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Barn Owl (Tyto alba) Pellet Analysis Reveals Wider Distribution of the Pygmy White-toothed Shrew (Suncus etruscus) in Georgia
No full textThe pygmy white-toothed shrew (Suncus etruscus), one of the smallest mammals globally, has long been considered rare and poorly studied in Georgia. Traditionally under-recorded due to its small size and elusive behaviour, the species' presence has remained uncertain, with only a few historical or unverified records. In this study, we analysed barn owl (Tyto alba) pellets collected across eastern Georgia between 2023 and 2025 to assess the presence of S. etruscus in the region. From a total of 6,627 prey items extracted and identified, 41 individuals of S. etruscus were found in pellets from 12 different locations in Kakheti and Kvemo Kartli regions. These findings significantly expand the known distribution of the species in Georgia and suggest that it is more common in lowland habitats than previously believed. Given the barn owl’s relatively small foraging range, the occurrence of S. etruscus remains in pellets is a reliable indicator of its local presence. Our results highlight the value of raptor pellet analysis in detecting elusive small mammals and suggest that S. etruscus may have been previously overlooked due to methodological limitations in traditional trapping surveys. This study provides a new foundation for understanding the distribution and habitat preferences of this poorly known species in the Caucasus
A new typical cavefish of the genus Triplophysa (Teleostei, Cypriniformes, Nemacheilidae) from the Jinsha River, Yunnan, China
No full textTriplophysa baishuijiangensis sp. nov., a new cave-dwelling loach, was collected from an underground river outlet in Xiaoganxi Village, Yiliang County, Yunnan Province, China, situated within the core area of the Baishuijiang National Aquatic Germplasm Resources Reserve for Endemic Fish, part of the Hengjiang–Jinsha River system. The new species is distinguished from congeners by significant genetic divergence and the following combination of characteristics: vestigial eyes, absence of skin pigmentation, pelvic fin tip reaching the anus, complete lateral line, developed posterior chamber of the swim bladder, and dorsal fin rays iii-7. Phylogenetic analysis based on Cyt b positions this new species in the hypogean group of Triplophysa, increasing the documented cave species in the genus from 42 to 43. Triplophysa baishuijiangensis sp. nov. represents the first documented typical cavefish in the Jinsha River basin, underscoring the region’s ecological significance for subterranean adaptation and suggesting unexplored cave biodiversity that merits systematic investigation
The Grassland Butterfly Index for Germany
No full textIn 2024, the European Union implemented its Nature Restoration Regulation (NRR) to restore degraded ecosystems and to reverse the loss of biodiversity. One of the objectives is to increase biodiversity in agricultural systems. To measure progress towards this goal, Member States need to report two out of three indicators, one of which is the Grassland Butterfly Index (GBI). The GBI represents a composite index which combines the trends of 17 butterfly species, some widespread and some more specialised, considered as typical for grassland habitats across Europe. The aim of the present study was to calculate a first version of the GBI for Germany using data collected within the German butterfly monitoring scheme from 2006 to 2023. For this purpose, two methodological approaches were applied: (1) the approach prescribed by the NRR (EU 2024) and (2) an alternative approach which includes other frequently applied methods to analyse time series from biodiversity monitoring schemes. Depending on the methodological approach, the GBI showed a stable development (approach 1) or a moderate decline (approach 2) over the entire study period. Both approaches, however, showed a significant decline over the last 10 years, which mainly seems to be a result of low butterfly abundances in recent years. A closer examination of the underlying species trends indicated that habitat specialists tended to suffer most from declines. These results largely correspond to patterns found in other regions and at the European scale and suggest that butterflies inhabiting agricultural systems are under threat. However, the reasons for the negative trends require further research. There is also a clear need to improve the representativity and robustness of the indicator at the national scale. Several options for expanding monitoring and widening the data basis are discussed
A new species of Cyrtodactylus (Squamata, Gekkonidae) from Hon Tre Island in Khanh Hoa Province, Vietnam
