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We report the publication of 953 DNA barcodes of forest leaf litter beetles from central Taiwan, in total representing 334 species of 36 beetle families. This is the first bulk of data from the Taiwanese Leaf Litter beetles project focused on uncovering the under-explored diversity of leaf litter beetles across Taiwan. Based on these data, we provide the first records of the following taxa for Taiwan: family Sphindidae (genus Aspidiphorus Ziegler, 1821); tribes Trichonychini, Ctenistini, and Bythinoplectini (all Staphylinidae: Pselaphinae); genera Gyrelon Hinton, 1942, Thyroderus Sharp, 1885, Cautomus Sharp, 1885 (all Cerylonidae), Dermatohomoeus Hlisnikovský, 1963 (Leiodidae), Paraploderus Herman, 1970 (Staphylinidae: Oxytelinae), Thinocharis Kraatz, 1859 (Staphylinidae: Paederinae), Cephennodes Reitter, 1884, Napoconnus Franz, 1957 (both Staphylinidae: Scydmaeninae), Bicava Belon, 1884 (Latridiidae), Otibazo Morimoto, 1961, Seleuca Pascoe, 1871 and Acallinus Morimoto, 1962 (all Curculionidae); species Oodes (Lachnocrepis) japonicus (Bates, 1873) (Carabidae: Licininae), Drusilla obliqua (Bernhauer, 1916) (Staphylinidae: Aleocharinae) and Coccotrypes advena Blandford, 1894 (Curculionidae: Scolytinae). The records of Anapleus Horn, 1873 (Histeridae) and Batraxis Reitter, 1882 (Staphylinidae: Pselaphinae) have been confirmed. The male of Sivacrypticus taiwanicus Kaszab, 1964 (Archeocrypticidae) is described for the first time. Gyrelon jenpani Hu, Fikáček & Matsumoto, sp. nov. (Cerylonidae) is described, illustrated, and compared with related species. DNA barcodes associated larvae of 42 species with adults, we are concisely illustrating some of these: Oodes japonicus, Perigona cf. nigriceps Dejean, 1831 (both Carabidae), Ptilodactyla sp. (Ptilodactylidae), Maltypus ryukyuanus Wittmer, 1970 (Cantharidae), Drusilla obliqua, Myrmecocephalus brevisulcus (Pace, 2008), Diochus sp., Mimopinophilus sp. (all Staphylinidae), Stelidota multiguttata Reitter, 1877, Lasiodites inaequalis (Grouvelle, 1914) (both Nitidulidae), Lagria scutellaris Pic, 1910, and Anaedus spinicornis Kaszab, 1973 (both Tenebrionidae). We also report the first cases of Rickettsia infections in Scydmaeninae and Pselaphinae. All data (sequences, metadata, and voucher photos) are made public in BOLD database and in a Zenodo Archive.

Objective: An increasing body of evidence suggests a positive role of chiropractic in the treatment of neuro-musculoskeletal disorders. This study aims to explore current research hotspots and trends, providing insights into the broad prospects of this field. Methods: A bibliometric review was conducted on all chiropractic articles included in the Web of Science Core Collection before December 31, 2023. Results: Over the past century, the volume of research in the field of chiropractic has been fluctuating annually, with four peaks observed in total. The United States, Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom are leading countries. Chu, Eric Chun-Pu is the author with the most publications, while Bronfort, Gert has the highest total citation count. The University of Southern Denmark has produced the most publications, while Queens University - Canada is the most central institution. The Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics is the journal with the most publications and citations, while the Journal of the American Medical Association is the most central journal. The two most-cited articles were both authored by Eisenberg DM. Emerging keywords include ''chronic pain'' and ''skills''. The theoretical mechanisms and scientific basis of chiropractic, its clinical practice and safety, education and training, integration with other disciplines, and patient experiences and satisfaction are the frontiers and hotspots of research. Conclusion: This study integrates bibliometric analysis to summarize the current state of research and global network centers in the field of chiropractic, further highlighting the hotspots and trends in this field. However, Individual and national rankings should be interpreted with caution due to our focus on Web of Science rather than PubMed.

