Facial UV photo imaging for skin pigmentation assessment using conditional generative adversarial networks

Skin pigmentation is associated with skin damages and skin cancers, and ultraviolet (UV) photography is used as a minimally invasive mean for the assessment of pigmentation. Since UV photography equipment is not usually available in general practice, technologies emphasizing pigmentation in color photo images are desired for daily care. We propose a new method using conditional generative adversarial networks, named UV-photo Net, to generate synthetic UV images from color photo images. Evaluations using color and UV photo image pairs taken by a UV photography system demonstrated that pigment spots were well reproduced in synthetic UV images by UV-photo Net, and some of the reproduced pigment spots were difficult to be recognized in color photo images. In the pigment spot detection analysis, the rate of pigment spot areas in cheek regions for synthetic UV images was highly correlated with the rate for UV photo images (Pearson’s correlation coefficient 0.92). We also demonstrated that UV-photo Net was effective for floating up pigment spots for photo images taken by a smartphone camera. UV-photo Net enables an easy assessment of pigmentation from color photo images and will promote self-care of skin damages and early signs of skin cancers for preventive medicine.

Caridina sinanensis, a new species of stygobiotic atyid shrimp (Decapoda, Caridea, Atyidae) from a karst cave in the Guizhou Province, southwestern China

From a biodiversity survey of a subterranean habitat near Sinan County, Guizhou Province, southwestern China, a new atyid shrimp of the genus Caridina H. Milne Edwards, 1837, C. sinanensissp. nov. was discovered. The new species can be separated from other congeners based on a combination of characters including depigmentation in body and reduction of eyes, small pigment spot at the centre of the cornea, the shape of rostrum and the endopod of the 1st male pleopod, and the relatively longer appendix interna on the appendix masculina of the 2nd pleopod. Mitochondrial COI and 16S rRNA gene sequences also support the establishment of the new species. Information on the habitat, and the levels of threat are discussed to guide the conservation of C. sinanensissp. nov.

Quantifying the functional disparity in pigment spot-background egg colour ICP-OES-based eggshell ionome at two extremes of avian embryonic development

It is known that a developing avian embryo resorbs micronutrients (calcium and other chemical elements) from the inner layer of the eggshell, inducing thinning and overall changes in the shell’s chemical composition. However, an aspect yet to be explored relates to the local changes in the multi-elemental composition (ionome) of the pigment spot and adjacent background colour regions of eggshells resulting from avian embryogenesis (with respect to two extremes of embryonic growth: the maternal level at the moment of egg laying, and after the completion of embryonic growth). To address this problem, we used inductively-coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) to establish the elemental profiles of microsamples from the cryptic eggs of Capercaillie Tetrao urogallus and Black Grouse Tetrao tetrix, representing the background colour and pigment spot regions of the shell. We then related these to the developmental stage of the eggs (non-embryonated eggs vs. post-hatched eggshells) and their origin (wild vs. captive hens). Our results show an apparent local disparity between the pigment spot and background colour regions in the distribution of chemical elements: most elements tended to be at higher levels in the speckled regions of the shell, these differences becoming less pronounced in post-hatched eggshells. The trends of changes following embryonic eggshell etching between the pigment spot and background colour shell regions were conflicting and varied between the two species. We hypothesized that one potential working explanation for these interspecific differences could be based on the variable composition of elements (mostly of Ca and Mg), which are the result of the varying thickness of the individual shell layers, especially as the relative difference in shell thickness in the pigment spots and background colour regions was less in Black Grouse eggs. Overall, this investigation strongly suggests that egg maculation plays a functional role in the physiological deactivation of trace elements by incorporating them into the less calcified external shell layer but without participating in micronutrient resorption. Our major critical conclusion is that all research involving the chemical analysis of eggshells requires standardized eggshell sampling procedures in order to unify their colouration and embryonic status.

Periclimenes sulcatus sp. nov., a new pontoniine shrimp (Crustacea: Decapoda: Palaemonidae) from Vietnam

We describe and illustrate a new species of pontoniine shrimp, Periclimenes sulcatus. This new species is unique among the shallow water Periclimenes species in having multiple dorsal telson spines, from four to six pairs. A relatively large and swollen faceted accessory pigment spot on the eyestalk, a subtriangular process on the fourth thoracic sternite, and a feebly developed second pair of chelipeds, only slightly larger than the first pair, are among other remarkable characteristics of this new species. The new species was collected in southeastern Vietnam, the South China Sea, in shallows at low tide. It densely inhabits seagrass meadows, but also occurs on other substrata down to 4 m.

Morphometry of the eyes in regenerant of genus Dugesia (Platyhelminthes, Turbellaria, Dugesiidae)

The photodocumentation technique was used weekly to observe until the end of the regenerative process of eyes in three species of Dugesia. Morphometric data based on the measurement of 96 samples of the species: Dugesia tigrina, D. schubarti, and D. anderlani were analyzed A comparative analysis was made through graphic representation of statistical parameters of the following morphometric characters: the length of the transversal and longitudinal axes of the macula alba, pigment spot, and ocular opening. An interesting feature appeared in D. schubarti: the average of ocular opening during the regenerative process is bigger than in the original samples.

Pyxidiophora lundqvistii n.sp. (Hypomycetales, Ascomycetes)

Pyxidiophora lundqvistii n. sp., encountered in a mixed culture with Fusarium poae (Peck) Wollenw. isolated from seeds of Triticum aestivum L. (cv. Opal), is described, illustrated, and compared with Pyxidiophora asterophora (Tul.) Lindau, the type species. The ascospores of P. lundqvistii are uniseptate, fusiform, basally apiculate, hyaline, and 20–30 × 3–3.5 μm. At maturity, the wall on one side of the ascospore often swells, increasing the ascospore width to 5 μm. The ascospores lack a subapical pigment spot or other zones of pigmentation common to some species of Pyxidiophora. Pyxidiophora lundqvistii is distinguished from other species in the genus principally by its shorter and narrower ascospores and by its small perithecia.