No full textA new species of the genus Cyrtodactylus is described from Khanh Hoa Province, South-central Vietnam based on genetic divergence and morphological differences. Cyrtodactylus arnei sp. nov. is distinguished from the remaining Indochinese bent–toed geckos of the Cyrtodactylus irregularis group by having the unique combination of the following characteristics: size medium (SVL 70.9–78.0 mm); dorsal tubercles in 15–17 irregular rows; 34 or 35 ventral scale rows; 12–15 enlarged femoral scales on each side, in continuous series without gap between precloacal and femoral scales; precloacal pores absent in females, 5–7 in males, in a continuous row; femoral pores absent; postcloacal spurs 0–3 on each side; 19–21 lamellae under toe IV; dorsal pattern between limb insertions consisting of four narrow light bands with dark edges and a transversal row of dark spots in the middle; subcaudal scales enlarged, forming broad transverse plates. In phylogenetic analyses, the new species was nested within the Cyrtodactylus irregularis group without any clear sister taxon. Genetically, Cyrtodactylus arnei sp. nov. is divergent from other species within the Cyrtodactylus irregularis group by at least 10.97% (COI) and 14.39% (ND2) based on two fragments of the mitochondrial gene
Two new species of Hedyotis L. (Rubiaceae) from Yunnan and Guangxi, China
No full textTwo new species, Hedyotis jinghongensis from Yunnan Province and H. austroguangxiensis from the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, are described and photographed here. H. jinghongensis is similar to H. communis and H. interrupta in having lanceolate to narrowly lanceolate leaves and triangular stipules, but it differs from them by its smaller leaves, stipules marginally with 3–6 colleter-tipped linear lobes on each side, and shorter inflorescences. H. austroguangxiensis is most similar to H. taishanensis and H. shenzhenensis in having terminal, compound-cymose inflorescences and short internodes at the base, but it differs from them by its terete stem and inflorescence rachis and longer corolla tubes. Molecular phylogenetic analysis revealed that the two new species represent independent clades. In addition, they were assessed as Least Concern (LC) according to the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria
Analysis of excitation function for an induced reaction by nucleon on Arsenic-75 isotope using COMPLET code
No full textNucleon-induced nuclear reactions are a significant field in nuclear physics with numerous applications like as in the production of medically important radioisotopes. The primary objective of this study is to analyze the excitation function of nucleon-induced nuclear reactions on the arsenic-75 isotope across projectile energies from 10 MeV to 100 MeV using COMPLET code. The excitation functions of the seven reaction channels: 75As(p, 3n)73Se, 75As(p, pn)74As, 75As(p, p5n)70As, 75As(p, p2p)73As, 75As(p, n)75Se, 75As(n, 2n)74As, and 75As(n, p)75mGe were investigated, analyzed and compared with experimental data within the energies from 10 MeV to 100 MeV. The calculated excitation functions showed strong agreement with experimental data obtained from the EXFOR data base, as assessed using Pearson’s correlation coefficient. Both pre-equilibrium and equilibrium nuclear excitation functions for all nucleon-induced reaction channels displayed a strong correlation with experimental results, except for the neutron-induced reaction channel, 75As(n, p)75mGe, which exhibited a moderate correlation. Studies have indicated that the pre-equilibrium reaction mechanism primarily governs the high-energy segment of the excitation function, whereas the low-energy segment is dominated by the equilibrium reaction mechanism for both neutron and proton-induced nuclear reactions on arsenic-75. Thus, utilization of the COMPLET code and the EXFOR data base has facilitated a detailed analysis of induced nuclear reactions in producing radionuclides with diverse applications
A new horned toad of Boulenophrys (Anura, Megophryidae) was discovered in Hubei Province, China