In this study, we present the first attempt at a molecular phylogenetic analysis of the entire family of Cordulegastridae involving 60% of its known species. Our analysis is in favor of reclassification of the members of the family into four genera: (i) the monophyletic genus Anotogaster Selys, 1854, with the number of known species reduced by three synonymizations; (ii) the genus Cordulegaster Leach in Brewster, 1815 including all members of the boltonii group and, as a preliminary solution, the American species C. virginiae Novelo-Gutiérrez, 2018 and, very tentatively, C. diadema Selys, 1868. The bidentata group forms a genus of its own, for which we restored the name Thecagaster Selys 1854, stat. rev. Cordulegaster pekinensis McLachlan in Selys, 1886, currently considered as Neallogaster pekinensis, was placed by us in Thecagaster as well. The genus Neallogaster Cowley, 1934 needs further investigation involving all remaining species listed in it. The genus Zoraena Kirby, 1890, stat. rev., was recovered to accommodate the remaining American species of Cordulegaster. We synonymized three species of Anotogaster: Anotogaster gregoryi Fraser, 1923 = Anotogaster xanthoptera Lohmann, 1993, syn. nov.; Anotogasterkuchenbeiseri (Förster, 1899) = Anotogaster antehumeralis Lohmann, 1993, syn. nov.; Anotogaster kuchenbeiseri (Förster, 1899) = Anotogaster cornutifrons Lohmann, 1993, syn. nov., based on examination of the existing type specimens. The type of specimens of A. klossi Fraser, 1919 = A. flaveola Lohmann 1993 syn. confirm., were also examined, and their synonymy was confirmed. The isolated populations of A. sieboldii (Selys, 1854) from the archipelagos of Okinawa and Amami Oshima in Japan, respectively, should be regarded as separate species, which will be described elsewhere. Furthermore, we suggest the synonymization of Cordulegaster parvistigma Selys 1873 syn. nov. with Thecagaster brevistigma (Selys 1854) comb. restaur.

The aim of this study is to investigate certain genetic features of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICCA). A total of 12 eligible ICCA patients were enrolled, and tumor tissues from the patients were subjected to next-generation sequencing of a multi-genes panel. Tumor mutation burden (TMB), mutated genes, copy number variants (CNVs), and pathway enrichment analysis were performed. The median TMB was 2.76 Mutation/Mb (range, 0–36.62 Mutation/Mb) in ICCA patients. The top two most commonly mutated genes in ICCA were KRAS (33%) and TP53 (25%). The co-mutations of KRAS and TP53 were 16.7% (2/12) in ICCA patients. Notably, patient P6 with the highest TMB did not have KRAS and TP53 mutations. Additionally, TP53 and/or KRAS alterations were significantly associated with poor progression-free survival than those with wild type (1.4 months vs 18 months). DNA damage repair and homologs recombinant repair deficiencies were significantly associated with high TMB in ICCA cases. In conclusion, we found that certain genetic mutations of TP53 and KRAS could predict poor prognosis in ICCA patients.

