Prediction Model of Wax Deposition Rate in Waxy Crude Oil Pipelines by Elman Neural Network Based on Improved Reptile Search Algorithm

A hard problem that hinders the movement of waxy crude oil is wax deposition in oil pipelines.To ensure the safe operation of crude oil pipelines,an accurate model must be developed to predict the rate of wax deposition in crude oil pipelines.Aiming at the shortcomings of the ENN prediction model,which easily falls into the local minimum value and weak generalization ability in the implementation process,an optimized ENN prediction model based on the IRSA is proposed.The validity of the new model was confirmed by the accurate prediction of two sets of experimental data on wax deposition in crude oil pipelines.The two groups of crude oil wax deposition rate case prediction results showed that the average absolute percentage errors of IRSA-ENN prediction models is 0.5476% and 0.7831%,respectively.Additionally,it shows a higher prediction accuracy compared to the ENN prediction model.In fact,the new model established by using the IRSA to optimize ENN can optimize the initial weights and thresholds in the prediction process,which can overcome the shortcomings of the ENN prediction model,such as weak generalization ability and tendency to fall into the local minimum value,so that it has the advantages of strong implementation and high prediction accuracy.

Biodiversity and Sequence of the Middle Triassic Panxian Marine Reptile Fauna,Guizhou Province,China

The Middle Triassic Panxian fauna is a physical marker and representative record of the rapid recovery of the Triassic marine ecosystem following the Early Triassic stagnant stage after the end-Permian mass extinction. Ten marine reptile taxa have been found from the 1.82-2.10 m-thick fossiliferous level in the Upper Member of the Guanling Formation, which can be subdivided into three marine reptile beds through the analysis on the stratigraphic distributions of fossil reptiles. The Lower Reptile Bed yields the sauropterygians Placodus inexpectatus Jiang et al., 2008 and Lariosaurus hongguoensis Jiang et al., 2006, the ichthyopterygians Xinminosaurus catactes Jiang et al., 2008 and Phalarodon cf. Phalarodon fraasi Merriam, 1910, associated with Mixosaurus panxianensis Jiang et al., 2006, representing a stage of predominance of durophagous taxa. In this bed, the large complete skeletons may reach up to 2.3 m in length, and lithofacies and chemostratigraphic analyses indicate a relatively deep carbonate platform with an oxic water environment near the bottom, as well as a rising sea level The Middle Reptile Bed yields the sauropterygian Nothosaurus yangjuanensis Jiang et al., 2006 and the archosaur Qianosuchus mixtus Li et al., 2006, associated with Mixosaurus panxianensis Jiang et al., 2006. The fossils in this bed are characterized by its pincering dentition and large overall body size, with the largest possibly exceeding 3 m in length. This bed might represent a time of deepest basin with relatively anoxic condition near the bottom. The Upper Reptile Bed yields the sauropterygians Wumengosaurus delicatomandibularis Jiang et al., 2008, Keichousaurus sp., the protorosaur Dinocephalosaurus orientalis Li, 2003, and the ichthyopterygian Mixosaurus panxianensis Jiang et al., 2006. In this bed, reptilian taxa characterized by suction feeding appeared, and most are less than 1 m long. This bed corresponds to a period of decreasing water depth.

Biostratigraphy of Triassic Marine Reptiles in Southwest Guizhou and Its Adjacent Area

This paper briefly reviews the Triassic marine reptile fossils in Guizhou Province, especially the fossils that have been recently found in the Guanling area. Based on three sections at Guanling and Xingyi, Guizhou Province and Luoping, Yunnan Province, four horizons with vertebrate fossils are recognized in the Middle and Upper Triassic of this area; They are from bottom to top: Member I and Member II of the Guanling Formation, and the Zhuganpo Member and the Wayao Member of the Falang Formation.

