A Variational Autoencoder Cascade Generative Adversarial Network for Scalable 3D Object Generation and Reconstruction.

Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs) for 3D volume generation and reconstruction, such as shape generation, visualization, automated design, real-time simulation, and research applications, are receiving increased amounts of attention in various fields. However, challenges such as limited training data, high computational costs, and mode collapse issues persist. We propose combining a Variational Autoencoder (VAE) and a GAN to uncover enhanced 3D structures and introduce a stable and scalable progressive growth approach for generating and reconstructing intricate voxel-based 3D shapes. The cascade-structured network involves a generator and discriminator, starting with small voxel sizes and incrementally adding layers, while subsequently supervising the discriminator with ground-truth labels in each newly added layer to model a broader voxel space. Our method enhances the convergence speed and improves the quality of the generated 3D models through stable growth, thereby facilitating an accurate representation of intricate voxel-level details. Through comparative experiments with existing methods, we demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach in evaluating voxel quality, variations, and diversity. The generated models exhibit improved accuracy in 3D evaluation metrics and visual quality, making them valuable across various fields, including virtual reality, the metaverse, and gaming.

Complete mitochondrial genome of little ringed plover Charadrius dubius (Charadriiformes, Charadriidae).

This study encoded the complete mitochondrial genomic sequence of the little ringed plover Charadrius dubius. The mitochondrial genome has a total length of 16,864 bp, consisting of 13 protein-coding genes, 22 tRNA genes, two rRNA genes, and a control region. The nucleotide composition was 23.8% T, 31.6% A, 30.8% C, and 13.8% G. This study provides the basic information on the mitogenome of C. dubius and supports the understanding of mitogenomic information and its phylogenetic relationship within Charadriiformes.

Graph Convolutional Network for 3D Object Pose Estimation in a Point Cloud.

Graph Neural Networks (GNNs) are neural networks that learn the representation of nodes and associated edges that connect it to every other node while maintaining graph representation. Graph Convolutional Neural Networks (GCNs), as a representative method in GNNs, in the context of computer vision, utilize conventional Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) to process data supported by graphs. This paper proposes a one-stage GCN approach for 3D object detection and poses estimation by structuring non-linearly distributed points of a graph. Our network provides the required details to analyze, generate and estimate bounding boxes by spatially structuring the input data into graphs. Our method proposes a keypoint attention mechanism that aggregates the relative features between each point to estimate the category and pose of the object to which the vertices of the graph belong, and also designs nine degrees of freedom of multi-object pose estimation. In addition, to avoid gimbal lock in 3D space, we use quaternion rotation, instead of Euler angle. Experimental results showed that memory usage and efficiency could be improved by aggregating point features from the point cloud and their neighbors in a graph structure. Overall, the system achieved comparable performance against state-of-the-art systems.

Five new subterranean amphipods of the genus Pseudocrangonyx from Korea (Crustacea, Amphipoda, Pseudocrangonyctidae).

Although the majority of the species belonging to the genus Pseudocrangonyx Akatsuka & Komai, 1922 are found among the subterranean fauna of eastern Asia, the taxonomic knowledge is very poor and only four species have been recorded in Korea. In this study, the morphology of the stygobitic pseudocrangonyctid amphipods from Korean subterranean waters was examined and five new species were identified: Pseudocrangonyx concavus sp. nov. has a characteristic emarginated posteroventral margin of epimeral plate 3; Pseudocrangonyx gracilipes sp. nov. differs from other pseudocrangonyctids by the slender and elongated pereopods and more produced posterodistal corner of epimeral plate 3. Pseudocrangonyx crassus sp. nov. shows the expanded peduncular articles and a reduced flagellum of antenna 2. Pseudocrangonyx minutus sp. nov. is distinguished by more reduced pleopod articles compare to other pseudocrangonyctids. Pseudocrangonyx villosus sp. nov. has the more setose bases of pereopods 3 and 4. Detailed descriptions and illustrations are presented for these five new species.

Two new species of idoteid isopods (Crustacea, Isopoda, Idoteidae) from Korea.

