Incomplete lineage sorting and phenotypic evolution in marsupials.

Incomplete lineage sorting (ILS) makes ancestral genetic polymorphisms persist during rapid speciation events, inducing incongruences between gene trees and species trees. ILS has complicated phylogenetic inference in many lineages, including hominids. However, we lack empirical evidence that ILS leads to incongruent phenotypic variation. Here, we performed phylogenomic analyses to show that the South American monito del monte is the sister lineage of all Australian marsupials, although over 31% of its genome is closer to the Diprotodontia than to other Australian groups due to ILS during ancient radiation. Pervasive conflicting phylogenetic signals across the whole genome are consistent with some of the morphological variation among extant marsupials. We detected hundreds of genes that experienced stochastic fixation during ILS, encoding the same amino acids in non-sister species. Using functional experiments, we confirm how ILS may have directly contributed to hemiplasy in morphological traits that were established during rapid marsupial speciation ca. 60 mya.

Elevated serum IGFBP-1 levels correlate with cognitive deficits in treatment-resistant and chronic medicated schizophrenia patients.

BACKGROUND: Schizophrenia is a debilitating psychiatric disorder with diverse cognitive impairments. Insulin-like growth factor binding protein 1 (IGFBP-1), a ubiquitous negative regulator of IGF signaling, crosses the blood-brain barrier after peripheral synthesis. Given the crucial role of IGF signaling in cognitive function, we reasoned that altered serum IGFBP-1 concentrations might be associated with cognitive impairments in schizophrenia. To test this hypothesis, we examined the relationship between serum IGFBP-1 levels and cognitive performance in both medicated and treatment-resistant schizophrenia (TRS) patients. METHODS: Serum IGFBP-1 was measured in 31 TRS patients, 49 chronic medicated schizophrenia (CMS) patients, and 53 healthy controls. Clinical symptom severity was evaluated using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) and cognitive functions using the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS). RESULTS: Both TRS and CMS patients exhibited cognitive deficits compared to healthy controls (p < 0.05). Serum IGFBP-1 concentration differed significantly among groups (F=36.805, p < 0.001) and post hoc tests demonstrated significantly higher concentrations in both schizophrenia groups compared to controls (p < 0.001). Further, serum IGFBP-1 concentration was higher in the TRS group than the CMS group (p = 0.048). Correlation analysis identified a significant relationship between serum IGFBP-1 and attention in the TRS group (r = 0.411, p = 0.021), immediate memory in the CMS group (r = -0.417, p = 0.003), and RBANS total score in the CMS group (r = -0.368, p = 0.009). Multiple regression analysis adjusting for confounding factors revealed that serum IGFBP-1 was independently associated with attention in TRS patients (p = 0.016, 95 %CI. 0.002-0.015) and immediate memory in CMS patients (p = 0.022, 95 %CI-0.012 to -0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Elevated serum IGFBP-1 concentration may serve as a predictive biomarker for distinct cognitive deficits in TRS and CMS patients. Further investigations are warranted.

Variations of plasma oxidative stress levels in male patients with chronic schizophrenia. Correlations with psychopathology and matrix metalloproteinase-9: a case-control study.

BACKGROUND: Accumulating evidence has indicated that oxidative stress (OS) and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) may contribute to the mechanism of schizophrenia. In the present study, we aimed to evaluate the associations of OS parameters and MMP-9 levels with psychopathological symptoms in male chronic schizophrenia patients. METHODS: This study was an observational, cross-sectional, retrospective case-control study. Plasma hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), serum matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9), and tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases-1 (TIMP-1) levels were assayed in 80 male patients with chronic schizophrenia and 80 matched healthy controls. Schizophrenia symptoms were assessed by the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). Multivariate regression was used to analyze relationships between OS parameters and MMP-9, and clinical symptoms. RESULTS: Our results demonstrated that levels of antioxidant enzymes, SOD, GSH-Px, H2O2, and MDA were significantly decreased, whereas CAT and MMP-9 levels were increased in patients with schizophrenia, when compared with healthy controls (all P < 0.05). In schizophrenia patients, correlation analyses showed that H2O2 levels were significantly and positively correlated with PANSS positive scores, CAT and MDA levels were significant negatively correlated with PANSS negative scores and PANSS total scores, and MDA levels were significantly positively correlated with MMP-9 levels (all P < 0.05). However, we did not find that MMP-9 played an interaction role between OS parameters and PANSS total scores and subscales scores (all P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Our results showed that alterations of plasma OS parameters in male patients with chronic schizophrenia were associated with psychopathology and MMP-9, suggesting that OS and neuroinflammation may play important role in the mechanism of schizophrenia.

