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Zero-shot Learning for Subdiscrimination in Pre-trained Models
No full textIn deep metric learning (DML) high-level input data are represented in a lower-level representation (embedding) space, such that samples from the same class are mapped close together, while samples from disparate classes are mapped further apart. In this lower-level representation, only a single inference sample from each known class is required to accurately discriminate between classes. To this end, embeddings trained for a specific task may contain additional feature information which can be used to go a level deeper into the discrimination task, i.e. allowing for feature sub-discrimination. This study takes an embedding trained to discriminate faces (identities) and uses the inherent feature information within the embedding to differentiate several attributes such as gender, age, and skin tone, without any additional training. This study is split into two cases; intra class discrimination where all the embeddings considered are from the same identity/in-dividual but with minor attributes such as beard/beardless, glasses/without glasses and emotions; and extra class discrimination where the embeddings represent different identities/people with more prominent attributes such as male/female, pale/dark tone, young/older. In the intra class sub-discriminant scenario, the inference process distinguishes common attributes and several artefacts of different identities, achieving 90.0% and 76.0% accuracy for beards and glasses, respectively. The system can also perform extra class sub-discrimination with a high accuracy rate, notably 99.3%, 99.3% and 94.1% for gender, skin tone, and age, respectively. To sum up, this work investigates the sub-discriminative capabilities of DML models by clustering discriminative features evident within the structure of DML embeddings
Species delimitation of newly collected spiders of the genus Pseudopoda (Araneae, Sparassidae) from Honghe Hani and Yi Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan, China: An integrated morphological and molecular approach
No full textA further study of the spider genus Pseudopoda Jäger, 2000, from Honghe Hani and Yi Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan, southwest China, is presented. A total of six species are here addressed based on morphology and five methods of molecular species delimitation, increasing the number of known species of the genus in this area from 10 to 13. They comprise three new species, namely P. xiaozhua J. Zhang, H. Yu & Y. Zhong, sp. nov. (♂♀), P. yangae J. Zhang, H. Zhang & Y. Zhong, sp. nov. (♂♀), and P. ying J. Zhang, H. Zhang & Y. Zhong, sp. nov. (♂), and three known species: P. huanglianensis Zhang, Jäger & Liu, 2023, P. mamillaris Zhang, Jäger & Liu, 2023, and P. oliviformis Zhang, Jäger & Liu, 2023. The males of the three known species are described for the first time. Detailed descriptions, diagnoses, photographs of the six species, and a distribution map for all 13 Pseudopoda species in Honghe Prefecture are provided. The DNA barcodes of the six species were obtained for species delimitation, sex matching, and future use
Energy modelling of the economic and environmental sustainability of rice farming in southern Brazil
No full textThis study presents an emergy-based systems model to analyze the economic and environmental sustainability of rice farming in southern Brazil, with a focus on the states of Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul. Odum’s ecological systems theory is at the heart of the model. It measures all flows of energy, matter, and services, whether they are renewable or not, using a single unit called solar emergy joules (seJ). This lets us look at the whole picture. By constructing an energy diagram and calculating critical energy-based sustainability indicators (%R, EYR, EIR, ELR, ESI, EFR), the model quantifies the system’s significant dependence on external inputs and underutilization of local ecosystem services. Although the current production model is important for the economy, the results show that it is not very sustainable. It has a very low emergy sustainability index (ESI = 0.26), a very low proportion of renewable sources (%R = 0.15), and a high environmental loading (ELR = 5.73). However, the rice-field landscape has a lot of potential to be used as a Nature-Based Solution if it is managed in more than one way. The results of the modeling efforts offer a solid quantitative foundation for the development of transformative policies, including the recognition of rice fields as multifunctional Green Urban Infrastructure and the implementation of payments for environmental services, in order to promote a more climate-adaptive and resilient agricultural system
A new record of Pteragogus flagellifer (Valenciennes, 1839), Cocktail Wrasse (Actinopterygii, Perciformes, Labridae), from Taiwan, northwestern Pacific Ocean