Immunohistochemical study on gastrointestinal endocrine cells of four reptiles

AIM： To darify the types, regional distributions and distribution densities as well as morphological features of gastrointestinal （GI） endocrine cells in various parts of the gastrointestinal track （GIT） of four reptiles, Gekko japonicus, Eumeces chinensis, Sphenomorphus indicus and Eumeces elegans. METHODS： Paraffin-embedded sections （5μm） of seven parts （cardia, fundus, pylorus, duodenum, jejunum, ileum, rectum） of GIT dissected from the four reptiles were prepared. GI endocrine cells were revealed by using immunohistochemical techniques of streptavidin-peroxidase （S-P） method. Seven types of antisera against 5-hydroxytryptamine （5-HT）, somatostatin （SS）, gastrin （GAS）, glucagon （GLU）, substance P （SP）, insulin and pancreatic polypeptide were identified and then GI endocrine cells were photomicrographed and counted. RESULTS： The GI endocrine system of four reptiles was a complex structure containing many endocrine cell types similar in morphology to those found in higher vertebrates. Five types of GI endocrine cells, namely 5-HT, SS, GAS, SP and GLU immunoreactive （IR） cells were identified in the GIT of G. faponicus, E. chinensis and S. indicus, while in the GIT of E. elegans only the former three types of endocrine cells were observed. No PP- and INS- IR cells were found in all four reptiles. 5-HT-IR cells, which were most commonly found in the pylorus or duodenum, distributed throughout the whole GIT of four reptiles. However, their distribution patterns varied from each other. SS-IR ceils, which were mainly found in the stomach especially in the pylorus and/or fundus, were demonstrated in the whole GIT of E. chinensis, only showed restricted distribution inthe other three species. GAS-IR cells, with a much restricted distribution, were mainly demonstrated in the pylorus and/or the proximal small intestine of four reptiles. GLU-IR cells exhibited a limited and species-dependent variant distribution in the GIT of four reptiles. SP-IR cells were found throughout the GIT except for jejunum in E. elegans and showed a restricted distribution in the GIT of G. japonicus and S. indicus. In the GIT of four reptiles the region with the highest degree of cell type heterogeneity was pylorus and most types of GI endocrine cells along the GIT showed the peak density in pylorus as well. CONCLUSION： Some common and unique features of the distribution and morphology of different types of GI endocrine cells are found in four reptiles. This common trait may reflect the similarity in digestive physiology of various vertebrates.

Amphibians and Reptiles of Luzon Island,V:The Herpetofauna of Angat Dam Watershed,Bulacan Province,Luzon Island,Philippines

We report amphibian and reptile distribution records based on recent biodiversity surveys conducted at the Angat Watershed Reservation, Bulacan Province, Luzon Island, Philippines. This watershed constitutes the principal water source for Manila, the Philippines＇ largest metropolitan area. As virtually nothing is known of the herpetological diversity of the immediate area and the surrounding Bulacan Province, all species recorded as part of our surveys constitute major geographical records and/or significant range extensions. Our data result in a total of 63 new records of amphibian （19 frogs） and reptile （22 lizards, 2 turtles, and 20 snakes） species for this protected area （and immediate vicinity） that serves as a watershed for the major metropolitan area of Manila and surrounding cities. Together with the few previous literature records, our new records bring the total number of amphibian and reptile species for Bulacan Province to 68. We discuss several strategies for future survey work （focusing on habitat type, seasonal variation, and elevational variability） that we anticipate will result in increased knowledge of diversity within the Angat Watershed Reserve. The impressive level of herpetological diversity within such a small area, so close to Metro Manila, emphasizes that the diversity and distribution patterns of amphibians and reptiles from Luzon are still poorly known and in need of further study.

Phenotypic Plasticity in Embryonic Development of Reptiles:Recent Research and Research Opportunities in China

Adaptive developmental plasticity can enable an organism to modify its phenotype rapidly, in response to local （and perhaps, unpredictable） conditions, by altering reaction norms during development. Previous studies on this topic have been dominated by western scientists, employing western study systems and approaches. Recently, the expansion of Chinese ecological research has seen a broadening of studies taxonomically （phylogenetically）. Here, we briefly summarize research that has been conducted on developmental plasticity in Chinese reptiles over the past two decades, and suggest productive directions for future studies in this field. There are exciting research opportunities in this field in China, and we call for increased collaboration between western and eastern scientists to elucidate the role of developmental plasticity in evolutionary responses of organisms to environmental changes. As human activities increase the intensity and frequency of such changes, the need to understand responses of biological systems becomes an increasingly urgent priority.