[Objective] With the rapid development of the Internet of Things and network communication technology, cryptography has advanced significantly. Current hash function software can process multiple messages in parallel, making hash functions widely applicable for file tamper-proofing and software installation verification on mobile phones. However, existing hash function software often suffers from low speed and throughput, which hinders the processing of large-scale data in Internet of Things applications. Algorithm hardware can efficiently process large-scale data through algorithm adaptation and path optimization. Consequently, this experiment designs a hardware circuit for the SM3 cryptographic hash algorithm using Verilog hardware description language (HDL) to enhance the speed and throughput of the algorithm, thereby addressing the demand for high-speed hashing algorithms in Internet of Things applications. [Methods] This paper examines the speed and throughput of hash algorithm hardware using various optimization technologies and loop expansion methods. By comparing different techniques, the experiment presents an optimized SM3 hash algorithm. The Verilog HDL code implements the hardware circuit for the SM3 cryptographic hash algorithm, which is simulated using ModelSim by Mentor Graphics Corporation. According to the simulation results from the static sequence, the experiment identifies the critical path of the hardware. Leveraging this static sequence analysis, the study employs loop expansion technology and the conditional-select adder (CSA) to enhance processing speed and shorten the critical path. Furthermore, the FPGA is used to implement the hardware system experimentally and conduct a sequence test to evaluate throughput. According to the experimental results, the hardware incorporates the two-in-one structure loop expansion technology, which reduces two-step calculations to one step. As a result, the number of iterations for compression decreases from 64 to 32. This structure significantly improves calculation efficiency and reduces processing time. Additionally, this experiment proposes a CSA tree topology in the critical path to minimize logic delay without compromising accuracy. [Results] The experimental results for the hardware circuit of the SM3 cryptographic hash algorithm indicated that: 1) The initial and optimized delays were 6.006 ns and 5.525 ns, respectively, according to the simulation results from ModelSim. This represents a reduction in delay of 0.481 ns for the hardware circuit. 2) The proposed CSA tree topology in the optimized hardware system reduced logic delay by 8.01% experimentally, further enhancing overall calculation speed and efficiency. 3) The two-in-one loop expansion technology implemented in the optimized hardware system increased throughput from 822.4 Mb/s to 1 069.5 Mb/s, achieving an improvement rate of 30%. [Conclusions] By incorporating the two-in-one structure loop expansion technology and the CSA tree topology, the hardware circuit for the SM3 cryptographic hash algorithm in this experiment shortens the critical path and reduces logic delay. As a result, calculation speed and efficiency are greatly enhanced. The presented hardware circuit achieves high speed and throughput, enabling the processing of large-scale data without time expansion. Overall, this study significantly contributes to the processing of large-scale data in the Internet of Things and network communication technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aeshnidae Rambur, 1842 are impressive large insects distributed worldwide. Currently, over 500 species are recognized. Nevertheless, the phylogeny of this family is not completely understood. We applied molecular phylogenetic analysis using two popular phylogenetic markers, the mitochondrial COI gene fragment (barcoding sequence) and the nucleic ITS region, containing the ITS1, 5.8S rRNA, and ITS2 sequences. We used available and credible published sequences and 96 newly sequenced specimens. Our analysis involved all West Palaearctic species, all but one genera of the Holarctic Aeshnidae, and most genera worldwide, and is by far the largest molecular study of this family. The topology of all trees created with different algorithms and genes is in favour of the current taxonomic concept, with some remarkable outcomes. Aeshna Fabricius, 1775, was found to be diverged into several branches, especially with respect to the COI gene. Although it appeared not monophyletic in phylogenetic reconstructions based on the ITS region, the analysis of COI and joint analysis suggest its monophyly in the current taxonomical sense, with one notable exception. Aeshna isoceles (Müller, 1767) has fallen out of Aeshna in all analyses, so a new monophyletic genus, Isoaeschna gen. nov. is introduced for it. The genus Brachytron Evans, 1845 tightly clustered with Aeschnophlebia Selys, 1883, Epiaeschna Hagen in Selys, 1883, and Nasiaeschna Selys in Förster, 1900. Thus, we suggest subsuming these four genera under the priority name Brachytron. Tetracanthagyna Selys, 1883 clusters as expected with Brachytron in the ITS tree, but is an independent ancient clade of its own in all COI trees. The genus Polycanthagyna Fraser, 1933 syn. nov. is synonymised to Indaeschna Fraser, 1926. On the species level, we suggest that the American Aeshna septentrionalis Burmeister, 1839 be treated as a subspecies of A. caerulea (Ström, 1783), Aeshna caerulea septentrionalis. We synonymize Gynacantha hyalina Selys, 1882 with Gynacantha subinterrupta Rambur, 1842. Our analysis provides new insights on the tight relationships of the circumboreal species Aeshna juncea and A. subarctica and the intraspecies phylogeny of Aeshna juncea.