No full textPteragogus flagellifer (Valenciennes, 1839), Cocktail Wrasse, is recorded from Taiwan based on a single specimen. Although this species has previously been recorded in Taiwanese literature, we found all the previous records to be based on misidentifications. Therefore, our specimen represents the first reliable record from Taiwan and fills the distribution gap of this species between the Philippines and Japan. A checklist of Pteragogus Peters, 1855 recorded from Taiwan is provided and discussed. A key to species of Pteragogus from the northwestern Pacific Ocean is also provided
Medication-related burden and its association with disease severity in Iraqi patients with asthma
No full textAsthma is a prevalent chronic respiratory condition associated with higher morbidity and mortality among older adults. In Iraq, the prevalence of asthma among adults with a family history is 11.55%. Medication-related burden (MRB) refers to the negative impact of medication regimens on daily life and adherence. Objectives: To assess MRB levels in patients with asthma and examine their association with demographic and clinical variables, as well as disease severity. Methods: purposive cross-sectional study was conducted at two teaching hospitals. Data were collected using a demographic questionnaire and the Living with Medicines Questionnaire to assess MRB. Pulmonary function tests were also performed. Results: The study included 100 patients (mean age 42.9 ± 15.9 years; M:F = 46:54). The MRB distribution was as follows: 55% minimal, 40% moderate, 4% high, and 1% none. Burden was significantly associated with age (P = 0.001163), disease duration (P = 0.03), and disease severity (P = 0.001163). Conclusion: Most patients experienced some degree of MRB, particularly older individuals and those with longer or more severe disease. These findings highlight the importance of addressing medication-related burden in asthma car
Two new species of the genus Glaucocharis (Lepidoptera, Crambidae) from China
No full textTwo new species of the genus Glaucocharis, Glaucocharis weii Li & He, sp. nov., and G. pangda Li & He, sp. nov., encountered in the primaeval forests of southern Xizang of China, are described. Images illustrating the adult morphology of the new species are provided
The Moths of North America
No full textThis is the second fascicle treating a portion of the New World apameine fauna. The North American species of the genera Amphipoea Billberg and Hydraecia Guenée are reviewed, and the genera Cherokeea Quinter & Sullivan, Franclemontia Ferguson, Papaipema Smith, Parapamea Bird, and Selicanis Smith (Noctuidae: Noctuinae: Apameini) are fully revised. Three new genera are described: Arundinariaphila Quinter (type species: Arundinariaphila hayesi Quinter), Fibigeria Quinter (type species: Gortyna erepta Grote), and Sarita Quinter (type species: Acrapex relicta Ferguson). Seventy-seven species are treated, eleven of which are described as new: Arundinariaphila hayesi Quinter; Cherokeea gabrielleae Quinter; Cherokeea odonnellae Quinter; Cherokeea slotteni Quinter; Papaipema albimontana Quinter; Papaipema amianthii Quinter; Papaipema blackorum Quinter; Papaipema hesseli Quinter; Papaipema matheri Quinter; Papaipema sablensis Quinter; Papaipema sullivani Quinter. Three new combinations are created: “Resapamea” trigona (Smith) is transferred to Cherokeea, “Amphipoea” erepta (Grote) to Fibigeria, and “Acrapex” relicta (Ferguson) to Sarita. Two neotypes and three lectotypes are designated. Three species are raised from synonymy: Papaipema rubiginosa Bird, Papaipema birdi (Dyar), and Papaipema depictata Benjamin. Gortyna aerata Lyman is deemed to be a hybrid of P. cataphracta × necopina and is placed into synonymy as an unavailable name. Numerous new life histories are reported. Adults and genitalic structures of all species are illustrated in color, and their larvae, where known, are as well. Keys to all genera are included, and species keys to adults, where practical, are included. Keys to larvae are included wherever sufficiently known. Selected images of habitats and host plant symptoms of larval damage are presented in color
First records of Bathytoshia brevicaudata (Hutton, 1875) (Myliobatiformes, Dasyatidae) from China with mitogenomic evidence
No full textThis study presents the first records of the Broad-tail Stingray, Bathytoshia brevicaudata (Hutton, 1875), in the East China Sea, significantly extending its known distribution in the Northwest Pacific. Through comprehensive morphological examination of male and female specimens, we identified several sexually dimorphic traits, including the number of oral papillae rows, dorsal tubercle spines, and tooth cusp morphology. Stomach content analysis revealed predation on teleosts exceeding 30 cm total length, challenging previous dietary descriptions. Furthermore, the co-occurrence of distinct fishing hook types (coastal J-hook and pelagic circle hook) within one specimen provides empirical evidence of transboundary movements between neritic and oceanic zones. We also sequenced and characterized the complete mitogenomes of both sexes (17,640 bp; GenBank: PV699610–PV699611), which exhibited conserved dasyatid genomic features, including pronounced AT bias (59.2%), purifying selection across protein-coding genes (strongest in cox2), and structural traits such as an incomplete stop codon in ND4 and a DHU-arm-deficient trnS1. These integrative findings enhance the ecological and molecular understanding of B. brevicaudata and provide critical baseline data for its conservation in poorly studied regions of the Indo-Pacific