Identifying causal associations between women's reproductive traits and risk of schizophrenia: a multivariate validated two-sample Mendelian randomization analysis.

BACKGROUND: A significant association between women's reproductive traits and the risk of schizophrenia (SCZ) has been discovered, but the causalities remain unclear. We designed a two-sample univariate Mendelian randomization (MR) study using female-specific SNPs collected from a large-scale genome-wide association study as a genetic tool to explore the causal effect of female reproductive traits on the risk of SCZ, and conducted a multivariate MR study to re-validate the above findings. METHODS: From extensive genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of people with European ancestry (n = 176,881 to 418,758 individuals), summary-level data on five female reproductive variables were extracted. Summary-level information on SCZ was taken from a GWAS meta-analysis involving 320,404 people with European ancestry. The inverse variance weighting estimations for both univariable MR (UVMR) and multivariable MR (MVMR) were presented as the primary results. MR-Egger, weighted median, simple mode, and weighted mode regression methods for UVMR, and MVMR-Egger, MVMR-Lasso, and MVMR-median methods for MVMR were used for sensitivity analyses. RESULTS: The UVMR produced compelling proof for a connection between genetically predicted later age at first sexual intercourse (AFS) (OR, 0.632; 95% CI, 0.512-0.777; P < 0.01) and decreased SCZ risk. Pleiotropy analysis of the AFS-SCZ association confirmed the robustness of the MR results (P > 0.05). Consistent, substantial causal effects of AFS (OR, 0.592; 95%CI, 0.407-0.862; P < 0.01) on the risk of SCZ were demonstrated after adjusting for body mass index, years of schooling, and smoking initiation using MVMR. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings provide convincing evidence that early AFS is a risk factor for SCZ. SCZ risk may be decreased by raising awareness of reproductive healthcare for women.

Association between elevated serum matrix metalloproteinase-2 and tumor necrosis factor-α, and clinical symptoms in male patients with treatment-resistant and chronic medicated schizophrenia.

BACKGROUND: Inflammation has an important role in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia. The aim of this study was to investigate the levels of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) in male patients with treatment-resistant schizophrenia (TRS) and chronic medicated schizophrenia (CMS), and the relationship with psychopathology. METHODS: The study enrolled 31 TRS and 49 cm male patients, and 53 healthy controls. Serum MMP-2 and TNF-α levels were measured by the Luminex liquid suspension chip detection method. Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) scores were used to evaluate symptom severity and Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status was used to assess cognitive function. RESULTS: Serum TNF-α and MMP-2 levels differed significantly between TRS, CMS and healthy control patients (F = 4.289, P = 0.016; F = 4.682, P = 0.011, respectively). Bonferroni correction demonstrated that serum TNF-α levels were significantly elevated in CMS patients (P = 0.022) and MMP-2 levels were significantly higher in TRS patients (P = 0.014) compared to healthy controls. In TRS patients, TNF-α was negatively correlated with age (r=-0.435, P = 0.015) and age of onset (r=-0.409, P = 0.022). In CMS patients, MMP-2 and TNF-α were negatively correlated with PANSS negative and total scores, and TNF-α was negatively correlated with PANSS general psychopathology scores (all P < 0.05). MMP-2 levels were positively correlated with TNF-α levels (P < 0.05), but not with cognitive function (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: The results indicate the involvement of inflammation in the etiology of TRS and CMS. Further studies are warranted.

Prevalence and correlates of sleep disturbance among adolescents in the eastern seaboard of China.