The Oriental pselaphine genus Horniella Raffray, 1905 currently contains 29 species. In this paper, six new species are described: H. nantouensis Zhang, Hu & Yin, sp. nov. and H. taiwanensis Zhang, Hu & Yin, sp. nov. from Taiwan, China; H. bifurca Zhang & Yin, sp. nov. and H. haucki Zhang & Yin, sp. nov. from Thailand; H. khasiensis Zhang & Yin, sp. nov. from northern India; and H. sabahensis Zhang & Yin, sp. nov. from eastern Malaysia. In addition, H. aculeata Yin & Li, 2015, originally described from Yunnan, China, is newly recorded from Thailand.

Simple Summary: Cordulegastridae, recognized for their striking black-and-yellow colouring, are robust and large dragonflies typically found in clean running springs and streams, which are unfortunately facing significant threats worldwide. Currently, 52 species are listed in this family. Cordulegastridae are remarkably uniform in the structure of the male appendages and the female valvular scale, while the pattern of yellow markings on the abdomen and thorax may vary even within a taxon. This often results in confusion regarding the identification, distribution, and intraspecific division of many species in this family. To address these challenges, we undertook a molecular phylogenetic analysis of this family. Our analyses supported most of the traditional genera. The well-known bidentata group of the current Cordulegaster, including C. coronata and its sister species C. brevistigma, was transferred by us to the genus Thecagaster. The genus Neallogaster remained unresolved. However, Cordulegaster pekinensis, currently known as Neallogaster pekinensis, was placed by us in the genus Thecagaster as well. The genus Zoraena stat. rev. was recovered to include most of the American members of Cordulegastridae, except for C. virginiae and, tentatively, C. diadema, which were retained in the genus Cordulegaster along with the members of the Cordulegaster boltonii group. The monophyly of the genus Anotogaster was confirmed, and three dubious species of this genus were synonymized. Our revision provides a clearer understanding of the evolutionary relationships and taxonomic framework of the family Cordulegastridae. In this study, we present the first attempt at a molecular phylogenetic analysis of the entire family of Cordulegastridae involving 60% of its known species. Our analysis is in favor of reclassification of the members of the family into four genera: (i) the monophyletic genus Anotogaster Selys, 1854, with the number of known species reduced by three synonymizations; (ii) the genus Cordulegaster Leach in Brewster, 1815 including all members of the boltonii group and, as a preliminary solution, the American species C. virginiae Novelo-Gutiérrez, 2018 and, very tentatively, C. diadema Selys, 1868. The bidentata group forms a genus of its own, for which we restored the name Thecagaster Selys 1854, stat. rev. Cordulegaster pekinensis McLachlan in Selys, 1886, currently considered as Neallogaster pekinensis, was placed by us in Thecagaster as well. The genus Neallogaster Cowley, 1934 needs further investigation involving all remaining species listed in it. The genus Zoraena Kirby, 1890, stat. rev., was recovered to accommodate the remaining American species of Cordulegaster. We synonymized three species of Anotogaster: Anotogaster gregoryi Fraser, 1923 = Anotogaster xanthoptera Lohmann, 1993, syn. nov.; Anotogasterkuchenbeiseri (Förster, 1899) = Anotogaster antehumeralis Lohmann, 1993, syn. nov.; Anotogaster kuchenbeiseri (Förster, 1899) = Anotogaster cornutifrons Lohmann, 1993, syn. nov., based on examination of the existing type specimens. The type of specimens of A. klossi Fraser, 1919 = A. flaveola Lohmann 1993 syn. confirm., were also examined, and their synonymy was confirmed. The isolated populations of A. sieboldii (Selys, 1854) from the archipelagos of Okinawa and Amami Oshima in Japan, respectively, should be regarded as separate species, which will be described elsewhere. Furthermore, we suggest the synonymization of Cordulegaster parvistigma Selys 1873 syn. nov. with Thecagaster brevistigma (Selys 1854) comb. restaur. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]