Comparison between transformers and convolutional models for fine-grained classification of insects

Fine-grained classification is challenging due to the difficulty of finding discriminatory features. This problem is exacerbated when applied to identifying species within the same taxonomical class. This is because species are often sharing morphological characteristics that make them difficult to differentiate. We consider the taxonomical class of Insecta. The identification of insects is essential in biodiversity monitoring as they are one of the inhabitants at the base of many ecosystems. Citizen science is doing brilliant work of collecting images of insects in the wild giving the possibility to experts to create improved distribution maps in all countries. We have billions of images that need to be automatically classified and deep neural network algorithms are one of the main techniques explored for fine-grained tasks. At the SOTA, the field of deep learning algorithms is extremely fruitful, so how to identify the algorithm to use? We focus on Odonata and Coleoptera orders, and we propose an initial comparative study to analyse the two best-known layer structures for computer vision: transformer and convolutional layers. We compare the performance of T2TViT, a fully transformer-base, EfficientNet, a fully convolutional-base, and ViTAE, a hybrid. We analyse the performance of the three models in identical conditions evaluating the performance per species, per morph together with sex, the inference time, and the overall performance with unbalanced datasets of images from smartphones. Although we observe high performances with all three families of models, our analysis shows that the hybrid model outperforms the fully convolutional-base and fully transformer-base models on accuracy performance and the fully transformer-base model outperforms the others on inference speed and, these prove the transformer to be robust to the shortage of samples and to be faster at inference time

Do specialty registrars change their attitudes, intentions and behaviour towards reporting incidents following a patient safety course?

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Reporting incidents can contribute to safer health care, as an awareness of the weaknesses of a system could be considered as a starting point for improvements. It is believed that patient safety education for specialty registrars could improve their attitudes, intentions and behaviour towards incident reporting. The objective of this study was to examine the effect of a two-day patient safety course on the attitudes, intentions and behaviour concerning the voluntary reporting of incidents by specialty registrars.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A patient safety course was designed to increase specialty registrars' knowledge, attitudes and skills in order to recognize and cope with unintended events and unsafe situations at an early stage. Data were collected through an 11-item questionnaire before, immediately after and six months after the course was given.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The response rate at all three points in time assessed was 100% (n = 33). There were significant changes in incident reporting attitudes and intentions immediately after the course, as well as during follow-up. However, no significant changes were found in incident reporting behaviour.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>It is shown that patient safety education can have long-term positive effects on attitudes towards reporting incidents and the intentions of registrars. However, further efforts need to be undertaken to induce a real change in behaviour.</p

Alterations in vasomotor control of coronary resistance vessels in remodelled myocardium of swine with a recent myocardial infarction

The mechanism underlying the progressive deterioration of left ventricular (LV) dysfunction after myocardial infarction (MI) towards overt heart failure remains incompletely understood, but may involve impairments in coronary blood flow regulation within remodelled myocardium leading to intermittent myocardial ischemia. Blood flow to the remodelled myocardium is hampered as the coronary vasculature does not grow commensurate with the increase in LV mass and because extravascular compression of the coronary vasculature is increased. In addition to these factors, an increase in coronary vasomotor tone, secondary to neurohumoral activation and endothelial dysfunction, could also contribute to the impaired myocardial oxygen supply. Consequently, we explored, in a series of studies, the alterations in regulation of coronary resistance vessel tone in remodelled myocardium of swine with a 2 to 3-week-old MI. These studies indicate that myocardial oxygen balance is perturbed in remodelled myocardium, thereby forcing the myocardium to increase its oxygen extraction. These perturbations do not appear to be the result of blunted β-adrenergic or endothelial NO-mediated coronary vasodilator influences, and are opposed by an increased vasodilator influence through opening of KATP channels. Unexpectedly, we observed that despite increased circulating levels of noradrenaline, angiotensin II and endothelin-1, α-adrenergic tone remained negligible, while the coronary vasoconstrictor influences of endogenous endothelin and angiotensin II were virtually abolished. We conclude that, early after MI, perturbations in myocardial oxygen balance are observed in remodelled myocardium. However, adaptive alterations in coronary resistance vessel control, consisting of increased vasodilator influences in conjunction with blunted vasoconstrictor influences, act to minimize the impairments of myocardial oxygen balance