BACKGROUND: Sleep disturbances are serious public health issues that warrant increased attention, especially in adolescents. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence and factors associated with sleep disorders among urban adolescents in China. METHODS: This study utilized an online survey to assess the demographic characteristics and mental health status of secondary school students in Lianyungang City. The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) was used to evaluate sleep disturbances in adolescents. The seven-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) assessed anxiety symptoms, and the Perceived Social Support Scale (PSSS) was used to measure perceived social support. RESULTS: Among 3443 adolescents, the prevalence of sleep disorders were 10.8%, with significantly higher proportions of sleep disorders (13.7% VS 8.3%, P < 0.001) among female adolescents when compared to males. Binary regression analysis revealed that anxiety symptoms (OR = 1.305, 95% CI: 1.269-1.342, P < 0.001) was risk factor for sleep disturbances, and significant other support (OR = 0.944, 95% CI: 0.896-0.994, P = 0.028) and good annual household income (OR = 0.616, 95% CI: 0.394-0.963, P = 0.034) were protective factors. Furthermore, multinomial logistic regression analysis showed that age, sex, and anxiety symptoms were associated with an elevated risk of experiencing more frequent sleep disturbances (all P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: We have found that 10.8% of adolescents experience sleep disorders, and it is evident that various factors can influence healthy sleeping. These results underscore the significance of addressing these factors to enhance sleep health among this population.

Prevalence of and relevant factors for depression and anxiety symptoms among pregnant women on the eastern seaboard of China in the post-COVID-19 era: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Antenatal depression and anxiety symptoms may have negative consequences for both mothers and offspring, and upward trends in the prevalence of these symptoms were especially apparent during the COVID-19 epidemic. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of and relevant factors influencing depressive and anxiety symptoms in Chinese pregnant women in the post-COVID-19 era. METHODS: We conducted an online survey of 1,963 pregnant women in Jiangsu Province, using a cross-sectional design, and collected their general demographic data. The nine-item Patient Health Questionnaire 9 (PHQ-9) was used to evaluate depression symptoms, and the seven-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7 (GAD-7) was used to measure anxiety symptoms. RESULTS: The prevalence of reported antenatal depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, and depression combined with anxiety symptoms was 25.2%, 27.9%, and 18.6%, respectively. Of the respondents, the prevalence of moderate to severe depression, and anxiety was 7.9% and 7.7%, respectively. Binary logistic regression analysis demonstrated that age, low level of education, rural area, unemployment, pregnancy complications, poor marital relationship, and fair household income were positively association with both depressive and anxiety symptoms (all P < 0.05). The proportion of women reporting anxiety symptoms in the third trimester was 1.91-fold higher than in first trimester. Parity was a relevant factor for depression and anxiety symptoms (all P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: In the post-COVID-19 era, the prevalence of depression and anxiety symptoms in pregnant women was higher than expected, and it is vital to establish hospital, community, and family psychological health screening systems based on relevant factors and enhance early preventive measures.

Increased serum homocysteine in first episode and drug-naïve individuals with schizophrenia: sex differences and correlations with clinical symptoms.

BACKGROUND: Accumulating evidence shows that homocysteine (Hcy) is implicated in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia, and plays an important role in clinical characteristics. This study evaluated the relationships between Hcy levels and clinical features in first-episode, Chinese Han, drug-naïve (FEDN) patients with schizophrenia. METHODS: FEDN individuals (119 with schizophrenia and 81 healthy controls matched for age, sex, education, and body mass index (BMI)) were enrolled. The serum Hcy levels were determined by enzyme cycle assay experiments. Severities of clinical symptoms were rated on the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). RESULTS: FEDN individuals with schizophrenia had higher Hcy levels compared with healthy controls (F = 46.865, P < 0.001). Correlation analysis and multiple stepwise regression analyses showed that serum Hcy levels in FEDN schizophrenia individuals were positively correlated with PANSS general psychopathology subscale (r = 0.294, P = 0.001) and PANSS total score (r = 0.273, P = 0.003). No significant association was found between Hcy and age, BMI, PANSS positive subscale, and the PANSS negative subscale (all, P > 0.05). Male individuals had significantly higher serum Hcy levels than female individuals (F = 7.717, P = 0.006) after controlling for confounding factors (F = 0.759, P = 0.011). CONCLUSIONS: Serum Hcy levels were increased in FEDN individuals with schizophrenia, and Hcy levels may be involved in pathophysiological mechanisms. Sex differences in Hcy levels were observed, with higher levels in male FEDN individuals compared to females.

Antipsychotic drugs increase Neuregulin1ß1 serum levels in first-episode drug-naïve patients and chronic schizophrenia with suggestions for improving the treatment of psychotic symptoms.