Diversity of reptile sex chromosome evolution revealed by cytogenetic and linked-read sequencing

Reptile sex determination is attracting much attention because the great diversity of sex-determination and dosage compensation mechanisms permits us to approach fundamental questions about mechanisms of sex chromosome turnover. Recent studies have made significant progress in better understanding diversity and conservation of reptile sex chromosomes, with however no reptile master sex determination genes identified. Here we describe an integrated genomics and cytogenetics pipeline,combining probes generated from the microdissected sex chromosomes with transcriptome and genome sequencing to explore the sex chromosome diversity in non-model Australian reptiles. We tested our pipeline on a turtle, two species of geckos, and a monitor lizard. Genes identified on sex chromosomes were compared to the chicken genome to identify homologous regions among the four species. We identified candidate sex determining genes within these regions, including conserved vertebrate sex-determining genes pdgfa,pdgfra amh and wt1, and demonstrated their testis or ovary-specific expression. All four species showed gene-by-gene rather than chromosome-wide dosage compensation. Our results imply that reptile sex chromosomes originated by independent acquisition of sex-determining genes on different autosomes,as well as translocations between different ancestral macro-and microchromosomes.We discuss the evolutionary drivers of the slow differentiation and turnover of reptile sex chromosomes.

New Fossil Reptile Records from the Siwalik of North India

From the Siwalik Group of Haryana and Himachal Pradesh, new fossil reptile records are described. The Siwalik fauna from Haryana and Himachal is recorded from the pre-Pinjor and Pinjor beds (Upper Siwalik Subgroup: Pliocene—Lower Pleistocene). The reptile fauna includes Crocodylus aff. palustris, Gavialis cf. gangeticus, Rhamphosuchus crassidens, Batagur sp., Geoclemys hamiltoni and Hardella thurjii. The findings are significant as fossil reptiles from the Siwalik Group are scanty as compared to the richer mammalian fauna.

Domestic reptiles as source of zoonotic bacteria:a mini review

Captive reptiles, always more often present in domestic environment as pets, may harbor and excrete a large variety of zoonotic pathogens. Among them, Salmonella is the most wellknown agent, whereas there are very scant data about infections by mycobacteria, chlamydiae and leptospirae in cold-blooded animals. However, the investigations that found antibody reactions and/or the bacteria in samples collected from free-ranging and captive reptiles show that herpetofauna may be involved in the epidemiology of these infections. The present review reports the updated knowledge about salmonellosis, mycobacteriosis, chlamydiosis and leptospirosis in reptiles and underlines the risk of infection to which people, mainly children, are exposed.

A Revised Checklist of Amphibians and Reptiles in Camiguin Sur,Misamis Oriental,Mindaanao,Philippines

The Philippines is listed as one of the world's megadiverse countries despite its small size.Conversely,it is also on the list of global biodiversity conservation hotspots.With the threat of extinction at an all-time high,better understa nding of the archipelago's biodiversity will provide invalua ble baseline information for proper conservation efforts.Here we provide an upda ted checklist on the herpetological biodiversity of Ca miguin Sur,Misa mis Oriental,Minda nao,Philippines.Field surveys and specimen collection from the municipality of Mambajao resulted in a total of 28 species(13 anurans,11 lizards,and four snakes)-all well represented by voucher specimens.Our data provides seven additional species records,upda ting the island's total amphibian and reptile species count to 57,with about half Philippine endemic.Included in the new records are three invasive alien species of amphibians:The Cane Toad Rhinella marina,the Greenhouse Frog Eleutherodatylus planirstris,and the Asiatic Painted Narrowmouth Toad Kaloula pulchra.

Check Dams in an Ephemeral Stream in a Tropical Deciduous Forest Extend Water Period with Minimal Effect on Reptile Assemblage

