cyclopentane hydrate and evaluated the efficiency of the hydrate desalination technique based on these measurements. They also proposed a novel calculation method for predicting the temperature that maximizes desalination efficiency.

“When specific conditions are met after adding cyclopentane, a colorless volatile liquid, to brine, cyclopentane hydrate, consisting of pure water, is formed,” explained Professor Seo. “We experimentally measured the thermodynamic properties of this cyclopentane hydrate to apply it to desalination processes.”

Building upon their experiments, the research team calculated the maximum water yield of cyclopentane hydrate under various conditions. The efficiency was determined based on the maximum water yield and the thermal energy required for cooling during the hydrate desalination process. A thermodynamic relational equation was developed to identify the temperature at which maximum efficiency can be achieved for each brine concentration.

For instance, when the hydrate desalination technique is applied to brine with initial salt concentrations of 3.5 wt% and 5 wt%, the relational equation calculates the energy efficiency optimum temperatures as 273.4 K and 271.5 K, respectively. The corresponding maximum water yields are 67% and 61.1%. This research provides a crucial criterion for optimizing the efficiency of real-world desalination processes.

Junghoon Mok, the first author of the study, emphasized the significance of this research, stating, “This study is expected to optimize the energy consumption in high-concentration brine treatment processes using hydrate freshwater techniques.” He added, “The proposed approach is not only applicable to hydrate-based desalination but also holds promise for freeze-type desalination technology.”

The study was conducted in collaboration with the Korea Institute of Production and Technology and received support from the Ministry of Science and ICT’s Korea Research Foundation’s basic research project, nuclear research and development project, and the Korea Energy Technology Evaluation Institute.

This research, conducted in collaboration with the Korea Institute of Industrial Technology (KITECH), has received support from the Korea Institute of Energy Technology Evaluation and Planning (KETEP), the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE), and the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF). The paper, detailing this groundbreaking research, was published in the November 2023 issue of Water Research.

Figure 1. Schematic image, showing the cyclopentane (CP) HBD.

Figure 2. Schematic image, showing the heat efficiency map for HBD.

CREDIT

UNIST

Journal Reference
Junghoon Mok, Minseo Park, Wonjung Choi, et al., “Investigation of theoretical maximum water yield and efficiency-optimized temperature for cyclopentane hydrate-based desalination,” Water Res., (2023).