BACKGROUND: Neuregulin1 (NRG1) plays a role in neuronal migration, regulation of synaptic plasticity, and neural survival, and has been considered to be among the candidate genes for schizophrenia. This study focused on the variations in serum NRG1ß1 levels following antipsychotic treatment and the relationship between NRG1ß1 levels and improvements in psychotic symptoms among first-episode drug-naïve (FEDN) patients and patients with chronic schizophrenia. METHODS: A total of 100 patients with schizophrenia were recruited and compared with 79 matched healthy controls. All patients had been drug-naïve for at least four weeks. Serum NRG1ß1 levels and positive and negative syndrome scale (PANSS) scores were measured at baseline and after four weeks. Serum NRG1ß1 levels were measured using sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs). RESULTS: Baseline NRG1ß1 levels were significantly lower in patients with schizophrenia than in healthy controls. NRG1ß1 levels increased significantly following antipsychotic treatment. NRG1ß1 levels gradually increased with declining PANSS scores and its three subscales during antipsychotic therapy. The levels of NRG1ß1 increased significantly in responders after four weeks of treatment, although nonresponders showed no such effect. Correlation analyses showed that the levels of NRG1ß1 were negatively correlated with the duration of illness and positively correlated with improvement in symptoms. CONCLUSION: The levels of serum NRG1ß1 and the therapeutic effects gradually increased following treatment, indicating that NRG1ß1 may be an indicator of therapy, and that it may also be associated with the pathophysiological mechanism causing schizophrenia, although this possible pathway requires further investigation.

All-Directional DOA Estimation for Ultra-Wideband Regular Tetrahedral Array Using Wrapped PDoA.

In this paper, we proposed a Regular Tetrahedral Array (RTA) to cope with various types of sensors expected in Ultra-Wideband (UWB) localization requiring all-directional detection capability and high accuracy, such as indoor Internet-of-Things (IoT) devices at diverse locations, UAVs performing aerial navigation, collision avoidance and takeoff/landing guidance. The RTA is deployed with four synchronized Ultra-Wideband (UWB) transceivers on its vertexes and configured with arbitrary aperture. An all-directional DOA estimation algorithm using combined TDoA and wrapped PDoA was conducted. The 3D array RTA was decomposed into four planar subarrays solved as phased Uniform Circular Array (UCA) respectively. A new cost function based on geometric identical and variable neighborhood search strategy using TDoA information was proposed for ambiguity resolution. The results of simulation and numerical experiments demonstrated excellent performance of the proposed RTA and corresponding algorithm.

Global, regional, and national burden of ovarian cancer and the attributable risk factors in all 194 countries and territories during 2007-2017: A systematic analysis of the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017.

BACKGROUND: We estimated the global burden of ovarian cancer (OC) in 194 countries and territories between 2007 and 2017. METHODS: Data were extracted from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD), Injuries, and Risk Factors 2017 study. RESULTS: Globally, 286 126.80 (95% UI = 278 075.38-295 311.41) incident cases, 4.67 million (4.53-4.83) disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs), and 175 981.99 (171 384.15-181 198.43) deaths were reported in 2017. The age-standardized incidence and DALY rates increased by 2.05% and 1.34% during 2007-2017, respectively, while the age-standardized mortality rate decreased by -0.14%. The age-standardized incidence, DALY, and mortality rates in 2017 were the highest in the high socio-demographic index (SDI) quintile, but the largest percentage increase during 2007-2017 was in the low-SDI quintile. Among regions, Central Europe showed the highest 2017 age-standardized incidence, DALY, and mortality rates, whereas South Asia and East Asia showed the largest percentage increases in both rates during 2007-2017. Among countries, India showed the largest percentage increase in age-standardized incidence and DALY rates, whereas Iran showed the largest percentage increase in age-standardized mortality rates. Globally, the largest percentage increase in risk-attributable DALYs was associated with metabolic risk factors (e.g., high fasting plasma glucose levels). CONCLUSION: The global age-standardized incidence, DALYs, and mortality rates of OC remain stable during 2007-2017. However, the low SDI quintile and the greatest burden in South and East Asia, India, and Iran suggested that more targeted strategies should be performed in those regions and countries.

Large-scale 3D imaging of insects with natural color.