No full textThe diversity of the genus Boulenophrys, with around 72 species identified so far, is still thought to be highly underestimated, as it contains a large number of undescribed cryptic species. The favorable ecological environment of the Dalaoling National Nature Reserve, located in Yichang City, Hubei Province, is home to many characteristic species. This work describes a new species from central China, namely: Boulenophrys dalaolingensis Wang, Chen & Liu, 2025, sp. nov. Morphologically, the new species is characterized by the combination of nine external characters: (1) medium-sized body (SVL 49.9–56.2 mm in seven males, SVL 50.3–60.0 mm in three females; (2) vomerine teeth absent; (3) margin of tongue smooth, with weakly notch behind; (4) relative finger length III>II=I>IV; (5) tibio-tarsal articulation of adpressed limb reaching posterior corner of the eye; and (6) toes with more than 1/4 web. Molecularly, the new species forms an independent clade with strong support in the phylogenetic trees of the genus based on two partial mitochondrial sequences: 16S ribosomal RNA (16S rRNA) and cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI). Morphological and molecular phylogenetic analyses suggest that it is a new species that has not been systematically described. Our work increases the number of species in the genus Boulenophrys to 73
Eutrophication boosts the competitive advantage of invasive gibel carp over endangered crucian carp
No full textAnthropogenic eutrophication poses a significant threat to freshwater environments globally. It also influences the population dynamics of invasive and native species, yet the cumulative effects of eutrophication and invasive species on native organisms are not well understood. We used invasive gibel carp (Carassius gibelio Bloch, 1782) and native crucian carp (Carassius carassius Linnaeus, 1758) as model taxa to investigate how eutrophication influences their interspecific competition. Carassius carassius is being outcompeted by invasive C. gibelio across most of its native range, and eutrophication may play a role in the competitive displacement of C. carassius. We explored how varying eutrophication levels influence growth and survival of both species in laboratory and mesocosm experiments, where we exposed them to different feeding rations and nutrient levels, respectively. We hypothesized that (1) C. gibelio benefits more from increased nutrient levels than C. carassius—which favors invasive C. gibelio over native C. carassius in interspecific competition—and that (2) the growth and survival of C. carassius deteriorate under interspecific competition with C. gibelio compared to intraspecific competition. Our experiments revealed that excess nutrient availability was more beneficial to the invasive C. gibelio. Overall, C. gibelio individuals grew more than C. carassius, and the difference between the two species increased with nutrient levels in both experiments, especially in the weight of smaller individuals. Moreover, interspecific competition led to lower survival in C. carassius but not in C. gibelio in the mesocosm experiment. This study shows that eutrophication may modulate interspecific competition, and cultural eutrophication of freshwater habitats may enhance the success of invasive species. Graphical abstrac
Editorial
No full textDear Readers,Welcome to another J.UCS regular issue covering 5 articles on topical research areas in computer science. As part of our continuous improvement process, we have decided to provide more information about the accepted papers in the editorials starting with this issue.I would like to thank all the authors for their sound research and the editorial board and guest reviewers for their extremely valuable review effort and suggestions for improvement. These contributions, together with the generous support of the KOALA initiative, contribute to the quality of our journal.In an ongoing effort to further strengthen our journal, I am continuously looking for new editorial board members: If you are a tenured associate professor or higher with a good publication record, you are welcome to apply to join our editorial board. We are also interested in high-quality proposals for special issues on new topics and trends.It gives me great pleasure to announce the eleventh J.UCS issue of 2025. In this issue, 5 papers by 14 authors from 5 countries - India, Malaysia, Sweden, Taiwan, Türkiye - cover various topical aspects of computer science.Timothy Louis Scott, Wei Wei Goh, and Navid Ali Khan from Malaysia introduce their research on aspect-based sentiment analysis for product reviews. To address the problem of information overload on e-commerce platforms, a hybrid machine learning classification algorithm that employs aspect-based sentiment analysis and soft voting, was developed to detect the polarity and key aspects mentioned in Amazon product reviews. Based on the experiments conducted, SVHA attained higher accuracies and macro F1-scores compared to four other algorithms, showing its suitability in conducting aspect-based sentiment analysis.Emine Cengiz and Murat Gök from Türkiye propose in their study an enhanced approach for detecting money laundering in blockchain networks by representing transaction graphs as chaotic time series, extracting Lyapunov Exponents through phase space reconstruction, and classifying them with Graph