Two new species, Cleantiella ampliscutula sp. nov. and Pentias pluriarticulatus sp. nov., are reported from Korean waters with keys to all known species of the genera Cleantiella and Pentias. Cleantiella ampliscutula sp. nov. can be distinguished from its congeners by the following characteristics: the body is relatively small; pereonite 1 is expanded anterolaterally; coxal plates 2-7 are triangular; the pleon has three partial sutures; the pleotelson is widening posteriorly on the lateral margin; the flagellum of the antenna is single-articled; and the maxillipedal palps are four-articled. Pentias pluriarticulatus sp. nov. can be distinguishable from its congeners by the following characteristics: the lateral margins of the body are parallel; the anterior margin of the cephalon is slightly concave and has a small median notch; the coxal plates are invisible dorsally on pereonites 2-4, but visible on pereonites 5-7; the pleon has three partial sutures; the flagellum of the antenna is composed of nine articles; and the distal ends of the uropodal endopods are sinuous.

Taxonomic study on the photid amphipods (Senticaudata, Corophiida, Photoidea, Photidae) from Korean waters, with descriptions of a new genus and seven new species.

In this paper, seven new species of the family Photidae from Korean waters are described and illustrated in detail. Among them, Exiliphotis petila sp. nov. is a monotype of the newly reported Exiliphotis gen. nov., which is characterized by slenderer and more elongate pereopods 5-7 than those of other genera of the family Photidae. The genus Latigammaropsis is reported for the first time from Korean waters based on the description of Latigammaropsis careocavata sp. nov., which is differentiated from other Gammaropsis group by having weakly sexual dimorphic gnathopods 2, those have simple palmar margins in both sexes. Three new species of Photis are also described: Photis bronca sp. nov., Photis posterolobus sp. nov., and Photis longicarpus sp. nov. The formerly misidentified Photis longicaudata from Japan and China as well as the Korean material could be classified as a new species, P. bronca sp. nov. For that, the syntypes of P. longicaudata were re-examined, and lectotype and paralectotypes were newly designated in this study. Photis bronca sp. nov. is characterized by quadrate tooth on the palmar margin medially on gnathopod 2 in both sexes. Photis posterolobus sp. nov. shows a pointed posterior lobe on the ischium and a well-developed process of the propodus on male gnathopod 2. Photis longicarpus sp. nov. can be distinguished from other species of the genus by very elongate carpus of male gnathopod 1. Two new species belonging to the genus Podoceropsis are also reported: Podoceropsis insinuomanus sp. nov. has a strongly bisinuous palmar margin on male gnathopod 2, and Podoceropsis pseudoclavapes sp. nov. differs from the closely related species of Podoceropsis clavapes by different shape of the palmar margin and shorter dactylus of male gnathopod 2. Additionally, a key to the Korean species of Photidae is provided.

The complete mitochondrial genome of the sand-hopper Trinorchestia longiramus (Amphipoda: Talitridae).

The complete mitochondrial genome of sand-hopper Trinorchestia longiramus was analyzed in this study, which is the first for the genus within the family Talitridae. The mitogenome sequence is 15,401 bp in length containing two ribosomal RNA genes, 22 transfer RNA genes, 13 protein-coding genes, and a control region as found in most amphipods. The gene order showed that T. longiramus has a unique control region location compared to other amphipods. Phylogenetic analysis using the maximum likelihood method positioned T. longiramus within the monophyletic clades of the family Talitridae.

Two new species of Aphelochaeta (Annelida: Polychaeta: Cirratulidae) from Korean waters.

Two new cirratulid polychaetes of the genus Aphelochaeta collected from Korean waters are reported here along with detailed descriptions and illustrations. Aphelochaeta petila n. sp. is readily distinguished from its congeners by the following characteristics: non-expanded anterior and posterior ends of the body; non-moniliform segments in the abdomen; peristomium with three annulations and an indistinct dorsal crest; both the dorsal tentacles and the first branchiae attached on the peristomium; presence of only a pair of branchiae on chaetiger 1; and the ventrum of the thoracic region with transverse dark blue stripes on the chaetigers 6-16 with methyl green staining. Aphelochaeta intinctoria n. sp. is characterized by a combination of the following features: a rounded prostomium; a peristomium with a dorsal crest; a non-expanded thoracic region; dorsal tentacles on the peristomium and the first pair of branchiae on chaetiger 1; and the thoracic region lacking a distinct methyl green staining pattern. These two new species from Korean waters also differ in details of chaetal ultrastructure.