High-resolution 3D imaging technology has found a number of applications in many biological fields. However, the existing 3D imaging tools are often too time-consuming to use on large-scale specimens, such as centimeter-sized insects. In addition, most 3D imaging systems discard the natural color information of the specimens. To surmount these limitations, we present a structured illumination-based approach capable of delivering large field-of-view three-dimensional images. With this approach, 580nm lateral resolution full-color 3D images and 3D morphological data in the size range of typical insect samples can be obtained. This method provides a promising approach that can be used to support many different types of entomological investigations, including taxonomy, evolution, bionics, developmental biology, functional morphology, paleontology, forestry, etc.

Influence of eye pigmentation on retinal degeneration in P23H and S334ter mutant rhodopsin transgenic rats.

Dark-rearing has been found to slow the rate of retinal degeneration in albino P23H but not S334ter mutant rhodopsin transgenic (Tg) rats. Since eye pigmentation has the same protective slowing effect as dark-rearing in RCS rats, we examined whether eye pigmentation has a comparable slowing effect in the different mutant rhodopsin Tg rats. Different lines of albino P23H and S334ter Tg rats on the Sprague-Dawley (SD) background were bred to Long-Evans (LE) rats to produce pigmented Tg rats. These were compared to albino Tg rats at postnatal days of different ages using the outer nuclear layer (ONL) as a morphological measure of photoreceptor number and electroretinogram (ERG) a- and b-wave amplitudes as a measure of retinal function. When compared to albino P23H rats, pigmented P23H rats had a slower rate of degeneration as measured by greater ONL thicknesses and greater ERG a- and b-wave amplitudes. By contrast, pigmented S334ter rats showed no difference in ONL thicknesses or ERG a- and b-wave amplitudes when compared to their albino equivalents. Thus, degeneration of photoreceptors in P23H Tg rats is slowed by eye pigmentation as measured by ONL thickness, while it is not in the S334ter Tg rats. Eye pigmentation also protects functional changes in ERG a- and b-waves for the P23H lines, but not for the S334ter lines.

Phenotypic characterization of P23H and S334ter rhodopsin transgenic rat models of inherited retinal degeneration.

We produced 8 lines of transgenic (Tg) rats expressing one of two different rhodopsin mutations in albino Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats. Three lines were generated with a proline to histidine substitution at codon 23 (P23H), the most common autosomal dominant form of retinitis pigmentosa in the United States. Five lines were generated with a termination codon at position 334 (S334ter), resulting in a C-terminal truncated opsin protein lacking the last 15 amino acid residues and containing all of the phosphorylation sites involved in rhodopsin deactivation, as well as the terminal QVAPA residues important for rhodopsin deactivation and trafficking. The rates of photoreceptor (PR) degeneration in these models vary in proportion to the ratio of mutant to wild-type rhodopsin. The models have been widely studied, but many aspects of their phenotypes have not been described. Here we present a comprehensive study of the 8 Tg lines, including the time course of PR degeneration from the onset to one year of age, retinal structure by light and electron microscopy (EM), hemispheric asymmetry and gradients of rod and cone degeneration, rhodopsin content, gene dosage effect, rapid activation and invasion of the outer retina by presumptive microglia, rod outer segment disc shedding and phagocytosis by the retinal pigmented epithelium (RPE), and retinal function by the electroretinogram (ERG). The biphasic nature of PR cell death was noted, as was the lack of an injury-induced protective response in the rat models. EM analysis revealed the accumulation of submicron vesicular structures in the interphotoreceptor space during the peak period of PR outer segment degeneration in the S334ter lines. This is likely due to the elimination of the trafficking consensus domain as seen before as with other rhodopsin mutants lacking the C-terminal QVAPA. The 8 rhodopsin Tg lines have been, and will continue to be, extremely useful models for the experimental study of inherited retinal degenerations.

Gene Therapy for MERTK-Associated Retinal Degenerations.

MERTK-associated retinal degenerations are thought to have defects in phagocytosis of shed outer segment membranes by the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), as do the rodent models of these diseases. We have subretinally injected an RPE-specific AAV2 vector, AAV2-VMD2-hMERTK, to determine whether this would provide long-term photoreceptor rescue in the RCS rat, which it did for up to 6.5 months, the longest time point examined. Moreover, we found phagosomes in the RPE in the rescued regions of RCS retinas soon after the onset of light. The same vector also had a major protective effect in Mertk-null mice, with a concomitant increase in ERG response amplitudes in the vector-injected eyes. These findings suggest that planned clinical trials with this vector will have a favorable outcome.

Mandible evolution in the Scarabaeinae (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) and adaptations to coprophagous habits.