Convolutional Networks. The main contribution is a feature expansion and chaotic analysis framework that improves blockchain transaction representation and enables more effective detection of illicit activities.In a collaborative effort, researchers from India and Sweden, Ashish Ranjan Mishra, Rakesh Kumar, and Rajkumar Saini introduce a deep learning technique for multimodal biometric authentication. More specifically, the article proposes DeepV-Net, a multimodal biometric authentication system that fuses EEG signals with handwritten signatures using V-net integrated with squeeze-excitation and attention modules. The model outperforms unimodal and state-of-the-art methods, demonstrating high accuracy, robustness, and significant contributions from its fusion and attention mechanisms.Ming-Lung Hsu, Yu-Wei Liu, and Sheng Tun Li from Taiwan address in their study the limitations of existing monotonic classification models in one-class classification by proposing a monotonicity-constrained support vector domain description – the MC-SVDD model, which integrates monotonicity constraints into the SVDD framework using quadratic programming and visualization techniques. Experimental results show that MC-SVDD outperforms conventional SVDD in prediction performance, contributing to the advancement of domain-driven data mining.Jafseer KT, Shailesh S, and Sreekumar A from India address in their research a feature evolution aware classification framework for streaming data using dynamic autoencoder and ensembled learning. The proposed research focuses on handling dynamically evolving features by introducing an enhanced solution that leverages a Dynamic Autoencoder DAE and ensemble learning. The ensemble technique used in the proposed classification framework demonstrates promising performances in diverse datasets, achieving accuracies of 86%, 94%, and 95% in the Weather, Electricity and Forest Cover Type datasets.Enjoy Reading!Kind regards,Christian Gütl, Managing Editor-in-Chief
Ravine forests in Colchis (Georgia) – Azonal forests in a Tertiary relict flora hotspot
No full textAzonal communities of ravine forests are often confined to pristine sites, and represent habitats with species-rich biota. Despite their significance for conservation biology, little attention has been paid to this vegetation in the Caucasus, one of the global biodiversity hotspots. Aims: (a) to describe the variability, ecology, and distribution patterns of ravine forests at lower elevations of Colchis in Georgia; (b) to examine the syntaxonomic position of Colchic and Caucasian ravine forests; and (c) to outline the relationships between the identified vegetation types and environmental as well as biogeographic factors. Study area: Georgia, Türkiye. Methods: Two classification analyses (beta-flexible clustering) were performed; the first on vegetation plots of ravine forests (n = 45) from Georgian Colchis, the second on an extended dataset (n = 134) that included additional plots of Caucasian ravine forests and the alliance Alnion barbatae. NMDS was applied to visualize patterns of similarity among the communities. Results: Three associations of Colchic ravine forests were distinguished, mainly reflecting the climate and bedrock: Polysticho woronowii-Ulmetum glabrae (wet climate, volcanics), Pterido creticae-Tilietum begoniifoliae (wet climate, limestones), and Polysticho aculeati-Tilietum begoniifoliae (drier climate, limestones). The classification of the extended dataset resulted in two main clusters, Colchic alluvial forests (Populetalia albae) and scree and ravine forests (Aceretalia pseudoplatani). A further partitioning distinguished between Caucasian and Colchic ravine forests. The latter represent a newly established alliance Pterido creticae-Tilion begoniifoliae, characterised by a wealth of Colchic endemic and relict species. These forests are of particular importance for safeguarding the Colchic forest biota. Conclusions: The variability of the Colchic ravine forests primarily reflects site-specific and climatic conditions, which allow their classification into three distinct associations. These stands constitute a novel alliance which complements the so-far known vegetation diversity of the prominent Colchic forests, a hotspot of Tertiary relict flora in the Northern Hemisphere. Taxonomic reference: Euro+Med PlantBase (https://europlusmed.org/) [accessed 10 Oct 2024]. Syntaxonomic reference: Higher syntaxa follow Mucina et al. (2016), exceptions and associations are accompanied by their author citations at the first mention. Abbreviations: DCA = Detrended Correspondence Analysis; GIVD = Global Index of Vegetation-Plot Databases; NMDS = Non-Metric Multidimensional Scaling; TWINSPAN = Two Way Indicator Species Analysis