Although numerous check dams have been constructed in many countries, and its effect on physical factors were well documented, only a few reports were available on its effect on biotic component in adjacent area. This research aims to address effects of the check dam on reptile assemblage in an ephemeral stream based on an assumption that reptile live in the stream and adjacent area may be susceptible to prolonged hydroperiod after check dam construction. Ten stream transects and 40 terrestrial strip transects, including 5, 10, 25, and 50 m from the stream, were used to monitor reptile diversity and composition in a deciduous forest of northern Thailand during April 2009 to February 2011. Physical factors related to water pattern in the stream and the terrestrial habitats were also collected. Results on physical factors indicated that the water pattern and soil moisture in the stream, as well as leaf litter moisture in the terrestrial habitat were increased as a result of the check dam. However, rarefaction curve indicated that reptile diversity was not significantly different between pre- and post-check dam periods in every transect. Moreover, Morisita’s index of similarity indicated that reptile composition between pre- and post-check dam periods was approximately the same (86% - 100%). These results indicated that reptile assemblage was not affected by the check dam. It can be concluded based on data of one year after the check dam construction that check dam can effectively prolong water and moisture to the habitat with minimal effect on reptile assemblage in the area.

Habitat relationships of reptiles in pine beetle disturbed forests of Alabama,U.S.A.with guidelines for a modified drift-fence sampling method

Understanding vertebrate habitat relationships is important to promote management strategies for the longterm conservation of many species. Using a modified drift fence method, we sampled reptiles and compared habitat variables within the William B. Bankhead National Forest （BNF） in Alabama, U.S.A from April 2005 to June 2006. We captured 226 individual reptiles representing 19 species during 564 total trap nights. We used canonical correspondence analysis to examine habitat associations for the reptiles sampled and we detected a distinct habitat gradient ranging from sites with greater litter depth and percent canopy cover to more open sites with greater woody, herbaceous, and coarse woody debris （CWD） coverage, and CWD volume. Little brown skinks Scincella lateralis and eastern worm snakes Carphophis a. arnoenus were associated with sites with greater litter depth and canopy cover, whereas eastern fence lizards Sceloporus undulatus, copperheads Agkistrodon contortrix, and gray ratsnakes Pantherophis spiloides were associated with sites possessing greater CWD coverage and volume. We found that disturbances due to the southern pine beetle Dendroctonus frontalis were likely important for influencing reptile distributions through the creation of canopy gaps and fallen coarse woody debris. Compared to other studies, our modified drift-fence trap technique was successful for sampling larger snake species （66 snakes in 564 trap nights）. We have also provided detailed schematics for constructing drift fence array and box traps used in this study

An Improved Reptile Search Algorithm Based on Cauchy Mutation for Intrusion Detection

With the growth of the discipline of digital communication,the topic has acquiredmore attention in the cybersecuritymedium.The Intrusion Detection(ID)system monitors network traffic to detect malicious activities.The paper introduces a novel Feature Selection(FS)approach for ID.Reptile Search Algorithm(RSA)—is a new optimization algorithm;in this method,each agent searches a new region according to the position of the host,which makes the algorithm suffers from getting stuck in local optima and a slow convergence rate.To overcome these problems,this study introduces an improved RSA approach by integrating Cauchy Mutation(CM)into the RSA’s structure.Thus,the CM can effectively expand search space and enhance the performance of the RSA.The developed RSA-CM is assessed on five publicly available ID datasets:KDD-CUP99,NSL-KDD,UNSW-NB15,CIC-IDS2017,and CIC-IDS2018 and two engineering problems.The RSA-CM is compared with the original RSA,and three other state-of-the-art FS methods,namely particle swarm optimization,grey wolf optimization,and multi-verse optimizer,and quantitatively is evaluated using fitness value,the number of selected optimum features,accuracy,precision,recall,and F1-score evaluationmeasures.The results reveal that the developed RSA-CMgot better results than the other competitive methods applied for FS on the ID datasets and the examined engineering problems.Moreover,the Friedman test results confirm that RSA-CMhas a significant superiority compared to other methods as an FS method for ID.

Determination of AVR System PID Controller Parameters Using Improved Variants of Reptile Search Algorithm and a Novel Objective Function