INTRODUCTION: The astonishing spectrum of scarabaeine lifestyles makes them an attractive group for studies in entomology and evolutionary biology. As a result of adaptions to specific food substrates and textures, the mouthparts of dung beetles, particularly the mandible, have undergone considerable evolutionary changes and differ distinctly from the presumptive ancestral conditions of the Coleoptera and Polyphaga. The possible functions of dung beetle mouthparts and the evolution of dung feeding have been controversial for decades. RESULTS: In this study, 187 scarabs representing all tribes of the Scarabaeinae and the major lineages within the Scarabaeoidea, along with three major feeding types within the Scarabaeoidea (omnivory, phytophagy and coprophagy), were studied. Based on geometric morphometric and three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction approaches, morphological differences in mandibles among the three feeding types were identified. The ancestral forms of the mandible within the Scarabaeinae were reconstructed and compared with those of modern species. The most recent common ancestor of the Scarabaeinae fed on soft materials, and the ancestor of the Scarabaeinae and the Aphodiinae was in an evolutionary transition between processing more solid and softer substrates. CONCLUSIONS: Coprophagy originated from omnivorous ancestors that were very likely saprophagous. Furthermore, phytophagy may also have originated from omnivory. In addition, our study addresses the integration and modularity of geometric morphometric data in a phylogenetic context.

Water quality model parameter identification of an open channel in a long distance water transfer project based on finite difference, difference evolution and Monte Carlo.

A new method is proposed based on the finite difference method (FDM), differential evolution algorithm and Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) simulation to identify water quality model parameters of an open channel in a long distance water transfer project. Firstly, this parameter identification problem is considered as a Bayesian estimation problem and the forward numerical model is solved by FDM, and the posterior probability density function of the parameters is deduced. Then these parameters are estimated using a sampling method with differential evolution algorithm and MCMC simulation. Finally this proposed method is compared with FDM-MCMC by a twin experiment. The results show that the proposed method can be used to identify water quality model parameters of an open channel in a long distance water transfer project under different scenarios better with fewer iterations, higher reliability and anti-noise capability compared with FDM-MCMC. Therefore, it provides a new idea and method to solve the traceability problem in sudden water pollution accidents.

A review of the leaf-beetle genus Sinoluperus Gressitt & Kimoto, 1963 (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae, Galerucinae) from China, with the description of a new species.

In this study, all species of the leaf-beetle genus Sinoluperus Gressitt & Kimoto, 1963 from China are redescribed based on the reexamination of type specimens, and a new species, S.variegatussp. nov. from Nanling Mountains, is described. A key to the three Chinese species of Sinoluperus is provided, as well as photographs of the habiti and aedeagi of these species.

Multilayer Online Sequential Reduced Kernel Extreme Learning Machine-Based Modeling for Time-Varying Distributed Parameter Systems.

A significant number of industrial dynamic processes belong to time-varying distributed parameter systems (DPSs). To develop an accurate approximation model for these systems, it is critical to capture their time-varying behavior and strong nonlinearity. In this article, a multilayer online sequential reduced kernel extreme learning machine (ML-OSRKELM)-based online spatiotemporal modeling approach is developed for such DPSs. First, ML-OSRKELM stacks multiple online sequential reduced kernel extreme learning machine autoencoders (OSRKELM-AEs) to create a deep network, which can translate the spatiotemporal domain into a low-dimensional time domain. Then, an online sequential reduced kernel extreme learning machine (OS-RKELM) is employed to construct a dynamic temporal model. Finally, after obtaining time coefficients from the time domain, OS-RKELM is also used to reconstruct the original spatiotemporal domain. By using the kernel trick and the support vector selection strategy, the proposed method can remove redundant information while maintaining satisfactory nonlinear learning performance. Furthermore, the designed sequential update scheme can update the model parameters with real-time data, which makes it a promising method for capturing time-varying dynamics. Experiments and simulations on a lithium-ion battery's thermal process confirm the excellent performance and validity of the proposed model.

One-pot isothermal amplification permits recycled activation of CRISPR/Cas12a for sensing terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase activity.

This study introduces a one-pot isothermal amplification assay for ultrasensitive analysis of terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT) activity. The system realizes recycled activation of CRISPR/Cas12a, enabling exceptional signal amplification. This approach maximizes the simplicity of the detection method, offering a promising avenue for molecular disease diagnosis.