First records of the uristid lysianassoids from Korean waters: redescription of Anonyx abei Takekawa & Ishimaru, 2001 and description of Anonyx exilipes sp. n. (Crustacea, Amphipoda, Uristidae).

The uristid lysianassoids are reported for the first time from Korean waters with a redescription of Anonyx abei Takekawa & Ishimaru, 2001 and the description of Anonyx exilipessp. n.Anonyx abei is characterized by a distinctively small projection of the posterodistal corner on epimeron 3, different from all species of the Anonyx nugax group which share a constriction at the point of insertion of a distal seta on the inner ramus of uropod 2. Anonyx exilipessp. n. is included in the Anonyx laticoxae group characterized by the unconstricted inner ramus of uropod 2. This new species is distinguished from other A. laticoxae group species by the longer and more slender carpus and propodus of pereopod 6, and the non-lobate merus of pereopod 7.

Aroui minusetosus, a new species of Scopelocheiridae from Korea (Crustacea, Amphipoda, Lysianassoidea).

A new species, Aroui minusetosussp. n., is recorded from Korean waters with detailed description and illustrations. A new key to all known Aroui is provided. The Korean material of this scopelocheirid is readily assigned to the genus Aroui by the presence of long and distally barbed setae on the outer plate of maxilla 2. This new species is distinguished from congeners by ventrally smooth coxae 1-3 and a setose posteroventral margin of coxa 4, the subchelate gnathopod 2 having a row of four robust setae on its posterior margin (including an elongate single locking seta), and the setation of all appendages which is less dense than in other species. This is the first record of scopelocheirid amphipods from Korean waters.

A new species of Lagis (Annelida: Polychaeta: Pectinariidae) from Korean waters.

A new pectinariid polychaete, Lagis plurihamus sp. nov., is reported from intertidal habitats in the southern and western coasts of Korea. Lagis plurihamus sp. nov. is clearly distinguished from its congeners by a combination of the following morphological features: the cephalic veil bears usually 10-15 cirri; two pairs of thoracic branchiae are present on the segments 3 and 4; the scaphe is robust with 9-14 delicate scaphal hooks; the scaphal anal flap has a dorsal anal cirrus and fringed margin. Previously described species of Lagis from East Asia, L. bocki (Hessle, 1917) and L. crenulatus Sun & Qiu 2012 together with the newly described species L. plurihamus sp. nov., all have both short, recurved notochaetae with bordered serrations and long, straight notochaetae with fine serrations. We provide detailed description and illustrations with SEM photographs for the new species. A revised key to all Lagis species is also provided with a comparison of the morphological characteristics of them.

Complete sequence analysis of the mitochondrial genome of Auriculastra duplicata (Mollusca, Gastropoda, Ellobiidae).

The mitochondrial genome of the gastropod Auriculastra duplicata was completely sequenced. It was 13,920 bp in length and comprised 37 genes; two rrn genes and 22 trn genes. Phylogenetic analyses based on the concatenated protein-coding genes depicted the polyphyly of all species belonging to the family Ellobiidae; however, monophyly was observed among all species belonging to the subfamily Ellobiinae, in which A. duplicata clustered consistently with Auriculinella bidentata.

Two new species of pontogeneiid amphipods (Crustacea, Senticaudata, Calliopioidea) from Korean waters.

Two new pontogeneiid amphipods, Eusiroides pilopalpussp. n. and Paramoera dentipleuraesp. n., from Korean waters are described and illustrated. Eusiroides pilopalpussp. n. can be distinguished from congeners by the following characters: mandibular palp article 3 has brush-like setation, maxilla 2 has an inner plate that is not enlarged, and gnathopods 1 and 2 ischium has a well-developed anterior lobe. Paramoera dentipleuraesp. n. can be discriminated from congeners by the following characters: head anterior cephalic lobe is sinusoid, pereopods 5-7 are homopodous and slender, pereopods 6 and 7 basis are proximally lobed but distally diminished on posterior margins, and epimeron 3 is prominently expanded posterodistally.