Two novel improved variants of reptile search algorithm(RSA),RSA with opposition-based learning(ORSA)and hybrid ORSA with pattern search(ORSAPS),are proposed to determine the proportional,integral,and derivative(PID)controller parameters of an automatic voltage regulator(AVR)system using a novel objective function with augmented flexibility.In the proposed algorithms,the opposition-based learning technique improves the global search abilities of the original RSA algorithm,while the hybridization with the pattern search(PS)algorithm improves the local search abilities.Both algorithms are compared with the original RSA algorithm and have shown to be highly effective algorithms for tuning the PID controller parameters of an AVR system by getting superior results.Several analyses such as transient,stability,robustness,disturbance rejection,and trajectory tracking are conducted to test the performance of the proposed algorithms,which have validated the good promise of the proposed methods for controller designs.The performances of the proposed design approaches are also compared with the previously reported PID controller parameter tuning approaches to assess their success.It is shown that both proposed approaches obtain excellent and robust results among all compared ones.That is,with the adjustment of the weight factorα,which is introduced by the proposed objective function,for a system with high bandwitdh(α=1),the proposed ORSAPS-PID system has 2.08%more bandwidth than the proposed ORSA-PID system and 5.1%faster than the fastest algorithm from the literature.On the other hand,for a system where high phase and gain margins are desired(α=10),the proposed ORSA-PID system has 0.53%more phase margin and 2.18%more gain margin than the proposed ORSAPS-PID system and has 0.71%more phase margin and 2.25%more gain margin than the best performing algorithm from the literature.

Fossil middle triassic “sea cows” – placodont reptiles as macroalgae feeders along the north-western Tethys coastline with Pangaea and in the Germanic basin

The descriptions of fossil Triassic marine pla- codonts as durophagous reptiles are revised through comparisons with the sirenia and basal proboscidean mammal and palaeoenvironment analyses. The jaws of placodonts are conver- gent with those of Halitherium/Dugong or Mo- eritherium in their general function. Whereas Halitherium possessed a horny oral pad and counterpart and a special rasp-like tongue to grind seagrass, as does the modern Dugong, placodonts had large teeth that covered their jaws to form a similar grinding pad. The sirenia also lost their anterior teeth during many Millions of years and built a horny pad instead and specialized tongue to fed mainly on seagrass, whereas placodonts had only macroalgae availa- ble. Indirect evidence for Triassic macroalgae is provided by benthic palaeocommunities from different layers and extended European regions in the Germanic Basin. Studies of tooth wear stages for Placodus indicate that anterior teeth may have been used in a similar manner to the procumbent front teeth of modern Dugong. Paraplacodus and Placodus seem to have used these teeth as spatulas to dig out seaplants. Cyamodus and other placodonts such as Placochelys had smaller or reduced anterior teeth. The scarcity of highly worn palatine or maxillary and lower jaw dentary Placodus or Cyamodus teeth (less then 0.5%) suggests that they had a relatively soft diet. The seaplants would only have been squeezed in a similar feeding strategy to that of modern Dugong feeding on seagrass without jaw rotation and grinding. The phylogenetic trend in tooth reduction within the placodonts Paraplacodus, Placodus, especially in Cyamodus but also Placochelys, and Henodus within 11 My appears to have been a result of this plant-feeding adaptation and may even explain the origin or at least close relationship of the earliest Upper Triassic turtles as toothless algae and jellyfish feeders, in terms of the long-term convergent development with the sirens.

Availability of Information on Reptile Health and Welfare from Stores Selling Reptiles

The popularity of keeping reptiles such as snakes and lizards is ever increasing. The health and welfare of these animals depends on the knowledge and understanding of their environmental and nutritional needs. But where does a new owner of these species obtain such information? This study aims to investigate what information is available in pet shops and stores for the reptile owning public and how well this information is imparted. Our findings show that there is a lot of excellent advice on the husbandry of reptiles in some shops while others offer less advice. It is hoped that through this study areas of downfall on primary knowledge can be recognized so that all shops can aspire to the highest levels of information.

Multiobjective Reptile Search Algorithm Based Effective Image Deblurring and Restoration

Images are frequently affected because of blurring,and data loss occurred by sampling and noise occurrence.The images are getting blurred because of object movement in the scenario,atmospheric misrepresentations,and optical aberrations.The main objective of image restoration is to evaluate the original image from the corrupted data.To overcome this issue,the multiobjective reptile search algorithm is proposed for performing an effective image deblurring and restoration(MORSA-IDR).The proposed MORSA is used in two different processes such as threshold and kernel parameter calculation.In that,threshold values are used for detecting and replacing the noisy pixel removal using deep residual network,and estimation of kernel is performed for deblurring the images.The main objective of the proposed MORSA-IDR is to enhance the process of deblurring for recovering low-level contextual information.The MORSA-IDR is evaluated using peak signal noise ratio(PSNR)and structural similarity index.The existing researches such as enhanced local maximum intensity(ELMI)prior and deep unrolling for blind deblurring(DUBLID)are used to evaluate the MORSA-IDR.The PSNR of MORSA-IDR for image 6 is 30.98 dB,which is high when compared with the ELMI and DUBLID.