Three new species of Fuscoporia (Hymenochaetales, Basidiomycota) from southern India revealed by morphological and multigene phylogenetic analyses
No full textFuscoporia Murrill, a cosmopolitan genus of the Hymenochaetaceae, consists of parasitic and saprotrophic fungi characterized by resupinate to pileate, strictly dimitic hyphal systems, encrusted generative hyphae, the presence of hymenial setae, and hyaline, smooth, thin-walled basidiospores. Based on morpho-microtaxonomic examinations and phylogenetic analyses using a combined ITS, nrLSU, partial rpb2, and tef1-α dataset, three new species of Fuscoporia—F. indica, F. sirumalaiensis, and F. terminalianae—are described from the Eastern Ghats of Tamil Nadu, India. The newly described species form three distinct lineages within the F. torulosa complex. Fuscoporia indica is characterized by imbricate, convex, dimidiate basidiomes, a glabrous, azonate pilear surface, and ellipsoid basidiospores (3.5–4.5 × 2.5–2.9 μm). Fuscoporia sirumalaiensis has a smooth to glabrous, concentrically zonate pilear surface, a duplex context, and smaller basidiospores (3.1–3.6 × 2.1–2.6 μm). Finally, F. terminalianae is recognized by its effused-reflexed to imbricate basidiome, widely zonate and warted pilear surface, and ellipsoidal basidiospores (3.3–4.3 × 2.8–3 μm). This study provides comprehensive descriptions, morphological illustrations, and insights into the differences among these new species and their respective allied taxa, along with the results of phylogenetic analysis
Insights from the Dalberto Teixeira Pombo (DTP) Arthropod Collection – II. Long-term monitoring of arthropod fauna in the show cave Algar do Carvão (Terceira, Azores, Portugal)
No full textThe second manuscript in the series "Dalberto Teixeira Pombo (DTP) Arthropod Collection" focuses on Algar do Carvão, a remarkable volcanic pit on Terceira Island, Azores, that is a Natural Monument, a show cave and part of the Terceira Island Natural Park. This volcanic cave is unique amongst the archipelago’s subterranean systems due to its distinctive geological features, including rare silica-based speleothems and its exceptional natural setting. Surrounded by remnants of native laurel forest, the cave hosts a specialised assemblage of arthropods, including several taxa endemic to the Azores and single island endemic species. Of particular interest are four obligate cave-dwelling species or subspecies (troglobionts): the centipede Lithobius obscurus azoreae Eason & Ashmole, 1992 (Chilopoda, Lithobiomorpha, Lithobiidae); the springtail Pseudosinella ashmoleorum da Gama, 1988 (Collembola, Entomobryomorpha, Entomobryidae); the spider Turinyphia cavernicola Wunderlich, 2008 (Arachnida, Araneae, Linyphiidae); and the ground beetle Trechus terceiranus Machado, 1988 (Insecta, Coleoptera, Carabidae), the last two being endemics to Terceira Island. These species are part of a fragile and narrowly distributed subterranean fauna shaped by the volcanic origin of the island and its isolation (0.4 Ma). Their presence highlights the conservation value of Algar do Carvão, which serves not only as a cave biodiversity hotspot, but also as a natural laboratory for studying evolution, adaptation to subterranean habitats and island biogeography. Despite being a show cave with frequent human visits, Algar do Carvão retains a relatively intact hypogean ecosystem, though it remains vulnerable to anthropogenic pressures, such as habitat disturbance and pollution.Particular focus is given to the abundance and population trends of the endemic cave-adapted beetle Trechus terceiranus, monitored through a long-term standardised programme initiated in 1999 using non-lethal trapping methods. This effort, designed to monitor population variation across seasons and years and to evaluate the potential impacts of increasing human visitation to the cave, represents one of the few continuous monitoring programmes for cave arthropods on oceanic islands. Over the course of this study, we also report the first citation of 21 arthropod taxa for Algar do Carvão, two of which are endemic to the Azores (Canariphantes acoreensis (Wunderlich, 1992) and Phloeostiba azorica (Fauvel, 1900)), contributing significantly to the known biodiversity of this volcanic pit, in particular and of Azorean subterranean fauna, in general