On the synonymy of Pseudagrion bidentatum Morton, 1907, with P. hypermelas Selys, 1876

No new information on Pseudagrion bidentatum has been published since its original description by Morton in 1907 based on a single male from western India. Although this species was already regarded as a synonym of either P. hypermelas Selys, 1876, or P. spencei Fraser, 1922, by Fraser in 1933 it was still treated as a valid species on later checklists. Basedv on a study of the original description and the holotype held at the National Scottish Museum, Edinburgh, we conclude that P. bidentatum is a junior synonym of P. hypermelas

Figures 19 – 22 in Revision of the genus Celebargiolestes Kennedy, 1925 (Odonata: Argiolestidae)

Figures 19 – 22. Body of Celebargiolestes males. 19 – C. toli sp. nov., holotype; 20 – C. toli sp. nov., Peleng Island, 05 - viii- 1941, JvT 6453; 21 – C. orri sp. nov., holotype; 22 – C. orri sp. nov., 10 km WNW Palopo, 29 - x- 1993, JvT 11910

Figures 23 – 27 in Revision of the genus Celebargiolestes Kennedy, 1925 (Odonata: Argiolestidae)

Figures 23 – 27. Genital ligula of Celebargiolestes males. 23 – C. cinctus, Dumoga Bone NP, 04 - vi- 1985, JvT 6486, lateral view; 24 – C. cinctus, Dumoga Bone NP, 04 - vi- 1985, JvT 6486, ventral view; 25 – C. cinctus ‘ red leg’, Banggai Peninsula, 08 - x- 1989, latero-ventral view; 26 – C. askewi sp. nov., Polewali, 23 - x- 1940, JvT 6636, lateral view; 27 – C. askewi sp. nov., Polewali, 23 - x- 1940, JvT 6636, ventral view

Figures 34 – 39 in Revision of the genus Celebargiolestes Kennedy, 1925 (Odonata: Argiolestidae)

Figures 34 – 39. Appendages of Celebargiolestes males. 34 – C. cinctus, Ranotongkor, 02 - viii- 1940, JvT 6476, dorsal view; 35 – C. cinctus, Ranotongkor, 02 - viii- 1940, JvT 6476, lateral view; 36 – Ranotongkor, 02 - viii- 1940, JvT 6476, ventral view; 37 – C. askewi sp. nov., holotype, dorsal view; 38 – C. askewi sp. nov., holotype, lateral view; 39 – C. askewi sp. nov., holotype, ventral view

Records of dragonflies from western Bhutan collected in October 2015

Distribution data of dragonflies and damselflies from western Bhutan collected during a trip from 10 October 2015 to 22 October 2015 are presented. In total 53 species were recorded of which eleven are new to the country (Aciagrion pallidum, Anisopleura lestoides, Megalestes irma, Gynacantha incisura, Gynacantha khasiaca, Gynacanthaeschna sikkima, Lamelligomphus risi, Somatochlora daviesi, Crocothemis erythraea, Sympetrum fonscolombii, Tholymis tillarga). Another three species, one Megalestes and two Cephalaeschna, were not identified to species level but are also addition to the list of species recorded from Bhutan

Figures 28 – 33 in Revision of the genus Celebargiolestes Kennedy, 1925 (Odonata: Argiolestidae)

Figures 28 – 33. Genital ligula of Celebargiolestes males. 28 – C. toli sp. nov., Gunung Watuwila, 02 − 04 - xi- 1989, JvT 6636, lateral view, lateral lobe deformed and bent inwards; 29 – C. toli sp. nov., Gunung Watuwila, 02 − 04 - xi- 1989, JvT 6636, ventral view; 30 – C. toli sp. nov., Banggai Archipelago, Peleng Island, 05 - viii- 1941, JvT 6501, lateral view; 31 – C. toli sp. nov., Banggai Archipelago, Peleng Island, 05 - viii- 1941, JvT 6501, ventral view; 32 – C. orri sp. nov., Lore Lindu, 17 - xii- 1985, JvT 6444, lateral view; 33 – C. orri sp. nov., Lore Lindu, 17 - xii- 1985, JvT 6444, ventral view