Feedback Mechanism-driven Mutation Reptile Search Algorithm for Optimizing Interpolation Developable Surfaces

Curvature lines are special and important curves on surfaces.It is of great significance to construct developable surface interpolated on curvature lines in engineering applications.In this paper,the shape optimization of generalized cubic ball developable surface interpolated on the curvature line is studied by using the improved reptile search algorithm.Firstly,based on the curvature line of generalized cubic ball curve with shape adjustable,this paper gives the construction method of SGC-Ball developable surface interpolated on the curve.Secondly,the feedback mechanism,adaptive parameters and mutation strategy are introduced into the reptile search algorithm,and the Feedback mechanism-driven improved reptile search algorithm effectively improves the solving precision.On IEEE congress on evolutionary computation 2014,2017,2019 and four engineering design problems,the feedback mechanism-driven improved reptile search algorithm is compared with other representative methods,and the result indicates that the solution performance of the feedback mechanism-driven improved reptile search algorithm is competitive.At last,taking the minimum energy as the evaluation index,the shape optimization model of SGC-Ball interpolation developable surface is established.The developable surface with the minimum energy is achieved with the help of the feedback mechanism-driven improved reptile search algorithm,and the comparison experiment verifies the superiority of the feedback mechanism-driven improved reptile search algorithm for the shape optimization problem.

Improved Reptile Search Algorithm by Salp Swarm Algorithm for Medical Image Segmentation

This study proposes a novel nature-inspired meta-heuristic optimizer based on the Reptile Search Algorithm combed with Salp Swarm Algorithm for image segmentation using gray-scale multi-level thresholding,called RSA-SSA.The proposed method introduces a better search space to find the optimal solution at each iteration.However,we proposed RSA-SSA to avoid the searching problem in the same area and determine the optimal multi-level thresholds.The obtained solutions by the proposed method are represented using the image histogram.The proposed RSA-SSA employed Otsu’s variance class function to get the best threshold values at each level.The performance measure for the proposed method is valid by detecting fitness function,structural similarity index,peak signal-to-noise ratio,and Friedman ranking test.Several benchmark images of COVID-19 validate the performance of the proposed RSA-SSA.The results showed that the proposed RSA-SSA outperformed other metaheuristics optimization algorithms published in the literature.

Relationships between soil pollution by heavy metals and melanin-dependent coloration of a fossorial amphisbaenian reptile

Melanin is the basis of coloration in many animals,and although it is often used in communication,thermoregulation,or camouflage,melanin has many other physiological functions.For example,in polluted habitats,melanin can have a detoxifying function.Melanic coloration would help to sequester in the skin the heavy metal contaminants from inside the body,which will be expelled to the exterior when the skin is sloughed.Moreover,animals should have evolved more melanic colorations in more polluted habitats(“industrial melanism”hypothesis).We examined whether the fossorial amphisbaenian reptile,Trogonophis wiegmanni,is able to eliminate heavy metals,derived from soil pollution by seagull depositions,through sloughing its skin.Our results suggest a covariation between levels of soil pollution by heavy metals and the concentration of heavy metals in the sloughed skins of amphisbaenians.This suggests that amphisbaenians may expel heavy metals from their bodies when they slough the skins.We also tested whether amphisbaenians inhabiting soils with higher levels of heavy metal pollution had darker(melanin-dependent)body colorations.However,contrary to predictions from the“industrial melanization”hypothesis,we found a negative relationship between soil pollution and proportions of melanic coloration.This contradictory result could,however,be explained because heavy metals have endocrine disruption effects that increase physiological stress,and higher stress levels could result in decreased melanogenesis.We suggest that although amphisbaenians might have some detoxifying mechanism linked to melanin in the skin,this process might be negatively affected by stress and result ineffective under conditions of high soil pollution.