A new species of Strongylacron (Copepoda, Harpacticoida, Cletodidae) from intertidal mudflats in the Korean peninsula.

A new species, Strongylacron glabrum sp. n. is described from intertidal mudflats in the Korean peninsula. The new species is assigned to the monospecific genus Strongylacron Gee & Huys, 1996 in accordance with the generic morphological features of the rostrum, antennary exopod, and thoracic legs. However, Strongylacron glabrum sp. n. is clearly distinguished from the type species, Strongylacron buchholtzi (Boeck, 1873), by the naked anterior margin of rostrum, the elongate exopod and endopodal lobe of female P5 approximately 3.5 and 2.7 times as long as width, respectively, and the presence of 8-10 rod-like projections on prosomites. The genus Strongylacron is first recorded from Korean waters by the present study.

A new species of Zosime (Copepoda: Harpacticoida: Zosimeidae) from shallow subtidal habitats in Korea, with notes on the genus.

Zosime destituta sp. nov. is described from shallow subtidal habitats in the southern sea of Korea. The new species is similar to Z. valida Sars, 1919, but differs from it primarily by the lack of an inner seta on the third endopodal segment of the fourth swimming leg. Based on morphological comparison of female character states, the genus Zosime can be subdivided into three provisional groups, anneae-, incrassata-, and typica-group. These groups are distinguished from each other by differences in the antennule, antennary exopod, mandibular rami, armature of swimming legs, fifth leg, and caudal rami. In addition, Zosime incrassata bathybia Bodin, 1968 is removed from its synonymy with Z. incrassata Sars, 1910 and upgraded to species level. An amended key to all known species of Zosime Boeck, 1873 is given, along with a table of all major characters. The present study is the first report of the family Zosimeidae Seifried, 2003 from Korean waters.

A new species of Eusirus from Jeju Island, Korea (Crustacea, Amphipoda, Eusiridae).

A new eusirid amphipod, Eusirus bulbodigitussp. n., from Jeju Island, Korea is described with a detailed description and illustrations. Eusirus bulbodigitussp. n. shows common features with the five known eusirid amphipods Eusirus abyssi Stephensen, 1944, Eusirus columbianus Bousfield & Hendrycks, 1995, Eusirus hirayamae Bousfield & Hendrycks, 1995, Eusirus laticarpus Chevreux, 1906, and Eusirus parvus Pirlot, 1934, such as the mandibular palp article 3 bearing a group of setae laterally. However, this new species is differentiated by the combination of the following characteristics: the eyes are poorly developed, the propodus on pereopod 4 is slightly shorter, the inner margin of dactylus on pereopod 4 is swollen, the length of pereopods 5-7 is moderate, the urosomite 1 has a dorsal protrusion distally, and the telson is shallowly cleft. This is the first record of the genus Eusirus Krøyer, 1845 from Korean waters.

A new species and new record of the Kamakidae (Crustacea: Amphipoda) from Korea.

Two species of the family Kamakidae collected from tidal flats on the southern west coast of Korea are reported, along with descriptions and illustrations. Kamaka excavata Ariyama, 2007 has the following unique character states on gnathopod 2 in the mature male: a wider coxa, a long and acute process of the propodus, and an excavation on inner-distal margin of dactylus. Although the new species, Kamaka rostra sp. nov. has gnathopod 2 similar to those of K. biwae Uéno, 1943, K. morinoi Ariyama, 2007, and K. appendiculata Ariyama et al., 2010, it can be easily distinguished by the plumose setae on the inner margin of the dactylus and by the spines on the inner lobe of the maxilliped in the mature male. In addition, this new species shows some particular characteristics among the species of Kamaka, such as the anterior cephalic lobe is not rounded but produced as a triangular shape, and uneven protuberances ranged along the inner-distal margin of the flagellum from peduncular article 5 to fourth proximal segment on antenna 2 in the mature male. This is the first report of the Kamakidae from Korean waters, and we also provide a key to worldwide Kamaka species.