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Background: Insects encounter various environmental stresses, in response to which they generate reactive oxygen species (ROS). Superoxide dismutase (SOD) is an antioxidant metalloenzyme that scavenges superoxide radicals to prevent oxidative damage. Objective: To investigate expressions of SODs under oxidative stress in Tenebrio molitor. Methods: Here, we investigated the transcriptional expression of SODs by pesticide and heavy metals in Tenebrio moltior. First, we searched an RNA-Seq database for T. molitor SOD (TmSOD) genes and identified two SOD isoforms (TmSOD1-iso1 and iso2). We examined their activities under developmental stage, tissue-specific, and various types (pesticide and heavy metal) of oxidative stress by using qPCR. Results: Our results revealed two novel forms of TmSODs. These TmSODs had a copper/zinc superoxide dismutase domain, active site, Cu2+ binding site, Zn2+ binding site, E-class dimer interface, and P-class dimer interface. TmSODs (TmSOD1-iso1 and iso2) were expressed in diverse developmental phases and tissues. Pesticides and heavy metals caused an upregulation of these TmSODs. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that the two TmSODs have different functions in T. molitor, providing insights into the detoxification ability of T. molitor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human advancements in agriculture, urbanization, and industrialization have led to various forms of environmental pollution, including heavy metal pollution. Insects, as highly adaptable organisms, can survive under various environmental stresses, which induce oxidative damage and impair antioxidant systems. To investigate the peroxidase (POX) family in Tenebrio molitor, we characterized two POXs, namely TmPOX-iso1 and TmPOX-iso2. The full-length cDNA sequences of TmPox-iso1 and TmPox-iso2 respectively consisted of an open reading frame of 1815 bp encoding 605 amino acids and an open reading frame of 2229 bp encoding 743 amino acids. TmPOX-iso1 and TmPOX-iso2 homologs were found in five distinct insect orders. In the phylogenetic tree analysis, TmPOX-iso1 was clustered with the predicted POX protein of T. castaneum, and TmPOX-iso2 was clustered with the POX precursor protein of T. castaneum. During development, the highest expression level of TmPox-iso1 was observed in the pre-pupal stage, while that of TmPox-iso2 expression were observed in the pre-pupal and 4-day pupal stages. TmPox-iso1 was primarily expressed in the early and late larval gut, while TmPox-iso2 mRNA expression was higher in the fat bodies and Malpighian tubules. In response to cadmium chloride treatment, TmPox-iso1 expression increased at 3 hours and then declined until 24 hours, while in the zinc chloride-treated group, TmPox-iso1 expression peaked 24 hours after the treatment. Both treated groups showed increases in TmPox-iso2 expression 24 hours after the treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Selective herbicides are used to control undesirable vegetation or weeds in fields without harming crops. Herbicide use for weed management can directly impact the densities of insect pests in agricultural communities as a result of insect mortality during and immediately after application. In insects, the glutathione S‐transferase (GST) enzyme is involved in both the detoxification process and the defense of cellular membranes against oxidative damage. In this study, two TmGSTs (TmGST‐iso1 and TmGST‐iso2) were identified and characterized to elucidate the GST family in Tenebrio molitor. Among the developmental stages of T. molitor, eggs had the highest expression levels of TmGST‐iso1. TmGST‐iso2 expression was highest in the pre‐pupal stage. TmGST‐iso1 expression was high in the guts of early and late larvae, whereas TmGST‐iso2 expression was not observed in early larvae. Adults, both male and female, had the highest levels of TmGST‐iso1 mRNA expression in the gut and reproductive organs, and the highest levels of TmGST‐iso2 expression in the reproductive organs. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction was used to investigate the impact of treatment with butachlor on the mRNA expression of TmGST‐iso1 and TmGST‐iso2 in larvae. TmGST‐iso1 expression increased in the butachlor‐treated group after 3 and 24 h, whereas TmGST‐iso2 expression peaked at 24 h after treatment. This study provides vital information about the detoxifying activities of T. molitor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agricultural intensification has led to significant increases in production, but the overuse of pesticides and associated hazards pose threats to biodiversity and ecological functions. Catalase (CAT), a key antioxidant enzyme, plays a crucial role in alleviating oxidative stress by directly interacting with toxins. In this study, we identified three CAT isoforms in Tenebrio molitor (TmCAT‐iso1, TmCAT‐iso2 and TmCAT‐iso3). These CATs possess a CAT domain, tetramer interface sites and a heme‐binding pocket. We examined the expression of Tm catalases across all developmental stages and in specific tissues using quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction (qRT‐PCR) experiments. Our findings demonstrate that TmCAT‐iso1 and TmCAT‐iso3 exhibit peak expression in young and late larval stages, respectively, whereas TmCAT‐iso2 shows peak expression during the egg and pre‐pupal stages. Tissue distribution analysis revealed the high expression of TmCAT‐iso1 and TmCAT‐iso2 in larval hemocytes, whereas TmCAT‐iso3 is predominantly expressed in larval Malpighian tubules. Furthermore, injection with chlorantraniliprole significantly elevated mRNA expression levels of TmCAT‐iso1, TmCAT‐iso2, and TmCAT‐iso3 in larval groups, compared with control groups. Our study highlights the distinct developmental stages and tissues where TmCATs are expressed. We also elucidated the effects of pesticide application on the expression of each TmCAT, revealing the physiological characteristics of CATs in response to these pesticides, which are dose‐ and time‐dependent in T. molitor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seaweed beds are productive marine ecosystems; they provide habitat and serve as spawning, breeding, and feeding sites for fish and shellfish. Seaweed beds are declining with environmental change and pollution. In affected areas, including "urchin barrens" and those affected by "whitening events," coralline algae appear, preventing the attachment of seaweed spores to the substrate. Many methods have been used to restore seaweed beds, such as those employing artificial reefs, seaweed ropes, spore bags, and transplanted cultures. However, such efforts are insufficient to overcome the disappearance of seaweed beds from coastal areas. This study examined the use of a new technique that involves encapsulating seaweed zygotes with polysaccharide-like alginates to improve their attachment using the brown alga Sargassum fulvellum, which plays an important role in seaweed forests. We tested the efficacy of encapsulated zygotes using polyvinyl chloride (PVC) panels and concrete bricks in the sea. In the laboratory, the germination percentage of encapsulated Sargassum zygotes was 70% ± 1.6%, similar to the rate of unencapsulated zygotes. In the field experiment, PVC panels and concrete bricks were coated with encapsulated and unencapsulated zygotes; the germination density and growth rates of encapsulated zygotes were 4 (p < 0.001) and 7 times (p < 0.016) greater, respectively, than those of unencapsulated zygotes. The germination density and growth rate of encapsulated zygotes on concrete bricks were also greater. Therefore, encapsulation should increase the attachment of seaweed spores in marine environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a stability-guaranteed bias-compensated normalized least-mean-square (BC-NLMS) algorithm for noisy inputs. The bias-compensated algorithms require the estimated input noise variance in the elimination process of the bias caused by noisy inputs. However, the conventional methods of estimating the input noise variance in those algorithms might cause the instability for a specific situation. This paper first analyzes the stability of the BC-NLMS algorithm by investigating the dynamics of both the mean deviation and the mean-square deviation in the BC-NLMS algorithm. Based on the analysis, the estimation of the input noise variance and the adjustment of the step size are carried out to perform a stabilization as well as a performance enhancement in terms of a steady-state error and a convergence rate. Simulations in system identification and acoustic echo cancellation scenarios with noisy inputs show that the proposed algorithm outperforms the existing bias-compensated algorithms in the aspect of the stability, the steady-state error, and the convergence rate. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper proposes a fast and precise adaptive filtering algorithm for online estimation under a non‐negativity constraint. A novel variable step‐size (VSS) non‐negative normalised least‐mean‐square (NLMS)‐type algorithm based on the mean‐square deviation (MSD) analysis with a non‐negativity constraint is derived. The NLMS‐type algorithm under the non‐negativity constraint is derived by using the gradient descent of the given cost function and the fixed‐point iteration method. Furthermore, the VSS derived by minimising the MSD yields improvement of the filter performance in the aspects of the convergence rate and the steady‐state estimation error. Simulation results show that the proposed algorithm outperforms existing algorithms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An efficient variable step‐size diffusion normalised least‐mean‐square algorithm is proposed via a mean‐square deviation (MSD) analysis for the distributed estimation. The proposed algorithm has two distinguishing features for computational efficiency. In the adaptation step, an intermittent adaptation rule that dynamically adjusts an update interval is proposed to reduce the redundant updates. In the diffusion step, instead of the existing combination rules, a selection rule is proposed to select the intermediate estimate of the most reliable node among its neighbour nodes for the estimate at each node. Moreover, to achieve both fast convergence rate and low steady‐state error, a variable step size is obtained by minimising the MSD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The algal cell immobilization is a commonly used technique for treatment of waste water, production of useful metabolites and management of stock culture. However, control over the size of immobilized droplets, the population of microbes, and production rate in current techniques need to be improved. Here, we use drop-on-demand inkjet printing to immobilize spores of the alga Ecklonia cava within alginate microparticles for the first time. Microparticles with immobilized spores were generated by printing alginate-spore suspensions into a calcium chloride solution. We demonstrate that the inkjet technique can control the number of spores in an ejected droplet in the range of 0.23 to 1.87 by varying spore densities in bioink. After the printing-based spore encapsulation, we observe initial sprouting and continuous growth of thallus until 45 days of culture. Our study suggest that inkjet printing has a great potential to immobilize algae, and that the ability to control the number of encapsulated spores and their microenvironments can facilitate research into microscopic interactions of encapsulated spores. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]